ROMA: Yes, Alfonso Cuarón's much-lauded movie is indeed one of the year's best

r

Sorry for the delay in covering Alfonso Cuarón's very impressive movie ode to the Mexican woman who helped raise him and his rather large immediate family, but due to a scheduling glitch with my monthly correspondent Lee Liberman, the film fell through TrustMovies' cracks for a bit.

So: Is ROMA -- named for the Mexico City neighborhood in which Cuarón (shown below) grew up -- as good as the blurbs on its poster, left, would indicate? I think it is, though I must admit that several good friends of mine, intelligent movie-lovers all, found the film slow-moving enough to have to stop and then return to it two or three times, in order to finish watching.

How shall I put it, exactly? This is not an "action" movie. Yet for anyone who can appreciate a film about family dynamics, separation, child-rearing, not to mention class and economic differences, racism, and the many different and equally important forms of love involved in the life of a shy, quiet but remarkably morally-centered young woman, Roma hits the sweet spot again and again.

Aside from the sometimes breath-taking and always lovely black-and-white cinematography by Cuarón himself (as was the direction, screenwriting and even much of the editing: this is a very "hands-on" movie), what impresses me most about the film was how much of it has been shot in mid-range/middle distance and how very few enormous close-ups we are asked to view.

This has the effect of not allowing the viewer to so easily or immediately get "close" to the characters. Instead we have to spend the time noting the small details and tiny incidents -- the parking of a car, for instance -- that slowly build character and lead to our further involvement. Middle distance also helps avoid the easy sentimentality found in so much of what we see in film and on television.

As you might expect from this sort of endeavor -- a near-documentary approach to showing us life -- the performances are all terrifically real yet about as unshowy as seems possible under these circumstances. In the leading role of the maid, Cleo, newcomer Yalitizia Aparcio (above) is quietly extraordinary, as befits a character whose job it is to serve others. Less quiet but equally fine is the much-more-seasoned actress Marina de Tavira (below, right) in the role of the broken-hearted mother of the family.

Though much of the movie is given over to small, seemingly sort of static scenes of daily life, there eventually arise a few whoppingly amazing moments that build into some unforgettable situations that Cuarón handles equally well. The first of these occurs as Cleo's boyfriend, Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrrero, below) does a nude and full-frontal demonstration of his martial arts skills that, while impressive (in several ways), leaves us wondering just who this guy really is. That slowly, clearly becomes more and more horribly apparent.

Roma also boasts the most memorable and moving birth scene I've yet experienced (for reasons that would be a spoiler to dwell on), and another that suddenly shows us the result of government brutality to its student population that is as sudden as it is spectacularly ugly and believable.

The film climaxes with the scene shown on the poster, top. Before I viewed the movie, this "family hug" --  used extensively in the publicity materials and posters for the film -- looked rather sentimental. Once you've actually seen the whole film, I think you'll agree that this landmark moment, thanks to the filmmaker's style, story, and in particular his skillful use of middle distance, arrives completely and absolutely earned.

From Netflix and still playing its limited release in theaters, even as it streams most everywhere else, Roma, running two hours and fifteen minutes, is definitely one of last year's best film. I am adding it to my list right now. 

BOARDING SCHOOL: As usual with a Boaz Yakin film, much more than meets the eye

For TrustMovies, a new Boaz Yakin film is always a joyful occasion. (Even if the movies themselves are not always so joyful.)  From Fresh through A Price Above Rubies, and on to Death in Love, Safe and now his latest genre offering, BOARDING SCHOOL, Yakin continues to give us visually commanding movies with themes that resonate and reverberate tellingly in ways both expected and not so.

With each new film he has written and directed, Yakin has tackled a new genre -- effectively making it his own in the process -- from coming-of-age, Jewish orthodox feminism, and the Holocaust to chase thrillers, dog stories and now, with his latest, the horror film.

The movie-maker (shown at right) is also consistently interested in "the other"; his characters, for many different reasons, don't easily fit it to the "normal" world.

In Boarding School, the protagonist is a teenager named Jacob, played with remarkable precision and depth by young actor Luke Prael (shown on poster, above, and below, right), who is also to be seen in the current indie hit Eighth Grade, who has very odd nightmares stemming from even odder relatives, particularly a grandmother who seems to have had an awful and bizarre Holocaust experience.

When Jacob's behavior grows worse, his surprisingly kindly step-father (David Aaron Baker, center above) and his much less kindly mother (Samantha Mathis, at left, above) send him away to the titular boarding school, where -- he is told -- "clarity" will be achieved in just a couple of weeks. If only.

The other students proves quite the assortment of strange characters, and Mr. Yakin sees to it that each one of them is brought to fine and sympathetic life (and sometimes, death). These young kids are never simply creepy or used for the standard, oddball special effects, and the young actors who play them are remarkable indeed.

The school's headmaster and his wife are portrayed with great zest and skill by Will Patton (above) and Tammy Blanchard (below), and by the time we have uncovered what is really going on here, the movie takes on about as dark a palette as you will have seen in some time.

Visually, Mr. Yakin proves as skilled as ever, giving us some simply gorgeous interior vistas (the boarding school itself is a visual knockout) and a number of set pieces as original as they are creepily fraught with buried meaning.

The talented Prael spends maybe the entire last third of the film dressed in drag, which he pulls off quite beautifully, even as his character grows in intelligence and strength. His is an impressive performance, and the film that surrounds him is even more so. Yakin has given us the most unusual, effective and memorable film in the horror genre so far this year. (And also one of the better, if darker, coming-of-age movies.)

From Momentum Pictures and running a surprisingly lengthy but consistently compelling 111 minutes, Boarding School opens today in theaters (in Los Angeles, see it at the Arena Cinelounge Sunset) and simultaneously on VOD and digital HD.

Anthony Edwards' MY DEAD BOYFRIEND brings a character, if not a corpse, back to oddball life

How well do we know that person whom we live with and presume to love? Of course, you'll immediately realize that the answer here is going to be
"not very."

But wait. That doesn't begin to cover the manner in which the non-heroine of the new movie, MY DEAD BOYFRIEND, doesn't know her own live-in guy, whom she comes home one day, after being fired at her latest job, to find dead in his recliner, his corpse having been, from all we can tell here, simply watching TV.

As written by actor Billy Morrissette (from the novel by Arthur Nersesian) and directed by actor Anthony Edwards, shown at right, the movie fairly bubbles with the fun to be found (for the audience, if not for the girlfriend in question) in discovering just who this dead guy really was.

Further, as played by John Corbett (shown below, in that recliner, and at bottom, right), this fellow, who goes by the name of Primo Schulz, proves quite the guy who got around -- to various women and occupations -- all of which grow wilder and funnier as the movie moves along. And Corbett gets the chance to behave in a number of ways that we're not used to seeing from this actor.

The actual star of the film is Heather Graham, who plays Mary, Primo's last (or so she imagines) girlfriend, and the one who discovers his lifeless body. Ms Graham, still beautiful and sexy, plays everything here just a tad too annoyed to make us care much about what happen to her. Her character is not particularly likable, and while this is fine so far as some movies go, this one needs a gal to root for. And Ms Graham, who goes from annoyed to further annoyed, until she begins beating people with a cremation urn and wantonly slapping faces, is not that character.

The movie, however, is still rather fun as it romps along, introducing us to a number of smart actors, including Katherine Moennig (above, right), as Mary's best friend; Griffin Dunne (below, right), who plays an admirer of Ms Graham's character, and Gina Gershon who has perhaps the plumiest role as an art dealer, of which Ms Gershon typically makes the most.

In the role of what turns out to be the romantic lead, a young actor named Scott Michael Foster does a creditable job warming up to the movie's anti-heroine.

There's a pretty good soundtrack here, too, and a couple of nice musical numbers -- one of which makes use of that fun little song from the old Mary Tyler Moore show, which was also used recently to better purpose in the much more accomplished movie, Christine.

From Momentum Pictures and Orion Releasing (how nice it is to see that old Orion logo on-screen again!) and running 90 minutes, the movie releases this Friday, November 4, simultaneously in "select theaters" and via VOD/Digital HD. In New York City it will play the Cinema Village. Elsewhere? Not sure, but as it's available both VOD and digitally, if you want to take a look, I am sure you can find it.

Autism up close in Roger Ross Williams' moving, unsettling doc -- LIFE, ANIMATED

The first thing we see in LIFE, ANIMATED are home movies of an adorable, "normal," little boy, along with his youthful-looking, though probably early middle-aged parents. Then we go forward in time to that boy as an adult autistic male, and those parents, who are now seniors. What happened in between is the meat of a new documentary currently making the theatrical rounds and opening here in South Florida today that tries to get us "inside this prison of autism." And what we're seeing here is not mere Asperger syndrome but full-out autism.

The family in focus is that of reporter/writer Ron Suskind, his wife Cornelia, and their two sons, older brother Walt and younger, autistic brother Owen. The film is based upon Mr. Suskinds best-selling book about his family's experience, and the director here is the Oscar-winning filmmaker (for the 2010 documentary short subject, Music by Prudence), Roger Ross Williams, shown at left, whose 2014 full-length documentary God Loves Uganda, was shortlisted for an Academy Award.

While every family that must deal with an autistic child has its own special experience, the thing that made the Suskinds' so unusual was the manner in which the early, classic cartoons of Walt Disney figured into the education of Owen and the ability to reach into his "prison" and at least help to somewhat bring him out of it.

I suspect that this is probably an amazing story, but the movie only partially captures it. We are told that the family was better able to communicate with Owen once they realized that he was using the Disney films (which he watched over and over) to communicate. But we get only a small sense of how and why this worked so well. What we do get, in spades, is the pain the parents go through and the incredible amount of work they must do to simply get through life, as they try to bring their son even somewhat "up to speed." For any parent, I suspect that this will be a very sad film to watch. It just hurts.

What we learn about Owen is at times somewhat inspiring (we see him, late in the film, take a trip to France to address an international conference on autism), but still, it is clear that the road ahead will be very difficult, especially considering that these parents, of course, will finally die, even as Owen's ability to sustain himself seems tentative at best. The saddest part of the film is devoted to brother Walt, who seems to take his responsibility for his brother very seriously. Watching these scenes, you want to give this guy a hug and ask, please, isn't there something we can do to help?

Style-wise, the movie is a combo of archival family film and video footage, outtakes from some of those old Disney films, talking head interviews, and some lovely, original black and-white (and finally color) animation that also tries to help us enter that prison of Owen's. We're with Walt and Owen as the question of sex education arises (we also meet his "girlfriend" for a bit). How do you teach Owen sex, Walt wonders? Via Disney porn?

We also meet celebrities such as Disney voice actors Jonathan Freeman (Jafar's voice in Aladdin) and Gilbert Gottfried (shown above, left: the voice of Jafar's parrot, Iago, in the same film). Yes, this movie is occasionally inspirational and feel-good. But it is more often -- due to the reality of the situation -- very, very sad.  After playing major cities like New York and Los Angeles, it will open down here in South Florida at the Lake Worth Playhouse in Lake Worth on Friday August 12, and then here in Boca Raton at Regal's Shadowood 16 and in Miami Beach at the Regal's South Beach 18 on Friday. September 2, and finally in Fort Lauderdale, at the classic Gateway Theater on September 9. Click here then scroll down to see all currently scheduled playdates, with cities and theaters listed.

Blu-ray/DVDebut: Peter Billingsley's smart, enjoyable TERM LIFE gives Vince Vaughn and Hailee Steinfeld a chance to shine

And shine they do, as a troubled, estranged father and daughter who reunite out of necessity, and then bond as he teaches her the tricks of his criminal trade. You may question the morality going on here, but you will have enough fun along the way that you'll probably be willing to let that pass and enjoy TERM LIFE on it own movie-movie terms. As directed by Peter Billingsley (below) and written by Andy Lieberman (from Nick Thornborrow's graphic novel), the film is fleet and often funny, without ever crossing over into "cute."

It's violent, too, but less so than many R-rated movies. Performances are fine down the line, with Vince Vaughn and Hailee Steinfeld (below) particularly effective as the father/daughter combo. Mr. Vaughn has had some ups and downs (more downs of late) in his career, but this film might have set him back on track, had it been given a legitimate theatrical release. But his smart, no-nonsense and very appealing performance should make fans realize anew why they've enjoyed him over the two decades since Swingers.

Speaking of, Jon Favreau makes an appearance here and does well as a sleazy cohort of Vaughn's, while no less than Terrence Howard (below) and Taraji P. Henson (further below) show up smartly in supporting roles.

Basically a heist-gone-south movie coupled to a chase film connected to a parenting tale, the movie's many jolts of humor and its consistently believable and often quite clever dialog carry it along and over very few rough patches.

The villains are played, and well, by Bill Paxton (below) as a really dirty police officer and Spain's Jordi Mollà, shown at bottom, who essays a Mexican drug lord, the death of whose son sets in motion much of the clever plotting.

Taking place in Atlanta, this is the second movie in as many weeks to show us a whole bunch of crazy, crappy Atlanta cops. (Triple 9 was the other one, which is a lot darker but also a good film.) OK, Hollywood: We get your point.

Considering the dreck that makes it into our theaters (often for weeks on end), Term Life (the title refers to the insurance policy the Vaughn character takes out on his own life in order to provide for his daughter) proves a lot more fun and lasts but a swift and engrossing 93 minutes.

From FocusWorld, the movie hit DVD and Blu-ray this past week -- for purchase and/or rental.

Jean-Paul Civeyrac's MY FRIEND VICTORIA offers class, race, friendship and love as we've seldom experienced them, movie-wise

A highly unusual film experience -- quiet, thoughtful, probing and emotional while not indulging us in a single melodramatic moment, MY FRIEND VICTORIA, adapted by screenwriter/director Jean-Paul Civeyrac from a story by Doris Lessing, takes us on the journey to adulthood and motherhood of a young black girl in France as she struggles to find her place in society and the world around her. The beauty, the gift of this extraordinary movie is that it allows us to inhabit its characters so well that we experience and understand things from all their viewpoints.

Filmmaker Civeyrac, shown at right, makes the relatively unusual choice of having much of his film narrated, but quite in the French style (it reminded me very much of Georges Franju's Thomas l'imposteur). This narration -- spoken by Fanny, the very good friend and almost-sister of our heroine, Victoria -- enables us to experience the latter's story sympathetically and with empathy, without the usual sentimentality clouding our vision. And the measured, lovely tone of Fanny's voice seems both intelligent and reassuring. It also elides some of the moments that, had they been shown, would have thrown the movie more toward the sentimental.

Instead, we experience Victoria's life from both a first-hand, visual sense, and almost simultaneously via the more distancing narration. This combination works wonderfully in holding our attention, while forcing us to better consider what we are seeing -- which begins with one of those odd-but-life-altering experiences a child can have that may seem unremarkable to the adults and older children around her but that somehow changes everything for the child (played quite beautifully and soulfully by newcomer Keylia Achie Beguie, above, left).

This experience, conveyed so that we take it in through the child's eyes, mind and heart, is a game-changer that she and we come back to again and again throughout the movie -- but not visually or physically. Instead, it has been expressed so thoroughly that it remains a constant with Victoria, and with us. M. Civeyrac is very good with the details, too, both visual and verbal, objects and ideas. As the film unfurls, we become aware of how childhood seeps into our adulthood, how what we did then stays with us, reflected in our later actions.

Victoria's experience of spending even that single afternoon, night and morning in the home of a well-to-do white family changes everything for the child. And what this movie makes us understand is how one's self-image becomes so much a part of the larger issues of race and class, sometimes to the point of hindering our own progress. Or maybe not. What seems like hindrance may actually be a kind of growth.

That the movie can address all this without ever lecturing or hectoring is among its great strengths. It allows us to ponder, in ways that most films don't come near, even as we're watching, hoping and struggling to understand our protagonist's stance.

My Friend Victoria also treats its white bourgeoisie characters with understanding and compassion. And in the cast are two stalwarts of French cinema:Catherine Mouchet (above, second from right) and Pascal Greggory (above, left), as the parents of the two sons who have such an effect on Victoria, as child and adult. The adult Victoria is played by a stunningly beautiful actress, Guslagie Mulanga (above, and below, right). in her film debut, and an equally effective actress, Nadia Moussa (below, left), also making her acting debut, as Fanny.

This movie is so unlike most of what opens these days, even on the foreign film/arthouse circuit, that I hesitate to praise it too highly. Best to say that, if you're an aware, open and sensate person, you will not leave the theater as quite the same person who entered it. From Zeitgeist Films, and running a mere 95 minutes, the movie opens in New York City exclusively at the IFC Center this Friday, December 4, and will hit several other cities in the weeks to come. Click here and scroll down to see all currently scheduled playdates, cities and theaters.

In THURSDAY'S SPEAKER, Gary Hebert offers up a pretty good idea that misfires badly

The tale of a fellow finding the strength to own up to himself and his faults (alcoholism is just one of these), THURSDAY'S SPEAKER has a decent idea for a movie that is unfortu-nately brought to tired life by its writer/director/ editor, Gary Hebert -- who has bitten off a good deal more than he can chew and consequently delivers a non-starter that wastes the talents of some good actors. That the film won a few awards on the third-tier film-festival circuit only brings home the fact that too many movies are being made these days, and are then shown at some unnecessary festivals.

Still, how are budding filmmakers supposed to learn their craft except by trying and doing? So we can't hold this against Mr. Hebert, shown at left, who clearly did his best on this, his first full-length film. As unbelievable as are some of the goings-on, the characters, as well as the actors playing them, do their best to build up enough good will to carry the viewer along to the foregone, feel-good conclusion. What went wrong here? A lot. But primarily, I believe it is the so-so writing and downright poor editing that sink the endeavor. Hebert seems to have little feel for timing and pacing, and so his movie simply stalls far too often.

As you watch, you want to shout, "Pick up the pace, please!" Also, you want to send the script back for rewrites. The story is all about an aging responsibility-shirker named Rodrigo (Del Zamora, above), whom we first see addressing, and quite well, an AA Meeting. He's clearly a very good speaker. In the next scene, we see him take a drink or two and quickly realize what a scam artist he is.

His job -- selling poor-quality automobiles in a used car lot -- is a scam of another kind. And before long we see yet another, in the form of a younger woman, April (Ashley Ledbetter, above) who looks up Rodrigo's name in the phone book and reconnects with the guy. She has just relocated, with a high-school age son in tow, and she's applying for a job as pole-dancer in a strip club. The connection between April and Rodrigo is eventually established, but it oughtn't to come as too big a shock (it certainly doesn't to her son, Sam, played nicely by Andrew Shea, below).

As is often the case with first films, coincidence is rife and believability less so. Things happen because they need to in order to bring home Hebert's bacon. And regaling us with Rodrigo's constant lying, the movie's biggest stretch is asking us to believe that this guy could even remotely turn into what he needs to become by the movie's finale.

Job loss, arrest, first love and possible school expulsion (for the son), an intervention, and lots more take place before The End shows up. Of course, we'd like to buy it all, given as so many of us are partial to happy endings. And, as I say, the actors do provide some residual good will. Thankfully, the film comes in at just under an hour and a half, though getting there often feels longer. So it's your call. 

Where can you view Thursday's Speaker (a good title!)? This is the kind of movie made for the Netflix streaming stable, where you can view it on the cheap and then stick with it or not. But right now, from what I can tell, it is only available for sale on DVD for $13. Click here for more information. If the film ever becomes available for rental, or on a streaming outlet, and I learn of this, I'll update my post.