Home video debut for Michael Dunaway and Chris White's slick, surprising and commendable SIX L.A. LOVE STORIES

Just how much quality entertainment can be packed into a sextet of unconnected stories lasting only 77 minutes is demonstrated quite vividly in the just-released-to-home-video indie movie, SIX L.A. LOVE STORIES.

This proved to be one of those films TrustMovies agreed to watch, thinking that at least he'd be doing the publicist a favor, that turned out to be a delightful surprise he would not have wanted to miss.

A sterling example of what decent direction (Michael Dunaway)

and editing (Sean Valla), smart writing (from Mr. Dunaway and Chris White) and most especially the kind of terrific acting that some of tinsel town's finest supporting and ensemble actors can deliver, this little movie actually makes good on what many other vastly more storied and expensive projects fail at: an intelligent, funny, occasionally even moving and always entertaining piece of movie-making.

That cast includes Dunaway, shown at left, who plays (and very well) a big, cuddly teddy bear of an ex-husband to Alicia Witt's ex-wife, meeting ostensibly to discuss the proper school for their young daughter, but delving into other, much more personal things. Ms Witt (below) provides the dramatic high point here, as she navigates near-perfectly a most difficult and confusing few moments of self-revelation.

The writing includes a marvelous riff on Kurt Cobain's pancreas, delivered with in deliciously dry fashion by one of my favorite actors, Ross Partridge (below, whose film Lamb you really ought to see),

playing a "guest" at a rather typical L.A. pool party who has a yen for another guest, an angry young woman essayed with zest and finesse by Ashley Williams, below.

More delightful dialog comes as a recently cuckolded husband (a fine Matthew Lillard, below), confronts his abashed wife with a raft of questions: "Did he use a condom?  Was it one of mine?  Out of my sock drawer!?"

That poor wife (the always wonderful Carrie Preston, below), here as hang-dog as you are likely to have seen her, can only sit and hope and cope.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, a sort of mini-Ted-Talks-marathon is taking place, staged managed by Jennifer Lafleur (below, left), at which one of the guest speakers turns out to be her ex-lover (Ogy Durham, below, right), whose very appearance here has been stage-managed, too.

What L.A. movie would be complete without some "movie industry" fodder? This is provided by the tale of a ditzy would-be screenwriter (Marshall Allman, below) who seems to pride himself on insulting the very folk who try to help him,

and his ex-girlfriend (Jamie Anne Allman, below), who, despite his idiocy and maybe due to how f-ing adorable the kid is, continues to carry a torch.

The funniest story involves the historic home of the famous Will Rogers, and a tour guide/docent at that home (the fabulously funny Beth Grant, below) and her encounter with an academic writer who is not a fan of this Mr. Rogers but who has flown out from New York to visit the house.

The writer is played by that ubiquitous supporting actor Stephen Tobolowsky, and he and Ms Grant make quite the match. These tales, fortunately, are women together so that we spend two, three, maximum four minutes with one and then move to another and another before arriving back to the original again. The pacing proves just about perfect so that we never lose touch with the each plot nor its humor and drama, even though there is no connection between the characters or tales.

The movie has a nice, improvisational quality that carries through all the tales, and it helps immensely that each situation and each set of characters are different enough, one from another, that neither repetition nor similarity ever sets in. What is maybe most surprising here is how very involved we get in these short little stories -- thanks to the very high grade of acting, writing, directing and editing on view. Good job, all! (That's Peter Bogdonovich, below, who makes a guest appearance in the film as one of those Ted-ish-Talks speakers.)

From Random Media and running just 77 minutes, Six L.A. Love Stories made its debut on digital, DVD and VOD this past Tuesday, May 8. It's definitely worth a watch, especially for those who appreciate the movie equivalent of some good "short stories."

Charm, smarts and post-Holocaust Jewish knavery in Sam Garbarski's BYE BYE GERMANY

In the annals of Holocaust-themed movies that go places most of their brethren would not care or dare to, BYE BYE GERMANY takes its position as one of the more daring, even if it is, after all, just a pleasant, near-mainstream rom-com-drama. Yet the subjects with which it deals -- what it took to survive the camps, post-Holocaust-Germany wheeling and dealing by Jews on the black market, as well as the question of exactly what some of those Jews did during their imprisonment ("Was he a Kapo?" one of them asks of another) -- helps make the movie a worthwhile addition to the sub-genre of post-Holocaust films.

As directed and co-written (with Swiss screenwriter, Michel Bergman, based on his novels) by Sam Garbarski (shown at left), who, a decade back, gave us the very interesting Irina Palm, the film is from its very start surprisingly sweet and sentimental, giving us a three-legged dog with whom our hero, Bermann (the wonderful and versatile Moritz Bleibtreu), has clearly bonded. We immediately bond, too. Herr Bleibtreu, below, excels at playing crooks with hearts of gold, and he it it again here -- this time with the added enjoyment of keeping us guessing as to what his real history--pre-, during and post-camp--has been.

Also kept guessing as to that history is a military investigator named Sara Simon, played well by the beauteous East German-born actress Antje Traue (below, right, with Bleibtreu ),who is determined to get to the truth of things. Truth, of course, can be difficult to pin down (if not completely non-existent, as in these days of Donald Trump).

So, as Simon investigates and Bermann prevaricates, truth (or something like it) spills out in bits and pieces. Bermann's gang of small-time and very charming shysters, who join their boss in a thriving linen business, are brought to lovely life by a group of fine supporting actors -- each one quite different from the next: by turns funny, sad, silly and surprising.

Jokes play quite a nice part in the film, too, as does a musical instrument called the Theremin. All in all, Bye Bye Germany is lots of fun, with that fun anchored securely to history, humanity and character.

From Film Movement and running 102 minutes, the movie has already opened in theaters around the country, but still seems to have a few playdates remaining. Click here and then scroll down to find a city and/or theater near you. Locally in South Florida the film will open this Friday, May 11, at the Movies of Delray, and then the following Friday, May 18, at the Movies of Lake Worth. Eventually DVD and streaming options will also be available.

ME, MYSELF & HER: Lesbian rom-com-dramedy fluff from Italy's Maria Sole Tognazzi

TrustMovies moves up and down re the work of Italian filmmaker Maria Sole Tognazzi (he's quite high on A Five-Star Life, somewhat lower on The Man Who Loves, and maybe in the middle regarding her newest movie, ME, MYSELF & HER (a much simpler and more intelligently worded Io e lei, in the original Italian). Though there have been a number of Italian movies with full-out gay themes, this is said to be the first relatively mainstream Italian movie to tackle a lesbian relationship.

Ms Tognazzi, shown at right, casts her movies expertly, with some of Italy's finest actors in leading roles. Here she uses that always wonderful, multi-Donatello-winning Margherita Buy in one role and a quite beautiful and talented actress (from The Great Beauty), Sabrina Ferilli, in the other. The two play off each other with skill, precision and great believability, as they take us into the shoals of a five-year-old relationship that appears to be badly fraying.

As is her wont, Ms Tognazzi deals with the upscale bourgeoisie -- this time, an architect named Federica (Ms Buy, above) and her lover, an ex-actress and now-restaurateur, Marina (Ms Ferilli, below), who appear to have a relatively placid relationship -- except that Federica wants her sexual preference to remain private, while Marina could give a good god-damn about all that. When the opportunity arises for Marina to act again in an upcoming movie, the pair's relationship is put to the test.

The two actresses, as well as the rest of the supporting cast, are all first-rate, but the scenario itself seems second-hand and lacking in much depth. Everything hinges upon the relationship here, and what we see of it, despite the good work of the actresses involved, seems awfully, well, typical. There's an indiscretion, followed by anger, separation, sorrow and resolution. And all of it is just a little too easy.

All this surprises me a bit because the film was co-written by the writer and director, Ivan Cotroneo, of one my my favorite Italian films of the past decade, Kryptonite! (click and scroll down to view particulars). Still, we have the beauty and talent of Buy and Ferilli, and some gorgeous locations in which to bask (though nothing like those in A Five-Star Life), and a nice serving of Italian rom-com fluff. So the time is spent painlessly and pleasantly.

Just don't expect much depth or surprise -- which is too bad. If indeed this is the first lesbian rom-com-drama from Italy, the gals deserve a little more interesting scenario than we get here. (There is, however, a terrific looking cat, above, to help bide our time.) Even Federica's relationships with her son, ex-husband and new/old man-in-her-life (Fausto Maria Sciarappa, below) are shown so lightly that they seem to skip along a surface of what must have more interesting stuff roiling beneath it.

Ditto the relationship between Marina and her business associate, which looks as if it could have been given a scene or two all to itself. But if you're looking for something pretty and classy and nicely acted by some of Italy's finest, Me, Myself & Her should adequately fill the bill.

From Wolfe Video, In Italian with English subtitles, and running 102 minutes, the movie goes straight to VOD and DVD here in the USA this Tuesday, December 6 -- for purchase and/or rental.

Long lost love reappears -- and reignites -- in Tim Kirkman's smart rom-dram, LAZY EYE

There are certain eye exercises one can do to help correct the medical condition known as lazy eye. As one of the two protagonists in Tim Kirkman's eponymously titled new movie is quick to admit, he did not do these exercises when he ought to have and so is now paying the price by having to wear trifocal glasses. There are some other important things that neither of our protagonists did when they ought to have, and these, too, will come back to haunt them in the course of this short love-affair-weekend that Mr. Kirkman, shown below, has devised.

The filmmaker, who a decade ago made one of my all-time favorite gay films, Loggerheads, tends, I think, to build his movies around life lessons. Fortunately, he is good enough at making those films entertaining, thoughtful and moving that we don't feel terribly "preached at."  Loggerheads was about parentage and commitment, among other things, while LAZY EYE offers up the idea of how important it is to be honest with oneself, as well as with others, especially concerning life's "big" questions.

The movie begins in an optometrist's office, where Dean (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, below) is asked by his doctor exactly when his symptoms seemed to worsen and if he was viewing some kind of "screen" at the time. As he considers the answer, we quickly and briefly flash back to an out-of-the-blue email Dean had received from his ex-lover, Alex (Aaron Costa Ganis, above), a fellow who disappeared from his life years before, leaving neither a reason nor even a goodbye.

Now Alex is back, and the two men, via email exchanges, decide to spend some time together at Dean's desert retreat in Joshua Tree. They fuck immediately, but that, it turns out, is the least of it. Who they were, who they are, and what they now want come quickly to the fore, and Mr. Kirkman proves very good at free-flowing dialog that quite believably gives us exposition, humor and surprise, along with a good deal of wit and charm.

Initially we spend a tad's worth of time in Deans office (he's a very successful graphic designer) and meet his best friend, Mel, played by Michaela Watkins, above, whose throw-away role could have been left out entirely, for all the space and importance it receives. It's only our twosome that counts, and the remainder of the movie revolves closely around these attractive, needy guys.

They bed, they swim, they explore the surrounding territory. But mostly they talk, and that talk unveils their needs and desires. In a way, the movie is a kind of fantasy of what if? followed by and then what? We learn a lot more about Dean than we do about Alex, who is proves little more than the fleshed-out hunk that we let get away and now suddenly have the opportunity to maybe get back. Or get back at.

Yet the performances of the two actors are so good that we willingly follow along, enjoying the visuals and the verbiage and the all-round situation. If Lazy Eye is not finally as moving and engulfing as was Loggerheads, it is certainly one of the better gay movies to hit screens this year.

From Breaking Glass Pictures and running just 87 minutes, Lazy Eye opens this Friday, November 11, in New York City at the Cinema Village and in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Music Hall 3.  Not near either location? Not to worry. The DVD hits the street this coming Tuesday, November 15 -- for purchase and/or rental.

In Drew Waters' rom-com tear-jerker, NEW LIFE, cancer and cute prove a deadly combo

The new indie rom-com-drama NEW LIFE (Nouvelle vie) is a made-in-the-USA product so why, I wonder, does it it need that French translation? One of its subsidiary characters lives in Paris; maybe that's the reason. The movie, co-written and directed by Drew Waters (shown below), begins with a hunky young man in a bathtub offering up a bit of narration that seems immediately troubling because it sounds a tad pompous, generic and clichéd. But then he tells us of his first and only love, whom he met when the two were seven years old (she's is missing her primary front teeth and waiting for that second set to appear). Cute. And sweet.

The movie, which is reasonably well-acted and has at least relatively believable dialog, is a love story that hits just about all the bases: love-at-first-sight, long-distance relationships, love vs work, attraction to another, pregnancy, sickness, and so on. In fact, it could be the Love Story (Erich Segal variety) for the millennial set. It is professionally filmed, with a certain elegance that carries over right through to the end credits. When, at the 20-minute mark, what usually happens at the end of most rom-coms has already occurred, you will realize that you are in for something like long-term love. And so it is. Sort of.

Along the way, however, there will be little red flags that pop up: Why are these people talking so loudly in a public library? Why is that character stopping his stretch limo in the middle of the street and blocking traffic? None of these incidents have any consequences, either, which gets a red flag all of its own. Also, our hero and heroine (played by Jonathan Patrick Moore and Erin Bethea, shown above and below) are just so cute together that this soon borders on the cutesy.

When cancer finally rears its ugly head, cute is perhaps not its best companion. But there you have it. New Life -- which is, it turns out, dedicated to showing us that you can indeed have this titular endeavor -- is also saddled with that really terrible narration that we noticed up front. Each time we hear it, it simply gives a verbal voice to what we are either simultaneously seeing or already know. The final line of narration, in fact, you will no doubt be able to voice, right along with our narrator.

What we get from this by-the-numbers movie is utterly generic: generic love, generic happiness, generic grief, generic resurgence -- that last via a plot line that proves both convenient and coincidental. If you are relatively new to motion pictures, or really love the tried-and-true, you may cozy up to this film, bigtime. What New Life engendered in me was a wish to view again a really good -- specific, unusual, and adult -- love story: something like, say, 5 to 7.

The movie also uses some good actors in supporting roles, such as Bill Cobbs (two photos up) and Terry O'Quinn, above. From Argentum Entertainment and running 90 minutes, the film opens this Friday, October 28, in 20 cities around the country. Click here to see all currently scheduled playdates with cities and theaters listed.

Sean Mewshaw's rom-com TUMBLEDOWN: loss and recovery, with some fun in between

There are those of us film lovers who would never miss a movie starring Rebecca Hall, one of the finer and more versatile actresses working today. A keen intelligence coupled to deep feeling radiates from this woman. If her co-star, Jason Sudeikis, can't quite match the depths of Ms Hall, he still manages to partner her quite nicely in the new rom-com, TUMBLEDOWN, directed by Sean Mewshaw (shown below: this is his first full-length film), from an initially intelligent and occasionally off-the-wall funny screenplay by Desiree Van Til.

In the film, Hall (below, left) plays Hannah, the widow of a famous folk rock musician who died far too early in his successful career, leaving his many fans and Hannah bereft. Enter Sudeikis (below, right) as Andrew, a college professor with a Random House contract to write a book about the late musician -- even though the widow is supremely protective of her late husband's life and work and, in fact, plans to write about him herself. Do we expect conflict, humor and budding romance? You got it. And for about two-third of the film, this all works quite entertainingly -- buoyed by Hall's commanding presence and Sudeikis' looney, sexy charm.

In the supporting cast are a number of stalwarts like Blythe Danner (as Hannah's mom), Richard Masur (as her dad) and Griffin Dunne as the local bookstore owner and friend, each of whom does wonders with relatively small screen time.

The biggest problem in the film arises with the current "significant others" of our protagonists: Diana Agron (above) as Andrew's girl, and Joe Manganiello (below, right) as Hannah's main squeeze. These two are treated so cavalierly by the filmmakers as to be almost beside the point. Yet they exist; we meet and get to know them a bit, and then they're summarily disposed of with less than a "by your leave."

Granted Hannah has made it clear that she uses the Manganiello character merely for sex (so does that mean he's not worth a goodbye?), but Agron, caring and supportive of her man, is treated even worse.

All this might perhaps not be a deal-breaker, except for the fact that the movie runs downhill during it's final third. There's too much repetitive angst from Hannah about not being able to "let go," and the movie ends with that typical and cliched  race-to-declare-oneself-before-the-love-object-gets-away.

Too bad, because the build-up is winning, and the performances are fine. But somebody didn't think things out well enough before the filming began, and so the movie leaves us exceedingly unconvinced. Tumbledown, from Starz Digital and running a too-long 103 minutes, opens theatrically in New York (at the Village East Cinema) and Los Angeles (at the Sundance Sunset Cinemas) tomorrow, February 5, then goes nationwide and hits VOD the following Friday, February 12.

Now on DVD & Blu-ray and better than you've heard: John Wells' food-porn dramedy, BURNT

Do you really think you want to pass up the chance to view a movie starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl, Uma Thurman, Omar Sy, Matthew Rhys and (for you Italian film lovers) Riccardo Scarmarcio. There are even more good actors involved, but I don't have time to connect all the links). The movie is BURNT, and if you listened to most of the critics, you'd run the other way. Granted, this is no great shakes, but it is a perfectly OK piece of mainstream entertainment, aimed smack dab at audiences who love food porn and chic, pricey restaurants.

As decently directed by John Wells (at left, and who has yet to have a hit film but has given us a couple of perfectly enjoyable and very well-acted mainstream/ arthouse movies: The Company Men and August Osage County) with a screenplay by Stephen Knight (of the marvelous and underseen Locke), Burnt turns out to be a tale of cooking, chef-ing, success, failure, betrayal and, yes, regeneration. But so tasty are all the performances, (of course the cinematog-raphy of the food and its preparation is succulent enough for salivation) that it is easy to sit back on your sofa and enjoy.

Mr. Cooper's character (above and below) is pretty much an asshole, and the actor does not slight us in portraying this. How he treats his staff in the film is said to have turned off mainstream audiences, but more likely, since they can get plenty of food porn and bad-behaving chefs via TV and cable, they took their business elsewhere. Arthouse audiences, more swayed by the critical factor, also stayed away.

Now both can get their fill via home video, and they will most likely be surprised at how enjoyable this movie actually is.  The performances, to a man and a woman, are every bit as succulent as the food. And while the writing and direction is perfectly fine, I do wish that the movie had ended at the point (very near the end) where the word "Service!" is uttered. It is clear that this is indeed the moment to end, and I suspect that the producer's hand came down heavily on the artists involved, forcing them to feed us a feel-good finale. This is particularly stupid because the movie seems to exist in order to tell us that, after all, winning isn't everything.

Well, Ms Miller (above) humanizes things quite a bit, as does the rest of cast, with Mr. Rhys a standout among the supporting roles (that's Herr Brühl, below, left, with Sarah Greene).

From Anchor Bay Entertainment (the original theatrical release came via TWC) and running 101 minutes, Burnt was released last week on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download -- available for both purchase and rental.