Sunday, April 22, 2012

Weekly Round-Up (4/15/12 - 4/21/12)

A Hard Day's Night (Richard Lester) ***1/2 - This is another film under the heading WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN THIS ONE. I mean, I love The Beatles as much as pretty much everyone under 80. Is it a concert film? Not exactly. I thought it was too but it really isn't. It's a musical-comedy film structured around the Beatles with lots of bits and pieces and a sliver of a plot that only serves to highlight the music, the Beatles' personalities and Beatlemania. It's a must-see for any fan of music and film.

L.I.E. (Michael Cuesta) ***1/2 - This film reminds me of a Larry Clark film -- if Larry Clark was actually a GOOD filmmaker. Like Clark, this film tackles adolescent angst, sexuality and delinquency. However, the potentially sensationalistic and/or exploitative storyline that of a troubled young teenage boy coping with both the tragic death of his mother and his relationship with a local pederast is given a very tasteful treatment. The film is further boosted by the wonderful performances of Paul Dano and Brian Cox who give their characters numerous wonderful dimensions.

4 comments:

Outcast said...

Both of these films sound pretty good man, awesome round-up as usual buddy.

Mark said...

They do both sound pretty good. You don't seem to see things like the second one, at least not in the mainstream.

G said...

These sound like great film...might check out the Beatles one.

Bart said...

are these recent movies? im so behind