FILM | Reviews
COMEDY DRAMA TOP FIVE (15) 102min ●●●●●
Every comic talent seems to have a ‘tears of a clown’ movie in their locker, with hearty laughter inevitably followed by painful introspection. Following a, thus-far, underwhelming cinematic career during which he's repeatedly sold himself short, Chris Rock now writes, directs and plays a thinly disguised version of himself in Top Five: the results are surprisingly watchable.
Andre Allen (Rock) is a stand-up comedian turned film star, known for lowbrow action comedies in which he’s partnered by a gigantic bear. An antagonistic chat with reporter Chelsea (Rosario Dawson) awakens self-awareness in Andre, setting him into conflict with the various agents, journalists and hangers-on that surround him. The film’s looser, funkier feel showcases the comic’s abilities
far better than some of the big-budget vehicles that fitted Rock like straitjackets. Able to pull in A-list celebrity cameos (Whoopi, Seinfeld and Sandler, for three), Rock’s career clearly hasn’t quite hit the nadir that Andre’s has, but inhabiting such a frustrated character allows him space to play his strongest suit: discussing black representation in pop culture. Rock’s scattershot film may not be for the ages, but at least developing a personal angle has allowed him to get his groove back. (Eddie Harrison) ■ General release from Fri 20 Mar.
ROMANTIC COMEDY LOVE IS STRANGE (15) 94min ●●●●●
Get married and your life goes to pot. This is what happens in Ira Sachs’ Love is Strange, a believable, confidently uncomfortable story co-written with Mauricio Zacharias. This is real love: there is old age, there is debt, there is misunderstanding. There are also terrific performances that will make this romance a modern classic. John Lithgow and Alfred Molina are partners of 39 years.
Ben (Lithgow) is cranky and demanding, while George (Molina) is loving and cheerful. Both need each other in that annoying married way. Actually getting wed, however, separates them. Having proclaimed his gayness, George loses his job as a choir director and they lose their apartment. Ben moves in with his nephew Elliot (Darren Burrows) and his writer wife Kate (Marisa Tomei) and gets underfoot while George sinks little by little staying with a party-hungry couple.
COMEDY DRAMA MOMMY (TBC) 139min ●●●●●
Mommy deals with mental illness and domestic distress in a way the great John Cassavetes would admire: by celebrating difference and not shrinking back or judging when things get ugly. After taut thriller Tom at the Farm, French-Canadian writer-director Xavier Dolan returns to the fraught mother-son dynamic of his debut I Killed My Mother, this time with the parent proudly at the fore. Anne Dorval plays gutsy Diane ‘Die’ Després, a woman struggling to cope with her hyperactive son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon). Their relationship is tempestuous, their crackling chemistry somewhat concerning, and yet they make for an endearing, frequently hilarious double act. When they befriend their tongue- tied neighbour Kyla (Suzanne Clément) a beautiful triumvirate is born. Largely presented in the narrow 1:1 aspect ratio, Mommy announces its focus on character; allowing for few peripheral distractions, with the format emulating Die’s suffocating, high-stress existence. It also gives Dolan somewhere to go, and when the film stretches out into widescreen (and contracts back) it has ample impact. The cast excel under the close scrutiny: Dorval is astonishing, admirable in her grit and heartbreaking in her pain. She’s matched stride for stride by the expressive, charismatic Pilon, while Clément is a cute counterpoint to this untamed pair.
The unashamedly sentimental soundtrack shows Dolan’s huge affection for these chaotic, imperfect people. He directs with energy, imagination and superb attention to detail and delivers a sparky and insightful script. With the wildly funny, emotionally messy, wholly wonderful Mommy, the filmmaker steps into the big league – aged just 25. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Selected release from Fri 20 Mar.
ROMANCE SUITE FRANCAISE (15) 107min ●●●●●
The story behind Suite Française is fascinating. It’s based on the novellas of Irène Némirovsky, whose work became a publishing phenomenon after being discovered some 50 years on from her death in Auschwitz. Happily, British director Saul Dibb makes a fair stab at bringing it to the big screen. Set in a rural village in occupied France, Michelle
Williams plays Lucile Angellier. With her husband a prisoner-of-war, she lives with her domineering mother-in-law (Kristin Scott Thomas) as they await news. When a young German officer, Bruno von Falk
(Matthias Schoenaerts), is sent to live with them, feelings stir between Bruno and Lucile.
Adapted by Dibb and Matt Charman, this isn’t just a wartime romance. The film deals with the Lithgow and Molina slot right into their roles as if they’ve
pressures of occupation via its supporting cast. Making the biggest impact is Sam Riley, playing a farmer eager to join the Resistance. Williams is as credible and honest as ever in the lead, even if her chemistry with Schoenaerts doesn’t always crackle. The wayward pacing is a problem, though Dibb pulls off some choice moments, from an early standout scene as the Germans attack the villagers in an air raid, to the wrenching finale. Be sure to pack a hanky. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 13 Mar. been playing them their whole lives and the duo’s conviction makes Love is Strange a joy. While the pace is a little odd and Tomei’s dialogue feels a touch on the nose, it ultimately rings true: being in love is still the best trade-off for the pain of living. (Karen Krizanovich) ■ Selected release from Fri 13 Feb.
62 THE LIST 5 Feb–2 Apr 2015