Middle of Nowhere
(USA, 99 min.)
Written and directed by Ava DuVernay
Starring: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint,
Edwina Findley, Sharon Lawrence
Winner
of the Best Director Prize (Dramatic) at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Middle
of Nowhere is
a notable independent American film. Writer/director Ava DuVernay tells an
important story of the hardships faced by the families of inmates within
America’s penal system. Through the story of Ruby (played by Emayatzy
Corinealdi) and her endless devotion to her felon husband (Omari Hardwick), Middle
of Nowhere shows
how a punitive sentence is served by more than just the party behind bars. It’s
hard to believe that this is Corinealdi’s first film role, as she gives a
heartfelt performance as the resolute Ruby. This intimate film is a fine place
to start, but it’s too bad that the Middle of Nowhere doesn’t give her even
more room to shine. Aside from one confrontational scene by Lorraine Toussaint
as Ruby’s mother, Middle of Nowhere mostly keeps the drama within mid-range.
The restraint might prevent the film from hitting home to some viewers, but
DuVernay’s even-handed approach is quietly compelling.
Hannah Arendt
(Germany,
113 min.)
Dir.
Margarethe von Trotta, Writ. Pamela Katz, Margarethe von Trotta
Starring: Barbara Sukowa, Janet McTeer
One of the more noteworthy biopics to screen at TIFF this
year, Hannah Arendt is a smart look
into the life of one of the most influential thinkers of the Twentieth Century,
Hannah Arendt (played by Barbara Sukowa, in a very strong performance). Hannah Arendt shows the years in which
the philosopher/political theorist travelled to Israel for the trial of a Nazi
war criminal and then published her controversial work The Banality of Evil in which she sympathized with the man but condemned
the society that enabled the bureaucratic systemization of mass killings. The
film evokes comparison to The Reader,
as it covers similar moral quagmires that were debated in the Kate Winslet
drama. In all fairness to Hannah
Arendt, though, she did raise the question first.
An incredibly talky and refreshingly intelligent film, Hannah Arendt smartly explores the life
of its subject by keeping the focus restricted to one short time frame. Some
flashbacks appear that show Arendt’s relationship with famed philosopher/Nazi
affiliate Martin Heidegger, but this femme-centric pic by Margarethe von Trotta
knows that the most exciting drama resides in the questions provoked by
Arendt’s writings.
Sukowa commands the screen as
Arendt, for she is in nearly every frame of the film and boasts a lit cigarette
and a burning inquisitiveness in each one. Janet McTeer adds a spot of fun as
Arendt’s American friend and ally, and her performance is just one way in which
Hannah Arendt keeps itself lively.
Far more engaging and insightful than a lecture, Hannah Arendt is sure to enlighten viewers and extend Arendt’s
debate well after the final credits.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Hannah Arendt is expected to be released in 2013.
Hannah Arendt is expected to be released in 2013.
Jump
(Ireland/UK, 84 min.)
Dir. Kieron J. Walsh, Writ. Steve Brookes, Kieron J. Walsh
Starring: Nichola Burley, Martin McCann, Charlene McKenna,
Ciarán McMenamin
Jump will provide
a fun escape in every festival that programmes it. Very much like Doug Liman’s Go with a nod to Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Jump is a high-energy crime comedy set in the Irish town of Derry
on New Year’s Eve. Nichola Burley stars as Greta, a sad little angel who plans
to ring in the New Year by jumping off a bridge. She’s saved by a random passerby
(Ciarán McMenamin), who is on the run after escaping a mad beating. Full of
youthful energy and good cheer, Jump
never takes itself too seriously. The film is pretty clever, though, with its
non-linear structure, and festivalgoers should enjoy the puzzler of this
boisterous lark.
Rating: ★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Ginger & Rosa
(UK/Denmark, 89 min.)
Starring: Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Christina Hendricks, Timothy
Spall, Oliver Platt, Alessandro Nivola, Annette Bening
Arguably one of the biggest disappointments of my line-up at
the TIFF, Ginger & Rosa is a
surprisingly dull effort from writer/director Sally Potter. Potter’s previous
works, such as Orlando (1992) and Yes (2004), are some of the most
exciting and stylistically innovative films I have ever seen. Ginger & Rosa, on the other hand, is
an unbearably slow and static story of two young girls growing up in the
looming shadow of nuclear war. The film gives Elle Fanning some strong moments
in which she shows her maturity as an actress, but many viewers will likely have
checked out of Ginger & Rosa due
to the dawdling monotony of its first hour. A strong supporting cast is wasted,
too, which makes Ginger & Rosa an
especially frustrating film experience. There is so much potential for good in
this picture, but like the Cold War, it is all talk and no action.
Rating: ★★ (out of ★★★★★)
