Movie Review: "Birdman" Soars High on Talent

 

Riggan (Michael Keaton) and Mike (Edward Norton) square off in "Birdman".

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. USA, English, color, 119 minutes) Living in a time where thoughtless superhero action moves dominate the box office, is there any hope for those actors who have become icons after their starring role in the franchise ends?

Imagine Robert Downey Jr. 20 years from now after the Iron Man franchise is over and he's trying to break back into the acting world with a serious performance. Will he always be remembered as being Iron Man, or will people think he has real acting chops?

This is the basis for the comedy "Birdman", starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor trying to revive his acting career by writing, starring and directed an adaptation of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" for Broadway.

Movie Review: 'Leaving Circadia' is a Charmer

Evan Mathew Weinstein and Larisa Polonsky are love interests in "Leaving Circadia" (Courtesy of Facebook)

If you've left college in the past 10 years (graduated or otherwise), it's quite possible some of you have been "privy" to that sudden realization that the parties are over and it's time to join the real world.

You've studied for four years, or longer, getting a piece of paper saying you have accumulated enough knowledge in an area of study that you can use it in the work place. Or maybe college wasn't for you and now you're struggling to find a good job that doesn't need that (un)necessary bachelor's degree.

Then all of a sudden people you went to high school and/or college with are getting married and having kids and you're just like "huh, what have I been doing with my life?" And the next thing you know you're 30 and you don't know what you've done lately.

"Leaving Circadia" explores this post-college rut.

Delco Resident's Film to Open FirstGlance Film Festival in Philadelphia

Drexel Hill actor and producer Drew Seltzer will be bringing his acclaimed film to the Philadelphia area for the first time next weekend.

“Leaving Circadia”, executive produced by Seltzer, will be the opening night selection at the FirstGlance Film Festival at the Franklin Institute on Oct. 17.

“I’m hoping we’re gonna get a big turnout,” said Seltzer. “It always helps when you’re screening in a town that you’re from to get that kind of support.”

Primarily set in a Brooklyn brownstone apartment building, the light-hearted comedy follows a group of late 20-somethings who seem stuck in a post-college rut dealing with work, relationships and life’s new responsibilities.

(Read my review here)

Movie Review: 'Gone Girl' MIssing Any Sort of Originality

Gone Girl (2014, directed by David Fincher. USA, English, color, 147 minutes) As I sat and watched "Gone Girl" my feelings toward it went from intrigue to annoyance in about the first 10 minutes. Not knowing what the story was about aside from the straightforward title I was hoping the story would be as interesting as its vague title. Boy, was I wrong.

Directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn, based on her 2012 bestselling novel, "Gone Girl" throws out any conventional sense of an atmospheric thriller, like Fincher's own "Zodiac", and gives us a film full of standard Lifetime cliches with a lot more bloody violence. OK, there's atmosphere, just no thrills.

On the day of their wedding anniversary, Nick (Ben Affleck) has come home to discover his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) is missing. After just one day, media attention on the case is full throttle with a tough-as-nails cop (Kim Dickens) trying to peg the apparent murder on Nick, and the public already throwing stones at the charmingly apathetic husband.

What progresses in a glacial two-and-a-half film is a standard exercise of what happens when a bored, rich white woman has nothing better to do with her time than concoct a whole mess of a plan that in the end served no purpose at all.

It may have an all-star cast and Fincher at the helm, but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is material perfect for Lifetime. The man is always bad and the woman is always good. There's nothing to get caught up in here, just waiting for the inevitable conclusion and seeing the cookie-cutter Lifetime characters stick to form (like the female cop who seems to be on a mission to make sure Nick did it).

One standout was Tyler Perry, who plays a celebrity-driven attorney representing Affleck's character. He provides some good laughs, and you know it's a bad film when he's the best part of it.

Save your time. Even a good director like Fincher can't save this run-of-the-mill story of the made-up problems of rich white people.

Rating: D-

'Birdman' To Open 23rd Philadelphia FIlm Festival, Full Line-up Announced

The Philadelphia Film Society announced today the line-up for the 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival, opening with Oscar-hopeful "Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance" by Alejandro González Iñárritu, and closing with another Oscar-hopeful in the Reese Witherspoon vehicle, "Wild".

The festival runs from Oct. 16 to Oct. 26 in six venues around Center City. Here is the complete festival program guide.

Over 100 feature length and short films will be presented in this year's set, ranging from the Cannes- heavy Masters of Cinema selection, to local fair in narrative and documentary features.

"Beginning with our Opening Night screening of the highly acclaimed Birdman through October 26th, our diverse collection of films, everything from prestigious world cinema hits to exciting new American indies will entertain, challenge and truly highlight some of the best cinema of the year," said society executive director J. Andrew Greenblatt in a press release.

Marple Composer Brings Film Score to Delco

Marple resident Jason Borbidge will be bringing his first commissioned score to the area at the end of the month with a special screening of the film it was featured in.

Borbidge will host a one-time showing at the AMC Marple 10 on Sept. 29 of “It’s All About Me”, a documentary that explores the self-entitled nature of the “me” generation that features Borbidge’s first-ever work as a film composer. An official selection of the 2013 Ottawa International Film Festival, this wil lbe the first time “It’s All About Me” will be shown in Delaware County.

“It’s very emotional to show that to people I’m closest with,” said Borbidge of the film’s first screening for friends and family. “The one thing I can say is that feeling when you’re sitting in the theater watching it is indescribable. It’s just one of those moments you don’t figure. I would expect that same feeling with my closest friends and my parents”

Track-by-Track Album Review: Maroon 5's Latest ,"V', Underwhelms.

 
Maroon 5's fifth album, appropriately named V, is a better album than their last effort, Overexposed, which played, awkwardly, with elements of SKA and reggae, but they're both still bad. The latest plays with more electronic beats but in a muted way, which is sometimes enjoyable and good. V is a regular Maroon 5 album as far as content, a set of love songs that verge on being bi-polar with how much singer Adam Levine wants someone then doesn't, and on songs that are forgettable as soon as their over.

Here's a track-by-track review of the standard edition release.

Maps- The album's lead single and opener is one of the best things on this album. The good lyrics are delivered beautifully by Levine's voice, yet this fun opener is a false start to another underwhelming album.

Animals- Levine howls on this stalkerish/creepy track about animal tendencies to (sexually) attack a girl. And that's enough of that...

It Was Always You- Slightly techno with scents of the electroc/pop funk of the '80s, "It Was Always You" isn't bad, but you forget why you like it.