Kam's Movie Kapsules for 7-17-15

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:           
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun                 
by Kam Williams
For movies opening July 17, 2015
 
 
BIG BUDGET FILMS     

Ant-Man (PG-13 for violence) 12^th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series stars Paul Rudd in the title role as an incredible, shrinking super-hero whose strength is inversely proportionate to his size. Plot revolves around his planning a heist with the help of his mentor (Michael Douglas) in order to save the world. Cast includes Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, T.I., Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale and Wood Harris.

Irrational Man (R for profanity and sexuality) Woody Allen directed this midlife crisis drama about a jaded, just-dumped, philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) looking for a fresh start at a small Rhode Island college where he proceeds to get involved with a student (Emma Stone) as well as the wife (Parker Posey) of a faculty member. With Betsy Aidem, Ethan Phillips, Joe Stapleton and Jamie Blackley.

Trainwreck (R for nudity, profanity, drug use and graphic sexuality) Romantic comedy about a reporter (Amy Schumer) who reconsiders her reluctance to commit to a relationship when she finds herself falling for the charming doctor (Bill Hader) she's been assigned to write an article about. Ensemble cast includes Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton, John Cena, LeBron James, Daniel Radcliffe, Marisa Tomei, Method Man, Amar'e Stoudemire, Matthew Broderick, Marv Albert and Vanessa Bayer.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Alleluia (Unrated) Suspense thriller revolving around a seductive womanizer (Laurent Lucas) who enters an unholy alliance with a lonely widow (Lola Duenas) after they share a very passionate, one-night stand. With Helena Noguerra, Edith Le Merdy and Anne-Marie Loop. (In French with subtitles)

Bonobos: Back to the Wild (Unrated) Endangered species biopic about Claudine Andre (Rebecca Hall), the renowned primatologist who has dedicated her career to saving the Congo's Bonobo apes. Co-starring Luke Evans and featuring an appearance by Andre herself.

Boulevard (R for profanity and sexuality) The late Robin Williams stars in the out-of-the-closet drama as a banker in a marriage of convenience tempted to leave his wife (Kathy Bates) of 26 years for a handsome male prostitute (Roberto Aguire) he picks up on the street. With Bob Odenkirk, Giles Matthey and Eleonore Hendricks.

Caffeinated (Unrated) Java documentary highlighting the role coffee plays in cultures all around the world. (In English, Italian, Spanish and Korean)

A Hard Day (Unrated) Korean crime thriller about a police detective (Sun-kyun Lee) who is accused of corruption, served divorce papers, learns of his mother's death, and is involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident, all within a 24-hour period. With Jin-woong Jo, Dong-Young Kim and Jeong-geun Sin. (In Korean with subtitles)

Lila & Eve (R for violence and profanity) Revenge thriller about a grief-stricken mother (Viola Davis) who tracks down her son's drive-by killers on the advice of another mourning mom (Jennifer Lopez) she meets at a support group. Support cast includes Yolonda Ross, Shea Whigham and Aml Ameen.

The Look of Silence (PG-13 for mature themes) Justice delayed documentary follows the search by siblings who survived the Indonesian genocide for the men who killed their brother. (In Indonesian with subtitles)

Mr. Holmes (PG for mature themes, disturbing images and smoking) Ian McKellen plays Sherlock Holmes in this murder mystery, set in 1957, which finds the aging sleuth attempting to solve an unsolved case with the help of his housekeeper's (Laura Linney) precocious young son (Milo Parker). With Hiroyuki Sanada, Hattie Morahan and Colin Starkey as Dr. Watson. (In English and Japanese with subtitles)

Safelight (R for profanity and sexual references) Romance drama, set in the Seventies, about a couple of teens (Juno Temple and Evan Peters) who embark on a road trip to photograph lighthouses located along the California coast. Co starring Kevin Alejandro, Meaghan Martin and Christine Lahti.

The Stanford Prison Experiment (R for profanity, sexual references and abusive behavior) Psychological thriller inspired by the 1971 study conducted by Professor Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) in which college students were enlisted to serve as guards and inmates in a mock penitentiary. Featuring Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby and Tye Sheridan.

How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex (BOOK REVIEW)

How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex

12 Ways to Balance Mind, Body & Spirit

by C. Nicole Swiner, MD

C. Nicole Swiner, MD Publishing

Paperback, $12.95

128 pages

ISBN: 978-1-62698-109-6

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Although we spend the bulk of our waking hours working, we often underestimate the impact of work on our physical, mental and spiritual health. Dealing with difficult bosses and coworkers, taking on more projects than we can realistically handle, and doing work that is not meaningful can cause significant stress in our lives. As an organizational psychologist... I have seen how challenging work situations have translated into challenging health problems for my clients, particularly the women—the Superwomen...

C. Nicole Swiner, MD incredibly explains the relationship between mind, body and soul in language that is not only understandable but actionable... The road map that she provides throughout the book enables women to take care of themselves in an intentional way. Dr. Swiner lets Superwomen know that they can indeed be super, but they must pick and choose their battles wisely to not burn out along the way.”

-- Excerpted from the Foreword by Audra Davis, PsyD (pages xii-xiii)

How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex bills itself as a how-to book designed to help working females at risk of spreading themselves too thin. Unfortunately, in a classic case of bait and switch, the actual advice dispensed on its pages bears little resemblance to what's suggested by the self-help sounding title.

Instead, this opus is filled with a lot of the sort of boiler plate medical advice you might find on pamphlets in a general practitioner's waiting room. And the author, C. Nicole Swiner, MD, just happens to be a physician with a family practice. 

 

What's weird is that most of her 12 steps to a new you revolve around medical advice. In Chapter 1, on sleep hygiene, she talks about prescribing Ambien, Lunesta and Rozerem for patients unable to get a good night's rest. 

 

In Chapter 2, dedicated to heart health, she suggests that women stop smoking, check their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and suggests that “an aspirin a day keeps the doctor away.” 

 

Chapter 5 is downright bizarre, starting with the author's wishing her readers “Happy Labor Day!” on the 1^st of September. From there, she launches into a discussion of caring for infants, and covers such subjects as car seats, food allergies and vaccinations which, as a doctor, she naturally advocates.

Next, she shifts her attention to the needs of pubescent teens, advocating abstinence but conceding that many will be sexually-active. She subsequently covers STDs as well as different forms of birth control, and even devotes about three pages to a description of the pros and cons of Intrauterine Devices (IUDs). What I found most shocking was the conspicuous absence of a discussion of abortion in this section exploring so many related topics at considerable depth. 

 

The themes of other chapters range from deer ticks to obesity to cancer, all invariably examined from the author's professional medical perspective. My final complaint is that the book is only 128 pages long, less than 80, really, if you subtract all the prefatory remarks and the many blank pages set aside for notes. 

 

Overall, an unsatisfying insult to the intelligence that avoids rather than tackles the serious issues surrounding the “Superwoman Complex.” Consider yourself warned.

To order a copy of How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex, visit:  

Grace Huang (INTERVIEW)

Grace Huang

The “Lost for Words” Interview

with Kam Williams

State of Grace

Born in Taiwan but raised in Australia, Grace Huang grew up to be fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. The emerging ingenue made her feature film debut in the 2010 thriller Overheard alongside Louis Koo and Daniel Wu. 
 
She subsequently exhibited her versatility in the romantic comedy Love in Space playing the dreadlocked, nose-ringed waitress, Bunny. More recently, Grace appeared in rapper-turned-director RZA’s martial arts epic, The Man With the Iron Fists. Her small but pivotal role in a key action sequence caught the attention of Quentin Tarantino who remarked, “She’s so fierce in the scene that I felt intimidated!” 
 
Here, she talks about her latest outing opposite Sean Faris in Lost for Words where they co star as a ballerina and a former U.S. Marine who fall in love in Hong Kong.

Kam Williams: Hi Grace, thanks for the interview.

Grace Huang: Thanks for having me, Kam.

KW: What interested you in Lost for Words?

GH: I was attracted to the script by its simplicity in its celebration of love. I really enjoyed the way it follows Anna and Michael and shows how the love develops between these two very different people. Not many films do that these days, it’s usually just “Bam!” and they’re in a relationship. Lost for Words gets in there and shows you all the quirks and turns in the decision-making process in a couple of very complicated lives, and the issues they have to deal with to be together. I found their courtship really sweet. Their struggles are very real and I wanted to be in Anna’s shoes through that journey.

KW: How would you describe the film in 25 words or less?

GH: Lost for Words is a classic look at how a cross-cultural relationship develops. These two people fall in love and you experience their struggles and internal conflicts.

KW: How did you prepare to play Anna, a ballet dancer. Had you studied ballet as a child?

GH: I love dance and studied Jazz ballet when I was growing up in Sydney, Australia. It’s not exactly the same, nothing “en pointe,” but it still gave me the basic dance principles, tempos and movements. It was actually quite fun training for the dance scenes, albeit grueling. And it was good to revisit and wake up my classic-dancing muscles.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from Lost for Words?

GH: I think they will be reminded of how sweet, but also how confusing, falling in love can be.

KW: What project is up next for you?

GH: I have a few things in the pipeline that I’m really excited about. One project I just shot is Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the first blockbuster from 20 years ago. It was amazing to work with Roland Emmerich. He is such an amazing director and a total energy bunny. I worked with Liam Hemsworth on that, which makes him the second Hemsworth I’ve worked with. I worked with Luke Hemsworth on the sci-fi thriller Infini. Chris is next!

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

GH: Massages! I absolutely adore them. So, whenever I can, I go and get pampered for an hour or three… no matter what town I’m in. I love them!

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

GH: I’m always in the process of reading a few books all at once. Right now, it’s a combo of scriptwriting books, acting/performance ones and also biographies. The latest one is “Advice from the Top: What Minority Women Say About Their Career Success” by Valencia Campbell.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0313358583/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

GH: The very last song I listened to was on the radio was “Fun” by Pitbull. Catchy and cool. It’s summertime in LA!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01018FB9K/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

GH: It’ll have to be a toss up between a hearty Chinese chicken mushroom soup and my piri-piri lamb cutlets with Japanese salad.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

GH: I see someone who has worked hard to grow and develop to be the person she is today. A strong, independent and happy woman who still strives to be better each day. But also someone who is very grateful for the amazing people who surround her each day, and the amazing life journey that she is on.

KW: The Dana Perino question: What keeps you up at night?

GH: The one thing I love and hate about life. The uncertainty of the future is so scary but also so exciting! There are endless possibilities and each day and whenever I get anxious, I just focus on channeling that energy into positive thoughts and also positive action.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

GH: I would wish that there would be equal parts women and men in positions of power in politics and every industry. I think that equality would make a big difference in the way the world is run and that change would make a big positive.

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

GH: I love scuba diving. So, if I could be any animal, I would choose to be a dolphin. I would love to be able to explore the oceans and discover all the mysteries and wonders all around the world in our vast seas. It is worrying though, with the rate of pollution in our world’s waters, what the marine life is like nowadays.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

GH: My earliest childhood memory is sitting at the family dinner table surrounded by laughter and lots of food. I must’ve been around 4 or 5 years old and dinner at my house was always like that.

KW: Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?

GH: I was born in a country town in Taiwan and spent my first 6 years growing up there. My days would involve playing in our backyard which had a creek, and there would be tadpoles, free-range chicken running around ,and night time fireflies. I count myself very lucky to have had such a carefree and unaffected beginning to my childhood, being so in touch with what nature had to offer. It has allowed me to have a different perspective on life, fully appreciating how advanced we’ve come as humans but never forgetting and losing touch of where we came from. I’m never oblivious to the fact that we are destroying the Earth by our often wasteful and harmful practices as humans who consume at such alarming rates. I am an avid recycler and do as much as I can to minimize my impact on our fragile environment.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

GH: I recently took a break to hang out with my besties who live in New York City. We rarely get to see each other and we just spent a week chillaxing by the pool and having great meals. It was the best time and, man, did we laugh! We’ve all known each other for 15 years and that history makes for some very funny conversations.

KW: Lastly, what’s in your wallet?

GH: Money, credit cards, Band-Aids and spare safety pins. Hey, I’m a girl who likes to be prepared for anything!

KW: Thanks again for the time, Grace, and best of luck with everything..

GH: Thank you, Kam. It was great chatting! I hope everyone gets a chance to check out Lost for Words.

To see a trailer for Lost for Words, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT2Ed7b87D0

To order a copy of Lost for words on DVD, visit:  

 

Self/Less (FILM REVIEW)

Self/Less Film Review by Kam Williams


Shades of Face/Off in Brain Transplant Sci-Fi Thriller


In the 1997 thriller Face/Off, an FBI agent underwent a face transplant in order to crack a terrorist plot. It's hard not to think of that film while watching Self/Less which revolves around another radical surgical procedure, namely, the implantation of a cancer patient's brain inside the cranium of a healthy individual.

The picture stars Sir Ben Kingsley as Damian Hale, a terminally-ill, business tycoon who doesn't want to die. His prayers are answered when a mad scientist (Matthew Goode) surfaces who is willing, for a cool quarter-billion dollars, to transfer his mind into the head of a test tube human surrogate hatched in lab.

The only catch is that Damian can't tell anyone about the experimental operation, which means he'll have to abandon any hopes of reconciling with his long-estranged daughter, Claire (Michelle Dockery). Nevertheless, he signs on the dotted line, enters the futuristic operating room and eventually arouses from anesthesia having shed his sickly shell for a late model upgrade with “that new body smell.”

While convalescing, Damian 2.0 reads his own obituary in the paper but dutifully steers clear of contacting any friends or relatives to avoid the risk of raising suspicion. Instead, he merely marvels at his miraculous recovery.

Before discharging his grateful patient, Dr. Albright gives him a new identity and a week's supply of anti-rejection pills. Returning to the real world, suddenly handsome Damian becomes practically giddy between his unexpected prowess on the basketball court and his impressive physique's ability to turn heads. 
 
What the reincarnated, real estate magnate doesn't know, however, is that the brain transplant wasn't really an installation job into a recently harvested donor. The plot thickens upon the discovery that his alter ego Edward Kittner (Ryan Reynolds) not only actually once existed but left behind a wife (Natalie Martinez) and 6 year-old daughter (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen). 
 
Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell), Self/Less is sufficiently compelling to recommend highly, even though it suffers severely from a lack of originality. Besides the aforementioned shades of Face/Off, this derivative adventure borrows a number of ideas from Seconds, the similarly-themed, 1966 sci-fi classic. 
 
An improbable, if thought-provoking mind-bender built on a house of cards that holds up only to the extent you're willing to go along with its preposterous premise.



Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and violence
Running time: 117 minutes
Distributor: Focus Features

To see a trailer for Self/Less, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc4sz6neHDs

Strangerland (FILM REVIEW)

Strangerland
Film Review by Kam Williams


Kids Disappear in Dust Storm in Atmospheric Aussie Thriller


Pharmacist Matthew Parker (Joseph Fiennes) has just moved his family from Australia's capital city of Canberra to a tiny town in the Australian Outback where he has accepted a position at the only drug store for miles around. The impetus behind the relocation had less to do with the job than with his daughter Lily's (Maddison Brown) need for a new environment. 
 
For, the troubled 15 year-old had developed a crush on a high school teacher (Martin Dingle Wall), who proceeded to take advantage of the situation by sleeping with his student. Her dad became so incensed when the two continued to rendezvous after the statutory rape was revealed that he beat up the perpetrator which, in turn, led to Lily's running away from home to be with her abuser.

Thus, the idea of a fresh start far away proved very appealing to Matthew and his wife Catherine (Nicole Kidman), even if their young son Tommy (Nicholas Hamilton) was unhappy about being stuck in the desert far from all his friends. Despite her constant complaining, the adjustment was not as hard on Lily, given how successfully she was able to flirt with the hottest local hunk, Steve (Sean Keenan), a rebel with a cool tattoo.

The plot thickens the morning after a dust storm engulfs the godforsaken oasis, when Matthew and Catherine awaken to discover the kids inexplicably gone. Once it's determined that neither went to school, they quickly report Lily and Tommy missing to the police. 
 
The case is assigned to Detective David Rae (Hugo Weaving), a skeptical gumshoe very adept at criminal investigation. He soon identifies a number of persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance: Lily's ex-teacher, Mr. McPherson; her surly suitor, Steve; the Parkers' aborigine handyman, Burtie (Meyne Wyatt); and a host of others.

Thus unfolds Strangerland, a deliberately-paced, visually-captivating thriller directed by Kim Farrant (Naked on the Inside). The film features a quartet of excellent performances, including Nicole Kidman's as a mother who, understandably, grows increasingly anguished over her offspring's whereabouts. Joseph Fiennes is equally compelling as her concerned, if emotionally-unavailable, spouse. Also of note are veteran character actor Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) and newcomer Maddison Brown, who makes a most impressive screen debut as Lily.

An atmospheric whodunit guaranteed to keep you intrigued and guessing right to the very end.



Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity
Running time: 95 minutes
Distributor: Alchemy

To see a trailer for Strangerland, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-t70PICksU

Top Ten DVD Releases for 7-7-15

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for July 7, 2015

The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe

Human Capital

The Treatment

Alex of Venice

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series One

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

5 Flights Up

Woman in Gold

Welcome to Kutsher's

Tiger Orange

Honorable Mention

Playing House; Season One

All American Bully

 

Monster High: Scaris, City of Frights

Pirate's Code

Echoes of War

No Way Jose

Nickelodeon: Bunch of Play Dates

The Road Within

Underdog Kids

Awaken

For the Emperor

Joe Dirt

Robot Jox

Alex of Venice (DVD REVIEW)

Alex of Venice
DVD Review by Kam Williams



Abandoned Attorney Becomes Domesticated in Dysfunctional Family Drama
 

Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has been such a workaholic attorney that she’s been blissfully unaware of her husband George’s (Chris Messina) discontent with the marriage. Between shuttling their 10 year-old son (Skyler Gartner) to school and making sure his father-in-law (Don Johnson) takes his meds, the stay-at-home dad has grown tired of his role as Mr. Mom.


After all, his original plan was to pursue a career as an artist while caring for the family. But his domestic duties have kept him too busy to do any painting.


So, Alex is caught totally by surprise the day he announces that he wants out and summarily vacates the premises. Suddenly, she finds herself overwhelmed after having to juggle her job and her hubby’s responsibilities.


She’s used to putting in long hours at the office, including on Sunday. But it soon becomes clear that she has to reorder her priorities, despite her sister’s (Katie Nehra) moving in to help pick up some of the slack.


Alex begins to appreciate that there’s more to life than the rat race, and she decides it’s time she step off the treadmill to spend more quality time with her son. Furthermore, George was the only man she’d ever slept with. Now free to date, she impulsively gets involved with a hunky black defendant (Derek Luke) she spots across a crowded courtroom, even though she’s the representing his opponent in a hotly-contested civil case.


Thus unfolds Alex of Venice, a super-realistic slice-of-life adventure featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the title role. The movie also marks the noteworthy directorial debut of co-star Chris Messina, winner of a SAG Award for Argo in the Outstanding Cast category.


This quixotic character study proves to be less poignant than meandering, as it paints a plausible picture of a just-dumped divorcee doing her best to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams.



Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexual references and drug use
Running time: 86 minutes
Distributor: Screen Media Films


To see a trailer for Alex of Venice, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtLX_Y5_VG4

To order a copy of Alex of Venice on DVD, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00WTQ9BGW/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20