Musical

‘Sing Street’ is like snuggling a fuzzy blanket full of ‘80s nostalgia and boyhood fantasies about rock-n-roll domination.

Spike Lee’s ‘Chi-Raq’ is a timely effort that will raise awareness through its passion but fade through its flaws

Normally, I’m a fair and agreeable chap who approaches each movie with an open mind. I must warn you, however, that my review of Into the Woods will be neither fair nor agreeable. I will not be fawning over director Rob Marshall, who seems clueless as to what his own movie is about, nor will I be singing the praises of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, who has probably written grocery lists more pleasing to the ear than these tunes. What I will be doing is trying to deconstruct one of my most grueling cinematic experiences of 2014.

There were two distinct reactions coming from the news releases about the Annie remake. There was a collective groan from the cynics who like to complain about how Hollywood has no fresh ideas, and there was also a lot of excitement from social justice communities about a black Annie. Which side won out with the final product? That really depends on how charming you find Quvenzhané Wallis as the title character – as for me, I was sold and think it’s one of the best musicals of the past ten years.

Into the Woods Written by James Lepine, based on a musical by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Rob Marshall USA, 2014 What is there to say about a film that is destined to succeed in spite of its weak ambitions and generic form? Rob Marshall’s newest project, Into the Woods, has been granted a Christmas Day …

Perhaps the new documentary Pulp: a Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets is best summed up by Pulp’s frontman, Jarvis Cocker: “Life is a random process, but you can add narrative to it.” Director Florian Habicht tries to impose a narrative upon his mishmash of concert footage, band interviews, and fan testimonials, but it never coalesces. Ultimately, some top-notch concert cinematography, a few intriguing visuals, and Cocker’s delightful cheekiness make this a must-see for Pulp fans, and a must-skip for general audiences.

I spent my Halloween attending the tale of Sweeney Todd. Though I did go out later (I’m not a total shut-in), most of my day consisted of watching four versions of the Stephen Sondheim’s razor sharp musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street back to back to back to back. (There was a …

Foul-mouthed octogenarian rappin’ n’ scratching grandmothers. Abrasive, gold-laminated 3D holographic shamans. A scene -tealing human-beatbox waitress, buxom yakuza mistresses, sex-crazed adolescents, breakdancing ninja dervishes, and tank-wielding Shibuya henchmen. All these ingredients and more are present in the latest dish of neon-lit lunacy from Japanese provocateur Sion Sono, a filmmaker with a long and distinguished relationship with the London Film Festival following exposure for his earlier cult cuts Cold Fish, Exte: Hair Extensions, and Why Don’t You Play in Hell?. His latest film, Tokyo Tribe, is another one for the midnight movie crowd: a delirious contemporary musical based on the popular manga by Santa Inoue, it’s a phantasmagorical pop art pastiche of the American rhythms of Streets of Fire, West Side Story, and The Warriors.

20,000 Days on Earth Written by Nick Cave, Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard Directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard UK, 2014   You don’t have to be a Nick Cave aficionado to appreciate the brilliant new documentary 20,000 Days on Earth.  In fact, you don’t need to know a single song from his musical …

There are hints of Jacques Demy aspirations, fashion chic in vein with the Nouvelle Vague, and one can’t help but think of the films of Scotland’s Bill Forsyth (Gregory’s Girl, Comfort and Joy) with the mostly warm tone of God Help the Girl’s use of inner and greater Glasgow. What Murdoch’s film most recalls, however, is the British New Wave of the 1960s, particularly the works of Richard Lester (A Hard Day’s Night, The Knack …and How to Get It) and John Schlesinger’s Billy Liar; Browning’s Eve even sports a hairstyle for a while that strongly recalls British New Wave regular Rita Tushingham.

  Most people today would likely be shocked to think that in 1972, The Godfather went into the Oscars anything but a sure bet for Best Picture. Aside from Casablanca and Citizen Kane it is recognized as the greatest American film of all time and in hind sight most people forget that not only was …

Begin Again Written and directed by John Carney 2013, USA Movies that make you feel good on their own terms are a rare breed.  John Carney’s latest film, Begin Again, doesn’t need to pander or lobotomize itself to entertain you.  It doesn’t need villains twirling their mustache or hysterical spouses throwing plates against the wall …

Jersey Boys Directed by Clint Eastwood Written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice USA, 2014 You know something has gone horribly wrong when the best scene in your movie is a production number featured in the closing credits.  Sadly, no one noticed that the rest of Jersey Boys was bereft of any dramatic conflict, interesting …

Often considered one of  Robert Altman’s best films, Nashville subverts and revisits the tropes of the classic Hollywood musical through a revisionist lens. Though musicals still found success in the 1970s, the golden age of the genre was long gone and was due for a revival and re-evaluation. Utilizing tropes from classic Hollywood musicals, Nashville …

The Broken Circle Breakdown is an unexpectedly beautiful musical parable about the contradictions of the universe. Rooted almost completely in a reality that seems like our own, it strips down the tropes of the Hollywood musical to paint an effective portrait of love, despair and pain. Elise and Didier fall in love, they sing together in a band, they have a beautiful daughter and then she falls ill; changing all what they knew about the universe. Using a non-linear format and beautifully utilized musical sequences, the film paints an exaggerated portrait of faith and love in the face of chaos.

Cover Girl Directed by Charles Vidor Written by Virginia Van Upp Starring Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, and Lee Bowman USA, 107 min.    At the beginning of Charles Vidor’s Cover Girl, Vanity Magazine holds a contest to find an unknown, fresh-faced model to place on the cover. Wanting to jump start her career, nightclub dancer, …

For Love’s Sake aka Ai to makoto aka The Legend of Love & Sincerity Written by Takayuki Takuma, Ikki Kajiwara, Takumi Nagayasu, Directed by Takashi Miike Japan, 2012 Fantasia imdb This year, Fantasia pulled out all the stops to kick off the Festival with a bang – several bangs. They unveiled a new interactive screen that displays …

Newsies Directed by Kenny Ortega Written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White Starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, Bill Pullman, Robert Duvall, Ann-Margret Why do we like the things we like? Sure, this may be a almost hilariously simplistic and loaded question, but one that can be fascinating to consider depending on the topic. Think of …

Carry the banner! Do it for Crutchie! Dare to dream to go to Santa Fe! Some of you will recognize these as references to the 1992 flop-turned-Broadway smash hit Newsies, a cult favorite from Walt Disney Pictures. Some of you have fond memories of Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, and a cast of lovable imps and …

Rock of Ages Written by Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb Directed by Adam Shankman USA, 2012 Generally a provider of terrible studio product (Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and The Pacifier among others), Adam Shankman did direct 2007’s surprisingly good Hairspray, the big-screen version of the Broadway hit that was itself based on …

After Glee‘s tremendous success, many may have predicted a wave of musical TV series entering production as various networks tried to capitalize on Fox’s good fortune. None came. This week, Smash premiered on NBC to strong ratings, bringing the tally of network musicals up to two. Given the tremendous potential for gain, both in terms …

The Boyfriend Dir: Ken Russell | UK 1971 | 125min. If you didn’t get enough of all the retrospective screenings of Ken Russell’s work taking place at la Cinémateque Québecoise and Fantasia this month, you might be interested in checking out a very rare cinemascope print of The Boyfriend. This is a very rare screening …