How to Survive a Plague

3 Paws

Seen recently at Film Streams

The ticket seller and the concessions guy both told us to enjoy the show. I'm not sure it's possible, given the subject matter. It might also be why there were only five of us in the audience.

This documentary is more like a searing history lesson for those who were oblivious to the AIDS epidemic or simply dismissed it as not relevant to their lives. It contains one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking moments I've ever seen anywhere - the march on the White House and the dumping of the ashes of loved ones on its immaculate lawn.

It also reaffirmed a few things for me - smart, committed people can make a difference if they have a plan; I love scientists who enter their labs each day with the determination to tackle the seemingly insurmountable; and it's sometimes okay to speak ill of the dead (I'm talking about you, Jesse Helms).

Bonus Bones: 5
Look for the cute white poodle during the condom tenting of Jesse's house.

Argo

3 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

I was too self-absorbed during the early eighties to pay more than scant attention to the Iran hostage crisis. Director Ben Affleck has given me a chance to redeem myself (well, kind of) with Argo, and I hung on every word and image.

I take back every snarky thing I ever said about the taller, darker half of the Good Will Hunting duo. He approaches this little piece of once-classified information with humor, a great sense of pacing and a keen eye for period detail (remember when everyone smoked?). It's just plain old great movie making. The cast of relatively unknown actors who play the six Americans makes you feel as though you're trapped inside the Canadian embassy with them, and the Hollywood connection (John Goodman and Alan Arkin) gives the film its warmth and somehow makes you proud to be an American.

Make sure you stay through the credits - the photo pairings and accompanying audio are well worth it.

Bonus Bones: 5
Look for the chained up guy who's howling like mad - he made the most of his short but incredibly focused screen time.

Searching for Sugar Man

1.5 Paws
Seen recently at Film Streams

The story is an incredible one, and it's true - a soft-spoken guy with a great look from Detroit makes a couple of records in the 1970s that go absolutely nowhere in the United States, but, unbeknownst to him (and apparently anyone else), he becomes a rock god in South Africa. Then, after years of living in obscurity while toiling away at tough manual labor jobs, two of his biggest fans track him down and bring him to their country for a series of concerts that parallel the hype surrounding the first U.S. visit of the Beatles.

It's too bad the documentary doesn't live up to its subject matter. Sixto Rodriguez is one of the most charming, unassuming artists I've ever seen on screen, but you don't get to meet him until you're almost halfway through the film's 86-minute running time. I dozed off prior to our introduction to the now 70-year-old poet/musician/day laborer who once threw his hat in the Detroit city council race, and I was left with a ton of questions. Why didn't he make it? (His sound is similar to James Taylor and the late great Jim Croce.) Can he recoup any of the money (not that he cares to) from record sales that should have gone into his pocket? What happened to the mother (or mothers) of his three daughters? Does he really live through Detroit winters with only a wood-burning stove to heat his home?

The film's saving grace is that it's introduced Rodriguez to an American audience, and he's experiencing a resurgence of sorts. I hope he books a gig in Omaha soon - maybe then I'll get some answers.

Bonus Bones: 0
No dogs, unless one made an appearance while I was dozing.

Looper

1 Paw

Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

My brain is not wired for science fiction.

I spent the first part of the movie trying to figure out what they did to Joseph Gordon-Levitt's face. Then I was distracted by the soft-boiled egg hair (bald on top, shell around the sides) of Bruce Willis, who plays the older version of JGL's character "in the future." At this point, I felt like I was watching a foreign film minus the English subtitles.

Then the demon child (whom I at first thought was a CGI character) enters the picture. Ooooie - let's hope the kid (Pierce Gagnon) doesn't need therapy later in life. If it weren't for the calming presence of a blonde, shotgun-toting, American accented Emily Blunt, I would have headed straight for the exit. 

Thinking back, I can only recall one time travel movie I really liked - 1980's Somewhere in Time. You just can't beat Superman and Jane Seymour falling in love at the historic Grand Hotel on Michigan's Mackinac Island despite the different eras they live in.

Bonus Bones: 0

Thank God there is no dog in this one - either Bruce Willis would have shot it or that disturbing child would have blown it up.

End of Watch

2 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

This one's a bit of a gorefest, so be forewarned.

There's something sincere about Jake Gyllenhaal's performances, and his turn as a cruiser cop on the mean streets of L.A. is exactly that. I liked watching the daily grind of his relationship with fellow officer and partner Michael Pena - it makes you realize that cops are people as well as badges. I also liked seeing Ugly Betty (America Ferrera) in blues instead of braces, even though her role is a small one and her partner couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag.

I didn't like the storyline at first - is coordination between different law enforcement agencies (as to who's going after who) really that bad in 2012? Then, the very next day, I heard a story on NPR about a Mexican drug cartel - creepy. I don't think I want to know any more.

Bonus Bones: 5
I couldn't count all the junkyard dogs that crop up during the pivotal scene - it's too dark - but you sure can hear them.

Sleepwalk With Me

2.5 Paws
Seen recently at Film Streams

I admire standup comics, but I don't like watching them perform. It's too much pressure - on the comedian to be funny and on the audience to laugh. What if it's not funny? Life is already too full of awkward moments to purposefully set yourself up for more.

That being said, Mike Birbiglia (Matt Pandamiglio), the want-to-be-comedian, is kind of funny. His parents are kind of entertaining, and the visual depiction of his sleepwalking problem is kind of clever. It's also kind of nice to see Lauren Ambrose (Abby, Matt's girlfriend/fiance) on the big screen - her Claire was the best part of Six Feet Under before it got kind of boring in its later years.

Is this one going to pummel you into comedic submission like a Lewis Black performance? Nope. But kind of is okay.

Bonus Bones: 0
Matt can barely take care of himself, let alone a dog.