The Answer Man
The Answer Man has the trappings of a great movie: a Philadelphia set, an excellent cast and a topical conceit that pokes fun at those who think they know all. It is unfortunate, then, that Jeff Daniels’s talent far exceeds the scope of this first-effort from director John Hindman.
In 1988, Arlen Faber (Daniels) published a book about conversations he conducted with God, turning him into a modern-day guru. Twenty years later, Faber has retreated from society and is loath to dispense answers about life — until a few situations force him to re-examine just how much he knows. While this premise sounds intriguing, it ultimately proves as hollow as Pablo Cuelo’s The Alchemist. The film revels in its profundity but its characters are so one-dimensional that their development seems sudden and forced.
While there are a few sharp montages and dazzling shots of Philadelphia (the city has never been so aestheticized), this film leaves us with more questions than answers.
2 stars
—Julie Steinberg
Hunger
Hunger depicts physical and political extremism with unsettling calmness, attention and even beauty. The film follows IRA leader Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), who lands in prison and uses the only thing he has left — his body — to fight for his cause. While there are some violent sequences, the intervening tranquility becomes most unsettling. The camera lingers on arresting images, searching for human dignity in the most oppressive of circumstances.
Although the film does sympathize with the prisoners, it is ultimately an exercise in reflexivity, seeking to understand Sands’s inherent radicalism. In a bold, 20-minute dialogue scene, told primarily in a single shot, Sands explains with alarming wit his decision to go on hunger strike. Ultimately, however, it is not words but visuals that are most telling. As Sands’s body deteriorates and he can no longer speak, images of flying birds are superimposed on his face, indicating that the desire for freedom can never be extinguished.
4 stars
—Nick Stergiopoulos
(500) Days Of Summer
In a typical romantic comedy, boy and girl meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. (500) Days of Summer is not a typical romantic comedy. Boy, aka Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has fallen in love with girl, the eponymous Summer (Zooey Deschanel). But Tom doesn’t realize that Summer is just not that into him. The film employs quirky techniques rarely seen in romantic comedies: non-linear narrative, sketchbook-style cartoons and a split screen to depict Tom’s expectations and his reality simultaneously.
The film’s creators aimed to revolutionize the genre, but (500) Days is more conventional than they think. The film uses too many romantic comedy tropes, and Summer isn't the post-modern woman the director envisions her to be. Yet (500) Days is a hilarious, moving portryal of the formative effects relationships, even failed ones, can have. The result is a film that will do what its hero could not: steal your heart.
4 stars
—Jessica Spiegelman
Rumba
In Rumba, Dom (Dominique Abel) and Fiona (Fiona Gordon) are happily-married teachers in France whose true passion is competitive dance. Returning from a local rumba competition, they get in a near-fatal accident that throws their lives into disarray. Surprisingly, this tragic turn generates most of Rumba’s humor. Abel and Gordon shine as physical comedians in the tradition of Chaplin and Keaton.
While the film’s early sequences turn the most mundane actions into humorous moments, the actors really sparkle after leaving the hospital. Fiona’s daily life becomes a masterful slapstick routine when she can’t handle her crutches. Meanwhile, Dom’s amnesia is an endless source of humor.
Underneath the wild maneuvers, moments of tragedy and affection give Rumba the depth most slapstick comedies lack. Gordon is especially adept at showing Fiona’s broken spirit in the film’s second half. Similarly, Dom’s devotion to Fiona becomes heart-wrenching when his confusion about their relationship is revealed. The tragic and the comedic blend throughout Rumba, culminating in an ending that prompts reflection on what it takes to overcome life's challenges.
4 1/2 stars
—Michael Gold
