This page contains reviews of films seen during the months of July to September 2012

“Safe House”-Directed by Chilean/Swedish director Daniel Espinosa, “Safe House” is one of those thrillers that has to be enjoyed for its visuals as its story is as full of CIA-thriller clichés as it can get, and let's not forget the ultra-violence that goes with it. Denzel Washington is Tobin Frost, a former CIA agent, who has been an outcast for years, dealing in secret information, but is now being chased by a gang of murderous thugs after a major purchase from an MI-6 agent. After he walks into the US Embassy in Cape Town, South Africa (where all the action takes place), he is taken to a “safe” house run by young Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a CIA hopeful with dreams of glory and a gorgeous French girlfriend (Nora Arnezeder). When the thugs break into the safe house and kill almost everyone, Matt and Frost escape. But the CIA operatives running the show (Sam Shepard, Vera Farmiga, and Brendan Gleeson) are intent on finding Frost and even raise questions about Matt’s motivations and loyalty. Denzel Washington, as usual, is Mr. Cool, offering all kinds of advice to young Matt about his future with the CIA. No matter how much danger he’s in, though, Tobin Frost remains, well, rather frosty. But Matt is bent on making a name for himself and no matter what Frost or the thugs do (and it gets a little violent), he stays on the trail. “Safe House” needs two ratings. For its visuals, it gets a B+. Things do get rather exciting if you simply love violent thrillers with lots of machine-gun action. For its cliché-ridden plot, however, it deserves a C-. (9/14/12)

“A Separation”-We initially see an Iranian couple, Nader (Peyman Moadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), arguing before a rather informal judge in Tehran about their proposed marital separation. Simin wants to leave the country with their teenage daughter, Termeh (played by the director’s daughter, Sarina Farhadi), because Nader is obsessed with caring for his elderly father suffering from Alzheimer’s. But this film is not so much about the separation as it is about what it does to Nader after he hires a young mother, Razieh (Sareh Bayat), to care for his virtually unresponsive father. Razieh brings her young daughter along and then, facing a religious quandary, must deal with the unpleasant task of cleaning the father (in other words a man not her husband) who has soiled himself. The next day Nader returns home to find his father lying on the floor with his arms tied to the bed, Razieh having left him alone. When Razieh returns, insisting that she had to go out for personal reasons, all hell breaks loose, and Nader finds himself in a potentially criminally liable situation. “A Separation” is a fascinating glimpse of both life in Tehran and of life when the pressures simply begin to overwhelm. The cast is outstanding. Sarina Farhadi does a beautiful job with facial expressions aimed at questioning the motives and actions of both of her character's parents. Peyman Moadi is intense and brilliant as a man who tries to stay cool when his actions show that he’s really on the verge of blowing inside. (In Persian with English subtitles) A- (9/8/12)

“The Hunger Games”- (8/23/12)-I had listened to an audio version of this book aimed at teenagers, and so I had to see the film version about a futuristic North American dystopian society called Panem in which the ruling authority at the Capitol punishes the previously rebellious outlying districts by requiring them to produce two teens (male and female) annually for a reality TV battle to the death. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), volunteers for the heroic task after her beloved younger sister is chosen in the district lottery. Although Katniss has what appears to be a very close bond with Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), her hunting partner, it is Peeta Melark (Josh Hutcherson) who is chosen as the male to represent District 12 along with Katniss. She and Peeta ultimately develop a romantic relationship that is either real or a subterfuge aimed at gaining popularity with the public during the games, something that will attract support and aid during the games. “The Hunger Games” does a fine job of recreating author Suzanne Collins’ imaginative world, a comment on the current state of reality TV, and of presenting the orchestrated battle in which only one of 24 teens can survive. In this future, reality TV allows interactive involvement of the public as the teens either kill each other or die from circumstances created by the gamemakers. Although Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson do an enthusiastic job in the lead roles, the supporting cast offers greater acting flair in the form of Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, the games’ TV host; Woody Harrelson as the alcoholic Haymitch Abernathy, a prior District 12 winner whose job it is to advise the District 12 participants; Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, the exotically dressed and somewhat goofy District 12 hostess; Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane, the gamemaker; and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Katniss’ stylist at the Capitol and supporter. Although the film is violent, Director Gary Ross manages to present the rather gruesome outcome with as little nastiness as possible. B (8/23/12)

“Le Havre”-This is an eccentric and wonderful film by Aki Kourismäki, a Norwegian director whose film is in French even though he does not speak the language. “Le Havre,” consistent with Kourismäki’s style, is short, crisply and beautifully filmed, and to the point about the positive aspects of human nature and the rewards that may result from uplifting behavior. André Wilms is perfection in the simple role of Marcel Marx, a former writer turned shoeshine man who lives near the port of Le Havre. His wife, Arletty (the Norwegian actress Kati Outinen), is sick with cancer, but when he discovers a young African boy, Idrissa (Blondin Miguel), who had been attempting to reach his mother in London but was stranded in Le Havre after the police discover him and his relatives in a cargo container, Marcel is transformed from a man leading what appears to be an empty existence to a man motivated to help the boy at all costs with the aid of his neighbors. Jean-Pierre Darrousin appears as police inspector Monet, leading the search for the boy, but whose actual motivations are not clear until the end. Jean-Pierre Léaud (Antoine Donel of “The 400 Blows” and “Stolen Kisses,” among other films by Francois Truffaut) also makes a brief appearance as a nasty neighbor. The excellent cast also includes Quoc Dung Nguyen as Marcel’s friend and fellow shoeshine man, and Evelyne Didi and Elina Salo as neighbor women and friends eager to aid Marcel in his efforts. And let us not forget Marcel’s loyal pal, Laika (Laika the dog) who accompanies Marcel and Idrissa almost everywhere they go. (In French with English subtitles.) A- (8/17/12)

“Oranges and Sunshine”-This is the true-life tale of Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson), a social worker in Nottingham, England in the1980s. When Humphreys accidentally discovers that England and Australia had been engaged for many years in the deportation of British children to Australia where they had often been abused, she becomes driven to right as many wrongs as possible. Many of these children had been sent overseas while their mothers were still alive, the latter being told that their children had been adopted. The title of the film derives from promises the children had been given that when they reach Australia, everything will be oranges and sunshine. The film, directed by Jim Loach, has an outstanding cast led by Emily Watson as a woman who sacrifices her own personal family life to help the children, now adults, in Australia who desire to learn their real identities and to meet their real mothers, if still alive. David Wenham is outstanding as Len, one of the victims who is initially hostile to Humphreys but grows to be her closest ally. Hugo Weaving is also powerful as Jack, another victim. Despite its seemingly depressing subject matter, Emily Watson, one of our finest actresses, makes this film truly unforgettable. B+ (8/4/12)

“The Artist”-Okay, it won the Oscar for best picture, but I wouldn’t have voted for it. So what did I think of it? Well, it’s somewhat original in that it is a mostly silent black and white homage to the transition from the silent movies to the talkies in the 1920s. I did have the feeling that the director and screenwriter, Michel Hazanavicius, had the story of the great musical “Singin’ In The Rain” in mind as he wrote the script. Jean Dujardin, who resembles Gene Kelly at times, is George Valentin, a star of silent films in which he solves mysteries with his trusty and very loyal terrier (Uggie, who deserved an Oscar of his own). Along comes a lovely young fan, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), who immediately is smitten with George. Ironically though, as talkies take over, George’s ego gets the best of him and his career in the movies fades away while Peppy becomes the new cinema sensation. Unfortunately, the film begins to drag in the middle as George’s career goes down while Peppy’s ascends. However, with the help of the everpresent and delightful Uggie, all turns out well in the end. “The Artist” was filmed entirely in LA and that was a good decision. Michel Hazanavicius used some lovely spots, including a building with a wonderful steel staircase, to create memorable visuals. But despite the uniqueness of this mostly silent film in the early 21st century, I can’t say I was overwhelmed. Yes, nice film and certainly worth a view, but that’s about it. B (7/8/12)

“Take This Waltz”-This is a lovely film about human emotions that sometimes get in the way of normal life. Beautifully filmed in Nova Scotia and Toronto, “Take This Waltz” is about a married woman who finds herself captivated by a neighbor. Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn”), who is able to portray vulnerability almost seemingly without trying, plays Margot, a travel writer happily married to Lou (Seth Rogen), a man who is in the process of writing a cookbook. Playing childish games with each other, especially in bed, Margot and Lou’s affection for each other seems obvious. But, returning to Toronto from business travel to Nova Scotia, Margot meets Daniel (Luke Kirby), a handsome artist/rickshaw driver who just happens to live directly across the street from her home and it isn’t long before the mutual attraction becomes painfully obvious. Written and directed by the very talented Canadian director/actress Sarah Polley (“Away from Her”), “Take This Waltz” gets at the very heart of an emotional dilemma that undoubtedly happens to many people. Seemingly happy with her marriage, she cannot stop thinking about her neighbor, especially since he’s so close by and receptive to her signals. I won’t reveal what happens, but I will say that the ending reminded me of a Carly Simon song called “Hold What You’ve Got.” “Take This Waltz” is not a moralistic tale, but rather a fine examination of the emotions (lust, love) that drive a person to or away from the important people in their life. Sarah Silverman is effective as Margot’s friend and sister-in-law, a woman struggling to maintain a normal life despite being an alcoholic, and Seth Rogen demonstrates the capacity for roles more serious than those he’s played in the past. B+ (7/5/12)