New releases that look interesting

A few films that I am adding to my "maybe" or "to-see" lists; from RogerEbert.com

Drama

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Ordinary Love
3.5 stars. "Ordinary Love" stars Liam Neeson and the exquisite Lesley Manville in the story of a couple who are navigating the world of serious illness, the euphemisms and delays, from initial tests that are "concerning" to the diagnosis: "the results weren't what we hoped."

Comedy

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Come As You Are
3 stars.  Seems like a new twist on an old tale, and sounds somewhat promising with co-stars like Gaborey Sidibe and Jeanne Garafalo - I can't imagine them being in an unredeeming lowbrow romp. "On paper, it might sound an awful lot like a raunchy, “American Pie”-meets-“Superbad” sex comedy we’ve seen a million times before. But you might be genuinely moved, and even in tears by the end of Richard Wong’s imperfect yet gradually disarming dramedy “Come As You Are,” which follows three men with disabilities as they take a road trip from Colorado to Montreal in order to lose their virginities at a brothel exclusively serving a special-needs clientele."

International

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I Was At Home But.... (Germany)
3 stars. "The title of Angela Schanelec's tenth feature calls to mind Yasujirō Ozu's 1932 film "I was Born But ..." (1932), but it's not just a tip of the hat to the Japanese master. The title, cutting off a sentence half-way through, speaks to how the film operates—the gaps in the narrative, gaps between scenes, timelines and characters, how moments trail off—as the ensuing silences reverberate somehow with what's not being said. Things don't fit together neatly (or at all). Even time is parsed out in strange ways: it's truncated or elongated or it stands still entirely. It's almost like the film itself blacks out periodically, and wakes up some time later, having no idea what happened in the intervening hours. "I Was at Home, But... " creates a space where questions are asked, but rarely answered, where things are suggested and never underlined, and every element—camera placement, music, blocking, sound design—is so deliberate that it pulls you into its vortex, and it makes you submit to its severe rhythms. "I Was at Home, But ..." is a very intriguing experience, one I am still thinking about."

Under the Sun of Satan (1987) and Silence (2016)

The common thread is that these two movies are about priests. And they both have endings that stuck with me long after seeing them. I'll go into that at the end of each post - spoiler warning.

The first is the 1987 French film Under the Sun of Satan (Sous le soleil de Satan), starring Gerard Depaurdiu; he plays a priest in a small French village. I saw this at a revival screening in Chicago.

Movies about priests can be depressing. This is one of them.

At the very start of the movie, Gerard has a long tedious conversation with his superior (Maurice Pialat - the film's director) who is disappointed in him. Then we see Gerard whipping himself after having sinful thoughts.

Then the director focuses on a different story about a young emotionally tormented woman who may or may not have killed someone.  After a constant struggle with his faith and worthiness, the priest finally meets face-to-face with the woman (which seems to take forever), and we realize that the priest is almost as emotionally tormented to the same degree as the woman.  By the end of the film, the priest is looked upon as a something of a saint by the villagers.

I like the last scene of the movie, when the priest dies in the confessional -- he's laying there dead while Catholic after Catholic pass through and confess their sins, unknowing that a corpse is on the other side of the screen.

There's some deep meaning in that. After all, there are a lot of dead people in churches, even if they are alive.

Another blogger's perspective:

Surrender to the Void

Silence, directed by Martin Scorcese

Silence is also a dark film, but it has a different tone, an epic scale (nearly 3 hours), and set in Japan.

It is 1633 in Japan, and Christians and priests are being murdered and live in fear, as Christianity is outlawed. Liam Neeson plays a priest who survived persecution; he now lives in Japan but has renounced the priesthood. Two of his mentees (Adam Driver and Adam Garfield) travel from Portugal to Japan on a mission to find him, but they risk their lives every day they stay there. They meet a group of secret Christians who befriend them and want them to be their priest. One character they meet continually proves to be untrustworthy. Eventually both of the priests come to a crossroads where they are faced with the decision to renounce their faith.

The focus of the story is on Andrew Garlfied's  priest. We follow him throughout the duration of the film, and hear his narration throughout; frequently commenting on what life is like as a priest, providing a sense of his mind.

Having been raised Catholic and hearing about missionaries of the past who went out to other countries to bring Catholicism, this movie interested me.

The film is based on a book by a Japanese Catholic,  Shūsaku Endō, and directed by Martin Scorsese, also a Catholic who has tackled God and spirituality in some of his other films such as The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun, about the life of the Dalai Lama. I read somewhere that Scorsese himself wanted to be a priest before he became a filmmaker. I think this film was his way to explore what life as a priest is like. It certainly gave me some further insight into the devotion of such priests.

Essentially what happens in this movie and in the book is that the priests have to renounce their faith, and end up living the rest of their lives in Japan. I'm guessing the book goes into more detail. But we learn that the priests eventually help officials identify Christian symbolism in the society where it is not allowed. I wish the film focused more on this part of the story.

At the end, Adam Garfield's character dies, and he's buried with a Christian cross in his casket, even though he could not practice his religion most of his adult life. It's an interesting image, and profound. Makes you wonder if a person leaves the faith tradition they were raised in, is it still a part of you until you die?

The Good Mother (1988) directed by Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy passed away the other day at age 82; so renowned for his characterization of Star Trek's "Spock" from TV/movies that some news sources (such as CNN.com) decided to announce his passing with the headline "Actor, Poet, Vulcan, dies". "Director" should be added to the list, as Mr Nimoy directed a handful of movies, including two Trek pictures and the box office hit comedy Three Men and A Baby (1987).  The other films in his CV include the unsuccessful comedies Holy Matrimony (1994) with Patricia Arquette, Funny About Love (1990) with Gene Wilder, and  - the film I'm most curious about - The Good Mother from 1988, a heartrending drama.

Exploring such sensitive issues such as divorce, sexual harassment, and child custody, The Good Mother is not the science-fiction/fantasy film you might expect Spock would be involved with. In fact I wonder if Mr Nimoy was contractually obligated by Disney/Touchstone to direct this film after his success with Three Men.  Nonetheless, I'm sure Spock the Vulcan - ever curious about human behavior - would find the film and the issues it explores compelling.  Diane Keaton, who plays the lead, is very good as a recently divorced mother with a new lover played by Liam Neeson. Complications arise when  the lover is accused of sexually abusing her daughter and she's sued by her ex-husband for custody of the child.

I especially enjoyed seeing veteran stars Ralph Bellamy and Theresa Wright in this film; they play Keaton's wealthy grandparents who live in a lovely New England waterfont home.  My favorite part of the film is when Keaton has to explain her plight to them and asks to borrow money to pay for the legal expense (her lawyer is played by Jason Robards). Ms Theresa Wright needn't say anything - her wonderful presence alone exudes warmth, compassion, and love. Upon its initial release in 1988, critic Roger Ebert gave the film only one star in his review (Read review here), but praised the scenes with Bellamy and Wright.

The movie, overall is OK, but kind of melancholy. I think Mr Nimoy handles the subject matter sensitively and tastefully, and brings out the best in his actors, given the subject matter; Liam Neeson is especially convincing, and sympathetic.

I am interested in learning more about the making of this film, and/or any interviews with Mr. Nimoy about directing this movie. If anyone knows or has any more information, please let me know; I would appreciate any feedback!

Film legends Theresa Wright, Ralph Bellamy, and Diane Keaton in The Good Mother

Academy Award winners Diane Keaton and Theresa Wright

The Dead Pool (1988) and an early Jim Carrey

A maniacal serial killer has a list of several celebrities that he wants to kill, for unclear reasons. 

A horror movie director (Lian Neeson) and a drug addicted rock star (Jim Carrey) are also involved. Dirty Harry ends up on the list too.

As the movie progresses, we get more clues as to who the killer is and his motives.

My favorite part is the chase scene with the remote-controlled toy car strapped with a bomb. Patricia Clarkson plays a reporter.

This was Clint's first movie after he served as the mayor of Carmel, California.