Catch the Fair One

"Catch the Fair One" is a gritty revenge thriller which pulls no punches. Kali Reis plays Kaylee, an Indigenous-black female, former lightweight boxing champ, who plans on going undercover into a human sex trafficking ring to find her missing sister. This movie is dark. It even has a cameo performance from Lisa Emery (best know for her role as Darlene Snell in Ozark). There have been lots of similar films of revenge, "Death Wish, "The Brave One," "The Equalizer," etc. But "Catch the Fair One" reminded me most of "Blue Ruin" for its small small independent-cinematic quality and also for its dirty and realistic perspective - it bobs and weaves in directions I didn't expect. Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream") is one of the producers to give you a sense of the darkness I'm talking about. If you can take it, then hop in the ring with "Catch the Fair One," one of the best little crime dramas that came out last year. Catch it on streaming services or at your local rep cinema. 

The Worst Person in the World

When my friend Paul asked me on Facebook if I liked this movie, I quickly answered, very much so. When I asked him, he replied with "a bit slow but quirky, thought provoking. . . and other good stuff." Short but apt. What's it all about? It's about Julie (Renate Reinsve) a girl in her late twenties, early thirties trying to find herself. She has daddy issue, at least according to her comic book artist boyfriend, Aksel (Danielsen Lie). Julie does things on whims, not caring about consequences - it's part of her charm and part of the reason you might find yourself upset with her choices. When she crashes a party and meets another love interest, Eivind (Herbert Nordrum) the sexual tension is enough to freeze time. If you were to take Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" trilogy and boil it down and add the magic realism of "Amélie" and a love triangle, you would get "The Worst Person in the World." The conversations and the experiences (taking mushrooms) reminded me of my own journey through my 20s and 30s. It's a comedy, a drama, and a tragedy. . .  and other good stuff. Catch this film in a rep cinema near you. 

Drive My Car

 Artsy, reflective, existential. This is a story of losses, triumphs, jealousy and carrying on in the face of tragedy, betrayal, and/or grief - how our own guilt can propel us forward. What's it all about? The nuts and bolts are essentially an accomplished actor/director, Yûsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is hired to direct a stage play; the casting; the rehearsing, etc. The company who hired him requires Yûsuke to have a driver, Misaki Watari (Tôko Miura) to chauffer him around in his own car for liability and insurance reasons - hence the title "Drive My Car." It is the relationship and shared grief and guilt of Yûsuke and Misaki which is at the heart of the movie. This Oscar nominated film, with a three hour running time, will not be everyone's cup of tea, however for me the time flew by and it's the kind of existential meditation I often go to the cinema for. Sometime I go for zombies and helicopter chases, often I go for quiet beauty, reflection, and something a little deeper. If you are looking for a long meditative drive, catch this one in theatres near you. 

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

 Zombie movies, heist pictures, underdog sports films - I forgot to mention I also dig time travel movies. "Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes" is a low budget Japanese time travel mind bender which will quickly confuse you and bring you a whole lot of joy in a very short span. With a run time of only 70 minutes, this head trip flies by and doesn't overstay it's welcome by even a few minutes. What's it all about? Kato (Kazunari Tosa) discovers his TV and the one in the restaurant below his apartment (where he works) have suddenly been connected by a two minute time differential; the one in the restaurant is in the future and the one in his apartment is in the past (depending where you are - it gets tricky, quickly!). There is a lot that happens in this one shot film and your head will spin. You will also laugh. Plus there is a love story! All in 70 minutes! In the future, catch this little gem at your local rep cinema or on streaming services when you get a chance - it's worth your time and you won't look back (see what I did there - always time for a little humour).    

American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story

Full confession, I'm an atheist and I know very little about sports - any knowledge I do possess was likely garnered by watching sports movies. I had no idea who Kurt Warner was until I watched American Underdog. In fact I don't think I could name more than five football players -hey, I watch movies, not sports. Anyway, besides from being a sucker for a good zombie film or a heist picture, I do love me a good underdog sports film. This one follows the playbook and even has Dennis Quaid (the litany of underdog sports movies Dennis has been in, "Soul Suffer," "The Rookie," "Born a Champion," - Kevin Costner took all the other ones). If you don't know the playbook, it's sports hero has dream (to play in the NFL), hero meets girl (Anna Paquin as a single mom of two kids, one blind). The hero must prove himself to his girl and himself to the world. He is faced with adversity at every turn and when you think he has finally made it, bam, back to the bottom you go. But this time, this time is going to be different. Our hero wins, then end. Yes, American Underdog is cliched and god loving, but I still enjoyed it. Kurt Warner's story is a remarkable one and if his belief in Jesus helped him achieve his dream, who am I to piss on that - enjoy your Jesus. If you are looking for an underdog sports movie, and you enjoyed films like "Invincible" then "American Underdog" will get you across the finish line. 

Licorice Pizza

 

Licorice and Pizza, two things that don't go together; or shouldn't, just like Alana (Alana Haim) and Gary (Cooper Hoffman -  the late and great Philip Seymour Hoffman's son in his acting debut). Alana is a twenty something year old woman working, taking high school photographs for the yearbook, when she meets fifteen year old Gary, hustler. The age gap is the problem, but the high school chemistry is pure rom-com magic. If you don't know the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, well he is the gentleman who gave us "There Will Be Blood" and "Boogie Nights." So if you know those films, then imagine a romantic comedy written and directed by such an individual and you get "Licorice Pizza." It's funny, bizarre at times, and heartfelt. It's also a massive nostalgia trip for those old enough to remember the 70s - there are some catchy tunes in there also. Hoffman and Haim are great, as are the rest of the cast and all the funny cameos (Bradley Cooper was a standout for me). If you want to stretch the creative limits of the rom-com (stretch it like a piece of licorice or a gooey piece of cheesy pizza) then check out this Oscar nominated film at a theatre near you.