“Pina” was a project that Pina Bausch herself began, collaborating with celebrated filmmaker WimWenders. Two days before filming was scheduled to begin, she suddenly passed away. The film is a celebration of her life’s work and the influence she has had on world dance, but with a tone of sadness. Some of the dancers in the film have been working with her for 22 years; as one dancer puts it, “She watched me dance longer than my parents did”.

Each dancer takes their turn in front of the camera, their voiceover playing while they stare sadly and intently, with much emotion. Then the camera cuts to that dancer performing a solo dance, usually in a public place like a tram platform or a busy streetcorner or at a public pool. Each dance style is both unique to the performer and also uniquely Pina.

Pina’s style, as described throughout the film, is very emotional and expressive. Many dancers say that before they started dancing with Pina, that they didn’t have the words to express themselves. Dancing gave them a language that they could speak and understand. Her dances are very celebratory of the elements; one piece that she did had a giant rock that took up half the stage, while rain poured in the background. Dancers reveled in the water, feeding off of it. They used the rock as an obstacle and as a prop to help make their dancing better.

Her dancing also commonly features men and women dancing together, in very expressive ways. One of my favorite dances in the film was one of a man in a suit and a woman in a long gown with hearts all over it. She would be walking with the man in front of her, facing her, and then she would suddenly fall face down. The man would catch her, inches from the ground, and then raise her back up. These sort of dances express so much about relationships, and it’s a good example of the strange dancing featured throughout the film. It’s strange because it’s so different, but it’s amazing because it says so much without saying anything at all.

The film opens with her fascinating take on Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, in which the entire stage floor is covered with dirt and dancers roll around in it, celebrating the earth. Pina’s other most known work, CaféMülleris also featuredprominently. Those unfamiliar with the work, as I was, might be a little confused by the piece at first. It features dancers in a room with chairs, and they maneuver around them, throw them around, and dance over and under them, while also expressing anger, love, and loneliness.

The film is best enjoyed in 3D on the big screen, like going to a live dance performance only you’re on stage with the dancers, seeing every expression on their faces as they dance. It’s a very moving, personal experience;, each dance can be differently interpreted by each audience member. “Pina” is a 3D celebration of dance, art, life, love, and Pina Bausch herself.

Nader and Simin have been married for fourteen years and have an eleven year old girl, Termeh. Simin wants a better life for her daughter and wants to move away from Iran, but Nader isn’t ready yet. He has to care for his elderly father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Simin insists on a divorce but Nader won’t give in, so she moves in with her mother.

Simin’s absence forces Nader to hire someone to care for his father while he is at work, and Simin recommends a woman named Razieh. Nader hires her and she starts work the next morning, with her young daughter in tow.

Razieh is a religiously devout woman though, and it would be considered a sin to work in the home of another man without the consent of her husband. One day Nader comes home from work early to find his father fallen off the bed, unconscious, with his hand tied to the bedpost. Soon after his arrival, Razieh walks in the door with her daughter. Nader makes accusations about her character and when Razieh refuses to leave the house without defending herself, Nader pushes her out the door and, consequently, down the stairs.

Nader finds out from Simin that Razieh has been hospitalized; she was pregnant and had a miscarriage. Razieh’s husband Houjat is outraged, and sues Nader for the death of his unborn child. If convicted, Nader could serve between one and three years jail time.

“A Separation” is a very complex story told through beautiful, effortless narrative. It feels at the same time like a slow-moving film, but it’s also extremely compelling. Farhadi has a clear concept of his culture and translates it to a worldwide audience incredibly well.

Each character has their own agenda to promote, but each character’s intentions are noble. Nader wants to care for his dying father in his own home, while raising his daughter as best as he can. Simin wants a better life for her daughter than she had growing up in Iran. She still loves her husband and wants the family to remain intact, but she knows that if her husband won’t cooperate and leave the country, a divorce is the best scenario for her daughter.

Razieh is very religious, from a poor, working class, and pregnant. Her intentions were to find a job to support her family, but then with the miscarriage, she found herself fighting for her family’s integrity. Houjat is a man burdened by debt, the loss of his unborn child, and the financial responsibility that comes with supporting a growing family. He just wants the best for his family.

The film walks the fine line between morality and what is religious, and what is necessary to survive. Farhadi conducts the cast with skilled perfection, like they’re his symphony. “A Separation” is a film that plays with the core of our very being, and shows just how similar we are to other parts of the world.

While on location reporting on yet another frivolous story in the remote Alaskan town to which he’s been relegated, reporter Adam Carlson (John Krasinski) stumbles upon the whales and finally gets the story he’s been looking for. His report gets picked up by affiliates in the states and soon the whales’ predicament becomes a national news story that captivates the country, including Adam’s ex-girlfriend Rachel (Drew Barrymore), who’s (conveniently) a Greenpeace activist.

Rachelsoon arrives in Alaska to lead a rescue mission, and despite publically attacking his Alaskan oil-drilling plans mere days before, she enlists the help of wealthy oil baron J.W. McGraw (Ted Danson). McGraw sees a good PR opportunity in assisting with the rescue, so he allowsuse of one of his massive barges to break apart the ice to free the whales. Getting the barge to the site of the whales is a major undertaking all its own, requiring military leadership, spearheaded by the gruff Colonel Scott Boyer (Dermot Mulroney) whose orders come directly from President Reagan.

As the nation becomes increasingly fascinated with the plight of the whales and the effort to save them, the media descends upon the small Alaskan town, causing tension among the locals who aren’t used to so many outsiders in their town. One arrival that instantly gains Adam’s attention is Jill Jerard (Kristen Bell), a beautiful reporter that’s looking to report real news as opposed to the fluff pieces that she’s usually forced to cover (not unlike Adam’s own situation, so you can imagine the two quickly form a bond).

Despite a growing rescue effort that now includes dozens, the unpredictable conditions of the arctic cause one setback after the next for Rachel and the team who realize the whales’ chances of survival decrease with every passing day. The volunteers race against the clock and the weather in order to save the giant creatures that have no other hope.

Many of the characters in “Big Miracle” are very broadly written, and as a result, the film is incredibly predictable. Considering who this film is for and what it’s about, though, that’s not necessarily bad thing…

“Big Miracle” feels very much like a Hallmark or ABC Family Original Movie, but with a much larger budget. Like many of those made-for-cable features that teach morality, it’s incredibly sappy and watered-down. It works well as a big-budget Lifetime Original Movie, but it’s often eye-roll worthy and overall pretty forgettable.

The film boasts a strong ensemble cast, including a handful of great character actors in small roles: Stephen Root, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Michael Higgins, but all of the characters are so one-dimensional that none of the actors ever get the chance to do any great work. “Big Miracle” is worth watching with your family at home one night, but that’s about it.

“What’s hubris?”

“Chronicle” answers one of contemporary cinema’s burning questions: Are “found footage” films hamstrung by the necessity of someone always being behind the camera? That answer is no, not if telekinesis is involved. A lesser-burning question: How do you do Big Action scenes in “found footage” films, since there’s only the one POV? You use every security cam, police dashboard rig, onlooker’s phone and even your blogger girlfriend’s camera. It can be done, and the film’s finale nicely deals with this potential logistical nightmare in such a way that you don’t really think about how illogical and silly it is until you’ve already started the drive home. I mean, who gathered all this footage, anyway?

“Chronicle” is a dark film. It begins knee-deep in the immediacy of a teenager facing a potential beating by his alcoholic father, and that thread never really lets up, simply driving young Andrew (Dane DeHaan) to some very defensive, emotional and flawed decision-making. Andrew is that awkward kid whose efforts to do his own thing only attract the bullies in larger numbers. He has decided that “filming everything” is important, one assumes because some things have happened at home and evidence would be helpful. Riding to school with popular cousin Matt (Alex Russell), Andrew’s recordings look like any other teenager’s goofy behavior. At school he’s asked by one of the cheerleaders not to film them practicing. And those bullies just toss him and his camera around the halls of academia (hard to believe in this age of zero-tolerance high school safeguarding).

But late one night after a rave, Andrew, Matt and soon-to-be class president Steve (the immediately likable and winning Michael B. Jordan) explore a rather suspicious cavern in a faraway field, and the otherworldly (or perhaps just heretofore undiscovered) MacGuffin therein affects the boys in strange and wonderful ways. First is their seemingly impenetrable skin, evidenced when Andrew jokingly drives a fork into Matt’s hand; the fork crumples, and there isn’t a mark on Matt. But then there is a considerable and increasing telekinetic force that allows the trio to move and impact objects and propel themselves into the air. In short: multiple superpowers. What teen wouldn’t have fun with those?

And it is fun, even with the side-effect nosebleeds and the reminder that Andrew’s life is a downward spiral that can’t end well. That is, until awkward Andrew does something out of anger that sends someone to the hospital. “We need rules,” Matt challenges him. No harm to living things, nothing done in anger, and fewer public displays. But his father’s badgering and some seemingly harmless teenage embarrassment push Andrew past the point of no return.

“Chronicle” is a tight, effective film. On the one hand, it takes the shuddering camerawork of other such films and tempers the movement, making it easier to watch, cleaner. And while not all of its special effects are seamless, the film overall looks solid. The acting is uniformly good and the film benefits greatly from the camaraderie of the three kids and the sense of humor found in much of the first half. A coda tacked onto the finale feels hollow, as the intended parties will never see the footage. And this brings us back to the matter of how so much footage from so many sources could be seen by whoever does find the camera left behind at the film’s close. It just doesn’t make sense. But perhaps, given the success of everything before it, this is a minor quibble.

If you don’t mind your found footage rooted in sadness, anger and domestic violence, and can appreciate the occasional twist on the superhero origin issue (or supervillain, I’ll grant you), then “Chronicle” will seem like a winner. It is another in a line of January/February Dead Zone surprises, sturdy genre films that carry their weight and please the viewer handily, despite the season’s lowered expectations.

“Vengeance” picks up a short while after “Blood and Sand” ended. The House of Batiatus has fallen at the hand of the gladiators. Quintis Batiatus is dead, his pregnant wife Lucretia has been stabbed by her gladiator-lover Crixus and left for dead, and their runaway fighters have been killing every Roman in Capua they have encountered. Spartacus is seeking revenge on Gaius Claudius Glaber (played by Craig Parker) and his wife Illithia (played by the amazing Viva Bianca), while Crixus is determined to find his love Naevia, This strife between Crixus and Spartacus is causing a rift in the ragtag band, and is setting the scene for what can only be an eventual split. Spartacus sees this, and begins sending off as many of the freed slaves as he can to seek freedom away from Capua. Glaber, who has been sent back to Capua from Rome to take down Spartacus, has taken up residence in the House of Batiatus with his reluctant- and now pregnant wife- Illithia and has set about rounding up as many of the fugitives as he can. He captures a band of slaves, and the only survivor of his wrath is Aurelia, the widow of Spartacus’ best friend (who died when Spartacus was ordered to kill him during what was supposed to be a friendly match- who said history was boring?). Aurelia is paraded through the streets and Glaber lets it be known that she will be summarily tortured until she gives up the location of Spartacus. It’s also discovered that not all who were involved in the massacre from “Blood and Sand” have perished, and that past sins have a way of resurfacing.

Like its predecessors, “Vengeance” does not shy away from graphic sex and violence, which may at times seem gratuitous, so of course this is not something to watch with the kiddos. The story itself progresses rather quickly and the characters are so well-written and so well-acted that the hour passes and you are left yearning for the next one. Or, if you are like me, you are cursing Starz for not being able to make the week move quickly enough so you can find out what happens next. I was literally counting down the days for the premiere. It’s that good of a show.

“Spartacus: Vengeance” is shown on Fridays at 10p/9p CST on Starz. For further information, check out the official website at http://www.starz.com/originals/Spartacus

“Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” begins with seat calibration and a parody of production company logos, and ends with several beheadings. In between there are numerous awkward freeze-frames, silly and/or unsettling montages, exaggerated and unpleasant character outlines (none are particularly fleshed out, though this is certainly the least of their crimes), the use of non-actors who are at best awkward and at worst borderline freakish, and cameos by likable actors who are either allowed to be very funny or screech through scenes of pandemonium that leave one wanting.

Short version: “Tim & Eric” is by turns funny, disgusting, inspired and lame. When, early on, we are treated to a fish-hook driven through a penis and a man’s arm being sawed off and sewn right back on, the shock of those moments instills the sort of laughter that is more defense mechanism than humor-response. But by the time the actors are reveling in alternating scenes of liquid feces and sex toys, it becomes more of a chore than a good time.

Like their television show “Tim & Eric’s Awesome Show (Great Job!),” the new feature film looks like it may have cost upwards of a few hundred dollars (though getting Robert Loggia’s corpse to appear on screen may have set them back a bit). Loggia and William Atherton play shady, violent producers who want to get their money back after dubious talents Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim spend a billion dollars on three minutes of actual film. The boys are then tasked with re-opening a wreck of a shopping mall owned by a crazy businessman (Will Ferrell) who promises a billion-dollar payout. Of course, he can’t say it without winking.

Every character seems to be emotionally, physically or psychologically damaged (or some combination). Every narrative twist is idiotic. And the whole exercise seems to be an evaluation of one’s tolerance for squirmy, uncomfortable and brainless elements. But this repellant-for-the-sake-of-it approach takes away from some of the joy. Maybe everything doesn’t have to be discomfiting, cheap or awkward. Yet the laughs that do come are strong ones…just not consistently so.

On the plus side, many familiar faces make the most of their screen time, but John C. Reilly is priceless as “Taquito,” who always seems on the verge of putrefaction (“I’m not meant to live long.”). The titular fellows’ patented absurdity, mugging and protracted gags often are much funnier than expected. Though to be fair, comparing this film to the last one based on an Adult Swim program (“Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters”) is like comparing “Citizen Kane” to Harmony Korine outtakes.

(“Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” is available now on Video On Demand services. Check your local listings. It opens at the Texas Theatre on March 9th.)

Glenn Close stars as Albert Nobbs, an Irish butler working in a prestigious Inn frequented by the British Isle’s finest families and personalities. Albert has worked his way up the service ladder, finally achieving a level of emotional comfort in his job and financial security from his over three decades served. The Inn is undergoing annual renovations, and Albert is informed a house painter will bunk with him for a few days, causing the uptight butler great duress as he tries to keep his new roommate from discovering his true gender identity. Meanwhile, Albert is also beginning to desire the warm embrace of a woman and sets his sights on housemaid Helen (Mia Wasikowska). He nervously woos the young woman, taking a page out of the books he reads and the romantic stories he makes up during his lonely nights, while she jumps into a relationship with the new cad around town, Joe (Aaron Johnson). Thus creating the most awkward Victorian love triangle this side of the Bronte sisters.

You can only imagine the pain and inner conflict associated with both rejecting one’s gender in exchange for dream fulfillment and falling in love with an uninterested woman who has no idea the true identity of her pursuer. The film does not give any answers as to whether Albert hasn’t allowed himself to fall in love before because he was afraid of the feeling, exposing his secret or uninterested in the concept until that point. He does share a confession with the painter Hubert (Janet McTeer) after they both expose themselves, finding a kindred spirit in another woman disguised as a working man. Albert sees the life Hubert has created for himself, living with a woman pretending to be his wife, and wants a similar life for himself.

Close’s ability to lose herself completely behind Albert’s rigid stance and naivety towards love is incredibly striking. Her features disappear behind the makeup and prosthetics, and her lower pitched voice and petite frame coupled with a practiced masculine gait add life to Albert—a character who if played by any other woman might come off as unconvincing or worse, offensive. While the film (co-written by Close and John Banville) is a bit pretentious and overly long-winded, there is no denying Close demands attention in every scene. She may just be the dark horse this Oscar season.

“I am an innocent man,” roars Cassidy to the crowd that gathers below in the street.

While Cassidy is putting on a show as a suicidal jumper, Cassidy’s brother Joey (Jamie Bell) and his girlfriend Angie (Genesis Rodriguez, who’s smokin’ in a wetsuit) rob Englander’s vault across the street, which holds the expensive diamond to prove Cassidy’s innocence. Will they be able prove his innocence or is Englander going to take him down once again and send Cassidy back to the slammer?

“Man on a Ledge” is simply a bad movie that you can let go and have a good time at. As a critic there’s a laundry list of things wrong with this movie: it’s implausibility, the dreadful dialogue that’s in “Avatar” territory (“If you keep putting your _ _ _ _  in the door, one of these days someone’s going to slam it”), its predictability and “been there, done that” feel (see “Phone Booth,” “Tower Heist”), and Sam Worthington’s American accent to name a few. But as a moviegoer, I had a good-fun time; it’s a entertaining enough, decent popcorn-flick that gives you a sense of fulfillment.

This film was slickly produced, with a cast loaded with familiar faces. Director Asger Leth (“Ghosts of Cite Soleil,” a terrific documentary), making his feature debut here, and cinematographer Paul Cameron (“Collateral” & “Man on Fire”) put forth their best efforts, but it’s Pablo F. Fenjves’s lackluster script that really sends this film over the ledge; it ends up being more of an unintentional comedy than it does a serious drama.

We have good actors present, especially Anthony Mackie, who plays Cassidy’s former partner and friend. Mackie and Edward Burns (“Saving Private Ryan”), who also plays a cop in the film, both give elegant performances but they are terribly underused in the film. Mackie is a great actor (see: “The Hurt Locker” or “Half Nelson”); he should be blowing up, but for some reason hasn’t.

My interview w/ Anthony Mackie

“Man on a Ledge” is ultimately another forgettable January release; it’s the type of movie you go get at the video store or at a Redbox on a rainy Sunday afternoon when you have the flu. Is it good enough to kill 2 hours if you really want to go to the movies? Sure, if you can handle the absurdity of it (the laws of physics don’t really apply here), and leave your critic’s eye at home. But do you need to rush out and see it in the theater? Nah, you can wait until video. Go see “The Grey” instead.

Red Carpet Crash: “Albert Nobbs” Interview w/ Glenn Close & Bonnie Curtis from Shy Guy Media on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/35675289

From the first frame of film and word of dialogue, it’s clear that Ottway is a mysterious figure. He seems out of place among the ex-cons and blue-collar roughnecks, but his overwhelming knowledge of nature makes him a key member of the community and workforce.

The film doesn’t spend much time at the oil pipeline, as shortly into the story, a small plane carrying Ottway and much of the pipeline crew goes down, crashing in the harsh conditions of rural Alaska. With only seven survivors and very limited supplies, Ottway and the remaining men leave the crash site behind and head towards the distant forest in hopes of finding food, shelter, and defense from hungry wolves.

Wolves have become a laughable breed in cinema over the past few years due to 2010’s awful werewolf period film “The Wolfman” and of course because of Taylor Lautner’s poorly animated transformations in the “Twilight” series. The wolves in “The Grey”, however, are truly frightening creatures. Well-coordinated and blood-thirsty, they stalk Ottway and the others every night in the frigid darkness.

Because of their incredibly limited resources (the majority of their supplies was destroyed in the crash), the men are forced to get creative in how they defend and shelter themselves each day. Ottway – the team’s default leader because of his wilderness expertise – comes up with the majority of the group’s ideas, including some that are quite effective despite being rather primitive.

I was surprised how intense this film is. The plane crash sequence early on is one of the most real crash scenes I’ve seen in film, even outing “Cast Away” and the brutality and goriness of the wolf attacks quickly put any misconceptions about the formidability of the film’s foes to rest. “The Grey” could honestly be categorized as a horror film as it’s very suspenseful

While all seven central actors do a good job, the film is without a doubt carried by Neeson’s intense performance. This film completely rests on Neeson’s performance and he does a fantastic job with the character whose backstory becomes much clearer as the film progresses.

“The Grey” is a far better film that what is typically released in the wasteland of January. It’s well-directed, well-acted, and an all-around top-notch thriller that’s currently my favorite film of 2012.