★★★★★ Directed by: Bo Burnham Starring: Elise Fisher, John Hamilton Film Review by: Hope Madden You can’t be brave without being scared. That is an insightful comment, but when it’s delivered earnestly by a lonely, introverted 13-year-old determined to come out of her shell in the meanest of all worlds—middle school—it is a gut punch. Who would have thought that the most truthful, painful, lovely, unflinching and adorable tween dramedy in eons would have sprung from the mind of 28-year-old comic Bo Burnham? Or that the first-time feature director could so compassionately and honestly depict the inner life of a cripplingly shy adolescent girl? But there you have it. Elsie Fisher’s flawless performance doesn’t hurt. Fisher (Despicable Me's Agnes, "It's so fluffy!") is Kayla, and we are with her, immersed in her world, for the last week of the eighth grade. God help us. In Fisher, Burnham has certainly found the ideal vehicle for his story, but his own skill in putting the pieces together is equally impressive. Burnham’s as keen to the strangulating social anxieties of middle school as he is to the shape-shifting effects of technology. This is the least self-conscious and most accurate portrayal of the generational impact of social media yet presented, and not just as part of the narrative. Burnham uses social media as a storytelling device, whether the way the screen lights up the isolated face of a lonely teen, or the way the sound of the same girl’s YouTube videos narrate the very advice she wishes she were hearing from somebody. It’s equal parts heartbreaking and sweet, and it miraculously never hits a false note. Burnham depicts both the normal that we all must tragically know, of being wildly out of your element even in your own skin, and the new normal that feels beyond bizarre. If your greatest ineptitude is human contact, how much harder to hone that skill when your only practice is in a virtual world? Mercifully, Eighth Grade is not a cautionary tale about the dehumanizing dangers of an online world. It simply accepts that this is the world in which Kayla lives, depicting it as authentically and insightfully as he does a random lunch with the cool kids at the mall, or an unbearably awkward situation with a boy in a car. Still, the best scene in the film—one that’s as uplifting as it is genuine—casts aside the glow of the phone for starlight and bonfire as Kayla and her dad, beautifully brought to life by Josh Hamilton, share a moment that will just fucking kill you. Seriously, Burnham was never a 13-year-old girl nor has he ever been father to one. How the hell did he get all of this so insanely right? I don’t know, man, but good for him. Good for all of us. #HopeMadden #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #BoBurnham #EighthGrade #ElsieFisher #JoahHamilton #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★★★ Directed by: Kira Bursky and Robert Gowan Starring: Lindsey Whitus Short Film Review by: Niall Maggs Fake Emma is a 5-minute short film created by Kira Bursky and Robert Gowan, and briefly tells the story of Emma: a depressed artist who struggles with confidence and loving herself. Depression can be quite a taboo topic in modern day society, yet it's still the norm of many young teenagers dealing with peer pressure and body image, so to see a film around the topic of depression isn't uncommon, however Fake Emma is an interesting and unique spin on the overused plot device - which is quite an eye-opener for someone (like myself) who has never had the misfortune of dealing with such a dangerous mental health issue. The idea behind Fake Emma is quite a unique one. Emma (Lindsey Whitus) has an art gallery opening soon, yet she finds herself communicating with a personified version of depression - herself, but in art form. This brings a sense of freshness to the genre and breaks the mould for these types of films. The conflict between Emma and depression is too short. It's like the depression is controlling her, yet we don't see much development of this conflict because of the short runtime. This is mainly where the short falls flat, but regardless the dynamic is still riveting. The middle portion of the film is created with great flair; the filmmaking is solid during this section and it's easily the biggest highlight of the film. Other technical aspects of the short-film are all done surprisingly well. The script is short and brief, but certainly isn't bad. Fake Emma is quite effective at what it's trying to do, and Lindsey Whitus is great as the protagonist, but the short-film suffers greatly because it's far too short and doesn't contain enough development of the ongoing conflict between Emma and her depression. However, the idea is executed with some great talent behind the camera. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #NiallMaggs #KiraBursky #RobertGowan #LindseyWhitus

★★★★ Directed by: Rungano Nyoni Starring: Maggie Mulubwa, Henry B.J. Phiri Film Review by: Christie Robb Zambian-born Welsh writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s first feature film is like Monty Python’s witch trial scene shot through lenses of patriarchy and economic exploitation. It centers on a displaced young girl named Shula (Maggie Mulubwa), accused of witchcraft by members of her community. Found guilty, she’s turned over to a government-run witch zoo filled with old women tied by ribbons to enormous spools who are by turns photographed by tourists and rented out as agricultural laborers. Thrilled to have a “young and fresh” witch in town, the Boss (Henry B.J. Phiri) selects her for choice assignments. Shula functions as a judge of sorts in a small claims court and takes a stab at predicting the weather before Boss brings her on national television as a mascot for an egg-selling scheme. At first, Shula seems to try to make the best of it. After she successfully outs a thief, the Boss takes her home for a taste of the good life. Shula sees bougie furniture, nice clothes, an electric chandelier, and the Boss’s Wife—a former witch. Wife tells Shula that if she does everything she’s told, Shula might end up just like her and achieve “respectability.” But, as it turns out, a wedding ring and a veneer of dignity aren’t all they are cracked up to be. Satirical and quietly devastating, I Am Not a Witch is a fairy tale rooted in the dust. #RunganoNyoni #MaggieMulubwa #HenryBJPhiri #IAmNotaWitch #ChristieRobb #movies #filmm #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #worldcinema

★★★★ Directed by: Lukas DiSparrow Starring: Jon Duffy, Matthew Wright-Kenny, Sandra Michelle, Nikki Amory and Anette Martinsen Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen People seem to really like YouTube, that’s a thing right? You can watch cats knock stuff off a table or celebrities shoplifting stuff they can afford then throwing their $5 Starbucks coffees at photographers faces, or you can be like me and watch 13 year old boys review Yankee candles. Now if that sounds weird you’re a fool because it’s the funniest shit I have ever watched, they god damn love them candles. YouTube is a romantic place, it makes me think how people envisioned the American dream in the 50’s, it’s a place where people think they can make a tonne of money for very little work whilst being loved by many, but the reality is often very far from this. ClickBait is the story of Ben [played by Jon Duffy] and his struggle to make it big in the over saturated world of YouTube stars, and while this is already a tough thing to have to attempt [he must suffer the same stress as fighter pilots during World War 2] what makes it harder for him is that he is living with his already YouTube established friend Luke, can you smell the jealousy? Now Luke [played by Matthew Wright Kenny] is a good egg, he wants to help Ben out by promoting his channel, but for some reason his lady friend Melissa [played by Sandra Michelle] who is not a good egg, thinks Ben is lame and tries to stop Luke’s friendly promoting, what’s the beef Melissa? Why do you hate Ben? There is no reason for this given so I assumed he beat her loads at Connect 4 and she is being a sore loser... see bad egg. Ever on his quest to achieve his YouTube dream Ben devises a plan to have Luke join him in one of his videos to do a moronic ‘’challenge’’ quest together, ergh even thinking about it makes me die inside, I don’t want to watch people cram crackers in their mouths, I want to watch pubescent boys smell overpriced candles. Anyway what seems like an innocent video takes a deadly turn as Ben uses it as a platform to eliminate his rival Luke [I know he was the good egg, what about getting rid of Melissa I hear you scream] and then in his moment of crowning glory, he uploads the murder of his good friend to YouTube, classic content Ben. To be frank this short is lacking on quality acting skills, you are very aware of their limited experience in regards to scripted acting, but they push though and are really giving it their best and for that you have to give them credit, and in a way it’s almost fitting since we are looking at YouTube stars, people who appear on camera on a regular basis with no formal training and so you are truly immersed in the theme of this short. Despite this though this short packs a punch in regards to story content, we have all seen these movies based around the internet, flicks such as Unfriended and Friend Request come to mind, and ClickBait slots in nicely to this sub genre, bringing a fresh approach with the employment of YouTube as a platform. It’s engaging and well-paced, you are kept interested despite its low budget and rocky acting, you even come to like the characters [not you Melissa] which is credible when directing and writing a short, you are given such a small time frame to develop any kind of audience/character relationship but ClickBait delivers this in only 15 minutes. ClickBait is witty, interesting, and fresh and on top of all that will leave you wanting to know more about these characters, but not Melissa...never Melissa. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #RachelPullen #LukasDiSparrow #JonDuffy #MatthewWrightKenny #SandraMichelle #NikkiAmory #AnetteMartinsen

★★★ Directed by: Susanna Fogel Starring: Kate McKinnon, Mila Kunis, Film Review by: George Wolf As late summer comedies go, we've done worse than The Spy Who Dumped Me. And like so many secret agents with a "particular set of skills," this film has one. It's name is Kate McKinnon. That's not to throw shade on Mila Kunis, who flashes fine comic timing in the straight woman role, giving McKinnon plenty of space to do that thing she does. Be weird and funny and sometimes hilarious. McKinnon is Morgan and Kunis plays Audrey, her longtime best friend who just got "text dumped" by boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux). Just as the girls are setting fire to the stuff Drew left at Audrey's place, they find out he was a spy, and that "2nd Place Fantasy Football" trophy of his is valuable enough to get them killed. Director/co-writer Susanna Fogel cooks up the usual elements for a spy spoof, with amusing hijinx, scattershot action, globe-trotting locales, and a little touch of raunch to earn that R rating. There's also a couple quirky side characters (like the agent who keeps reminding everyone he went to Harvard) and some familiar faces (Jane Curtin, Paul Reiser, Gillian Anderson). But Fogel's MVP is McKinnon, and it's pretty clear she knows it. McKinnon may not get a script credit, but it isn't hard to imagine some of the pages saying little more than "have Kate do something funny." And she does, particularly skillful enough to make The Spy Who Dumped Me a goofy, enjoyable time-waster. #SusannaFogel #GeorgeWolf #movies #film #entertainment #filmreviews #moviereviews #MilaKunis #KateMcKinnon #comedymovies #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases

★★★ Directed by: Monir J. Aljaradli Starring: Ahsan Alobaydi Short Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas How many times have you shouted at the main character of a film hoping they would do something different? Maybe don’t split up on a horror film or don’t ask who’s there when there’s clearly a killer on the loose? Well, in Monir J. Aljaradli's short film you can actually choose the character’s next steps – The Sketchbook Chase is an interactive film, which means that the spectator has a say in how the story unfolds - by the end of every sequence there are two options the spectator can choose from. Personally, I am not a fan of interactive films since I feel it takes away from the story and the construction of the character, as they don’t actually make their own choices, therefore they aren’t rounded individuals, but rather vessels for our decisions. It felt more as if I was playing a video game rather than watching a film; however, having that said, the plot of the film was perfect for its type. A man, played by Ahsan Alobaydi, finds a sketchbook where everything he draws materialises. Inside the notebook he finds a picture of a hooded man, and no longer after that, this man materialises and starts following him. We don’t know what the man is after, nor if he is good or bad, and the fact that the choices we are making don’t actually explain the film, rather they keep allowing for scenes to develop without creating a story or a thread for us to follow is a bit frustrating. I watched the film a few times, always choosing different options, and I was never fully satisfied – I always felt deprived of an ending or a sense. Nonetheless, this project was pretty ambitious and the whole team behind it should be congratulated. J.Aljaradli delivered what was promised – an interactive film and whether everyone likes it, it’s beyond his powers. There are some key elements of filmmaking that the film embraces fully and uses it to express what words cannot (rather, what words “don’t”). The use of sound throughout the film helped create an eerie and mysterious atmosphere, and the fact that almost no words are spoken during the film only enhances this tense tone – which, for me, was the most important factor during the film. We knew what we were seeing through the sound and imagery, rather than plot and character development. The camera angles didn’t have any mystery behind them – some close-ups, dutch angles, the use of the focus to show and hide different aspects of the shot -, but it was clear that J.Aljaradli thought them through and the result was a beautiful project with a passion behind it. As a point of view from the audience, it is always fresh to watch a film that has been made with such care and thought – it makes it a more pleasant experience, and The Sketchbook Chase is a perfect example of that – it goes for bold and challenging filmmaking and although the result is not everyone’s cup of tea, the project should be recognised for what it brings to the table. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #BrunaFolettoLucas #MonirJAljaradli #AhsanAlobaydi

★★★ Directed by: Marc Forster Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael Film Review by: George Wolf Pooh! Who doesn't love him? Winnie T. Pooh and the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood have endured for decades, and now the second Pooh film is less than twelve months brings all the furry friends to live-action life. Last year's Goodbye, Christopher Robin was a bittersweet and uneven origin story, focusing on the inspirations for A.A. Milne's Pooh tales. Disney's Christopher Robin drops both the goodbye and the bitter in becoming a grown-up fantasyland with an easily digestible, greeting card-ready sentimentality. Mr. Robin (Ewan McGregor, charming as always) has put the Hundred Acre Wood long behind him, with a wife (Hayley Atwell), a young daughter (Bronte Carmichael - great name!) and a working-class job as an efficiency expert at a London luggage company. He's lost sight of the joy in life, and when a crisis at work means Christopher will miss another weekend family getaway, fate intervenes with a much-needed Pooh crew reunion. The CGI effects that bring the animals to life are wonderful, the voice work (including Brad Garrett, Toby Jones, Sophie Okonedo, Dr. Who's Peter Capaldi and voice acting veteran Jim Cummings) is spot on, the humor warm and the message fuzzy. What's missing is depth. There's no real attempt to find any, and that's a bit surprising with the filmmaking talent involved. The director is Marc Forster, and the writing team includes Tom McCarthy and Alex Ross Perry. Between them, those three have some serious depth on their resumes, including Spotlight, Up, Listen Up Phillip, Queen of Earth, Monster's Ball, Stranger Than Fiction, The Kite Runner and more. The result is similar to David Lowery's live-action take on Pete's Dragon two years ago, where a filmmaker skilled at nuance within serious themes took on a children's classic and struggled with when to stop simplifying. Christopher Robin is sweeter than the "hunny" jars Pooh dives into, but nearly as empty as he leaves them. In trying to showcase the need for simple wonders, the film settles awkwardly between a child's fable and wistful remembrances from grandparents. There's plenty to like, but little to love. #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #GeorgeWolf #EwanMcGregor #HayleyAtwell #BronteCarmichael #ChristopherRobin #familyfilms #WinniethePooh #FilmReviews #MovieTrailers

★★★★ Directed by: Rahul Nath, Kshitij Salve Starring: Arjun Shrivastav, Richa Meena, Pragya Maheshwari, Sahana Vasudevan Short Film Review by: Jack Bottomley Many films about abuse or one person attacking another, paint a very simplistic picture of predator and victim but in truth there is so much strength behind a “victim”. The strength to move on with their lives, the strength to overcome an attack or, as is the case with this quite concise but effective piece of film, the strength to fight back in times of fear and danger. Starting off as more of a Tony or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer esque look at the attacker, Stronger (as suggested by its title) soon shifts into a rather inspiring story of inner strength in the face of peril. A man (Arjun Shrivastav) is frustrated by his urges and sexual problems and begins to take out his increasingly twisted vexations on women on the street, including one young woman (Richa Meena) who is looking to stand on her own two feet after recently leaving her family home. The transition from a genuinely unsettling, intense and creepily escalating story of a man enforcing his violent fantasies on women, to the story of a young woman embracing her independence and having it brutally tested is quite sudden but it gives Stronger a timely feel. It is most refreshing to see the strength behind victims of attacks (be they psychological, physical or sexual) presented so well onscreen. Directors/writers Rahul Nath and Kshitij Salve may not have loads of time to flesh out their characters but the limited cast list express some very relatable emotions and characters. Arjun Shrivastav is downright scary at times in how straight faced he is, while internally his character’s mind uncomfortably unravels in the face of his own sexual angst and uncontrollable – and irrational - anger. An early glimpse into his head sets this up in a really horrific way. However it is Richa Meena who comes to control the film, as a young girl who feels it is time to leave the loving embrace of her dedicated mother (Parveen Kaur) and father (Nishit Broker). Her performance is emotional and resilient and one particularly well edited shot by editor Munishwer Rao, shows the trembling hands and sheer fright in the face of such danger but Meena’s character and performance inspiringly suggests that it is possible to overcome, while the closing moments of the film paint a hopeful picture of how victims are stronger than their violent perpetrators. There is also a very strong turn by Pragya Maheshwari, who features in the short film’s most distressing sequence (on a number of levels) and delivers a fraught performance that raises a number of issues about women, family and the dangers of certain professions. Director of Photography Yuvraj Jadeja uses settings that are often dark and concentrated highlighting the culture but also applying the themes on a universal scale, while some of the music by Yai is very atmospheric, especially the unnerving riff that plays as the attacker is twitching his hands at the thoughts of his next target. Like the film as a whole though, these unsettling times are overpowered by a very commendable message of celebrating strength and showing how the good people are indeed far stronger than the weaknesses of a predator. Watch the official movie trailer below... #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #JackBottomley #MovieTrailers #RahulNath #KshitijSalve #ArjunShrivastav #RichaMeena #PragyaMaheshwari #SahanaVasudevan

★★ Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Peter Rida Michail Starring: Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Khary Payton, Greg Cipes, Tara Strong, Will Arnett, Kristen Bell Film Review by: Hope Madden Teen Titans was a beloved, fairly-serious, sometimes thematically challenging Cartoon Network program based on Glen Murakami’s comics. Teen Titans Go! was Cartoon Network's sillier spinoff show. Think Muppet Babies versus The Muppets: smaller, cuter, sillier and basically inferior in every way. No, that’s too harsh. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies—the diminutive superheroes’ cinematic leap—is not without its share of charm. Directors Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail (both from the TV series) bring the same zany, juvenile, self-aware sensibilities to the big screen that burst for years from the small one. Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire aren’t being taken seriously by the superhero community. What they need is their own superhero movie! Everybody else has one! That’s how you know you’re really a hero, and not just a sidekick with a bunch of costumed goofball buddies. What follows is a comment on the oversaturation of the superhero film punctuated by a lot of poop jokes. The voice talent from the TV show (Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Khary Payton, Greg Cipes and Tara Strong) is joined by big names (Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Will Arnett, Patton Oswalt, Jimmy Kimmell) in fun cameos. The best, most on-the-nose cameo belongs to Stan Lee, who sends up his own omnipresence as well as the Marvel/DC conflict and general nerdom with a spry little number. There are laughs—some of them tossed with a surprisingly flippant sense of the morbid—and energy galore, but it’s all a kind of sugar rush. It’s fun for about 22 minutes, but by minute 23, you’ll be checking your watch. By minute 50, you will be squirming restlessly in your seat. By minute 80 you may have that fidgety kid next to you in a headlock, but who’s to blame him for kicking and wriggling and causing a ruckus? He’s as bored as you are! By the 93-minute mark, you may be rushing for the door, and that’s too bad, in a way, because the bittersweet stinger you’ll miss with your hasty exit only brings home how slight and silly a spinoff Teen Titans Go! really is. #HopeMadden #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #animation #TeenTitansGototheMovies #TeenTitans #PeterRidaMichail #AaronHorvath #ScottMenville #HyndenWalch #KharyPayton #GregCipes #TaraStrong #WillArnett #KristenBell

Film Festival Interview by Chris Olson What can you tell us about the upcoming Horsham Film Festival and how it came to be? The Horsham Film Festival is an event sponsored by the Horsham District Year of Culture which takes place in 2019 and celebrates art, dance, music, theatre and film by funding events which successfully pitched to be put on. This is a chance for us to celebrate the local filmmaking talent, meet new filmmakers and see what films there are around the rest of the country as well. Can you tell us about yourself and your role within the festival? I run Silvertip Films, which is a video production company, now in its thirteenth year. We make promo videos, corporate videos, shoot live event coverage, make motion graphic animations and a whole lot more. I am the Director of Silvertip and my role in the festival is lead of the creative team which is organising the event. What has the response been like from filmmakers in the area? We asked people to register their interest in the event, so we could gauge whether or not enough films would be made and submitted and we’ve had a great response and received far more applications than we expected and since we announced the event, we had a lot of feedback from people further afield wanting to enter, so we signed up with FilmFreeway and received even more entries through there! Are there any particular obstacles in running a brand new film festival? How do you plan to overcome them? I think the main obstacle of course is getting the word out there about the festival and ensuring the right people see it and are inspired enough to want to go out and make a film, maybe for the first time, and enter it or enter something they have already made. How can filmmakers get involved? If you have already made a film, it can be submitted to us via www.filmfreeway.com/horshamfilmfestival but if you haven’t made one yet, you have until November 30th to submit your finished film. If you want to get further involved with the festival and be kept up to date on all the news associated with it, sign up to our mailing list at www.silvertipfilms.co.uk or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/silvertipfilms Are you also looking for volunteers? What sort of roles do you have? We currently have all the roles sorted for the planning of the event but will no doubt need help on the night itself (February 21st 2019) to help the awards night run smoothly so anyone interested in getting involved behind the scenes, do get in touch! Where can people find out more info? All the info about the festival can be found here - https://www.silvertipfilms.co.uk/silvertip-horsham-film-festvial/ What would you say if you were a dolphin? Click-click-clickity-eee-eee-filmeee-festivaleee!

★★★★ Directed by: Olivia Parkinson and Alexander Nijhoff Starring: Michael Oku, Laura Brailsford, Jason Imlach, Blu Hardy, Heather Carter-Drake, Freddie Merrydown, Charlotte Rose-Hulme, and Georgina Hall Short Film Review by: Niall Maggs Party Animal is a short film written by Olivia Parkinson, and directed by herself and Alexander Nijhoff, which tells the brief but utterly hilarious experience of Finley (Michael Oku) meeting his in-laws for the first time. This experience takes a turn for the worst when he, by accident, kills the family dog. For the rest of the duration we see Fin trying to find a way around it while also providing some great laughs for the audience. First of all, the acting is solid, especially from Oku who gives a quality performance as the lead character. He's funny and awkward - and clearly has a great taste in music suggested by his t-shirt! The acting from the rest of the cast is also pretty good, however due to the brief runtime of just 8 minutes, we don't get to see much of the other characters, but when they're on screen they make their presence known due to their effective acting. The directing by both Parkinson and Nijhoff is impressive. The storytelling is exciting and intriguing, and when paired with Parkinson's hysterical script, the short film becomes a superb comedy containing a commentary on real life problems, such as meeting your partner's parents for the first time. The way the directors handle this is exceptional. The film would be much better off with a score to emphasise the suspense of certain scenes. There is hardly any music involved which may not be a bad thing, but it would definitely improve the film as it creates more tension and emotion. However, this short is a brilliant and exciting comedy, with a comical script and great actors to accompany it. Party Animal would be even better if the runtime was longer, it's just simply too short to be able to pick out many flaws. But in the end, Party Animal is absolutely hilarious. #ShortFilmreviews #ShortFilms #NiallMaggs #Comedy #OliviaParkinson #AlexanderNijhoff #MichaelOku #LauraBrailsford #JasonImlach #BluHardy #HeatherCarterDrake #FreddieMerrydown #CharlotteRoseHulme #GeorginaHall

★★★★ Directed by: Gus Van Sant Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black Film Review by: Hope Madden In case you are missing it, Joaquin Phoenix is having one hell of a year. The inarguable talent is fresh off the relentlessly wonderful You Were Never Really Here. (Watch it right now. I'll wait). Later this year we’ll get the chance to see him in Mary Magdalene as well as Jacques Audiard’s Western, The Sisters Brothers—both films boasting extraordinary casts. Sandwiched in between his turns as gun-for-hire (YWNRH) and Jesus (MM), the clearly versatile actor portrays cartoonist John Callahan in Gus Van Sant’s biopic Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. Portland-based Callahan used creating cartoons as an outlet for his frustration, creativity and humor following a car accident that left him paralyzed. His simple visual style (both arms and hands were badly compromised by the paralysis) and his dark, taboo-driven humor found favor and protest in his hometown newspaper. Phoenix charms and breaks hearts in equal measure as Callahan. What the actor conveys in breathtaking fashion is discovery. After Callahan’s accident and through his fleeting moments of clear-headedness, the character affords Phoenix many opportunities to recognize, accomplish or notice things for the first time. His interaction with an adorably saucy sex therapist, for instance, is pure joy. His is not the only wonderful performance in the film. Jonah Hill effortlessly conveys a wearied tenderness that reminds you how truly talented an actor he is. Jack Black has a small but gloriously Jack Black role, and the AA group (Udo Kier, Beth Ditto, Mark Webber, Kim Gordon and Ronnie Adrian) offer rich and interesting characters regardless of their minimal screen time. Rooney Mara, on the other hand, seems like she’s acting in an entirely different film. I fully expected her character to be a figment of Callahan’s imagination, pulled intact from another movie. Van Sant bounces back from a creative lull (The Sea of Trees, anyone?), showing, among other things, his remarkable knack for period detail. And while the 12-step structure feels both too stifling and too familiar for such an irreverent central figure, Van Sant bursts through that frame with a non-chronological series of vignettes and wild antics. As the film progresses, step by dutiful step, Van Sant fills gaps with quick jumps back and forth through drunken episodes and pivotal moments. As interesting and entertaining as these flashes are, the chaotic lack of chronology fits so poorly with the rigid timeline of the film around it that the whole feels like an experiment gone wrong. But so much of the film goes very, very right—thanks in large part to another award-worthy performance by Phoenix. #GusVanSant #HopeMadden #movies #film #entertainment #moviereviews #filmreviews #JoaquinPhoenix #JonahHill #Don39tWorryHeWon39tGetFarOnFoot #independentfilm #JohnCallahan #biopics #RooneyMara #JackBlack