Take 4 (Finally some good movies)

Movie #12     The Do-Deca-Pentathlon   85%

Last summer I discovered the magic that is the Duplass brothers.  I enjoy their directing and have really grown to love almost anything that Mark Duplass makes.  This movie is written and directed by the brothers.  

The Duplass brothers are masters of bringing dysfunctional families to the screen.  The family in this movie has plenty of dysfunction.  

The movie centers around two brothers that have spent far too many years of their adult life bitter about their childhood competitiveness.  The brothers spend the weekend back at their mother's house and quickly revert back to their 12 year old selves. Both brothers are unhappy with the way their lives have turned out and are searching for something to make them fill alive again.  

This movie is very clever and well acted.  It certainly will not entertain everybody, but I hope you give a try.  





Movie #11   Mud   98%

Wow! I can't believe how much I loved this movie.  This certainly looks to be the best movie in theaters this summer.  Matthew McConaughey gives what just might be the performance of his career.  

Mud, is a coming-of-age movie set on the banks of the Mississippi River.  The acting across the board is fantastic.  The two boys who star in this movie are amazing.  

I'm hesitant to give away too much of the plot, but here is a brief summary. Two boys find a mysterious man living on an island and become part of his adventure.  There are very real problems and issues facing these boys, so it is easy to understand how they are taken in by this man's tall-tales.  

As I watched this movie, I really felt a connection to movie like Stand by Me.  Online, this movie is even being compared to stories such as Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird.  That is high praise, and it just might be deserved.   




Movie #10   Liberal Arts  90% 

I have to be honest, this movie almost seems like it was written for me.  It has all the elements that I love in a small-budget drama: understated acting, moody music, earnest pretentiousness, character actors, and a quirky leading lady.  This is the second movie that Josh Radnor has directed, and he seems to be pretty good at it. 

Radnor also stars as Jesse, a man who is going through his early, mid-life crisis.  He returns to his alma mater for his favorite professor's retirement party where he falls for Zibby, a young college girl.  Both characters seek to escape their current life by being with the other.  In the end, they both learn from each other.  Honestly, I think the audience has the potential to learn something from them too. 

The college campus was absolutely beautiful.  The movie was filmed at Radnor's real life alma mater, Kenyon College.  The acting is also top notch.  Richard Jenkins and Allison Janney seem to make any movie they are in better. I've heard a lot about Elizabeth Olsen, but this was the first of her movies I've seen.  She deserves all the praise that she has received in her young career   Don't be surprised to see a few more of her films show up on this blog.