THE PRETTY ONE - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

If you’ve ever thought that the adorable and talented actress Zoe Kazan just wasn’t quite enough in one of her films, have I got the film for you!  It’s called The Pretty One stars Miss Kazan as twin sisters Laurel and Audrey.  Audrey has everything put together; she lives in the city, is independent, full of life, and everyone loves her.  Laurel on the other hand still lives at home, is more withdrawn, awkward, and is sleeping with the boy she used to babysit.  They may be drastically different, but both sisters adore each other and on their birthday they decide to move in with each other.  However, tragedy strikes and Laurel takes the terrible situation as a way to reinvent herself as the independent, full of life, successful person she's never been able to be.

Kazan does really great work here, as both sisters, especially the withdrawn and unsure Laurel.  Her performance is beautiful and layered and very funny.  As her possible love interest, Jake Johnson (New Girl) is full of charm and adds great chemistry between Kazan and himself.  His character is much more put together than his chaotic New Girl role, and Johnson shines here showing both depth and equal hilarity.  John Carrol Lynch, as the girl’s painter father, is wonderful as well showcasing the loss in his life with just a single look or gesture.  As good as the acting is all around, the film is structurally uneven.  The beginning moves too slow and feels off from the rest of the film, and parts of the film feel out of place.  However, all of that being said, Writer/Director Jenée LaMarque has made a very funny film that is a bit predictable but highly entertaining (and also features a very funny sidelines performance by Ron Livingston).  I wish that a bit more was worked on structurally (the last act seems a bit off as well) but it’s still a worthwhile effort and a highly entertaining comedy-drama.  The Pretty One, much like Laurel herself, isn’t perfect but it shines through its imperfections.

VERDICT: A SOLID CHOICE

Written and Directed by Jenée LaMarque Starring Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Shae D'lyn, Frankie Shaw, Ron Livingston Country USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: Uneven but a very funny and well acted romance.

THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO  MORENO

Director Mira Nair’s engrossing Pakistani thriller The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a well laid out and entertaining political tale split between the world of Pakinstan and the United States.  Riz Ahmed starts as a Pakistani Professor named Changez Khan who because of reasons we are not yet aware of is a "person of interest" to the American Government.  An American journalist (Liev Schrieber) has been granted an interview with him and he spends the time telling the journalist of his American past and how the aftermath of 9/11 put his search for the "American Dream" into a different perspective and launched him into an entirely new world, both in America and in Pakistan.

Mira Nair (The Namesake) presents Changez's story as a cautionary, well told tale about politics, race relations, and the sad desire to automatically assume what looks like truth on the surface.  A few times it's a bit predictable, but overall the film is anchored in well-paced direction and solid acting.  Riz Ahmed is instantly likable, charismatic, and mysterious.  Who he is, and who he may become doesn’t brim right on the surface, and the character uses his natural likability to keep the truth away from the audience’s eyes as long as possible.  It’s a great leading performance aided in part by strong supporting turns lead by Liev Shrieber, Kate Hudson (Welcome back Miss Hudson), and Kiefer Sutherland.  Well worth your time, especially with such a timely message and fast paced to keep you consistantly intrigued.

VERDICT: A SOLID CHOICE

Written by William Wheeler Directed by Mira Nair Starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Shrieber, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi  Country India, Pakinstan, USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: Not perfect, but a well executed and intriguing look into a young Pakistan born professor with a dream of America and the realities of a post 9/11 world.

WHAT RICHARD DID - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

The theme to many films this year at Tribeca Film Festival are “quiet intensity” and “loss.”  And What Richard DiD has both of those in spaids, telling the story of a group of young, privileged friends in Dublin dealing with tragedy sneaking up on them.  Lead by Richard Karlsen (Jack Reynor), the group is a very tight knit of friends, spending all of their free time with each other, drinking in pups and playing sports.  He connects instantly with a young girl named Lara (Róisín Murphy) after flirting at a party and everything seems gloriously perfect.  However, an old boyfriend of Lara's becomes increasingly jealous, and tries to get back into the picture, which sets off an event that haunts the entire town they live in.

Based on Kevin Powers’ book “Bad Day in Blackrock,” Director Lenny Abrahamson and Screenwriter Malcolm Campbell paint a very expressive and meaningful film about the consequences of a seemingly non consequential action.  Reynor does a great job of portraying the young Richard, showing a fun, carefree youth who also has a sharp side of jealously to him.  And as the titular “event” goes by (not a spoiler; it is called What Richard Did after all), it wears on him more and more, and Raynor does a great job of portraying the struggling young man.  Róisín Murphy (the Irish actress, not the Irish singer) also presents a layered portrait of a young girl caught in the crossfires of it all, and the deliberate slow pacing makes the punches hit all the harder.  What Richard Did is a strong and powerful punch, and though it may linger a bit too long here and there, it sting affects you just the same.

VERDICT: A SOLID CHOICE

Based on the book Bad Day in Blackrock written by Kevin Power  Screenplay by Malcolm Campbell Directed by Lenny Abrahamson Starring Jack Reynor, Róisín  Murphy, Sam Keeley, Lars Mikkelsen  Country Ireland Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: Moody and mimimal with charismatic acting all around, What Richard Did is a strong viewpoint into the consequences of a singular action.