BENDING STEEL - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

The magic of Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY has always been placed in the past.  The classic memories of the boardwalk in its heyday include the Freak Show, the Bearded Lady, and the Strong Man.  That final Coney Island attraction has been sorely lacking in recent years and Chris Schoeck would like to do something about that.  He would like to become a professional Strong Man and bring this lost art back.  The problem with Chris is that he doesn’t have a lot of confidence and is extremely introverted.  So he’ll need a lot of help to get out of that shell and make his dream come true.  Along with his trainer Chris Rider and several Strong Men of the past he’ll work towards his ultimate goal – To be a Strong Man performing at the legendary Coney Island stage.  And to literally start BENDING STEEL.

Director Dave Carroll presents this documentary as a struggling over triumph, and indeed Chris does work towards that huge goal of his.  However, the problem here is that Chris isn’t a compelling subject, nor is his story that interesting.  The film struggles to find an interesting narrative but truth be told, it just isn’t there.  It is sad to see him interact with his parents who don’t quite believe in him, as they continually tell us he’s given up on everything he’s ever tried (the one truly heartbreaking moment is when you realize his parents didn’t come to his Coney Island finale and in their place sits two empty chairs).  There is a twinge of excitement finally at the Coney Island show, and it is intriguing when you see the Strongmen of the past but they’re not the true subject of the film (I also found every scene of Chris lounging in chair smoking a cigar in the dark unintentionally ridiculous).  Overall, Bending Steel is a flat and struggling example of what a documentary subject should feel like, and how it shouldn't.

VERDICT: SKIP IT

Directed by Dave Carroll Starring Chris Schoeck, Chris Rider  Country USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Language)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: As a fan of Coney Island lore, I just was simply expecting much more.

PRINCE AVALANCHE - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

David Gordon Green has made a wide range of films.  From his quiet indie days of All the Real Girls (still one of my favorite films) and George Washington to the big budget hilarity of Pineapple Express and Your Highness (Listen I liked it and I’ll defend it to the end), Green has made a strong case that he is a director with a unique vision that knows how to tell a well-crafted story and then can just flat out entertain us.  Sadly for us, his new film PRINCE AVALANCHE is neither a unique vision nor that entertaining.  It’s as if the film forgot to stop and pick up its substance.  Paul Rudd stars as Alvin, a middle of the road blue collar worker who is spending his summer repainting a highway and saving all of his money to start a real life with his girlfriend back home.  As a favor to her, he hires her younger brother Lance (Emile Hirsch) and from day to day tries to teach him lessons that will help him in life, even though Alvin himself doesn’t really have anything figured out.  Through long walks on the road working and semi-frequent weekends off, the two forge and unlikely bond and end up….forming an unlikely bond as they continue to work.  That’s about all that happens here.

Based on the Icelandic movie Either Way (Á annan veg), David Gordon Green’s remake doesn’t ever pick up any sort of speed.  It moves at a deliberately slow pace but never has anything really interesting to say.  Paul Rudd does his best with a character and film that never fully finds a sufficient tone but the actual scene stealing belongs to Emile Hirsch, who is by far the best thing about this film.  His immature character is hilarious and engaging, even if the story isn’t.  Hirsch does wonderful work here, but Green never engages the audience in any real conversation.  Instead the film just feels cold, and goes on and on, much like their summer job.

VERDICT: SKIP IT

Based on the film Either Way written by Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson  Screenplay by David Gordon Green Directed by David Gordon Green Starring Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, Lance LeGault Country USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Language)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: A rare misfire from the very talented David Gordon Green, who I'm sure will get back on his horse and ride with ease from this one.

HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES - TRIBECA REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO and MATTHEW CODY LANG

Haunting, moving, and performed and shot with pure honesty, Hide Your Smiling Faces tells the story of two brothers (Tommy and Eric) and how their everyday life is interrupted by unspeakable tragedy.  Eric (Nathan Varson) is the older brother at 14.  His younger brother Tommy (Ryan Jones) is 9 and spends all of his time running around the fields with his friends.  One dark afternoon one of their friends is involved in a horrific and mysterious event and suddenly all of the boys must quickly grow up and learn how to deal with the ripple effects it brings.  It also follows the aftermath of a town unable to comprehend what no one was there to witness.  They feel helpless and everyone begins to cope in their own ways.

Shot in long, improv feeling takes, the film makes you feel as if you are a fly on the wall, interrupting every so often into their lives.  We never leave the boys side, seeing the entire situation from their eyes and no one else's.  They adults in town are also all affected in various ways, but this story stays with the kids.  Writer/Director Daniel Patrick Carbone has crafted an elegant masterpiece here, showcasing loss rarely represented in this way.  The pain feels all too real, especially escaping from a child’s eyes.  As they struggle and change, we can only hope they're heading into the right direction (one seems to be, the other perhaps not).  Newcomers Ryan Jones and Nathan Varnson both strong a strong, subtle range here, usually reserved for a much more experienced actor.  They bring a realistic intensity to the roles of Tommy and Eric.  The dialogue is often sparse and naturalistic, sometimes feeling as if it's improved on the spot.  Relating to them on such a personal level is helped by the fact that you don’t recognize any actors here.  The unknown faces bring you closer into the reality of the situation.  Shot with beautiful precision by Nick Bentgen, Hide Your Smiling Faces will linger with you for days.

MATTHEW CODY LANG

Easily, one of my favorite films in years. Never have I seen childhood captured so perfectly on screen.  Most of the actors in this film are children and they all seem to lose themselves in this world that mustn’t be too far from reality. The film has essences of other childhood films such as Stand By me and even The Goonies. These kids are real and the emotions are real.  During one scene, the children try not to smile as their parents cry and try to console them after the discovery of the friend’s death. They have yet to fully grasp the situation and the surrounding emotions seem so intense and unusual that it becomes too awkward for them. This scene will stay with me for a long time because I have never seen anything so true to how children behave.  The playful curiosity also comes into play in a scene where too of the young friends want to see what kissing would be like. They put a transparent folder divider between the two of them and slap their tongues around it face to face. The scene is hilarious and shows just how careless the young boys are and how they really have growing up to do.

The shift change in the film is so sharp that it feels like a slap in the face (and that's a good thing). In the film, the boys behave in a manner where death doesn’t even seem like an option and all obstacles can be overcome. They play with dead animals, sneak into places, and roll around with a loaded gun. Each minute, you gasp wondering if one of them will get hurt. Once the body is found, there becomes a sense of danger that rises within the kids and many questions of death arise changing them all forever.

BOTH VERDICTS: A MUST SEE

Written and Directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone Starring Ryan Jones, Nathan Varnson, Colm O'Leary, Thomas Cruz, Christina Starbuck, Chris Kies COUNTRY USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Images of Violence)  For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

BOTTOM LINE: Truly haunting, this unassuming drama will linger.  The best film about childhood in years.