The week in film: Part Trois!

The third installment of what has roared out of the box as a feature du jour on this blog gives us another handful of flicks, some of which you may have even heard of!

This week's lineup brings us these choice bits: Brother Bear 2, Garden State, Out of the Blue, The Station Agent, and House of Sand and Fog.

Brother Bear 2 leads us off with a story that, in the tradition of hastily made Disney sequels is both unmoving and forgettable, or rather, it would be if the adults in the room could stay awake to watch it. Generally speaking, if I'm watching an awful movie, often I can find at least one plot point to cling to that makes me watch it to the end, hoping something interesting may actually happen. This is a kid's film, and as such it doesn't necessarily need such hooks for the intended audience, and I just couldn't stay awake for lack of caring. (my wife fared better, but she did also have a laptop and internet connection on her lap throughout) Your kids may very well like this movie, but I cannot promise the same for you.

I did thoroughly enjoy Garden State though. This movie, by "that guy from Scrubs," was really well done. There was a period of time initially where I had this feeling that, well, it was just a little odd or different, and it took a bit to identify why. The portrayal of the characters had a interestingly "real" feel to it that was a nice break from the more polished mannerisms of a typical Hollywood production. The story itself is pretty good. A guy comes home for his mother's funeral, and ultimately confronts some long-standing pain that he has with his father over a prior tragedy shared by Mom, Dad, and son. It's well told, well acted, and has some nice supporting characters with interesting stories of their own. It's recommended viewing.

Out of the Blue falls under the category of "films about things that happened in New Zealand that were not related to Lord of the Rings and are therefore not likely common knowledge." This category label alone, at just under 4 feet long, was what attracted us to the section, and ultimately to this movie. ;-) This flick is a true-to-life drama about the Aramoana massacre, the deadliest shooting in the history of New Zealand, leaving 13 people dead. It's well acted, and has Karl Urban (Eomer from Lord of the Rings) leading the cast. This is a difficult film to watch in the sense that it is an utterly gut wrenching event. The senseless slaughter of many innocent men, women, and children, gunned down in cold blood... It's a powerful movie for sure. One area that was left open in our opinion was any kind of background into the killer. Obviously he snapped, but there isn't much given for background (possibly simply because nobody really knows). There is fleeting reference to police checking in on him...some bad blood between him and a former long-time friend and neighbor...but any kind of obvious history that would've triggered his snap aren't really presented. Of particular interest to us with this movie was seeing scenery that we've been to, and that we live (figuratively) right around the corner from!!! There were definite moments of "hey! we've been there!" So, if you're interested in a bit of NZ's unsavory history captured in an effective and well executed film, this is a good one.

The Station Agent is another independent flick that I heard of awhile ago and, upon seeing it on the shelf, it came to the forefront and I thought hey, why not. Well, I'm glad I did. This is a really fun movie, often funny, and at times moving, about the lives of three strangers, each with their own issues and demons who, through the course of time become unlikely good friends. This one shares with Garden State that feel of dropping a camera in on normal people going about their business. It's well told and well acted all around, and just an enjoyable movie to watch.

The House of Sand and Fog is a difficult film to watch. It's extremely uncomfortable. It's a train wreck from which you can't look away. The story is well done, as is the acting. But be warned, it's a very dark drama. The setup is this...a depressed and down on her luck woman is evicted from her home due to a bureaucratic snafu, and in the resulting auction, her house is sold to an immigrant trying very hard to better his family's situation. The film starts pretty dark and the light only continues to dim as the story progresses. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then this is probably a great one to rent. If you like happy endings, perhaps steer clear.