January 31st
Seberg
The Peanut Butter Falcon
A Hidden Life

As January races to an end (where did that month go!!??), and we head for Oscar season, three new releases provide another hugely variety of viewing. One true WW2 story of a conscientious objector, a whimsical tale of friendship in America's south, and a biopic of persecuted actress, Jean Seberg.  

A Hidden Life
Director: Terence Malick
Length: 174 min

 ©  Fox Searchlight  –  slow but moving - almost
a spiritual experience in itself

Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) is an Austrian farmer, living in a picture-perfect village with his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) and his three little girls. When war breaks out Franz is called up for a second time, but he refuses to swear an oath of allegiance to Hitler. His deeply religious beliefs dictate that, if something is evil, one must do something. Despite pleas from Fani and other villagers, he refuses and is imprisoned. Fani and her family are reviled and ostracised by the village. A nominee for 2019's Palm D'or, this film, based on a true story, is classic Malick - long, slow, exquisite to look at, and conveying a deeply spiritual sensibility. While acknowledging this type of film-making is not to everyone's taste, I find it deeply affecting -  exquisite to look at, superbly acted, and with a power that taps into things way beyond the banal: a man's convictions so deep he will risk his life; the beauty of nature, so indifferent to the cruelty of humans; the anguish of a loving family torn apart; the acquiescence of so many to the bullies in power and their cruelty to those who take a stand. There is a depth to this film that rewards the patient viewer with a movie experience beyond the everyday.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended!

The Peanut Butter Falcon
Director: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Length: 93 min

 ©  Rialto –  aw shucks! Friends on the run
in a real home-spun adventure

Zak (Zack Gottsagen) is a young man with Down Syndrome, forced to live in an old-age home. After escaping, with the help of an elderly resident (Bruce Dern), Zak hides out in a fishing boat owned by Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) who is himself on the run, pursued by some local fishermen. The pair head off, Mark Twain style, for a down-South adventure, involving a raft, shooting, fishing and a lot of friendly bonding. Zak hopes to reach the wrestling school of his hero The Saltwater Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), but meantime Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), Zak's nurse from the aged home, is also on his tail. This amiable tale is almost too sweet to be true, yet it manages to generate plenty of warm fuzzy feelings with a hugely positive attitude towards Down Syndrome. Gottsagen himself is a Downs man, and is charming in his role as the wannabe wrestler, taking the odd name of the film's title.The settings are lovely, from the bayous, to the Mississippi, and the gently emerging friendship between the men works well. Yes it's predictable and at times formulaic, but there is enough quirk, and moments of humour and empathy to make it a heart-warming movie experience. 
3 - recommended!

Seberg
Director: Benedict Andrews
Length: 103 min

 ©  Icon –  Kristen Stewart again shows her acting chops 
in the sad story of a persecuted star 

Jean Seberg was an American actress who spent much of her life in France, and became immortalized in the 1960 Jean Luc Godard New Wave film Breathless. Spending more time in Hollywood in the late 60s, she aligned herself with activist causes, particularly the Black Panthers. This drew her to the attention of the FBI and she became a hounded figure, constantly under surveillance, the subject of scurrilous "fake news", all of which led to her mental decline and paranoia. Kristin Stewart is the star of this biopic, which focuses upon that period of Seberg's life in America, as she battles the FBI, their investigation helmed by (the fictional) Agent Jack (Jack O'Connell). Her involvement with Panther activist Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie) is also central to the film. I'm at a loss as to why many critics are so down on this film. Stewart is stand-out excellent as Seberg, capturing the feel and style of the young starlet. Yes, there are flaws, perhaps the main one being that the script fails to give us a real sense of Seberg's motivations, and it also chooses to create unnecessarily stereotyped FBI characters who at times dominate the main character in the film. But as a picture of how someone's career and mental state can be destroyed by over-zealous governments, it works well - tense and disturbing. 
3 - recommended!