Reviews

Looking for an exciting heist comedy? Imperfections is the film for you. Channeling The Big Lebowski, David Singer's film is full of offbeat characters diving into a world of crime they aren't exactly sure of how to be in. Virginia Kull (Boardwalk Empire)'s Cassidy is a struggling actress who takes a job working at a diamond store. When her and her boss' son (Revenge's Ashton Holmes) decide to fake a robbery and take the insurance money, things get out of hand. Cassidy finds herself falling back in love with her ex-boyfriend and would be patsy, Ray (a scene-stealing Zach McGowan of Shameless), tangled up with real criminals and handling her mother's relationship with her boss (a delightful pairing of Taxi's Marilu Henner and St. Elsewhere's Ed Begley Jr.). The plot twists and turns as they lie and flirt with each other and the result is a very entertaining crime-caper that leaves you guessing until the end. Fantastic performances really bring to life a script full of witty banter and dry humor. Some inspired camera work, including a couple of great tracking shots, compliments the acting nicely and keeps the film moving. Imperfections plot is well-paced and takes time to introduces complexities to the characters that really pay off. Ed Begley Jr.'s character had a lot of layers to him that I found interesting, but won't reveal to avoid spoiling anything. This is a very well-crafted and fun heist film that packs a little bit of everything. Imperfections is worth the watch.

The Founders is an eye-opening and important piece of documentary filmmaking. Spanning decades, the film tells the story of the founding of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). I personally knew nothing about the start of the LPGA or its 13 founders highlighted in the film before seeing it and now I have a great respect and appreciation for them. These women showed determination and a pioneering spirit to get the Tour off the ground and make it possible for women to play professional sports. It is hard not to be in awe of these women as they recount the events, like clinics and fashion shows, they had to do to raise awareness for their competitions. These are things male golfers did not have to do, by the way. The fantastically pieced together archival footage and reenactments capture the era incredibly well and can be very interesting from a historical perspective. The best part of the documentary though is the interviews with the surviving founders. Being able to hear Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs and Marlene Bauer Vossler recount personal anecdotes and feelings elevates the footage and the emotional impact of the film. Some moments will make you laugh, like Suggs and Vossler recounting a strange incident on the road, while others will make you tear up, like hearing about Babe Zaharias' battle with cancer. The Founders is a film that carriers weight, telling the history of something that most people have not thought to tell before and paying tribute to not only sports heroes, but feminist heroes as well. This film was deeply affecting and I highly recommend seeing it.

The newest documentary from Josh and Rebecca Tickell is a personal and inspiring looking into conscious capitalism. Focusing on John Paul DeJoria, Good Fortune tells JP's story from his childhood up until today. JP's life is fascinating as he was homeless twice and living out of his car before he founded Paul Mitchell and Patron Tequila. The founding of his companies is incredibly interesting, with the story of discovering Patron particularly standing out. Through a mix of reenactments, archival footage and interviews with JP and many friends, including huge celebrities like Danny Trejo, Arianna Huffington and Dan Aykroyd (who also narrates the film), Good Fortune paints a vivid portrait of JP as a business pioneer and humanitarian. It is heartwarming to hear all the nice things people have to say about JP and see how he uses his wealth to give back to over 160 charities. My favorite moment is probably when his daughter tears up telling the story of the time JP bought a woman and her family a meal at a diner. The woman stood up and thanked whoever did the good deed, but JP never took any credit for it. The moment represents the best part of the documentary: the compassion and the heart that JP shows the world and that we all should show each other. If you are looking for an entertaining documentary about the human condition, Good Fortune is the one.

Originally produced in 1988, Chief Zabu is finally available for us to watch and it is a real treat. From writers-directors Neil Cohen and Zack Norman, the film is a surprisingly pertinent satire. It follows two real estate men trying to win a bid to essentially own a newly independent country. Ben Sydney is a frustratingly naive character, as the viewer is driven almost to shouting at the screen as he makes bad decision after bad decision and is oblivious to the fact he's being ripped off. His business partner, Sammy, is trying to make it as a comic and is mostly along the way. Mixed up is the titular Chief Zabu trying to get his country admitted into the UN and seeming inept and as oblivious as Sydney. The film sends up politics, capitalism and high society effectively, with a lot of laughs coming from the characters blunders. While not as overtly absurd, Cohen and Norman's film feels a lot like Woody Allen's Bananas and it takes aim at a lot of the same targets. Perhaps the best example of the film's humor comes when Ben and Sammy are driving to pick up a check and discussing the breakdown of the profits. The two talk over each other spewing percents of percents. The scene is a total riot and captures the tone of the film well. The dry humor is accompanied by some beautiful shots of New York City, Beverly Hills and the fictional island of Tiburaku. For fans of satire of people interested in a piece of comedy history that they certainly haven't seen before, Chief Zabu is worth the watch.

Urban Hymn, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, is the story of a troubled youth saved by her love of music. That may sound all-too-familiar, but the story of Jamie Harrison is set apart by the quality of the performances, filmmaking and music selection. The stellar work of Shirley Henderson and Letitia Wright is sure to have you fighting back tears at least once as the film moves along, as will Caton-Jones' beautiful shots. Close-ups of sunflowers, trees swaying in the breeze, neon-soaked clubs and London streets are all captured masterfully and the accompanying soul songs do not hurt either. At the heart of Urban Hymn, though, is the relationship triangle of Jamie, her rough best friend (Leanne) and her caring social worker (Kate). The three push and pull at each other constantly, enabling one to get what they want while disappointing another. Kate wants the best for Jamie in a way to cope with the death of her son while Leanne wants to keep Jamie in a life of crime because she is all she ever had. This leads to some great tension and emotion throughout. I immediately think of a confrontation between Leanne and Kate that is nerve-racking enough to make you shout at the screen. Caton-Jones' film is at the top of its class and I recommend Urban Hymn to anyone looking for a compelling and expertly-crafted piece of cinema.

Danger Close is the exciting, new addition to directors David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud's Heroes of Valor Collection. In the documentary, they join forces with award-winning, military journalist Alex Quade to present an uncensored look at her journey across Iraq to return to Combat Outpost Pirelli. Quade shows amazing perseverance and bravery, jumping from unit to unit to reach her destination and uphold her promise to fallen soldier Rob Pirelli's family to make sure his legacy is preserved. Edited from hours of Quade's own point-and-shoot footage, Danger Close shows real special forces units on combat missions in Iraq. The raw footage combined with interviews with Pirelli's family, former team members and Quade herself paints a more humane image of military life than is common in film. Standout editing allows the filmmakers to pull this off. The mission footage, which even includes cell phone footage taken by the Taliban, can be heart-pounding and nerve-racking at times while the interviews offer more empathetic and sentimental moments. Taken together, Danger Close becomes an honest and moving picture of what honor, legacy and sacrifice really looks like. Quade's footage is impressive, the story is touching and it all works to make a unique experience. I recommend Danger Close to fans of the directors' previous documentaries, The Hornet's Nest and Citizen Soldier, or military documentaries in general as well as anyone interested in a film that digs deep into the human experience.