THE MEASURE OF A MAN *****
One of France’s strongest and most respectable performers, Vincent Lindon was honored Best Actor in Cannes for his powerful portrait of a man dealing with a load of financial, personal and moral crisis. Director Stéphane Brizé’s drama carries many qualities, but the film belongs entirely to Lindon and his remarkable ability of expressing the haunting troubles, stating this as the very first 5-star film of the year. Following the trend of exposing the consequences of the economic crisis in Europe and its high rates of unemployment, the film observes with compassionate honesty, every detail of Lindon’s struggle as he seeks a job to provide for his wife and disabled son. He’s offered a position lower than what he previously worked on, and under the edgy circumstances he must accept the Supermarket’s security guard position. Once hired, he experiments how mega corporations label people based on social status and learns of the workers’ faults- putting him in a sharp dilemma as he is confronted by his moral and integrity. A solidary look at capitalism with Neorealism influences and touching performances, Brizé conceived a compelling moral tale that meditates on aging insecurity and family values. (Opens Friday at Metrograph and Lincoln Plaza)
AN EYE FOR BEAUTY ***
Everyone is on fire in this glamorous erotic thriller by Canadian provocateur Denys Arcand, the Oscar nominated director behind the cult “Barbarian Invasions”. A young architect becomes involved with an assistant during a project outside town. The affair develops within as they meticulously plan their next intimate encounter; both are successfully married but overwhelmed with their respective marital duties; eventually they’ll learn they are not the only ones sneaking out. A thoughtful, explosively hot and controversial sexual-charged thriller, Arcand investigates issues related to marriage, such as respect, loyalty and guilty, as well as temptation and the inevitable desires of the flesh. Punctuated by the suspenseful events and the charming exploration on sexual instincts, Arcand also demonstrates his unusual and bizarre humor, such as the preparation of showering separately before going to bed, and the architect’s confessions at a doctor’s office. Kudos also to the luminous cinematography that captures the beauty of both the natural landscape and the bodies of the highly sexy cast. (Opens Friday at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas)
RIO, I LOVE YOU ***
Magical, hilarious and poetical, this collection of stories based on love and relationships that sometimes get connected in the streets of the Cidade Maravilhosa (Wonderful City, as Rio is known for its residents) is a surprisingly efficient comedy. The reason for its delightful result is the efforts of each director with their peculiar choices, from the moving story of an old hippie living on the streets, to the tragic accident involving a one-arm boxer, and from the hallucinating vampire lust to a passionate ballet dance lead by Rodrigo Santoro. There are surely lots of romance, such as the flirtatious meetings of two youngsters, a taxi driver longing for his ex, the inner experience of a famous arrogant actor, and the nostalgic encounter of long-time lovers in a remote beach house. Each segment is produced with dazzling technical advantages such as the dancing bossa nova/samba original soundtrack, the astonishing images of Rio’s unique landscapes and the rapidly smart editing, which perfectly piles all stories without losing its enthusiastic pace. Directed by Carlos Saldanha, Paolo Sorrentino, Sang-Soo Im, Nadine Labaki and others, the film is a great entertainment that reasonably provides fantasy and reality at equal levels. (Opens Friday at Landmark Sunshine Cinema)
ALSO SHOWING
The sci-fiction “Midnight Special” tells the intriguing adventure of a boy with powers from beyond, running from the authorities’ interests in order to reunite with his roots outer space. Jeff Nichols directs and Michael Shannon gives another top-notch performance. Get ready to enjoy the perks of being young in Richard Linklater’s latest Party “Everybody Wants Some!!” (set in a 1980’s Texas College) the definitive feel good movie of the season. Another major work by one of America’s truly filmmakers. Sally Field is intoxicating funny as the title-role in “Hello, My Name is Doris”, an awkward midlle-aged lonely woman trying to get a boost in life and in love. And while Christian Bale wastes his talent in Terrence Malick’s ambitious and uninspiring experiment, yet gorgeously shot, “Knight of Cups”, handsome Jake Gyllenhaal conquers the audience’s heart in “Demolition” as a dysfunctional man coping with his wife’s tragic death and trying to reconstruct his routine once he develops a tender friendship with a woman and her rebel son.
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