tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

The Man Next Door is working it’s magic in the World Dramatic Competition and Sundance. It comes from Argentina, and demands that it be noticed.  It’s directed by two promising young men, Mariano Cohn, and Gastón Duprat, who co-wrote the script together as well.  And are both credited as the film’s cinematography.  Narcissistic much?

The film is overwhelming simple in it’s storyline.  An extremely successful designer named Leonardo, lives in a home named Casa Curutchet.  The only home that Le Corbusier built in the Americas. Apparently it’s a big deal in Argentina.  He lives there with his wife and daughter.  They’re awakened one morning to the noise of a sledgehammer, he finds that a neighbor has torn a hole in one of the Modernist icon’s perfect white walls, intending to build a window for the house on the other side.  The soundscape created is almost as poignant as Australia’s Noise.

Kristin Stewart is continuing on her crusade to try and distance herself from the Twilight series, and establish herself as a serious actress.  Last year she did it with Adventureland, and this year, she has a couple films at Sundance.  In one, she plays Joan Jett, and in it has a lesbian love scene with Dakota Fanning.  In the other, Welcome to the Rileys, she plays a 16 year old, runaway, making ends meet in New Orleans as a part-time exotic dancer, and part-prostitute.  Okay, we get it Kristin, you’re a serious actress.  Fortunately, she has some great company in Rileys that makes her look pretty good.

It was only a matter of time before Philip Seymour Hoffman decided to direct. He’s gained enough cred in the business to warrant giving him a chance.  But it is slightly shocking that he chose to make his debut with a romantic comedy.  Did anyone else see that coming?  His film, Jack Goes Boating is a movie version of a play by the same name.  Hoffman actually played Jack in the off-Broadway production.  He brought along two of his stage co-stars as well, and got Amy Ryan to play his leading lady.  Not too shabby for his first cast.

Night Catches Us is a mildly interesting first attempt at directing by Tanya Hamilton, an alum of the Sundance Lab. The story (which Hamilton also wrote) takes place in Philadelphia in 1978. It focuses on two former Black Panthers, Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Pat (Kerry Washington). Marcus returns to Philadelphia, after several years in exile, to attend the funeral of his brother. His reasons for avoiding his hometown aren’t immediately clear. What is clear, is that he’s not welcomed there by many. His former comrades make it abundantly clear that he is no longer welcome, and should leave if he wants to avoid trouble. Pat is the only friendly face in town. But their budding relationship is difficult for friends, and especially for Pat’s daughter Iris (Jamara Griffin).