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    Five New Films Worth Seeing in January

    So many movies this weekend! Scorsese’s latest, Ben Affleck’s period gangster flick, Isabelle Huppert’s provocative, Golden Globe winning Elle and Mark Wahlberg’s take on the Boston Marathon bombings – and other ones, too! There are a couple horror films you can check out, a family flick or two, and an intriguing directorial debut called Hunter Gatherer. January rarely delivers a weekend like this. You should take advantage.

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    Silence

    Martin Scorsese’s elegant pondering on faith, Silence, enters the mind of Jesuit priest Fr. Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) as he and his colleague Fr. Garrpe (Adam Driver) venture into 1640s Japan in search of a mentor priest lost to a violently anti-Catholic government.

    Gorgeous, imposing shots paint the image of the vast and dangerous beauty of God’s world and the small if admirable people trying to survive there.

    Garfield and Driver cut nicely opposing images, Garfield the sweet-faced picture of buoyant faith, Driver the more skeptical, impatient believer. While it’s Garfield whose story we hear, Driver’s counterpoint is a required piece of this crisis of faith driving the film and his performance delivers something painful and honest.

    Scorsese’s abiding interest – some might say preoccupation – with faulty men and their tenuous grasp on Catholic faith has flavored many a film, though rarely as thoroughly as this one. What is faith? What is it, really? And who’s to say what harm Jesus would have you do to protect him?

    Mainly, though the film’s resolution is both nuanced and satisfying, there are certain answers, certain signs that feel more like movie magic than spiritual presence. They are minor flaws in a beautiful if ponderous work, but they keep Silence from joining Scorsese’s true masterpieces.

    Grade: B+

    Live By Night

    The jury on Ben Affleck’s skills as a filmmaker came in about one and a half films ago. After Gone Baby Gone and halfway through The Town, it was clear this guy can direct. Argo hammered that point home but good. And don’t forget that Oscar for co-writing Good Will Hunting.

    But after all that’s good about Live by Night, seeing Leonardo DiCaprio’s name in the producer credits instantly makes you wonder how much more effective he might have been in the lead role.

    Instead, Affleck casts himself as Joe Coughlin, an “outlaw” in prohibition-era Boston who runs afoul of the local crime boss after getting cozy with the wrong dame (Sienna Miller). A few years and double-crosses later, Irish Joe is working Florida for the Italian mob, cornering the rum market and laying complicated groundwork for a sprawling casino.

    This is Joe’s journey, rife with sin, judgement, hypocrisy and redemption, but Affleck never makes Joe worthy of being the center of all this gravity..

    The film often looks fantastic, with nifty period details, sweeping panoramas, nicely backlit interiors and exciting shootouts, but Affleck’s incessantly gradual pace eventually takes a toll.

    Though he makes sure his film pushes all the genre buttons, Live by Night ranks as an ambitious overreach, never quite finding the right mix to make it truly memorable.

    Grade: B

    Elle

    Elle is a flummoxing, aggravating, possibly masterful piece of filmmaking that will leave you reeling.

    A misanthropic tale with a complex – even befuddling – moral core, the film explores the aftermath of a brutal rape.

    It opens – before we even see an image – on the sounds of the assault. Michele Leblanc (a beyond-magnificent Isabelle Huppert), a prosperous video game developer, is being attacked by a masked figure who’s broken in.

    No matter what you expect to happen next, the only thing you can predict is that clichés will be upended. The storyline offers an almost endless look at complicated gender politics, systemic misogyny and rape culture.

    It is quite possible that Huppert is the entire reason Elle works – and God help me, it does.

    Huppert understands this character’s damaging backstory – information allowed the audience in slow bursts – and captures the icy resilience it instilled. Her Michele is a restrained narcissist, a pragmatic survivor at odds with expectations – unlikeable but hard to root against. Above all things, she is unpredictable, but in Huppert’s hands, every decision – no matter how bizarre or offensive – feels utterly natural.

    I cannot imagine this film surviving without Huppert in the lead role, but with her as the central conundrum in director Paul Verhoeven’s indecipherable set of intentions, Elle leaves a mark.

    Grade: A-

    Patriot’s Day

    If director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg are on a mission to salute America’s unsung heroes, they’re doing a damn fine job. After Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon, they bring a similar formula to Patriot’s Day and achieve even more satisfying results.

    A chronicle of the 2013 Boston marathon bombing and the frenzied search for the terrorist bombers that followed it, the film employs a breathless timeline and confident pacing to triumphantly salute the courage, compassion and dedication of a city under siege.

    As he did so well in Deepwater Horizon last year, Berg opens with quick snapshots of the many lives involved (terrorists included), efficiently creating a layer of humanity and emotional depth. The explosions are sudden and jarring, presented with a compelling mixture of chaos and carnage, as bloody limbs and shell shock bring us uncomfortably close to the suffering.

    The ensuing manhunt is nothing less than thrilling, with the rock-solid ensemble cast (including Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, J.K. Simmons, Michelle Monaghan and a fully committed Mark Wahlberg) illustrating the harried teamwork of first responders and government agencies.

    Strong and sturdy with undeniable spirit, Patriot;s Day stands as a fitting tribute to both individual heroes and an entire city itself.

    Grade: A-

    Hunter Gatherer

    Writer/director Joshua Locy has crafted a unique, poignant drama with Hunter Gatherer.

    The film succeeds in part due to Andre Royo’s stunning portrayal of Ashley, a man recently released from prison who wants to re-establish himself in his former girlfriend’s life. Royo has chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with. His chemistry with George Sample III is especially winning – Sample’s Jeremy/“Germs” the straight man to Royo’s boisterous Ashley.

    The film’s subtle comedy is quirky, but it works well alongside the more dramatic moments. Though Ashley appears the eternal optimist, it’s clear as the film moves forward he is struggling to find his way.
    As a directorial debut, Locy’s film is not without problems, but as a moving character study, this is a film that will stick with you for its touching take on love and friendship.

    Grade: A-

    Also opening in Columbus:

    • The Autopsy of Jane Doe (R)
    • Bye Bye Man (PG-13)
    • Monster Trucks (PG)
    • Old Stone ((NR)
    • Sleepless (R)
    • Tower (NR)

    Reviews with help from George Wolf and Rachel Willis.

    Read more from Hope at MADDWOLF and listen to her weekly horror movie podcast, FRIGHT CLUB.

    Looking for more film events in Columbus? CLICK HERE to visit our Events Calendar.

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    Hope Madden
    Hope Maddenhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Hope Madden is a freelance contributor on Columbus Underground who covers the independent film scene, writes film reviews and previews film events.
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