REVIEW: “Driving Madeleine” (2024)

January 11, 2024 by Keith Garlington

Director Christian Carion’s delightful French drama “Driving Madeleine” first screened in 2022 at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival and a few months later at the Toronto International Film Festival. But it is just now getting an official big screen release here in the States and you won’t have to wait long to see it. And trust me, it’s a movie you will want to make time for.

“Driving Madeleine” is a genuinely sweet and mature gem of a movie. Written by Carion and Cyril Gély, the story is heartwarming and a bonafide tearjerker. I realize that’s a description that can come with some pretty negative connotations. But don’t toss this movie aside. Carion has made a smart and thoughtful film that examines longing, regret, and the intrinsic value of human connection. It explores memories and the preciousness of a life while fully realizing the beauty and tragedy associated with both.

Charles Hoffman (Dany Boon) is a down on his luck taxi driver in Paris. Soured and disillusioned, the 46-years-old Charles works twelve hours a day and six days a week to support his wife and daughter who he loves but rarely gets to spend time with. To make matters worse, he’s only one traffic violation away from losing his license which means losing his car which means losing his job.

Charles is dispatched to the other side of Paris for a fare. Once there he picks up 92-year-old Madeleine Keller (a sensational Line Renaud) who is in no hurry to get where she’s going. Her destination sends Charles back across the city but on the way Madeleine asks him to take a couple of detours to important places from her long an eventful life. It annoys him at first, but the more the chatty Madeleine shares the more Charles opens about his own life.

The film is peppered with flashbacks to Madeleine’s past where her younger self is played by a solemn and soulful Alice Isaaz. Through them we learn about the love of her life, an American soldier named Matt (Elie Kaempfen) who went back to the States after World War II. We see her son Mathieu (Hadriel Roure) who she had unexpectedly. We witness her marriage to her violently abusive husband Ray (Jérémie Laheurte) and the consequences that spun from it.

There is much more to Madeleine’s story that I’ll leave for you to discover. It all gives shape to what has been a fascinating life. It also affects the troubled Charles, leading him to share snippets of his own life, from his financial woes to his deep sacrificial love for his wife Karine (Julie Delarme) and their daughter Betty (Léonie Carion). As their unorthodox bond slowly forms and grows, it’s pretty easy to get a sense where the story is going. But that does nothing to lessen our connection to the characters or ruin the emotional payoff.

Anchored by two fantastic performances and a sincere story with a warm human center, “Driving Madeleine” turns out to be a surprisingly subtle and (mostly) unsentimental pleasure. You could call it an irresistibly charming heart-warmer and you wouldn’t be wrong. But there’s a darker subtext found mostly in the flashbacks that aren’t afraid to expose and challenge. The film is beautifully shot and Francophiles will love the evocative Paris scenery. But it’s the two central characters and their journey over the course of one day that’ll leave the biggest impression. “Driving Madeleine” opens January 12th in select theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

The 2024 El Dorado Film Festival Announces This Year’s Film Lineup

January 11, 2024 by Keith Garlington

The 2024 El Dorado Film Festival makes its highly anticipated return from hiatus next month, opening Thursday, February 8th and going through Sunday the 11th. The event will be held at the South Arkansas Arts Center (110 East 5th St. in El Dorado, Arkansas). Tickets are available to be purchased now at the Arts Center box office and online.

Established in 2014, the EDFF offers a curated selection of independent cinema, narrative and documentary features as well as short films from around the world. The festival recently announced this year’s exciting slate of regional, national, and international feature length and short films.

Read the official press release below…

EL DORADO, Jan. 9, 2023 — The El Dorado Film Festival (EDFF) has announced its 2024 line-up for this year’s event taking place on Feb. 8-11, 2024, at the South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC), located at 110 East 5th St. in El Dorado, Arkansas. This year’s festival includes films starring Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Billy Zane (Titanic) and Anthony Rapp (RENT). Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or at the SAAC box office.

“The El Dorado Film Festival has spawned so many great conversations, collaborations and relationships in previous iterations,” said Executive Director Alexander Jeffery. “We are thrilled to bring this event back to South Arkansas after a three-year hiatus. What’s wonderful about these films is they are all created by truly independent filmmakers who had to get incredibly creative to get their work made and seen. No big studios, no big theatrical releases, you as the audience get to discover these gems and help the filmmakers spread the word about their achievement.”

The 2024 El Dorado Film Festival line-up includes:

The Special Presentation Feature Film, Tapawingo, directed by Dylan K Narang, starring Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Billy Zane (Titanic), and Gina Gershon (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). The film is the story of an oddball who becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager and finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.

The Arkansas Premiere of Shudderbugs, directed by Johanna Putnam. In the film, a woman unravels in the wake of her mother’s mysterious death, following her suspicions to dangerous ends. Shudderbugs has been widely recognized across the film festival circuit with over 16 awards and nominations.

Feature Film Scrap, directed by Vivian Kerr. EDFF originally screened the short film of Scrap in 2019 and now Kerr is back with the feature film. Directed by Kerr, Scrap stars Anthony Rapp from the Broadway sensation RENT.

EDFF is also connecting with filmmakers south of the state line with a block of seven films from the Louisiana Film Prize Founders Circle. These films are: “The Candy Lady” (winner), “The Capitalist,” “Clownfish” (directed by Smackover native Clayton Henderson), “Caught on Tape” (co-directed by Alexander Jeffery), “Dead Flesh,” “Off-Sides” and “Pink Suit, Black Suit.”

Tamra Corley Davis, chair of the film committee, believes a cross-borders partnership is a fantastic way to grow the film industry regionally.

“Beyond being excited to be a part of bringing back the EDFF, I am proud that we are able to partner with the Louisiana Film Prize to bring some of the 2023 award winning Prize films,” she said. “Over the years I have realized the film community is really small like a family. And no doubt over the weekend in February at the EDFF, new friendships will be made and collaborations formed that you will see for years to come at future festivals like ours and the Prize.”

The Arkansas made or connected films include:

“Criterion” by Jeremy Enis
“Pretty Canoe” by Nicholas Holland
“The Book Club” by Jonnie Brannon
“Banana Triangle Six” by Marc E Crandall
“Mama Love” by Mary McDade
“Arkansas Maternal Health” by Ringo Jones
“How Do I Tell You This” by Lara Hill
“The Hill We Climb” by Raeden Greer
New West by Jordan Mears

EDFF also features national and international films such as: “Break,” “Wheel,” “Beer Club,” “Smoke,” “Credit,” “They Grow Up So Fast,” “Purgy’s,” “Music for a While,” “Florence in Customer Care,” “Outpost,” “The Last Thing Lost,” “The Bathtub” (Spain) and “Chairs” (United Kingdom).

First Glance: “Mothers’ Instinct”

January 10, 2024 by Keith Garlington

French director Benoît Delhomme (“At Eternity’s Gate”, “The Theory of Everything”) is joined by two Academy Award winning actresses in his remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 psychological thriller “Mothers’ Instinct”. The film stars Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, a duo who immediately makes this a must-watch movie. The film’s newly released first trailer only confirms it.

The story is an adaptation of Barbara Abel’s 2012 novel “Derrière la haine”. In it Chastain and Hathaway play two 1960s housewives, mothers, neighbors, and close friends. The relationship begins to crumble following an unspeakable tragedy. Jealousy, suspicions, perhaps even something more sinister – it’s all teased in the impressively well done trailer. I can’t wait to see how this story uncoils and both Chastain and Hathaway look to be perfectly cast.

“Mothers’ Instinct” has been picked up by NEON and is coming soon. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Freud’s Last Session” (2023)

January 10, 2024 by Keith Garlington

They had me at Anthony Hopkins. That’s all it took to grab my interest. Throw in that he’s playing Sigmund Freud opposite of Matthew Goode as C.S. Lewis and I’m utterly captivated by the possibilities. It has been said that revered neurologist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud met with a young, unnamed Oxford don shortly before his death. Was it C.S. Lewis? We will never know. The new film “Freud’s Last Session” poses the question “What if?”.

Based on the stage play of the same name by Mark St. Germain, “Freud’s Last Session” sees director Matthew Brown pondering a fictional meeting between the two intellectual minds. It couldn’t be better cast, with both Hopkins and Goode slipping right into the skins of their characters and creating a sparkling chemistry. When the two are together the film makes for a mesmerizing study. Unfortunately there are a few too many well-meaning distractions that keep it from fully forming into the brilliant two-hander it could have been.

**Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics**

On September 3, 1939, only two days after Adolph Hitler’s German forces invaded Poland, a sickly Sigmund Freud sits in his London flat awaiting a special visitor. He has invited Oxford professor and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis to pay him a visit. Freud has taken issue with Lewis’ latest book, The Pilgrim’s Regress and is surprised that the young author agreed to come discuss his work. As Lewis makes his way to Freud’s home we get a glimpse of a London in chaos, as Hitler’s actions have put them on the precipice of a Second World War. That inevitability looms over much of the movie.

After some light greetings, Freud and Lewis begin to feel each other out, philosophizing about current events and sharing stories from their childhoods. Written by Brown and St. Germain, the story uses these early conversations and a few brief and well incorporated flashbacks to explore the two men’s backstories. We learn of Lewis’ time in the war and the PTSD that came from it. We hear Freud lamenting his beloved Vienna which he was forced to flee after the Nazi occupation.

But soon their discussions turns to debate as they get to the reasons for their meeting. The pair begin by challenging each other’s dramatically different worldviews, eventually arriving at their key point of disagreement – the existence of God. Freud denies God exists; Lewis begs to differ. The conversations that spring from it are fascinating. Brown and St. Germain put Lewis and Freud on equal footing, highlighting the strengths of their cases as well as their flaws as human beings. Those two elements factor into their positions in a number of intriguing ways.

Much less effective is the side story involving Freud’s daughter, Anna (Liv Lisa Fries). It’s an element of the story that never comes together as the movie hopes and intends. And it’s too thinly sketched to be anything more than an unneeded diversion. Unfortunately Anna’s scenes devour too much of the running time and they repeatedly pull us away from the much more interesting Freud vs. Lewis parley.

Over time the distractions grow frustrating and they ultimately hinder “Freud’s Last Session” from being the thought-provoking drama it almost is. Much of what we get is truly great material and the performances from Hopkins and Goode are exceptional. The interactions between their characters range from funny to heartbreaking to profound. Brown never takes sides and shows respect to both men, allowing them to make their cases and defend their positions. That’s when the movie is at its very best. “Freud’s Last Session” is out now in select theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Best of 2023: Lead Actor

January 9, 2024 by Keith Garlington

Today I’m wrapping up my look back at the best performances of 2023 with what may be the strongest category of the bunch – Lead Actor. It’s a group filled with exciting contenders, and (once again) it was a tough one to narrow down to only five. But that’s how these silly lists work so let’s get to it. Here are my five favorite Lead Actor performances along with some worthy honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions:

Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Benicio del Toro (“Reptile”), Adam Driver (“Ferrari”), Denzel Washington (“The Equalizer 3”), Michael Fassbender (“The Killer”), Zac Efron (“The Iron Claw”), Jason Schwartzman (“Asteroid City”), Joel Edgerton (“Master Gardener”), Jorma Tommila (“Sisu”), Keanu Reeves (“John Wick: Chapter 4”), Willem Dafoe (“Inside”), Tony Leung (“Hidden Blade”), Anthony Hopkins (“Freud’s Last Session”), Enzo Vogrincic Roldán (“Society of the Snow”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Napoleon”), David Strathairn (“A Little Prayer”), Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”), Nicolas Cage (“Dream Scenario”)

#5 – Callum Turner (“The Boys in the Boat”)

One of the most surprising performances of the year came in one of the most surprising movies of the year – Callum Turner in George Clooney’s “The Boys in the Boat”. For my money not enough people are talking about his strong and inspiring lead turn. It’s a breakout performance that sees Turner working at another level, bringing both grit and heart to the film’s remarkable true story. I was really drawn to this movie and Turner is a key reason for it.

#4 – Jeffery Wright (“American Fiction”)

It’s great seeing more people talking about Jeffrey Wright. It’s something that should’ve been happening for a while but is now unavoidable thanks to his outstanding performance in “American Fiction”. He’s the glue that holds this smart but at times frustrating film together. As cliche as it is to say, Wright tends to make every movie he’s in better. His latest is yet another testament to that truth. Please give him more meaty roles like this.

#3 – Mads Mikkelsen (“The Promised Land”)

It’s quite possible that Mads Mikkelsen is the sturdiest and most consistent actor working today. He’s always good which is why it’s no surprise that he again delivers in the terrific period epic “The Promised Land”. This is a tough character to portray yet it seems like a role custom-made for Mikkelsen’s many strengths. He’s steely and stoic and few can say as much through an ice cold, granite-hard stare as the 58-year-old Dane.

#2 – Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”)

Now here’s a performance that was an instant “Best of the Year” contender. Paul Giamatti is an actor whose brilliance is too often overlooked. Hopefully people are realizing that after seeing him in Alexander Payne’s fantastic “The Holdovers”. He gives us a character who can be interesting, funny, infuriating, and sympathetic, sometimes at the same time. Giamatti fits so perfectly into the role and he deserves all the accolades he has received so far.

#1 – Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”)

If there ever was an actor who deserved a starring role as rich and meaty as this it’s Cillian Murphy. He gets the material of a lifetime in “Oppenheimer”, the spellbinding latest film from Christopher Nolan. The acclaimed filmmaker certainly picked the right guy to play the theoretical physicist who oversaw The Manhattan Project. Murphy is magnetic, capturing the brilliance and complexity of J. Robert Oppenheimer with startling clarity. It’s a masterclass performance and my very favorite of the year.

And that wraps up another celebration the best performances of the year. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear what would have made your list in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “Night Swim” (2024)

January 9, 2024 by Keith Garlington

The 2024 year in horror kicks off with the mediocre and noticeably muted supernatural chiller “Night Swim”. It marks the feature film directorial debut for Bryce McGuire who also penned the script. The movie is based on a five-minute short film of the same name made back in 2014 by McGuire and his close friend Rod Blackhurst. McGuire stretched their idea into a feature film with James Wan and Jason Blum signing on to produce.

Set in Milwaukee, Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and his family are looking for a new home around the city. Ray is a Major League Baseball third baseman attempting to recover from a debilitating ailment. His wife Eve (the always great Kerry Condon) is tired of constantly moving every time her husband gets traded. She’s ready to put down some roots and provide some stability for their teen daughter Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle) and younger son Elliot (Gavin Warren).

**Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures**

After Ray gets some bad news about his condition he decides it may be time to settle down. He and his family move into a cozy suburban home with plenty of space and in a nice community. Even better it has a spacious swimming pool in the backyard. It hasn’t been used in 15 years, but they put in the work to get it cleaned up and ready to use. Soon they’re having friends over to swim and hosting neighborhood pool parties.

But as is the case with so many movies like this one, we learn the pool has a dark and deadly history. In the summer of 1992 a young girl named Rebecca disappeared after trying to retrieve her sickly brother’s toy boat from the pool. Of course that’s something their bubbly real estate agent (Nancy Lenehan) failed to mention. Before you know it weird things start happening, from flickering pool lights to creepy underwater visions. And it only gets worse from there.

The question becomes is the pool helping or haunting this family. Ray begins seeing dramatic improvements in his condition since swimming twice a day. But Izzy and Elliot are terrified by something they experienced in the deep end. As her kids grow more frightened and her husband creeps towards Jack Torrance mode, it’s left to Eve to hold her family together and get to the bottom of this killer pool.

Eve’s digging reveals a deeper and noticeably goofier history surrounding the pool – one that dates back centuries. McGuire attempts to build a compelling mythology, but it’s paper-thin and far more preposterous than interesting. The same could be said for the disjointed way the story ultimately plays out. Condon (who should have won the Oscar last year for “The Banshees of Inisherin”) is the biggest draw despite being handed a thankless task. She helps us stay fairly engaged, but keeping the movie afloat is simply too much to ask. “Night Swim” is in theaters now.