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“IN A BETTER WORLD” – 4 STARS

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“In a Better World” is a Danish film from director Susanne Bier and the surprise Oscar winner for 2010′s Best Foreign Language Film. It’s a provocative and multi-layered picture that delves into such weighty subjects as bullying, divorce, the death of a parent, suicide, and even murder and violence in Sudan. It touches on many of these subjects with care and savvy but this is also where the film seems to lose it’s identity. It’s hard to tell what ”In a Better World” wants to be.

Mikael Persbrandt plays Anton, a Swedish doctor and father of two who has recently separated from his wife Marianne (Trine Dyrholm). Anton spends a lot of time away from home working at a refugee camp in Sudan. Here he treats all sorts of injuries, many inflicted by a ruthless local war lord. At home his son Elias (Markus Rygaard)  has been the victim of incessant bullying from a bigger kid at school. Upon witnessing Elias being ridiculed by the bully, a new student named Christian (William Juels Nielsen) intervenes kindling a new friendship with Elias. But Christian has problems of his own. He’s a disturbed and disconnected boy who is still unable to come to terms with his mother’s recent death due to cancer. Christian’s anger grows and grows despite the efforts of his father Claus (Ulrich Thomsen).

As I mentioned, “In a Better World” touches on a lot of themes but the film lacks a main focus. It’s most certainly a movie about bullying. It’s also a movie about the impact losing a parent has on a child and a film about the friendship of two struggling boys. But the word “violence” kept coming back to me. One consistent undercurrent flowing throughout the picture was violence, our propensity towards it, and our reaction to it. Whether it be the more savage and bloody violence that Anton witnessed in Sudan or the subtle and often overlooked violence in our own cozy neighborhoods, “In a Better World” presents it as something internal. The bigger question is how do we deal with it.

There’s a lot in the movie about revenge versus letting go. Anton is a passive man who would rather walk away than cause things to escalate. Christian convinces Elias this is a sign of his father’s weakness. Two different individuals reacting to violence in two very different ways. But such is violence that even Anton and his passivity fall victim to the impulse for vengeance. Everything in the film seems to be used as fuel for this one underlying theme.

While that’s what I took from the film I could be dead wrong. It just lacked the clarity needed to really impress it’s message upon me. But even though it goes into all sorts of difficult but real circumstances, it does so in a responsible and cohesive way. While several things could have used more attention, Bier makes it all flow together in a way that really kept me involved. The solid performances sold me on these characters and I genuinely cared about their situations. It’s also beautifully shot and features some polished camera work and great locations. So even with it’s flaws, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen.

“In a Better World” isn’t the perfect film and it surprised a lot of people when it won last year’s Oscar. But this is still a thoughtful and engaging picture that had my attention throughout. It deals with some weighty subjects and does so with sometimes brutal honesty. The performances are rich and pure and even when the script falls short in spots, the actors still manage to elevate the material. “In a Better World” may not have the depth and detail that some are looking for and that’s a valid argument. But I found it to be a moving experience that not only touched me but made me think. There’s a lot of movies out there that can’t accomplish that.

REVIEW: “Higher Ground”

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Vera Farmiga has proven herself to be one of the most gifted and proficient actresses in Hollywood. In “Higher Ground” she once again shows off her acting chops but it also marks her directorial debut. It’s a thoughtful and sometimes challenging film that takes a more candid look at spirituality and how life’s difficulties make true faith seem out of reach. It’s also a story of decisions and the consequences that follow. It tackles some weighty religious issues but also looks at social troubles such as drug use, infidelity, and divorce. But at it’s heart, “Higher Ground” is the story of one woman’s conflict between the faith she envies and the lack of faith she feels.

Farmiga plays Corinne, a married mother of two who has watched her life take several drastic changes in direction. She was raised in church but was led away by her rebellion. After some poor choices lead to a premature pregnancy and marriage, she’s brought back to God by a near tragic accident. The family dedicates themselves to a small local church and we watch as Corinne grows in her personal relationship with God. But an inner conflict grows within as she struggles to see God’s hand in some truly difficult circumstances. She asks tough questions with genuine motivations and most of the picture focuses on her search for clarity. Corinne is a very earnest woman and Farmiga makes her believable and relatable regardless of your religious convictions. It’s a beautiful performance that drives the entire film and never shortchanges the character.

When it comes down to it, “Higher Ground” plays it pretty safe. It’s constructed in a way that different people can take away different conclusions largely based on their personal beliefs on Christianity and faith. The story certainly doesn’t target Christianity but neither does it shy away from asking some fairly provocative questions.  While at times it tries to paint faith into a corner and make Christians seem naive and disconnected, it also shows the deception and disloyalty of the faithless world. It may dabble in the occasional stereotype, but overall it stays on an even course which should allow it to speak to different people.

Farmiga’s direction is subtle and steady. She lets the story unfold without any overwrought theatrics or emotional gimmickry. The film looks and feels grounded in reality and Farmiga maintains a steady, natural tone. There are a couple of instances where it abruptly shifts to a new scene, but otherwise it moves at a smooth pace. The Christians are often times depicted well but at other times I couldn’t help notice how much they resembled a group of hippies from Woodstock. There are also several attempts at humor that are actually quite funny, but there are others that feel terribly out-of-place in the picture. One example is Corinne’s close friend explaining her method of keeping her marriage fresh. It’s not particularly funny and I found it pulled me out of the film.

There’s a lot to like about “Higher Ground”. Farmiga shows that she is certainly capable behind the camera even though the movie has it’s shortcomings. It’s a little clunky in some areas and it’s characterizations aren’t always consistent. But it is a careful and sincere picture that I bought into from the start. It clearly wants to speak to both sides of the faith issue but it does so without delegitimizing either position. It’s an intelligent and thought-provoking picture that may not be the best film of the year, but it certainly works on many levels.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

“THE MUPPETS” – 3 1/2 STARS

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The Muppets have been missing in action for years now making them complete unknowns to a new generation of children. Now they are back in a feature film simply titled “The Muppets” and in many ways, it’s a fun and nostalgic step back in time. It’s based off “The Muppet Show”, a parody-driven variety program which ran from 1976 to 1981 and branched out into several full length movies. The whole cast is back and the result is a family-friendly experience that will bring back some fond memories for parents while introducing these wonderful characters to a new younger audience. And while the movie certainly retains that Muppet magic in places, it’s not without it’s problems.

Jason Segal wrote and stars as Gary, a human and brother to Walter who is a puppet. The two are incredibly close and as adults still live together. Throughout the years, Walter has become a huge Muppets fan. He watches all of their old shows, has a Kermit watch, and has a bedroom wall plastered with Muppet posters and stickers. Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) plan a romantic vacation to Los Angeles to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Walter ends up coming along and gets an opportunity to visit the old Muppet Theater. There he overhears the plot of an evil oil tycoon, appropriately named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), to tear down the theater and drill for oil in it’s place. Walter makes it his mission to save the theater by convincing the Muppets, who have long since parted ways, to get back together for one last show to save the theater.

Both Gary and Mary are simple and sometimes cheesy characters and for the most part that’s ok. Segal and Adams make them both likeable even though their cluelessness is sometimes overplayed. Chris Cooper is a lot of fun as the stereotypical cold-hearted businessman and he hams it up without short-changing the character. But the Muppets are the real stars and while there are a few different voices, they all pretty much have the same personalities I remember from the show. They’re all here and I was surprised to see how much I remembered about them. Being this is a fairly concentrated movie, I was disappointed that some didn’t get as much screen time as I wanted but there’s not a lot you can do about that.

The story, while straightforward and predictable, does offer some pretty good laughs. There are several musical numbers throughout the film some of which are quite fun. Cooper’s bad guy rap is hilarious and works so well due to it’s absolute absurdity while others fall pretty flat and add little to the movie. But often times jokes are made at the song’s expense and they’re actually quite funny. “The Muppets” features several scenes that are like nostalgic flashbacks but it also has a few dull moments. The story drags in places and doesn’t maintain a steady pace. These lulls certainly don’t kill the picture but keep it from being as good as it could have been.

“The Muppets” may not be a great movie but it did leave me feeling like I had stepped back in time. I really enjoyed seeing these characters that I loved as a child back together again and there were several instances where I gave a hearty laugh at the genuinely funny jokes. There are also some fun cameo appearances by James Carville, Emily Blunt, Mickey Rooney, Selina Gomez and several more. While the movie hits a few speed bumps along the way, overall I did have fun and I guess that’s all that counts.