A VERY BRITISH GANGSTER, is a 97 minute documentary from filmmaker Donal MacInyre and distributed by ANYWHERE ROAD. Great Britian's foremost investigative reporter and now director MacIntyre examines England's answer to New York's late John Gotti: Dominic Noonan. The Noonan's is one of England's most notorious crime organizations. Strange as is sounds, the Noonans open their life and doors to the film crew. The daily film shootings involved the operations of how this gang rules their N.W. Manchester neighborhoods with their laws and punishments. The communities are poor, struggling with drugs and violence, but respect their corrupt overlords. Meanwhile, the actual police step aside and allow this type of behavior. Over a three year period the film crew witnessed Dominic and his family members walk away from many prosecutions, such as murder, extortion, drug possesion, torture, and witness tampering charges. This is a rare type of documentary that takes the audience to a point of reality that is very seldom seen. This is one gritty film that will shock you.

LOU REED'S BERLIN, directed by Julian Schnabel is a feature length documentary and distributed by THIRD RAIL. This PG-13, 85 minute film is film at Reed's December 2006 performances of his rock opera, Berlin, at Brooklyn's St. Ann Warehouse. In 1973, the musical tale of junkies in love flopped at the box offices commercially and Reed did not perform again for 33 years. This is his return with a 35 piece ensemble that include guitarist Steve Hunter (performed on the original film), Antony (front man for Antony and the Johnsons), Rob Wassermann, Rupert Christie & Sharon Jones and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The setting is Lou's one sided love affair with Caroline (shown on a greenish hotel wall backdrop) played by Emmanuelle Seigner. The backstory is that, she was a fast and loose woman who never knew how to stay true to Lou. This was his journey into depression and obsession of a woman who did not want him or perhaps wanting everyone she came in contact with. In 1974, Lou Reed came out with a record called Berlin, however his record company suggested that this record was evidence the he was not of sound mind to manage his own life let alone have a say on what a record should be. The album title Berlin was named one of the most depressing albums ever made. In my opinion, this musical documentary is a step above the 1973 version due to the excellent performance by Antony and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, but not by much.

THE EXHILES is directed, written and produced by the late Kent Mackenzie and restored with a classic black and white format that still holds up today. Released by Milestone Films this 72 minute film was screened at its World Premiere during the 1961 Venice Film Festival. It is a story odd one wild but typical night in the lives of three young American Indians who have left their reservations to live down in downtown Los Angeles. It presents the lifestyles and actions of these people that are not true of all Indians of the time but typical of many. The characters in this movie is Yvonne (Yvonne Williams), a young pregnant Apache who wanders around shops of Grand Central Market in downtown Bunker Hill, LA, gazing at things in stores knowing she can't afford these things. She must face that facts that her mundane life is her only existence. Her husband Homer (Homer Nish) and Tommy (Tommy Reynolds), a Mexican who lives with them entertain themselves by hanging out all night with other native Americans drinking, card player, picking up girls and fighting. Yvonne's lonely, uneventful existence of being left by herself daily causes her to go along with this way of life. These two scenarios sum up the confused lives of a group that is part of a new generation caught between opposing forces which is the past traditions and the modern day living.

DEATH DEFYING ACTS, directed by award-winning director Gillian Armstrong (Charlotte Grey, Little Women) blends fact with fiction in a 96 minute romantic period piece drama released by The Weinstein Company and Third Rail set around the triumphant Britain tour of escape artist Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) and the mysterious woman psychic he meets. In 1926 Harry is on his last leg of his world tour and at this time a great scientific debate of the supernatural is the talk in Edinburg. Harry offers a $10,000 reward to anyone who can contact his late mother from beyond the grave. The beautiful but deceptive psychic Mary McGarvie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan) take the challenge. As Harry spends more time with Mary, he falls in love with her, and what begins as a con evolves into more complicated and dangerous affair. With the two con artists are playing each other for all they're worth, they face the biggest risk of all - falling for the magic of love. Guy Pearce plays Harry Houdini with a physical style of acting that matches very much who Houdini was as a person and a performer. Catherine Zeta-Jones' portrayal of the ficticious Mary is brilliant. As a performer Zeta-Jones comes from the stage and uses her talent in this character as a very charismatic, very smart, very clever and very alluring, mysterious and natural person. Twelve year old Saoirse Ronan as Benji is very professional as a young actress. Her role is a very pivotal role and her time on screen is almost as weighty as her co-stars, so it was very important that she carry that load and she did with intelligence and sensitivity.

GARDEN PARTY, written and directed by Jason Freeland merges the life of several young people in this 89 minute drama released by Roadside Attractions. Set in Los Feliz, CA which is the sleazier side of the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, 15 year old April (Willa Holland) finds herself in search of a Hollywood dream. She has humble ambitions but is caught up in running from one bad situation (homeless and unemployed) into another, hoping to find answers that doesn't involve the low life porn world. As April navigates Los angeles, she falls in with a group of confused kids struggling to chase their dreams. She meets Sally St. Clair (Vinessa Shaw) a realtor whose business has built upon her appeal and her secret past as a porn star. She is a hardened woman, however she reaches out to lost souls, such as her assistant Nathan (Alex Cendese) who moved to LA from Nebraska in search of fame as a dancer. Then there is Todd (Richard Gunn) is one of those prospective real estate clients who is a porn addicted artist in search of a way out of a sexless relationship and into an sexual adventure with Sally. Next character is Sammy (Erik Scott Smith) a cunning, off the bus musician/street kid with his eyes on stardom. He meets Sammy who has eyes for him and they move in together. Along the way there are several more young people that cause a domino affect of chance encounters and each comes away changed in the strangest ways. These young actors gave performances that will rock you. This is a very clever and well crafted film that is extremely enjoyable to watch.

THE STONE ANGEL, directed by Kari Skogland gives an epic tale of a woman who watches her family fall under the spell of her father's legacy of shattered affection. This 115 minute drama, released by Vivendi Entertainment stars Ellen Burstyn as Hagar Shipley a feisty woman in her 80s who reflects on her life prior to her being ship off to a nursing home by her son Marvin and her daughter-in-law Doris (Dylan Baker and Sheila McCarthy). The stylish flashbacks paint a picture of young Hagar (Christine Horne) and her father Jason Currie's (Peter MacNeill) ill relationship. Her father, the founder and richest man in the town of Currie rules her with a stern hand, but never gives her younger brother Matt (Aaron Ashmore) a second thought. This sets the stage for resentment and jealousy within the Currie clan which carries on with calamity damage in following generations. The scenes in this poignant film refer back and forth; to a backstory of Hagar's rebellious nature and chosing to marry a free spirited Bram Shipley (Cole Hauser) without approval of her father and ultimately placing her and her now family with two sons in poverty. This is a result of being disowned by her father. She eventually leaves her husband and begins showing favoritism towards her younger son John (Kevin Zegers) over her older son Marvin, much like what her father did. It seems that John is much like her in his rebellious ways where as Marvin is much more practical. But the town of Currie has a "Peyton Place" scandalous background that reaches out to John and his new girlfriend Arlene (Ellen Page) who happens to be blood related. All this comes to a head when scenes come full circle when older Brams (played by Wings Hauser, Cole's real life father) dies. The family gravesite that has the towering Stone Angel monument tells a story of hardship and misery. This film based on the best selling novel, The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence delivers one of the most sensitive and emotional performances by a cast of brilliant actors this year. The veteran actress Ellen Burstyn is as always in top form and the ensemble matches her excellence. As a bittersweet tale of love and hate, joy and pain, lust and loss I recommend this movie for all those who want to get into a serious drama.

FOR MORE FILM REVIEWS by Gerald Wright go to ([url=http://www.HDFest.com/Gerald/allreviews_gerald.html]www.HDFest.com/Gerald/allreviews_gerald.html)

Review by Gerald Wright

Directed by: Jeff Stimmel
Release by: HBO Documentary Films (Exclusively on HBO)
Debut date: July 7, 2008

Chuck Connelly's paintings came alive to the artworld in the 1980s while living in the East Village of New York City and became quite successful with his work. During that time he sold more than a million dollars worth of art. But he alienated himself from the system of art dealers and the galleries. This film examines the man and his decline as an enigmatic artist.
During the course of this documentary, Chuck left his wife during the shooting of this film, and then hires an actor to pose as a young upcoming artist to sell Connelly's work to galleries, because of his personal decline. There is many situations that Chuck causes havoc. This story shot over six years is dramatic as well as entertaining. Capturing an outsider who is fighting the elite snobs and cronyism associated in the artworld.
In 1989, Martin Scorsese fashioned his film New York Stories: Life Lessons, starring Nick Nolte after Chuck Connelly's life. His portrayal of a wild man artist whose passion for his work brought his success and heartships was authentic.
I had a chance to speak to Chuck and I found him to be down to earth man who doesn't take crap from anyone. Perhaps, he's not considered a team player, but he is an individual who stays true to his beliefs. This can be sometimes be seen as him being his worst enemy, but he takes responsibility for his sometimes eratic behavior.
This may be an unusual story to be shown on television and on DVD by HBO, however it is a unique and powerful story of conviction. Jeff Stimmel's documentary is honest and takes an unflinching look at the rise and fall of a troubled artist.

Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Running time: 113 minutes
Release date: July 3, 2008
Genre: Drama and Comedy
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
MPAA Rating: R

The Wackness is a brilliant and witty dramedy over flowing with dark humor reflecting on the year of 1994 in New York City. It deals with drugs and sex, parents and kids, high school graduation and future plans with the music of Hip Hop to set the mood.

Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) keeps a low profile among his peers. He is a socially uncomfortable teenager who sells weed with no friends. Like most teenagers, he has issues with his parents. His major problem is the lack of confidence with girls, resulting in life without sex. In finding a solution for these perplexities, Josh trades pot for sessions with his therapist, Dr. Squires (Sir Ben Kingsley). The drugged up doctor lives a confused life with a much younger estrange wife (Femke Jenssen) who doesn't have sex with him anymore. It's like, the blind leading the blind, but the two men (young and old) forge a friendship based on mutual needs of getting laid and getting high. It was an intelligent move to cast Kingsley. His comedic timing is uncanny. The chemistry between Kingsley and Peck is perfect.

All the time Luke had a crush on Dr. Squires daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby) who attends his school, but she is out of his league. However, he gets the courage to talk to her and soon they become a couple. Luke experiences his first love affair, consisting of all the feelings that are attached to a relationship. Olivia Thirlby has a natural talent to embrace a role with tenacity and give it her all. Her performance in this film is exceptionally good. This is the coming of age period to adulthood for the two young lovers. At this time Dr. Squires has a breakdown and must turn to Josh for support. Their roles as therapist and patient is now placed in reverse. The escapades of the main characters in the summer of 1994 are involved with a dreadlock pixie named Union (Mary-Kate Olsen), a New Wave keyboard player Eleanor (Jane Adams), and Luke's supplier Percy (Method Man). These supposting cast members give great performances to a well crafted script.

Recently, I got a chance to talk to actors Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby and writer/director Jonathan Levine. Josh who is also a comedian started as a child star in the late 1990s and became known from his work on The Amanda Show (Nickelodeon). He describes himself as a "jewish kid that grew up in New York City just trying to hustle and make it in life". However, he told me that he was home schooled. He explained "situations that Luke goes through in the movie, like trying to think of something cool to say to the girl I'm trying to get hooked with", is what he went through at the age of 18, 19 and 20.
Olivia who is best known for her role as Leah in Juno, told me that she enjoys writing and has a love for history. She is a very personable individual and highly intelligent. She informed me that she has plans of returning to school but doesn't have a plan of what courses. She briefly attended and completed stage and theater courses and stated, " I really enjoy working on a stage".
Writer/director Jonathan Levine admitted to me that the hip soundtrack was put together by himself (with the aid of Sony BMG). I ask him why the setting of 1994. His answer was,"it was the year I graduated from High School"........1994 featured debut albums from artists like NAS, Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, and Method Man......I suppose I was at my own crossroads in '94."

This is one of the "must see films" of the summer.

(FOR MORE FILM REVIEWS by Gerald Wright go to [url=http://www.HDFest.com/Gerald/allreviews_gerald.html]www.HDFest.com/Gerald/allreviews_gerald.html)

Directed by: David Munro (debut feature film)
Running time: 80 minutes
Release date: June 25, 2008
Genre: Comedy and Drama
Distributor: Emerging Pictures
MPAA Rating: Not rated

This is a bittersweet story of a thirtysomething man named Alby Cutrera (Matt McGrath) with a family who grudgingly realizes it is time to trade adolescence for adulthood.
Thirty-five year old Alby is a guy stuck mentally in his teenage years. His wife Suzanne (Nadia Nardini) and son Josh find Alby funny and creative, but Suzanne finds it hard to pay the rent. She kicks Alby out and tells him: "Don't come back until you grow up." What's so hard to understand in this opening scene is how and where did they ever get a house when Alby is irresponsible and unemployed? Why would any mature woman marry such an idiot?
The carefree boyish man desperately escapes the confines of adulthood and return to his halcyin days. Alby tracks down his childhood whippy buddy Elias (Judah Friedlander), who now teaches at a special needs school, and persuades him to take a road trip to an amusement park called Diggityland (their favorite childhood theme park). Now again, I have problems with this film. Elias tells Alby he never attended college, but spent his money willed to him by his dead mother on foolishness. How could this idiot get a position teaching special needs children who are mentally challenged. As the two knuckleheads motor along Florida's highway, they run into a series of strange people, including an AWOL ex-theme park employee who is angry at his prior employor on the road. The very talented Alan Cumming plays this Hitchhiker who actually saves this film. Alan Cumming performance was hilarious as a disgruntled former employee dressed in a army commando outfit who has ill feelings towards all authority figures, even the highway patrol. The other zany character on the road trip is an oversexed bartending clown-in-training Trina (Amy Sedaris), who is a very funny lady in most films, but fails in this outing. And last of all, Deborah Harry plays a trailer dwelling delusional ex-mermaid of Diggityland named Beauty.
This is a pathetic dark comedy without a theme. The filmmaker tries to explore a funny co-existing world of immaturity and adulthood, but with the lack of a real sense of comedic timing and a loss of a substantial backstory, the film doesn't stand up well.






LOUISE BOURGEOIS:
THE SPIDER, THE MISTRESS AND THE TANGERINE
by Gerald Wright

Directed by: Marion Cajori & Amei Wallach
Running time: 90 mintes
Release date: June 25, 2008
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: Art Kaleidoscope Foundation Production, USA

Interviewed by Amei Wallach, the brilliant, iconociastic 96 year old Louise Bourgeois, the grande dame of the art world is shown in a full career and personal restrospective light.
This riveting documentary portrait takes the audience on a journey of her early life (born Christmas Day 1911), where she spent her haute bourgeois childhood in a succession of grand houses, where her parents repaired and sold tapestries. Where soon after in 1914 her father Louis enlisted in the French Army and was wounded causing him to spend time in a hospital to recover. Louise, brother Pierre and sister Henritte was left with her mother Josephine at home missing her father, which has been a theme for her artwork. However that wasn't the only influence in her work. Her father whom she adored was changed by the war and her mother being ill, her father took up with a mistress named Sadie who lived in their home as a maid(for 10 years). This caused a complex nature in her outstanding art over the years. Louise's mother continued to take in tapestries and the two traveled to spas in the South of France. Louise's first drawings was when she was 12 years old. This made her feel useful she explained.
By 1938 there was a fear in Europe as Hitler's armies became increasingly belligerant. Louise met Robert Goldwater, an American working on his Ph. D. in Modern Art and Primitivism, they feel in love and got married. The two moved to New York and soon after her paintings were shown in galleries, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art. She moved onto sculpturing re-creating all the people she had to leave behind in France. Her husband knew everyone in the artworld and they became very successful. For a period in the 1950s she was ignored because of new generations of artists coming on the scene, but she stayed with her form and was known as a master of it. Along with her staying true to her work, she is an aggressively stubborn woman with strong opinions on every topic.
This movie gives praise to an icon in the world of art whose work is displayed worldwide. You'll find this a most rewarding film to watch.