Sleeping With Other People (Brockway)

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

Sleeping With Other People

Playwright Leslye Headland (Bachelorette) directs "Sleeping With Other People," an unusual comedy about sex addiction starring   SNL's Jason Sudeikis and Community's Alison Brie.

Sudekis is Jake, who seems oddly older than the college man he plays, as he is in a dorm at Columbia. Jake is still a virgin. Quirky Lainey (Brie) crashes the university campus and the two have a one night stand. Somehow, though it isn't explicitly explained, the pair develop a kind of sex addiction.

Jake becomes a compulsive serial dater, while Lainey develops a mind boggling attachment to Matthew (Adam Scott) a creepy gynecologist. For some 15+ years they go separate ways, only to see each other by chance at a twelve step program.

Sudekis, in his best role gives a fully realized, albeit bizzare perfomance for a "comedy" as a somewhat passive person, completely dominated by sexual thoughts. He works at an office and is able to compartmentalize, but the libertine imp of lust constantly nips at his heels.

Stranger still, is Lainey's attraction to Matthew, an unnattractive character who is clingy, selfish and narcissistic. Her pull to this doctor defies logic, let alone convention.

Lainey and Jake spend more and more time together. Jake is often lethargic while Lainey is nervous and chatty. Their chemisty is often distant but they meet within the common ground of sexual talk, developing an alien repartee.

This conversation, filled as it is with non-sequiturs and off the wall observations about sex, orgasms and lust makes some of the best material in the film. There is one strong scene in particular about an Exstasy dance at a kid's birthday party that is very funny, despite its feel of a Judd Apatow vignette.

The story slips however in its formulaic progression. Here we have the same familiar plot of two unusual people who fall apart and meet up again, only to agree to move on and  find each other once more. It is a kind of "Harry Met Sally" for the Amy Shumer set where licentious quips about male and female genitalia and orgasms are tossed about like raunchy bon bons.

The dialogue proves more arresting and subversive than any sequence of unfortunate events. When Jake stands up and beats Matthew to a pulp, for instance, it seems derivative and out of character, recalling a score of romantic comedies.

It would have been a much better comedic show if the film had stayed the course with a character study (given its innocently uncouth and off-putting dialogue) rather than its trappings of chivalry and revenge.

Although "Sleeping With Other People" makes a routine affair, a compelling verbal tryst is indeed witnessed in the alliance of Jake and Lainey. Theirs is a conversational rapport which feels eerily abstract and lacking in intimacy despite its crude sensuality.

Write Ian at ianfree1@yahoo.com

Phoenix (Brockway)

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway

Phoenix

Director Christian Petzold (Barbara) is a master of the subtle, the surreptitious and the sneaky. In his latest film "Phoenix" he has crafted a rich and thoughtful film experience that is a thriller, a meditation on revenge and a love story.

Nelly (Nina Hoss) is an ex-cabaret singer in the era of Post WWII. Her face is badly damaged from a nazi bullet wound. She had been arrested and sent to a concentration camp.

Upon liberation, Nelly has facial surgery and returns to Berlin. She wants to look the same as she once did, but she is deeply despirited by her new face.    

Nelly wanders the streets bereft.

She is obsessed, in particular, with her husband Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld). She wonders of his whereabouts and what his condition might be. Nelly heads to the Phoenix club, and just by chance, she sees him waiting on tables.

She returns the following morning and confronts him. Nelly tells Johnny that her name is Esther. To him, Nelly is a total stranger.

The film has a wonderfully accurate sense of time and place. Like a true film noir, the dazed Nelly wanders from building to building and heap to heap, a fedora hat concealing her bandaged face. Her shadows hang black and deep on a cement wall, hinting at Dick Tracy as well as F.W. Murnau and Billy Wilder. The clubs are full to brimming with a forced voluptuousness of skin, smoke and painted ladies. Sheets of bright red slice across gray war-torn walls like the ripping nails from a spurned mistress. Such images seem directly from George Grosz and Otto Dix.

Hoss is completely immersed and captivating by herself, but Zerhrfeld also is insular, magnetic and slightly scary in his singular vision of control. In his deep hard eyes like two currants, or a pair of dice thrown together in reckless anger, he recalls the actor John Garfield.

One does not know of Johnny's full motives until later and his mania is sad and desperate with hints of the classic film "Vertigo" along with a dinner party that is rife with claustrophobia. Only her friend Lene (Nina Kunzendorf) knows the truth.

The film is no afternoon escape (although it works on that level); it is an historical adventure, no less rich for its sadness and guilt. This is a film peircing in detail, as illustrative as a painting. Disarmingly slow and then stinging, it pulls with its own eccentricity.

"Phoenix" falls into many genres. Its noirish style may suggest that every one of us lives inside our own square of peril. More importantly however, the film speaks of haunt and circumstance, along with some curdled just desserts.

Write Ian at ianfree1@yahoo.com

The Visit (Brockway)

Tropic Sprockets by Ian Brockway


The Visit


Horror films are often a mixed bag. If they are too scary, they might give some PTSD. If, on the other hand, they feel too silly or improbable, they run the risk of kitsch or farce, even though comedy is often part of the scare. Both comedy and horror disarms us and brings our defenses of reason and rationale down to a minimum. A balance of both can concoct a solid horror film.

The director M. Night Shyamalan knows this well. His films have touched both extremes. "The Sixth Sense" is an excellent Twilight Zone film, but both "Lady in The Water" and "The Village" were ponderous.

"The Visit" is a welcome return to form, albeit simplistic, hinging as it does on the Lovecraftian concept of some octogenarians being odd, eerie or out and out terrifying.

Here we have two teens molded from Spielberg and posed by Steve Jobs: Rebecca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) who are glib, self absorbed, sarcastic and never far from a laptop. The siblings chatter away and are hard to sympathize with, yet for the purpose of this story, they do supply laughs.

The kids are sent by their out of touch mom (Kathryn Hahn) to visit their grandparents (who they do not know) for a week. The two are a bit skittish but decide to make the experience into a documentary.

From the very first something is amiss and if we don't have a clue, the camera tells us: there is a shot through a window of their Pop-Pop (Peter McRobbie) his face blurry and indistinct.

The kids are ushered in to a warm and inviting house with cookies, cakes and muffins made by Nana (Deanna Dunegan) but are chagrined when the amiable Pop-Pop firmly informs them that bedtime is 9:30. They are dumbfounded.

That night, tucked in their bed, they are woozily awakened by retching sounds. Rebecca sees the shocking sight of Nana with vomit shooting from her mouth. A slight stomach flu.

When day comes, all is seemingly normal and at ease. But what is Pop-Pop doing going back and forth to the old shed with plastic bags? Nana reluctantly admits that Pop has issues with incontinence and carries the excrement to bury and burn it.

Good God.

As the nights go on, Nana is covertly seen walking and raving, acting in the fashion of a wolf, a demon or some kind of monster. By day, all is well and as sweet as a sticky bun.

The film relies on the somewhat  troubling and unsympathetic view that the older among us can be very frightening. This is a time honored concept from Lovecraft and Ira Levin among others and it does prove quite scary here. One sight of the spitting snarling and barking woman gave me an actual muscle spasm which was acutely uncomfortable and stabbing in itself, but thankfully, did not last long.

The best aspects of "The Visit" like a good ghost story, is its initial sense of mystery, of why and what if. There is a very effective and funny kitchen scene where Nana asks Rebecca to clean the oven ala "Hansel and Gretel". It is both jumpy and comical and it proves the best moment of the entire film.

Once the witchiness of the old grands are shown in all of their wiles however, the film becomes less effective and surprising. Like my spasm did,the vibrato fades. It is  always better to hide than to reveal.

Still, (especially if you are unused to the unique quiver of horror) there are some healthy terrors to be had. I looked away from the screen more than a few times. There is something quite scary and visceral about a woman shown from the back, cackling away in a rocking chair under spooky circumstances.

The film plays well when it simply shows us what is scary, rather than offering far fetched explanations and origins.

Though "The Visit" is a one note jolt with a transparent climax, horror fans can take heart that M. Night Shyamalan is back to basics, and poking at some rich cemetary soil. If only this individualist director would have let go of fanciful logic and hinted a bit more, while reasoning with us less.

Week of October 2 - 8 (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

Double Your Movies at the Tropic

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Film Critic, Key West Citizen

Think of it as double features. Tropic Cinema has four screens with eight movies playing this week. Do the math. Of course, you’ll see them one at a time unless (like me) you’re into “binge watching.”

First up is “Phoenix,” a Hitchcockian mystery about a concentration-camp survivor who isn’t recognized by her husband, so she plays along with his scheme to pass her off as his wife in an inheritance scam. Philadelphia Inquirer says, “There is intrigue. There is suspense. Guilt -- a man’s guilt, a nation’s -- hangs heavy in the air.” And Madison Movie notes that it “gathers momentum and hits you with the force of an express train at the end.”

Next is “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine,” definitely the documentary to see before getting caught up in all those biopics about the founder of Apple. ArtForum observes that “Alex Gibney’s twisty, engrossing documentary approaches its subject from an oblique but highly productive angle.” And We Got This Covered notes that it’s “a conversation starter loaded with controversial data about the lesser-known life of genius/tyrant Steve Jobs.”

Then we have “The Visit,” M. Night Shyamalan’s grim fairytale about a boy and girl who go visit their grandparents -- only to discover they might not survive this outing. Despite Shyamalan’s
obvious influences, Reforma calls it “scary, funny and very original.” And Cine Premiere reveals that “it builds up the suspense until its amazing ending, proving that Shyamalan still has a couple of tricks up his sleeve.”

Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie test the limits of a platonic relationship when both are, as the title says, “Sleeping With Other People.” Minneapolis Star Tribune says, “This freewheeling alternative to the standard date movie emerges as one of the year’s best surprises.” And PopMatters describes it as “a deconstructive sweet-and-sourball of a romantic comedy…”

The title “Pawn Sacrifice” offers a clue to how chess genius Bobby Fischer was used in the Cold War
competition between the US and USSR. Salon.com says, “The film features a showboat performance from Tobey Maguire as the increasingly disturbed Fischer, along with a more composed one from Liev Schreiber as the taciturn Spassky.” And ScreenRants calls it “an engaging and well-made biopic.”

 “Stonewall” recounts the 1969 riots that ushered in gay pride for New York’s LGBT community. Los Angeles Time says, “The film is a vital, evocative reminder of a turbulent time that paved the
way for hard-fought freedoms. And New York Magazines tells us “It’s a self-financed passion project, from a man who might be the most financially successful out gay filmmaker ever” … Roland Emerich (“Independence Day”).

With “Grandma,” Lily Tomlin takes on her first lead role in 27 years, that of a cranky lesbian poet determined to help her pregnant unmarried granddaughter. MLive says, “Tomlin’s versatility rarely has been nurtured so well, and she’s a joy to watch.” Reno News and Review agrees that “Tomlin is incredible.” And Seattle Times describes this entertaining dramedy as “short, tart, yet unexpectedly sweet.”

Finally, “A Walk in the Woods” gives us Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as two old duffers who
decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. Daily Mirror says, “Like the book upon which it's based, Robert Redford’s latest is a film of small but continual pleasures -- an amiable amble that’s almost impossible to dislike.” And Daily Express offers this spoiler: “Misadventure and musing about the meaning of life and growing old ensues.”

So double up on your moviegoing.

srhoades@aol.com

Phoenix (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

“Phoenix” Shifts Postwar Identities

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

In “Phoenix” a woman thought dead rises from the ashes. Nelly Lenz, a concentration-camp survivor returns to postwar Berlin in search of her husband. But due to facial reconstruction surgery, he doesn’t recognize her.

This is kind of the reverse of “The Return of Martin Guerre” ("Le retour de Martin Guerre"), in which a man’s identity is challenged when he returns home after the war.

In “Phoenix” -- currently playing at the Tropic Cinema -- the reason Nelly (Nina Hoss) keeps her identity secret is because she wants to discover if her husband (Ronald Zehrfeld) had anything to do with her betrayal to the Nazis.

Turns out, Nelly has inherited money, and her friend Lena (Nina Kunzendorf) suggests they use it to travel to Palestine, where an independent Jewish state is being founded. But Nelly wants to check out her mysterious hubby, who is working in a nearby nightclub called Phoenix. He doesn’t recognize her, but because of her resemblance he asks her to impersonate his wife so he can gain the inheritance.

It’s a cat-and-mouse game, one of shifting personae and shifting loyalties. As Nelly becomes Esther and Esther becomes Nelly, it’s a plot worthy of Hitchcock (Think: “Vertigo”).

As one moviegoer summed it up, “It is a good film that offers us no answers to the questions it poses: how do we survive after everything is taken away, how do we return to a life that no longer exists, whom do we trust now when many of our old friends were Nazi or collaborators during the war, how do we react to someone who returns who we thought was dead, and where do we go when nothing is left of our former life.”

Interesting questions to ponder.

Or, as I suggested, we can just sit back and enjoy a good mystery.

srhoades@aol.com

Little Darlings: Halloween Horror Classics Series (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

“Little Darlings” Will Frighten You at the Tropic

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

October is the scariest month. Wind whistles through cemeteries and things go bump in the night. Ghoulies and ghosts and monsters abound. The most frightening of these monsters is … children.

After all, wasn’t it two children who murdered that kindly old lady who lived in the gingerbread house in the forest? Your mother told you about them, in a sugarcoated way.

Well, forget the sugar.

To acknowledge scary little monsters, film buff Jeffrey Harwell has selected four movies to be shown on Monday nights this month at the Tropic Cinema -- a Halloween Horror Classics series aptly titled “Little Darlings.” Shows begin at 6:30 p.m.

First up on October 5th is “Village of the Damned” (the 1960 original). This is the eerie story about an English village where the women give birth to zombie-like children, all blond-haired, all with glowing otherworldly stares. A scientist (George Sanders) suspects an extraterrestrial invasion through women’s wombs. Forget about that monster bursting forth in “Alien”; these are closer to home.







October 12 gives us a genetic answer, “The Bad Seed.” In this pee-in-your-pants-scary 1956 horror film eight-year-old Rhonda (Patty McCormack) is a strange child, a murderous aberration that will make your blood run cold. How did her little schoolmate really die?









October 19 brings “The Omen,” the antichrist himself in the form of a child. This 1976 frightfest reminds us why you shouldn’t have named your child Damien, especially if he bears the sign of 666. The switched-at-birth son of American diplomats (Gregory Peck and Lee Remick), Damien is merely looking for a little hell on earth.








Wrapping up the month on October 26 is “The Exorcist,” the 1973 film based on William Peter Blatty’s supernatural horror novel. This showing is the version with 11 minutes of restored footage and digitally enhanced sound. All the better to scare you with, my dear. Here we meet twelve-year-old Regan (played by Linda Blair), a prepubescent girl possessed by a demon. Who you gonna call? An exorcist, of course. You’ll never eat pea soup again.



Yes, these films will prepare you for All Hallows' Eve … and those little darlings who will be ringing your doorbell begging for candy. Or so they want you to believe.

srhoades@aol.com

Us, Naked: Trixie & Monkey! (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

“Us, Naked” Goes Behind the Scenes With Trixie & Monkey

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

“The whole thing started because I wanted to see the movie,” says Jeremy Hackworth, a Florida Keys charter boat captain. He’s referring to a new documentary about an award-winning burlesque duo
known as Trixie Little and Evil Hate Monkey. He’s been a long-time fan of these “talented crackpots.” So he had his company Zia Charters sponsor a showing at the Tropic Cinema.

Hackworth himself hasn’t seen the film yet. He invites you to join him.

A one-night-only special event, “Us, Naked: Trixie & Monkey!” will be screened tonight at the Tropic. This will be the film’s Florida premiere.

Even better, Trixie and her partner Monkey will be on hand to greet you. And joining them is the film’s director, Kristen D’Andrea Hollander.

Starting off with a 7 o’clock reception, the fun really gets underway at 8 when Trixie and Monkey give a live performance on stage, followed by the film. Afterwards, a Q&A session will take place with the audience.

You’ll recognize Trixie and Monkey. She’s the pretty dancer/acrobat often seen wearing little more than pasties and G-string; he’s the goofy guy with a curving mustache and a headpiece sporting chimpanzee-like ears.

Their act is memorable. Accompanied by pulse-pounding music like “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” they go through their funny stage act -- prancing and tumbling, her balancing on his shoulders or upturned feet, him hoisting her over his head as she shucks her bra, sometimes doing their famous Volcano Dance, other times doing twists and turns on a trapeze.

They take their art very serious. Both are circus-trained. They’ve been “flipping and stripping” for audiences since 2002. Although based in New York City, they perform all over the world -- Berlin, London, Australia. They are regular visitors to Key West.

Director Kristen D’Andrea Hollander first caught their act nearly ten years ago and started filming them. Then, wanting to know more about what happens behind the scenes, she expanded her footage into the documentary you’ll see tonight. A full-time professor at MICA, Hollander teaches film, video, and community arts. She has received numerous awards for her film work, including an Independent Filmmaker Project Lab Fellowship in 2011.  Although known for her shorts, this is her first feature film.

“It’s all about fantasy,” says Hollander with a wry smile.

Trixie and Monkey have an imaginary history. Little T was orphaned by a terrible elephant tightrope accident. But thanks to an errant lightning bolt, she was transformed into the grown-up Trixie, a beautiful messenger of Love. And a mangy run-of-the-mill circus monkey named Muddles was changed into The Evil Hate Monkey. Fortunately, Trixie possesses magical spanking powers. And she’s very adept at, uh, spanking the monkey.

Having pioneered a niche in the international circus/cabaret scene, Trixie and Monkey have won such awards as the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas Best Duo 2006, King of Boylesque 2010, Most Comedic 2010, Most Innovative 2008, and Miss Exotic World, Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2015.

Yes, “Us, Naked: Trixie & Monkey” is much more than a silly film about silly people dancing about half-naked. Kristen D’Andrea Hollander points out that the documentary explores the sacrifices made for one’s passion, the meaning of success, and the strength that comes from partnership.

Or as Trixie likes to say, “Be careful not to make your dream too small, because then you’re really screwed if you actually get it and it wasn’t enough.”

As for Jeremy Hackworth, it would have been cheaper for him to fly up to New York to see the film. But like he says, “It’s not always about being practical. Sometimes it’s about fun.”

srhoades@aol.com