By Leonard Maltin
After the mad rush of December releases, the early months of the new year are usually fallow--except for films that opened briefly in 2011 in order to qualify for the Academy Awards, like our first two selections, Albert Nobbs and Coriolanus. Now that they're actually playing on a number of theater screens, audiences have a chance to see what critics got a peek at late last year.
Why some smart distributor doesn't seize the opportunity to release a genuinely good film in January, February, or March is a puzzle: such a rare bird could own the territory against so much weak competition. But then award voters would have a hard time remembering it when it came time to fill out ballots many months later. Oh well...
As always, some of the most worthwhile films to see right now are available on DVD or On Demand. But don't let that stop you from patronizing your local specialty theater: they need all the support they can get.
Glenn Close first played the role of a woman masquerading as a male butler in Victorian-era Dublin off-Broadway in 1982. It's taken this long for her to bring this fascinating story to film, and the result has earned her and her gifted costar Janet McTeer well-deserved Oscar nominations. Brendan Gleeson, Mia Wasikowska, and a hand-picked cast lend fine support in this provocative period piece, ably directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Close co-wrote the screenplay with Gabriella Prekop and John Banville. Read my full review HERE.
Ralph Fiennes has chosen one of Shakespeare's most challenging plays for his directorial debut and done it proud, as both filmmaker and star. Shakespeare's words flow from his lips with the greatest of ease, and he's completely credible as a ferocious warrior who finds himself a pariah on his own home turf of Rome. Vanessa Redgrave and Gerard Butler costar in this vigorous modern-dress adaptation by John Logan. HERE's my full review.
Valérie Donzelli dares to dramatize her own experiences: falling in love, having a baby, then dealing with the heartbreak of learning that their boy is desperately ill. As director, costar and co-writer (with real-life mate Jérémie Elkaïm) she avoids melodrama, cliché, and easy answers--just as she and her family apparently did in real life. In its own quiet way this film is really quite remarkable. Read more about it HERE.
Oscar-winning documentarian James Marsh (Man on Wire) explores a fascinating case study about a chimpanzee who was taken from the wild and placed in a world of humans to see if he can learn to communicate. The animal's fate, as he is passed from one caring person to another, is fodder for great storytelling--if not a terribly happy tale. Click HERE to read more.
In the late 1950s, novice filmmaker Lionel Rogosin spent months getting to know the denizens of Manhattan's skid row, The Bowery, so that he could bring cameras there and capture the lives of these men. The result predates both cinema vérité and reality television; its unusual melding of documentary techniques and staged scenes manages to convey the truth of its setting and its sad protagonists. It's one-of-a-kind, and deserving of rediscovery.
Leonard Maltin is the editor of the long-running annual paperback reference Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (and its companion volume, Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide) and the host of Maltin on Movies on Reelz. He holds court at www.leonardmaltin.com.