The Invisible War

Film Feature: The 10 Best Documentaries of 2012

BrianTT — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:26:54 -0500

CHICAGO – Call me a critical cheater but I separated out documentary films from my traditional Best of 2012 but I don’t want to let the strong year for non-fiction film go un-recapped. The broad variety of documentary work in 2012 was incredibly notable from true crime stories to historical documents to stories of cities in crisis. Let’s hope 2013 is just as strong for the form.

10. “The Flat”

The Flat
Photo credit: IFC

Arnon Goldfinger’s personal examination of his own family tree and how branches spread into Nazi history asks some questions that don’t have simple answers. When Goldfinger started to dig into his family past, he learned that his Jewish grandparents were incredibly close to a family who later became part of the Third Reich’s most important decision makers. And then they rekindled their friendship after the war. Were both side of this unique family friendship purely in denial? What about their children? How many generations does it take to find the truth? Can we ever?

9. “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Photo credit: IFC

Arguably the most important subject matter of the year is only not higher on the list because I question a bit how much actual filmmaking was done here as opposed to purely documenting an international activist icon. Ai Weiwei is a courageous, fascinating man who holds the camera as well as any subject this year and everyone should learn about his defiance in the face of potential incarceration and death at the hands of his own government. Did I really learn about what makes Ai Weiwei tick in this doc? Not really but I found myself wanting to know more, to do more research, and to see more of his work. Not all documentaries need to be the final statements on their subject matter. This one is more of a fascinating introduction.

8. “The Queen of Versailles”

The Queen of Versailles
Photo credit: Magnolia

Speaking of introductions, people who see Lauren Greenfield’s hilarious and poignant doc are unlikely to ever forget the time they met David & Jackie Siegel, perfect symbols of the excess that defined an era when the crystal chandeliers came crashing to the ground. What elevates “Queen” above the “Real Housewife of Time Shares” that it could have become is a true sense of care for the Siegels and their unique worldview. In particular, Jackie is a fascinating woman, one who it can be quick to define as spoiled and egocentric but who seems to be genuinely kind and warm-hearted. Not everyone behind those mansion gates are the deplorable misers or vapid trophy wives that you may believe. A very well-balanced and entertaining piece of work.

7. “How to Survive a Plague”

How to Survive a Plague
Photo credit: Sundance Selects

One of the best AIDS documentaries of the last few years is so because of the way it focuses almost entirely on archival footage, putting the viewer right at the center of some of the most important meetings in the history of gay rights. Rarely has the story of how activists pushed for drug tests to be sped up to stop the spread of the virus been more deftly conveyed. The answer to the question posed by the title is that one has to fight and in “Plague” we’re introduced to people who were fighting not just for their own lives but that of their entire community. It’s an emotional, powerful piece and the fact that it’s not higher on this list just indicates the strength of the genre as a whole.

6. “The Imposter”

The Imposter
Photo credit: Indomina

Perhaps the most fascinating central character of the year in any documentary is the man at the core of Bart Layton’s examination of identity, greed, fear, and a true mystery. With elements that approach Errol Morris in the way one of the best documentarians of all time finds a way to make real people seem extraordinary, Layton turns Fredric Bourdin into one of the most memorable people of 2012. What makes a man pretend to be a missing child? What makes a family believe the lie? The best parts of Layton’s film play like a great Hollywood thriller although most tinseltown screenwriters would be laughed out of the city for coming up with something so unbelievable.

Click to page two for the top five.

Film Feature: The 10 Best Films of 2012

BrianTT — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:33:03 -0500

CHICAGO – It’s that weird time of year where movie fans around the world try to capture different projects from different parts of the world with entirely different motives and compare them as if they were the same. What does a sci-fi instant classic like “Looper” have in common with a personal piece like “Beasts of the Southern Wild”? How can we compare something as epic as “Lincoln” with something as intimate as “The Deep Blue Sea”? How does the escapism of “Skyfall” match up with the personal expression of “Moonrise Kingdom”? As much as we love reading top ten lists, the fact is that they’re pretty silly at their core. And it’s important to note that these were my favorite films of 2012 as of today. Next month, something in the runner-ups might hit me a different way and move up the list or something in my top ten may not hold up on repeat viewing. Anyone who tells you their list is etched in stone is lying.

Was 2012 a “good year”? It wasn’t for a very long time. I didn’t give my highest rating to any non-documentary film until September. But then the year exploded in quality and it continues to do so — a few of my favorite films of the year are not even in theaters yet. What attracted me most this year were the filmmakers that went for something that would have terrified most other people. Making a movie about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden included dozens of potential melodramatic pitfalls. The saga of how long it took a film about Abraham Lincoln to get to the big screen only makes how remarkable the final product ended up that much more notable. Films like “Looper,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Safety Not Guaranteed,” and “The Cabin in the Woods” that defied genre expectations were wonderful surprises that definitely will stand the test of time.

The top films for me displayed an understanding of the craft of filmmaking that is too rare in cinema these days. The way Kathryn Bigelow and Ben Affleck compressed complex stories of Middle Eastern conflict into daring thrillers. The personal expression of films made by Wes Anderson, P.T. Anderson, and Stephen Chbosky. The visual storytelling of Robert Zemeckis, J.A. Bayona, and Sam Mendes. The decisions made by Tom Hooper, Quentin Tarantino, Joss Whedon, and Terence Davies that defy genre rules.

The films I chose for my top ten were more mainstream than most years as I think I longed for Hollywood to find its spectacle again — to give viewers larger than life stories that resonated beyond the multiplex. Cinema can capture events like the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, a deadly tsunami, a plane crash, and a spy who just won’t die in ways that no other art form can, and I valued that this year more than most. And, to be fair, I loved several of the films just outside my top ten, especially the personal visions of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (#11), “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (#12), “Holy Motors” (#13), and “The Deep Blue Sea” (#14). There were many good-to-great films in 2012. These are just my 20 favorite.

Note: As I have done in some years past, I cheated a bit this year and separated documentary films to another list, which will run next week. The year was so strong for docs that I want to give them their own space. I also just can’t wrap my brain around comparing something like “The Invisible War” to something like “Skyfall,” given their completely different cinematic goals.

Runner-Ups (in alphabetical order): “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “The Cabin in the Woods,” “The Deep Blue Sea,” “Django Unchained,” “Holy Motors,” “Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Monsieur Lazhar,” “Paranorman,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and “Safety Not Guaranteed”.

10. “Moonrise Kingdom”

Moonrise Kingdom
Photo credit: Focus

Wes is finally back. After spending a bit too much time in his own quirky world with misses like “The Life Aquatic” and “The Darjeeling Limited,” Wes Anderson returned to the peak of his abilities, displayed in beloved films like “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” with this lovely tale of young love and the adults impacted by it. Anderson has a singular gift in his ability to channel whimsy through the eyes of children older than their physical age and adults who never grew up. The innocence of his best work returns in the form of Sam Shakusky, a kid willing to do anything for the girl who catches his eye. The biggest surprise of “Moonrise Kingdom” is that it’s Anderson’s least cynical and affected film to date. He made a kid’s movie (“The Fantastic Mr. Fox”) and then found his inner child again.

9. “Looper”

Looper
Photo credit: Summit

Just as Wes Anderson was allowed to bring the full creativity of his vision to “Moonrise Kingdom” so was “Looper” made great by the freedom Rian Johnson was given to craft an incredibly daring sci-fi masterpiece without compromise. “Looper” is personal, dark, daring, weird, and refreshingly unique. Like “Blade Runner” and “The Matrix,” films to which it deserves comparison, it is a more than a genre film — it is the vision of a remarkably talented filmmaker. I love the way Johnson stays just ahead of the viewer in terms of storytelling. He gives you just enough road map to stay on the trail, but he’s leading the way the entire time and you don’t know for sure what’s around the next bend. “Looper” is a delight not just in its glorious sense of plotting but also in its character and style.

8. “Flight”

Flight
Photo credit: Paramount

What if a man could crash a plane and still not hit the rock bottom of his addiction? Pilot Whip Whitaker has never thought about the innocent lives he puts at risk every time he gets high and drunk and enters the cockpit, and the fact that he saved dozen of lives in that state just makes him that much more assured that he can manage his addictions. Robert Zemeckis and writer Josh Gatins craft that all-too-rare adult original drama in the riveting “Flight,” a complex character study that weaves personal responsibility, the role of religion in crisis, and addiction into a story that plays like a thriller. And Zemeckis’ eye for visual storytelling has been fortified by his time making motion-capture films, finding ways to tell this story that allow for personal interpretation while also appealing to a mass audience. I have some issues with the final minutes of “Flight,” but what comes before is such assured, confident filmmaking on every level that I think history will regard it as one of the most underrated films of 2012.

7. “The Impossible”

The Impossible
Photo credit: Summit

Cinema has long played an important role in transporting viewers into situations that they would never otherwise appreciate and can barely emotionally comprehend. The tsunami that plays the central role in J.A. Bayona’s devastating film about the 2004 disaster is a true cinematic accomplishment, plunging viewers into a life or death situation through the emotional commitment of Bayona’s talented actors — particularly the great Naomi Watts and one of the best young performances in years from Tom Holland — and a technical skill that makes the unimaginable feel real. Some of “The Impossible” plays out as a bit routine in terms of this kind of storytelling, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the heartstring-pulling didn’t work on me. I found the truth of Watts, Holland, and Ewan McGregor and their quest to be reunited more powerful than any sociopolitical debate other critics have wanted to have about telling a Thai story versus a white one. It’s important that we don’t overly intellectualize one of the purest purposes of film — to move us. And, without a doubt, Bayona’s film moved me.

Film News: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Leads 2012 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:08:18 -0500

CHICAGO – Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” opening locally on January 4th but screened early for critics, was the big winner for the Chicago Film Critics Association in 2012, winning Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. It was closely followed by the year’s most-nominated film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” which won Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Score. Other 2012 winners include “Lincoln” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild” with two a piece and “Amour,” “The Invisible War,” “Moonrise Kingdom,” and “Paranorman” each taking one.

Zero Dark Thirty
Photo credit: Sony

BEST PICTURE: “Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
BEST ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams, “The Master”
BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “Zero Dark Thirty” by Mark Boal
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Lincoln” by Tony Kushner
BEST FOREIGN FILM: “Amour”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “The Invisible War”
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Paranorman”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “The Master” - Mihai Malaimare Jr.
BEST EDITING: “Zero Dark Thirty” - William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor
BEST ART DIRECTION: “Moonrise Kingdom” - Adam Stockhausen & Gerald Sullivan
BEST SCORE: “The Master” - Jonny Greenwood
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Quvenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER: Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

The awards will be presented on February 9, 2013. HollywoodChicago.com writers Matt Fagerholm, Adam Fendelman, Patrick McDonald, and Brian Tallerico are members of the Chicago Film Critics Association. Brian is on the Board of Directors.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD Review: Stunning Power of ‘The Invisible War’ Will Floor You

BrianTT — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:46:57 -0400

CHICAGO – There have been a lot of good movies in 2012 but very few truly stellar ones. Near the top of the list when people ask me what I consider the best films of 2012 is the year’s best documentary, Kirby Dick’s stunning “The Invisible War,” a film that says so much about where we are as a nation. It both reveals a horrible, shameful part of our country’s military and the heroic people trying to stop it. It’s now on DVD and it’s truly a must-see.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

No film has moved me in 2012 like Dick’s expose about the startling state of being a female soldier in the U.S. Military. Far too many young women who have volunteered to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our way of life are not being protected themselves. That is something that should shame anyone with the power to fix it. And Dick’s film has already done some good, moving people to change policy and the way that the military approaches this horrific situation.

I’ll never forget the people I met watching “The Invisible War,” particularly the truly heroic Kori Cioca. When I think back on the film year of 2012, hers will be one of the faces that I remember most strongly. We owe it to her to not just watch Dick’s film but to make sure others do the same. With knowledge comes change. Because it’s impossible to see “The Invisible War” and not want to do something about it.

The Invisible War was released on DVD on October 23, 2012
Photo credit: New Video

Synopsis:
From Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Twist of Faith) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America’s most shameful and best-kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem - today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. Twenty percent of all active-duty female servicewomen are sexually assaulted.

Profoundly moving, the film follows the stories of several idealistic young servicewomen who were raped and then betrayed by their own officers when they courageously came forward to report. Both a rallying cry for the hundreds of thousands of men and women who’ve been assaulted and a hopeful road map for change, The Invisible War is one of those rare films so powerful it has already helped change military policy.

Special Features:
o Audio Commentary With Director Kirby Dick and Producer Amy Ziering
o Extended Interviews
o Sundance Post-Screening Speak Out
o VetWOW Survivor Retreat
o PTSD Therapy Deleted Scene

“The Invisible War” was directed by Kirby Dick and was released on DVD on October 23, 2012.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: ‘The Invisible War’ Details Shocking Horrors Faced by True Heroes

BrianTT — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:55:17 -0400

Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – A female soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan is less likely to be hit by enemy fire than she is to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier. If that doesn’t chill you to the bone and make your blood boil, I don’t want to know you. It’s shameful, disgusting, and infuriating and Kirby Dick’s “The Invisible War” brilliantly brings this under-reported story to the surface in a way that makes it one of the best documentaries of the last several years.

Here’s some more perspective. Over 20% of the women who have volunteered to keep you safe have been sexually assaulted. The numbers from the Department of Defense imply that over 16,000 men and women were assaulted LAST YEAR. And the pain doesn’t come close to ending after the assault. Not only do these women (mostly women, but men are assaulted and profiled in Dick’s film as well) deal with physical pain and emotional turmoil for years but it’s often compounded by the way the institution deals with the crimes. Blaming the victim, protecting the criminal, building a culture of hate and violence - what someone calls “professional retaliation in their chosen career.” And their chosen career is serving in the military. If it doesn’t make you angry, you’re not human.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Invisible War” in our reviews section.

In Dick’s breathtaking film (it’s an over-used word but I mean it literally…there was one point early on when brave woman after woman came forward to describe her assault where I found it hard to breathe and it happened again later in the film when a judgment was issued that made me scream out loud), you will meet a number of American heroes who will be hard to forget. One in particular that Dick keeps returning to is Michigan Coast Guard veteran Kori Cioca, a woman who not only has to deal with a VA claim process that’s ridiculous but a litany of traumatic issues related to her assault. She carries a knife and a cross when she leaves the house. Her sex life with her very supportive husband isn’t normal. She wakes up her family in the middle of the night to play because it’s quiet and she feels safe. Oh, and she can’t eat solid foods because her jaw was broken by her superior.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Invisible War” review.

“The Invisible War” was directed by Kirby Dick. It is playing in some markets now and opens on Friday, June 29, 2012 at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago before expanding into other markets across the country.

The Invisible War
Photo credit: Cinedigm

Film News: ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Claims Top Prize at 2012 Sundance Film Festival

mattmovieman — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:58:22 -0500

CHICAGO – “Art is not a competition. But if it were, these would be the winners,” quipped filmmaker Mike Birbiglia at the Jan. 28 awards presentation for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Birbiglia’s deadpan humor would’ve made him an ideal host for the event, and his appearance was one of the few bright spots in a rather disappointing ceremony.

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, stepped in to replace Indie Queen Parker Posey, whose inspired comic turn in Michael Walker’s “Price Check” garnered positive buzz among festivalgoers. The show opened in tears and solemnity as Cooper paid heartfelt tribute to the late film executive Bingham Ray, who suffered a fatal stroke during the festival.

One of the evening’s big winners was Benh Zeitlin’s visually arresting drama “Beasts of the Southern Wild” about a six-year-old girl (Quvenzhané Wallis) who embarks on a search for her mother in the southern Delta. It was acquired by Fox Searchlight and won the Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, as well as the U.S. Dramatic award for Excellence in Cinematography, presented to Ben Richardson, and the inaugural Sundance Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer’s Award, presented to Dan Janvey and Josh Penn. The Grand Jury Prize for documentary filmmaking went to Eugene Jarecki for “The House I Live In,” which takes a controversial look at the injustice of jailing nonviolent citizens for drug possession. The World Cinema Jury Prize was awarded to Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’s documentary, “The Law in These Parts,” a chronicle of Israel’s military legal system and its effect on the Palestinian population, and Andrés Wood’s “Violeta Went to Heaven,” a portrait of Chilean singer Violeta Parra.

Beasts of the Southern Wild won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2012.
Photo credit: Ben Richards

Kirby Dick’s investigation of rape in the U.S. military, “The Invisible War,” snagged the Audience Award along with Ben Lewin’s “The Surrogate,” which stars John Hawkes as a journalist in an iron lung who sets out to lose his virginity. Lewin’s film was one of the few major winners that was backed by star power (the cast also features Helen Hunt and William H. Macy). The picture was acquired by Fox Searchlight and won a Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. The World Cinema Audience Award went to Musa Syeed’s Kashmir-set drama, “Valley of Saints” and Malik Bendjelloul’s documentary, “Searching for Sugar Man,” about ’70s-era rocker, Rodriguez. “Sugar Man” was one of the most buzzed-about films at the festival, and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics before winning a Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit. Earlier in the ceremony, “Saints” tied with Jake Schreier’s sci-fi buddy movie “Robot & Frank” for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Schreier’s film stars Frank Langella and was acquired by Sony Pictures Worldwide and Samuel Goldwyn Films.

In addition to scoring the most laughs, Birbiglia also received the Best of NEXT award for his directorial debut, “Sleepwalk With Me,” which centers on a standup comedian’s struggle with the titular disorder. Other directors awarded for their work included Lauren Greenfield (“The Queen of Versailles”), Ava DuVernay (“Middle of Nowhere”), Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi (“5 Broken Cameras”), and Mads Matthiesen (“Teddy Bear”). Derek Connolly won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for “Safety Not Guaranteed,” a star-studded comedy about time travel headed by Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. Actress/screenwriter Camila Gutiérrez delivered the night’s most memorable line upon winning the World Cinema Screenwriting Award for “Young & Wild,” along with director/co-writer Marialy Rivas and co-writers Pedro Peirano and Sebastián Sepúlveda. Gutiérrez explained that she didn’t know much English and had only a simple message for those in attendance: “Thanks and have a lot of sex.”

Young and Wild won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance 2012.
Photo credit: Rodrigo Perez

Rounding out the other major winners were Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s “DETROPIA,” recipient of the U.S. Documentary Editing Award, and Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky’s “Indie Game: The Movie,” recipient of the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award. Cinematographers Jeff Orlowski (“Chasing Ice”), Lars Skree (“Putin’s Kiss”) and David Raedeker (“My Brother the Devil”) were each awarded for their stellar work, while Rasit Celikezer’s Istanbul-set drama “Can” won the Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision. “Love Free or Die,” Macky Alston’s documentary about an openly gay bishop, was honored with the Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change, while Alison Klayman’s “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” about the titular Chinese artist and activist, garnered the Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance. The Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was awarded to Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for their films “Nobody Walks” and “Smashed,” the latter of which earned praise for its central performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

As usual, several of the festival’s most popular pictures went home empty-handed, but still stand a shot of connecting with mainstream audiences. Festival darlings Paul Dano, Jon Heder and Jena Malone teamed up for So Yong Kim’s “For Ellen,” while rapper Common headlined Sheldon Candis’s crime drama, “LUV.” Joel Edgerton (of “Animal Kingdom” and “Warrior” fame) returned in Kieran Darcy-Smith’s mystery, “Wish You Were Here.” After she became the “It Girl” of Sundance 2011 with her intense portrayal in Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” Elizabeth Olsen came back this year with an entirely different project, Josh Radnor’s crowd-pleasing comedy, “Liberal Arts,” co-starring Allison Janney and Richard Jenkins. Perhaps one of the festival’s most startling surprises was “V/H/S,” a “found footage” horror anthology from filmmakers including Ti West and Chicago’s own Joe Swanberg, which was acquired by Magnolia Pictures. Sometimes, getting acquired is prize enough.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com