All this week's picks are on DVD

Watching Once I couldn't help but reflect on many of the big movies I've seen lately. The trend in films of late (From Pirates to Oceans 13 and beyond) is to have a embarrassment of riches in terms of plot. The thought is - the more subplots you have the better the film. Of course this is completely wrong, and when a simple and straightforward film like Once comes around you realize that all these films simply have more noise than signal. Once is an exercise in simplicity, it takes the conventional boy meets girl and stops at the first note. Once is a love story, but the affair is over music and it only flirts with the idea that there's anything more.

The film is so lovingly and subtly directed that at times it almost feels like a documentary. The two leads in the film are perfect, both in their underplaying of their roles and the amazing and entrancing chemistry they create with each other. Then there's the music, a sheer delight and a pleasure to listen to.

Beautiful, honest and simply enchanting Once will win its way into your heart and have you running to pick up the soundtrack. Special films like this come around only once in a blue moon so you owe it to yourself to buy this film.

Why do all the great movies get ignored in theaters? If there's a movie to be buzzed about Waitress is it. It's a travesty when films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding get everyone a buzz, but a film like Waitress comes and goes with little notice. Not your average romantic comedy Waitress is a smart, charming and funny film which focuses on the theme of personal power in the face of adversity. Keri Russell shows she can really act in the lead role of Waitress and Nathan Fillion delivers yet again a pitch perfect supporting role.

Waitress has a magical quality to it, it's the view of the world as a wonderful and magical place despite its harsh realities. Parts of the film reminded me of tones that were hit in Amilie. It's put simply a very good film, one which should be seen and enjoyed, But be warned, you'll more than likely eat copious amounts of pie after watching this film.

Kal Penn shakes off the image of a stoner from Harold and Kumar in a subtle but epic sized family drama called The Namesake. Director Mira Nair does a phenomenal job transforming the best selling novel by Jhumpa Lahiri into a film that it so deeply in touch with its characters and their connections with each other. Traditionally family dramas are presented as sweeping epics and their scale often escalated to emphasize their weight. Here we see a very specific point in time of one family and how the little events impact the way in which the family relates to each other.

The Namesake is another film that was tragically overlooked in theaters and it's absolutelyu worth seeking out on DVD.

Here are the picks from this week's segment on the KNRK morning radio show:

What Would Jesus Buy? - This documentary, produced by Morgan Spurlock, follows The Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they hit the road to spread the word about overconsumption and the commoditization of Christmas. The doc does a good job chronicling their journey and raises some great issues about how dependent our society has become about shopping. Unfortunately the film misses some key opportunities to get into some real depth about the core issue, favoring the overarching story of Reverend Billy and his travels over really exploring some of the issues. In addition to missed opportunities, there are a number of significant gaps in the narrative which need to be filled in: a tragic bus accident derails the tour but we get little info or insight into how a new bus magically appears; members of the Choir (and even the Director) get seriously injured but we find out very little about what happens to them. Somewhere along the way the director Rob VanAlkemade needed to make a strong choice about which movie he was making. Is this movie the story of Reverend Billy or is it an expose about the commoditization of Christmas? VanAlkemade seems to want to do both, but falls short of reaching either goal.

Having said all that, it's hard to fault a film that's got its heart so solidly in the right place. What Would Jesus Buy? also has some truly great moments, including a stolen moment between Billy and his wife questioning the impact of all they are doing, the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir going shopping at a rest stop, and Billy's protest at Starbucks. At it's best it's smart, funny, engaging and entertaining, and that's perhaps what's so frustrating about the film. What Would Jesus Buy? has the makings of a great documentary, but as it flirts with greatness it never quite acheives it.

Ultimately the film is an attempt at getting a dialog started about overconsumption and the near manic association with shopping and the holidays, and on that level it succeeds. Despite its shortcomings it's still a documentary worth checking out.

(What Would Jesus Buy Opens 11/23 at Cinema 21)

Beyond The Call - In a world where there are a large number of wars, ethnic cleansing, famine, drought and disease it's hard to imagine what one person can do to change anything. After watching a film like Beyond The Call it's hard not to be compelled to get up and do SOMETHING. Jim Laws, Ed Artis, and Walt Ratterman, collectively "Knightsbridge," are a profound example of how a small group of people, working together, can make a huge impact on the world they live in. More than just mere 'relief workers,' this group of Indiana Jones-esque-do-gooders travel to the most inhospitable places in the world, pull out wads of their own money and get things done. Filmmaker Adrian Belic does more than just document the lives and works of these three extraordinary people, he straps on his camera and dives head first into their world. From the edge of the bombing zone in Afghanistan to the Thai Burmese border, Beyond the Call follows the Knightsbridge crew into the areas in which they are most politically unwelcome and absolutely most needed, and it does it with great heart, humor and a true craftsmanship. Beyond the Call is more than just an interesting documentary about a fascinating topic - it's an entertaining and inspiring look into a world no one knew existed.

(Beyond The Call opens Friday, November 23rd at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon)

Colma: The Musical - Unless you've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area you've probably never heard of the city of Colma. A small town just across the bay from the city, Colma houses one of the largest cemeteries in the region. The cemetery is so big that the number of dead people in Coma outnumbers the living. It's in this setting that Director Richard Wong choses to site his debut film, an indie musical.

Colma: The Musical follows the story of three friends, just out of high school, on a quest to find who they are and where they belong. Hitting similar notes and themes as Rent, Colma focuses much of its time and attention on the relationships between people and how this time of change can throw things completely off center. Colma's score, written by H.P. Mendoza, is up tempo and extremely catchy, and the title song (that bookends the film) is the absolute strongest. Mendoza also stars in the film, joined by Jake Moreno and L.A. Renigen, all of whom deliver strong performances.

One of the things I admire about Colma: The Musical is its ethnic diversity. Viewers looking for strong Asian, Latino and Filipino characters will celebrate Colma for its melting pot reflection of the Bay Area. Director Richard Wong does an excellent job showing his craftsmanship in his first film, showing he knows how to use film techniques like split screens not as gimmicks but to tell the story. Ultimately I just really liked Colma; I immediately connected with the characters, cared what happened to them and wanted to see more after the film was done.

Colma: The Musical is out on DVD.

On this episode of Indie Film Radio: Geoffrey Kleinman interviews Morgan Spurlock, producer of the film What Would Jesus Buy?. The film takes a look at the commoditization of Christmas and follows Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they take their message of stopping overconsumption on the road.

We speak with Morgan about his experience producing the film as well as the impact the film has had as it has toured the country. We also cover several of Morgan's other projects including 30 Days Season 3 and his as yet untitled documentary looking at the war on terror.

(What Would Jesus Buy? opens Friday, November 23rd at Cinema 21 in Portland, Oregon. Morgan Spurlock will be in attendance opening night for a Q&A)

Download the complete interview with Morgan Spurlock, (12mins 8MB) or listen live here:

On the latest episode of Indie Film Radio, Geoffrey Kleinman interviews Adrian Belic, Director of the documentary Beyond The Call.

Beyond the Call documents the lives of three men (collectively called Knightsbridge) who share a single mission: help people in that no one else can help, in the areas of the world that are the most dangerous and do it in the most intelligent way possible. Their story is simply amazing and it's a documentary that will get you to completely reconsider what 'humanitarian' really means. Beyond The Call has won a number of awards (currently over 30 international film festival awards) including many Audience Awards. It's a documentary not to be missed.

(Beyond The Call opens Friday, November 23rd at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon)

Download the complete interview (15 mins 11MB) or listen live here:

Here are the picks from this week's segment on the KNRK morning radio show:

No Country For Old Men - This isn't the film you think of when you think 'Coen Brother's Film', but that's not a bad thing. Great directors evolve and No Country for Old Men gives us a glimpse into the next chapter of these talented film maker's careers. Javier Bardem is reason enough to see any film, and when he's as good as he is in No Country, you get what you pay for. Tommy Lee Jones is also amazing in a role where you want to catch every single word he says. Cormack McCarthy books aren't a walk in the park to adapt, but if they are handled as expertly as they are here, No Country for Old Men is simply a classic. Films like this remind film critics why they love movies, so be sure not to miss this one.

This is England - Shane Meadows gives us a coming of age film like none I've seen before. Drawing on his own life experience, This is England tells the story of a boy who is lost. He lost his father in the Falkland War, isn't a member of any real group in school and gets picked on by almost everyone. A chance encounter with a group of 'friendly' skinheads gives the boy a connecting point and spins his life in an entirely different direction. Shane Meadows finely crafts this film with performances that are superb. Thomas Turgoose, a first time actor, is fucking brilliant in the lead role of Shaun, and Stephen Graham is right along there with him, in a performance so wonderfully complex and multidimensional, it's absolutely Oscar-worthy. This Is England will stick with you long after it's over. You can get This is England on DVD or catch it at The Living Room Theater in Portland, OR. My vote would be to see this on the big screen.

Hannah Takes The Stairs - Joe Swanberg has been making low-fi films for a while. They are loosely scripted, extremely naturalistic and very enjoyable. With Hannah Takes The Stairs, he's taken what he does to the next level in a film about a woman finding a way to say 'no' with her serial monogamous relationships. Hannah is lost in her world and tries to find her way through the men in her life (and ultimately sex) but it's her discovery of herself outside her relationships that helps her move forward. Sharply acted, very funny and extremely honest, Hannah Takes The Stairs shows that you don't have to have a huge Hollywood budget to make a great film. You can catch Hannah Takes The Stairs on Comcast On Demand as part of the IFC First Take program.

First off, let me say how much I love Donnie Darko. I first saw Donnie Darko when it premiered at Sundance and I was taken with the way it transported the viewer to an alternate universe, a dark and twisted place where you never knew where you stood. I look back now after watching Southland Tales and lay more credit for that on the performance of Jake Gyllenhaal, because it's hard for me to believe that Richard Kelly had anything to do with it. That's how bad Southland Tales is, it forces you to question if anyone should have ever let Richard Kelly make a film let alone if he had anything to do with Donnie Darko's success.

When I first heard about Southland Tales it was mixed in with reports of its 'tragic' Cannes Film Fest premiere. Audiences booed the film and critics complained about the mammoth running time. The film sat on the shelf for two years, ultimately getting a recut and shorter running time. Unfortunately they didn't cut enough. A paper shredder would have been a better choice for this film. So I went into this film knowing it might have problems, but hoping and wishing that if it did fail it did so with ambition and vision. Boy was I wrong.

Southland Tales fails on almost every level. The script seems like the kind of thing a high school kid would write after auditing a junior college philosophy class for a day. The acting is so poor that you wonder how any of the actors (including Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock', Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake or Seann William Scott) could ever consider acting again. The cast feels more like a geek's wet dream wish list for actors rather than any traces of any real casting director's work. But what I fault Southland Tales for the most is its complete and total lack of vision. For a film supposedly about the end of the world, a totalitarian future and one where 'everyone wants to be a porn star', the vision it presents is so dull and so cobbled together you wonder if anyone ever gave any real thought to the project.

When a film is reviewed so negatively there's often an associated urge, a morbid curiosity to see for oneself if a film like Southland Tales is 'really that bad'. If somehow it's so bad...that it is somehow 'good'. I can assure you it's only a fool who would waste time on this exploration for Southland Tales which is so bad it's just plain bad, not good bad, not interesting bad, not a brilliant disaster, just an utter and complete waste of your time.

I could regale you with examples of just how bad this film is (there's a musical number where Justin Timberlake lip syncs to The Killers) but I'll spare you even that. For the time you've spent reading this review is even more time than this film deserves from you and a film like Southland Tales makes me wonder if studios actually watch all the films they release. Because anyone in their right mind who watched this steaming pile of crap and then decided to subject others to it shouldn't be able to keep that job.