"The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet"

****
2013 * PG* 1h 45m
Quirky. That’s my term for a film genre I find so refreshing. Sure, Hollywood makes some great films. But I find them so predictable at times. Especially when it looks like the only thing they have to offer is sequels of hit movies and a seemingly endless supply of superhero adaptations. So I really look forward to the films of Hollywood outsiders like David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and in this case the director Jean-Pierre Juenet. He’s been called the French Terry Gilliam and I can see why. I’m not into films that are weird just to be weird (like The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos, for example), I just like to see something different once in a while. 

 

Juenet is best known for films like Amelie, City of the Lost Children, and Micmacs. He’s taken his innate creativity and imagination and adapted the best-selling novel by Reif Larsen, “The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet” for the big screen. The result is an absolutely delightful, and yes, quirky little film. This is a movie I think kids of all ages will enjoy. 

 

The story is about a child-genius T.S. Spivet (Kyle Catlett), who lives with his offbeat family on a ranch in “The Big Sky Country” of Montana. Catlett does a brilliant job playing the precocious and nerdy young inventor. His dad (Callum Keith Rennie) is a good old-fashioned cowboy. His mom (Helena Bonham Carter) is an entomologist, and spends her time researching and documenting the bugs of the region. T.S. also has an older sister Gracie (Niamh Wilson) and a twin brother Layton (Jacob Davies), who died in a freak accident involving a firearm. The family doesn’t talk about his demise, and that’s an underlying theme in the movie. 

 

One day, T.S. receives a phone call from the Smithsonian Institute. He’s informed that his invention, a perpetual motion machine, has won the prestigious Baird Award and the organization would like him to come to Washington D.C. to receive the prize in person. Little do they know the inventor is merely 10-years old! So, as preposterous as it may sound, T.S. embarks on a solo cross-country adventure. He packs his bags and hops freight trains to reach his destination. 

 

The sets throughout this movie are just magical and border on the surreal. They’re brightly colored and look like something right out of a pop-up book. Interestingly, the pop-up book serves as a transitional device between chapters in the film. Adding to the charm of the visuals are diagrams, arrows, and charts when T.S. is explaining various concepts to us, the viewers. Of course, the boy genius runs into several interesting characters on his journey. Notably is an old salt, Two Clouds (Dominique Pinon), who loves to spin yarns. They all make for a memorable cross-country romp. 

 

When he finally gets to D.C., he’s taken under the wing of the Smithsonian’s director Ms. Jibsen (Judy Davis), who’s at first shocked that the inventor is actually a child. When she recovers from this unexpected surprise, she’s all about marketing the young lad, and arranges a series of talk show engagements, and promotional events. It’s at this point in the story when T.S. reveals more about his brothers death, and the entire family comes to terms with their loss. 

 

When doing a bit of research on Mr. Juenet, I noticed he has a new Netflix movie called Big Bug. I’ve only seen the previews, but it looks like an absolute riot. I look forward to seeing it! If you’re interested in some other offbeat directors, I suggest you check out the films of the Coen brothers, Jim Jarmusch, Taika Waititi, and Spike Jonze.

 

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Hoopla and Kanopy. Also free on Freevee and to rent on Prime Video. 

 

 

"The Flying Scotsman"

2006 * PG-13 * 1h 36m  The moving true story about Graeme Obree, the Scottish cycling champ who broke the one hour world record in 1993. Graeme (Jonny Lee Miller) was an unemployed cycling enthusiast who fashioned a revolutionary new bike out of scrap metal and washing machine parts.  

The film begins with a cyclist out in the woods (who we later learn is in fact Graeme). He throws a rope over the branch of a tree with the intention of killing himself. We then cut to Graeme several years before, and follow him on his quest to build his bike and race to break the world record. What an inspiring story. You know going into the movie that he'll succeed, but it's the journey there that makes such a compelling film. Miller does a great job portraying Obree, as does Laura Fraser who plays his loyal and supportive wife Anne. I also enjoyed seeing Brian Cox, who plays a minister who's also in Obree's corner. It's always a delight to see him act. 

The Flying Scotsman isn't all Chariot's of Fire success however. The film deals with Obree's chronic depression, which is partly due to his rough childhood. Overall, the film is full of hope and redemption. I must warn you though, the Scottish accents are a bit difficult at times. I may go back and watch this with the subtitles on. But if you're a fan of british films, you should be okay with the dialect. 

4 out of 5 stars. 

Streaming for free on Hoopla (with your library card) and Tubi. 

"Moon Rock for Monday"

  2020 * Not Rated * 1h 40m   Road trip movies are among my favorite genres. I'm also a big fan of Australian films. Combine the two and I'm all in. This quirky little film is about a young girl Monday (Ashlen Louden-Gamble) who has terminal illness. She's being raised by her father  (Aaron Jeffery) in Sydney, in 1999. One day, she runs into Tyler (George Pullar) at a train station. He's just committed a robbery and is on the lam. The two of them end up joining forces and head out on the road together. 

The scenery is absolutely phenomenal, and we encounter plenty of it when the couple travel across the country. He's a well-meaning kid who's had some bad breaks. Monday is in search of the fabled "Moon Rock" which she believes can cure her of her illness. He just wants to escape the law and start over. Like most good road trip movies, they encounter plenty of oddballs in their adventures. And the two have a great chemistry together. I thought the two leads were phenomenal. Monday seemed to be always in a good mood and was up for anything. Tyler, while he was dealt a lousy hand in life, is smart, resourceful, and is very protective of his young partner in crime. 

This film won a number of international awards. However, since it's Australian, no one in this country seems to have heard of it. And that's a real shame. I just loved this film and hope you do as well. 

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Streaming for free with your library card on Hoopla. Also on Prime Video. 

"45 Years"

 2015 * R * 1h 31m   When you put two actors like Charlotte Rampling and Sir Tom Courtenay together, you know you're in for a treat. The acting level is so high, it's pure pleasure to seem them at work. This film is about a couple who are about to celebrate their 45 years of marriage. The action takes place in the week leading up to a hug party they're giving for themselves and their friends. 

45 Years is set outside a small town in Norfolk, England. The couple have a decent relationship, although they seem to hold back on their feelings most of the time. Geoff (Courtenay) receives a letter in the beginning of the film. It's to inform him that the body of his first true love who died in the Swiss Alps some 50 years ago has been found. Over the years, he's barely discussed her with his wife Kate (Rampling). However, when pressed, he begins to open up about her. One day, while he's away, Kate goes up into their attic where he's kept some mementos from his past. There she discovers a secret about Geoff's old flame. She doesn't mention it to him, although it does add a new dimension to their relationship. 

This is one of those films you'll either love or hate. While reading through viewer reviews of the movie on IMDb, I noticed that about half the folks enjoyed it, while the other half called it boring. I guess I'm just a big sucker for subtle, dialogue-heavy movies. If you're looking for an action-packed thriller, you've been warned--this might not be the film for you. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for some brilliant acting, excellent writing, and beautiful scenery, give 45 Years a shot!

4 out of 5 stars

Currently streaming for free with you library card on Kanopy. Also on AMC+, IFC Films Unlimited, and Amazon. 

"Any Day Now"

 “Any Day Now”

2012 * R * 1h 38m  An attorney walks into a drag bar. I know it sounds like the beginning of a joke. In reality, it's the beginning of a very powerful and moving film. It centers around Rudy Donatello (Alan Cumming) who works as a drag queen singing hits in a gay bar. One day Paul Figer (Garret Dillahunt), an attorney who works for the D.A.'s office walks in and has a drink. The handsome man attracts Rudy's attention and the two strike up a conversation. One thing leads to another and the two are soon a couple. This takes place in the 1970s in L.A., a time where this kind of activity was still pretty taboo. 

Rudy lives in a seedy apartment building, next door to a junkie who has a young boy Marco (Isaac Leyva) with Downe's Syndrome. She's a terrible mom as you'd expect, and one night she disappears and leaves  her son unattended. When Rudy discovers the boy, he takes him in and gives him shelter. Eventually he and Paul start raising Marco as their own son. The boy is a sweet kid and is a real character. 

Well, things start to unravel. As they begin to fight for the young boy's custody, Paul's boss gets wind that he's gay. A legal battle ensues, and things get pretty ugly.  I got totally caught up in the story. The acting was excellent, especially Alan Cumming, who I don't believe I've ever seen before. How this film flew under the radar is beyond me. Maybe because of the nature of the story? Or perhaps the lack of stars? Whatever the reason, this is a very touching film. Warning: make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand. I found myself getting teary-eyed just watching the trailer. The movie is even more emotionally draining. 

4 1/2 out of 5 stars. 

Currently streaming for free on Kanopy (with your library card) and Tubi. Also on Crackle, Prime Video and other services.