Witty and gentle, unfolding at a closely measured pace, The Descendants moves through a chaotic but in the end lovely cohort of relationships wrestling with misdeeds, transgressions, wounds, and flaws, mixing tenderness and aggravation to explore how we might find heart in the middle …more »»
Film Talks opened in: December 2011
Goodbye Solo (2009)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 15, 2011
A momentary acquaintance is most times just that: momentary. The beauty in Goodbye Solo arises from a quick, sharp moment of insight leads one character, driven by his depth of concern for other people, to relentlessly …more »»
Goodbye Solo (2009)
(After viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 15, 2011
I was intensely struck by Solo’s character in Goodbye Solo and specifically by his immediate — and sustained — reaction to a fellow human in crisis. I want to be that ready to reach and stretch …more »»
The Ides of March (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 18, 2011
Of all the interest The Ides of March has to offer, the title is among the most interesting of them. The reference to political leaders and assassinations is the knee-jerk and most obvious reference, yet the film turns out to be much more …more »»
J. Edgar (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 1, 2011
The single most notable characteristic of J. Edgar is its even-handedness. It could have gone liberal, centering on abuse of power and civil rights violations, or conservative, centering on our dangerous world and the need for certain protections. Instead, …more »»
Melancholia (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 4, 2011
In Melancholia, Lars von Trier gives us a film that is simultaneously enigmatic yet concrete, multilayered yet with a simple-enough central story, immediately accessible yet with endless elements that beg for deeper consideration. By juxtaposing …more »»
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 28, 2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy comes off with an intriguing mix of the slow and unemotional pace of the main character, Smiley, who is driving the action, countered by an emotionally charged, rapid-paced plot, while having little rapid or suspenseful onscreen action. Multiple subplots, as well as the film itself, are built around …more »»
