Knowing that Seven Days in Utopia is, broadly speaking, from the genre of Christian films might cause some to cheer and some to run. For my part, I take the film on its own terms, letting it build its …more »»
Film Talks: Most Recent
Sarah’s Key (2011)
August 9, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkSarah’s Key relates a Jewish girl’s experience during a terrible incident of French complicity in the Holocaust, which is indeed a powerful story in itself, yet the true strength of the film (and the novel on which it is based) is in its intertwining of …more »»
The Trip (2011)
July 23, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkThe Trip comes off like two guys taking a trip. Not an odyssey, a trip. A week long trip, different place each night, lots of talk — often laugh-out-loud talk — on the road and at dinner. Yet the film sets a context and contrast for much more to be subtly, …more »»
The Tree of Life (2011)
June 21, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkI’ll say upfront that I find The Tree of Life to be very much worth the time. I’ll also say that it is the type of enigmatic and obscure exploration of life that demands viewers to be highly engaged and to reserve judgment. With any film, …more »»
Somewhere (2010)
June 6, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkSomewhere didn’t stay long at the theaters. That’s too bad, but it’s understandable. For many among us, a film must grab us and take us away; not so many know how to engage in the slow ride of taking in …more »»
Sucker Punch (2011)
May 21, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkWith a mix of chagrin, delight, and mock ignominy, I must say that Sucker Punch really had something going on. Much of the film is pure video game in its construction, and the narration …more »»
Away We Go (2009)
April 29, 2011 by Randy Heffner Before viewing talk // After viewing talkWith light-hearted seriousness, Away We Go romps us through a young couple’s search for life. Or, actually, their search is for a place to live, but of course there’s always a …more »»
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
March 27, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkWhat drives a wayward son to be wayward? What is waywardness, really? Cool Hand Luke hides these questions in every frame, and it’s not always clear who is the wayward one. This uncertainty gives the film a broad and deep question-richness that sets us nicely into a mode of …more »»
A Good Day to Die (1995)
March 24, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkIn the intricate construction of its plot, A Good Day to Die sets up a number of questions about race and relationship — rich and worthy questions that get well beyond platitudes. By (mostly) avoiding simple stereotypes, the film’s …more »»
Oscar 2011: Best Picture Roundup
February 5, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkOscar 2011 has a superb set of ten Best Picture nominees. Aside from certain content awareness advisories for most of the films, I can, without reservation, say that all ten are are worth seeing. This means that there are really none of them that are …more »»
The King’s Speech (2010)
January 5, 2011 by Randy Heffner Quick talkThe pace and energy of The King’s Speech is driven by characters and their relationships, not by events and action. On the surface, the film is about a powerful man overcoming a personal weakness, but what’s more important …more »»
True Grit (2010)
December 31, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkIn True Grit, the Coen brothers have created an engaging portrayal with themes of honor and expedience, justice and revenge, age and experience, and, well, okay I’ll say it: grit and determination. I’ll leave to others comparisons with the 1969 John Wayne version and …more »»
The Fighter (2010)
December 28, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkWhile it’s true that The Fighter tells a familiar sounding story — boxer overcomes odds — still it finds important underexplored territory. Mixing scenes of trust, betrayal, family pressure, family pride, manipulation, forgiveness, fear, failure, …more »»
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
December 20, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkAlthough some will immediately focus on the fact that The Kids Are All Right depicts a family headed by two married lesbians, I want to set that aside and consider the merits of the film on other concerns. Many of the questions the film explores are …more »»
Black Swan (2010)
December 19, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkBlack Swan is dark, difficult, nuanced, intense, and strong. Searching the performer’s heart, the film finds joy and confusion, confidence and fear, passion and reserve, freedom and bondage, competitiveness and timidness. At the same time, Black Swan …more »»
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