Dodging the dangers of sequeldom, Toy Story 3 is plain fun to watch as it takes us through a familiar landscape of toys and joys and tears and fears. We know, from the first two films in the series, most of the characters and the general territory of …more »»
Film Talks: Most Recent
127 Hours (2010)
December 1, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talk127 Hours is an intense but important film. As basically a one-man show (with flashbacks involving additional characters), it provides an in-depth exploration of a person left alone with …more »»
The Social Network (2010)
November 30, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkIt’s a engaging tale, The Social Network, and well-told: Jilted lover thinks of revenge, scramble for a good business idea, corporate intrigue, broken relationships. It all could be quite stereotypical, and …more »»
The Ghost Writer (2010)
November 25, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkAs an entertaining mystery flick, The Ghost Writer has some things going for it — government intrigue, mysterious figures, hidden back-stories, etc. — but I didn’t find it to really …more »»
Please Give (2010)
November 21, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkPlease Give mixes together an ensemble of stories, mostly about relationships and money. It’s a study in contrasts, with (typically) just enough exaggeration to bring out …more »»
Winter’s Bone (2010)
November 14, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkThe opening of Winter’s Bone is exquisitely crafted to draw us slowly in from the lightness of country children playing on a trampoline to the core tension of the story. The contrast lends great effect …more »»
Secretariat (2010)
October 26, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkWith an early 70s, down-home southern feel, Secretariat tells more than the story of the greatest ever racehorse. Most centrally, it connects us with the difference between …more »»
Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
October 19, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkZany, crazy, tongue-in-cheek, just a bit over-the-top and, in its irony, light-heartedly insightful. Thoroughly Modern Millie is, all-in-all, fun — and a good example of …more »»
Insomnia (2002)
September 30, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talk“This is why I did that…it wasn’t so bad.” Insomnia, another fine piece of work directed by Christopher Nolan, cunningly explores self-justification from multiple angles. …more »»
Inception (2010)
July 28, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkWhat do you remember? Or, was it in a dream? Do you have reality straight in your mind? In your subconscious? The confluence of such questions is the space Inception perceptively explores. Part of the genius of Christopher Nolan’s writing and directing is …more »»
Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
June 7, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkSmart, funny, satirical, and engaging in its exploration of art and artists, Bullets Over Broadway is an excellent piece of work by director Woody Allen. Centering around the funding, preparation, and staging of a Broadway play, the film …more »»
Grace is Gone (2007)
May 12, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkIt is superficial to say that it’s heart-wrenching to lose a loved one in war — that is, unless you can say it the way that Grace is Gone says it. In the film, we live through a father’s shock at the death of Grace, his wife and the mother of his two preteen daughters. Why, you may well ask, …more »»
The Doorpost Film Project (2010)
April 28, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkThe Doorpost Film Project runs an annual short film competition. For 2010, it’s in three rounds. Based on their first round submissions, 21 filmmakers were selected to compete in the second round. Each of the 21 submits a script, five of which are chosen to …more »»
Still Walking (2009)
March 24, 2010 by Randy Heffner Quick talkIn Still Walking, we are treated to an excellent, deliberately paced, progressively revealed journey through a day with a Japanese family. The characters, through their own words and through the things said …more »»
An Unfinished Life (2005)
March 6, 2010 by Randy Heffner Before viewing talk // After viewing talkAn Unfinished Life is rich with diversity of relational contexts and emotional perspectives. In its exploration of forgiveness and responsibility, one central conflict is echoed and reflected in multiple …more »»
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