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Steve Coogan proved in “Philomena” that he can do drama as well as comedy, and he is impressive in this Apartheid courtroom drama as a jaded lawyer who takes on a seemingly hopeless case of a prison guard in South Africa charged with multiple murders. As the attorney probes into this case he comes to believe the accused has been traumatized by his job as a security guard overseeing executions. Winner best narrative feature, Woodstock Film Festival
South Africa, 2016 (80 minutes)
A compelling coming-of-age drama from New Zealand, “The Rehearsal” starts with a country boy named Stanley (James Rolleston, star of “Boy”) auditioning for a prestigious Auckland drama school. You immediately see what the teacher sees: Stanley is a star. This winning film, based on the first novel by Mann Booker Prize winning author Eleanor Catton, follows Stanley and other recruits through their first year as they struggle with inner conflicts, and Stanley is forced to make a moral decision about whether a steamy scandal in his girlfriend’s family is fair game for him to dramatize in a school project.
New Zealand, 2016 (102 minutes)
Debut films can be hit and miss. Rachel Tunnard’s first film definitely is the former. She won the Tribeca Film Festival’s prestigious Nora Ephron Award for “Adult Life Skills” which focuses on a confused teen, played with just the right degree of kookiness by the adorable Jodie Whittaker (“Broadchurch”). Grief stricken by the death of her twin brother she has fled to the seclusion of a shed in her mother’s garden. Facing her first birthday without her brother, she questions if she still qualifies as a twin. Its heart-felt emotions are sure to impress.
UK, 2016 (96 minutes)
Two very different Irish high school outsiders learn to be true to themselves in this contemporary coming-of-age story. From the geek pariah to the secret gay jock right down to a rugby match as a tease of outsider self-affirmations–versions of this story are familiar to audiences. But the sweetness, poignancy and breezy humor of this popular Irish film make it pretty darn impossible to resist. Energetic directing by John Butler, charming performances, vibrant widescreen cinematography and an eclectic soundtrack cleverly used elevate this light-hearted but surprisingly nuanced- festival hit above the typical “feel-good” films of this genre.
Ireland, 2016 (94 min.)
An engrossing film starring Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”). Her character has lost her son and develops an unorthodox relationship with a homeless youth played by Irish rising star Barry Keoghan. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the escalation of her ex-husband’s grieving rage. Winner Panavision Spirit Award, Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Ireland, 2016 (96 minutes)
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In this poignant and unsettling contemporary family drama, loosely based on Ibsen’s 19th century play “The Wild Duck,” a wayward son returns from America to attend the wedding of his father to his much younger former housekeeper. The picturesque rural background belies the fact that these are the last days of a dying Australian logging town. Getting reacquainted with a childhood friend, the son accidentally uncovers a secret that could be destructive to family relationships. This is the first full-length feature from famed Aussie theater director Simon Stone, who became intrigued with the cinematic possibilities of Ibsen’s play while directing it onstage. He has a golden touch with actors; Geoffrey Rush as the groom and Sam Neill and Miranda Otto (“Homeland”) as an uneasy married couple are at the top of their game. From the producer of “The Piano” and “Lantana.” Variety calls “The Daughter” “low-key yet achingly intense.”
Australia, 2015 (96 minutes)