Monday, March 25, 2013

Spring Breakers (**1/2)

SPRING BREAKERS
Written and Directed by Harmony Korine

**1/2

Harmony Korine enjoys blurring the line between trash and art, and attempting to expose that the line the separates the two is a lot thinner than most people realize. A film like his Trash Humpers from 2009 does this almost literally. But what else can we expect from a guy who was once quoted as saying that he'd like to direct a minstrel show staring Tom Cruise? His latest film Spring Breakers seems to be made specifically for the cult following that is almost assured to attach itself to it in the coming years. The film is so incredibly aware of its nihilistic style that its hard to figure out whats an inside joke and what is just a blast of overwhelming dub-step cinema. And this constant imbalance that the audience is in works as Spring Breakers best and worst trait.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Ginger & Rosa (***1/2)

GINGER & ROSA
Written and Directed by Sally Potter

***1/2

The two Fanning sisters, Dakota and now Elle, both have seemed to possess a delicate, but occasionally powerful screen presence that seems beyond their young ages. They've both been working since they were young children, and both gave performances during that time that garnered rave notices (Dakota in 2001's I Am Sam, Elle in 2010's Somewhere). Too often, I feel, great child performances are dismissed as terrific direction or editing, feeling that its almost impossible for children to possess the emotional intelligence needed to truly excel at acting. This issue was front and center when Quvenzhane Wallis was nominated for a performance that she performed when she was six years old. Elle Fanning (and her older sister) are no longer small children, but they are still delivering top-rate performances - which adds some interesting fuel to the debate.