Kate Bosworth

For a film about early onset Alzheimer's, this is a remarkably wry, honest and even hopeful drama, anchored by another staggeringly sensitive performance by Julianne Moore. Writing-directing team Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland are known for their observant depictions of human interaction (see Quinceañera), and they fill the screen with sharp dialogue and earthy emotions that make this much more than another movie about a disease. Instead, it's about how people can transcend what life throws at them, even if it knocks them down.

Moore stars as Alice, a New York linguistics professor who has just turned 50 when she starts noticing that she's forgetting words and getting lost. Her doctor gives her the tough diagnosis, and she uses her dry wit and sharp intellect to face the future with her steady husband John (Alec Baldwin) and their three grown children: married and pregnant Anna (Kate Bosworth), aspiring actress Lydia (Kristen Stewart) and free-spirit Tom (Hunter Parrish). The hardest thing to learn is that the disease is familial, and that she has passed it to at least one of her children. So while she can, Alice makes a contingency plan for the future as she watches her family members each react in a different way.

No, this isn't a light and breezy movie. But the filmmakers balance the moments of gut-wrenching emotion with smart humour ("Sorry, I forgot - I have Alzheimer's!") and bracing honesty ("I wish I had cancer!"). Moore is uncannily raw in the role, subtly revealing Alice's transformation in ways we barely notice until we're reminded what she used to be like. Even more powerful is her own awareness of what's happening. Opposite her, Baldwin has terrific camaraderie and an unexpected warmth, while both Bosworth and Stewart get a chance to dig much deeper as actors than they usually do. And what makes the film special is the way Alice's interaction with each character is uniquely individualistic.

Continue reading: Still Alice Review

With a powerhouse cast and an anaemic script, this violent revenge thriller never quite gets off the ground. It's watchable for the character detail, but resolutely refuses to make any logical sense as it charges through its corny plot. Fortunately the slick filmmaking and charismatic acting hold our attention, adding a hint of sophistication to the bluntly brutal story.

It's set in the Louisiana bayou, where former undercover agent Phil (Statham) is trying to have a quiet life with his young daughter (Vidovic). But the locals are wary of outsiders, and a schoolyard confrontation escalates into a feud between Phil and a resentful woman (Bosworth) who calls her gangster brother Gator (Franco) for help in getting even. Gator quickly discovers Phil's past, then enlists his trashy pal Sheryl (Ryder) to contact Phil's old enemies. But as these ruthless thugs descend on the bayou, they fail to take into consideration the fact that Phil has nearly super-human fighting skills.

There's plenty of possibility in this rather tired premise, but Stallone's boneheaded script never bothers to make things believable, skipping over key details and indulging in trite coincidences. Fleder manages to obscure this with his fluid, pacey direction, and the cast is unusually good for such a simplistic thriller. The charismatic Statham doesn't stretch himself much, occasionally attempting a bit of real acting in the father-daughter scenes (his romance with LeFevre's teacher is never developed). Bosworth and Ryder add some unpredictable edges to their stereotypical roles. And it's Franco who steals the film as an unusually thoughtful redneck thug. Although his moral quandary doesn't put off any of the nastiness.

Continue reading: Homefront Review

First-time filmmaker Aselton creates one of the most assured thrillers in recent memory, throwing finely developed characters into a very nasty situation that makes us squirm in our seats. It's also a rare film that acknowledges how difficult it actually is to kill someone: no one dies as easily as they do in most Hollywood horror movies, and the psychological nastiness is even worse than the physical stuff.

The title refers to an isolated island off the coast of New England, where Sarah (Bosworth) is planning a reunion camping trip with her two childhood pals, Lou and Abby (Bell and Aselton). The problem is that Abby hasn't spoken to Lou for six years, following an unforgivable incident. So Sarah has to trick them into coming along, then convince them to bury the hatchet for a weekend on the island they used to visit as little girls. Just as they've reached a peaceful accord, they run into three cute young hunters (Bouvier, Paulson and Richardson). But after an evening of alcohol and flirting, things take a very dark turn, and the boys start hunting the girls through the woods. They may be armed, but these feisty women know their way round the island a lot better.

Even though the back-story is essentially very simple, it adds to the dynamic between these three women, creating characters we are interested in right from the start. And their dialog is smart and offhanded, bringing out lively humour, dark emotions and the tensions between these strong-minded women. Opposite them, the three ex-soldiers are also intriguing because they show signs of post-traumatic stress. So the girls know they will never give up looking for them: they can't just hide, they have to fight back if they want to survive.

Continue reading: Black Rock Review