For 21 years, the Florida Film Festival has featured LGBT films among those submitted for judging. Because this is a competition, critics agree to keep all reviews short.
In the documentary competition, Jobriath A.D. is a solid film about the 1970s gay glam rocker managed by super-promoter Jerry Brandt (of Rolling Stones and Carly Simon). Brandt's career was faltering, and he wanted to create an American version of David Bowie. Jobriath was talented, and he called himself â┚¬Å”the true fairy of rock and rollâ┚¬Â for the notoriety. This dependable doc could use more glam glitz as it explores this gay musician and the overblown publicity stunts that truncated his career.
An Ordinary Family is a prodigal reunion between brothers: one a Christian minister, one gay and with a partner. The dialogue feels improvised, meaning a few moments can be sloppy and unsubtle, but most scenes are beautifully honest. There is a quiet want in both brothers, and a gulf that may be too wide to breach.
Also included are a variety of short programs; many have a gay bent. What Night is This? is a feather-light short about a heart-broken man and his roommate sharing a night of debauchery and honest conversation. In the wonderful and heartbreaking narrative short competition, Queen, a drag performer tries to move on after her plans for a family fall through.
Information about these and all the other films is available at FloridaFilmFestival.com.
For this pretty but brainless retelling of the Snow White myth, music video director Tarsem Singh teamed up with famous composer Alan Menken. So, why isn't this a musical? They have great actors, fantastic costumes, and sumptuous art direction. However, the script is so shallow, simplistic, silly, and sophomoricâ┚¬â€Âstuffed with slapstick and slightly adolescent humorâ┚¬â€Âthat it screams for song and dance.
Ten-year-old girls will love this. Adults will likely feel like it's a fantasy-filled but forgettable night of The Wide World of Disney.
Once upon a time, the Evil Queen (Roberts) tells us this is not Snow White's tale. It's hers. Then almost nothing convinces us. Roberts enjoys chewing the scenery, even though her part is underwritten. Narrative-wise, if this were the Queen's tale, then why is so much of it filled with the beautiful but vapid Collins as Snow? Pretty Prince Armie Hammer (The Social Network) is committed to the comedyâ┚¬â€Âand often shirtlessâ┚¬â€Âbut even he cannot rescue the goofy thinness of it all.
Don't start me on the dwarvesâ┚¬â€Âthey should protest the discrimination this script heaps on little people.
In this supposed reinvention of the Snow White story, most of this feels just barely tweaked. Audiences are rediscovering the power of fairy tales with movies and TV, but Mirror Mirror doesn't take any risks. Even television shows like Once Upon a Time and Grimm are doing more reflective, illuminating stuff than this pretty, pointless version.
This film is a probing treatise on family dynamic.
Ok, well, not really.
However, Greek mythology has always been obsessed with psychotic, melodramatic family wars, and WOTT captures this for a modern action audience. It's sillyâ┚¬â€Âand sometimes unevenâ┚¬â€Âbut still a lot of fun. WOTT is infinitely watchable, though it's probably more lovable by 12-year-old kids.
Ten years after the demigod Perseus (Worthington) rescued Amdromeda (Pike) from the dreaded Kraken, he's a widow with a son. Daddy Zeus (Neeson) calls for help again, this time to quash an unholy alliance between Uncle Hades (Feines) and half-brother Ares (Ramirez). Seems these naughty gods have conspired to raise Grandpa Cronos from his prison to bring and end to the world. Now Andromeda is a queen, and she and a goofy demigod (Kebbell) join Perseus to rescue both Olympus and Earth.
After the clunky reworking of Clash of the Titans, it is refreshing to see they did better this time. WOTT is still choppy, but the action, effects and plot make more sense and are often thrilling. Poseidon's son Kebbell serves no purpose. (He is supposed to be comic reliefâ┚¬Â¦) However, also excised is the previous need for senseless gore and noise.
Thematically, this is the height of ridiculousness; WOTT really tells us nothing about gods, ancient Greece, heroism, or family psychology. It's just big, gravitas-filled hokum for popcorn fun.
