#michael franco

Il red carpet di Jessica Chastain a Venezia.

Sundown

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What got my attention Sundown, which premiered last year at Venice Film Festival and is now playing in select theaters and digital, is star/producer Tim Roth. The British actor has been on my radar since the early 90s. He has worked with everyone from Woody Allen (Everyone Says I Love You) to Tupac Shakur (Gridlock’d) and he always pulls off great supporting roles (i.e. Selma, the Oscar-nominated Rob Roy and in the MCU). But it’s his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino that have really blown me away: as Mr. Orange in Reservoir Dogs, Pumpkin in Pulp Fiction, the lead in the anthology Four Rooms, and as English Pete and Oswaldo in The Hateful Eight! He is definitely a vital part of QT’s regular cast members. 

Sundown opens with Roth as Neil vacationing with his sister (the always excellent Charlotte Gainbourg) and her teenage kids in Acapulco. Upon the news of his mother’s death, the family heads back home, but Neil stays behind. Don’t want to give much more away after that, but that’s the premise. This is a slow-burn of a drama. There’s long contemplative sequences where not a lot happens...then shocks and surprises happen. Roth is going for a more inward performance that’s highly understated and is all in the eyes and the glances and less about the dialogue. He’s holding it in, whereas QT usually has him let it all out. The film is not for everyone and the pacing is likely going to piss off audiences that just want the film to get where its going faster. While it does go off the rails at times, it’s really a showcase for Roth to show his range as an actor. I also need to mention Gainsbourg pulling off one of the greatest performances with minimal screen time. 

For info on Sundown: https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/sundown/

3 out of 5 stars

I Want You Back

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When I saw Obvious Child at the 2014 Independent Film Festival Boston, I said “Jenny Slate is going to explode after this movie comes out.” She was already a notable comic-actress and she got some attention for dropping an F-bomb on her first episode of SNL when she was a cast member for one season. But Obvious Child showed she was a comedic and dramatic force to be reckon with. Since then she’s popped up in a lot of things (especially voice acting in animation), but it often seems like the material to match her talents isn’t always there. In the new rom-com I Want You Back, which was recently released by Amazon Studios, Slate played Emma who has just been dumped by her boyfriend. She meets Peter (played by Charlie Day of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Horrible Bosses movies), who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. They become friends in their sad state and try to help each other by sabotaging the other’s ex’s new relationship. 

With a premise like this, we all know what’s going to happen going into this movie. That’s not a spoiler...but it is predictable. I have to say this, there were some big laughs here and there and that is a testament to the two leads. But Slate especially is capable of so much more than this. Anyone who saw Obvious Child or Landline knows she can take on a lot more than a typical rom-com. 

For info on I Want You Back: https://www.amazon.com/Want-You-Back-CHARLIE-DAY/dp/B09NMYQKBJ

Watch The UK Trailer For Michael Franco’s Dystopian ‘New Order’

Ahead of it’s UK release in August, MUBI have released the UK Trailer for Michael Franco‘s disturbing dystopian thriller New Order. With this year’s Cannes Film Festival now ended boutique distributor/Streaming service MUBI have some exciting releases lined up. With the likes of Annette, Memoria, Bernadetta, Bergmann’s Island coming our way, finally those titles who should have been out last year…

New Order (CREDIT: NEON) Starring: Diego Boneta, Naian González Norvind, Samantha Yazareth Anaya, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Eligio Meléndez Director: Michael Franco Running Time: 88 Minutes Rating: R for Violence, Nudity, and Torture Release Date: May 21, 2021 (Limited) New Order at first looks like it’s going to be a nice story about a high-society wedding, but then soon enough there’s a mass rape…

First Fridays at @BarilPhilly with Bouillabaisse by @Georges_Perrier & @drewnugentjazz:

Chef/owner Michael Franco proudly presents a classic French bistro experience enhanced by his mentor the legendary Georges Perrier. Starting on Friday, March 3rd, this new signature event on the first Friday of every month will have a special addition to the menu: a traditional Provençal bouillabaisse prepared by Perrier and Baril chef Ken Wallace, alongside atmospheric live music. The dish is…

Tomorrow, the former @CrowPitcher transitions into @BarilPhilly:

Chef/Restaurateur Michael Franco launches Baril, a neighborhood bistro, steps from Rittenhouse Square, on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. Inspired by the comforting cuisine of Provence, France, Baril features farmhouse-style southern French fare. Franco’s chef de cuisine, Gregory Headen, sources ingredients from our region’s agriculturally rich small farms and creameries. A hydroponic garden fuels the…