Bill W. – The Movie Gourmet

2012 in the Movies: most fun at the movies

January 4, 2013 by movie gourmet

Killer Joe2 — William Friedkin's KILLER JOE

1. This year I attended over ten screenings that were followed by Q & As with the filmmaker. My favorite was the rip-snorting Killer Joe, followed by an hour with one of the great raconteurs, director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist).

2. Sitting with other film geeks at the San Francisco International Film Festival, only to be surprised and delighted by the hilarious Norwegian comic thriller Headhunters.

3. Watching the three-hour director’s cut of Margaret with The Wife and our friend Paula.

4. Watching Bill W. (about the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) in an audience that contained over 200 AA members,

5. Enjoying the classic Italian comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street for the first time.

6. Discovering the political satire The Dark Horse and the workplace drama Employees Entrance from the early 1930s, both starring Warren William, the King of Pre-Code.

7. Revisiting classics like M, the 1979 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Exorcist and finding that they all hold up well today.

2012 in the Movies: the year of the alcoholic

December 27, 2012December 27, 2012 by movie gourmet

An extraordinary group of 2012 movies featured searingly realistic depictions of alcoholism. The indie drama Smashed portrayed the drinking life and the challenges of recovery and relapse, informed by the personal experience of co-writer Susan Burke. In a potentially star-making performance, Mary Elizabeth Winstead played half of a couple navigating life while drunk. Can they stay together and flourish when she sobers up? Winstead realistically took her character through the carelessness, denial, humiliation and self-degradation of drinking and the fears and determination that co-exist in her recovery.

A much bigger movie, the Hollywood hit Flight, takes on deceit’s centrality to alcoholism, and Denzel Washington brilliantly evokes the protagonist’s achingly vulnerable loneliness and self-loathing.

The excellent documentary Bill W. tells the story of Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and it’s quite a story. Wilson was a reluctant movement leader. His primary passion was for business, in which his drinking killed his potential success. Instead, he achieved fame and historical importance in a field not of his choosing. As the founder, he could have easily formed AA into a hierarchy with himself at the top – and AA as his personal power base. But, once AA could stand on its own, he chose to walk away from its leadership.

The appealing documentary Paul Williams Still Alive, tells the story of the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now. Paul Williams is now twenty years sober and very content in his skin; he doesn’t dwell on the time when he was rich, famous and unhappy.

And in the overlooked Take This Waltz, Sarah Silverman co-stars the protagonist’s sister-in-law, a recovering alcoholic whose relapse sparks a fierce moment of truth telling.

Movies to See This Week

September 14, 2012 by movie gourmet

Sleepwalk With Me leads our current crop of fine comedies. The zany French odd couple comedy The Intouchables is a crowd pleaser – and an attendance record breaker in France. Frank Langella’s performance in Robot and Frank elevates the film from a pretty good comedy to a revealing study of getting older. Celeste and Jesse Forever is a smart and authentic comedy of best friends too perfect for each other to fall in love at the same time. Ruby Sparks is a hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness.

It’s worth seeking out the compelling documentary Searching for Sugar Man, about the hunt to uncover the secret fate of an artist that didn’t know that he was a rock star. The same holds for Bill W., the story of the reluctant leader of a movement, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The brilliantly made Louisiana swamp fable Beasts of the Southern Wild enters the life and imagination of a child and celebrates her indomitability. It’s on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in New York is a rollicking light culture clash comedy. The stylishly violent crime drama Lawless is well-made and well-acted but predictable. The bike messenger thriller Premium Rush is nothing more than a chase scene, but it’s a cool chase. The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. The Words is a corny drama that insults the audience by over-explaining everything.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the darkly hilarious Norwegian thriller Headhunters.

Movies To See This Week

September 8, 2012September 7, 2012 by movie gourmet

Let’s face it – we’re now in a holding pattern, waiting for the big autumn movie releases. But, if you haven’t seen the four good comedies out now, you still have a chance. The zany French odd couple comedy The Intouchables is a crowd pleaser – and an attendance record breaker in France. Frank Langella’s performance in Robot and Frank elevates the film from a pretty good comedy to a revealing study of getting older. Celeste and Jesse Forever is a smart and authentic comedy of best friends too perfect for each other to fall in love at the same time. Ruby Sparks is a hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness.

Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in New York, which opens this week, is a rollicking light culture clash comedy. The stylishly violent crime drama Lawless is well-made and well-acted but predictable. The bike messenger thriller Premium Rush is nothing more than a chase scene, but it’s a cool chase. The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles.

I haven’t yet seen the heralded drama The Words, which opens this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the heartfelt French Canadian drama Monsieur Lazhar, another of the best films of the year.

Movies to See Right Now – Labor Day Edition

August 31, 2012 by movie gourmet

There are some good movies out this Labor Day, and four of them are comedies. Frank Langella’s performance in Robot and Frank elevates the film from a pretty good comedy to a revealing study of getting older. The zany French odd couple comedy The Intouchables is a crowd pleaser – and an attendance record breaker in France. I am impressed by both Celeste and Jesse Forever and Ruby Sparks – each is written by an actress and each is a good time at the movies. Celeste and Jesse Forever is a smart and authentic comedy of best friends too perfect for each other to fall in love at the same time. Ruby Sparks is a hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness.

Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in New York, which opens this week, is a rollicking light culture clash comedy. I haven’t yet seen the stylishly violent crime drama Lawless is well-made and well-acted but predictable. The bike messenger thriller Premium Rush is nothing more than a chase scene, but it’s a cool chase. The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic.

I haven’t yet seen the controversial indie drama Compliance or Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer, which open this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is The Hunger Games, a well-paced, well-acted and intelligent sci-fi adventure fable for tweens – and for the rest of us, too.

Movies to See This Week

August 24, 2012 by movie gourmet

Here’s a surprise – there are some appealing (and smart) romantic comedies this August! I am impressed by both Celeste and Jesse Forever and Ruby Sparks – each is written by an actress and each is a good time at the movies. Celeste and Jesse Forever is a smart and authentic comedy of best friends too perfect for each other to fall in love at the same time. Ruby Sparks is a hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness.

And here are two more comedy winners. Frank Langella’s performance in Robot and Frank elevates the film from a pretty good comedy to a revealing study of getting older. The Intouchables is a crowd pleasing odd couple comedy – an attendance record breaker in France.

Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in New York, which opens this week, is a rollicking light culture clash comedy. The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic.

I haven’t yet seen the French drama Beloved, the controversial indie drama Compliance or the bike messenger thriller Premium Rush, all of which open this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the brilliantly constructed (but gloomy) Iranian drama A Separation, which won the Best Foreign Language Picture Oscar.

Movies to See Right Now

August 17, 2012 by movie gourmet

Ruby Sparks is a hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness. In contrast, Killer Joe is NC-17 for a reason and will either thrill or disgust you; that notwithstanding, it pops and crackles with excellent performances by Mathew McConaughey and Juno Temple. The Intouchables is a crowd pleasing odd couple comedy – an attendance record breaker in France.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the French drama Time Out – an excellent choice for the current economic environment.

Movies to See Right Now

August 10, 2012 by movie gourmet

Killer Joe3 — Matthew McConaughey in KILLER JOE

Killer Joe is NC-17 for a reason and will either thrill or disgust you; that notwithstanding, it pops and crackles with excellent performances by Mathew McConaughey and Juno Temple. Ruby Sparks is an hilariously inventive romance that probes whether realizing a fantasy can bring happiness. The Intouchables is a crowd pleasing odd couple comedy – an attendance record breaker in France.

Farewell, My Queen is a lavishly staged and absorbing French drama of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles at the onset of the French Revolution; it features excellent performances and was shot at Versailles itself.

The wistfully sweet and visually singular Moonrise Kingdom is another must see, and it’s hanging around some theaters. Adults will enjoy Brave, Pixar’s much anticipated fable of a Scottish princess, and it’s a must see for kids.

The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic. The relationship drama 360, which opens this week, is a snoozer.

I haven’t yet seen the franchise thriller The Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker). You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the American spy documentary, The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby.

Bill W.: the reluctant founder of a movement

August 8, 2012 by movie gourmet

The excellent documentary Bill W. tells the story of Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and it’s quite a story. We see Wilson’s own battle with the bottle, including a pivotal moment when he is about to enter a hotel bar in Akron, but instead decides “to call another drunk”. The story follows his cobbling together what became the 12 step model and his keeping alive the AA movement in its early days. But the most compelling story – and the heart of the film – is Bill Wilson.

Wilson was a reluctant movement leader. His primary passion was for business, in which his drinking killed his potential success. Instead, he achieved fame and historical importance in a field not of his choosing. As the founder, he could have easily formed AA into a hierarchy with himself at the top – and AA as his personal power base. But, once AA could stand on its own, he chose to walk away from its leadership. His decision not to commercialize AA deprived himself of a millionaire’s lifestyle.

Producer and co-director Dan Carracino reminded the audience at my screening that the movie aims to tell the story of Bill Wilson, not to be an exhaustive history of AA.

Because Bill W. primarily uses historical film footage and photos for visuals, and the recorded voice of Wilson himself, along with talking heads who knew him, the audience gets a solid sense of his personality. There are some visual re-enactments (of Wilson’s drinking days and early AA meetings) that are successful because they are narrated by the real Bill W. himself.

I was fortunate to see the film in an audience that contained over 200 AA members, and they responded especially favorably to the film. At its core, Bill W. tells a fascinating story, and I would recommend it for anyone. Bill W. is being self-distributed with both special screenings and theater runs in various cities.