It is the Story of EZRA

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Tony Goldwyn and Bleecker Street is the story of a father and his young autistic son EZRA.

Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale) is a stand-up comedian who is the father of autistic son Ezra (William Fitzgerald). Sharing parenting with ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne), Ezra also has a connection with grandfather Stan (Robert De Niro). The young boy has been showing signs of disruptive behavior in school and when Max is told that medication and a special school are in Ezra’s future, Max is not happy.

Trying to get Jenna to listen, Max feels as if he is the voice of reason for Ezra which includes not taking any medication but instead trying to understand him. Jenna’s boyfriend Bruce (Tony Goldwyn) offers to help and later that night Ezra overhears Bruce saying something that frightens him. Flying out of the house, he gets hurt leading to a confrontation at the local hospital.

Letting his anger get the best of him, Max becomes confrontational and it costs him time with Ezra. Determined to help him all while getting a stand-up gig on the Kimmel Show, Max takes Ezra without permission. He seeks the help of his friend Nick (Rainn Wilson) which doesn’t last long, then friend Grace (Vera Farmiga). Jenna is losing her mind trying to find Ezra and she turns to Stan for help and they are on the road as well.

Cannavale as Max is a father who is trying to do one better than his own father. He wants Ezra to be part of his world minus the behaviors that seem to cause his son so many problems. Cannavale’s character is sweet, charming but has some anger issues that clearly get in the way of doing the right thing by Ezra. There are challenges that Max meets on the road with Ezra and with that, Max learns more about himself.

Fitzgerald as Ezra is truly amazing in this role dealing with a mother who is over protective and a father who seems to always be on the loud side of things. His connection with grandfather Stan is one of simplicity. De Niro as grandpa Stan is a man who is not comfortable sharing his feelings about what happened with Max’s mother or as Max was growing up. When Stan’s back is up against it, he must come clean about his own feelings before its too late.

Byrne as ex-wife Jenna is a woman who seems to always be at odds with both Max and Ezra. Feeling overwhelmed by Ezra’s behaviors, she really loses it when Max decides to take their son and it all turns sideways when the police get involved. Byrne is a loving Mom who is trying to balance a son, an ex and a former father-in-law.

Shout out to Goldwyn as Bruce in this minor role (he is busy being the director of course) but his moment causes the chaos that is to come.

Other cast include Tess Goldwyn as Mrs. Cathro, Matilda Lawler as Ruby, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Principal Lee, Lois Robbins as Susan, Ella Ayberk as Dr. Tamarov, Jackson Frazer as Ridgeway, Geoffrey Owens as Robert Segal, and Whoopi Goldberg as Jayne.

Bleecker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

EZRA is the moving story of a father who truly wants what is best for his son. Feeling that his son needs an advocate, Cannavale as Max can’t help but become aggressive when he feels that he is not being heard. That is ironic considering that his own son has those very same feeling but not exactly about the same things as his father.

Their road trip brings a bit of understanding to them both about their feelings. The added mix of De Niro as Stan and Byrne as Jenna leads them on their own journey to correct things that had kept them at odds as well. The film is charming, sad, touching and has its moments of pure joy. It isn’t just about autism, it isn’t just about father’s and son’s, it isn’t just about marriages and secrets – it is above love and how it sometimes gets lost in the messes we all make.

In the end - it is a lifesaving road trip for them all!

A Deeper Look at JOKER

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Todd Phillips and Warner Bros. is a dark look at an iconic villain from his beginning to becoming JOKER.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a meek clown who is the target of everyone who sees him as weak. It's not just the bullies on the street that take aim at him but also the other clowns he works with. Taking care of his mother Penny (Frances Conroy), they live in the downtrodden part of Gotham City.

On his way home in full clown regalia, Arthur comes face to face with more humiliation when he fights back. Unfazed by it, he returns home again to his mother who believes that her previous employer will help their plight.

In the meantime, Arthur works on his comedy act and hopes that one day he will be on Live with Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). Practicing his skills he hopes to impress lovely neighbor Sophie (Zazie Beetz) and invites her to watch his performance. Returning home late, he discovers Penny is ill and there are detectives wanting to talk to him.

While she recovers, Arthur sees a recording of his performance airing on Live with Murray Franklin and finally has his chance to make a comedic impact, but not before he lets people around him know that things are about to change.

Say hello to Joker!

Phoenix as Arthur takes this iconic villain deeper than ever before. His story is complex, dark, and heart breaking to watch. Coming in at 121 minutes, the story slowly makes its way to a climax that is as hauntingly beautiful (there is no other way to describe it) as is his portrayal. The physicality of Arthur is one thing but in those eyes lives everything that is Arthur Fleck. The pain, confusion, delusion and the desire to be something more than most can imagine. That is why the critics have just become mesmerized by what Phoenix has done with the Joker.

Conroy as Penny is a woman fixated on finding a way for them both to struggle less. Conroy has always found roles that are complex and as the mother of Joker she truly has placed herself in an arc in his storyline. Beetz as Sophie lives close to Arthur and he finds her intriguing with a chance to offer a bit of solace from the real world.

De Niro as Murray Franklin dons his caricature of Johnny Carson in bad suits and snide comments yet Arthur and his mother shared nightly television time. His part is pivotal in the evolution of Arthur Fleck into Joker. 

Other cast include Shea Whigham as Detective Burke, Bill Camp as Detective Garrity, Glenn Fleshler as Randall, Leigh Gill as Gary, Josh Pais as Hoyt, Rocco Luna as GiGi, Marc Maron as Gene, Sondra James as Dr. Sally, Murphy Guyer as Barry, Douglas Hodge as Alfred and Brett Cullen as Thomas Wayne.

I know it is easy to jump to the comparison between Phoenix's portrayal of the JOKER and Heath Ledger's (or Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero for that matter) take on the iconic character. I will admit to having the same reservations but I'm here to tell you to put those thoughts at rest. THIS is not THAT Joker. Phoenix gives us an deeper and disturbing look at what brought about the growth of Arthur Fleck. I feel there is a melding of these Joker portrayals and they call can co-exist quite happily.

In JOKER, Gotham is a dark place filled with struggling citizens and it could easily be said that it is a statement of what is going on in the world today. The film could be picked apart for a political view about the rich versus the poor and lack of law and the double talk of elections but, I will save that for others who want to look for that. I wanted to invest myself in the character of Arthur Fleck and his story.

Joker wasn't born Joker, he was born a child who became Arthur Fleck who became the Joker. That is what this film addresses and it is a nightmare in a city full of nightmares. Gotham has given birth to villainy but it's not only Arthur Fleck. There is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, Edward Nigma, Dr. Pamela Isley, Harleen Quinzel just to name a few of those who turned to a life of crime.

What Phoenix and Todd have managed to do is tell the story of a future arch enemy making it possible to tell more of those stories. Personally I hope it doesn't become a habit because there is something about not knowing every little thing about every nemesis of Gotham. At the same time I am curious if Phoenix could take his portrayal of the Joker and take it one step further.

I believe that die-hard fans of the comic will be thrilled because it does take in the dark side and less of a comic side. That doesn't mean there aren't chuckles but they are uncomfortable in a way that is hard to describe. Phoenix takes us into Arthur/Joker's dark place and we stay there the entire time because, to be honest, we can't look away.

In the end - put on a happy face!

WIZARD OF LIES Comes to Bluray from HBO

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from director Barry Levinson and HBO Home Entertainment is an inside look at corruption and destruction with WIZARD OF LIES.

Bernie Madoff (Robert De Niro) had one of the biggest businesses on Wall Street. Known for being a wizard of making money, people from all walks of life put their life savings into investments. Along with sons Mark (Alessandro Nivola) and Andrew (Nathan Darrow), they were living the life of success.

That is until Bernie must tell his family that the FBI is investigating the business for fraud. This sets in motion a rush to see who will get the information needed or destroy the information first as the FBI raid the offices. Frank DiPascali (Hank Azaria) makes an effort to get to the 17^th floor first!

As the SEC begin their intense investigation, family, co-workers and investors begin to tell their story of how Bernie brought them all in to the business. Now called the worst Ponzi scheme in American history there is over $50 billion (yes, that billion with a ‘b’) in other people’s money gone.

Bernie doesn’t seem to understand the predicament he is in as wife Ruth (Michelle Pfeiffer) begins to see her family unravel. Mark and Andrew have all but stopped talking to their parents and brother Peter (Michael Kostroff) is make it clear to authorities that he knew nothing of what Bernie had been doing.

When the news catches wind of the story, every person who has ever invested with Madoff comes to the realization that their lives have been destroyed. Bernie and Ruth try to decide how to get free of it all in the most dramatic way possible and his sons are bombarded by the press with the allegation that they knew everything.

As the evidence mounts, there is only one thing Bernie Madoff can do, plead guilty and go to jail. Thinking that will stop everything from reaching his family, he couldn’t be more wrong as Ruth, Mark and Andrew continue to be affected by the lies Bernie told for almost twenty years.

This is the story of one man’s lies to the ruin of lives.

De Niro as Bernie Madoff is amazing to the point where I forgot it was him behind the makeup. The fascinating part of his portrayal of this man is how Madoff can not seem to grasp what he had done. There are moments where I kept saying out loud ‘you’ve got to be kidding me man!’ when he would seem to play innocent. That’s what De Niro does for a character that had me so involved in the story what I’m yelling at a man playing the character of a man I’ll never meet. Frakken awesome!

Pfeiffer as Ruth is a woman who can not even imagine that a man she spent most of her life living with was capable of such a thing. Becoming comfortable in the life that Bernie provided, she can not wrap her head around how deep the affect might be. When it all comes down fast, Pfeiffer just brings on the sadness, sass and pain that came hard. Playing opposite De Niro, she is definitely an equal partner in making this story line work.

Nivola as Mark is a son who just wanted to be a part of his father’s business. Constantly told by his father that he isn’t ready, it all begins to make sense when the FBI steps in. The bigger problem is that Mark can not get past what his father did and the public fallout. It begins to become an obsession that is tragic.

Darrow as Andrew knows the only way to get away from what his father has done is by totaling cutting his parents out. Keeping his family safe from the government and the public means doing what ever he must to set things as right as they can be.

Other cast include Kathrine Narducci as Eleanor Squillari, Steve Coulter as Martin London, David Lipman as Martin Flumenbaum, Kelly AuCoin as Agent Cacioppi, Amanda Warren as the SEC Investigator, Mark La Mura as Ike Sorkin, Kristen Connolly as Stephanie Madoff and Lily Rabe as Catherine Hooper.

HBO Home Entertainment has an extensive array of critically-acclaimed and groundbreaking programs found on Bluray, DVD and Digital HD. They have provided viewers with some of the most amazing programs with huge fan bases that include the shows True Blood, Sex and the City, The Sopranos, True Detectives, The Wire, Entourage and Game of Thrones. Launched in 1984, HBO is world wide in viewed entertainment in more than 70 territories around the world! For more of what they have to offer please visit www.hbo.com.

The WIZARD OF LIES Bluray includes the Bonus Features of In-Depth Interviews with stars Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer plus director Barry Levinson and author Diana B. Henriques. I highly suggest giving this extra a look-see!

WIZARD OF LIES is a compelling look at the story of Bernie Madoff with its twists and turns. The addition of the jail house interview with Diana B. Henriques who wrote Wizard of Lies: Bernard Madoff and the Death of Trust, adds such authenticity and draws the viewer in immediately. I have to say that I was so wrapped up in De Niro and Pfeiffer’s performances that I reacted strongly to the entire film.

Having a look inside the family there is honestly nothing that surprised me in their handling of the situation. How does a family deal with knowing that their lives and everything they believed they have worked for is all a lie? The man they trusted to lead them is a lie? I can not even imagine it.

The script written by Sam Levinson, who also wrote and directed ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, and directed by his father Barry Levinson is well done and shot beautifully. I would expect no less from the Levinson group.

In the end – only those you trust can truly betray you!

The Michael Mann’s Masterpiece HEAT Comes to Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray next week from writer/director Michael Mann and 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes the Director’s Definitive Edition of HEAT.

Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a professional thief and along with crew Chris (Val Kilmer), Breedan (Dennis Haysbert), Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) are always out to score big money. Wanting to make a big score – McCauley loses control of the heist and it brings in heavy law enforcement.

Trying to connect the dots when the robbery takes out armored car security, Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is on the scene. Along with his law enforcement crew of Sgt. Drucker (Mykelti Williamson), Casals (Wes Studi) and Bosko (Ted Levine), Hanna knows that he will have to turn over every rock to find someone who will talk.

McCauley wants one more shot at a final score before retiring and even though he feels that law enforcement are breathing down his neck, it won’t stop him. What just might is falling for Eady (Amy Brenneman) which goes against his dictum of ‘never have anything in your life that you can’t walk out on in thirty seconds flat’.

Hanna becomes so involved in trying to nail McCauley and his gang, home life with wife Justine (Diane Verona) begins to a very big back seat. Each minute away from home brings Hanna closer to learning where the next heist will take place.

Final showdown is inevitable!

Pacino as Hanna is absolutely stunning as a police officer dedicated to catching the bad guy. Using every trick in the book, he seems to be one step behind the bad guy which only intensifies his resolve to make it all stop. I love Pacino in intense roles like this one because he not only becomes unreadable at times but still manages to surprise me and this role did just that.

De Niro as McCauley is equally as intense in this role. As McCauley, De Niro knows exactly what it takes to stay in control and focus on the goal. Even the moments where he seems to be softening, there are hard edges that even Brenneman gets cut on. Seeing Pacino and De Niro on screen together in the restaurant scene just gave me chills that I haven’t felt since THE GODFATHER II. Love both of these actors!

Brenneman as Eady is a woman who sees McCauley as a challenge to get close to. Not realizing what he is capable of, she suspects that there is something surrounding him and, of course, she wants to save him from himself.

Kilmer as Shiherlis knows what he is doing when it comes to crime but has no idea how to keep the wife happy. The relationship between McCauley and Shiherlis is tight and Kilmer delivers. Judd as Charlene is a woman I wouldn’t trust with a ten foot pole or secrets for that matter.

Sizemore as Cheritto brings in the tough criminal who swings a weapon with no fear. Haysbert as Breedan is a line cook who misses the old life but gets one more shot at it! Voight as Nate tries to keep the plans moving in the right direction.

Levine as Bosko always makes an interesting law man yet I still can’t get his role in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS out of my head. Fichtner as Van Zant is a man who clearly doesn’t know who he is dealing with and going against McCauley isn’t such a good idea.

Cast also includes Diane Verona as Justine, Ashley Judd as Charlene Shiherlis, Natalie Portman as Lauren Gustafson, and Tom Noonan as Kelso.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The HEAT Bluray Special Features include new Academy Panel reuniting director Mann, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and moderated by Christopher Nolan, Toronto International Film Festival Q&A with director Mann, Commentary by Michael Mann, The Making of Heat – True Crime, Crime Stories, Into the Fire, Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation, Return to the Scene of the Crime, Additional Footage of Deleted Scenes, and Theatrical Trailers – Surprise of a Lifetime, Two Actors Collide, Closing In.

Taking inspiration from the late Chicago police detective Charlie Adamson – who was killed by the actual Neil McCauley in a shootout in 1963 – HEAT was the culmination of years of research by director Mann resulting in its depth and range of characters and choreography of action.

It has been 20 years since HEAT first riveted audiences and anyone who watches it today could never tell that all these years has passed. That’s how amazing the storytelling, performances and cinematography and direction is for this film. The action sequences are impeccable and scary at the same time.

This is what filmmaking should always be and Mann now brings brilliance to Bluray for everyone to see with over one hour of extras. Be prepared to be blown away once again or for the first time!

I personally am excited that HEAT is coming to Bluray as anytime Pacino and De Niro get together you can be sure it will be an epic experience. HEAT will make fans happy and bring a new generation into the fold. It’s a film that embodies perfection in every sense.

In the end – a Los Angeles crime drama like no other!