Review: ‘WOLVES’ depicts a young man trapped between boyhood and manhood.

Presents

Bart Freundlich’s new film WOLVES

From the famous courts of West 4th Street, to the tenements overlooking the bridges of the lower east side, Wolves paints an original, diverse, and emotional portrait of a boy becoming a man in New York City. 18-year-old, Anthony Keller is a high school basketball star. Now in his senior year he is being recruited by Cornell University, a dream come true.  Called “Saint” by everyone at his school (St. Anthony’s), he does his best to live up to his name.  He is captain of his team, a good student, has a long time girlfriend and some good friends.  But the ease with which he moves through his life is a facade. At home, Anthony struggles with his troubled Father, Lee Keller, (Michael Shannon) and his gambling addiction.  Anthony’s Mother, Jenny, (Carla Gugino) has made it her mission to keep the family afloat but has done so only with great emotional and financial sacrifice.

As Anthony approaches the end of his senior year and the city finals, he is faced with adversity from all sides, and the stakes are high.  He must find his own definition of what it means to be a man, both on and off the court, and in doing so he is confronted with the decision of a lifetime.

There is definitely more than meets the eye to this coming of age, high school basketball story. Newcomer Taylor John Smith plays “Saint”, a kid trying desperately to make everyone around him happy. He is emotionally stretched thin and like many high school students who want/need to achieve their lofty dreams, finally meets his breaking point. WOLVES is filled to the brim with fantastic performances. With a heavy hitting cast alongside Smith, there are more layers to this film, and it all comes down to perspective.

Smith’s lead performance is natural, endearing, and powerful. The abusive aspect of the film coming directly from Michael Shannon (as his father), is tough stuff for any actor. But for Smith to easily go toe to toe with a vet like Shannon, all I can say is, “Bravo.” Speaking of Shannon, he plays a real self-loathing scumbag. Unhappy and resentful professor with a gambling addiction, he not only doles out physical abuse to his son but a heavy handed dose of emotional as well. Shannon gives a performance closer to his early seasons on Boardwalk Empire, short fuse and potentially underlying sociopathic tendencies. Carla Gugino is better than ever as the mother trapped in a marriage of frustration and protection of her son and her own sanity. Grittier than her performance in Match but equally as wonderful. For me, the most noteworthy role is one of the smallest. As a momentary surrogate father figure, former pro-baller and wise truth speaking guru, John Douglas Smith is a master. Some of the most impassioned moments in the script come from the mouth of this character Socrates (aptly named). I could have watched this man wax philosophic for the entire film. He was the grounding force the script so desperately needed, as not to lead it into after-school special territory.

On the whole, you will route for WOLVES and the storyline. You can catch the film in theaters and On Demand, tomorrow March 3rd. Check out the trailer below.

In Theaters & On Demand on March 3rd

RT: 110 Minutes

Happy 15th Anniversary! TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2016 started today. Check out some of the films we’re excited about!

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For such a new festival, only 15 years old, the Tribeca Film Festival is well known and becomes more attended every year with almost 500 screenings and over 467,000 attendees in 2015. The screenings take place at 5 different venues throughout lower Manhattan and represent over 40 countries.

“Over 400 films have been acquired after premiering at Tribeca. On average, more than half of available films find distribution within a year of their Tribeca premiere.”

Melissa and I are very excited about several movies this year, and we’d like to share which are on our lists. Here’s the top three for each, in no particular order. We’ll be sharing more day by day. We’ve already got a few interviews lined up and we’ll be tweeting and instagramming some of the unique experiences from the Tribeca Hub. Stayed tuned!

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The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Based on Jason Sudeikis’ brilliant performance in last year’s Tumbledown, I’m excited to see him in another drama. Plus Maisie Williams AND a score by Justin Timberlake, what’s not to look forward to? – Liz

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Women Who Kill

Sharp dialogue and an intriguing premise make this one of my favorites so far. – Melissa

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Don’t Think Twice

Having seen Mike Birbiglia’s comedy in person, his particular brand of humor is something everyone can relate to. Sleepwalk With Me was a Tribeca hit and if Ira Glass is producing your work, well that says a whole lot about the quality. – Liz

Here aloneHere, Alone

Remember those first few episodes of The Walking Dead when life was turned upside down and you watched people change? This movie captures that through the eyes of a young woman trying to survive. Less zombies, more humans = better story. – Melissa

High RiseHigh Rise

Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons are at the helm of this breathtaking adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel. Being familiar with Ben Wheatley’s other work, I was blown away by the colorful feast I was treated to. The entire ensemble cast is beyond stellar. Wrought with foreshadowing, both auditory and visual, from the music to the cinematic framing, High Rise is an incredibly cool and poignant commentary on class warfare. – Liz

nullWolves

I love a deep drama, and look forward to this story of a boy growing up in New York City. – Melissa


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For tickets and more information in the meantime, visit TribecaFilm.com