From director Kelly Fremon Craig comes The Edge of Seventeen, a story centered around a young high school girl named Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) and the trials and tribulations known simply as, “her life.” This coming of age movie provides a comedic, yet brutally honest look at what it’s like to be different and face the daily struggle of growing up. Like many films that have come before and spoken to a generation that yearns to be seen for their individualism, this film screams for millennials in a way no other could.
High school junior Nadine leads a complicated existence. Between her awkwardness, dealing with a family tragedy, and a mother (Kyra Sedgwick) trying to understand how to connect with her, life hasn’t exactly worked out the way she planned. Nadine has navigated most of her life with best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), her only friend who has helped curb her feelings of being an outcast and stands as the lone bright light in her dark world. All of that changes when Krista begins to date Nadine’s older brother Darian (Blake Jenner), which leads to a total meltdown mentally for Nadine. Faced with the unknown of her life once again, Nadine turns to her teacher and reluctant mentor Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) for words of wisdom to help her face the world that she now faces, but it’s an unexpected friendship with Erwin (Hayden Szeto), an equally as awkward student who might be the one to show her that things aren’t that terrible after all.
This film connects with the psyche of every person who ever felt out of place in a big world where nothing makes sense. Hailee Steinfeld is quirky and wonderful as the unpredictable Nadine. She embodies the essence of being an awkward outcast with perfection. Woody Harrelson is wonderfully cast in the role of Mr Bruner and offers a raw, carefully restrained voice of reason for Nadine which, at times, seems to speak directly to the audience to provide some free therapy for our own lives. The stand out star of the film is Hayden Szeto whose thoughtful, awkward Erwin shows Nadine that it’s OK to be live by different rules and not allow it to exist as a negative in your life.
Overall, The Edge of Seventeen is the perfect coming of age film for this generation and stands as a reminder to us all to take a look inside and remember what it’s like to grow up.
Stars:
4 out of 5
Trailer:
Writer/Director Mike Mills knows women. He appreciates the ins and outs, the nuances of age and stage and the humor in everyday life. Annette Bening asks one of her tenants Abbie, and son’s high school aged best friend, Julie to teach him how to be a food man. Since his father is out of the picture and mother Dorothea has trouble keeping an age appropriate man around for long, she had enlisted help. thankfully she has been thus far successful in raising an open-minded and perfectly curious boy. His inspiration for exploring the world is only enhanced by the eclectic females he is surrounded by. The film is funny and sweet. It’s a bit if a time capsule and yet somehow remains timeless in the theme of self discovery. The transitions are like colorful music videos mixed with punk music from Talking Heads and Black Flag.
After seeing Stewart and Assayas team up on the NYFF52 film Clouds of Sils Maria, there was doubt that we were in for a unique treat in Personal Shopper. Some might still be skeptical of Stewart’s work if they’ve only been exposed to The Twilight franchise. She admits that it most definitely gave her the option to choose her work. Her indie film roles are nothing short of impressive. Clouds allowed her to be the first American actress to win France’s most prominent Cesar award. Stewart plays Maureen, dealing or not dealing with the death of her twin brother, she floats through life by attending to a spoiled supermodel’s fashion needs all while suspecting her brother is trying to contact her from the beyond. Caught between her own sanity and a murder mystery, Stewart bares all in an emotionally wrought and frightening tale that makes us ponder our own beliefs and life choices. With some of the world’s most beautiful fashion as eye candy, Paris and London as our backgrounds, and the trust Assayas has with his leading lady, I was constantly on edge and intrigued. The pace is great and the use of texting as a major plot point brings technology to the forefront in more than one way. Assasya’ long lingering shots, he admitted in the press conference following the screening, were half by choice and half due to the performance Stewart was giving at any moment in time. Their relationship is very clear as you watch. She is in almost every frame. that is a lot to carry as a young actress, but she 100% owns this film. I was able to ask both Assayas and Stewart if they believed in the paranormal and their answers were perfection. you can watch the footage below. If eerie movies are your thing, then this is most likely one you’re enjoy. If you want to see a gorgeously shot film with a stellar leading lady, this too fits the bill. If you’re open minded about things that are considered other worldly, if nothing else, Personal Shopper begs the question, “Is death the end?”
As he begins to piece together the plot against Turner, Reacher himself comes under suspicion of murder and finds himself on the run from not only the authorities, but the organization that wants Turner eliminated. The race is on to discover the truth behind who really framed them for crimes they didn’t commit.
Jarmusch does it again with this seemingly simplistic story. The film elegant in that very simplicity. Following Paterson along on his daily routine, which only slight varies as the plot rolls along, we are privy to the everyday moments we often take for granted. We watch his breakfast, eavesdrop on conversations among his route passengers, sit with him on lunch breaks, walking home, and his nightly interactions with local bar patrons, his dog Marvin, and girlfriend Laura. She is a free spirit, artist, baker, and aspiring musician, painting everything in their home in black & white patterns. This is a stark juxtaposition to the lush cinematography when Paterson is out and about. There is an abundance of visual symbolism utilizing time and shadows and even with an almost 2 hr run-time, the film never loses its gentle pace. The beautifully easy score that underlies Adam Driver‘s fantastic voice overs as he writes his poetry in real-time, only serves to highlight how lovely this film truly is. Driver brilliantly portrays a man of calm and old-fashioned demeanor. He is quietly contemplative and extremely well read. With each role, he proves more and more what a star he is.
Director Justin Kelly‘s intense film comes out of the gate with a bang and does not let up until the final frame. It’s a no holds bar look at the gay porn industry and those inside it. Whether you are at home on your PC, or out and about 
Christian Slater hits a grand slam in this titular role. He walks the thin line of creepy and sad with perfection. Even though you know his character is taking full advantage of his “employees”, somehow you still feel for him. Garrett Clayton, who I had not seen previously, blew me away as our young sought after “Brent Corrigan”. I was convinced they had found a porn star that could, in fact, act really well. 
Sometimes, when you get really lucky, you get to be part of movie history. When Kevin Pollak got the call that he was going to direct a movie version of Ken Baker‘s Book, “The Late Bloomer: A Memoir of My Body”, I was in the room. We were just sitting down for a small roundtable interview for his Tribeca Film Festival Film documentary 
They say you can never go home again. Maybe some of us should heed this advice depending on the skeletons in our closets. In Thomas Dekker‘s new film JACK GOES HOME, Rory Culkin finds himself playing the title character whose loss might be his greatest gain. Or maybe it’s the other way around.
I’ve see a horror film or two in my day, but I’ve never seen anything like Jack Goes Home. The story appears to be straight forward: Jack’s parents are in a car accident. His father dies and he goes home to take care of his mother, who has survived. When something goes bump in the night, he is compelled, by his father’s own words, to explore his childhood like never before. It doesn’t take too long before things get weird. Grief can make people act in funny ways, but this film takes it to a whole other level. Dekker’s script is off the hinges with scares both physically and emotionally. You’re never quite sure who is fooling whom. 
With genre veteran Lin Shaye as Jack’s mother, you’re immediately thrown for a loop. Her presence is this insane mix of calming and unnerving. Each scene she appears in makes your skin crawl. Rory Culkin is more intense with each role he takes on. Following up on his fierce performance in 
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