The First Time (Sony DVD)/Hemel
(Artsploitation DVD)/Trouble In The
Heights (Viva DVD/all 2012)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D/C+/D Films: C+/C+/B-
Now for
some independent productions that were ambitious for a change, including one
that may become a minor classic…
Johnathan
Kasdan’s The First Time is a very
nice attempt to do a coming of age story that is not phony, yet not loaded with
tired, crude, stupid dialogue that is not always successful, but at least tries
and never feel phony or sexually suppressed as Dave (Dylan O’Brien) is talking
to himself unhappily after a party is ended by the police when he is overheard
by Aubrey (Britt Robertson) who lands up spending much time talking with
him. He has a female friend (Victoria
Justice as Jane) and she is dating, but not necessarily happy about it.
Though
there are many talking head moments, I was surprised about how well thought out
this was, though at times it can feel like someone reading from a script and
the pair have some chemistry, but the film lands up feeling odd in the en and
Kasdan (who wrote the script as well) runs into some trouble trying to show the
female discourse necessary to making this work.
Still,
this is quality work and is worth a look, especially since it is so much better
than most of the titles in its genre in recent years starting by treating the
audience and the characters like mature, three-dimensional human beings and we
see that less and less these days.
There are
no extras.
Sacha
Polak’s Hemel is a more graphic and
sexual tale about the title character (Hannah Hoekstra) having many bold sexual
encounters for her age (we’re not being naïve here) and a normal relationship
with her father. As was the case in Bonjour Tristesse (reviewed on Blu-ray
elsewhere on this site), she becomes jealous when her father finds a woman in
his life the same age.
This is a
Dutch film and it is more explicit and honest about its sex, sexuality and
themes than its U.S. equivalents,
though no where near as bold and shocking as what you would see in Paul
Verhoeven’s early works before he moved to his more cynical Hollywood works.
Like The First Time, this is a little more
hit than miss, but also covers some territory we have seen before, yet it too
has its moments and tr4eats the audience and characters with respect and
intelligence. There is a laid back
quality to this work at times that also makes sense and it is worth a look as a
result.
Extras
include a nicely illustrated 12-page booklet on the film including informative
text, reversible cover, Original Theatrical Trailer and on-camera interview
piece with Director Polak, lead Hoekstra and Screenwriter Helena Van Der
Meulen.
Last but
definitely not least is Writer/Director Johnathan Ullman’s Trouble In The Heights, one of the best independent New York School
of Filmmaking-styled works I have seen in a long time. A look at life for African American and
Latino Americans in the Big Apple, life is tough, but some people may have some
great things happening for them soon.
However, a wacky incident changes everything when young best friends
Javy (a remarkable performance by young Antonio Ortiz) and Robbie (Cruz
Santiago) go where they should not and find fireworks.
When they
set them off, they set off all the fireworks in the building, burning the
building down and killing someone… one who happens to be the relatives of
Italian gangsters whop own the place and are up to no good. The teens do manage to save a bag filled with
a ton of paper cash and when they are identified by old surveillance cameras,
they start to be hunted down.
The film
opens like it will be another tired formulaic Hip Hop music filled formula
romp, but after a minute, it starts to turn into so much more with a great
cast, fine acting, surprisingly solid directing and an intelligent, suspenseful
screenplay that shames most urban productions I have seen of late.
Rayniel
Rufino is terrific as Javy’s older brother Diego who is a cook, potential chef,
has just received a raise at a major restaurant and has to be the most mature
and thought out person around under a circumstance that becomes increasingly
ugly and could be awful. It is a great
character and one that will stay with all who watch since in real life, there
are more young men like Diego who try and do the best they can in life and
under tough circumstances, then never, never, ever get the credit or any thanks
for it. It is honesty like that and
other memorable scenes, circumstances and the fine flow of the film that makes Trouble In The Heights a minor classic,
a film of the importance of Spike Lee’s She’s
Gotta Have It (1986) and even with a few minor plot issues (possibly caused
by its low budget, but I will not spoil anything), this is must-see filmmaking
for anyone seri0us about pure cinema. I
also hope the cast and Ullman get to make more films and other projects because
they are very impressive here.
There are
very sadly no extras, but this film should definitely call for a special
edition in the near future.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on Time,
2.20 X 1 image on Hemel and 1.78 X 1
on Heights are all on par with each
other, have some good shots, but sadly not being defined as they should for
even standard definition DVD, though I bet all would benefit from Blu-ray
release. The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on Time and lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
on Hemel and Heights all fare better, but all are dialogue-based and low budget,
so sonics and soundfield are limited, yet all are as professionally recorded as
possible.
- Nicholas Sheffo
