Movie review: ‘Teenage Paparazzo’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: Fame has a dark side, even for a 14-year-old celebrity photographer, as seen in the documentary “Teenage Paparazzo.”

Austin Visschedyk, left, and Adrian Grenier,
in a scene from “Teenage Paparazzo.”

Austin Visschedyk appears to be a normal kid. His voice hasn’t cracked, and his face makes him look 10, even though he’s really 14. His whole life is still ahead of him.

But how many 14-year-old boys do you know who have a promising career in progress? And whose working hours seem like those of a bartender? Who travels the streets of Los Angeles by skateboard at 2 a.m. to chase celebrities in hopes of getting that perfect picture?

He’s the titular hero of the documentary, “Teenage Paparazzo,” which opens the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival on Friday.

Austin is a prodigy at photography, and life. Constantly on the phone with other Hollywood paparazzi, he always seeks out the next big celebrity sighting. His work has appeared in the biggest entertainment magazines and websites.

All was going as planned, until he met “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier, who points the camera at him in a reversal of roles.

Austin feels conflicted in his new relationship. Sometimes, he loves the attention and newfound fame. Other times, it becomes an annoyance and a hazard to his career. Grenier, both co-star and director of this film, becomes emotionally entangled with Austin while trying to open his eyes to other more fulfilling opportunities in life.

Is fame really all it’s cracked up to be? You be the judge. With cameos by Matt Damon, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Alec Baldwin and Whoopi Goldberg, the movie presents a different perspective of Hollywood in a compelling way.

“Teenage Paparazzo” is a fabulous film because it offers Hollywood glitz and glamor, along with resulting delusions. The appeal of fame should carry a warning: Be careful what you wish for.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Teenage Paparazzo” will open the festival at 8 p.m. Friday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Interview with Adrian Grenier, director of “Teenage Paparazzo”

Video: “Teenage Paparazzo” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @TeenPaparazzo | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the Hollywood Reporter | Pajiba | Cinematical | Eye Weekly | Straight | The Documentary Blog
• Additional information on Sidewalk opening night

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com

For those looking to get away from the excitement of movies and live music at this weekend’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, we have a special announcement. This year’s lineup of Sidetalk panels will include “Media Criticism: Is It Dead?” with me, Wade Kwon, Birmingham’s best blogger (if not most humble).

Joining me on the panel are …

Aaron Hillis (@cobblehillis), movie blogger in Brooklyn, editor of GreenCine Daily, contributor to the Village Voice and vice president and co-founder of Benten Films, a boutique distribution label.

Claudia Puig (@claudiapuig), Los Angeles-based movie writer for USA Today. Prior to joining the newspaper in 1997, she worked as a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for 11 years.

What to expect:

In a world in which everyone can critique concerts, albums and films via blogging and other forms of online writing, do the opinions of professional critics in the industry still matter? What is the state of media criticism, and what is its future?

The hourlong panel takes place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Birmingham International Center, 1728 Fifth Ave. N. [map].

Also of note: Our Shout movie critic Chance Shirley will be on the panel “Changing Forms of Distribution,” taking place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the same location. And one of our Sidewalk movie critics, Jennifer West, will be managing all the Sidetalk panels on Saturday and Sunday.

Sidetalk panels are free and open to the public. For more information on this and other panels, visit the Sidewalk website.

• • •

The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival takes place Friday through Sunday in downtown Birmingham. Tickets: three-day pass, $50, $40 for members and students; one-day pass, $20, $15 for members and students.

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Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Gabi on the Roof in July’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The actors in “Gabi on the Roof in July” used improvisation to define their tiresome, self-centered characters.

A scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Cheering for the hamster in a movie about underdogs trying to make it in the big city might be all the warning you need.

“Gabi on the Roof in July” focuses on young artists living in New York struggling to discover themselves. Gabi leaves college for the summer to spend time with her brother Sam and escape from the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce.

The movie screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

I appreciate the unique tack that writer and director Lawrence Levine took letting the actors develop their characters through improvisation, then developing the storyline of the script itself. The acting is truly great, but I found it extremely hard to identify in any way with the characters themselves.

The main character, Gabi (Sophia Takal), comes across as a spoiled and annoying child. It’s really difficult to listen to her talk even for brief moments. You just want to yell “Grow up!” at the screen each time she speaks (or strips in an attempt to be an “artist”).

Her brother Sam (Levine) is no better. At first, he seems like the only character about whom you might actually care, but he quickly blows that by adopting his sister’s self-indulgent behaviors. Neither seem to care about anyone else but themselves, which in turn makes it hard to care about them.

I lost all interest about halfway through the 99-minute runtime, making for an endless second half. Only one word comes to mind when considering the entire movie: pretentious.

I did really like one character, the hamster. He didn’t say a damn word the whole time. And just in time for the credits, the hamster finally gets put out of his misery, just like us.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Gabi on the Roof in July” will screen at 11:20 a.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre Studio Loft. The short “Hipster Job” precedes it.

Video: Gabi and Garrett make a bet, in a scene
from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Video: An art dealer checks out Sam’s work,
in a scene from “Gabi on the Roof in July.”

Video: “Gabi on the Roof in July” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @gabiontheroof | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from Box Office Magazine | CQ Central | Jason Watches Movies | Movie and Television Arts

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Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Hey Boo: Harper Lee and “To Kill a Mockingbird”‘

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” goes beyond the famed novel into the soul of its mysterious Alabama author.

Harper Lee, center, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 2007, in a scene from “Hey Boo.” Other recipients
are Brian Lamb, head of C-SPAN, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
president of Liberia.

To know Harper Lee is to know Alabama.

The Monroeville native is a mysterious and quiet woman that only wrote one book in her lifetime. This year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” turned 50. An important documentary takes a look between the lines of the novel and Lee’s life.

“Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” screens Sept. 26 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The movie explores many facets of the literary phenomenon, from the author herself to the civil rights movement entwined in the book’s DNA. Writer and director Mary Murphy possesses a passion for Lee that drives this doc. [Note: Murphy says that the festival version is a “work in progress.”]

We see an enlightening look into Lee’s childhood with neighbor and friend Truman Capote, her personal journey and her process as she writes the book. We also see her quiet retreat from the public eye after “Mockingbird’s” huge success. Insightful and rare interviews with her sister Alice Lee take us deep into the soul of the author.

Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, James McBride, James Patterson, Wally Lamb and Oprah Winfrey offer informative and moving commentary. It is fascinating to see how many powerful people Lee’s novel has deeply touched.

This film is especially important to see for Alabamians touched by racism and the civil rights movement. State history is discussed in-depth in relation to the novel, which helped spark a new movement of freedom and state of mind in the Deep South.

In that sense, “Hey Boo” is required reading, ahem … required viewing.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” will screen at 11 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Harambe Room.

Video: “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird'” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Sidewalk page

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Ready, Set, Bag!’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The winning doc “Ready, Set, Bag!” shows the speedy agility of champion baggers, while moving at an unnecessarily slower pace.

James Hunter takes home the California bagging
trophy in a scene from “Ready, Set, Bag!”

Sometimes, our whole grocery store experience is based on how quickly we can get through the checkout line. Other times, our experience is based on whether or not our bread gets smushed. A good bagger’s got your back.

“Ready, Set, Bag!” gives the audience a glimpse of big ambition from small towns across the United States in the form of bagging groceries.

The documentary screens Sept. 26 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

These workers train for months, even years, to perfect their bagging skills and qualify for the annual Best Bagger Competition. The film follows several goal-oriented state champions, who are funny and charming.

A few competitors really stand out, like Jacob Richardson from Virginia. This chatty 17-year-old bagger will win your heart from the very first scenes. Utah’s Brian Bay makes you silently root for him as he demands a rematch in Las Vegas for the national title. And don’t forget Roger Chen of Huntsville, who competes to help fund his college education.

While directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva nail the tone and the story in many ways, the film begs to be about 30 minutes shorter. Nonetheless, “Ready, Set, Bag!” is a great family film, one that will leave you smiling.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Ready, Set, Bag!” will screen at 4:15 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Georgia champion Michael Henghi enjoys the support
of co-workers and customers, in a scene from “Ready, Set, Bag!”

Video: “Ready, Set, Bag!” trailer

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Twitter @readysetbag | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the Seattle Times | Cinematical | IFC | Austinist

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Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Dogtooth’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: When parents keep children trapped at home for decades, we become sucked into the intriguing yet disturbing world of “Dogtooth.”

Older Daughter (Aggeliki Papoulia), left, and Younger Daughter
(Mary Tsoni) are ready to party in a scene from “Dogtooth.”

Imagine an upbringing where parents purposefully isolate their children from the outside world … for their entire lives. “Dogtooth” is a dark, twisted film that explores this concept, with creepy results.

The movie screens Sept. 25 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

This Greek import (originally called “Kynodontas”) with English subtitles is funny and incredibly interesting, despite the nervous, uneasy tension permeating it. A brother and and his two sisters, left nameless in the movie, reach their late 20s, having never left their parents’ seemingly idyllic home. The couple built a wall around the entire property to protect their children from the evils of the outside world.

Director Giorgos Lanthimos layers his work with subtext about the suppression of free will, but the most engaging part was how these adult children deal with their sexuality. No brother-sister boundaries exist, just basic human needs that must be met.

The universe created by these siblings is disturbing on many levels, but you will not want to look away. This is a reality where airplanes fall from the sky and cats are the enemy, a home where the absurd is borne out of boredom.

“Dogtooth” leaves so many questions unanswered. Why are the parents doing this? Were there really other children? Do any of them escape? But like the best mysteries, sometimes it’s better left to the imagination.

Jennifer West (@thejenwestquest) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She will manage the SideTalk panels at Sidewalk. And her blog, The Jen West Quest, has been featured in Health magazine.

“Dogtooth” will screen at 9:20 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: It’s time to dance, in a scene from “Dogtooth.”

Video: “Dogtooth” trailer

Video: Interview with Giorgos Lanthimos, director of “Dogtooth”

Also:

• Official site | IMDB | Facebook | Sidewalk page
• Reviews from the New York Times | Chicago Sun-Times | Slant Magazine | MTV | San Francisco Chronicle | Boston Globe

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘That Evening Sun’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The slow-paced but remarkable “That Evening Sun” portrays a love story in the guise of an old farmer’s battle for his house.

Hal Holbrook stars in “That Evening Sun.”

Old Abner Meecham fights an all too familiar battle at the end of his days, one for dignity.

A tragedy dealing with loss, aging and anger, “That Evening Sun” is a love story between a man and his house. It’s also a love story between a man and his wife, and a man and his life.

The movie screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon), a violent unemployed drunk, lives in the beloved old home of Abner (Hal Holbrook), a farmer in Tennessee. Lonzo, who shares the house with a wife and a daughter, collects disability pay, even though his injury has healed.

Meanwhile, Abner has set up in a shack on his property, refusing to leave until they move out.

This slow-paced film by writer-director Scott Teems features long beautiful shots and an eclectic old-school soundtrack. The remarkable “That Evening Sun” is worth the wait.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“That Evening Sun” will screen at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “That Evening Sun”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Ain’t It Cool News | Austin Chronicle | Creative Loafing | Examiner | Film School Rejects | Film Threat | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘You Might as Well Live’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The quirky comedy “You Might as Well Live,” about a suicidal nobody out to prove he’s somebody, is one of the best in Sidewalk’s lineup this year.

Greg Bryk, left, and Joshua Peace
star in “You Might as Well Live.”

Robert Mutt is a real somebody! Robert Mutt likes to talk about himself, or I should say, to himself, in the third person.

“You Might as Well Live” is a brilliantly wacky comedy that follows Mutt after time in a mental institution for repeated suicide attempts.

The film, directed and co-written by Simon Ennis, screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Upon his return home, he is accused of possession of child pornography. It’s up to Mutt to prove that he’s a “real somebody” and not a “douche bag.”

Trying to raise the $25 needed for an air hockey table, he dabbles in drugs, organ smuggling and Judaism.

“You Might as Well Live” will be one of the best films you will see at Sidewalk this year.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“You Might as Well Live” will screen at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre. Opening shorts are “Fuckin’ Old Bitch,” “Receive Bacon” and “Feeder.”

Video: Trailer for “You Might as Well Live”

Video: You need only three things to prove you’re somebody.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Canoe | EFilmCritic | (Montreal) Gazette | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Official Rejection’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The documentary “Official Rejection” tells the funny meta-tale of getting a movie into a festival.

A publicity still for “Official Rejection.”

You made your first film. And it is pretty amazing, if you say so yourself. Now you’re ready for the big time, Sundance, where your film will obviously be accepted.

Big fat rejection! What?!

You then move on to a slew of smaller festivals, and you get into a handful … if you are lucky.

Does this officially mean your movie is bad?

The documentary “Official Rejection,” directed by Paul Osborne, is an intimate look at another film’s journey (“Ten ’Til Noon”) through the complicated and expensive film festival circuit.

The film screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Not all good films are created equal, and not all good films get the attention they deserve in the film festival circuit. However, lots of bad movies circulate out there (and lots of filmmakers in serious denial of that fact).

If learning the ins and outs of the film festival circuit is interesting to you, then you will find “Official Rejection” very educational, funny and entertaining.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“Official Rejection” will screen at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “Official Rejection”

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from The 213 | FilmJerk | IndyFilmFest

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘45365’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: The documentary “45365” shows small town Ohio life, warts and all, in entertaining and provocative fashion.

A scene from the documentary, “45365.”

Sidney, Ohio, gives us a fascinating glimpse into rural American life. Can’t visit? Try “45365,” a documentary that on first glance doesn’t seem to have much of a plot. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The film screens Saturday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

The focus is on several people and storylines in Sidney. Like most small towns, it boasts a wide array of interesting characters all living within one community. Smoky bars, high school football, police officers, trailer parks, teenage drama, county fair … it’s all there in director Bill Ross’ vision.

True to life, “45365” doesn’t sugarcoat anything. This must-see documentary is raw, sometimes hard to swallow, real small town USA living. But it’s guaranteed to make you laugh, and think.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“45365” will screen at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Carver Theatre.

Video: Trailer for “45365”

Video: Bickering in the car.

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from All These Wonderful Things | The Documentary Blog | Flavorwire | GreenCine Daily | Hammer to Nail | Paste Magazine | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘The Vicious Kind’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: “The Vicious Kind” serves up a standard indie love triangle, but what a soundtrack.

Brittany Snow stars in “The Vicious Kind.”

Are you in need of a real indie film fix? “The Vicious Kind” will almost satisfy, filled with sweet and somber moments, strange people and awkward situations.

The film screens Sunday at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Familiar faces abound onscreen, including stars Adam Scott (“Party Down”), Brittany Snow (“Hairspray”), Alex Frost and J.K. Simmons (“The Closer”).

After a terrible breakup, Caleb Sinclaire (Scott) falls for his younger brother’s emotionally mature girlfriend. “The Vicious Kind” follows them plus Caleb’s father through the twists and turns of strange normalcy.

The story is predictable, the characters a little contrived. But director Lee Toland Krieger still creates an emotionally rewarding film with an amazing soundtrack and great performance. It probably won’t be your favorite film at the festival, but one still worth seeing.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“The Vicious Kind” will screen at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Alabama Theatre.

Video: Caleb and Emma’s argument ends with a surprise.

Also:

• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from EI Insiders | New York Magazine | Variety

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

Movie review: ‘Courting Condi’

sidewalk.wadeonbirmingham.com
By Jennifer West

Review at a glance: A “love story” in the guise of a documentary, “Courting Condi” would’ve better been served by ditching the faux-mance and focusing on its true object of desire, Condoleezza Rice.

A scene from the documentary “Courting Condi.”

It’s a love story, about a simple nobody and the Secretary of State originally from Birmingham. The quirky documentary “Courting Condi”  traces the journey of a man in his 20s to meet the woman of his dreams, Condoleezza Rice.

Or so the trailer would have you believe.

The film screens Sept. 26 at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Viewers will quickly figure out this film is actually about Rice herself, a k a Condi. Our lovestruck hero turns out to be completely fictional, a framing device to move the documentary forward.

But it doesn’t work, serving to distract from the film’s true message. And the musical interludes? Really bad and frustrating to sit through.

[Editor’s note: Perhaps this column is the basis for the original idea.]

The movie takes us through the life of a controversial political figure from birth through the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to 2009. And it reminds us of Rice’s role in the George W. Bush administration, throwing in some lesser-known nuggets of intel.

This one is a hard call. If director Sebastian Doggart had cut a few of the silly bits woven throughout the “real” documentary, “Courting Condi” might have been a really great movie.

Jennifer West (@juniperlou) won the Sidewalk Audience Choice award for her romantic comedy “Piece of Cake” in 2006, which she wrote and directed. She’s working on a feature-length screenplay and blogging about it on JuniperLou.

“Courting Condi” will screen at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Trailer: “Courting Condi”

How to woo a Secretary of State

Also:

• Official site
• Sidewalk summary
• Reviews from Cinema Signals | Documentary Films.net | ReelTalk | Screen Junkies | Socially Superlative

• • •

Action! Complete Sidewalk Festival coverage.

A sweet treat for lovers and lonely hearts: Check out the award-winning 15-minute romantic comedy, “Piece of Cake.” Shot in Birmingham, the wedding-centric tale stars Mo Rocca, and was written and directed by our pal Jennifer West.

And more Valentine’s vids, after the jump …

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