A passionate lens and a dull Coen wannabe

The Salt of the Earth (out of 4) Documentary on photographer Sebastiao Salgado. Directed by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. At TIFF Bell Lightbox and Canada Square theatres. 110 minutes. PG

Acclaimed photographer Sebastiao Salgado came to the camera relatively late, in his 30s, after earlier careers first as a political activist in his native Brazil and then as an economist for the World Bank and other international bodies.

He made up for lost time, his previous work informing his passionate lens, as we see in this Oscar-nominated doc by Wim Wenders and Salgado’s son Juliano. The elder Salgado, now 71, has spent much of the past four decades capturing images, in luminous black and white, depicting how humans relate to the Earth and each other, an often violent clash.

Images such as Selgado’s harrowing series on the struggling miners of Brazil’s Serra Pelada gold rush and of desperate refugees from the Rwandan genocide confirm his view that “we humans are terrible animals.”

The film is at times too much in awe of its subject, failing to seriously address oft-expressed criticism that Salgado is a voyeur of global pain.

But he’s willing to get his hands dirty for real change. His more recent efforts to restore part of Brazil’s threatened rainforest, assisted by his wife Lelia as part of their global project called Genesis, reveal his commitment to shine light and not just capture it. Peter Howell

Cut Bank (out of 4) Starring Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Bruce Dern, John Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt and Michael Stuhlbarg. Directed by Matt Shakman. At the Varsity. 93 minutes. 14A

The Montana backwater that gives Cut Bank its title and place (with Alberta subbing on screen) is described as “where the Rockies meet the plains.” The film’s co-ordinates are where Coen Bros. homage meets dull imitation.

Aping styles is the least of the sins of director Matt Shakman, whose long TV resumé includes Fargo, which was based on the Coens’ 1996 movie.

Shakman hitches himself to a leading man, Liam Hemsworth from The Hunger Games, who is more of a follower in this neo-noir of tangled treachery. Deficient in charisma, Hemsworth lacks both the grit and grin that his complicated role demands. His auto mechanic character Dwayne is eager to quit Cut Bank (pop. 3,000) and move to California with his beauty-queen girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer).

A canny elder supporting cast runs rings around the young’uns. Bruce Dern follows on his Nebraska success with another fine codger, a rural postie with more than mail on his route.

John Malkovich makes for a stiff but compelling sheriff, while Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt and Michael Stuhlbarg also turn in watchable performances. They all have more drive in them than the kids who are trying to get on the road out of town. Peter Howell

Road Hard (out of 4) Starring Adam Carolla. Written and directed by Adam Carolla and Kevin Hench. At the Carlton, VOD. 98 minutes. 14A

Facing 50 and forced back on the road to pay the bills, standup comic Bruce Madsen is understandably desperate to come home in comedian Adam Carolla’s uneven, sort-of autobiographical Road Hard.

Carolla does just fine in the comedy clubs, providing a glimpse of the mind-numbing life playing basement joints in flyover states (and Winnipeg). But he’s awkward as offstage Bruce whose travails are explored through bits about faulty hotel room keys, therapy pets and lots of gags about masturbation.

Like Carolla, who shares screenwriting and directing with collaborator Kevin Hench (they teamed on The Hammer), Bruce was once a (sort of ) success; a reality show star and co-host of cable comedy series The Bro Show (shades of The Man Show Carolla hosted with Jimmy Kimmel). Now, he has to face the indignity of his one-time on-air partner (Jay Mohr) hitting the big time on national TV.

Illeana Douglas plays Bruce’s acidtongued ex-wife, while Howie Mandel, David Koechner, and David Alan Grier contribute bit parts.

In the final reel, the tone suddenly shifts from laughs to a deliberately quirky romance that feels forced and, worse, doesn’t work. Linda Barnard

Relative Happiness (out of 4) Starring Melissa Bergland, Aaron Poole. Co-written and directed by Deanne Foley. 94 minutes. At the Carlton. 14A

Lexie Ivy loves to cook (and eat).

But as Relative Happiness unfolds, it’s clear that the “too many chefs” maxim (four in this case) applies to the number of script writers, including director Deanne Foley. A film that should be an easygoing comic romp morphs into an awkward and stilted dramedy that squanders its initial promise.

Ivy is so desperate to get a date for rail-thin sister Gabby’s impending wedding, she seizes upon the first available male, Adrian, a guest at her bed and breakfast, as the ideal date (and potential mate). It’s not entirely her fault; the guy is a huge tease.

She should be looking much closer to home, perhaps at Joss, the scruffy fellow fixing her roof with a big playful smile who knows instinctively that Adrian is “wrong” for her.

Melissa Bergland is likeably larger than life in the lead, but the script sorely lacks enough of the witty dialogue and humour the story requires. Even worse, it’s awfully predictable.

There are some elements that work well, including the cinematography of director of photography Christopher Porter, which makes the rural Nova Scotia setting rapturously beautiful and a marvellous sound track by a slew of East Coast performers.

Too bad that level of quality didn’t carry over to the over-baked script. Bruce DeMara