Journey into war strikes a chord
For a movie based on 90year-old source material, “Journey’s End” works remarkably well. It’s a tense, absorbing, superbly acted look at a band of British soldiers in World War I as they wait to fight and ultimately battle German troops over the course of several ill-fated days in March 1918 — exactly 100 years ago.
Unlike “Dunkirk,” to which this film may evoke passing comparisons, “Journey’s End” is mainly about character. Perhaps that’s a result of its story originating as a 1928 stage play by R.C. Sherriff (who would later turn it into a novel with Vernon Bartlett; James Whale directed the first feature version, released in 1930) and focusing on the central figures as people, as opposed to strictly soldiers. This provides an intimacy that allows for deep emotional investment in the characters’ collective plight.
The men of C Company, stationed on the front lines in northern France, include the traumatized, alcoholic Capt. Stanhope (Sam Claflin); naive new arrival Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), an old family friend of Stanhope; kindly, avuncular Lt. Osborne (Paul Bettany); beleaguered cook Mason (Toby Jones); and others (Tom Sturridge, Stephen Graham). They’re a supportive bunch despite leader Stanhope’s unpredictable rantings and meltdowns.
Although director Saul Dibb and writer-producer Simon Reade keep much of the action confined to the Brits’ close-quartered trenches and dugouts, the film rarely feels static or stagy. It’s a fine and memorable effort. — Gary Goldstein
“Journey’s End.” Rated: R, for some language and war images. Running time: 1 hour, 47 minutes. Playing: The Landmark, West Los Angeles.
An unsettling portrait of abuse
Predator. Abuser. Victim. Psychopath.
All these words describe the deeply complicated character Laura, played by Evan Rachel Wood in Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s disturbing psycho-sexual portrait “Allure.” Within the first few minutes, we witness Laura commit a violent sexual act against a man that quickly turns nonconsensual. She then moves on to grooming a new target — a teenage girl, Eva (a haunting Julia Sarah Stone), whose home she cleans.
Using Eva’s difficult relationship with her mother as a wedge, Laura skillfully lures her prey into her home, turns her into her lover, keeps her trapped physically and psychologically. It’s a portrait of a classic abusive relationship, and Wood is terrifying in portraying Laura’s manipulative skill, her explosions of rage, the ease with which she lies.
“Allure” is powered by Wood’s intense charisma. Laura deploys her magnetic gaze as a weapon, though the destruction she wreaks is most often directed at herself. The character’s situation is always untenable, and as it collides with inevitability, the co-writer-director Sanchez brothers lose the tight grip of control they’ve maintained over the story.
Laura is clearly disturbed, and we seek to understand the root of her actions. But the way the filmmakers place the blame elsewhere, throwing the one character with a seemingly moral compass under the bus, feels haphazard and wraps up too neatly to fully buy into. The story would like to redeem Laura, but after what we witness, does she even deserve it? — Katie Walsh
“Allure.” Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes. Playing: Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood.
That L.A. dream not so ‘Happys’
“The Happys” is the toocute nickname that local landlord Luann (Janeane Garofalo) dubs her Los Feliz neighborhood. It’s also the title of co-writer/director team Tom Gould and John Serpe’s feature directorial debut, a cutesy classic Hollywood tale adapted for modern times, about small-town dreamers who move to Los Angeles with stars in their eyes.
Tracy (Amanda Bauer) and Mark (Jack DePew) are just two Wisconsin kids chasing Mark’s dream of becoming a movie star, and Tracy’s dream of becoming Mark’s picture-perfect wife. That Stepford fantasy is upset when Tracy walks in on Mark and another man. In order to prove herself to everyone back home, she white-knuckles it and persuades him to continue with their partnership. Tracy seems to think if she can just cook him enough meals, he’ll be the loving (straight) husband she imagined.
But it’s all just a fantasy built on a tower of scrambled eggs and pretzel buns. Unhappy and bored, Tracy explores her neighborhood and ingratiates herself to her neighbors — the reclusive Sebastian (Rhys Ward), a flirty food truck operator Ricky (Arturo del Puerto), and unofficial mayor Luann.
The outlook of “The Happys” is reflected in its title — even when things are dark, Tracy maintains her sunny outlook. It might be a bit too spit-varnished shiny, but her happiness is hard-won. — Katie Walsh
“The Happys.” Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Noho 7, North Hollywood.
Fraught bonds in a foreign land
Politics and sensuality make for intriguing bedfellows in “Foreign Body,” Raja Amari’s accomplished survival tale about an undocumented young Tunisian woman finding her identity in France.
Having fled her homeland in the aftermath of the Jasmine Revolution, Samia (Sarra Hannachi) arrives in Lyon, where Imed (Salim Kechiouche), a longtime friend of her jailed radical Islamist brother, helps her blend into the multi-ethnic tapestry.
But the ever-perceptive Samia proves to be a resourceful self-starter, in short order finding employment with the elegant, recently-widowed Madame Berteau (the exquisite Hiam Abbass), who requires help going through her husband’s belongings.
Despite their initial mutual distrust, the two women proceed to forge a tender, nurturing bond — one that soon turns more triangular in nature when the over-protective Imed becomes involved in the relationship.
While the plight of immigrants has been extensively documented on screen, filmmaker Amari, with her skillful fourth feature, juxtaposes Samia’s experience against a moody journey of self-discovery accentuated by cinematographer Aurélien Devaux’s surreal images (particularly the haunting opening shipwreck sequence) and an unsettling Nicolas Becker score.
It’s a trip that’s very capably undertaken by beguiling newcomer Hannachi, who expertly navigates the many surprising nuances in her truly complex character.
Samia may be a stranger in a strange land but as “Foreign Body” so evocatively points out, she’s not exactly the innocent abroad. — Michael Rechtshaffen
“Foreign Body.” In French and Tunisian with English subtitles. Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes. Playing: Downtown Independent, Los Angeles.