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‘Reluctant Fundamentalist’ implores us to see ‘the whole picture’

‘Reluctant Fundamentalist’ implores us to see ‘the whole picture’

“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” (2012 production, 2013 release). Cast: Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Martin Donovan, Nelsan Ellis, Gary Richardson, Meesha Shafi, Imaad Shah, Chris Smith, Sarah Quinn. Director: Mira Nair. Screenplay: William Wheeler. Screen Story: Ami Boghani and Mohsin Hamid. Book: Mohsin Hamid. Web site. Trailer. In this age of sound bytes and film clips, it’s easy to grow accustomed to seeing our existence in neat, little, compartmentalized snippets. Unfortunately, such conditions also encourage us to increasingly narrow our focus, prompting us to scrutinize individuals and situations as part of ever-shrinking components and, in turn, causing us to lose sight of the bigger picture. But, if we’re to truly understand the world around us, at some point we need to counter this trend and take a broader view of things, an argument eloquently put forth in the gripping new drama, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.” When American university professor Anse Rainier (Gary Richardson) is kidnapped in Lahore, Pakistan, U.S. intelligence officials and local police are all over the case. They even resort to employing such unconventional measures as calling upon reporter Bobby Lincoln (Liev Schreiber) to interview a popular Pakistani professor, Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed), ...
‘Kon-Tiki’ successfully navigates the depths of creation

‘Kon-Tiki’ successfully navigates the depths of creation

“Kon-Tiki” (2012). Cast: Pål Svere Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson, Jakob Oftebro, Agnes Kittelsen, Peter Wight, Manuel Cauchi, Kasper Ameberg Johnsen, Edward Kling. Directors: Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. Screenplay: Petter Skavlan. Web site. Trailer. Any ambitious undertaking carries the potential for both great risks and great rewards. All too often, however, we back away, playing it safe (and missing out on one hell of a good time). But then there are those courageous souls who don’t shy away from their challenges, reveling in the adventures that await, unexpected escapades and all. Such is the example provided by the fact-based historical drama, “Kon-Tiki.” Norwegian-born ethnologist Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Svere Hagen) had always been a risk-taker. Even as a young boy (Kasper Ameberg Johnsen), he took chances that the other children considered foolhardy (assessments that sometimes proved correct, too). But such criticisms never quashed Thor’s sense of adventure, a quality that would come to define him in his adult life. In 1937, Heyerdahl and his young bride, Liv (Agnes Kittelsen), traveled to Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of the South Pacific. There he studied the local culture, with a particular emphasis on the history and ...
‘No’ showcases the power of ideas

‘No’ showcases the power of ideas

“No” (2012). Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, Néstor Cantillana, Antónia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, Pascal Montero, Jaime Vadell, Elsa Poblete. Director: Pablo Larraín. Screenplay: Pedro Peirano. Play: El Plebiscito (The Referendum), by Antonio Skármeta. Web site. Trailer. When an idea takes root, it can spread like a weed, quickly overtaking anything in its path. This is particularly true for political and social movements, which can go viral in the blink of an eye. Such was the case in one Latin American country 25 years ago, when an innovative notion took off and drastically changed the nation’s character, an endeavor compellingly depicted in the unusual, fact-based comedy-drama, “No.” In 1973, Chilean President Salvador Allende and his Communist/Socialist coalition government were overthrown by a military-led, U.S.-backed coup. Allende’s commander-in-chief, General Augusto Pinochet, assumed the presidency, holding on to that post for 15 years. During his time in power, Chile experienced an economic turnaround, eliminating much of the poverty it had once suffered. However, such prosperity came at a high price; to maintain control, Pinochet and his authoritarian regime ruled with an iron fist, resorting to torturing, murdering, beheading, exiling and “disappearing” those who opposed the dictator and his autocratic cronies ...
‘42’ celebrates the glory of a hero’s journey

‘42’ celebrates the glory of a hero’s journey

“42, The True Story of an American Legend” (2013). Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Lucas Black, Andre Holland, Alan Tudyk, Hamish Linklater, Ryan Merriman, T.R. Knight, Toby Huss, John C. McGinley, Max Gail, Brad Beyer, James Pickens, Jr., Brett Cullen, Jesse Luken, Dusan Brown. Director: Brian Helgeland. Screenplay: Brian Helgeland. Web site. Trailer. Our journey through life is often fraught with frustrations, pitfalls and setbacks. These conditions and events may seem so overwhelming that we might easily be tempted to throw in the towel. Under such circumstances, carrying forth with determination and commitment can be quite difficult without a little inspiration, but, fortunately, that’s something to be found in ample quantities in the moving new sports drama, “42, The True Story of an American Legend,” the film biography of baseball great Jackie Robinson. The U.S. was a nation on the brink of sweeping social change in the wake of World War II. After having successfully defeated Germany’s fascist regime, Americans’ attitudes were slowly shifting in such areas as civil rights and racial equality. The thinking was that, if minorities like African-Americans could be called upon to serve their country in time of war, then they should ...
‘The Company You Keep’ explores the implications of beliefs

‘The Company You Keep’ explores the implications of beliefs

“The Company You Keep” (2012 production, 2013 release). Cast: Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Richard Jenkins, Sam Elliott, Chris Cooper, Jackie Evancho, Stanley Tucci, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Brendan Gleeson, Brit Marling, Stephen Root, Gabrielle Rose. Director: Robert Redford. Screenplay: Lem Dobbs. Book: Neil Gordon. Web site. Trailer. Just what is “truth”? Is it a hard and fast, easily quantifiable commodity, or is it something more elusive? Some might say it depends on what one believes, for that forms the basis of what ultimately materializes in our lives. Such is the premise that drives the underlying story of director Robert Redford’s absorbing new thriller, “The Company You Keep.” Attorney Jim Grant (Robert Redford) leads a busy life. As a committed public interest lawyer and single father of an 11-year-old daughter (Jackie Evancho), he maintains a modestly comfortable, moderately visible profile in Albany, New York. That stability quickly evaporates, however, when an acquaintance, Billy Cusimano (Stephen Root), informs him that a friend needs legal counsel for an impending high-profile case. Although initially interested, once Jim learns who the would-be client is, he abruptly declines the inquiry, citing a full case load and a personal inability to ...
‘Disconnect’ shows what’s missing in life

‘Disconnect’ shows what’s missing in life

“Disconnect” (2012 production, 2013 release). Cast: Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Alexander Skarsgård, Paula Patton, Andrea Riseborough, Max Thieriot, Frank Grillo, Michael Nyqvist, Colin Ford, Jonah Bobo, Aviad Bernstein, Norbert Leo Butz, Marc Jacobs, Haley Ramm, Kasi Lemmons. Director: Henry-Alex Rubin. Screenplay: Andrew Stern. Web site. Trailer. Feelings of detachment are, unfortunately, all too prevalent these days. So many people believe themselves to be so removed from one another that they often wonder whether or not they’ll ever be able to get those feelings back. Correcting such failings may require drastic measures, too, as becomes all too apparent in the compelling new drama, “Disconnect.” The narrative of “Disconnect” weaves a number of story threads together, creating an intriguing interconnected tapestry: * Shy, sensitive high school musician Ben Boyd (Jonah Bobo) feels isolated from his family and most of his classmates. His father, lawyer Rich Boyd (Jason Bateman), mother (Hope Davis) and sister (Haley Ramm) are preoccupied with their own lives and interests, paying little attention to him, and his peers see the enigmatic recluse as something of an inscrutable freak. To cope, Ben loses himself in his music, tuning out much of the world around him. So it comes as quite ...
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