Laurie's NEXT Blog - The Other F Word, Beaver, Win Win and MORE!

Smack in the middle of SXSW, my beautiful granddaughter, Leia Anne Roselyn Coker was born. I typically am more on top of my blogging and reviews and while I have managed to make several screenings and a few red carpets, I have neglected the writing aspect. Shame on me, I suppose, but my new little angel and her wonderful parents and of course, my adorable grandson, take top bill with me.

Jumping right in, however, I'd like to mention a documentary that I saw called 'The Other F Word,' about punk rockers from the eighties (from bands like Pennywise, Blink 182, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others), who are fathers now (thus the "other F word"). Honestly, the day I saw the film, I was exhausted, sleep deprived really, but colorful characters, perfect editing and excellent direction kept me engaged and entertained. I had opportunity to speak to the film's producer, director and editor the next morning and I truly enjoyed the visit (which I will write more about later). They tell me no one has picked up the film yet (I am thinking IFC, HBO, VH1 or MTV should). More than a film about punk rock dads, 'The Other F Word' is about all fathers and the way men can grow up and out of past bad experiences and become fathers if they want to bad enough and about how no one is perfect, no one. These father just do the best they can and they love unconditionally. Most has rough childhoods and most has lousy or absent fathers, so being better dad holds priority to career even and the irony of singing about how authority sucks and dropping anti-establishment credos and every foul word in the world and then turning around as authority figures for their children is not lost in the film, in fact was suppose to be the focus, but there is so much more to this dads. I cannot say enough good about 'The Other F Word,' which will screen one more time at the festival, (Thursday 17th March) and I do really recommend it and hope that some smart company executive does pick it up. Dads from all walks of life, heck all parents, will appreciate the candor and honesty of the film.

My festival favorite so far and holding firm, is Win Win, starring Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan and directed my Thomas McCarthy (who gave me my festival favorite two years ago with The Visitor). 'Win Win' will hit theatres soon and I was lucky enough to catch it at the Paramount (even if it was 8:30 am) with only two other people. I loved it. McCarthy has a way of capturing people - real people in real, not always perfect situations and in this case, we get a laywer who business is waining, a boy who hates his mother, a wife who loves her family and a mother who is terrible at the job of parenting. HUMAN, REAL and MOVING to watch. The film introduces us to newcomer

Alex Shaffer (a high school wrestler) and I sat down with Alex to ask about his transition into acting. Because of a back injury, he is dropping wrestling (he is GOOD) and focuing ALL his energies on acting - and I will say, he is a natural. I spoke to Paul and Amy on the red carpet and Thomas McCarthy and all are so gracious and sincere. I see Paul, like I do Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) as quiet, gentle and yes, sexy men and love them in leading roles. I will be writing a longer review when the movie opens and more about my red carpet experiences and conversation with Shaffer, but for now, know that 'Win Win' is a WINNER!! Wonderful film!!

I also saw 'Beaver,' starring and directed by Jodie Foster and co-starring Mel Gibson, a film about a man's battle with depression, his family's struggles and a beaver puppet. As weird as it sounds, Foster's take on depression and the hold is has over all involved is moving. I felt the film was too short (just over 90 minutes) and I don't say that every often, but I needed more character discovery and with a side story involving the son, Foster rushes out too soon. Still, I did enjoy and appreciate the film's message.

For now I am going to call it quits and head once again to the festival and the Alamo South. 'The Dish and the Spoon is on my list today, so off I go.

Laurie Coker's Blog: Mr. Nice at SXSW

Mr. Nice, an ironic name for one of Britain’s most notorious “criminals,” but that indeed an alias for drug dealer (marijuana) entrepreneur, Howard Marks, a man’s whose life is chronicled in ‘Mr. Nice,’ I was fortunate to see at SXSW 2010 and to meet its stars on the red carpet. Rhys Ifans, who stars as Marks, told me that he was excited to have the role, since he knew Marks personally, through pen pal relationship and felt honored to fill his shoes. Director/ writer Bernard Rose took on the project because he did not see Marks as a criminal, even though British and American authorities did. I will stay out of that debate, but am delighted that I had the opportunity to see the film.
‘Mr Nice’ is based on the bestselling autobiography by Howard Marks, who became one of the UK’s largest drug smugglers, who ran his business out of a dress shop at one time and who married and had three daughters and a son, before he finally was arrested and jailed. The film follows Marks from his youth, with Ifans playing all ages before and after he moves away from home to study at Oxford and Sussex Universities and into his days in prison. His fame came following his release from an American penitentiary after being convicted and serving seven years, for international drug-smuggling offenses. He claims to have connections with MI6, the IRA, and the Mafia, but the movie only touches on these aspects of Marks’ life, focusing rather on Marks’ the intellectual, the master businessman, the drug smuggler and most clearly the father and husband, who truly loves his family.
Ifans is wonderful in the role and even if he played all age levels of Marks, several for which he is far too old. I don’t know anything about Marks’, but Ifans gives us a character who on one hand knowingly breaks the law, but justifies it with the obvious love for and the desire to take care of a provide for his family. His character is indeed a paradox – both criminal and loving family man. I suppose, if I look closely, it is in his family that Marks’ finds his validation for making gobs and gobs of money selling trafficking marijuana – that and the fact that he saw the illegalization of cannabis unwarranted.
Gracious and pretty Chloë Sevigny, who stars as Judy Marks, Howard’s wife, a woman who loves her husband dearly, but is frightened to lose him, told me that “tortured wife” was easy to play given her costar and the circumstances of the story. Sevigny looks and acts every bit the part, although she appeared to struggle with the British accent. She told me she “enjoyed the opportunity to try the accent.” Judy’s personality has her speaking up infrequently, at least in my opinion, so while I was wholly impressed with the actress’s portrayal of Mrs. Marks, I think the accent was too subtle and mainly unrecognizable or notable. I wonder why, in many cases it seems easy for British or Australian actors to do an American accent, but so much more difficult for Americans to pull off other accents – ah, I digress to one of my peeves.
Every actor in ‘Mr. Nice’ does an amazing job. The realism of costumes and sets and feel of the periods and locations covered are ideal – transporting the audience into life and times of it characters. David Thewlis, who was not at SXSW with the others, adds fire and sparks as an IRA member, Jim McCann, collaborates with Marks, all the while fighting for his own battles. I suppose what impressed me most about Howard Marks (from what I gathered watching ‘Mr. Nice’) is in the way that the man’s technical brilliance of his networking skills, in a time when there were no computers, social networks, or cell phone allowed him to trafficking an amazing volume of marijuana - smoked all over the world – a great deal of it by Marks himself apparently.
The young woman who watched the screening with me enjoyed the film as well and she’s decades younger than I (though old enough for an R film), so I feel the R-rated ‘Mr. Nice’ will find a wide audience. Sure part of the excitement for me came from sharing the experience at SXSW, with members of the cast and crew and 1200 other pumped up movie goers. A B is what I am putting in my grade book for ‘Mr. Nice.’ It has its flaws, but seems very true to form for the type of life Marks lived back then.