Freeheld
In 2007, director Cynthia Wade's documentary short Freeheld—which recounted the story of police detective Laurel Hester and her fight to leave her pension to her partner Stacie Andree when she was diagnosed with incurable cancer—was released to critical acclaim and went on to win an Oscar.
Laurel—who lived in the blue-collar town of Freeheld, New Jersey, with Stacie—came up against the town council, known as Freeholders, who had it within their power to grant the pension. Because the couple weren't legally married, although they were registered domestic partners, the Freeholders ( all men and mostly conservative ) denied the pension even though it would mean that after Laurel's death. Stacie, who worked as an auto mechanic and didn't make much money, couldn't keep up the mortgage payments and would lose their home. Enter Steven Goldstein, a fervent gay-rights activist who was determined to help the couple change the minds of the Freeholders via a media blitz.
The short—which features an appearance by Hester literally on her deathbed pleading with the Freeholders to stand on the right side of history—was and is tremendously moving. It so affected lesbian actor Ellen Page that she became determined to turn the short into a feature film. Close to six years later, that film, given the same title and directed by Peter Sollett ( Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist ), is finally here. In crafting the screenplay, out scribe Ron Nyswaner ( Philadelphia, The Painted Veil ), has fleshed out the story to include the initial romance between Laurel and Stacie ( played by Julianne Moore and Page ) and Laurel's close friendship with her police detective partner, Dane Wells ( played by Michael Shannon ).
The result is a bit formulaic ( frolics on the beach and so forth on the one end, the standard conservative baddies thwarting the progress of LGBTQ justice on the other ). And the portrayal of Goldstein ( by Steve Carell ) as the fey activist whose every other word seems to be "sweetheart" is more than a mite stereotypical. But the unexpected moments of humor are a welcome addition, the early courtship is awkwardly charming and the core of the story is almost as powerful, with Moore once again jerking tears and Page quietly impressive as Stacie.
Freeheld ushers in the fall awards season with Moore and Page both hopefuls. Although each offers illuminating work here, I think it's going to be a long haul considering all the upcoming competition. Actually, the more likely award contender might be Shannon, the unsung star of the movie whose Dane takes center stage, doing his best, after overcoming his own prejudices, to convince his fellow macho police officers to truly man up and get behind their ailing fallen comrade in her hour of need. Josh Charles also has a nice supporting role as one of the Freeholders who morally struggles with some of his archconservative cohorts.
Ultimately, the movie's nobler intentions outweigh its somewhat dry, familiar approach, presumably done to educate straight audiences in Capital Letters just how unjust the whole episode was. Yet even with everything unsubtly spelled out, Freeheld has tremendous heart—a somewhat rare commodity at the movies today and reason enough for audiences to take it in. For Our People, naturally enough, this one is a no-brainer.
Walking in space
For the 25 minutes that The Walk focuses on that incredible, one-of-a-kind feat of daring—the true story of Frenchman Philippe Petit carefully and with graceful precision almost dancing across a high wire spanning the concrete canyon of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in 1974—it is the essence of pure cinema.
This is true especially when experienced in the vast confines of the IMAX theater ( the sequence has the kind of visual bravura the format was engineered for ). The previous 100 minutes of the movie, which was directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-written by him along with Christopher Browne and Petit himself, is diverting in a jokey/cutesy sorta way.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is earnest and endearing ( even with zee Fronch accent ) as the madcap dreamer who rounds up a ragtag group of followers to aid him in accomplishing his dream and though the device of Petit narrating his own story from atop the Statue of Liberty is, shall we say, a tad coy, one hangs in there with the long backstory knowing what's ahead. Those with a fear of heights, naturally, most definitely should take heed before buying a ticket to this thrill ride and completists will surely want to make sure to view James Marsh's mesmerizing 2008 Man on Wire, with its actual footage and the full complement of Petit's irresistible personality.
Slasher love
Is it possible for a slasher film to be touching and sweet? Surprisingly, Todd Strauss-Schulson's film The Final Girls, a humorous parody of the popular '80s horror genre, answers that question with a resounding "yes." Taking a page from Pleasantville, Max Cartwright ( American Horror Story's Taissa Farmiga ) and her friends inexplicably find themselves trapped inside the summer camp setting of Camp Bloodbath, a cheapo slasher pix that was the main claim to fame of Max's late mother, Amanda ( Malin Akerman ).
Max and her friends do their best to outwit the machete-wielding killer while trying to convince the stock cast of stereotypical slasher movie characters ( the slut, the stud mufffin, the horndog, the ditz, etc. ) that they're all about to be killed. The movie has plenty of well-earned laughs, but it's the tender relationship between Max and Amanda that really sets the film apart from other less-than-successful attempts at this often-parodied genre. The film is available VOD or in Chicagoland at AMC Barrington ( 175 Studio Drive, South Barrington ). https://www.facebook.com/TheFinalGirls
Humboldt Park queens
I hadn't heard about Josue Pellot and Henrique Cirne-Lima's 2011 documentary I Am the Queen until an email from the publicist for the film's VOD/DVD release on Oct. 6 crossed my email inbox. But I am happy to play catch-up with this engrossing 75-minute glimpse into the lives of the Puerto Rican transgender community in Humboldt Park ( my own neighborhood ).
The movie follows a quartet of trans teen girls as they prepare to compete in a local beauty pageant, presided over by their mentor and teacher, Ginger Valdez, a longtime HIV activist and trans performer. The girls and their supportive—and sometimes not-so-supportive—families and friends make great camera subjects as they describe with wit, heart and sass the difficulties of their everyday lives. The DVD release includes deleted and alternate scenes, a photo gallery and more. hcirnelima.wix.com/iamthequeen
