Alexander Payne's Amazing Nebraska!

Dear Thanksgiving Cinema viewers, The French and the their love of cinema, Russia, Latvia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, and India.  Summit Cinema has to take a step back and swallow some humble pumpkin pie.  12 Years a Slave will be my favorite film of 2013, but as a cinephile it is vital not to snub amazing work when it hasn't been screened and for this I truly apologize.  12 years a Slave was not screened at Cannes, but Spielberg and the jury picked two amazing films to be honored.  "Blue is the Warmest Color" is an awe inspiring tour de force fully deserving the Palme d'Or.  Like wise the Cannes film festival awarded Mr. Bruce Dern best actor for Nebraska and his subtle performance which is mind blowing.

It's Thanksgiving week in America and today I went to the cinema with my father.  This happens about once a year if I am lucky.  We sat together with a large popcorn and waited to be blind sided by Nebraska.  This cinematic miner's cart was loaded with humor and deep emotion from the heartland in America.  I love road stories whether it's "Badlands" "Wild at Heart" "Into the Wild" "Bonnie and Clyde" "True Romance" "National Lampoons Vacation".  Seeing America captured on film and covering regions that becomes characters of their own is fascinating.

The look of Nebraska is simple, pure, and sticks to the ribs.  Black and White is utilized wonderfully.  The towns of boarded up main streets and a solitary tavern speak volumes for our nation's economy and psyche.  The broken down ranch house where Dern grew up is sad and beautiful.  The heartland on the screeen evokes a powerful sense of place.  The "Last Picture Show" and "The Straight Story"  are two films that evoke similar feelings.

The million dollar sweepstake earnings promised to Dern is a symbol of Hope.  No matter it's legitimacy he is determined to travel the distance of 4 states to collect.  Dern captures the walking of a senile man with dementia seamlessly.  Whenever we see him walking on the side of the road he seems almost biblically determined.  He fades in out of obscurity through out the film.  A variety of responses occur when his son Will Forte calls him.  He say's DAD!  And Dern finally responds through out the film as if he were dreaming in the clouds.  The humor of the film is a backbone.  The brothers, the mother, ex lover, and former best friend are all hilarious.

The relationship with Father and Son on the road is beautiful. The son realizes that keeping the dream alive for the father is vitally important and will go to any length achieve this goal.  From looking for his dentures on the train tracks to driving him across multiple states.  The son wants his father's respect.  He also wants to discover who his Father truly was.  But also the son needs to heal himself and get out the rut he has dug himself into in Montana and his personal relationship that ended with a girl who has recently moved out of his apartment.

The road offers both the opportunity to analyze life and get to the essence of what it's really about.
 
Me and my father laughed loudly through out the feature.  When the son buy's Dern a compressor and allows him to drive down main street in a new pickup , me and my Pop's were crying.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank You Alexander Payne!  Thanks to all the hits from across the Globe especially, Russia, France, Australia, Kenya, and Malaysia.  Keep on Grooving and keeping Cinema ALIVE!

12 Years a Slave is the top film of 2013!

Good evening Ladies and Gentleman.  Distinguished guests from England, Amsterdam, Trinidad, Kenya, and Russia.  Before the Palme d'Or was given to the self serving French film "Blue is the Warmest Color."  Prior to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences giving a stumbling Jennifer Lawrence best actress oscar for "Silver Linings Playbook."  The same academy that has deprived David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Terrence Malick, David Cronenberg, Spike Lee, Fatih Akin, Paul Thomas Anderson and Mickey Rourke for "THE WRESTLER" and countless other amazing performances and directors.  Will no doubt follow form and DEPRIVE the cast, crew, and AHAB AUTEUR STEVE MCQUEEN OSCAR GOLD!!!

12 YEARS A SLAVE SHOULD BE A SWEEP!!!  I mean like a "Dances With Wolves", "Unforgiven", "Ben Hur", "Braveheart," mop up no matter how much weight McConaughey lost, how little dialogue Robert Redford spoke,  Payne shot in Black and White so what!  Tom Hanks was a Captain and Walt Disney is that a surprise?  Justin Timberlake will ruin the Coen Brothers, Gravity was the worst film of the year!  Scorsese can't pull it off this time.  Ladies and Gentleman I am loading the dice.  Breaking the Cardinal Sin of film criticism for the first time Summit Cinema has not seen half the above fall oscar contenders.  I can guarantee for the first time ever that nothing will cast a shadow this year on 12 YEARS A SLAVE.  The academy will fail as usual.  Oprah will win for the "Butler."


I knew last year at around roughly the same time that "THE MASTER" was the jewel of 2012!

These films are birds of a feather.

Steve McQueen transports the viewer into a space that is full of amazing images, savage cruelty, love, survival, and makes DJANGO LOOK LIKE TRASH!  The fact that so many critics mention Django Unchained upsets me.  They have forced me to do it.   I don't compare a serious drama about slavery from a amazing dramatic director.  To a fun Comic Book obsessed Grindhouse cartoonish director.
Tarantino's Django was a lot of fun and had good writing, but lets get serious ladies and gents it's like comparing "The Godfather"  to "Police Academy".  Both of which I like by the way.


12 Years a Slave goes for the jugular.  It leaves you like Von Trier's "Breaking The Waves" does, your not going out to celebrate and be social afterwards.  It is the kind of film that makes you question your life the medium and the craft of acting and directing as a whole.  As a viewer it takes you through slavery as Herzog takes you through the Jungle in "Fitzcaraldo" or Lynch takes you through the desert in "Wild At Heart".

Favorite scenes become difficult to decipher.  When I usually critique film I have nothing, but love for scenes that I term favorite.  This is different.  I believe these scenes are like pinatas that get cracked open emotionally and historically.  I believe this is my generation's clearest glimpse into slavery ever put on screen thus far.

Scenes:  The first beating of Solomon Northup in a darkened cell where he is on all fours and wearing a white shirt reminded me of Chaim Soutine's Carcass of Beef

Scenes:  The boat sequence from D.C. to Georgia was filled with tension like a cobra in Comparison to "Apocalypse Now"

Scenes:  The beating of Patsey by Solomon forced by Epps had myself and most of the theater crying

Scenes:  Solomon staring at the color of fruit on his pan of food to write with

Scenes:  Solomon talking to Bass about getting out

Scenes:  Solomon singing during the funeral

Scenes:  Solomon holding his grandson after 12 years

The look of the cotton fields, peat moss, sugar cane were awe inspiring, oak trees and heat set the tone.

Lupita Nyongo was show stopping especially it being her first film was unbelievable.

Chiwetel Ejiofor couldn't have done more.

Michael Fassbender was fearless and has become with McQueen what Deniro was for Scorsese in the 1970's.  (SHAME, HUNGER, 12 YEARS A SLAVE most actors get one of those parts a lifetime)

McQueen executes it perfectly:  Organic acting, superb art direction, fearless recount of authentic history!

The Academy will undoubtedly shun McQueen and the movie, but Summit Cinema salutes you Sir you are an artist in the truest sense of the word.  You are what makes going to all the bad movies worth
while.

Mark my words 12 Years A Slave will go down for years to come!!!