Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Michael Shannon. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Michael Shannon. Mostrar todas las entradas

5 feb 2016

99 Homes (8/10): A modern day companion to WallStreet

"Don't get emotional about real estate."

99 Homes is a powerful drama that resonates with the current economic state of the United States in the same way that Wall Street did in the 80's. Michael Shannon's Rick Carver as a realtor who makes his living by evicting families from their homes and cheating on the bank system, is in a way the modern Gordon Gekko (a character that turned Michael Douglas into an iconic figure for business people around the globe). 99 Homes is a morality play and a film about greed which poses interesting questions as to how far one would go to achieve the American dream. The film could be a great companion to McKay's The Big Short which focused on the housing bubble collapse, although this film focuses exclusively on the real estate brokers who managed to make a fortune upon the disgrace of the hard working blue collar families. Director, Ramin Bahrani, however doesn't try to turn Carver into a charismatic character. He is a greedy, selfish, calculating, and cold blooded man who doesn't care one bit about the families he is evicting from their homes. There is no glorification of his character whatsoever and it truly shows what kind of person you have to be to live with such low morals. 

Andrew Garfield's Dennis Nash on the other hand is the character the audience can relate to because he goes through a deep struggle as Carver's protege to accept his new line of work. Dennis was a former construction worker who due to the real estate crisis is left without a job. He lives with his mother, Lynn (Laura Dern), and his young son Connor (Noah Lomax) in the family home he's always grown up in. Unfortunately due to the current economic situation he is evicted from his home by Carver who shows up at his door and gives him two minutes to take his belongings and move out. As much as he hates the situation there isn't anything he can do so he is forced to relocate his family in a nearby cheap motel. After realizing his tools are missing during the eviction, Dennis goes to confront one of Carver's handymen. Dennis arrives at the right time because a crisis ensues and Carver realizes that his construction experience can come in handy. Despite not liking his boss one bit, Dennis begins to realize there is an easy way to make money and he justifies his actions by wanting to give his son a better life. The question then becomes how far Dennis will be willing to go to be like the man he despises.

Ramin Bahrani isn't a director that many people know because he has made several small independent films, but if you were an avid reader of Roger Ebert's film reviews then you know Bahrani was one of those small directors that he had high praise for. That is how I actually ended up hearing about his movies and decided to check out Goodbye Solo, a film focusing on two strangers who form an unlikely bond. Bahrani is passionate about delivering social films and you can see traces of it here in this much bigger film. The cast elevates the material even more as both Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon deliver superb performances. There was even some talk of Shannon receiving an Oscar nomination, but his work was overlooked once again. 99 Homes works as a morality play but it still is concerned on the social issues present in today's world. It might not have the same character development and dynamics that we saw in Goodbye Solo, but that is because there is so much more suspense and thrills going on here. I personally prefer his smaller films, but this was a memorable film that still remains provocative and resonant in today's economy.


31 mar 2015

Young Ones (6/10): It establishes an interesting futuristic setting, but lacks character development.

"Pray for rain.”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s younger brother, Jake, introduces us to a dystopian future where water is scarce  in Young Ones, his sophomore feature film. The film has style and it is also gorgeous to look at the empty vast dry land (filmed in South Africa, but taking place in an undisclosed American town), but unfortunately the characters did lack some development. This could well be classified as a sci-fi western centering on a family that is struggling to survive under the harsh dry conditions. The always fascinating Michael Shannon plays Ernest Holm, the father of two adolescents who has decided to stay in his dry land hoping he can find water to cultivate his once fertile land. His younger son, Jerome (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is always alongside him as they struggle to find a means for survival. With the help of a robotic donkey carrier, he sends supplies to the workers who extract water from deep wells. His relationship with his daughter, Mary (Elle Fanning), isn’t going too well. She has secretly been dating Flem (Nicholas Hoult), who isn’t someone his father trusts. Flem has plans of his own for Ernest’s land and he will stop at nothing in order to get his way. Aimee Mullins has a supporting role as Ernest’s paralytic wife who lives in the hospital where she can use special equipment to move. 

The film is divided into three chapters centering on each one of the three male characters. The first centering on Ernest, is by far the best thanks in large part to Michael Shannon’s incredible performance. It also sets the rules for this futuristic world and it manages to engage us. But the promising start of the film quickly dies down in the next two chapters with predictable character arcs and familiar storylines. It is a shame because the film did promise an inventive post apocalyptic setting, but other than the fascinating visuals it doesn’t deliver anything fresh. Despite not having much character development I did enjoy the performances from the talented young cast. Nicholas Hoult is solid as the villain, while Kodi Smit-McPhee once again finds himself playing a character in a desolated future (The Road). He delivers one of the stronger roles and did a decent job holding up his own in the scenes he shared with Shannon. Fanning is an actress I have always admired, but her character is the least developed this time and she doesn’t get to do much here. It is a shame Shannon doesn’t get more screen time because the film loses much of its appeal after that first chapter. He always brings an incredible fresh quality to each one of his characters and in a way Ernest was the reason why this dystopian world seemed so fascinating.

Young Ones is the third consecutive Western I’ve seen and each one has been very different. Once Upon A Time in the West is a masterpiece and a classic spaghetti western, while A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night was an Iranian vampire western that was more atmospheric than anything else. This futuristic western is also gorgeous to look at and introduces a rather interesting premise but it loses its appeal after the first part of the film and heads towards generic and familiar territory. I’d still recommend this film because there are some interesting qualities to it and there is also Michael Shannon of course who always delivers. I loved the landscape as well, but the pacing of the story does get tedious and predictable at times. 


10 sept 2013

My Review: The Iceman (4/10)

"Loving husband. Devoted father. Ruthless killer."

The main issue that I had with The Iceman is that the film never fulfills what it promises in its tagline. The Iceman never seemed like a loving husband or a devoted father. I never felt the chemistry between Michael Shannon and Winona Ryder. Shannon's character was completely detached from his wife, which would make sense considering he was a ruthless killer, but this film promised something different. Someone living a double life with no one ever suspecting him, kind of like what Kevin Costner delivered in Mr. Brooks. That was the film I was hoping to see, but somehow I felt unattached to these characters and this story. I never cared for these people and I felt there was something missing in the way the story was being told. It is a shame because the premise seemed really good and the cast is really talented, but Israeli director, Ariel Vromen, never managed to deliver a thrilling story. As a killer, The Iceman, delivered what I expected. He had no problem killing whoever his target was unless it implied killing women or children. He didn't feel any sort of remorse and all he cared about was not letting his family discover who he really was. It is that family part which I thought wasn't approached well and could have made a difference in a genre like this that is so well known. I didn't feel the balance that this man was supposed to have between his family life and his work, which is what attracted me to this film in the first place. Without that The Iceman felt like an ordinary assassin story. 

The film is based on the true story of Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon), a cold blooded contract killer working for the mafia during the 70's. There have been books written about him (The Iceman by Anthony Bruno) and documentaries (The Iceman Tapes directed by Jim Thebaut) which served as a starting point for the screenplay. In my opinion if you want more facts or if its an autobiography you are looking for then check those out because this screenplay only scratches the surface. Richard began working for the mafia as a porn film lab tech. He met the love of his life, Deborah (Winona Ryder), who worked at a local restaurant and an year later they got married. They had two daughters, and no one in his family or circle of friends suspected about his double life. Richard lied about his work with the mafia claiming he worked for Disney dubbing their cartoons, and later when he became a contract killer and started making more money he claimed to be an investor. He was hired by mafia boss, Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta), but when things get complicated he becomes an independent contractor teaming up with the psychotic Mr. Freezy (Chris Evans) making several enemies along the way. James Franco, David Schwimmer, and Stephen Dorff all play smaller secondary roles.

Michael Shannon is a great actor and he has made several mediocre movies worth seeing, but he can't do much here to save this poorly written script that barely explores the psyche of this cold blooded killer because it fails to create tension between his loving family life and his disconnected ability to kill anyone without hesitation. His character is simply one dimensional. At least Shannon has quite some screen time because the rest of the characters in this film are completely cardboard cut out ones. Ray Liotta plays the stereotypical mob boss and there is no backstory to his character. James Franco and Stephen Dorff barely have any screen time and their roles seem like cameos. David Schwimmer plays a rather laughable character, I don't think he was the right person for the role. Chris Evans is a well known actor, but he goes over the top here in his portrayal of the psychotic Mr. Freezy. It is a shame that the screenwriters never managed to create tension between his family life and his profession. They could have used some help from the writers of Dexter which if given the choice I'd rather watch an old episode of this TV show than re watching this movie. The film lacked that balance between the family drama and the mob criminal world. As a character study film it fails as well because the film never explores the psyche of this cold blooded murderer. 


26 jul 2013

My Review: MUD (10/10)

"I just can't spend the rest of my life running away with him."

Jeff Nichols surprised everyone a few years ago with his excellent film, Take Shelter, and now he delivers another great movie with MUD. Despite being more mainstream than Take Shelter and less artistic, I enjoyed this film more because of the way the story was narrated and the characters were developed. I was blown away with this story and in my opinion it is the best film of the year and my first five star review of the year as well. The screenplay, written by Jeff Nichols, seemed to be taken straight from an unpublished Mark Twain novel. It felt like I was watching a contemporary adventure of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. MUD was fantastic, I felt like it took some of the best elements of some other films like Stand By Me and Sling Blade and improved them. Nichols knows about small southern towns and the location becomes an important character in this superb and suspenseful film. In my opinion MUD is a masterpiece and I could watch it many more times thanks to the way in which Nichols drew me into the story and got me emotionally involved with the characters. It is a very rewarding film if you remain patient and let the story slowly build into what it becomes. It is a character driven film with some powerful performances and some great visuals.

Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) are two young teenagers living on the banks of the Mississippi River in Arkansas. These good friends decide to sneak out of their houses one morning to a small island where Neckbone has spotted a boat on top of a tree. Apparently the boat ended up there after a flood that took place sometime in the past and these kids recently discovered it. Wanting to claim it as their own they climb the tree and to their surprise they discover that someone has been living there. That is when they meet Mud (Matthew McConaughey) a fugitive who has been hiding out from the police and some bounty hunters after committing a crime for the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Ellis, who has an idealistic view about love decides to help Mud convinced that their love story is pure. Shaped by Mud's story and love for Juniper, Ellis begins to have feelings of his own for a girl named May Pearl (Bonnie Sturdivant). He really feels the need for Mud and Juniper to be able to escape safely together after seeing how the marriage of his parents, Senior (Ray McKinnon) and Mary Lee (Sarah Paulson), begins to crumble at home.

Matthew McConaughey is superb in this film and in my opinion gives one of the best performances of his career. He has been on quite a role lately with some very interesting roles. I hope he gets nominated for his work here. As much as I enjoyed his performance, I don't know if the movie would have worked without the strong lead performance from the two young kids, especially from Sheridan who is the lead character and through whose eyes we see everything. Sheridan blew me away and I really cared for his character. There is so much depth to his character and we see the range of emotions that he goes through. He is tough but at the same time sweet, he has strong convictions about love but at the same time these convictions are being put to a test. Sheridan nails the role and delivers this film. There are also some strong secondary performances from Sam Shepard and Michael Shannon who plays a very different role here. Shannon's character, Neckbone's uncle, has the funniest scenes and brings some lightness to the story. This is by far the best film I've seen this year. I loved the story, the characters, and the suspense. The attention to southern detail that Nichols makes only improves this film and makes it more emotionally involving than it already is. 


15 jun 2013

My Review: Man of Steel (7/10)

¨You just have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be, Clark. Whoever that man is, he´s going to change the world.¨

There is no doubt in my mind that Man of Steel is a far more superior movie than its predecessor: Superman Returns. The franchise has gotten a positive reboot with director Zack Snyder at the helm and Christopher Nolan as one of the producers. I know this isn’t a perfect film, I thought it had several flaws, but compared to Superman Returns this is a masterpiece. What surprises me is that even though most critics acknowledge the fact that this is a superior film, in Rotten Tomatoes this film was only recommended by 57% of critics, compared to the 75% that recommended Superman Returns. For those of us who have seen both movies we know that is a tremendous flaw and most critics would agree that they gave too much anticipated love to Superman Returns which was a really mediocre movie. I can understand why they disliked this film because I think the film suffers from an action overdose. There is just way too much action in this film and it grows repetitive and tiresome. Snyder goes overboard with the action sequences and there is just way too much destruction that goes unaccounted for. I mean the entire city of Metropolis gets completely destroyed in this film and there are far too many 9/11 references here. That is the major issue I had with this film. Other than that I thought the movie had a great cast. Henry Cavill made for an exciting and near perfect Superman, Amy Adams nailed her role as Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon was a convincing villain as General Zod. Besides the cast, I also thought the flashback scenes involving the young Clark Kent were the strongest moments of the film. It was those quiet moments that I enjoyed more than all the loud action scenes in which Clark Kent was struggling to find his new identity. Those scenes worked really well for me and I thought Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were wonderful playing his Earth parents. I wasn’t a big fan of the opening sequence in Krypton, but thought Russell Crowe also was convincing as Jor-El.

The film opens in Krypton where we see Jor-El (Russell Crowe) help his wife give birth to his son, Kal-El, the first natural birth in the planet in a long time. The planet is at the verge of being extinct and Jor-El finds hope in his son, although General Zod (Michael Shannon) has different plans for his people. Despite Zod´s efforts to stop Jor-El, he manages to send his son to Earth where he can survive. At Earth he is adopted by Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha (Diane Lane) who find him in their field in Kansas. The film centers on Clark (Henry Cavill) as he struggles to find meaning and purpose for his life. With the help of his parents he begins to deal with his powers, but is reminded that he should use these abilities as little as possible because the world isn’t prepared for someone like him. The scenes involving Clark´s childhood and his upbringing with his parents is told through a series of flashbacks as we see a much more mature Clark searching for the meaning of his existence in one place after another. He finally finds some answers when an ancient craft from Krypton is located on Earth and that is when he also runs into journalist, Louis Lane (Amy Adams) who discovers Clark isn’t a regular human being. His secret life is shattered when General Zod makes a theatrical entrance in his spaceship along with his crew and asks mankind to surrender the alien. Of course Zod has other intentions for the planet and doesn’t really settle for Kal-El. This is where the battle and destruction on Earth begins, and Clark Kent ironically remains the only hope for mankind.

Man of Steel delivers and fans of blockbuster action films will love this film. I thought the action sequences suffered from too much overload and repetitiveness. The scenes are extremely exaggerated and they grew tiresome after a while. I loved most of the film, but the last 45 minutes took a toll on me and made me enjoy this film less and less. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like this and of course I would rather sit through this than watch Superman Returns again (a film that critics seem to have enjoyed more). The problem is that after so many great superhero films, Man of Steel does fall short to other films like The Dark Knight or even Iron Man. It is probably at the same level as Thor, but I wouldn’t say this is a great superhero film because it is inferior to the bar that the Batman franchise set. I even think Iron Man 3 was a better movie than this, but Man of Steel did have its moments and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people really like this blockbuster film considering the excellent cast and the wonderful performance from Henry Cavill as the new Superman.


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11 dic 2012

My Review: Premium Rush (5/10)



¨I like to ride. Fixed gear. No brakes. Can't stop. Don't want to, either.¨

I`m not a big fan of director, David Koepp`s work (Ghost Town, Secret Window), but I decided to give Premium Rush a chance considering Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon were staring in this film. Gordon-Levitt has had a great year with some interesting roles in The Dark Knight Rises and Looper, but here he doesn’t have a great script to work with. Michael Shannon on the other hand gave one of the best performances of 2011 in Take Shelter, a movie I really loved; but here I was really disappointed with his work. I didn’t like the way he portrayed his character as a corrupt cop one bit. The film has a lot of action and interesting bike scenes, but it never feels like it is taking itself too seriously. I don’t mind when film do this, but it wasn’t very funny either so it didn’t work in any level for me. I really was hoping Premium Rush would be a better movie, but Koepp has disappointed me once again. I give this film a 5 out of 10 because I thought some of the bicycle scenes were pretty exciting and Levitt still manages to be likeable. If you haven’t seen his other films this year then go see them instead of this one. I really can’t recommend this film to anyone. I thought it was just another forgettable light action flick, which is too bad because the trailer did make it look interesting.

Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works as a bike messenger in the dangerous streets of Manhattan. He has a sort of no fear mentality and rides his bike without breaks, taking his job seriously. He will do what it takes to deliver his packages on time, even if it means he has to put his life (or others) in danger. What begins like an ordinary day for Wilee when he`s asked to deliver a simple envelope ends up being a nightmare for him. A corrupt police detective named Bobby (Michael Shannon) wants to intercept the envelope before Wilee can make the delivery and thus follows him across the city. Wilee realizes that he`s not holding an ordinary package and decides to return it to the sender before he gets into more trouble. The sender happens to be Nima (Jamie Chung), Vanessa`s (Dania Ramirez) roommate, and Vanessa happens to be Wilee`s girlfriend. When Nima tells him how important it is that the envelope be delivered on time Wilee realizes he has to help her, but the package has already been picked up by another bike messenger,  Manny (Wole Parks). Thus the chase begins between Manny, Wilee, and Bobby across the heavily transited streets of NY.

The film has some fun action scenes as we see these experienced cyclists chasing each other across the city at high speeds, but the characters are really poorly developed and everything seems to be taken so lightly. The movie has some crazy editing going on as well as Wilee deliberates as to which direction he should take and we see the possible outcomes before he actually decides. Premium Rush is also narrated in non-linear fashion as we go back and forth in time to explain certain events. I´m not a big fan of chase scenes, and this film is one gigantic chase scene so that may be one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy this movie as much. Cyclists might enjoy this film, but I found the script a bit cheesy and everything really over the top (like Michael Shannon`s performance). I couldn’t recommend this film.
  

6 jun 2012

My Review: Take Shelter (9/10)


¨You think I'm crazy? Well, listen up, there's a storm coming like nothing you've ever seen, and not a one of you is prepared for it. ¨

I finally was able to catch up with this film which I was anticipating for quite some time now but never had a chance to see it since it wasn’t released where I live. I was really excited that I finally got to see it because it was really worth the wait. It was better than I anticipated and I really loved how young director Jeff Nichols slowly built the tension in this film. For many viewers Take Shelter may feel like it is slow paced at times, but I was so into the film that I loved how the movie was unfolding before my eyes. I had no problem with the slow buildup because the movie was just so beautiful to watch and the hallucination sequences were really strong thanks to an incredible performance from Michael Shannon. This isn’t your typical thriller where all of a sudden you experience a surprise twist, but it is more like a dramatic thriller where you have the tension slowly building and growing. That is exactly what Michael Shannon`s character goes through as he becomes more and more immersed into this world of trying to figure out what is real and what is hallucination. It is not like if from one moment to the next he just automatically changed, but more like a slow progressive change which begins to unfold before the eyes of his family and community. Jeff Nichols is one to keep an eye considering he not only directed this great film, but wrote it as well. This is just his second film, his first, Shotgun Stories, also starred Shannon, and his third film, Mud, has recently been released in the Cannes film festival receiving a lot of praise.

Curtis (Michael Shannon) lives in a nice small home with his wife, Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and young daughter, Hannah (Tova Stewart), who`s deaf. Everyone in the community looks up to them, but Curtis begins to experience some strange hallucinations about a storm. These are no ordinary hallucinations, as he has trouble sleeping and wakes up sweating. The first dream had to do with a storm coming and all of a sudden his dog bites his arm. When he awakes from the nightmare the pain in his arm doesn’t go away and he begins to worry something bad is going to happen. He ends up locking his dog in the backyard and decides he should build a sort of shelter in his yard. He doesn’t tell Samantha about his problem, but keeps to himself trying to find some help by reading mental illness books and seeking advice from professional councilors. The hallucinations become stronger and stronger and his friends begin to worry about him. The dreams push Curtis further and further away from his friends and family as he keeps to himself and doesn’t try to communicate his problems. We discover he has family history after he visits his mother who suffered from schizophrenia when she was 30. Curtis fears the worst, but also decides to prepare in case his dreams become true.

These constant hallucinations and dreams have us the viewers questioning ourselves whether what Curtis is actually experiencing is a hallucination or some sort of prophesy. We do not know what to believe, but evidently something is wrong with Curtis. What Nichols does well is make the issue not only a personal one, but one that affects the entire family. That is where Jessica Chastain`s character comes in as she plays an important role in trying to keep the family together and trying to help her husband with his mental illness. She is excellent in her role and received a lot of critical acclaim as Michael Shannon did. They both won several awards for their roles in this film, although Chastain did have a bigger year with other films like The Help and The Tree of Life. I had seen Shannon in several smaller roles in the past, but this was the first time that I actually got to see him in the lead role, and he was just brilliant. I absolutely loved this film and the ambiguous ending also played out really well in my opinion. I will definitely be looking out for Nichols`s next film, Mud.

25 may 2012

My Review: Machine Gun Preacher (8/10)


¨Why don't you fight the evil in this place your way, and let me fight it mine.¨

Marc Foster has directed some interesting movies in the past such as Kite Runner, Quantum of Solace, and Monster`s Ball, but in my opinion his best film is Finding Neverland; a movie I absolutely fell in love with; so each time Foster makes a new film I am always looking forward  to what he is going to do next. His latest film, Machine Gun Preacher, was a very emotional and entertaining film. It combined a lot of action with an emotional drama that worked really well thanks to the lead performance from Gerard Butler. I enjoy these types of inspirational movies where we have a lead character with several flaws who tries to change his life around and redeem himself from his past. I`ve witnessed several of these cases in real life where people have been able through their faith to do great and honorable things despite however dark their past might have been. I believe the world can be a better place if we can learn to let go of our past and live a life of love and service for those in need. Foster makes a very interesting film here and delivers this message in an unorthodox way. The main character isn’t your ordinary converted Christian. This guy has a Bible in one hand, and a machine gun in the other. He is willing to protect those in need by risking his own life. At one point he becomes so immersed in this calling that he puts aside even his own family. Machine Gun Preacher is based on the real life of Sam Childers, a former gangster who becomes a Christian and who`s life changes when he travels to Africa on a Mission trip. I found it to be a really emotional story, but at the same time very entertaining as well. Childers shares even the darkest side of him in this story.

The story begins with Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) being released from prison after having spent there several months for dealing drugs. He is a redneck who loves to hang out with his biker friends in bars around Pennsylvania. He has a wife named Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) and a daughter named Paige. Lynn worked as a dancer at a strip club, but Sam discovers she hasn`t been doing that anymore since he was in prison. Lynn doesn’t smoke or drink either, she claims to have found God and has decided to turn her life around. Sam is not happy about this one bit and continues to live his normal life spending time doing drugs in bars with his best friend Donnie (Michael Shannon). One night his life changes when they pick up a homeless man who tries to steal from them and Sam ends up stabbing him several times. He realizes he has hit rock bottom and agrees to go to church one Sunday with Lynn. He ends up finding God and being baptized. Sam`s life turns around completely as he abandons his life as a drug dealer and begins to make a living as a construction worker. A few months later his hometown is hit by a devastating tornado which works out really well for Sam because he has much more work to do now and ends up managing his own construction business. Sam hears about a mission group that is going to Africa and decides to go. His life changes when he arrives in Sudan and experiences the horrors of the civil war as young kids are being taken from their villages by the rebel army. He befriends one of the army officials named Deng (Souleymane Sy Savane) who tells him what is going on in the country. Sam decides to help out by building an orphanage for the kids and rescuing those who have been taken by the rebels, but he will realize just how big the fight really is as it takes up most of his time and resources.

I already mentioned that Gerard Butler is good and believable in the lead role, but he also had a strong supporting cast to rely on. Michelle Monaghan was surprisingly good in last year`s science fiction thriller Source Code, and here she delivers a strong dramatic role. She is very supportive of her husband and always has a word for him when he`s discouraged. Michael Shannon received a lot of praise for his role in Take Shelter, and in this film he`s good although he doesn’t have much screen time. He`s a great actor, and in the little scenes he was in he was good. I really want to speak about Souleymane Sy Savane, an actor I loved in the small film Goodbye Solo where he played a taxi cab driver who befriends an old man. Savane is really good and it was a real pleasure to see him in this film. I really felt emotional during some scenes which were difficult to watch or really opened my eyes as to the necessity that some of these people have. I might not agree with the way Childers does things, but I was touched by the passion he had for those kids. This is a very powerful and emotional film and I think Foster doesn’t disappoint with the way he directed this movie.