American Honey

Attracted to the outward leader (Shia LeBeouf) of a travelling Midwest magazine selling crew, a young Oklahoman (Sasha Lane) opts to ditch her life of poverty (and hinted at probable abuse) and join the wild band of tattooed, carefree, merrymaking outcasts aboard the sales bus. Though way longer than it needs to be, Andrea Arnold's American Honey is unorthodox and freewheeling, with memorable sequences, an amusing soundtrack, and fine performances from Lane and LaBeouf.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Wuthering Heights (1939 and 2012)

On the harsh and windy British Moorlands, a magnanimous estate keeper takes in a disheveled orphan who, as a stable boy, becomes the target of his son's sadism and the apple of his daughter's eye who, as time goes by, is compelled to bury these intensely intimate feelings. Wikipedia shows there have been no less than fifteen adaptations of Emily Bronte's novel (which I have yet to read), the most famous of which is William Wyler's 1939 version featuring Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, and David Niven, and most recently Andrea Arnold attempted to give the classic a shot in the arm with a gritty update. Watching Wyler's revered film again, I found it to be stodgy with Oberon an overwrought Cathy, Olivier only seeming comfortable when playing the civilized Heathcliffe, and Gregg Toland's Oscar winning cinematography being a highlight. Arnold's version also contains beautiful photography but her film is plodding, incohesive, and never successfully draws the viewer into the powerful story.

Fish Tank

Mia is a troubled 14 year old living in an Essex prjoect apartment in Great Britain with her loveless mother and younger sister who finds solace and maybe a potential means of escape in hip-hop dancing. Having recently being thrown out of school and having befriended an older boy at a local mobile home, matters are complicated even further when her mother brings home a rugged young man who seems to have Mia's best interests at heart but may have ulterior motives. Fish Tank was directed by Andrea Arnold, whom I read grew up in a similar housing project, brings such a raw and authentic feel to this film. Everything that happens in the film plays out as we think it should in real life, and no easy paths are taken and happy resolutions are utilized. Young Katie Jarvis, who stars in the film and had no prior acting experience, is remarkable as the foul mouthed teenager who doesn't know how to react when her relationship with her mom's boyfriend doesn't go as expected. Michael Fassbender, who is building quite the resume in his young career with nice roles in Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, and the upcoming X-Men: First Class, is great as the charming boyfriend whom we never quite know what he is thinking. Fish Tank is a bright independent film that challenges cinematic conventions and presents a rugged and realistic portrait of a young, confused, and impoverished existance.