Review: Lost in Paris

LOST IN PARIS: the title suggests a travel movie, but that is the most excitement you would expect. But Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel have really brought spice to such a simple title. Perhaps it's the chemistry that the writer/director/actor duo has brought to the project: not only are they partners in life, but partners in art and comedy, and it translates to the screen beautifully.

This dynamic duo has created a quaint, awkwardly hilarious film based in physical comedy -- every second will either have you laughing out loud or grinning in delight. The majority of the film takes place in -- you guessed it -- Paris, but with little dialogue, the story proves to be pretty universal, simply depicting a lost traveler, her smitten new acquaintance, and her addled aunt.

Fiona (Fiona Gordon) lives in a blustery, snow-covered village in Canada. Ever since her aunt Martha (Emmanuelle Riva) moved there when she was little, she has wanted to go to Paris. And she finally gets her chance when, about 40 years later, her aunt sends a cry for help in the form of a ragged, trash-soaked letter, worried that she will be put in a nursing home.

Fiona journeys to Paris to help her aunt, but once she gets there, Aunt Martha is nowhere to be found. A fall in the river causes Fiona's backpack to get lost downstream, including her purse and passport. Dom (Dominique Abel), an earnest homeless man with a tendency for lucky circumstances, finds her backpack, and -- after spending Fiona's money and wearing her clothes -- decides to help the poor woman find her aunt. Meanwhile, Aunt Martha is wandering the streets of Paris and stirring up trouble.

With vibrant colors and comical insight into everyday mundanity, the beauty of LOST IN PARIS is that we get to know these characters with so little dialogue. While Fiona does know some French, the language barrier provides a fresh canvas for a uniquely awkward humor -- though we're hardly able to classify it as slapstick, it is ingrained in the movement of the characters. Don't miss this hilarious film! Now playing at Midtown Cinema.

Review: Beatriz at Dinner

Director Miguel Areteta and writer Mike White each have an arsenal full of comedies -- Mike White's works include NACHO LIBRE and SCHOOL OF ROCK, while Areteta somehow furthered his career with comedies after YOUTH IN REVOLT -- but when the two combine, an uncomfortably candid drama unfolds.Though not without its scattering of darkly comedic moments, BEATRIZ AT DINNER is a formidable satirization of the current ambience of political affairs involving immigration issues.

Beatriz (Salma Hayek) is a healer -- soft voice, house full of meaningful trinkets, always seeing the spiritual side of things. She has pet goats.

As the introduction of the film sinks us into her character, Beatriz weaves her way through an opposing worldview, opening a window of spirituality in the lavish home of the elites who pay for her services. One such family is that of Cathy and Grant (Connie Britton and David Warshofsky), whose daughter Beatriz previously worked with to get her through the stages of cancer.

While it is clear that Cathy and Grant grateful for Beatriz's services, the choices they make in their "harmless" but telling dialogue reveal that they value their lifestyle and image more than Beatriz's actual company. When Beatriz's car breaks down in their driveway, Cathy invites her to stay for a dinner they are hosting, and later to spend the night -- an invitation she extends in front of her moneyed peers, of course, who recognize the action as charitable. Here, Beatriz's friendship is convenient -- but that is a facade that will not last the night.

Enter Doug Strutt (John Lithgow). Mr. Strutt is a business executive -- white, male, and abusing his privilege, he hunts animals for enjoyment and has little concern for the welfare of others if it means making an extra buck. His new hotel - the raising of which is the reason behind the dinner - has attracted protestors, and so begins the conversation that triggers a fiery relationship between him and Beatriz, fueled by the haunting of Beatriz's past and an unavoidable butting of heads between two dominant personalities.

The film very expressly makes a statement, not only about prejudices -- the conflicting cultures are so beautifully etched out, and Beatriz's anger at the actions that Mr. Strutt takes is visceral -- but also about the struggle that many minorities find in feeling a sense of belonging. From her position at the peripheral, Beatriz fights hard to find her center. Havek gives a moving performance, balanced well by Lithgow's slimeball affect.

BEATRIZ AT DINNER is now playing at Midtown Cinema! Don't miss this one.