Celluloid #87

In Theaters

Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then (2010) Green - Leonard and Mary are an unusual couple living in isolated Kentucky. When Mary gets diagnosed with cancer, Leonard attempts to save her by turning their house into a "healing machine"...a romantic and tragic notion. This film is amazing aesthetically, using stop motion animation, but live actors and a large set. The "special effect" (namely involving the car accident) are really cool and I like that you can tell the process is so time-consuming. The narration is also really interesting, if perhaps a little uncomfortable or off-putting at times. The filmmaker sounds full of anger or on the brink of tears while speaking about things of a typically spiritual nature. Extremely limited release, but recommended if you can find it. 4/5

Splice (2010) Natali - I laughed so much at this B-movie-styled film about two biochemist and their weird human-animal creature. Without giving anything away, this film goes every place you would hope and takes a few welcome but totally outrageous turns. 4/5

In Home

Ace in the Hole (1951) Wilder - A big city newspaperman finds himself needing a job in Albuquerque and starts trash talking about the whole town, disgruntled with being reduced to working for such a "lowly" paper. Chuck's only goal is to write about a big story in order to regain his place at a big city newspaper. He gets a break with a story about a man trapped in a mine, but he manipulates the situation so much that he puts the man's life in danger. 4/5

the Lady Eve (1941) Sturges - Jean and her father are card sharks who decide to take a wealthy beer heir for his fortune. However, "Hopsy" falls for Jean and surprisingly she returns the feelings. He proposes marriage, but then discovers her true identity. The second half of the film, when Jean assumes a new identity as an English aristocrat, does not match up with the greatness of the first half, but overall a fun deception film. 4/5

Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) Richardson - Colin gets sentenced to a juvenile detention center for committing petty crimes. These crimes are mostly rooted in boredom and refusing to accept the limited options in life. Once locked up, the headmaster discovers Colin's talent for distance running and uses Colin to try and win the title against a local school. Part of the "Angry Young Man" movement in England. 3.5/5