THE RETURN (2003)

Two teenage brothers are surprised one day when their father, whom they've never known, suddenly returns home.  The mother quietly accepts him.  To get acquainted, the father proposes that he takes the two boys on a fishing road trip.  The boys are both very excited, but soon learn their father has a dark side.

THE RETURN, by first time director, Andrei Zvyagintsev, is a very good film.  All you have to do is just watch the screen for the first few minutes to understand there's a lot of talent involved with this movie, both behind the camera and in front of it.  The pace might be a little slow for some viewers, but I think the gradual build up suits the story very well.  Yeah the ending is a little vague, but if you pay attention (especially to the subjects of the photographs at the end) I think you'll find a satisfying answer.  And that brings us to the acting...holy fook.  The kid who plays Ivan (Ivan Dobronravov) was amazing!  His performance was so authentic that at times it almost felt like I was watching a documentary instead of a fictional movie.  The praises for young Ivan shouldn't subtract from the others actors though, the entire cast was incredible.  As impressive the acting and the story were though, the thing that I liked most was the photography.  THE RETURN is a beautiful film.  Turn your eyes away for just a moment and you might might miss a gorgeous shot.

As far as slower-paced, arthouse films go THE RETURN is sure to please its intended audience.  Recommended.

ONE CRAZY SUMMER (1986)

This is the movie where the two little girls get slapped on the back while making ugly faces and their faces freeze.

Writer/director Steve Holland and star John Cusack follow the success of their first film together, BETTER OFF DEAD, the very next year with ONE CRAZY SUMMER the story of yet another teenage loser with girl problems.  This time around Cusack and his buddy have just graduated from high school so they head off for a relaxing vacation on Nantucket Island.  Along the way they pick up struggling singer Demi Moore, who was running from some bikers.  Once on the island they have to join forces with some other friends to save the one guy's grandma's house from an evil land developer and his douchebag jock son.  While all of this is going on Cusack has the hots for Demi, but the jocks sexy girlfriend has her sights set on Cusack.

Like BETTER OFF DEAD the comedy is pretty wacky, but unlike BETTER OFF DEAD it doesn't have a real soul and it's not even that funny.  There's some humorous moments, but over all it's pretty dated.  Older fans who grew up during the wacky comedy wave of the 1980's will probably still like it, but I just can't see newer audiences laughing at Bobcat Goldthwait screeching nonstop, a guy listening all summer to a radio station 24/7 in hopes of winning a contest or a guy named "Hoops" who can't play basketball.  The Nantucket scenery did look beautiful though.