Night-By-Night Guide to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival

Along with the coming of baseball season, brings early insights to the year's cinematic endeavors. Since its inception back in 2001, the "Triangle below Cannal Street" is not just about name brand boutiques and overpriced flats. But it also has come to represent the best of what New Yorkers consider cinematic art, at least in the eyes of founders Robert DeNiro & Jane Rosenthal. This year, we will see a variety of films that range from documentaries about eclectic over-the-hill pop stars like Elton John, to family dramedies starring over-their-career actresses like Kathleen Turner. Though the festival isn't quite as substantial as Robert Redford's Sundance, it is not without its own merits. One added bonus that I have always enjoyed about Tribeca are the industry workshops they sponsor in addition to the regular film screenings. This year, there will be discussions held on a variety of topics that any aspiring film maker should find worth-while, including "Shooting Film on a Budget" and "Based on True Events" just to name a few. And of course, there's the ever popular post-film talks with the film makers, new and old alike.

OPENING NIGHT, Wednesday, April 20th
The Union | Directed by Cameron Crowe

Elton John and Leon Russell

A captivating and exhilarating real-life experience of musical creation and generosity, The Union is an unprecedented look at the creative life of Elton John and his remarkable collaborative album with his early-career idol, Leon Russell. Never before filmed in his composing process, John is captured by director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) in a candid portrait of one of the world’s most treasured artists and performers. Legendary producer T Bone Burnett, John's lifelong lyricist Bernie Taupin, icons Neil Young and Brian Wilson, legendary R&B organist Booker T. Jones, steel guitarist Robert Randolph, and a 10-piece gospel choir are featured on the album, while appearances by Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Jeff Bridges, and Grace Jones color this documentary about a love of making music.

Thursday, April 21st

The Bang Bang Club | Directed by Steven Silver

Ryan Phillipp

The Bang Bang Club is the true story of four young combat photographers bonded by friendship and their sense of purpose to tell the truth. They risk their lives and use their cameras to tell the world of the violence associated with the first free elections in post-Apartheid South Africa. Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and Taylor Kitsch star in a film that explores the thrills, danger, and moral questions associated with exposing the truth. Based on the book The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War by Marinovich and Silva, this gripping film explores the thrills, danger, and moral ambiguity associated with representing war, and features stellar performances from Ryan Phillippe, Neels Van Jaarsveld, Frank Rautenbach, and Taylor Kitsch as the heroic young journalists who risk their lives for their cause and their craft.

Friday, April 22nd
Angels Crest | Directed by Gaby Dellal

Jeremy Piven

The small working-class town of Angels Crest rests quietly in one of the vast valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Not much happens in this tight-knit community except for the occasional convergence in the local diner where locals mull over drip coffee and trade gossip. The recession is evident, and residents do what they can to get by on what little they have. Ethan (Thomas Dekker), one of the town's inhabitants, is a young father but not much more than a kid himself. He has no choice but to look after his three-year-old son Nate, since mom Cindy (Lynn Collins) is an alcoholic. But one snowy day, Ethan's good intentions are thwarted by a moment of thoughtlessness, resulting in tragedy. A local prosecutor (Jeremy Piven) haunted by his past goes after Ethan, and the ensuing confusion and grief catapult the townspeople into strange new directions as they try to make sense of what happened and where the blame lies.

Saturday, April 23rd

Assault | Directed by Julien Leclercq

On December 24, 1994, when four heavily armed terrorists from the Algerian Armed Islamic Group hijacked an Air France plane bound for Paris at Algiers' airport, the 227 passengers on board seemed destined for tragedy. After hours of tireless negotiations the plane was granted permission to leave only to head to Marseille for refueling. Mindfully avoiding politics and emphasizing only the events themselves, The Assault weaves together the violent and claustrophobic onboard drama, with backstories of the tough SWAT officer and father Thierry (Vincent Elbaz), the determined jihadist from the slums of Algiers (Aymen Saidi), and an overly ambitious French Interior Ministry worker. Action-savvy director Julien Leclercq (Chrysalis) boldly returns with this taut, real-life thriller that culminates in an explosive gun-wielding standoff—which, at the time, aired live in front of an audience of 21 million television viewers. Leclercq seamlessly intertwines this harrowing real-life footage, heightening the stakes while driving home this heroic but foreboding event in French history.

Sunday, April 24th
The Perfect Family | Directed by Anne Renton

Kathleen Turner

Suburban mother and devout Catholic Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner) has always kept up appearances. When she runs for the Catholic Woman of the Year title at her local parish—an award she has coveted for years—her final test is introducing her family to the board for the seal of approval. Now she must finally face the nonconformist family she has been glossing over for years. Her gay daughter, Shannon (Emily Deschanel), a successful lawyer, is about to marry her life partner Angela (Angelique Cabral). Her unhappily married son Frank Jr. (Jason Ritter) is cheating on his wife with the local manicurist. And Eileen's own marriage to a recovered alcoholic is pulling at the seams. This heartfelt dysfunctional family comedy boasts a memorable performance from Academy Award nominee Turner as the conflicted and comical matriarch, alongside a bright ensemble cast including Richard Chamberlain and Michael McGrady. Newcomer director Anne Renton keeps the pacing taut and crafts an honest, modern family tale. Writers Claire V. Riley and Paula Goldberg infuse just the right amount of seriousness and levity into their script, reminding us that family is never truly perfect.

Monday, April 25th

Last Night | Directed by Massy Tadjedin

Guillaume Canet and Keira Knightley

New York City is a stunning backdrop for this story of a successful, gorgeous, and outwardly perfect married couple confronting the turbulence of temptation. Joanna (Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley) and Michael Reed (Sam Worthington) are seven years into a loyal and healthy marriage, both balancing challenging but rewarding careers, and enjoying what the city has to offer. One night when the Reeds attend a company party, Joanna witnesses an exchange of glances between her husband and a sexy colleague, Laura (the smart and seductive Eva Mendes), whom Michael never mentioned before. Suspicion mounts when Michael heads out on a business trip with the attractive co-worker in tow. As Joanna begins to doubt Michael's intentions, she finds herself facing her own temptation when her ex-lover Alex (the handsome Guillaume Canet) resurfaces. Writer/director Massy Tadjedin gently exposes the tangled web of emotions surrounding doubt and jealousy that subtly tug at the seams of a modern relationship in this finely woven tale. Knightley and Worthington bring maturity and confidence to this city couple in crisis, and temper both with just the right amount of vulnerability.

Tuesday, April 26th
Higher Ground | Directed by Vera Farmiga

Dagmara Dominczyk and Vera Farmiga

Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) plays Corinne, a young wife and mother whose journey of self-discovery throws a tight-knit community off-kilter. Growing up a teenage misfit in the 1960s, young Corinne (played by Farmiga's sister Taissa) settles down early with her high school sweetheart, local band guitarist Ethan. When the new family is saved from a near-tragedy, Corinne and Ethan discover and incorporate a new sense of spirituality into their lives. However, over the next 20 years, small injustices accumulate and chip away at Corinne's certainty. Higher Ground depicts one woman's transitioning belief system over a lifetime, and how a crisis of faith can come about in the absence of any single crisis at all. Farmiga's patient filmmaking imbues her epic story with a contemplative introspection, making her directorial debut a personal study on the nature of doubt—whether it's of religion, leadership, or self. Cementing her as a bold new directing talent, Farmiga's adaption of Carolyn S. Briggs' memoir "This Dark World" is an authentic and resonant rumination on a woman who learns that no matter how many times she loses her footing, she has within herself all that's necessary to get to a higher place.

Wednesday, April 27th

Everything Must Go | Directed by Dan Rush

Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell delivers an understated performance in writer/director Dan Rush's funny and touching adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story "Why Don't You Dance?" Nick Porter has just been fired from his sales job after, well, not keeping sober. Things get worse as he returns home to find that his wife has left him, changed the locks, cut him off from their credit cards, and thrown all his stuff out on the front lawn. With the last few bucks in his pocket, he buys some beer and sets up a yard sale to sell off everything he has. Under Texas law, he can keep his sale going for five days, but is that enough time for Nick to get it together? Everything Must Go is anchored by Ferrell's ability to make Nick sympathetic even when the character—often clutching a can of beer—is at rock bottom. He shares many moving scenes with a lonely pregnant neighbor (Rebecca Hall), a teen kid that hangs around (Christopher Jordan Wallace), and an old high school friend (Laura Dern). Rush expertly balances the humorous moments and the serious tones in this story of starting over and moving on.

Thursday, April 28th
Puncture | Directed by Mark Kassen & Adam Kassen

Chris Evans

Mike Weiss (Chris Evans) is a talented young Houston lawyer and a functioning drug addict. Paul Danziger (co-director Mark Kassen), his longtime friend and partner, is the straight-laced and responsible yin to Mike's yang. Their mom-and-pop personal injury law firm is getting by, but things really get interesting when they decide to take on a case involving Vicky (Vinessa Shaw), a local ER nurse, who is pricked by a contaminated needle on the job. As Weiss and Danziger dig deeper into the case, a health care and pharmaceutical conspiracy teeters on exposure and heavyweight attorneys move in on the defense. Out of their league but invested in their own principles, the mounting pressure of the case pushes the two underdog lawyers and their business to the breaking point. Brothers and first-time directors Mark and Adam Kassen bring this real-life story to the screen with all the urgency and passion of the subjects themselves. The result is an effective issue-driven drama that finds its footing in a contemporary David and Goliath story. The performances are solid and Chris Evans refreshingly infuses Weiss with crackling charisma while grounding him with real insecurities and compassion.

Friday, April 29th
Janie Jones | Directed by David M. Rosenthal

Alessandro Nivola and Abigail Breslin

Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola) and his band are on the comeback trail when a former flame (Elisabeth Shue) drops a bomb in his lap: their 13-year-old daughter, Janie Jones (Abigail Breslin). Ethan refuses to believe Janie is his kid, but when her mom suddenly leaves for rehab, the child has no place to go but into the tour bus and on the road with the band. With no inclination toward fatherhood, Ethan continues his hard-living ways, leaving Janie to fend for herself in the dive bars and sleazy motels along the way. As Ethan's self-destructive spiral threatens to derail the tour, Janie uses her own surprising musical talents to help guide him down the rocky road to redemption. Nivola and Breslin naturally embrace their musical characters—both actually sing and perform in the film—while developing Ethan and Janie's relationship in a refined way to delicately express the emotional needs of the characters. Writer/director David M. Rosenthal blends the musical setting with road trip movie elements that add subtle layers to the dynamic of his two main characters.

CLOSING NIGHT, Saturday, April 30th
Newlyweds | Written, Directed & Starring Edwards Burns

Caitlin FitzGerald and Edward Burns

When you get married, you're not just getting a husband or wife—you get the family, the friends, even the exes. Buzzy and Katy are newlyweds. Katy's meddlesome sister Marcia has been married to Buzzy's friend Max for 18 years. As Marcia and Max's marriage is crumbling under the weight of life together as empty-nesters, Buzzy and Katy's honeymoon period is upended when Buzzy's wild-child baby sister shows up at the couple's TriBeCa apartment with more than a little baggage. With crackling humor and sharp insights into modern relationships, writer/director/actor Edward Burns tracks the tangled threads of these New Yorkers over three days. Aiming to root out the reality and bypassing the Hollywood sentimentality of love and marriage, he takes a documentary approach that is no less visually striking for its on-the-fly style. Shot entirely in TriBeCa, it's a quintessential New York film from a quintessential New York director. Burns has a singular way of getting past the veil of anonymity that comes with living in this city to really strike the core of his characters, played with candor and confidence by a top-notch ensemble that includes himself, Caitlin FitzGerald, Max Baker, Marsha Dietlein Bennett, and Kerry Bishé.