Particles of Truth (2004) NR - 3½ Stars

The story of a germ freak and a dysfunctional girl who become good friends and help each other out of their funk. The movie takes a little while to get going and the kids seem to put all the blame of their dysfunctionality on their parents, but eventually it all comes into place. Decent movie once you see where it's going.

(Jennifer Elster), wrote, directed and stars in this film as Lilli. (That's gotta be tough) but she pulls it off fairly well. An artist, living in New York City, she's pretty negative about most everything in life. She has issues with her drug addicted parents as her father (Alan Samulski) is dying now and it doesn't seem to trouble her, on the surface, at all. Her mother (Susan Floyd), is a psycho who tells herself he's left town a long time ago. It's all too much for her to deal with and has effected her self esteem and just dealing with life. Even given the opportunity to show her work at the opening at a major gallery, has her questioning if art is even something she wants to pursue.

Morrison (Gale Harold), is sitting in his car when he sees Lilli walking by. The two sort of start a conversation but Morrison is too obsessed with germs to get out of his car and approach her. Eventually she enters the car with him and the two talk about their problems with each other. Both extremely attracted to each other, it's going to take a lot of work for these two to have any kind of a moderately healthy relationship together. "In 48 hours, some fall apart, some piece themselves together."

Matter Productions LLC
Director: Jennifer Elster
Writer: Jennifer Elster
Producer: Jennifer Elster

I Viewed 11/07

Winter's Bone (2010) R - 3½ Stars

I love Lionsgate films especially when they use a cast of unknowns. Jennifer Lawrence is one hell of a young actor. She's cast perfectly as Ree and she totally sales the role as does everyone. You really get that "Deliverance" type of feeling peeking into the lives of "white trash" living deep in the Ozark woods. Lawrence touches your heart in her desperate situation to take care of her family.

Sheriff Baskin (Garret Dillahunt), just told 17 year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) , that her house is about to be taken away. Apparently her father put the house up against a bails bond and now he's skipped out on a court date. Ree's grown up in this extremely poor part of the Ozark woods and has no idea where her strung out mom Victoria (Cinnamon Schultz), younger brother Sonny (Isaiah Stone), and little sister Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson), will end up. She determined to track her drug addicted father down before they take away the land.

Others living in the Ozark woods, including kin, are not pleased with Ree coming around asking questions. You know they know something but they aren't going to tell. None of them including Gail (Lauren Sweetser), Merab (Dale Dickey) and Sonya (Shelley Waggener), want to have her snooping around. Ree takes a beating and the only reason she's not dead, is she's family. Uncle Teardop (John Hawkes), comes to her rescue and tires to convince Ree her father's blown up in a one of the many methamphetamine labs in the woods. Ree doesn't want to accept that answer and needs to learn her own truth.

Awards include:
2010 - L.A. Film Critics Association - Best Actress - Runner-up
2010 - National Board of Review - Breakthrough Performance

Roadside Attractions
Director: Debra Granik
Writers: Anne Rosellini, Debra Granik
Producers: Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan-Yorkin

I viewed 12/10