by JENNIFER MERIN
Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne star in “The Meddler” PHOTO/Sony Pictures Classics
“The Meddler” stars Susan Sarandon as a recently widowed woman who satisfies her need to be needed by moving from east coast to west to insert herself into the life of her daughter (Rose Byrne). She arrives with fresh bagels in hand and offers astrology-based advice about romance and everything else. She soon has her own suitor, a motorcycle riding senior hottie (J.K. Simmons). Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, the mother-daughter comedy is filled with love and laughter. Sarandon and Byrne play off each other beautifully. Both are in top form, as is Simmons. If you’re hungry for a satisfying serving of giddily compassionate comedy, “The Meddler,” which opens today, is a must-see.
Other April 22 openers include “Nina,” written and directed by Cynthia Mort, which offers a sobering contrast. This fictional biopic about the late and great – and controversial – Nina Simone is itself quite controversial because of its casting. Zoe Saldana, who plays the musical genius, had to darken her skin and wear a prosthetic nose to “pass” as Simone. She sings all of Simone’s songs, but is unfortunately un- Simone in her renditions. Critical commentary also swirls around Mort’s narrative focus on the relationship between Simone and her nurse-turned-manager (David Oyelowo), rather than on the story underlying Simone’s anger and activism. If you seek insight into the iconic and fascinating Simone, see Liz Garbus’ Oscar-nominated 2015 biodoc “What Happened, Miss Simone?” instead.
“Sworn Virgin” is Italian director Laura Bispuri’s engaging narrative feature about Hana (Alba Rohrwacher). This young Albanian woman invokes an option of her traditional rural community and ceremoniously swears to eschew sex and romance, which releases her from any social obligations to marry and be ruled by a husband. Through her oath, she essentially acquires all the rights of a man, and continues to live in her remote mountain town as a man named Mark. Eventually, she senses that she’s exchanged one form of repression for another. She leaves the community and moves to Milan, where she rediscovers her feminine identity and needs. Based on Elvira Dones’ novel, the film follows Hana through a fascinating and difficult journey of self-realization. Rohrwacher’s performance is magnificent. The film is a must-see.
“Elvis & Nixon” is director Liza Johnson’s take on an impromptu meeting between two iconic figures. It was 1970 and Elvis Presley simply drove up to the White House and asked to see the president. The guards recognized him, and Richard Nixon welcomed him in for a chat. It happened. The chat culminated with a standard handshaking photo that is the most requested image in the National Archive. The meeting is reimagined in a way that is appropriately absurd. Strong performances pull it off. Kevin Spacey perfectly captures Nixon’s speech cadence and awkward physicality. Michael Shannon is somewhat less convincing as Elvis, but his pointed delivery of twisted dialogue hits its satirical target. See it for the laughs.
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