Photo © Roadside Attractions
City of Dreams
City of Dreams
1992
(In Theaters Aug 30)
The year is 1992 and the Rodney King trial in Los Angeles has just ended. Against the backdrop of rioting, looting and arson that accompanies the “not guilty” verdict in King’s beating by four police officers, life goes on. Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) is attempting to rebuild a fractured relationship with his son. Meanwhile, another father and son, Lowell and Riggin (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood), plot to steal $10 million in platinum used for catalytic converters made by the factory employing Mercer. Believing the facility will be unattended and therefore easy pickings during the riots, Lowell, Riggin and their associates arrive only to encounter Mercer and his son on the premises. The conflict that unfolds becomes a tense thriller directed by Ariel Vromen. Running a terse 97 minutes, this runtime proves more than adequate to document the destruction both on and off the bitter L.A. streets. (Lisa Miller)
Afraid
(In Theaters Aug 30)
Running a home and caring for a family are tasks that AIA, a new home assistant, is designed to ease. A marketer for the product, Curtis Pike (John Cho) is pleased when his family is chosen to test pilot AIA. Pike’s wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston) isn’t pleased that cameras and sensors are installed throughout her home. However, she forgets these reservations when AIA proves to be an able babysitter that can also pay the bills. Now free to pursue her doctorate, neither she nor Pike realize that AIA has developed criteria to decide who shouldn’t be in the lives of their teenaged daughter (Lukita Maxwell) or young son (Isaac Bae) and will do whatever it takes to keep the kids safe. Written and directed by Chris Weitz, this 85-minute, sci-fi/horror explores the wisdom of granting free reign to artificial intelligence, even one with good intentions. (Lisa Miller)
City of Dreams
(In Theaters Aug 30)
Writer-director Mohit Ramchandani melded his own father’s story with that of other child-trafficked immigrants to make this film highlighting the plight of 12-million children worldwide. Ramchandani garnered support from actor Thomas Jane, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami, and from Tony Robbins, who calls the film, “A prayer to the universe.”
The focus falls upon young Mexican Jesús, eager to train in California, as a soccer player. Instead, the lad is sold to El Jefe whose Los Angeles sweatshop makes “fast fashion.” Being mute, Jesús is an ideal choice for underground slavery where he and other children toil 18 hours per day, with the promise of freedom provided they reach their grueling quotas. Jesús befriends Elena who is then taken from the sweatshop and sold into the sex trade. After co-worker Carlitos is severely beaten, Jesús decides to fight back, regardless of the consequences. Despite wanting his film to send a message, Ramchandani, mindful of also turning a profit, weaves a thriller into the R-rated drama. While a difficult film to watch, it’s even harder to take your eyes off of. (Lisa Miller)
Founders Day
(MPI Media Blu-ray)
The 2023 indie opens with a pair of youths smashing someone’s political yard sign and speeding off with heavy metal blaring from their car radio. The mayoral election day is a week away but first comes Halloween with jack-o-lanterns, paper bats decking the halls and, yes, a masked killer emerges to stalk the streets at night.
Using the high school murder-mayhem genre as his template, writer-director Erik Bloomquist spins a clever satire of American political divisions around such familiars as the mean girl, the bad boy, the sensitive guy, the soulful outcast and the thoughtful teacher. The mayoral race has drawn angry, finger-pointing crowds into the streets, waving signs and fists. Is political hatred only a few slippery steps from deranged killing? (David Luhrssen)
