Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song
The point of this inspirational film is that when life is ugly, music can still be beautiful. Writer-Director John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon) builds that message around one song, Lee Ann Womack’s hit “I Hope You Dance.” The song’s writers, Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers, speak of collaboration and dreams. Of interest are appearances by Brian Wilson, singing “God Only Knows” at his piano, and Graham Nash going solo for “Teach Your Children.”
Swim Little Fish Swim
Mary is understandably tired of working while her self-important artiste husband parties and plays music. He is insufferable despite the film’s efforts to position him as a good guy; Mary is understandable in her frustration; and their unexpected visitor, a young French artist, is a delight. This film festival favorite by French directors Lola Bessis and Ruben Amar moves with the slowness of real life while catching the noisy ambiance of New York’s bohemian milieu.
Tap World
What’s striking about the tap dancers represented in this documentary is their youth, the respect they have for the history of their art form and their need to incorporate the rhythms of now. On the subject of rhythm, Chicago dancer Ted Louis Levy is especially eloquent. “Rhythm is the language of life,” he insists, adding that everything from architecture to traffic has it. Tap World includes lots of footage of dancing feet—edited rhythmically.
The Crooked Way
With his poker face and sad eyes, John Payne resembles a Bogart-era Nicholas Cage in The Crooked Way. This 1949 crime drama has all the essential film noir elements, starting with the protagonist’s amnesia: He doesn’t know who he is but everybody knows him, cops and criminals alike. They all tell him to leave town (or else), but he’s searching for answers amid long shadows and flashing street lights that cut through pools of darkness.
