CORPUS CHRISTI: A Complex Flm from Poland that Feels Effortless

By Steve Cruz
4.5 out of 5 Stars

Daniel, a 20-year-old convict in juvenile detention, enters the film CORPUS CHRISTI sawing wood in a workshop with other young men. It turns out to be a vocational class in a juvenile detention facility. The trainer is called away and the situation switches immediately: Daniel becomes the lookout as a beating takes place in the dimly lit room behind him. The dialogue is spare and jarring. The brutality is not graphic. It’s a masterwork of how such a situation can be portrayed effectively, but not explicitly.

CORPUS CHRISTI exceeds every expectation. The fledgling filmmakers, mostly-novice cast and limited budget combine to produce shockingly good cinema.

Bartosz Bielenia, a first-time screen actor, portrays the central character Daniel with remarkable complexity. One moment he looks like a young hood, sometimes he has angelic radiance, and on occasion he evokes “The Scream” by Edvard Munch. His open face, deep-set wounded eyes and blood-orange lips go from placid to troubled with a subtle knit of his brow.

It’s easy to see why this this astonishing third film from director Jan Komasa has become internationally acclaimed, frequently awarded and landed distribution deals in over 50 countries. Of nearly 100 submissions, CORPUS CHRISTI was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film this year.

Komasa and writer Mateusz Pacewicz craft complex characters who are defined in ways that often escape notice. It’s amazing artistry. Stories are woven with threads that initially seem incompatible: crime, impersonation, grief, anger and religion.

CORPUS CHRISTI moves from the first scene workshop to the quietly choreographed transformation of a classroom into makeshift chapel. Daniel spreads a plain cloth on a table and furnishes it with religious implements. Father Tomasz leads an unconventional Catholic service after which Daniel asks him about getting into seminary — continuing a conversation they’ve had before we met them. Tomasz tells Daniel that his crime prevents it.

Other than the chapel service and brief mention of seminary, there’s not much about Daniel to indicate he’s interested in religion. He doesn’t resist impulses or excesses; and there’s no religious study or conversation. Daniel doesn’t seem aware that the priesthood is a life of personal denial.

Daniel is up for parole, and after resisting a situation that could have extended his incarceration, he’s soon on his way. The conditions of his parole assign him to a sawmill in a distant village.

Along the way it’s revealed that Daniel has pilfered a clergy shirt and collar. When he arrives at the village, instead of going to the sawmill, he visits a church where he chats with a woman his age and tells her he is a priest. When she doesn’t believe him, he shows her the priest’s garb.

Without missing a beat, Daniel is introduced to the vicar, dines at his house, crashes in a spare room, then wakes to find himself tasked with receiving confession. With no liturgical training, Daniel does as any 21st Century youth would… I won’t spoil it.

Shortly, Daniel finds himself at the helm of a church service, baptism and other priestly functions. He revels in feelings of accomplishment, aptitude and popularity — possibly for the first time in his life.

In the village there is a showy homemade memorial that honors the victims of a car wreck. Daniel asks questions, but people aren’t forthcoming — it’s too soon and the wound is fresh. Daniel places himself squarely at the center of figuring out what happened and why the town has demonized the widow of a victim whose photo is not on the memorial with the others.

Daniel relates to the emotions being felt by the victims and the widow. He uses his newfound prominence to try and foment healing. His approach is youthful, even brash; but it seems well-intentioned at the same time.

An ominous cloud hangs over most scenes, that at any moment Daniel will be exposed as a fraud. His denouement arrives and plays out unexpectedly — we find out a great deal about Daniel in a very short space. Like the preceding film, this is marvelous storytelling. The moving parts are not always obvious, but everything fits with precision.

What prevents this film from receiving 5 out of 5? The very end. It’s a coda that changes mood drastically. Some will lavish it for its explosive jolt; but for viewers who dislike savagery, DO SEE THE FILM, but trust your intuition when it seems like it might be upsetting: shield your eyes.

CORPUS CHRISTI opens Friday, March 13 at Landmark’s Chez Artiste Theater. Visit www.LandmarkTheatres.com for showtimes.

And Then We Danced: A Young Dancer Discovers His Passion in the Repressive Republic of Georgia

By Steve Cruz
4.5 out of 5

The gritty, graceful and heartfelt film AND THEN WE DANCED is set in Tblisi, Georgia; but was submitted by Sweden, where writer/director Levan Akin now resides. This film feels intimate and individual, even if the saga of coming out has been “done before.” It’s visually rich, despite environs of struggle and decay. And the film is blessed with incredible performances by many first-timers, including passionate and fearless turns by first-time screen actors Levan Gelbakhiani and Bachi Valishvili in the lead roles. With a cast of mostly newcomers, I place blame squarely on the director for eliciting uniformly convincing performances from the entire cast.

Although homosexuality is no longer outlawed, there is massive intolerance. This is depicted in the film, but was also part of making the film — which was done with great secrecy and often with security guards. Screenings of the film in Georgia were often shut down by protesting mobs, or audiences had to be protected by police.

Set in the world of young dancers at an elite academy where aspirants to national dance companies train, we meet Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), possessor of a superior dancer’s body and whose face brings to mind Mihail Baryshnikov. He lives with his brother David (also a dancer at the academy), mom and grandmother. He works in a cafe and dutifully contributes what he can to the household. When he brings home leftovers from the cafe, his grandmother scolds him: “They will think we are poor.”

Merab receives instruction from the hard-assed dance director, as well as venerated elder dance judges, that Georgian dance has become a desperate forum for masculine exhibition: no gracefulness, no sensuality, “Be like a nail.” One elder mentions that it used to be graceful, but that was changed 50 years ago — as if the demand for machismo was a safeguard against the rise of homosexuality in the West.

Enter Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), a young man who appears much more mature, until moments of youthful goofing betrays the illusion. With his muscular build, dark good looks, beard line and hairy chest, the newcomer’s masculinity fits what the dance director wants. Irakli is a more seasoned dancer than Merab, who initially resents the newcomer — who immediately captures the interest of the young women in the troupe.

The female dancers function much as a Greek chorus. Their chatter tells the story of a young male dancer who was caught having sex with another boy, beaten, then sent to a monastery. Periodically, they reveal more of that dancer’s fate. In that group is Mary, Merab’s supposed girlfriend, who gauges the mood and temperature of the troupe by the chatter. She is one of the first to warn Merab that he is treading dangerous territory.

When Mary becomes aware of the intrigue between Merab and Irakli, previous gay films would have turned her into a woman scorned or instant ally. Mary’s path is more subtle and emotionally genuine.  Actor Ana Javakishvili, in her debut screen performance, is quietly incredible.

Writer/director Akin does a wonderful job pulling through a strong central thread of the story. When Merab is spotted leaving a gay club and word gets out among the male dancers, there is an honest feeling of menace in the glee with which they taunt him.

Merab’s final interactions with Mary, his brother David and Irakli set this film apart from its genre and bring closure to one of the most satisfying film experiences I’ve had this year.

AND THEN WE DANCED opens Friday, March 6 at Landmark’s Mayan Theater for one week. Visit www.LandmarkTheatres.com for showtimes.

HALSTON: Astonishing documentary covers all the bases!

By Steve Cruz

The documentary HALSTON, now showing for one week at Landmark’s Chez Artiste Theater, is energetic, content-rich, eye-popping and intriguing. Aside from a “mystery woman”/narrator, (who might have rescued Halston’s archival videos from destruction, but it’s never made clear) the film is strong and steers clear of sentimentality.

From his friendships with Andy Warhol (they worked together at Bergdorf Goodman), to celebrity devotees and praise from former associates, this is Halston: design and marketing genius, mercurial temper, drugs and AIDS and all. No subject is taboo, which is refreshing when one considers how many documentaries suffer from “carefulness.”

This film benefits from a strong cinematic legacy: that of Frédéric Tcheng (director, producer, writer, editor). The French-born filmmaker’s 2015 directorial debut, DIOR AND I, was distributed worldwide to much acclaim. Tcheng co-directed DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL, and co-produced/co-edited VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR.

HALSTON is energetic, tightly edited, keeps track of its story and multitude of characters.

If, like me, you know of Halston’s golden-boy good looks from Studio 54 photos and drug exposé, this film will be a revelation.

Halston changed fashion in the 1970s by bringing ease of dressing to women of all body shapes and sizes. He never bragged about his technical tailoring, but some of his most iconic looks were constructed from single pieces of fabric joined at a single seam.

He was among five American designers invited to show in Paris — before which time, U.S. fashion was not represented in the City of Lights. His shows always featured numerous Black models, while Parisian collections featured one, if any.

Halston invented “Hot Pants!”

His reign over fashion lasted over a decade, then the 80s ushered in a new crop of designers whose trademark returned fashion to more tailored and traditional forms: Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, etc.

Perhaps the documentary’s beaming achievement is telling about Halston’s move into corporate circles, how it looked appealing, and how corporate $$$-first types “dealt with him.” The tightening of their iron grip on their “corporate property” is palpable. His futile attempts to rebel are understandable.

Instead of ending with Halston’s ending — death related to AIDS — this doc inserts what most documentaries use as a launch: it retells of his childhood and family life as a child of the Depression living with a stern father and salt-of-earth mother.

This format allows breathing room and takes a pause from the usual slide-into-the-grave tactics.

For showtimes, visit www.LandmarkTheaters.com/Denver.

From Cannes to Colorado: 'Sauvage/Wild' Plays This Week Only at The Mayan

By Steve Cruz

The feature film Sauvage/Wild, by writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet is a breakthrough drama telling the story of street-level male sex-workers in France. The story covers expected territory — clubbing, drugs, victimization (on both sides) — but avoids pushy messages and morality decrees that have plagued similar narratives. This story feels personal, not general.

Léo (Félix Maritaud) is an impishly handsome 22-y/o — small frame, wiry build, cute turned-up nose, elfin eyebrows and ears. The actor’s naturalistic delivery is a major driver of this film and doesn’t feel rehearsed or coached. There’s no hesitation, and the action falls forward in ways that don’t feel intentional or planned. Underscoring Léo’s adorable quality is the tendency of other characters to refer to him as “draga,” which translates as “dear.”

Félix Maritaud’s performance garnered him the Rising Star Award at Cannes 2018. The young actor also had prominent roles in BPM (2018) and Knife+Heart (2017).

There’s a heart-tugging stray-puppy quality to Léo that begs to be rescued and nurtured. That dynamic carries throughout the film. Despite any debasement he endures, Léo has a tender quality that persists. A great deal of what motivates him is the pursuit of affection and love, even though he doesn’t know what to do when it appears.

Among the most memorable scenes is Léo’s examination by a woman doctor, who is about the age his mother might be. He’s in bad shape, and she asks where he sleeps, when he last slept, drugs, sexual partners, and if he wants to change. Without pause, Léo asks, “Why would I?” Their interaction is tender movie magic. The amount of character definition achieved is vast, and it’s done without sap.

Sauvage/Wild isn’t shy about the abuses and degradation of Léo’s occupation. He seems to accept it as part of a job well-done, but he’s crushed when a client stiffs him. It’s as if nothing that is said or done to him is as degrading as being cheated.

The film is subtle about portraying Léo’s desire for his fellow hustler Ahd (Éric Bernard), a swarthy, brawny lad, who is the closest to a friend that Léo has. Ahd is sometimes protective of Léo and often impatient.

Ahd asks why Léo kisses clients. Léo is naïve and doesn’t quite understand the problem. Ahd points out that if Léo likes it, he’ll never want to stop. Ahd says softly, “You’re made to be loved.”

Ahd is an intriguing and unpredictable character. Gay-for-pay, he doesn’t miss an opportunity to reaffirm his heterosexuality. His connection with Léo feels brotherly in many ways: bonded and easily annoyed.

Writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet doesn’t define geography of where this film takes place. He also doesn’t create origin stories to tell us how Léo, Ahd and others ended up doing what they do to scrape an existence.

The fates of Vidal-Naquet’s ensemble are as hazy as their backstories. This film is an observational visit, during which Vidal-Naquet achieves an amazing feat: he makes palpable the phenomenal boredom that weighs on street hustlers, but it’s never monotonous for the audience.

Sauvage/Wild plays through Thursday, June 6 at Landmark’s Mayan Theater beginning. Visit LandmarkTheaters.com/Denver to confirm dates and showtimes.

Film Review: Lights Out

By Grant Mayotte

© Warner Brothers / New Line Cinema

New Line Cinema’s latest summer offering for horror fans, ‘Lights Out’ will get your heart rate pulsing at moments, but don’t expect much more.

The opening scene of ‘Lights Out’ borrows some of it originality from Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’. There is even a mobile phone involved although we have evolved from the 1996 model. Unfortunately for ‘Lights Out’, ‘Scream’ is still more terrifying 20 years later. What makes ‘Scream’ a superior film is the uncertainty of who will be claimed as the next victim whereas ‘Lights Out’ has very specific targets. ‘Lights Out’ is more about unresolved drama than it is about unexpected terror.

The film follows young Martin (Gabriel Bateman), a boy lives at home with his parents Sophie (Maria Bello) and Paul (Billy Burke). Martin notices that his mom, Sophie, continues to display strange behavior, conversing with an invisible person. When Martin alerts his father, Paul, of his mom’s mental state, the warning comes too late for him to act. Martin comes face to face with his mother’s conversation partner, a shadowed demon named Diana. This encounter forces Martin into a state of insomnia prompting his sister, Rebecca (Teresa Palmer), to retrieve him at school when he can no longer stay awake in class. Rebecca has unresolved drama with her mother who suffers from depression and mental illness. Rebecca maintains her distance from the family, claiming her independence and keeps her friend with benefits, Brett (Alexander DiPersia), at arm’s length. Brett, would very much like to be more significant in Rebecca’s life and is willing to go to the distance to prove his commitment to her even if it means standing in harm's way. Martin mentions to his sister that their mom talks to this friend Diana, which causes Rebecca to flashback to a traumatic childhood memory. Rebecca slowly begins piecing the whole story together and resigns herself to investigating the threat that Diana causes her family. Diana obviously has something to say about that.

The film works best in the scenes where the darkness creates discomfort and the outcome is unpredictable. Diana can only terrorize in the dark so the threat that the characters will lose lighting looms large throughout the whole film. The jump scares, although they are few, are effective and certainly elicited vocal reactions en masse from the audience. Watching ‘Lights Out’ with an audience is perhaps the only way to watch this movie. In my screening, the cries, shrieks, applause and laughter made the viewing experience worthwhile. Without an audience, this could be a tedious watch even with a short 81 minute runtime. The final scene takes a mildly disturbing turn, which is not the least bit satisfying turn in order to wrap things up. Even still, ‘Lights Out’ has enough thrill to it to satisfy those who seek it out.

Film Review: Alice Through the Looking Glass

By Grant Mayotte

The further you fall down this rabbit hole the quicker you want to initiate the evacuation slide

©BuenaVista Pictures

Disney is having a banner 2016. In fact, three of the top four highest grossing films of 2016 currently belong to the house of Disney. After ‘Zootopia’, ‘The Jungle Book’, and ‘Captain America: Civil War’, all of which are praiseworthy in this critic’s opinion, comes their latest offering, ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’. Maybe the rule of three applies this time, because Disney’s fourth offering is simply not up to par with its predecessors. ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ is the sequel to Tim Burton’s 2010 film ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The latter grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, which automatically triggered franchise offspring. The original cast is back in action including Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (Mirana/White Queen) Mia Wasikowska (Alice) and the vitriolic Helena Bonham Carter (Iracebeth/Red Queen).

‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ does not ducktail off of its sibling, it simply expects that you have already visited Wonderland and familiarized yourself with the characters. The film opens as Alice is captaining her late father’s ship and escaping a close encounter with pirates off the Straits of Malacca in 1874. Hopefully young audiences will not remember that women in Britain did not earn the right to vote until 1928 let alone captain maritime expeditions in the late nineteenth century. If that remark seems too literal of an approach to the film, and perhaps it is, it is only one of many practical elements that ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ ask its audience to suspend at the door. Accepting the multitude of fanciful tangents is the only way to appreciate this film, practicality will get you nothing. Alice returns to London only to discover that during her absence at sea her mother placed a lien on their house and she will not be receiving any additional financing for exploring missions. Right when “reality” seems too daunting for Alice the butterfly Absolem, voiced by the late Alan Rickman, appears to offer her an escape route through the looking glass and back to Wonderland.

Upon her arrival in Wonderland, Alice discovers that the Mad Hatter is ill. Hatter is convinced that his family is alive and was never previously destroyed by the Red Queen’s Jabberwocky. His grief of not knowing how to locate or reunite with his family seems to be causing him fatal illness so Alice sets out to find them. The only way for her to know of their previous whereabouts is to travel to see Time himself, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Time is a custodian of a precious orb known as the chronosphere, which manages the present and the past all at once. Alice has to steal this chronosphere in order to teleport herself back into the past to understand the whereabouts of Hatter’s family. Alice visits several key moments of the past in order to reassemble the chronology of the Hatter family as well as that of the two queens, Iracebeth and Mirana. If all of this seems incredibly convoluted that’s because it is. The film moves in multiple directions simultaneously and hopes that you keep up.

The final scenes of ‘Through The Looking Glass’ try to inspire messages of using time wisely and the importance of familial relationships but ultimately it does not succeed. The amount of globbed on VFX is overbearing at times, though the print did look sharp in 3D. During the last exchange between Time and Alice, Sacha Baron Cohen says “Don’t ever come back here Alice.” Let that serve as a warning to Disney to retire the Alice franchise for a while.

Film Review: Captain America: Civil War

The latest Avengers installment from the Russo brothers is arguably the best one yet

By Grant Mayotte

© Disney/Marvel Studios

Let’s get one thing established at the beginning. This is not a Captain America film, this is an Avengers film. Captain Rogers is certainly at the center of the story, but directors Anthony and Joe Russo have painstakingly written a story that seeks to honor each of the Avengers cast in equal measure.

The film picks up with the Captain Rogers, Falcon, Black Widow and Scarlet Witch on a reconnaissance mission in Africa. The villains they’re pursuing conduct a hostile takeover at the Institute of Infectious Diseases when the Avengers rush into action. In the name of justice, Scarlett Witch causes an undesired outcome in their rescue mission which serves as the prologue to the story at large. In the wake of the events in Africa, the international community begins questioning the ethical conduct behind the Avengers actions. Even though these superheros are generously offering their services to take down the bad guys, they have caused unnecessary casualties in their wake and they ignore sovereign borders in the process. The international community including the United States State Department motions towards a United Nations resolution, referred to as the Sokovia Accords, that would grant authorization to the United Nations to basically activate the Avengers squad to resolve conflict at their own discretion. In order for such a resolution to pass, all the Avengers must agree to it. Saddled with guilt from previous conflicts Tony Stark (Iron Man) agrees that the Avengers should be reigned in with this UN resolution, while Captain Rogers (Captain America) is vastly opposed to it. Establishing consensus within the Avengers becomes the heart of the story. A subplot involving Bucky (Winter Soldier) seeks to create further division between Captain America and Iron Man.

This is not your typical Avengers film with loads of computer graphic robots descending from the sky plaguing human existence. While there is certainly a good amount of CGI used in Civil War, it is a lot less that what audiences have become accustomed to from this franchise. The second unit in Civil War is incredibly strong with notable stunt sequences in the Wakanda, Africa and Bucharest, Romania scenes. Beyond the stunts and action, Civil War offers unprecedented insight to these superhero characters. These characters are coping with complex issues, which adds a more satisfying dimension to this typically formulaic genre.
 
My major critique of Civil War is that it tries to stuff way too much into a 2 hr 25 minute film, making the film slightly bloated. The best way to experience Civil War is to pay little attention to spoilers, knowing the least amount about it ahead of time. There are several new additions to the Avengers ensemble and the surprise makes their arrival on screen all the more enjoyable. Captain America: Civil War honors the fanbase but isolates the newcomer offering jokes and plot points that will only make sense to those who have dutifully followed all of the previous Marvel films. Sorry, but if you’re a Johnny-come-lately to the Marvel Universe, Civil War will not treat your virgin ignorance kindly. Civil War has a lot to say and it just might have set the standard for future comic book adaptations.

Movie Review: Richard Gere Shines In 'Arbitrage'

By Philip Doyle

Arbitrage is Nicholas Jarecki’s new thriller about lust, greed, and the desperate measures taken to avoid the karmic backwash of shameful acts.  Writer and director Jarecki immerses the audience in a world filled with the shiny opulent trappings of high-risk investment.   

By all appearances, Robert Miller (Richard Gere) is filthy rich, beaming with confidence, and an admired family man.  A billionaire possessing formidable wit and intelligence, and swinging a hefty set of gold cojones.  Then we discover, and in my opinion way to soon, that he is a cheat.  He cheats in business, he cheats on his wife, and he lies to his family.  In reality, Miller is desperate and constantly vying for ways to protect his exaggerated wealth and adulterous nature.

Miller’s world is beginning to unravel.  He has hedged the books and borrowed millions to cover up the exaggerated value of his company.  Meanwhile, his dilemma worsens when he flees the scene of a car crash that has killed his bitchy-French-artist-mistress.

So … all of this has happened within the first 20 minutes or so of the film.  We know about the hedging and the cheating.  We know that money makes Miller's world go round.  We know that he will do what it takes to minimize the collateral damage of his deceptive acts and greedy nature.  We know Miller is a weasel, albeit a smart and charming weasel, and a master of deflection.  He is obviously brilliant and has the ability to work his way out of sticky predicaments.  We know all of this, way too soon. 

The thrill of Arbitrage then becomes watching Robert Miller artfully dodging and weaving to avoid financial ruin, and felony manslaughter and fraud charges.  Thankfully, Gere is in top form.  His performance has an alluring gloss, and a dodgy, callus core.

Richard Gere has often been underrated as an actor.  Personally, I think he has risen high from the ranks of an Officer and a Gentleman and gives Arbitrage great credibility. (Plus, he is my favorite Buddhist DILF).



Tim Roth plays a bulldog detective who has a growing animosity toward rich people’s ability to escape conviction.  As usual, Roth embodies his character with committed and deceptively competent realness.

It is always a pleasure to see Susan Sarandon.  She play’s the scorned, but not-at-all naive wife.  With the exception of a rather predictable plot twist, it is a shame that Sarandon’s formidable acting skills were so under utilized in this film.

A standout is Brit Marling who plays the billionaire’s daughter. Indie film fans will remember her highly acclaimed performance in Another Earth.  Marling proves to be a versatile, complex, and competent actor. Nate Parker's portrayal of Miller's unknowing accomplice is well played and touching. 

The story had my full attention from the get go, yet, like the worn out gloss of it’s main character, the thrill became desperate, hurried, and expected.  Arbitrage is an initially engaging story that has been placed in the hands of excellent actors.   Richard Gere's performance is a good reason to see this film.  But, in the end, the sum is not as great as its parts.

Arbitrage will be shown as part of this year's Starz Denver Film Festival. Last year, a record-breaking 55,025 people attended the Starz Denver Film Festival . During the twelve-day period, we exhibited more than 282 films from 40 countries, held over a dozen receptions and panel discussions, and hosted over 198 filmmakers and special guests, while actors Judy Greer, James Cromwell, and Alan Cumming were in attendance to receive the Festival's top awards.  Plans for many exciting programs are already underway for this year's Festival that will run November 1-11, 2012. 

Movie Review: Katy Perry: Part of Me

By Miranda Blake

“Be yourself and you can be anything” seems to be both the theme and the message of “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” a documentary which follows the life of pop star Katy Perry as she embarks on a yearlong world tour. In addition to that message, the audience gets concert footage and costume changes and views of her backstage antics and angst. We also get to peek into Perry's personal life - past and present - including her struggle to rise to fame and the difficulties of balancing that public fame with her personal life.

           

Another theme is dedication. Throughout the film Katy demonstrates great dedication to her family and friends, her marriage to comedian Russell Brand, and her career. I found her boldness and determination to be successful quite admirable. For example, producer Glen Ballard (who had great success working with Alanis Morisette) tells the story of their meeting and says that he was impressed with the way she just knocked right on his door and asked to play him a song. 

The most emotional part of the film was watching just how hard Perry worked to keep her marriage alive, only to fail in the end. Despite the apparent heartbreak that the star deals with after receiving the news that her marriage is over (Brand files for divorce because of “irreconcilable differences”) she doesn't allow herself to succumb to the pain and refuses to cancel her scheduled performance.

Throughout the movie, we are treated to homemade videos sent in by fans. Each one says basically the same thing, that they look up to Perry because she makes them feel okay about being themselves and being “different.”

At one point while onstage Perry even thanks her fans for “believing in my weirdness.” This struck me as odd because not once during the movie did I find her to be in the least bit weird. As a matter of fact she seems to me to be a perfectly average girl, albeit one who managed to make it big in the entertainment industry. This was definitely the biggest criticism I have of the film and it’s depiction of Perry because, while her fans are sending in videos about how she makes them feel okay to be different, I couldn't stop thinking about how not different she really seems to be. Yes, Katy, it’s okay to be “weird” but it’s okay to be “normal” too.

Overall, “Katy Perry: A Piece of Me” gives an interesting look into the life of someone that most people simply see as a star and forget to view as a person. Witnessing Katy Perry's life from an insider’s point of view allows the audience to relate to her on a more personal level. We come away with the feeling that we know her better than we did before. And that, for me, is what made the movie worthwhile.

A 3D motion picture event movie, “Katy Perry: Part of Me” comes out July 5th and is a backstage pass, front row seat and intimate look at the fun, glamorous, heartbreaking, inspiring, crazy, magical, passionate and honest mad diary of Katy. For more information you can follow “KATY PERRY: PART OF ME” on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/KatyPerry and Like Katy on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/KatyPerry.