ANIMAL KINGDOM

(Australian)  Talk about your dysfunctional family!  This story opens with the death of 17-year-old Josh's mother.  But he really doesn't seem to care.  He is sitting on their sofa next to his mother's lifeless body, non-chalantly watching Australia's version of Deal Or No Deal, waiting for the paramedics to show up.  When they do, Josh casually mentions that his mother OD'd on heroin.
So off goes Josh to live with his grandmother.  Also living with granny (Smurf) are Josh's four unusually handsome uncles.  None seem to particularly care that their daughter/sister has left the planet.
Well, this is no ordinary family.  This is a family of professional criminals.  They do bank jobs, and granny (Smurf, remember) is the leader of the pack -- the "moll," if you will, conjuring up memories of old James Cagney gangster movies.
THE GODFATHER comes to mind here, too.  The loyalty of the family, the head of the family (like Vito Corleone in THE GODFATHER) the crazy uncle (like Sonny), the wimpy brother who is doing it only because "that's what they do" (like Fredo), and even the young buck drawn into the fold whether he likes it or not (like Michael).
Things quickly go awry when the local cops kill two of the uncles.  Smurf and the gang set out for revenge, a cop gets killed, and Josh becomes a player.  All Josh wants is to be a normal kid.  He even gets a girlfriend..  But now he's in the family business, and has to conduct himself as so.  He has to keep secrets.  He has to participate in the shenanigans.
Meanwhile, the cops know what went down, but have to gather evidence before they can make any arrests..  One of the cops zeros in on Josh to try to get him to crack and spill the beans.
It's a story of who will remain loyal, who can or can't be trusted, and who can outsmart whom -- even within the family.  It even gets to the point where Smurf is willing to "whack" one of her own flesh and blood if need be.
This movie is quirky to be fun, yet serious enough to be disturbing.  It moves along at a brisk pace and keeps you guessing and surprised at what will happen next.  Good movie.  In limited release, it is definitely worth seeing if it is playing anywhere in your area.

BLUE VALENTINE

Someone answer me this question:  Why, when a porn "actor" or "actress" tries to go mainstream, they are scoffed at, ridiculed, and not taken seriously, but when it is the reverse, it is considered art?
In a nutshell, BLUE VALENTINE is about a couple whose relationship has deteriorated into, well, less than zero.  Their story is told through a series of flashbacks, along with the present-day.  They start out in a loving relationship, with, seemingly, a lot of common interests.  But as the years pass by, and with the birth of their daughter, everything goes to hell.  The husband, mover/housepainter Dean,  is unrefined, verbally abusive, and passively aggressive, but he at least sees their problem and tries to put romance back into their lives, but the wife, nurse Cindy, wants nothing to do with him or it.
I didn't find myself rooting for either character, so I didn't really care about what they were going through.
If you like sex in movies -- there's plenty of it here.  In fact, the film was originally rated "NC-17", but the Weinstein Company appealed (and probably greased a few palms), and the rating was changed to the much more money-making "R".
I wasn't shocked by the sex scenes (is anyone really shocked by anything anymore?  Just one click of the mouse, and you can see whatever you want.).  I just don't really like seeing it taken to this extreme in mainstream movies.  Apparently director Derek Cianfrance does.
Director Ridley Scott, when asked why he never has sex scenes in his films, replied "Because sex is boring unless you're the one having it."
So BV is another one of those films that I hate - about miserable people and their miserable lives.  Depressing as hell.  Oh well -- at least no one puked on camera in this one.  But you DO see (and hear) Cindy sitting on the toilet, peeing on a pregnancy test thingy.  Michelle Williams as Best Actress??  Puh-leez!
I'm starting to think all of Ryan Gosling's movies suck.