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From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex! All times Pacific.

Tuesday 2/5/13

2:45 AM Showtime 3
180 Degrees South(2010 USA): Ever fancy visiting Patagonia? I know I have, but I’m never going to make it there so this travelogue will have to do. Getting to Patagonia, of course, is the tricky part – especially if, like writer Jeff Johnson, you’re intentionally retracing the path of an adventurer who’d previously traveled there in 1968. Johnson’s journey is recorded in stunning detail by director and erstwhile surfer Chris Malloy, who blends traditional pretty pictures with a more contemporary eco-message.

2:50 PM HBO Signature
La Otra Familia(2011 MEX): Apparently they have crack babies in Mexico, too. In La Otra Familia (The Other Family), lil’ tyke Hendrix (Bruno Loza) has been dumped by druggie mama Nina (Nailea Norvind). Nina’s bestie Ivana (Ana Serradilla) steps up the plate, but when Texas beckons she passes the boy on to gay couple Jean Paul and Chema (Jorge Salinas and Luis R. "no, not that Luis" Guzman). Did you know gay marriage is legal in Mexico City? Neither did I, and apparently that doesn’t sit entirely well with the local Catholic church, who deny Hendrix a spot in their school when his new parents try to enroll him. Norvind’s performance in this touching, effective, and occasionally surprising film earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Mexican Oscars.

Wednesday 2/6/13

2:50 AM Starz
Where Do We Go Now? (2011 LEB-FRA-ITA-EGY): Yes, this is the first Lebanon-France-Italy-Egypt co-production I’ve ever written about. Directed by Nadine Labaki, Where Do We Go Now? relates the serio-comic struggles of a group of Christian and Muslim women working to negotiate the ethnic and religious shoals in a small Lebanese village. Labaki herself (who, it must be said, is a very handsome woman) stars as Amane, a villager trying to maintain peace after the local men decide their differences are too much to bear in silence any longer. The film would perhaps work better as straight drama (or even as straight absurdist comedy), but its heart is in the right place and the message is welcome.

10:00 AM Showtime 2
The Last Rites of Joe May (2011 USA): No, this isn’t a film about the declining days of German film director Joe May. This Joe May, played ferociously by Dennis Farina, is an aging grifter whose sell-by date has passed him by before he’s been able to make his underhanded fortune. Returning to town after an extended illness, Joe finds a lot of things have changed for the worse – including his living arrangements. Set in Chicago, this Cassavetes-style character study bears some similarities to the equally fine (if notably bloodier) Chicago Overcoat.

5:00 PM HBO2
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House (2012 USA): This brand new HBO documentary has two irresistible ingredients: the presence of Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) behind the camera, and some very nervous clergy in front of it. Based on the case of a Milwaukee priest accused of a quarter century’s worth of child sexual abuse, Gibney’s film examines the root and branch corruption at the Vatican that has allowed the pedophilia issue to continue simmering for decades. I’m not sure why this film didn’t earn an Oscar nomination – perhaps it will qualify for next year’s prize? – but it's powerful, moving stuff. Also airs at 8:00 PM.

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