Ariela gives some capule reviews of Tribeca Films KICKS, DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, YOUTH IN OREGON, and BETWEEN US

KICKS
15 year old Brandon is a good kid from a poor family. He sees kids in school wearing fancy Air Jordan's and wants a pair for himself. He finds money saved from birthday cards and sells candy on the street to save up to buy a pair. He finally gets a pair and within a single day of having them, he gets jumped by one of the toughest guys in the neighborhood and gets his sneakers stolen. Crushed and bloody, he walks in his socks, to see his two best friends, determined to get his sneakers back. He convinces his 2 best friends to go along with him to a bad neighborhood to find a way to get his sneakers back.

I don't want to give away much, but I can say I really enjoyed this film and kept wondering what would happen next. There were somethings I didn't get the point of- like the astronaut we keep seeing throughout the movie, which didn't seem to add anything, or the fact that they use rap lyrics as chapters, but I must say, this was one of the best films that I saw at the festival and I definitely recommend it.

DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Henry (Jason Sudeikis) is a grieving husband after his wife (Jessica Biel) and soon to be daughter unexpectedly dies. In the morning of the day she dies, she asks him to talk to the teenage girl she keeps seeing rummaging through the garbage. He soon meets the young girl, Millie (Maisie Williams) who has issues of her own and distrusts him at first. The two soon build an unlikely friendship. Overall I found this movie to be so so and a bit slow, but it did have some good moments.

YOUTH IN OREGON
Raymond is a cranky man who lives with his wife, daughter, her husband and her daughter. Raymond living with them puts a strain on the husband who keeps suggesting assisted living homes. One day Raymond, who is sick, decides he wants to be the one to decide when he dies. He tells his family he hired a driver and is going to Oregon, where he's from, to talk to a doctor who will help end his life. His daughter, understandable freaks out and tries to stop it but to no avail. Her husband says he will go with him and talk to him out of.

The film is somewhat of a dysfunctional family movie. Great cast consisting of Frank Langella, Billy Crudup, Mary Kay Place, Josh Lucas and Christina Applegate. The film made me both laugh and cry, but I expected more from it. I expected to like it more and it's hard for me to put my finger on why I didn't like it more, but I was underwhelmed. I'd recommend catching it on Netflix though.

BETWEEN US
Between Us tells the story of long term couple Dianne and Henry. They feel pressured by their parents to get married and to buy an apartment. Their relationship seems unhealthy and dysfunctional, they both appear bored, and they both spend time with people of the opposite sex. One night they excitedly decide to get married, and the next day go to City Hall, and then everything seems to go downhill. They start questioning if they want to be together forever. They start discussing their issues- which turns into a fight and causes Henry to leave. They both have their first night without the other in a long time. How do they decide to spend it?

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie but I didn't like it at all. I felt it had potential in the beginning and then got meh. I would recommend skipping this one.