In Lorcan Finnegan’s existential surf-noir “The Surfer,� our titular wave worshipper (Nicolas Cage) learns the hard way that you can’t go home again. Riffing on Australian New Wave classics like “Wake in Fright,� Irish filmmaker Finnegan and writer Thomas Martin place their star in a sun-blasted car park overlooking the tasty tubes of the fictional Luna Bay, Australia, and let him unravel under the mental torment of a local surf gang led by the charismatic Scally (Julian McMahon).
“Don’t live here, don’t surf here,� is the threat barked at our nameless surfer and his teenage son (Finn Little) when they step onto the sand at Luna Bay, boards in hand. He was hoping to paddle out and show his son the house he’s planning to purchase, on a cliffside above the water. It’s his childhood home, the place he grew up before his father’s death required them to relocate (hence his American accent).
This is a light and breezy affair with a few unexpected twists, some social commentary that doesn’t entirely land, and it might not have enough staying power for it to be truly memorable. -- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: 'Clown in a Cornfield' a light, breezy slasher
This flick isn’t a masterpiece, not even a vulgar one, but it’s cheeky and entertaining enough in its giddy hyper-violence, thanks almost entirely to the star turn of Josh Hartnett, who has proven in his recent renaissance that he’s especially great in bozo mode. -- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: Josh Hartnett saves 'Fight or Flight' from crash landing
Perhaps we don’t need the reminder that our personal relationships with animals are some of the most special and rewarding ones that we can enjoy as human beings, but “The Penguin Lessons� also underscores that our relationships with people are even more important, and that sometimes animals are the best stewards for this particular journey.-- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service Read moreMovie Review: A teacher's pet warms the heart in 'Penguin Lessons'
