Joshua - Movie Review

Joshua (R) 90 minutes B

Starring- Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga, Celia Weston, Dallas Roberts, Michael McKean, Jacob Kogan, Nancy Giles, and Linda Larkin

Joshua might be a film you haven't heard of, and it's bound to get lost amongst the legion of Harry Potter and Ratatouille moviegoers. But if you like psychological thrillers and creepy little kids, this is the film for you!

Critics have tauted this film as being very Hitchcockean... Perhaps Jacob Kogan, the young actor starring as Joshua is a young Anthony Perkins in the making..? This film initially feels like a cross between watered down Hitchcock and Twin Peaks. But after some annoying piano music near the beginning of the film, Joshua settles into a groove and stands on it's own.

Nine-year-old Joshua Cairn (Jacob Kogan) is the prodigy son of Brad (Sam Rockwell) and Abby (Vera Farmiga) Cairn. Josuha is one of those children that doesn't take after Mom or Dad, and he's definitely the black sheep of the family. But as parents, you love your children unconditionally... or do you? What if your son or daughter was simply rotten! A bad seed! What do you do?

The Cairn family has a newborn baby, mom is struggling with postpartum depression, dad is under a lot of stress at work, and their nine-year-old manchild might be a murder.

This film is a little bit of a downer, but it's an interesting look inside the lives of two parents at their wits end. I couldn't help but wonder throughout the film, what would I do?
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In other news, another weekend is in the books. It was a very busy weekend, with the highlight being RW completing her 1st triathlon. Congratulations!

I also went to the Vance Kirkland Museum this weekend, there is no question that the Kirkland museum is an exquisite building, but my overall impressions were slightly mixed.

The Kirkland collection is full of explosive colors and retro-hip decorative components. The boundless collage of color and shape is slightly overwhelming and demands careful viewing. Artistically, there is so much going on it's hard to focus on one thing, and as a result the finer pieces are overshadowed by the endless assortment of items. That being said, the cozy home-like atmosphere is very charming, and amongst all of the decorative art, I found two breathe taking areas.

The Sculpture Garden Patio is both beautiful and tranquil, and the Vance Kirkland Workroom is romantically artistic and pensive. Cluttered with books, paints, and a paint-stained work table, I could almost smell of wet paint and inspiration. The clutter in the workroom is a natural clutter, very realistic and organic, oppose to the over-filled glass cabinets in the main showroom. The entire museum is bittersweet this way. Full of brilliant touches in some spaces, while over done in others.

One of my favorite pieces was the subtle and plain Ablution and Farewell by Norman Kester. Ironically, this is one of the most colorless pieces of art in the Kirkland collection. It reminded me of my childhood, and hanging clothes out to dry with my grandmother.

All in all, the Vance Kirkland is worth visiting because there is something for everyone.