Review of Live at the Foxes Den (2013) by James C — 10 Dec 2013

"Live at the Foxes Den" is a stunningly good movie. A story of the age-old dilemma between having a "job" and chucking it all to follow your passions - with a twist in the outcome. First-time prodigy Director Michael Kristoff has delivered a mesmerizing film with a great story, where each major character has a back story.

Jackson Rathbone is charismatic and sings with passion as he navigates between his corporate legal job and his talent for old time, Sinatra-like songs in a bar - better characterized as a "lounge" - by its charming bartender running a place that had seen its better days 'til Rathbone - as Bobby Kelly - shows up.

Elliot Gould plays a version of himself, with another plot twist. The film mesmerized me such that at one point after a set of songs, I found myself clapping out loud, before I realized that the applause was coming from within the movie.

I found myself laughing and crying. The story is written by Kristoff and one of the leads - who plays the pianist and brilliantly acts out a lot of tragedy in his life via arrested emotional development, humor and pathos.

The movie is beautifully filmed and with some of humor morphs into Woody Allen-like effect. Go see "Live at the Foxes Den" and be an early buyer of Director Michael Kristoff's career "stock" that will soon take off.