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If New York, I Love You is a love letter to the city, one can only assume that it was written by Hollywood in an attempt to prove that New York is even more depraved, tasteless and full of pretentious douchebags than LA is.

The film begins much in the same way as its predecessor, with short films by different directors. Desperately seeking to portray the diversity and universal importance of the city, this commences with an amiable conversation between a Muslim diamond salesman and a Hasidic Jewish woman (Natalie Portman) comparing their religious views, ribbing catholics, and sharing a moment. It’s over-polished and self-indulgent, which sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the film. The few interesting characters who miraculously surface in this sea of vapidity are present for one 5-minute segment and never reappear.

The dialogue is an absolute affront to the written word, with speech so crass and unbelievably unrealistic that it is insulting that the filmmakers expect anyone to believe that any person on earth actually speaks that way. From Ethan Hawkes’ rambling chat-up-cum-tirade to the interior monologues that ring about as true as the term “friendly fire”, it’s hard to decide what is more crude: every word uttered in this 2-hour mess of a movie or the mishmash way it has been clumped together like cheap mascara on false eyelashes.

If the aim was to emulate the grace and beauty of Paris Je T’aime, New York I Love You is New York’s latest marketable stench by Paris Hilton to the city of Paris’ inimitable and timeless Chanel Number 5.

It’s crass, it’s boring, and its lack of structure makes you wonder how the city and its skyscrapers are still standing. I heart New York, but New York, I Love You? I loathe you.

James Mottern’s latest picture, Trucker, stars Michelle Monaghan as a solitary female long-haul truck driver. A challenge, to be sure, as it is easy to rely on gender stereotypes when dealing with unconventional gender roles. The film handles this well, though, with Monaghan’s Diane as a tough, independent, and very self-assured woman living in a man’s world. Her work is her life – she’s early for every delivery, makes all of her on-time bonuses, and is in many ways stronger than her male counterparts. She assumes a male role in many ways, but retains subtle touches of femininity that make her believable while, for the most part, avoiding the butch female archetype.

Her life changes rather quickly, however, when her ex-husband reveals that he is terminally ill and she must take care of the 11 year-old son who she left when he was less than a year old. Peter, played by the young Jimmy Bennett (Shorts), captures bitter resentment perfectly in a performance that is imbued with nuance beyond his years. Like his mother, he is headstrong and doesn’t take shit from anyone, which culminates in an inability to connect with his passions in the same way that Diane struggles to forge and maintain relationships.

Trucker begins slowly, taking time to give details of situations, the depth of story released gradually and in good time. We learn the characters’ histories as the narrative progresses, deepening our understanding of the relationships that inform their behaviour.

The relationship between Diane and her son is never sentimentalised. Both have a lot of growing up to do. They are afraid of each other and the expectations attached to mother-son relationships. Struggling to find their own rhythm, Diane has a tendency to run away from commitment and be tied down by expectations, while Peter tries to reconcile the resentment he feels with the maternal love and affection that he desires.

Overall, Trucker introduces a great concept. Monaghan is strong, bold, and feminine in a nuanced performance that contrasts physical strength with emotional weakness and vice-versa. Trucker is an excellent achievement in gender-aware filmmaking.

In That Evening Sun, Hal Halbrook stars as Abner Meecham, a curmudgeonly elder man from Tenessee. Having been unwillingly placed in a retirement home, Meecham decides to make the long balmy journey to his former place of residence, only to find that his son has rented it to a family of ne’er-do-wells. In protest, he shacks up in the outhouse with the intention to rid his home of the white trash Choat family for good.

By moving into the house on a 3-month lease with the intention to buy, the Choats have been granted a new start. As such, Lonzo Choat (Ray McKinnon, O Brother Where Art Thou) – an alcoholic living on disability – is less than thrilled about the new arrangement. Meecham’s sudden attempt at repossession creates a sharp tension between the two men, which soon develops into a series of confrontations and increasingly violent counter-attacks. Meanwhile Lonzo’s wife, Ludie, and daughter, Pamela, are powerless in the struggle and live in fear of what might happen next.

The script is tight and well-structured, with a steady stream of hilarious remarks and a great sense of timing. The story does not carry enough weight, though, so it does feel long. My main qualm is with the characters, who were a cynical bunch of crude and unlikable bastards. From the revenge-seeking Hal to naive and antagonistic little Pamela. My favourite character in the whole film was Meecham’s friend Thurl Chessor, played by Barry Corbin, who did not earn nearly enough screen time.

Set in Tennessee with its plush green surroundings, the cinematography is beautiful from the outset. At some points, however, it became a little too experimental. During one scene between Hal and his son, for example, the close-ups are shot with the faces on the inner edge of the screen, leaving the empty space on the outsides of the frame. An odd concept, since the reason for the actor’s face to be on the outside of the frame allows “talking space”. As one might expect, using this unconventional technique the scene seemed unintentionally clunky and unevenly weighted. The intended effect was lost, and the odd set-up was most distracting. There are, however, some beautiful camera movements and dream-like sequences that are wonderful to watch.

Overall, a lot of great concepts that are poorer in execution. It’s good, but it’s not great.