Articles

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 04 June 2023

THE BLACKENING (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Tim Story

In the typical slasher horror flick, the token minority member like the single black in an almost all white group is the first one to be killed off.  This premise cannot happen in the horror flick THE BLACKENING because the entire group that is invited to the cabin in the woods is all black.  Who is the first one to go then?  As the poster says: “We all can’t die first!”  

The only black guest with the white father?  

The BLACKENING centres around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.

THE BLACKENING refers to the board game (quite racist being complete with the head of “Sambo” with the big black lips) in the cabin’s game room that forces the guests to play a deadly game of  'answer the question correctly' or die.  This horror comedy knows all the horror cliches and parodies them hilariously and to great effect.  Running just around 90 minutes before it runs out of steam, THE BLACKENING is more fun than horror though a few of the guests do get brutally done in.

THE BLACKENING, which premiered in the Midnight Madness Section at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival opens in theatres across Canada on June the 16th, 2023.

Trailer: 

 ELELMENTAL (USA 2023) *

Directed by Peter Sohn

ELEMENTAL (USA 2023) ***1/2
Directed by Peter Sohn

ELEMENTAL the film is so titled because the film deals with the elements of fire and water being two different beings.  The female is fire and the male water.  It is a love story where two totally different elements defy all logic and odds to find love with each other,=.

The animation is of course amazing.  It was once considered impossible to animate water as it is so fluid, especially with stop animation and the same also goes for fire.  But in this age of computer simulation and the advent of Pixar, anything is possible.  ELEMENTAL is helmed by first time director, Disney brought up animation prodigy Peter Sohn who has made this project his love child and it shows.

Director Peter Sohn was personally here in Toronto promoting his film a few months back before his film was completed speaking about his film and the difficult work and meticulous care taken by his crew involved in the process of animating this film.  To better appreciate the film, a bit of Sohn’s background should be stated, as he explained during his talk promoting the film.

Peter Sohn, who previously directed the feature film THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015) and the short film PARTLY CLOUDY (2009), pitched the concept to Pixar to develop Elemental based on the idea of whether fire and water could ever connect or not.  Sohn also says the idea for the film was inspired by his experiences as the son of immigrants in New York City in the 1970s.  He stated: "My parents emigrated from Korea in the early 1970s and built a bustling grocery store in the Bronx." He also stated:  "We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams — all of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages, and beautiful little neighbourhoods.  That's what led me to ELEMENTAL.

In the film, it is also revealed that Ember was born in Elemental City, but grew up in a fire town, since the neighbourhoods are sort of split up in different ways.  Sohn stated: "I am quite emotional about getting the characters and the story out for sure." He also stated: "This movie is about thanking your parents and understanding their sacrifices. My parents both passed away during the making of this thing. And so, it is hugely emotional, and I'm still processing a lot of it.  The emotional tread in ELEMENTAL is quite powerful.  In the promo screening I attended, the audience cheered when Ember and Wade kissed for the very first time.

Kudos to Pixar and Disney for investing an ethnic romantic story about teenagers in ELEMENTAL instead of some super action hero movie like the awful SPIDER-VERSE.   It is included in the story saving mankind, in this case from folding due to the damage of a dam.  The only fault of the film is the predictable storyline that is a trap all romantic films can never seem to escape.

ELEMENTAL opens in theatres June the 16th.  The wonderful animation should be seen in theatres on the big screen.

Trailer: 

THE FLASH (USA 2023) ****
Directed by Andy Muschietti

Barry Allen / The Flash (Ezra Miller) travels back in time to prevent his mother's death, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. Barry enlists the help of his younger self, an older Batman (Michael Keaton) and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in order to save this world from the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) and return to his universe.

THE FLASH is a film that contains many other d.c. characters like Batman, General Zod, Supergirl as well as Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).  They arrive at different parts of the story as welcome surprises.

One plus of the film is that the script written by Christina Hudson explains every incident that occurs in the story.  The going through the walls into the building by the Flash is explained by the vibrating molecules.   The term ‘the butterfly effect’, part of chaos theory, which states that there are limitations to predictions even in small discrete systems is used in the story.  Small differences in starting conditions can, over time, make a big difference in the way that a complex system of interrelated phenomena evolves. In the story, Barry’s mother sent the father to the supermarket to get a can of tomatoes she had forgotten.  The Flash goes back in time to put a can of tomatoes in her mother’s cart when she was shopping, this not forgetting the can and not sending father to get tomatoes and be at home thus thwarting her death in the home invasion.  But not all went as planned.

Unlike the terrible SPIDER-VERSE with the reason for the multiverse never fully explained in the film’s weak narrative, the presence of alternative universes in THE FLASH makes more sense in its time travel narrative.  Travelling through time but to the wrong time, Barry enters a universe in which two Barrys exist.  The two Barrys are played by the same actor Ezra Miller sporting different haircuts, Miller delivering a knockout performance.

There is major talent involved in the making of this $200 million dollar production.  First and foremost is the film’s director, Argentinian Andy Muschietti, this his fourth film after his successful MAMA and his Hollywood hits IT and IT CHAPTER 2.  The other is the film’s star Ezra Miller who made it big with his masterpiece performance as at the teen son shooter in Lynne Ramsey’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.  Miller is a major force to be reckoned with, who can also be seen currently playing the young Salvador Dali in DALILAND.  Special mention should also be given to actress Maribel Verdú who plays Barry’s mother.  She is able to deliver a heartwarming performance of a caring human being.

THE FLASH is one of the most exciting super action hero movies recently.  Warner Bros. has finally got it right after their disastrous BATMAN V. SUPERMAN, THE BATMAN and other duds.  If there is an Academy Award for Best SuperHero Action Film of the year (there might very well add one owing to the currently large number of this genre films opening every year), THE FLASH would be the clear winner.

THE FLASH has had a very troubled production for a number of reasons including the changing of different directors and the Pandemic.  The $200-$220 million production finally opens widely in theatres on June the 9th and is well worth the wait.

Trailer: 

PERSIAN LESSONS (Russia/Germany/Belarus 2020) ***½

Directed by Vadim Perelman

Directed by Vadim Perelman, PERSIAN LESSONS is a captivating Holocaust drama set in occupied France in 1942. The film tells the story of Gilles (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), the son of a rabbi from Antwerp, who is captured by SS soldiers and sent to a German transit camp along with other Jews.  In order to escape sudden execution, Gilles pretends to be Persian, inventing a fake "Farsi" language. However, his survival hinges on a life-or-death mission: teaching Farsi to Nazi camp leader Koch (Lars Eidinger), who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran after the war.

  As with any Holocaust film, the horrors of war are not left out or compromised in the film.. PERSIAN LESSONS showcases chilling moments, such as an angry German soldier punishing a Jewish kitchen worker by burning her hands on a hot stove due to her dirty hands, or the harrowing sight of Jewish prisoners rushing to stand in line, only to be shot dead after the formation of the line. These depictions, presented matter-of-factly, enhance the film's impact. However, the director's focus goes beyond the atrocities of war, emphasizing the eccentricities that arise from the protagonist's fictional story, which draws inspiration from true events based on Wolfgang Kohlhaase's "Erfindung einer Sprache."

The film explores the power of the mind to recall and memorize names, exemplified by Gilles' invention of the "Parsi" language using the names of fellow prisoners. 

To enhance the film's entertainment value, Perelman injects humour into the narrative, primarily through the character of a pompous Nazi officer, Koch who refuses to be corrected or wronged.  His relentless pursuit of his desires leads to hilariously ironic situations, finally culminating in his downfall.  More important is the fact that the humour never trivializes the horrors of the Holocaust and the thousands who have lost their lives in the concentration camps, unlike the Italian comedy "Life is Beautiful" (1997), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.  There is also a lot of humour in the dialogue, occasionally quite brilliantly written.  Example:

Klaus Koch: As long as you work for me nothing will happen to you. I bet 20 cans of meat that nothing will happen to you.

Gilles: Too bad I won't be able to eat them since I'll be dead.

PERSIAN LESSONS boasts stunning cinematography that vividly captures the WWII era, with scenes of trucks transporting prisoners at night and chilling lineups of Jews awaiting execution. The film's production values are exceptional, contributing to an immersive atmosphere enhancing credibility and adding depth to the story.

Overall, PERSIAN LESSONS is an intriguing Holocaust movie that explores the horrors of war while injecting a fresh perspective into a well-worn genre. Directed by Ukraine-born Canadian filmmaker Vadim Perelman, known for his triple Oscar-nominated debut feature "House of Sand and Fog," the film promises a thought-provoking and impactful cinematic experience.

PERSIAN LESSONS was Belarus' official submission for the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021, but was disqualified by the Academy because the majority of individuals involved in making the film were not from Belarus.

PERSIAN LESSONS premiered on June 16 in Toronto (Varsity and Empress Walk) and Vancouver (Fifth Avenue). It will be released on June 23 in Ottawa and Edmonton, with subsequent screenings in other cities throughout the summer.

 Trailer: 

SEIRE (South Korea 2021) ***
Directed by Park Kong

Every race has its folk traditions and superstitions.  South Korea is no exception.  Stories borne of these beliefs often make good horror fodder.  In Korean, the word samchil-il also known as SEIRE, the title of this new Korean horror flick that refers to the 21 days after a child’s birth.  The house is then often guarded by protective rope ensuring the infant’s safe passage into the world and no taboo should be broken.  The baby is believed to be especially vulnerable to bad luck, curses and evil spirits.  The film centres on one couple’s first child.  The father is generally a non-believer and the mother is a ‘better play safe than sorry’ follower.  So she and as well as forcing her husband - protect the baby.  The couple is also neighbours with the wife’s sister who is expecting a baby.

Though North America is familiar with Japanese horror films, many of which have spanned Hollywood remakes (best example: THE RING) but Korean horror films are still a rarity.  Many would be unaware of the practice of SEIRE.  SEIRE comes as a welcome surprise and it is a solid horror chiller with some dark humour added for good measure.

New mother Hae-mi carefully follows every one of the SEIRE practices. Father Woo-jin is reluctantly willing to play along, but when he attends an ex-girlfriend's (from college as he says) funeral, he unwittingly opens the door to dark supernatural dangers. Plagued by terrible nightmares, the skeptical Woo-jin gradually begins to understand the siere custom, as he is forced to unravel the mystery of what is haunting him and his family.

Park loves to blur the lines of reality and imagination.  Because of fear, Woo-jin sees rotting apples, whenever he cuts one open to eat or for his wife, the shape of the cut apple resembles a womb where a fetus gestates.  His wife tells him: “ I am craving apples”, which forces him to leave the house in the middle of the night to get her apples.  When she returns, she denies the fact and asks where he had been.  Then she relents and says that she is just messing with him.  So what is true and what is imagined is never clear in the film.  All the confusion adds to the confusion of the couple.  Park’s film moves at a slow pace, but he keeps counting the tension.  Boredom is never the issue.

As would be expected in horror films, SEIRE contains a few gory and graphic scenes -the most disgusting as well as most effective, being a fetus dropping from Woo-jin’s vagina after her water is broken.

Park, a new voice in the Korean horror genre is best known for his "chilling indie horror debut” (SCREEN ANARCHY), an Official Selection in the Fantasia New Flesh Competition, was nominated for Best Film and captured the New Currents FIPRESCI Prize at the Busan International Film Festival, and also received a nomination for a Golden Eye Best International Feature at the 2022 Zurich Film Festival.

SEIRE premieres on VOD and Digital on June 16th, 2023.

Trailer: 

STAN LEE (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by John Gelp

The doc on Marvel cartoonist Stan Lee has the simple title of Stan Lee for the very reason that his name by itself would attract countless comic book fans and Action Hero movie fans to see the movie.  Stan Lee is a legend in our own times.

 The doc follows Stan’s journey to become one of the most influential people in the world of comic books and pop culture. Tracing his life from his challenging upbringing (from a child to teen to adult) as Stanley Lieber to the meteoric rise of Marvel Comics.

In order to tell the story of Stan Lee, the doc uses a combination of archive footage and animation while always using Stan’s voice as voiceover and narrator.

One of the film’s more intimate moments tells of Stan’s creation of one of the world’s most beloved Spider-Man.  First of all, he made Spider-Man a teenager - and one with problems.  He questioned the reason for being a superhero and often did not want to be one.  He would not be allowed to go out and fight crooks because his Aunt May would not let him go out because it was raining.  Stan made the action hero more down to earth and human with problems and that was what, according to him, made those comics sell.  The doc also included a part on how Stan fooled his boss to publish the first of the series that broke record numbers.  In short, Stan became a superhero on his own terms.  On being questioned what made a superhero popular, Stan said that readers must relate to the characters.  Spider-Man had empathy, the word Stan used many times to describe Spider-Man and the other heroes.

Also insightful is Stan’s description off the importance of the graphic artists.  He preferred Steve to Jack as Jack would draw the highlights of the action while Steve concentrated more on the story and human aspects of the series.

The doc also goes on to describe other heroes like Captain America and The Mighty Thor with the hammer.  It is interesting to note that The comics on The Might Thor was banned in Singapore, where this reviewer grew up, a country that is famous for censorship.  Thor was considered too violent and hence Thor was banned.  As a kid, my classmates would have someone go over to neighbouring Malaysia to buy the Their comic books.  So, Singapore kids did get to read those comics anyway.  Also good to note is that Marvel superheroes are all from Earth while those of the D.C. comics hailed from other planets or other worlds.

Stan Lee is also famous for appearing in a cameo in all the Marvel super hero action movies.  These are of course, too many to mention.  The doc is insightful and informative showing only the positive of Stan's life.  But the doc omits the more troubled life of Stan in his older age, of how he was abused as an elderly and how his business manager had physically and mentally abused him in his old age.

STAN LEE is available for streaming on Disney+ from June 156th, 2023.

Trailer:

VILLAGE (Japan 2023) ***
Directed by Michihito Fuji

Life is but a dream.  So goes the rhyme: Row, row, row your boat! Gently down the stream….Life is but a dream,”   This new Japanese horror film begins with the words: Dreams are fleeting.  Besides knowing this, humans still dream.  Waking up after 50 glorious years, it was all merely a dream…  so goes Kantun, a Japanese Not Play.  Dream stuff is also quoted in Shaekespeare’s THE TEMPEST.  "We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep." - William Shakespeare. From Act IV of The Tempest, this line is spoken by Prospero, as he compares his magical illusions "melted into air, into thin air," to the transient nature of our lives. 

In VILLAGE the dreams are more like nightmares as can be witnessed in the beginning disturbing sequence which intercuts a play with several images: a  hole in the ground surrounded by rubbish; a boy witnessing a fire; a man with a sweaty face.

Yu Katayama is a young man who lives in the remote, but beautiful village Kamonmura. He has lived there since he was a child and is unable to leave due to an incident in his past. To pay off his mother's debt, Yu works in a garbage disposal facility nearby. He lives without a dream or hope in his life. One day, Misaki Nakai returns to Kamonmura from Tokyo. Yu and Misaki were childhood friends. Her return changes Yu.  As they say, there is more than meets the eye.

VILLAGE runs for a full 2 hours.  Though it takes its time to tell its story (effectively mounting the suspense), the images are haunting, the storytelling convincing and the horror often felt.  The Japanese atmosphere also aids in the film’s intrigue.  Worth the watch on Netflix which begins streaming the film June the 16th.

Trailer: 

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 02 June 2023

ALONERS (South Korea 2021) ***
Directed by Hong Sung-eun

ALONERS is a South Korean film that has played in international film festivals that finally gets a release in North America.  It is a contemplative film about an alone (one figures an alone is a person whom prefers and goes about doing one's duties without the company of others).  The subject and protagonist of the film is an alone called Tina.  She does not even have a pet to keep her company.  She is satisfied with her ‘alone’ life but has the occasional phone call with her father.

Jina (Gong Seung-yeon) is the top employee at an unarmed call center, but despite talking to customers all day, she has shut out the world beyond her headset; she lives alone, eats alone, sleeps alone, and her cell phone is her constant companion.  When one day she's tasked with training a friendly and naive new hire (Jung Da-eun), her icy armour is threatened.   She is forced to work with someone else.  She is reluctant at training the new hire and lets her supervisor know the fact.  But Tina has no option or choice but to train her.  At the same time, she must navigate an incessantly ingratiating new neighbour, and increasingly urgent phone calls from her father, leaving Jina teetering on the edge of an existential crisis, forcing her to confront why she has isolated herself all these years.  

Riffing on the Korean ‘honjok’ – a phenomenon of young people who live alone and skirt social interaction – to examine the personal traumas of loss and alienation, this subtly poetic directorial debut is a "stirring portrait of the cages we build for ourselves and questions how and when we may want to be free of them," 

Director Hong’s film follows Tina at work, at home and everywhere else.  Through the routines, the audience learns about what Nina does, of her personality, aspirations and frustrations.  As expected, a film about a lonely person is a slow burn, and one needs to be patient while watching the story unfold.  There is little humour or enlightened drama.  The drama in Tina’s life is mostly self brought on and one needs to see the reason for her  anger and dissatisfaction.  Often, it is her territory of comfort that is threatened.  her comfort zone had already been disrupted with her inheritance.  Tina was supposed to have the inheritance from her deceased mother but now things have changed.

On a different level, it is also neat to see houma call centre operates.  The workers are all organized into cubicles and treated less as human beings but as tools of the company to generate profits.  They are constantly reminded that the number of calls each makes has to be increased.  Everything is about profit.

Director Hong’s film does not contain any happy ending or any major revelation.  The pleasure of her film comes from observation - observation of human behaviour.  Often, human behaviour can be more than intriguing, and director Hogan has fashioned an intriguing film while at it.

ALONERS premiers in North America via VOD and digital on June the 9th, 2023.

Trailer: 

AMERICONNED (USA 2023) ***
Directed by Sean Claffey

In the United States, there has been an upward redistribution of over $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% over the last 40 years.  Politicians on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans have created a protection racket for the rich, and corporations are deliberately crushing unions.

The doc opens with a candid look at democracy.  The beginning titles on the screen state that the big divide of the rich and the poor of a country and democracy can never exist in harmony.  The camera moves to the high skyscrapers owned by the rich and then contrasted to the homeless on the streets.  And there is a scene of the storming on Capitol Hill.  It is an angry and effective beginning of a doc with a current and problematic issue in the United States.  And how America has been Americonned.

In this David vs. Goliath story, Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer lead a movement to unionize Amazon workers for the first time, after the corporation fired Smalls for speaking up for workers’ rights. They are inspiring legions of workers across America to, as the late, great Congressman John Lewis said, get into “good trouble.”

After an angry introduction to linear lower income groups. The audience is introduced to assistant supervisor of Amazon, Chris Small.  Small was fired from his job for speaking out - two hours after organizing the workers at Amazon,  Small spiked out at the company’s silence of infected Covid-19 workers and is classed as a union agitator.  There is a shot of Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’ 80 million penthouse apartment in New York City.

Every narrative fiction has a villain - the more evil the villain is, the better the story.  This doc and subject has its share of villains as the doc shows in clips of Elon Musk, Mark Zukerberg among others.  The most evil villain singled out by the doc is Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.  Amazon is the big target for this doc and with reason.  Bezos’s Amazon only never paid any taxes, but received millions in Government subsidies.  Yet, the company still exploited their workers while lying to the public of its intentions.  All the company wants to do is to drive price down at the expense of the workers.  An interviewee says that they are not only not treated as human beings nor robots but treated as human data.  Bezos, of course, denies all this, saying that the workers have good working conditions and are paid well.  If this is true, why then is he afraid of his workers being unionized?  The doc occasionally shifts to other issues like a truck driver single mother caring for her kids, and a family with a laid off Oracle father and an art teacher wife who cannot make ends meet.  But the doc always returns to Amazon, and with reason as this is the most interested of all the subjects and also an easy target because it is the most blatantly obvious target.

The doc finally takes things further with the footage of the recent attack on Capitol Hill, citing the inequality between the wealthy and the needy as the underlying problem.

It is easy to complain and list problem after problem of American society.  Director Claffey ends his doc on a high note with an interview with the Boston mayor who offers opportunity to his people saying that they have to accept the society to succeed, hopefully to bring down the disparity between ethnic income groups.  And the result the Staten Island Amazon Union vote.

One might not agree with all the arguments made in AMERICONNED, but director Claffey has undoubtedly given his audience a lot of food for thought.  The doc has a Canadian VOD release on June the 13th.

Trailer: 

BEYOND PAPER (Canada 2022) ***
Directed by Oana Suteu Khintirian

Running a lengthy 2 hour and 10minutes, BEYOND PAPER is an intellectual contemplation of human progress and loss in words as related to one’s origins and heritage.

Every film begins with a first image.  The image first seen in director Khintirian’s documentary is that a word press, just as every story begins with a first word.  Words are shown printed on paper as by an old printing press, something that is going obsolete as the world becomes paperless,  Bill Gates predicted a paperless world in 1995 and this predication is almost true.

1995 is the same year, the audience learns that the director left her homeland in Romania to move to Canada through Montreal.  She brought a box of letters that contained her family’s entire life, though the box could not fit the size of a person.

This is the critical moment in the history of the written word, as humanity’s archives migrate to the cloud, one filmmaker goes on a journey around the globe to better understand how she can preserve her own Romanian and Armenian heritage, as well as human being’s collective memory.  Blending the intellectual with the poetic, director Khintirian embarks on a personal quest with universal resonance, navigating the continuum between paper and digital—and reminding us that human knowledge is above all an affair of the soul and the spirit.  Personal because she draws the experiences of her family into the picture, with her young son making several posts in the film.

From the fragile grain of centuries-old manuscripts to blinking servers in digital libraries, the film takes us around the world and introduces us to “guides” such as Maria Sebregondi, president of the Moleskine Foundation, who speculates on the possibilities of “augmented paper;” Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, who describes the massive web library as “fabulous and terrible;” Maria Kodama, widow of Jorge Luis Borges and president of the Borges Foundation, who brings to life the words of the Argentinian writer, breathing contemporary meaning into them.  Borge predicted the internet world in his time.

Filmed in locations including a “city of libraries” in the midst of the Mauritanian desert and El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires (one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world), as well as in Bucharest, Montreal, San Francisco, Milan and Copenhagen, Beyond Paper blends reflection and emotion, reminding us that human knowledge is above all an affair of the soul and the spirit.

Food for thought that often boggles the mind, BEYOND PAPER is as fascinating as it is informative, poetic as it is current and a doc that is both personal and inspirational and cinematic.

The director will be present for a Q&A on June the 13th.  The film had its world premiere on March 15 at the International Festival of Films on Art in Montreal and recently received the Cercle d’or Award for Best Documentary at the Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke.

Screening schedule at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

June 9 | 4:30 p.m.

June 12 | 4:00 p.m.

June 13 | 6:30 p.m. (Q&A with filmmaker)

June 17 | 4:30 p.m.

Trailer: 

DALILAND (USA/UK/France 2022) **
Directed by Mary Harron

Canadian director Mary Harron takes on her most ambitious project to date, exploring the life of one of the most controversial artists of all time, Salvador Dali. Harron gained recognition with her previous films, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL and AMERICAN PSYCHO.  The latter, starring Christian Bale as a charismatic and sinister protagonist, demonstrated Harron's ability to delve into decadence and the dark side of humanity.  This theme resonates in DALILAND, which focuses on the notorious and renowned artist Salvador Dali, best known to audiences as the director of the collaborative short film  UN CHIEN ANDALOU with Luis Bunuel. The film features a striking opening scene depicting a human eyeball being slashed with a razor, accompanied by surreal imagery and disjointed timelines that create a dreamlike atmosphere.

DALILAND opens with Dali participating in an episode of the popular TV show "What's My Line?"  Blindfolded panelists ask him if he is an artist, performer, entertainer, cartoonist, or actor, to which he humorously responds "yes" to each question, eliciting laughter from the audience.  Eventually, one panelist correctly guesses that the mystery guest is Dali based on his answer about his famous moustache. Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley portrays Dali and bears a striking resemblance to the artist in Mary Harron's DALILAND.  Dali was one of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, celebrated not only for his surrealist art but also for his iconic curled moustache.

The film primarily unfolds through the eyes of James (Christopher Briney), a young gallery assistant, and focuses on the later years of Dali's unconventional marriage to Gala (Barbara Sukowa), as their seemingly unbreakable bond begins to fracture.

The main story is set in 1974, with Dali and Gala spending their winter at the St. Regis hotel in New York.  James is entrusted with the task of ensuring Dali produces enough artwork for a major gallery show scheduled to open in three weeks.  Immersed in Dali's demimonde, a world of lavish parties and constant revelry, James soon realizes that only Gala has the power to motivate Dali. However, Gala becomes distracted by her latest romantic interest, a young man named Zachary Nachbar-Seckel.  As time ticks away for Dali's exhibition, the story transitions to his native Spain, where James uncovers some dubious activities.

"What is it like working for Dali?" James is asked at a pivotal point in the film. He describes the experience as being on another planet. Indeed, DALILAND often feels like an alien world, as the film disorients the audience.  Despite the film’s excellent production values, including well staged lavish parties with intricate costumes, DALILAND fails to inspire.  Dali's artwork is notably absent, and the origin of his genius remains unexplored.  The audience is merely offered a hint that his genius stems from the anger he and Gala share.  The film portrays Dali in all his ugliness and indulgence, such as conducting the wind atop a mountain, without delving into any of his redeeming human qualities.  With its focus on sycophancy and conflicts, particularly between Dali and Gala, the film proves to be a rather unpleasant and  hollow viewing experience.  The character of James, meant to provide an unbiased perspective for the audience, falls short due in part to a weak performance by Christopher Briney, who often appears more confused than anything else.

DALILAND opens June 9 in Toronto (Carlton) and Vancouver (Vancity)!  The film is also available June 9 to rent or buy on the Apple TV app and other VOD platforms.

Trailer: 

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (USA 2023) ***

Directed by Steve Caple Jr.

There is something that cannot really be explained on the fascination human beings have (especially males) of a human being being transformed part by part into a machine or top vehicle.  During one of the promo screenings, a kid wore one costume in which she could turn into a yellow Volkswagen.  As a result TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS has succeeded in becoming the 7th instalment of the transformers film franchise - itself being a sequel to the last and highly box-office success of BUMBLE BEE and which  also could stand as a standalone movie.

What makes TRANSFORMERS stand out among other super action hero movies such  the emotionless SPIDERVERSE is its super-hero story that is connected a human story that audincences can relate to.  The fight for the universe and the saving to the universe that includes the planet Earth is brought down to family level.  The story revolves around family-man Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramoz, best known as the original cast of the musical HAMILTON), an ex-military electronics expert who lives with his family in Brooklyn, trying to support them.  Trying to get a job runs through the story at the beginning and end of the film.

The actual story of the film take places outside the realm of Earth.  It begins on a distant planet that has vegetation looking a bit like Earth’s.  The homeworld of the Maximals, an advanced race of beast-robots that have evolved on a jungle planet colonized by Transformers long ago, comes under attack from the planet-eating dark god Unicron - the tough villain of the piece,  His heralds, the Terrorcons, led by Scourge, seek to obtain for their master the Maximals' greatest piece of technology, the Transwarp Key, which can open portals through space and time. Maximal leader Apelinq sacrifices himself to allow the other Maximals to escape the planet before Unicron devours it. Now under the command of Optimus Primal, the Maximals use the key to flee to Earth, where most of the action takes place as they say in a more down-to-eartyh story.

Moving to 1994 Brooklyn, ex-military electronics expert Noah Diaz struggles to find a job to support his family, he is convinced by his friend Reek to steal a Porsche to sell, only to discover that the car is the Autobot Mirage in disguise.  Concurrently, museum intern Elena Wallace studies an ancient statue of a falcon bearing the Maximal symbol and winds up breaking it open to reveal half of the Transwarp Key hidden inside. The key releases an energy pulse that is detected by Optimus Prime, who summons the other Autobots; Mirage is contacted in the middle of Noah's attempted theft, and Noah winds up being roped into the robots' mission to recover the key so they can use it to return to their homeworld, Cybertron.  Drawn by the key's signature, the Terrorcons arrive on Earth, and Elena is caught up in the conflict when the villains attack the Autobots outside the museum.   This is where the story starts to come together and the two protagonists, Elena and Noah meet.  

The film is also shot in beautiful and stunning Peru including the famous Machu Piccchu.  The film contains a well mixed blend of natural country mixed with CGI animated backgrounds.

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS had its premiere at the futuristic and stunning Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (the birthplace of this film critic) on May 27, 2023, and is scheduled in the North America on June 9, 2023,

Trailer: 

THE WRATH OF BECKY (USA 2023) ****

Directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote

THE WRATH OF BECKY is the sequel, an action thriller with a little bit of horror to the little seen BECKY with the returning cast of Lulu Wilson in the title role and Seann William Scott (GOOD, DUDE WHERE’S MY CAR, AMERICAN PIE 1 and 2).  Directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, Angel wrote the screenplay based on a story by himself and Coote.

There is something the matter with Becky.  The audience is informed of the fact right at the start of the film so that there is a lot of audience anticipation - the factor that dramatically affects the interest of the audience on a film, a technique often used by the Master of Suspense, Hitchcock himself.  Becky’s parents were killed by a group of Neo-Nazis who hid a key beneath the family’s house.  Becky has got her revenge by slaughtering them.  Becky, the audience is told, has escaped from 3 foster homes.  At the film’s start she is welcomed into a new foster home.  ‘Should we say grace first before the meal?” She says to the foster parents, Alice (Alison Commit) and Ted (Derek Gaines), her foster mother delighted at her request.  One can tell something awful or unexpected is going to happen in the new foster family,

Three years after escaping a violent attack on her family by four Neo-Nazis, Becky, now 16, and her dog Diego live with a kind elderly woman named Elena Connor to rebuild their lives. But when a fascist organization known as the "Noble Men" break into their home, attack both Becky and Elena and kidnap Diego, Becky must take on the Noble Men by returning to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones, rescue Diego and uncover the Noble Men's political attack plans before it's too late.

What makes THE WRATH OF BECKY wickedly entertaining and satisfying are the little parts that might have little to do with the plot but do demonstrate the wrath of Becky.  One is the diner where she works, the scene where she pushed a cup of hot coffee onto the lap of a  very abusive customer.  Another is her fantasizing a customer’s throat cut by her after he insists that she butters his toast so that the butter is melted on it.  It also helps that the film does not skimp the violence and horror when necessary, especially when needed to make a point.

Scott who normally plays comedy and occasionally psychotic comedy as in AMERICAN PIE 2 where his character gets to take a shit in a cooler, gets to play an insurrection psycho in this movie, one who can use his hadn’t to tear a face off, and with gleaming pleasure.

THE WRATH OF BECKY opened in US theatres on May 26th, however it has shifted to June 9th in Canada. The film is a short and effective 83 minutes that fly past for the reason that is so delightfully wicked. More fun than SPIDERVERSE, TRANSFORMERS and FAST X put together,

Trailer: 

YOU DO YOU (Turkey 2023) **

Directed by Cemal Alpan

Unfamiliar is usually good and a surprise.  The new Netflix original comedy from Turkey YOU DO YOU is an example.  Not many have ever seen a modern Turkish comedy and YOU DO YOU which ones on Netflix on the 9th of June is one.

The film opens with a woman sneaking around her own apartment she shares with her mother.  The reason she is stealing around like a burglar is that she is picking up mother’s snazzy clothes for a job interview.  YOU DO YOU begins with this scene accompanies my music with corny lyrics like “chicky. chicky boom- d-ay”.  The Turkish film looks like a colourful Spanish comedy but unfortunately this wannabe Spanish-styled comedy fails.

One main reason is  the character’s personality.  She is too headstrong - displaying too many obvious annoying new-age beliefs not to mention that she is rude and too independent, saying at all times what she thinks.  The latter can be observed during an unfunny job interview set-up when she gets kicked out of the interview room faster that she can get a rejection answer.  She does not want money, she wants o fashion design, she says and is clear throughout the film,

The film then turns into a romantic comedy.  There is a shot of her new beau at the start of the film as the handsome man is seen eyeing her apartment while in his car.  Merue Kult (Ahsen Eroglu), the protagonist, gets evicted from her apartment because her father is bankrupt.

YOU DO YOU then turns into predictable rom com fare, with few laughs with the annoying, unlikeable protagonist not helping either.  If one is interested in a female centred comedy, the other one from the Netherlands, THE WONDER WEEKS about a mother’s club is much funnier.    

This colourful Spanish styled Turkish comedy unfortunately fails miserably.

Trailer: 

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 29 May 2023

FILM REVIEWS:

ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY (USA 2022) *

Directed by Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed

This eye-popping doc follows the catalog of the brand International Male.   International Mal was a mail-order clothing brand and, at one point in the brand's history, carried brick-and-mortar stores of the same name. The company that created and owns the brand, originally Brawn of California, started in 1974–1975, has since been sold in its entirety in 1987 to Hanover Direct, based in New Jersey.

Directed by Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed, the doc delivers a dynamic, sexy, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the iconic International Male catalog, which changed the way men looked at themselves.

The catalog once spun off into a separate catalog, Undergear, which focused exclusively on men's underwear, swimwear, and some casual wear. The last mailed catalog of International Male was published in 2007. The brands are both available via their own websites, but the International Male site is now defunct and redirects to the Undergear site.

As of 2009, Hanover Direct consolidated these two product platforms under the Undergear label. Undergear is now the sole catalog and web site and incorporates the non-underwear items that would earlier have been in the International Male catalog-website. The selection of non-underwear clothing is quite limited in comparison to the former years (when International Male was its own separate catalog and website containing many items of clothing besides underwear and swimwear).  Over the years, many famous models and actors have posed for the catalog, such as Shemar Moore, Cameron Mathison, Charles Dera, Christian Boeving, David Chokachi, Gregg Avedon, Reichen Lehmkuhl, Rusty Joiner, Brandon Marcel and Scott King.  It took more than a decade and a half for this doc to be made.  Not that it has run into problems for being made, not that the doc is the doc of all docs or even an excellent one but it is a passable one, the delay should have been mentioned itself in this documentary.

The company was founded by Gene Burkard, a once-closeted Midwesterner and GI, found freedom in San Diego, where he transformed men’s fashion into something cosmopolitan, carefree, and trend-setting. International Male reached gay and straight customers alike as it redefined images of masculinity in American culture, generating revenue and circulation in the millions.  Burkard, who participated in the documentary, died in 2020 during post-production. 

ALL MAN is mostly man candy and an absolute delight for the gay male.  The doc does not break new barriers but provides some invaluable insight but it is extremely fun to watch and go goo-goo eyes at all the handsome models on display.

But there is always a little downside to every success story.  For International Male, a big challenge arose during the AIDs epidemic, where gay people were dropping like flies.  The magazine lost a lot of talent and family.  Another downwards trend was the magazine being sold to a bigger catalog company.  The last mailed catalog of International Male was published in 2007. The brands are both available via their own websites, but the International Male site is now defunct and redirects to the Underwear site.

ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY premiered at the Tribeca Festival and Outfest Official Selection and arrives on digital platforms June 6.

Trailer: 

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE (Denmark 2023) ***
Directed by Mehdi Avaz

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE begins with a man, Elliot (Christopher) getting up shirtless ninth morning from his boat, which is taken to be his living quarters.  The film follows him to work where he crushes ice for the fish and earns a decent wage for what looks like hard work  Elliot is shown to be a decent chap.  In short, he is a drunk fisherman but he can sing and write songs.  He says away from gambling away his wages and meets a friend at a bar where they are supposed to perform,

Elliott, a young fisherman with an extraordinary voice, gets the chance of a lifetime when he is discovered by the successful high-profile music manager, Suzanne. Suzanne soon pairs Elliott with her estranged daughter and music producer, Lily. On his way to becoming a star, struggles from the past threaten not only his big breakthrough, but also the budding love with Lily.

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE is described as a romantic comedy.  Rom coms are a dime a dozen these days, churned out with ho end in sight from not only Hollywood but from other countries as well.  They usually are cliche-ridden following the formula of the harlequin books with the couple coming together at the end after some silly obstacle they’d to overcome on the way.  A beautiful LIFE is a rom com that stands out by being different from the crowd.  Director Stefan Jaworski’s script spends a fair amount of time on the story’s characters so that the audience can associate and sympathize with the protagonist.  The actors playing the leads deliver solid credible performances that create real drama thus intensifying the story.  This is instead of providing silly comedic set pieces which are nothing more than a bore half the time.

The film's best moment is when Elliot opens his mouth to sing for the first time on stage.  Not only are the patrons at the bar mesmerized but so is the audience of the film.  Elliot’s voice and song isa show-stopper in the very sense of the word.

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE, shot in Danish and filmed in Copenhagen is available Netflix June the 1st, 2023.
Trailer: 

THE BOOGIEMAN (USA 2023) **
Directed by Rob Savage

After a troubled production that involved cancellation in production due to Disney takeover of Fox and of course the pandemic, British director Rob Savage eventually takes over the director reigns in what is a muddled and generally boring piece of Stephen King horror (based on his short story) that fails to identify the origin, nature, looks and weaknesses of this monster called THE BOOGIEMAN.  Somehow, the victims discover that the monster is afraid of the dark, but not really as the film shows that it is more scared of fire. Which animal isn’t?

` THE BOOGIEMAN is an upcoming American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage from a screenplay by Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Mark Heyman and a screen story by Beck and Woods, based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair and David Dastmalchian.

THE BOOGIEMAN begins with a disturbed Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) forcefully letting himself into therapist Will Harper’s (Chris Messina) house for treatment,  It is revealed that he is the prime suspect for the death of his children.  The session ends with Billings hanging himself in Will’s home.  Will himself has two children, high school student Sadie Harper (Sophie Thatcher) and her little sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) who are still reeling from the recent death of their mother. Devastated by his own pain, their father Will, gives them neither the support nor the affection that they try to claim from him.  Billings brings in a terrifying entity, THE BOOGIEMAN that preys on the family and feeds on their greatest suffering.

In Stephen King’s 1973 short story THE BOOGIEMAN, the story follows Lester Billings and the death of his children.The film changes the story totally, with THE BOOGIEMAN after Will’s family.  The original story is much scarier and the modified story in the film is senseless and there is no reason for THE BOOGIEMAN which follows families in distress to follow Will’s and not another distressed family.  Sadie’s conquest over the monster is also utterly silly.

The film is filled with the usual jump in the dark horror scares that are are annoying than scary.  The film ends up a rehash of the familiar dime a dozen horror slasher/monster movies.

Chis Messina is the most well known of the cast. Messina has proved his acting chops as the suave and all dressed lawyer in I CARE A LOT.  He plays the father in this film, dishevelled  and seemingly unable to look f after his two daughters.

THE BOOGEYMAN is 89 minutes of a slow burn which leads eventually to the destruction of the monster by the protagonist heroine , who in this case is a young preteen student.  There are so many loose ends that it appears that the filmmakers and even King seem to be making it up mat the story goes on,  The film opens May the 26th and it’s best to avoid this one , together with the big box-force duds like FAST X and THE LITTLE MERMAID.

Trailer 

THE FIRST STEP (USA 2021) ***1/2

Directed by Brandon Kramer

THE FIRST STEP is an angry but important documentary that needs to be made and seen.  THE FIRST STEP is a doc on prison reform with the title referring to the importance of the first step that needs to be taken.  Prison reform is so important for a variety of reasons.  One is that it is a human rights issue.  People serving time are also human beings.  Secondly, prison reform affects everyone as almost everyone would have a relative or know a friend or acquaintance that has served time in jail.

In a divided America, Van Jones controversially works across party lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to America's addiction crisis. Attempting to be a bridge builder in a time of extreme polarization takes him deep into the inner workings of a divisive administration, internal debates within both parties, and the lives of frontline activists fighting for their communities.  The doc opens in 2016 when Trump has just been elected President.

Facing fierce opposition from both political parties in a climate where bipartisanship has become a dirty word, Jones and his team enlist the support of justice-impacted individuals, faith leaders, grassroots activists and cultural figures — including Kim Kardashian — to pass legislation that would fix some broken aspects of the justice system and bring thousands of incarcerated people home early. The bill’s champions immediately find themselves navigating a high-stakes game of political chess in Washington, D.C. Their quest brings them face-to-face with progressive champions like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries,  U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, as well as conservative figures like U.S. Senator Rand Paul, Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner — and ultimately, Donald Trump himself.

While trying to pass a bipartisan bill through a deeply polarized Congress, Jones is condemned by the right for his progressive beliefs — and by the left for working with conservatives.   This is a losing battle if ever there was one. No side can ever be satisfied.  And no side appears willing to compromise.  The film reveals an intimate portrait of an activist’s isolation and internal struggles, what it takes to make change in a divided nation, and everyday people in both political parties drawn into a historic fight for freedom and justice.

Bringing the topic of prison reform to home in Toronto, Toronto boasts a new $594 million superjail opened in 2015 that contains a fresh air room and flat screen TVs.  But if one speaks to an inmate in the new facility, he makes the valid complaint that there is nowhere inside that one gets to see the sun or the open sky.  Inmates have the most valid says.  In THE FIRST STEP, Van Jones spends time talking to inmates to hear their points of view.

It is also intriguing to learn that Van Jones as a child lisps and could not speak properly.  But he is taught that if one puts one’s entire life into something, that one will succeed.  The film also takes pains to emphasize the frustrations than Jones undergoes in his thankless task of prison reform - which is indeed inspiring.

THE FIRST STEP, a doc on prison reform and the fight for prison reform that is as informative as it is urgent is one that should be seen.  Canada VOD Release is on June 6

Trailer: 

LOVE GETS A ROOM (UK/Spain 2019) **
Directed by Rodrigo Cortés

The beginning credits emphasize the fact that what follows is a true story or at least based on true events.  The titles indicate the setting as the January of 1942 in Warsaw, Poland.  The audience is told that in a narrow ghetto 40,0000 Jews are confined by the Nazis in the middle of the city.  No one can leave or enter the perimeter, which are guarded by German troops.  Outside, the audience is informed, life goes on but inside, people die of illness, hunger and the cold.  But amidst all this, the audience is to believe that art goes on.  Inside, and cut off from the outside world by a towering wall, LOVE GETS A ROOM follows Stefcia and her fellow Jewish theatre actors as they fight to keep their passion for performing alive. 

As life in the Nazi-occupied ghetto becomes a fierce fight against cold, hunger, and epidemics, the actors, against all odds, embark on a daring mission to stage Jerzy Jurandot's play, risking their lives to create something beautiful in a world of chaos and destruction.

Written and directed by visionary filmmaker Rodrigo Cortés, the film takes the audience on an emotional journey back to the tumultuous time of World War II.  With what the press notes describe as masterful direction and outstanding performances, LOVE GETS A ROOM attempts to provide a poignant exploration of the power of love, hope, and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable adversity.

LOVE GETS A ROOM is a prime example of a film that tries too hard and relies on past films on theatre to make important points - a fact that fails as audiences are often familiar with war time theatre films, such as the famous Francois Truffaut’s 1980 masterpiece LE DERNIER METRO (THE LAST metro) being the best of the lot.  Director Cortés uses the all too often used tactic of the play mirroring the true events the actors are facing.  In the play, the main lead is torn between two overs, just as in the main story, Stefcia is torn between two lovers. She has to decide who to go with - to escape with the one who loves her who she does not love anymore, or stay with the one she loves.  And she has a little daughter to compact matters,  The worst of the film’s flaws is the use of cheap theatrics to make a point.  In the film, the flaw occurs with a German entering the theatre amidst a performance firing a rifle many times and making lots of noise and drama to make a silly point.  The German wishes to dispose of a resistance fighter that has nothing to do with the characters of the story.

LOVE GETS A ROOM is based on true events during Nazi occupied Poland and Is rich with period atmosphere.  But this well-intentioned retelling of Jewish history is marred by cheap theatrics, sappiness and cliche-ridden tricks of at theatre within a theatre setting.

LOVE GETS A ROOM  finally gets a release, finally gets a VOD release on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Trailer: 

MIXED BY ERRY (Italy 2023) ****
Directed by Sydney Sibilia 

MIXED BY ERRY (Erry is short for Enrico)  tells the story of Enrico Frattasio, known as Enrico or DJ Erry, who in the 1980s created a business, and an empire, thanks to the counterfeit cassettes sold throughout Italy and subsequently also internationally.

The brand was called ‘mixed by Erry.  The [irating business got so popular that even this brand was pirated.  How is that for a compliment for the Frattasio Brothers?   Thanks to Netflix for bringing this Italian film to North American audiences, the film premiering this week June the 2nd on Netflix.  Without Netflix, this gem of a film would have never been seen.  MIXED BY ERRY is a charming true story of the Fratasio Brothers, humorously told and surprisingly accurate and entertaining due to the songs on display complete with mafia intrigue and some romance told Italian style.

The film begins with the arrest of Enrico Frattasio in Italy in 1991.  The beginning credits in bold letters, ensure that the audience realizes that the film is based on a true story.  As Enrico is shown the squalid jail quarters, he is told that he is rich, as the money he makes is stored under concrete for 10 years.  The film then goes back several times to the years 1976, 1985 and then the 90’s to reveal the story of Enrico and his mixtape empire.

Enrico, Peppe and Angelo Frattasio are three brothers from Forcella , a district of Naples , who live in very modest conditions in 1976: their father Pasquale smuggles tea for a living, passing it off as whisky, put in Jack Daniel bottles.  Enrico has a passion for the world of music and would like to be a DJ, but his lack of good looks and shy nature prevent him from even trying; the boy consoles himself by mixing compilations for friends and clients, using the recorders of the appliance store where he works.

Thanks to the connections of Angelo, who ended up in prison for a fight, the two brothers decide to extend the turnover: at first they have to contend with criminals from outside the EU who would like to prevent their activity, but soon, also thanks to the acquaintances of Angelo in the criminal undergrowth, they will have the upper hand.  In a short time, the Frattasios set up numerous laboratories in which they will mix thousands of audio cassettes, which they will then sell throughout Italy by exploiting the black market.

There is much more in the story but it leads up to Mixed By Erry becoming the first record label in Italy for revenues.

The songs used in the film at various periods are accurate enough.  For music enthusiasts, there is such nostalgia that comes off screen from the mixing and opting machines together with the wonderful songs of the times.  At times, the film feels like the old Italian comedies of the 70’s.

The film also proves the saying that if there is a will there's a way.  The Frattasion Brothers succeed after overcoming one obstacle after another.  Ironically, the last one is the currency changing to the Euro when their money stored becomes worthless.

Trailer: 

SAM NOW (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Reed Harkness

Filmed over 25 years, the film follows filmmaker Reed Harkness and his brother Sam as they embark on a 2,000-mile road trip in search of Sam's missing mother.  Because of his mother’s absence, the film witnesses the effects of Sam’s trauma in his interpersonal relationships, both in adolescence and adulthood.  The film also explores themes of intergenerational trauma, mental health, and coming of age through a unique hybrid narrative approach.

The documentary traces Sam’s life from the age of 10 to 31.  Sam and Reid come from the same father and different mothers, Sam from the father’s second wife.  Since the age of 11, Reed at age 16 then, has been filming his brother in a series of home movies.   The home movies are shown in black and white, mostly filmed for fun, as most home movies are.  Sam is shown to be an energetic kid, loving to pretend to fall down and often wears a super action hero suit to become the Purple Panther.  

One day in 2000, Sam’s mother, Jois disappears, leaving Seattle without a note or explanation.   Reed convinces Sam and they decide to make a movie on finding Jos.  Tracking cryptic clues of her whereabouts years later, Sam and his half brother head out on a West Coast road trip to try and find her.  But solving the mystery of her disappearance is only the beginning of their story.  

SAM NOW is simply a delightful and playful documentary made up of home made movies but turning really into a mystery dealing with coming-of-age issues as well as discovering one’s identity.  Totally entertaining and a celebration of what life has to offer.  SAM NOW premiered at last year’s HOT DOCS 2022 and launches video on demand June the 6th on various platforms including iTunes and Amazon.

Trailer: 

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (USA 2023) ***
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

The new Sony animated super action-hero Spider-Man movie SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is a 2023 American computer-animated superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales / Spider-Man. It is the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and is set in a shared multiverse of alternate universes called the "Spider-Verse". v The film is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson (in their feature directorial debuts) from a screenplay written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. Shameik.  The new Spider-Man meets a new team of Spider-People, known as the Spider-Society, led by Miguel O' Hara / Spider-Man 2099, but comes into conflict with them over handling a new threat.

The sequel to SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2018) requires a bit of recall of the first film.  In the first film, Spider-Man is killed with a new one taken on by a black kid, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore).  To re-cap. New York City teenager Miles Morales struggles to live up to the expectations of his father, police officer Jefferson Davis (Bryan Tyree Henry), who sees Spider-Man as a menace. Miles adjusts to prep school, and visits his uncle Aaron Davis, who takes him to an abandoned subway station to paint graffiti.  Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains spider-like abilities similar to Spider-Man.  Returning to the station, Miles discovers a collider built by Wilson Fisk, who hopes to access parallel universes to bring back his late wife and son, whose deaths he blames on Spider-Man. Miles watches as Spider-Man attempts to disable the collider while fighting Wilson's henchmen, Green Goblin and the Prowler.  Spider-Man saves Miles, but Green Goblin shoves Spider-Man into the collider, causing an explosion that kills Goblin and wounds Spider-Man.  Spider-Man gives Miles a USB flash drive designed to disable the collider, warning that the machine could destroy the city if reactivated.   After watching in horror as Wilson kills Spider-Man, Miles flees with Prowler in pursuit, eventually getting away from him. As the city mourns Spider-Man's death, Miles tries to honour his legacy and become the new Spider-Man.  This is where ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, the sequel begins.  The film ends with  “ ….to be  continued” and the sequel to be released in 2024 “BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE”.

Over a year after the events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Miles Morales is unexpectedly approached by his love interest Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to complete a mission to save every universe of Spider-People from the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who could cause a catastrophic disaster. Miles is up for the challenge, where he and Gwen journey through the Multiverse together and meet its protectors, a group of Spider-People known as the Spider-Society, led by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac). However, Miles finds himself at odds with Miguel and the Spider-Society on how to handle the threat and must redefine what it means to be a hero so that he can save the people he loves.

Too many Spider-Men that includes an Indian one.

The animation is nothing short of stunning with a different animated look designed for each alternate Spider-Verse.  There is a lot that is happening on screen, often too much for any one to absorb, propping one to perhaps view the film repeatedly.  Sacrificed however, is the story, though present, takes second importance to the animation.  The film feels like FAST X and JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 where the story is sacrificed for expensive special effects and in the case of this film, more experimental animation.  It would not be surprising that many an audience would have no clue as to what is going on.  But see it for the animation!

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on June 2, 2023, in premium large formats and IMAX.[42] Internationally, it is being released on dates ranging from May 31, 2023 to June 22, 2023. 

Trailer: 

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 18 May 2023

YOU HURT MY FEELINGS (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Nicole Holofcener

If the latest American comedy, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS, directed by Nicole Holofcener (known for WALKING AND TALKING), bears similarities to the comedic styles of Woody Allen and Neil Simon, it's no coincidence. Holofcener comes from a Jewish family and has a personal connection to Allen, as her stepfather produced some of his films. In fact, she even had the opportunity to be an extra in TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN and SLEEPER. Her first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on Woody Allen's A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT SEX COMEDY in 1982. With YOU HURT MY FEELINGS, Holofcener once again demonstrates her talent and delivers an entertaining and accomplished work.

The film revolves around Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a novelist who also teaches writing classes, and her husband, Don (Tobias Menzie), a therapist who charges too much. When Beth accidentally overhears Don expressing his dislike for her writing to her brother-in-law, Mark (Arian Moayed), it not only hurts her feelings but also shatters the trust she had in him. Don argues that his love for her is more important than his opinion of her book. This misunderstanding creates a significant rift in their relationship.

Director Holofcener skillfully balances humorous and dramatic moments throughout the film. Some of the funniest scenes take place in Don's office, where he deals with a couple, Jonathan (David Cross) and Carolyn (Amber Tamblyn), who constantly bicker and can't seem to agree on anything except their desire for a refund. Both Beth and Don present compelling arguments about support and honesty, effectively conveying their perspectives.

One of the film's highlights is the presence of veteran actress Jeannie Berlin, an Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress for her role in THE HEARTBREAK KID, directed by her mother, Elaine May, based on a Neil Simon play. Berlin portrays Georgia, Beth and Sasha's mother in the film. In one scene, when Beth tells the doctor, "Her leg hurts," Georgia quickly retorts, "I can speak for myself." It's refreshing to see Holofcener resist the temptation to deliver the expected line, typical of a Neil Simon play, and instead adds a subtle twist.

The only drawback is the rather predictable happy ending. The script introduces significant problems faced by the characters, including the trust between Beth and Don, Beth's strained relationship with her son Elliot (who blames her for his own writing troubles), and Mark's career struggles. Unfortunately, the film opts for convenient and unrealistic solutions to these problems, as it assumes audiences prefer happy endings. Nevertheless, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS succeeds as a sweet and enjoyable comedy about relationships, surpassing the attempts made by Woody Allen in this genre. Holofcener masterfully blends humour and pathos in a concise 83-minute film, providing light entertainment without the shallow nature of recent disappointments like FAST X AND THE LITTLE MERMAID.

YOU HURT MY FEELINGS opens in theatres May 26th, 2023.

 Trailer: 

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 27 April 2023

FILM REVIEWS:

CARMEN (Australia/France 2022) **

Directed by Benjamin Millepied

Benjamin Millepied, former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet and choreographer of the film BLACK SWAN makes his directorial debut in CARMEN, a modern-day interpretation of Bizet's classic opera. The film opens with a breathtaking dance performance in the Mexican desert, where the mother of the protagonist is tragically shot by a gunman. The surreal and impressive scene sets the tone for the rest of the film, which features dream-like dance sequences and a majestic score by three-time Oscar nominee Nicholas Britell.

CARMEN, the film tells the story of Carmen, a fiercely independent young woman who flees to the US after her mother's murder. Along the way, she meets Aidan, a border guard and Marine suffering from PTSD. Their journey together leads to a budding romance, but it is a poor imitation of the love story in the original opera.  Solid performances are delivered by both Melissa Barrera and rising star Paul Mescal, looking really buffed as a marine should, compared to his physique in his last film AFTERSUN.

One of the film's strengths is the presence of Rossy de Palma, a regular actress in Pedro Almodovar's films, who plays the mercurial owner of La Sombra nightclub, a sanctuary of music and dance where Carmen and Aidan find solace and their unwavering love for each other. However, the film's attempt to blend reality with dance and music is uneven, and the dance and music sequences often feel disconnected from the rest of the story. The climactic dance scene between Carmen and Aidan is impressive, but it feels out of place in the film.

Despite its flaws, "CARMEN" is an ambitious film that showcases Millepied's talent as a director and choreographer. The impressive dance and music sequences, as well as the strong performances by the cast, make it worth watching. In particular, Paul Mescal's (AFTERSUN) performance demands mention and shows that he is a talent to watch in the future. "CARMEN" opens in Toronto and Vancouver on May 5th, and in Montreal on May 12th, with more cities to follow throughout the spring and summer.

Trailer: 

 THE FORGER (Der Passfalscher) (Germany 2022) ***1/2

Directed by Maggie Peren

THE FORGER, the new German WWII suspense drama recounts the true-life story of the spirited Cioma Schönhaus, who created documents that saved hundreds of lives of Jews in Nazi Germany.  Cioma is at the age of 21 in the film ’s setting.  Cioma has barely come of age and goes through romance, survival and life’s dangerous lessons.  The real Cioma died at the age of 93 in 2015 during the 4th draft of the script.  The real forger, Cioma was interviewed four times for the film and what is witnessed on the screen is a remarkable and winning account of a young man trapped in dangerous times.

Berlin, 1942. Cioma Schönhaus (Louis Hofmann) is a young Jewish man who won't let anyone take away his zest for life, especially not the Nazis.  Cioma audaciously adopts the identity of a marine officer to escape being deported like his family before him.  Drawing on his art school background, he joins a network of underground rescuers and becomes infamous for his masterfully forged IDs – created with just a brush, some ink, and a steady hand – that save the lives of hundreds of Jews by allowing them to escape the country. Meanwhile, he throws himself into the city's nightlife and even finds a fragile hope for love during the darkest moments of the war.

Ironically, Cioma Schönhaus survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight in Berlin.  He even says  in the film that he does not attempt to hide his true identity.  Sadly, he is alone with no family, which makes him more daring.  The young Jewish man’s parents and grandmother were deported to death camps in the East, but he stayed behind thanks to an exemption allowing him to work in an armaments factory.  When his job ended, he remained in the city illegally, took off his yellow star, assumed the more Germanic name Peter Schönhausen, and blended in.

Director paren’s film moves at a moderate pace and she pays great attention to detail.  She shows Comas at work, the arduous painstaking and meticulous difficult task of the forging process - the process that needs to be seen for the film to be credible.  Berlin is shown without the usual fanfare Nazi flags or large number of troops, which is necessary because Cioma was largely in hiding during most of the story.   The film also shows that everyone is farid and suffers during the Nazi times - even the Germans were afraid.  Everyone has to survive on rationing coupons and black marketing was pronounced.  All the activities add to the authenticity and credibility of the period and atmosphere of the film.  Director Peren does not resolve to cheap theatrics to make a point.

25-year old blond German rising star Louis Hofmann plays the forger with solid effect.  The real Cioma shown in part images has black hair.   Hofmann would have done better with dyed black hair to look more jewish and his bond hair makes him look like a real Nazi German.

At the end, when the Gestapo closed in on Schönhaus and all those close to him or who have worked with him were getting caught, he forged a German Wehrmacht soldier’s identity card and holiday pass for himself and fled on a bicycle to Switzerland, where he lived for the rest of his life.  The bicycle part is not shown on the screen bu th escape to Switzerland was mentioned in the closing credits.

THE FORGER will be available for purchase and rental on all major digital platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, and Kino Now, on May 2.

Trailer: 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3 (USA 2023) ***

Written and Directed by James Gunn

After the sequel to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 made $870 million out of a $200 million production, it is inevitable that Vol.3 be made.  It will be of no surprise that this one will also be a big box-office hit.  So as expected, louder and more of the same is the motto, so Guardians of the Galaxy fans should be thrilled with this second sequel.

Marvel Cinematic Universe and action hero movies always share the common tread of a nasty villain and a story involving saving oneself, one’s family, the world or universe.  In the case of this film, it is saving the universe.  On a minor note, the story also involves saving the life of one Guardian member, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) injured in a fight.  In the case of the apparent destruction of the universe, the villain says, I am not destroying the universe but perfecting it.  Then he humorously corrected, You are not perfecting it.  You are not accepting the universe the way it is,.”  As for villainy, the film contains a really good villain in the form of  Chukwudi Iwuji playing the High Evolutionary, giving the term narcissism a new meaning.  Will Poulter, the British newcomer to the franchise, steals the show from his first appearance coming in like a rocket destroyer. The other memorable performance belongs to Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, the supposedly stupid member but the one with a good heart and of course also the one with some cool dance moves.  He has a way with the story’s lost children.

The film has a varied and very pleasant soundtrack that was not limited to 1970s pop songs compared to the first two films, instead spanning multiple decades.  Songs include those from artists like Bruce Springsteen (“Badlands”), Earth Wind and Fire (“Reasons”) and even the Beastie Boys (“No Sleep till Brooklyn”).  The film opens with an acoustic version of "Creep" by Radiohead, which noticeably provided "a much different tone from the beginning than the other two films”.

As in the other two Guardian films, the film contains an even balance of action and humour without resorting to excessive gore, blood of violence, making the film suitable for family fare.  Beware of a few lewd though harmless jokes.  The actors appear to be having loads of fun, as seen by the many choreographed dance sequences and the spirit rubs off on the audiences.  Though this is not the sort of film that will enthral critics, the film is enjoyable enough without too many lagging moments.

The film runs the longest of the three, with a running time of 150 minutes i.e. 2 and a half hours.  It is expected that the film contains a few dull parts, but to director Gunn’s credit, there are a few major surprises as well.  The special effects are especially stunning.

The film contains some nice surprises with the appearances of Howard the Duck voiced by Seth Meyers and James Gunn, the film’s writer/director playing Lamb-Shank.

The money making machine opens May the 5th.

Trailer: 

TRIALS TO TRIUMPH (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia

Primarily, TRIALS TO TRIUMPH is the story of Freddie Stevenson’s meteoric football career, the crash that followed, and his reinvention.   But the doc also digresses other mini-accounts of other football celebrities and their trials.  There is not one but three directors.  The doc understandably feel unfocused as it without notice, jumps from one to another athlete’s story  But the audience gets to witness primarily stories of struggle & redemption from Freddie Stebvenson as well as minor stories of Maurice Benard, Delvin Breaux, Tony Gaskins, and more and see them overcome the odds in these powerful, real conversations.

  TRIALS TO TRIUMPH was directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia. This inspirational documentary based on Stevenson’s Best-Selling memoir features interviews with Freddie Stevenson, Maurice Benard, Dasia Torres, Neno Torres, Tyrell Lyons, Tony Gaskins, Dr. Dan Ratner, Delvin Breaux, Terris Stevenson, Sylvia Stevenson, and Ryan Green. It was produced by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Freddie Stevenson.

Life is resilience, says his coach.  And Freddie’s life shows it.  The major part of the doc has Freddie talk to the camera as well as those close to him, relatives like his father and mother and also his then girlfriend.m His girlfriend says: “ He would go to the gym and give 110%.  His father and mother were always there to support him and offer the pain and struggles their son had to go through.  It is inspirational not to hear the words from Freddie himself but of the words of those close to him as observations also tell the whole story.

There is an extended talk by Freddie’s father at the beginning of the film explaining how much hardship with limited opportunities available for coloured folk.  He confesses to drug dealing, hiding the fact from his son, Freddie and how he was sentenced to prison.  His incarceration followed by him becoming a born againChristian.  The film almost gets preachy about Christianity but gaudy stayed away from the issue.  Though this testimony has nothing to tell with TRIALS TO TRIUMPH, the segment is actually the film’s most interesting part as it deals with real life problems of the coloured folk.

One of the key issues omitted in the doc, the larger problem that is responsible not only for Freddie’s football injury but for the injuries of all footballers is the fact that football is a dangerous sport with already documentation of a very high percentage of permanent injuries arising from professional football players, particularly in the injury of head concussion, which fortunately Freddie does not suffer from.  It is hinted that Freddie after recovering from an injury and offered a job back into football realizes the fact, and hesitates before accepting the position in the NFL.  But the problem is systematic and more serious.  North America is the only country in the world that champions this sport.  The closest Europe has is rugby and Australia has, isastraluaq rules football.

Gravitas Ventures will release TRIALS TO TRIUMPH on digital platforms on May 2, 2023. The film has a running time of 1 hour 35 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

Trailer: 

be posted)

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 20 April 2023

ALEX BORSTEIN: CORSETS & CLOWN SUITS (USA 2023) ***

Directed by Scott Ellis

ALEX BORSTEIN: CORSETS & CLOWN SUITS is a deeply personal and wildly fictitious account of one woman’s attempt to f*** with perception. A night of comedy, music, and waxing rhapsodic.    The title is so-called because the standup comedienne performs her act wearing a modified clown suit and a corset.

Alex Borstein is a three-time Emmy winner and one of the stars of the hit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  The film is set to release this first Amazon Original comedy special.  She comes with a string of accomplishments.  Borstein is a multi-hyphenate talent who acts, produces, voices the character Lois Griffin on FOX’s Family Guy, and wrote for Showtime’s long-running series Shameless. She also starred alongside Laurie Metcalf and Niecy Nash in HBO’s Getting On, where she brought the vulnerable character of Dawn Forchette to life. Getting On rose to critical acclaim during its three seasons, as it followed the daily lives of nurses and doctors struggling with the dark comedic realities of caring for the elderly in an overwhelmed health care system.  Borstein has won two Primetime Emmys, two SAG Awards, and two Critics Choice Awards for her turn as Susie Myerson on Prime Video’s award-winning series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also took an Emmy home for her voice-over work as Lois Griffin on FOX’s long-running mega-hit, Family Guy.

This is an hour and 30 minute unique comedic special that will lead audiences into Alex Borstein’s mind through a marriage of humour and music.  Corsets & Clown Suits is equal parts provocative and whimsical.   Borstein’s self-penned performance showcases her captivating form of storytelling with the help of her muse and maestro, Barcelona-native musicians, Eric Mills and Salva Rey.

In 1997, Borstein grew in fame once she became a cast member on the third season of the sketch comedy show MADtv. She originally joined the cast as a featured player, but was upgraded to the repertory mid-season. Borstein was best known on MADtv for her character Ms. Swan (owner of the Gorgeous Pretty Beauty Nail Salon)

So the magic question is whether Alex, short for Alexandrea, is funny enough to entertain for an hour and a half?  The answer is yes, though the laughs begin to lag in the middle and the singing parts, though quite melodic, are not as hilarious as they are supposed to be.

It is the perfect evening to enjoy standup comedy at home without the inconvenience of dressing up and going to the theatre.  And without being singled out and insulted by the standup comic, which happens quite often in comic performances.  Alex insults a number of married couples in the audience in her fiancé route.  No one is immune to her verbal attacks, including her own mother and father, present in the audience.

Linda shows her talent in other forms besides delivering verbal jokes.  At one point, she croons “Hamilton’ - the musical and in another, argues her funniest moment on the stage, does a baby llama impression after the baby llama has squeezed itself put of mama llama’s ass.  The funniest moments are the ones most audiences  can identify with, as in the routine on McDonald’s.

Linda is foul-mouthed and funny but not overtly so.  She speaks nasty only when there is a good nasty joke coming on and not otherwise.  Still children should stay away, even though Linda first appears onstage in a clown suit.

Besides the special being mainly Alex’s standup routine, the special is bookended with skits of what happened before her act and what happened after.  The first is amusing with a striptease act done 60’s night club style and the second staged at a restaurant with jokes taken out of her routine.

The special opens on Prime Video April the 18th.

Trailer: 

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 18 April 2023

 FILM REVIEWS:

BAYI AJAIB (Indonesia 2023) ***
Directed by Rako Prijanto

Indonesian horror movies are a genre in itself.  Every year, there are well over 100 films released by the Indonesian film industry with no shortage of films to be seen in the genre.

This means that most of these Indonesian horror films were made in a matter of weeks, which is quite an impressive feat.  The one common thread found in many Indonesian horror films is that it is based on local ghost stories and folklore, teaching more about Indonesian culture, the setting often being in Indonesian villages.  A few staple themes include class and revenge.  Indonesian cinema is rife with angry, vengeful spirits that haunted mansions.   A lot can be learnt about Indonesian culture by watching these films.  (Editor’s Note:  Indonesian films are a personal favourite as my mother’s family lives in Jakarta, Indonesia and speak Indonesian Malay.)  This film is shot in Indonesian and Portuguese.

BAYI AJAIB which means Magic Baby (a more appropriate title would likely be Demon Baby) is Award Winning (Indonesian Maya Awards) Director Mako Prijanto’s third movie - and his first foray into the horror genre.

The film begins with a scene in which the protagonist, finding a shiny rock in the river in the village of Hirupbagja., screams: “I am rich,People will no longer look down on me.  They will bow down and respect me.”  As the saying goes: Be careful of what you wish for.  He soon marries Sumi and lives a prosperous life as a landlord. When their child, Didi, was born, his soul was possessed by Albert Dominique's spirit, which was thirsty for blood and terrorized the villagers.  The villagers had warned that it is the eclipse and women and children should stay in less they be taken by demons.  The baby was born at the moment of the eclipse.  Kosim tries to cover up this fact because he is currently running for the new Village Head. He must be able to beat Soleh, who has already won the sympathy of the villagers. But when the spirit threatens his family's life, Kosim decides to free Didi from the influence of Albert Dominique. To do this, Kosim must confront Dorman, a black sorcerer who wants to avenge his great-grandfather on the people who have destroyed his life.  Plenty of Indonesian folklore.  Director Pronto films often in the blackness of night.  The film possesses a great atmosphere of dread, horror and fright in an Indonesian superstitious village setting.  The film has a fair share of gore, blood, violence and scary scenes including a climactic exorcism with a levitating body. The special effects are sufficiently appropriate without any over doing.

BAYI AJAAIB opens on streaming May 19th 2023 on Netflix.  A worthy Indonesian horror film!

Trailer: 

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE (Chile/France/USA/Germany 2022) ***

Directed by Francesca Alegria

Chilean director Francesca Altria’s first film THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE is an ambitious and lyrical film about the environment, human beings and their connections.  If the film’s title sounds confusing, so is the film and it takes a while to fu=igure what is going on.  Director Algeria tackles many current social problems, perhaps taking a bit too much on her plate.

The film begins with a motorcycle accident (or suicide?) in a river.  The woman emerges from the water just as the camera shows shoals of dead fish on the beach. There is, according to the film, a riot protesting the poisoning of the river by a chemical factory.  This is Magdalena (Mía Maestro), who drowned herself decades ago. Now she is back from the dead as if time stopped – still gorgeous, still dressed in the boiler suit she wore when she drove her motorbike deliberately into the river.  Magdalena’s husband collapses when he spots her bike suit outside a mobile phone shop.  Their adult daughter Cecilia (Leonor Varela) – just a girl when her mother died – drives from the city with her two kids to look after him at the family’s dairy farm.  Cecilia has a trans daughter who wants to be a boy, much to mother’s chagrin but these days one has to let one’s offspring choose their gender.  Then there is also the relationship between Cecilia and her mother contrasting the one between her and her trans daughter.  It is a bit confusing before one can figure out exactly what is happening, not that the story will lead into any concrete solution.  Yes, it is a poetic tale and if one resigns the film to this fate, director Algeria’s film works as an emotionally compelling contemplation of nature and human emotions.

As for the cows, there are lots of them Cecelia returns to the dairy or cow farm.  As fro cows singing, they might be, but the audience is not shown any of the singing or moog ons screen.  One thing that is interesting to learn is that the calves are not fed their mother’s milk or there will be no milk left to be sold for the farm to earn a profit.  The difficulty of daily farming is one of the subjects covered in the film.  The cows are. however shown to be gentle and shown to be creatures to be cared for.  There is a long scene in which a calf is carefully cared for by a human, a very well crafted and naturally charged scene.

Though there is no happy ending, redemption is possible and can arrive in different forma, as the ending of the film shows.

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE, which premiered at Sundance opens May 19 at the Quad Cinema in NY and May 26 at the Landmark Nuart in LA, followed by national expansion.  The film is yet to have a Canadian release date.

Trailer: 

DARK NATURE (Terreur Sauvage)(Canada 2023) **

Directed by Berkley Brady

Director Berkely Brady lends her hand into the genre of horror with a totally female perspective.  From Calgary, her film is gorgeously shot in the stunning landscape of the Albertan side of the Canadian Rockies.

DARK NATURE begins uncomfortably with the relationship of the protagonist Joy (Hannah Emily Anderson) and her husband.  They begin to have sex, but the result is far from gratifying.  He is angry and abusive.  He then apologizes for acting like an asshole and she forgives him.  The same cycle of events, though not always sex related, keeps recurring.  He keeps physically and mentally abusing her, and she keeps taking him back.  Something's got to give.   And it does!  This is how the film begins.

The film moves to the present which follows Joy, a survivor of domestic abuse, joining her friend Carmen and her therapy group for a secluded weekend retreat in the Canadian Rockies.  Led by the enigmatic and indigenous Dr. Dunnley - whose methods are experimental and sometimes dubious - the experiment shatters the line between reality and illusion.   Joy begins to suspect that she is being stalked by her attacker (that could be her husband or someone else or something), when in reality the whole group will be forced to face a threat even more terrifying than the monsters of their past.

The first half of director Brady’s movie is pretty good.  There is a solid sense of horror and evil lurking and one can never tell what really is happening.  The mystery and beauty of the Canadian Rockies add to the conflict of Joy’s feelings.  The girls in the mysterious mountains is reminiscent of the Australian classic horror by Peter Weir PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) where a group of schoolgirls disappear under the watch of headmistress Rachel Roberts.  

Unfortunately things turn south during the second half.  Once the mystery is revealed that a monster of some kind is lurking in the hidden cave, the film turns into a monster/victim gory fest.  The mystery is gone and there is nothing left to surprise the audience except to provide the customary escape from monster narrative.  Of course a few of joy’s company are sacrificed on the way.  The other thing that hurts the movie is the obvious overdone male hating theme.  The husband is depicted as a totally sadistic villain with no redeeming qualities.  The film’s cast is also largely female with hardly a male, good or bad, in sight.  Dr. Dunnley’s character is the most amusing with her insistence that healing is her forte.  Her mumbo-jumbo medical tactics are just enough to annoy the hell of any sane and rational person.  It is not surprising (spoiler alert here!) that she is one of the first to be killed off, to the delight of the audience.

DARK NATURE ends up a two star movie but a 4-star if it ended halfway without the appearance of the cave monster with no explanation of where it came from.  The film will be released wide in theatres across Canada and the US starting May 19th, 2023. 

Trailer:  

LE OTTO MONTAGNE (THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS) (Italy/Belgium/France 2022) ***½

Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch

It is a long running time of 147 minutes for this epic journey of two males experiencing life and all that life can deliver.   The film opens with two boys, both at the same age of 12, Bruno and Pietro meet each other for the first time in a remote mountain village at the base of the Alps.   Pietro’s mother rents a house in the mountain village and arrives with him.  Pietro is the boy from the city who is always alone and this is the first time he has a companion in the form of a playmate Bruno, the only boy in the village of fewer than 200 inhabitants.  Once the first road of the village was built, instead of attracting more people to live in the village of Grano, more villagers left, as Bruno explains to Pietro.  The boys play in the mountain countryside, beautifully photographed building dams in the river, wrestling in the grass and splashing water in the streams - an idyllic setting for growing up as boys.

Directors an Groeningen and Vandermeersch realize the power of the setting of the film, which is adapted from the award-winning novel by Paolo Cognetti, portraying  through observant detail and stunning landscape photography the profound, complex relationship between Pietro (Luca Marinelli) and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who first meet as children there.   Pietro and Bruno remain as boys during the first 30 minutes of the film.

“The next morning my father returned to Turin.”  The memory of that morning will last forever.”  so says Pietro.  Indeed the scene of Pietro, with him, his dad and Bruno is one of the film’s most suspenseful and dramatic scenes.  The scene also shows important facts about the boys and their relationships with each other and their respective = fathers.  It is a complex and very well thought-out scene and one of the best of the film in terms of information rendered in a subtle manner.

The transition of the two protagonists from boyhood to 31-year old men is unfortunately abrupt, occurring at the 45 minute mark of the film.  One would automatically try to associate each man with the respective boys that the audience remembers instead of imagining the men as individual characters.  Another topic that is ignored is puberty.  The friendship of the two boys is extremely strong with a tight bond formed between the two.  The subject of homosexuality is conveniently ignored in the story.  One would expect these feelings to surface up in some form or other judging from the fondness each boy has for the other.

The main lead of the film Luca Marinelli, still relatively unknown in Canada, is a famous star in Italy.  Quite a few of his films have screened locally at the Contemporary Italian Film Festival.

The film ends up a slow but captivating epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps. THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS (Le Otto Montagne)  is formed in Italian with a little local Italian dialect.

  The film is the Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Trailer: 

FAITHFULLY YOURS (Netherlands 2022) ***½

Directed by  André van Duren

The Netflix Dutch thriller FAITHFULLY YOURS is a film about lies and liars.  Every character in the film is a liar and a cheat of some sort.  The question is who succeeds the greatest liar of them all.  The film begins with the famous quote from none other than George Bernard Shaw:  “The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.”  There is also a fictitious book written by one of the characters in the film entitled “To Lie the Truth”.    At its best, the occasionally brilliant script from no fewer than three writers, Elisabeth Lodeizen, Paul Jan Nelissen and André van Duren teases and plays with the subject.

Using each other as alibis, two friends sneak off to indulge in secret affairs, but their elaborate web of lies unravels when one of them goes missing.  One is a judge who makes judgement in family court, often deciding which spouse wins custody over the children.  Bodil’s best friend and herself head to Belgium via train to indulge each other’s affairs, while fooling their individual husbands.  Bodil keeps Isabelle’s phone which the husband has put a tracker on, so that her husband thinks Isabel is with Bodil the night.  But the next morning, Bodil finds her friend missing with a photo of her friend brutally murdered.  The judge becomes a suspect.  Bodil has to testify to the police, but to keep her friend’s and her secret safe, she muddles the truth.  Things are not what they seem as the husbands are also not as innocent as they appear to be.  At the half way mark of the film, one is prone to guess the identity of the killer.  My guess of who the responsible one is, was half correct, yet there is much that cannot be predictable in the story owing to the huge web of intrigue carried out.   The script also fools the audience with a few false clues.

The sex scenes are tastefully executed without the need to show much nudity and for the segments that nudity needed be shown, it is blurred out and left to one’s imagination.  The film is also more gruesome in the description of the murder (for example the fine detailed description of the garrote i.e. to kill (someone) by strangulation, typically with an iron collar or a length of wire or cord."he had been garroted with piano wire”.
FAITHFULLY YOURS is a well written taut little mystery Dutch thriller about lies, deception and murder that holds attention for start to finish.

FAITHFULLY YOURS was awarded the Golden Film Prize.  The Golden Film (Dutch: Gouden Film) is a film award recognizing domestic box office achievements in the Netherlands.  The Golden Film, initiated to stimulate the Dutch film industry, is awarded to films from the Netherlands once they have sold 100,000 tickets.  Since its introduction, the Golden Film has been awarded to more than 100 films.  The film was theatrically released in Netherlands on 22 December 2022 and premieres in North America on Netflix 17 May 2023.   Worth-seeing, for sure!

Trailer: 

FANFIC (Poland 2023) ***

Directed by Marta Karwowska

What does the film title FANFIC (Netflix original Polish movie)  really mean?  The words at the artist of the film describe it as: a short story masking the wonder of fictional and real characters.

There has been in recent weeks three films on transgender characters - L’EMMENSITA, THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS  and now from Poland FANFIC.  Each film tackles the trans issue differently and each rather successfully and with sensitivity.  FANFIC is arguably the most aggressive of the three, delving right into the issue head on with anger and without retribution.  All three films deal with teens transitioning and coming totems with their gender.  Acceptance, particularly by their parents, is the key.

Nothing works, says the trans at the start of the film.  She is stealing her father’s meds so that she feels better snd will not harm herself.  She attends regular therapist sessions but wants to quit unless her therapist gives her meds.  “Nothing works!”  she cries.  And she is desperate and angry half the time.

The plot of the movie written by director Marta Karwowska and Marta Karwowska follows two high school students who create a confusing yet intimate relationship.  Each of them faces personal problems individually, sexually.   A teenage student faces a major gender identity crisis as she starts growing up.  While trying on boy’s clothes, she discovers that she is more comfortable wearing them and continues to wear them, much to the teasing of her classmates.  Her father also insists that she changes back to her old female dressing, blaming himself  .that he has not spent enough time with her for her problems. Trapped inside her own body, she feels uncomfortable and looks for ways to change herself. Moreover, she also goes through body dysmorphia and constantly tries to cover up the parts that make her a woman.  The other is gay, the fact made known only half way through the film when she asks him and he replies that he is homosexual.

The film is a little messy at the start but the film starts to get its bearings after the first third of the film.  The film can be praised for the honest portrayal of the emotions teens go through when they question their sexuality, what trans and homosexuality mean or otherwise.  There is also a brief discussion in the classroom scene when the sexuality topic is brought up.

FANFIC also deals with the sex issue.  Should a girl who trans to a boy have sex with a boy or a girl?  The film is daring enough to tackle this issue while many films on trans conveniently avoid the topic.  The trans here falls for a gay boy and the two attempt sex with daring and bravery not knowing how it might turn out.

The film gets a little preachy at the end with voiceover lines like “Everyone is okay.   No one is a mistake.”  The film has already succeeded on its own terms and the director should be confident of that.

FANFIC begins streaming on Netflix as an original; movie on May the 19th.

Trailer: 

FAST X (USA 2023) *
Directed by Louis Leterrier

FAST X bears striking similarities to the latest JOHN WICK 4 film, both of which prioritize expensive, stunning, and spectacular action sequences at the expense of other aspects. With a production cost of $340 million and a runtime of 142 minutes, FAST X showcases a nuclear sub appearing in Antarctica, Dwayne Johnson wielding weapons during the end credits, a nonsensical yet sexy martial arts fight between the female leads, and fight sequences that lack continuity. While the action sequences are impressive, the overall plot becomes increasingly over-the-top and ridiculous, keeping audiences hooked to see what director Letterier and his crew will come up with next. From the start of the film, featuring a car chase involving a heavy vault hijacked and dragged by two cars, to a fiery round bomb threatening to destroy Rome, no scenario seems too outrageous for the film's narrative.

  Throughout numerous missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have consistently outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and outdriven their adversaries. However, in FAST X, they face their most formidable opponent yet: a terrifying threat from Dom's past, driven by a desire for blood revenge and determined to dismantle Dom's family and everything he holds dear. Dom's journey takes him from Los Angeles to Rome's catacombs, from Brazil to London, and from Portugal to Antarctica. Along the way, new alliances are formed and old enemies resurface. The stakes intensify when Dom discovers that his 8-year-old son is the primary target of the vengeful antagonist Dante (Jason Momoa). FAST X boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including returning members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood, as well as Academy Award winner Charlize Theron.

The responsibility for the chaotic mess that is the 10th installment of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, FAST X, is difficult to attribute to a single individual. Justin Lin, the Taiwanese American director who gained prominence after his 2002 film BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, has had his share of poorly received films, such as the heavily formulaic ANNAPOLIS. However, to his credit, he has directed several successful FAST AND FURIOUS films. In FAST X, Lin was replaced by French director Louis Letterier, known for his work on the action-packed TRANSPORTER films, although Lin maintains producing and writing credits.

FAST X features a plethora of notable cameos, including Dame Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, and Dwayne Johnson, among others. However, it is Jason Momoa's performance as the narcissistic and deranged villain that steals the show and leaves a lasting impression.

One would think that films would have been done with sexist scenes such as the scantily clad girls posing with the fast exotic cars.  If FAST X,  a total mash-mash of action special effect sequences hastily put together without thought of narrative, continuity or meaning is the future of film, then moviegoers have not much to look forward to.

Trailer: 

IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Billy Miossi

IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT centres of the Voyager program.

The Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two robotic interstellar probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.  In the film, the audience learns that they were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favourable alignment of the two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, to fly near them while collecting data for transmission back to Earth.  The NASA project was approved.  After launch the decision was taken to send Voyager 2 near Uranus and Neptune to collect data for transmission back to Earth.

At present, the Voyagers are still in operation past the outer boundary of the heliosphere in interstellar space.  The film explains that the heliosphere is the the sphere of the solar system, which contains the sun, the Earth and its planets.  Outside is interstellar space where no earthly ship has ever travelled.  The Voyagers were to collect and transmit useful data to Earth.

Voyager did things no one predicted, found scenes no one expected, and promises to outlive its inventors. Like a great painting or an abiding institution, it has acquired an existence of its own, a destiny beyond the grasp of its handlers - the words of Stephen J. Pyne.

The Voyager program is covered in detail and is tremendously intriguing for several reasons.  One is the awe of space.  Space and the unknown have always fascinated mankind and director Miss spends a fair amount of time on the topic explaining the far reaches of the solar system as well as the various planets in the system.  Second  is the technology involved.  The technology is only explained briefly, understandable as the details will not be understood by non-engineers or scientists.  But the essentials such as the need to make the voyage when the planets are aligned to take advantage of shortest distance can be understood.  Other facts like using the orbit of the planets to gain speed for the voyagers is mentioned but the reason is not explained.  The final is the element of humankind involved.  45 years after the launch of the Voyager space mission, the team that dedicated their lives to the mission now must save it.  Director Miossi speaks to a few of the team , many now in their senior years to talk about the project.  The team members are: SUN MATSUMOTO, ENRIQUE MEDINA, FERNANDO PERALTA, JEFFERSON HALL, TODD BARBER, SUZY DODD, and CHRIS JONES.

One wishes that more of the discoveries made by the voyagers be mentioned.  For example, at Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered a substantial magnetic field around the planet and ten more moons. Its flyby of Neptune uncovered three rings and six hitherto unknown moons, a planetary magnetic field and complex, widely distributed auroras. As of 2023, Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have ever visited the ice giants Uranus and Neptune.

It might be quieter in the twilight but in this twilight it is simply amazing.  For its subject(s), IT’S QUIETER IN THE TWILIGHT is one of the most astounding documentaries to hit screens in 2023.  The doc is available on May 19th on VOD.

Trailer: 

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? (UK 2022) **

Directed by Shekhar Kapu

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?  is a romantic comedy that delves into the age-old question posed by its title within the context of arranged (or assisted) marriages. The film explores the notion that love can blossom even when a couple has only met once before their wedding, as arranged by their parents. Drawing inspiration from films like Woody Allen's LOVE AND DEATH, where characters navigate the possibility of falling in love despite their arranged union, this movie takes a similar approach. It introduces the audience to the groom's parents, who have a successful arranged marriage and hope to replicate the same for their son with the comical assistance of Mo the Matchmaker.

The story revolves around Zoe (played by Lily James), a successful documentary filmmaker in London who is addicted to dating apps but seems to attract the wrong partners. On the other hand, her childhood friend Kaz (portrayed by Shazaad Latif from STAR TREK: DISCOVERY) decides to embrace the tradition of arranged marriage, following in his parents' footsteps. Zoe accompanies him on his journey to Lahore, documenting his arranged marriage as her new project. Along the way, Zoe starts questioning her own approach to finding love and wonders if she could glean something valuable from the Pakistani tradition.

      While the film attempts to put a unique spin on the romantic comedy genre by incorporating elements of Pakistani culture and arranged marriages, it occasionally falls back on clichés. It comes as no surprise when Zoe eventually falls in love with Kaz, as their connection is heavily hinted at throughout the story. Director Shekhar Kapur, known for his successful films like BANDIT QUEEN and ELIZABETH, makes the most of the script penned by British writer Jemima Khan. Khan, who lived in Pakistan for ten years with her former husband, Pakistani ex-cricketer Imran Khan, describes the film as "a love letter to Pakistan."

Adding to the cast, Oscar winner Emma Thompson delivers comic support as Zoe's overly concerned and anxious mother, constantly hoping her daughter will settle down and have children. However, Thompson's talent is underutilized due to the generally unfunny script. Jokes involving FaceTime and her dog's eating habits fall flat and fail to generate laughter. Conversely, Azmi Mirza shines in her portrayal of Kaz's mother, delivering humor effortlessly through her character.

The film's soundtrack, composed by Nitin Sawhney with contributions from British-Pakistani record producer Naughty Boy and musician Joy Crookes, stands out as a highlight. The soundtrack includes an original song by Naughty Boy titled "Mahi Sona," featuring a special vocal performance by Lily James. Kanika Kapoor and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also make noteworthy contributions to the soundtrack.

Despite a few innovative additions to the romantic comedy genre, such as the incorporation of Pakistani culture and vibrant Bollywood-style dance sequences and scene shot in Lahore, Pakistan, the film falls into the familiar tropes of Harlequin romance, ultimately becoming totally  predictable. The outcome of the lead characters finally coming together comes as no surprise.

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?  opens in theatres across Canada on May 18th.

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 15 April 2023

Keep checking thos articlefor more capsule reviews of Hotb Docs.

Trailer:  

ANGEL  APPLICANT (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Ken Meyer

In the documentary ANGEL APPLICANT, filmmaker and protagonist Ken Meyer turns the camera on himself, offering viewers a sensitive and beautiful glimpse into the experience of living with a rare autoimmune disease called systemic scleroderma. The film opens with Meyer sharing his diagnosis, which he shares with celebrated Swiss-German artist and Bauhaus teacher Paul Klee. Throughout the film, Meyer draws connections between his own corporeal experiences and Klee's expressive artwork, using his skills as a commercial art director to create stunning images that deepen our understanding of both the art and the illness.  The result is an earnest and vulnerable memoir, disease diary, research project, and artist portrait all in one. Despite its focus on illness and suffering, the documentary is full of unexpected magic and uplift, making it a rare feel-good film. Meyer finds comfort in Klee's art, which he sees as a strange language of cryptic code meant just for him, sent by an empathetic messenger showing him a defiant way forward through the pain.  Klee's paintings are worth the price of admission alone, and demonstrate that not everything needs to be explained to be understood. Overall, ANGEL APPLICANT is a moving and inspiring testament to the power of art and the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Festival Screenings

Sunday May 2nd at 5:15 PM - At TIFF Bell Lightbox 

Wednesday, May 5 at 2:30 PM – At Scotia Bank

 For full article:

Please click the link:

https://toronto-franco.com/article/21-cinema-movies/376-hot-docs-2023

Details

Written by: Gilbert Seah

Parent Category: Articles

Category: Movie Reviews

Published: 15 April 2023

FILM REVIEWS

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET (USA 2023) ***½

Directed by Kelly Freeman Craig

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET is an American coming-of-age period comedy drama film written for the screen, co-produced, and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume.  Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction.  Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974).  Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature.  She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.  The film cannot have been more timely.

After rejecting several offers to adapt her book in the 49 years since its publication, author Judy Blume sold the film rights to James L. Brooks and Kelly Fremon Craig, who worked together on The Edge of Seventeen, with Craig set to write and direct.  It is a worthwhile wait as this is a solid and faithful adaptation of Blume’s novel, capturing all the nuances, trials and spirit of teen youth.  A studio bidding war over the distribution rights was won by Lionsgate.  This is a rare departure for Lionsgate who now distributes dire action films and is in desperate need of a hit since their TWILIGHT and DIVERGENT young adult hits.  ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET is a solid teen film that caters to both adults and the younger folk, and this film and future adaptation of Blume’s books might just be the thing Lionsgate needs.

The film begins in1970 when the protagonist, Margaret, is 11 years old.   Margaret Simon's family moves from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs.  Her mother is Christian and her father is Jewish, but Margaret was raised without an affiliation to either faith. She frequently prays to God, beginning her prayers with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.”  Margaret feels uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation. For a school assignment, she studies religious beliefs, hoping to resolve her faith-based issues. Her study includes attending different places of worship to learn about religious practices. Her Jewish grandmother, Sylvia Simon, takes Margaret to Rosh Hashanah services and hopes her granddaughter will embrace Judaism.

Other Grade 11 issues Margaret faces include anticipation of her first menstruation (which is humorously explained in less than a minute), boy crushes, breast envy among other things that are only important to kids that age.

But director Craig has done a faithful adaptation that works for a variety of reasons.  The antics the girls are up to are simple, real and what many an audience experience in their youth.  For example, to prevent slow growth of their breasts, the girls believe in doing breast exercises while chanting:  “We must, we must, we must increase out Bust!”.  There is the cute boy next door; and of course for the girls the worry about their upcoming first period.  For Margaret, she worries both for her breast size and also, praying to God that she would not be the last to get her period.  These are worries that youngsters deem important but are in reality not.  Thirdly the performances by all the young cast are excellent, believable, sweet and endearing, especially Abby Ryder Fortson in the lead as Margaret.  Veterans Rachel McAdams and Academy Award Winner Kath Bates are both a delight to watch playing Margaret’s mother and grandmother respectively.

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET will win the hearts of many for its humour, drama, story and look at a slice of ordinary real life that every female goes through.

Trailer: 

FREAKS VS. THE REICH (original title: Freaks Out!H (Italy/Belgium 2020) ***

Directed by Gabriele Mainetti

FREAKS VS. THE REICH is the sophomore effort of director Gabriele Marinetti best known for his film THEY CALLED ME JEEG, never distributed in theatres but had a showing at Toronto’s local ICFF Italian InternationalFilm Festival and was voted by the crisis jury (of which I was a member) as Best Film.  Tee director tackles a more ambitious and more difficult film.  Despite its tacky title, the film is a serious piece that covers strong emotional characters.  The characters in this case are circus performers, or freaks at the half penny circus.

During World War II in occupied Rome a group of circus performers endowed with supernatural powers band together to fight the oppressive Nazi regime’s occupation of Italy in FREAKS VS. THE REICH, a fantastical historical action-adventure.  It all starts when Israel, the owner of their circus, disappears in the attempt to find a getaway overseas for them all.  Not everyone agrees to go with him, but one can understand the reason as Israelis a Jew.  The four friends are in disarray. Without anyone looking after them but above all, without the circus, they lose their social placement and they feel only as sideshow attractions on the loose in a city at war

Looking to flee the Nazi menace for the shores of America are four super-powered circus performers: there’s beautiful, young, electrically-charged Matilde, Cencio, an albino with the ability to control insects, Mario, a dwarf graced with magnetic powers, and Fulvio, a strongman covered from head to toe with hair.  Matilde gets the most attention in the film, and the story includes a coming-of-age element as well from her point of view.  She is able to light electrical bulbs but anyone who touches her can feel an electric shock.  She has a father figure, Israel who is captured by the Nazis.

On their heels is the psychotic Franz, an ether-addicted, six-fingered Nazi who runs the nearby circus, Circus Berlin and believes that the supernaturally gifted quartet will help him turn the tide of the war, delivering the ultimate victory for Hitler and the Reich.   Franz is a freak himself gifted with certain powers like being able to look into the future.  He has seen Hitler shoot himself.  Franz Rogowski (recent film, UNDINE) plays Franz, with madcap intensity.

At its best, FREAKS resembles a Federico Fellin as Fellini loves to have segments in his films involving the circus in one form or another (FELLINI SATYRICON and 8 ½).  The characters here are part of a circus and a few of  the film's segments are as weird as those found in a Fellini movie.  Even the music score of the film (the music is by both Michele Braga and the director himself) resembles a bit of the music of Fellini’s frequent composer Nino Roa.

FREAKS has an overblown ending that blows away the film’s credibility and whatever strength it has built.  It opens VOD/Digital on April the 28th.

Trailer: 

POLITE SOCIETY (UK 2023) ***

Directed by Nida Manzoor

POLITE SOCIETY (perhaps a reference to the novel A TALE OF TWO CITIES - the best of times; the worst of times) belongs to the category of cross-cultural comedy that made films like EAST IS EAST and its sequel and BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM great commercial successes.  When POLITE SOCIETY opens, there is a shot of a field and shop houses at the far end that is immediately recognizable as Shepherd’s Bush (to me anyway, a frequent London visitor) in London England.  There, shops of Indians and Pakistanis are common, in a slightly poorer neighbourhood than one is used to see in London, England.

Ria Khan believes that she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting her friends' help, she attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists, in the name of independence and sisterhood.

The subject of sisterhood is effectively captured by the camaraderie of the two sisters.  Lena films Ria doing her Kung-Fu kicks though Ria often falls flat the floor.  The sisterhood is about to be broken when Lena is to be wed off to a handsome beau whose looks can be quite deceiving.  It is up, to Ria and her fight technique to save Lena from impending doom.  And with the help her eclectic classmates, including a bully that eventually warms up to her - yes, a cliched storyline included.

Football in BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is replaced by sort of sci-fi storyline in which the protagonist’s sister has been selected by an evil mother to have herself cloned.  It is odd that writer/director Manzoor chooses to blend in this fantasy/horror to a real life comedy of family and sisterhood.  It is fun to watch, but the blending is odd and out of place.  It seems that as long as the audience is kept on  their toes, it is ok for director Manzoor to incorporate it in her film.

The fight scenes are nothing too spectacular and are executed more for humour than anything else.  “I am the Fury”, yells Ria often,,just before she engages in a fight.  Truth be told, Ria is not that good a fighter but not for want of trying.  Director Manzoor’s film is full of colour, especaully the Pakistani dresses from the saris to the groom’s handsome uniform.  The cast is mainly Pakistani with a few locals though the film is set in London.  The two leads playing the sister and the relatively unknown cast do a credible and spirited work.

POLITE SOCETY is definitely crowd-pleasing, and it presses the right buttons, though too predictably.  Besides the weird storyline, there are few surprises as what will happen at the end, though following a well worked formula often works into a lively and entertaining film.  Critics might frown for reason of the film’s feel-good cliched and well work material.

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada will be releasing POLITE SOCIETY in theatres on April 28th, 2023.

Trailer: 

RADIANCE (VERS LA LUMIERE) (Japan 1987) **½
Directed by  Naomi Kawase

RADIANCE or TOWARDS THE LIGHT, the English translation of the French title VERS LA LUMIERE is a drama/romance made back when that got a premiere at Cannes and a release in Japan in May of 1987.  RADIANCE has never made it to North America but will finally be seen when it gets a VOD/digital release on April the 28th 2023.

So, what is so special about the film RADIANCE?  Or is it more the director Kawase that is of nterest?  The darling of Cannes, Kawaseq had her films often premiered there with her serving on the Cannes jury once as well.  Born and raised in Nara, Japan, KAWASE graduated from Visual Arts Osaka in 1989. Her films, EMBRACING and ‘KATATSUMORI’ received international recognitions and awards at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1995.  With her first feature, SUZAKU (1997), she became the youngest filmmaker to receive the Camera d’Or at the Festival de Cannes with her. At the Festival de Cannes, she has also won the Grand Prix with The Mourning Forest /MOGARI (2007), the Carrosse d’Or in 2009, and also served as one of the jurors for the competition in 2013. In 2015, KAWASE was bestowed with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture. In 2017.   RADIANCE was selected as one of the competition films and given the Ecumenical Jury award. 

As the film opens there is narration by Misako (Ayame Misaki) as she creates movie audio descriptions before a class of blind people.  Her passion and her commitment to her work leads her to create scripts full of colours and textures in order to make them as accessible as possible to blind audiences. She tests it on a group of 10 blind people. At one of the pre-premiere screenings, she meets Nakamori (Masatoshi Nag ase), a renowned photographer who gradually loses his sight and ability to practice his craft. Nakamori's strong character makes him the only one to firmly criticize her scripts.  He complains of her being too intrusive with too many descriptions filling in the gaps, leading to confusion,  He helps Misako see the coldness of her careful descriptions.  Despite the differences that arise between them, both manage to create a strong relationship that allows them to explore a world previously invisible to their eyes. In the last scene of the film, the old man struggles to climb a small dune, at the top he stops facing the setting sun. This reflects the message transmitted by his impassive face without imposing a vision on the viewer.

The budding romance between Misako and Masaya is a slow one.  They begin at loggerheads.  The chief complaint about Misako’s verbal descriptions of movies is that she puts in too much thus being intrusive and not leaving much to the imagination.  Director Kawase takes the point to heart as her film  is extremely sparse.

One scene has Masako punch Nakamori, calling that the act feels good.  In real life, director Kawase was charged with fist punching one of her staff, leading to problems on the set of one of her films.

RADIANCE is a slow but sincere work, as are the other films by Kawase.  This could be the reason her films are an acquired taste for many.

Trailer:            

SISU (Finland 2022) ***1/2

Directed by Jalmari Helander

The word SISU as the film informs the audience not once but twice during the film is a word depicting a white-collared energy, of a spirit that never gives up - a word with no English equivalent.  There is a lot of fucking issue in this violent gory horror flick that premiered last year in the Midnight Madness Section of TIFF. 

In cinematic terms, it means a hero or protagonist that refuses to die.  In the twilight of World War II, a solitary prospector (Jorma Tommila) strikes a rich vein of gold in the wilderness of Lapland in Northern Finland.  Making tracks with his new-found bounty for the nearest town, the man runs afoul of a retreating detachment of Nazi soldiers led by an odious SS Obersturmführer (Aksel Hennie), who set their sights on claiming the gold for themselves. Unfortunately for these stormtroopers, this is no ordinary miner, but rather a mythic one-man army who epitomizes the quintessential Finnish concept of SISU.  In the hero's refusal to die, he undergoes a whole lot of graphic beating that might be too intense for even the most seasoned horror fan to watch. 

The film has been appropriately selected to open the Midnight Madness of TIFF.  Watch out for the hanging scene where a nail from the wooden post gets nudged into his wounded leg. 

Total maniac mayhem but also extremely entertaining.

TRIALS TO TRIUMPH (USA 2022) ***
Directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia

Primarily, TRIALS TO TRIUMPH is the story of Freddie Stevenson’s meteoric football career, the crash that followed, and his reinvention.   But the doc also digresses other mini-accounts of other football celebrities and their trials.  There is not one but three directors.  The doc understandably feel unfocused as it without notice, jumps from one to another athlete’s story  But the audience gets to witness primarily stories of struggle & redemption from Freddie Stebvenson as well as minor stories of Maurice Benard, Delvin Breaux, Tony Gaskins, and more and see them overcome the odds in these powerful, real conversations.

  TRIALS TO TRIUMPH was directed by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Misa Garcia. This inspirational documentary based on Stevenson’s Best-Selling memoir features interviews with Freddie Stevenson, Maurice Benard, Dasia Torres, Neno Torres, Tyrell Lyons, Tony Gaskins, Dr. Dan Ratner, Delvin Breaux, Terris Stevenson, Sylvia Stevenson, and Ryan Green. It was produced by Dan Ratner, Greg Romano, and Freddie Stevenson.

Life is resilience, says his coach.  And Freddie’s life shows it.  The major part of the doc has Freddie talk to the camera as well as those close to him, relatives like his father and mother and also his then girlfriend.m His girlfriend says: “ He would go to the gym and give 110%.  His father and mother were always there to support him and offer the pain and struggles their son had to go through.  It is inspirational not to hear the words from Freddie himself but of the words of those close to him as observations also tell the whole story.

There is an extended talk by Freddie’s father at the beginning of the film explaining how much hardship with limited opportunities available for coloured folk.  He confesses to drug dealing, hiding the fact from his son, Freddie and how he was sentenced to prison.  His incarceration followed by him becoming a born againChristian.  The film almost gets preachy about Christianity but gaudy stayed away from the issue.  Though this testimony has nothing to tell with TRIALS TO TRIUMPH, the segment is actually the film’s most interesting part as it deals with real life problems of the coloured folk.

One of the key issues omitted in the doc, the larger problem that is responsible not only for Freddie’s football injury but for the injuries of all footballers is the fact that football is a dangerous sport with already documentation of a very high percentage of permanent injuries arising from professional football players, particularly in the injury of head concussion, which fortunately Freddie does not suffer from.  It is hinted that Freddie after recovering from an injury and offered a job back into football realizes the fact, and hesitates before accepting the position in the NFL.  But the problem is systematic and more serious.  North America is the only country in the world that champions this sport.  The closest Europe has is rugby and Australia has, isastraluaq rules football.

Gravitas Ventures will release TRIALS TO TRIUMPH on digital platforms on May 2, 2023. The film has a running time of 1 hour 35 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA.

Trailer: