"The Climb" -- Movie Review

 

This week at MoMA Film, I streamed the comedy “The Climb”, starring and co-written by Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino (who also directed). 

Synopsis

When a man sleeps with his best friend’s fiancée (twice!), will their friendship survive?

Story

During a biking race in France, Kyle (Kyle Marvin) informs his best friend Mike (Michael Angelo Covino) that he’s going to marry his girlfriend Ava (Judith Godrèche).  Unfortunately, Mike uses this opportunity to inform Kyle that he probably shouldn’t marry Ava – because he’s already slept with her.  Understandably, this infuriates Kyle, who subsequently finds out that Ava really does have feelings for Mike and may not be that into Kyle after all.  As it turns out, Kyle and Ava cancel their wedding – and eventually, Ava winds up marrying Mike instead.  Some time later, however, Ava incurs an untimely death and at the funeral, Mike and Kyle reconcile. 

As time goes by, Mike wallows in the misery of his loss.  Kyle, on the other hand, rebounds amazingly, finding a new girlfriend in Marissa (Gayle Rankin).  Marissa and Kyle have something of an unorthodox relationship – she bosses him and orders him around, which winds up causing Kyle to become uncontrollably sexually aroused.  They plan to get married, but hold off on making the official announcement to his family until they gather together for Thanksgiving dinner.  By Christmas, Kyle has forgiven Mike and invites him to spend the holiday at his family’s house – where everyone is shocked by his appearance and behavior.

Later, Kyle and Marissa decide to go on a skiing vacation – with Mike tagging along, much to the disgruntlement of Marissa, who genuinely can’t stand her fiancé’s best friend.  One fatal night when they are gathered at Kyle and Marissa’s bungalow, Kyle has a little too much to drink and passes out.  This allows Mike and Marissa to spend some time alone together; despite rebuking Mike’s initial advances, Marissa winds up sleeping with him.  On the day of their wedding, Mike bursts into the church and objects to their union, announcing that he’s already been with Marissa.  Will Kyle still marry Marissa?  And regardless of whether he does or not, what impact does this have on his friendship with Mike?  

Review

Let’s face it – 2020 has been a year where there’s been precious little about which we could laugh.  However, there’s some good news for fans of comedy:  “The Climb” is one of the funniest movies that has come along in quite some time.  If you want to elevate your spirits to start 2021, “The Climb” is the way to do so.  Perhaps the best way to describe this film is to say that if you take one of Woody Allen’s better screenplays and have it directed by Martin Scorsese, this is what you get. A somewhat incongruous combination?  Sure.  But somehow, it manages to work.  One can only hope these two will collaborate on more comedies in the future because they make a great team. 

The cleverness in “The Climb” lies in how Covino and Marvin have taken the genre of the buddy comedy and flipped it on its ear; you might say that this is a bromance with so many extra doses of toxicity that these two men are best frenemies forever.  Mike and Kyle are hopelessly broken people, but magically, they are broken pieces that perfectly fit together, much like a yin and yang.  In the end, they stay friends in part because they need each other – but also because no one else will have them.  Whether or not the movie has a happy ending may be open to interpretation – but it certainly suggests that there may be a sequel.    

Following the movie, an interview with the filmmakers was streamed.  They said that very little of the characters in “The Climb” are autobiographical.  Michael said that the idea originated from the relationship between a friend and his ex-girlfriend; this led to the opening scene of the film where the two friends are on a bicycle – which was originally filmed as a short that they subsequently used as a “Proof Of Concept” to make the full-length feature film.  He added that for the past decade, independent features have used this method to use effectively as a “calling card” in order to attract potential investors in the longer form – this has basically become the model for the industry.  

 

   

"76 Days" -- Movie Review

 

This week at MoMA Film, I streamed the documentary “76 Days”, from China.

Synopsis

When the Coronavirus first hit Wuhan, China, the city underwent lockdown for 76 days – and the hospitals were overwhelmed.

Story

On January 23, 2020, the government ordered a lockdown of Wuhan, China – ground Zero for the source of what would come to be known as Covid-19.  The lockdown would turn out to last for a total of 76 days, finally ending on April 8^th of that year.  Almost immediately after the lockdown was announced, hospitals in the area were inundated with patients.  Some were ambulatory, but others were brought by ambulance.  Eventually, ambulances would refuse to take people to hospitals because they were all full to capacity and none of them could accept new patients.  Nearly all of these people had symptoms of Covid-19. 

Despite the fact that the healthcare workers were overworked and stressed, they did their best to care for their patients.  In some cases, it would be something as simple as to hold a hand.  Other times, it would be just listening to them or assisting in telephone calls with family members.  When patients were bedridden and needed assistance in breathing, some nurses would inflate a rubber glove, draw a smiling face on the front and write, “Get Well Soon” on the fingers.  Since all of the doctors and nurses were covered in PPE, the patients couldn’t recognize them; in order to address this, their names would be written on the front and uplifting drawings would be on the back.

One elderly man, a retired fisherman, was particularly agitated and wanted to leave the hospital; when a telephone call was arranged with his son, the son reminded him that because he was a long-time member of the Communist Party, he must set an example and be strong.  The old man’s mental health was deteriorating; it was at this point the son told one of the nurses that his father was on medication for dementia.  Another couple was expecting a baby – the mother had just been diagnosed with Covid-19 and had to have a Caesarian Section in order to give birth.  Their baby, a daughter, spent an extensive amount of time in the NICU while the parents were quarantined; once both the parents and infant wee deemed out of danger, they were finally able to take their newborn daughter home.   

Review

While watching “76 Days”, there is a stark reminder that as much as the United States has suffered from Covid-19, China suffered immensely, too – something that can easily be forgotten considering the fact that the Chinese were blamed for this outbreak and that they have successfully contained the virus where much of the rest of the world has not.  The documentary puts human faces on those in Wuhan who suffered greatly as a result of this virus.  Perhaps the most important take-away from the film is to realize that the fault lays not at the feet of the Chinese people but rather, the Chinese government for their lack of transparency.

The footage we see in this documentary was neither sanctioned nor censored by the Chinese government.  We are witnessing what actually happened with doctors, nurses and patients.  Frustration increases for all of the health care workers moment by moment not only because they are overrun by patients beyond the capacity of their hospital, but also because this is a new virus and they don’t exactly know how it should best be treated.  Both doctors and nurses are covered from head to toe in PPE and it is impossible to recognize any of them. 

Following the documentary, there was a stream of an interview with Hao Wu, the film’s editor and one of its directors.  The interview was almost as illuminating and fascinating as “76 Days” itself.  Wu said that he wound up doing the documentary accidentally – he went to Shanghai right when the lockdown started and began filming when approached by a United States television network; eventually, the network dropped out of the project.  After showing the raw footage to a couple of other filmmakers, he was able to convince them to participate.  Since one of the co-directors had state-approved credentials, he was able to get unfettered access throughout the hospital.      

"Twelve Thousand" -- Movie Review

On the final weekend of the New Directors/New Films festival, there was a streaming of the new French drama “Twelve Thousand”. 

Synopsis

When a couple find themselves strapped for cash once one of them is out of work, they agree he will take a job far away in order to earn 12,000 euros and return to her immediately after the money is made – but will the relationship hold up despite the time and geographic distance?

Story

When Frank (Arieh Worthalter) loses his job at the junkyard, he has to rush home to tell his girlfriend Maroussia (Nadège Trebal) so they can start planning their next steps.  They are not a couple of means – in the cramped apartment where they live, they share it with an older woman; this small space is rather crowded because the couple’s daughter lives there along with their dog.  As if they weren’t already sufficiently in close quarters, Maroussia is earning extra money by being a foster parent to several babies who stay with them.  Nevertheless, Frank and Maroussia always manage to find the time to enjoy an extremely active sex life.

The couple make a pact:  if Frank winds up taking a job that requires him to work out of town, he will only work there long enough to earn 12,000 euros (the amount Maroussia earns watching the children).  Maroussia insists on this because she’s concerned that if Frank stays away indefinitely, he will likely find someone else and leave her.  Frank sets out looking for work and winds up getting a job cleaning out oil tanks at a refinery quite a distance from where he and Maroussia live.  However, Frank’s not there for very long when he learns that he’s just been laid off – particularly bad news because he’s nowhere near the 12,000 euros he was hoping to earn.

One night, Frank sneaks into a yard where shipping containers are stored; his plan is to steal the merchandise in the containers and sell them with the expectation that he can eventually make the 12,000 euros.  Instead, the opportunity presents itself for him to pose as a security guard at this yard; Frank quickly realizes that he can make his money more quickly if he “sells” the rights to steal the merchandise to a group of young jobless women in the town.  It turns out to be a lucrative proposition and eventually, Frank returns to Maroussia, bringing her a surprise – but when she finds the surprise to be none too pleasant, will she remain with Frank or kick him out? 

Review

Despite its quirkiness (and as a French film, by definition it must be quirky), “12,000” is a rather pleasantly enjoyable experience.  Particularly noteworthy here is the performance by Arieh Worthalter as Frank who is a real standout as this especially roguish character.  Additionally, both the screenplay and direction by Nadège Trebal are exceptional.  Considering that her experience is somewhat limited when it comes to full-length feature films (although she’s got more writing credits than directing credits), this movie is quite a remarkable accomplishment on her part.  Trebal has a talent for writing dialog and her shot choices suggest a more seasoned auteur.   

In a daring scene early in “12,000”, Frank and Maroussia have sex and it’s fairly explicit.  Given the fact that Trebal is writer/director/actress here, it’s a bit surprising that she would go that far.  This is neither a criticism nor intended to discourage her, merely an observation since she’s nascent in her career as a dramatic filmmaker.  As an actress, your eye is drawn to her in nearly every scene in which she appears; this is quite the accomplishment because she’s able to hold her own in the scenes with Worthalter.  If Trebal continues to make full-length films, hopefully she will cast herself in them (ideally, in a larger role).    

Following the movie, there was a stream of an interview with writer/director/actress Nadège Trebal, which was conducted through a translator.  Trebal said that she was inspired to write this screenplay after working on her previous documentaries.  Those stories heightened her awareness of an economic war and class struggle in modern society.  In the documentaries, Trebal shot at an oil refinery and junkyard and she spent a considerable amount of time with the men who worked there.  Doing so put into perspective the life of displaced men who were forced to work far from home and found themselves exploited by a system that unfairly favored the employers over the working class.     

"Giraffe" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the New Directors/New Films festival, there was a streaming of the Danish drama “Giraffe”. 

Synopsis

When a major construction project causes two of its workers to meet, can they maintain a relationship for the duration of the assignment?

Story

After years of talking and planning, the Danish government is finally undertaking their long-rumored venture of building a tunnel that will connect the island of Lolland to Germany in order to create more jobs and further set up the island for future economic growth.  But there is a downside to this scheme that isn’t at all trivial:  due to eminent domain, a great many of the small island’s residents will be permanently displaced – a number of them elderly people who have been living in the same home for decades.

Due to this major endeavor, the government has assigned many workers to this island on the south of Denmark – among them is Dara (Lisa Loven Kongsli), a 38-year-old ethnologist whose job it is to document the culture and people of Lolland for archival and historic purposes.  She begins to interview many a great many motley soon-to-be former residents of Lolland – these include a farmer, whose business is disrupted; a young couple who look upon this forced move as a blessing in disguise; and senior citizens who are distraught about leaving a home where they’ve raised a family. 

Another worker is Lucek (Jakub Gierszal), a 24 year old laborer from Poland whose initial task is to assist with installing fiberoptic cable to bring high-speed Internet access to the entire island.  His co-workers are older men who have also relocated from Poland in order to support themselves and their family with a well-paying job unavailable to them in their homeland.  Eventually, Lucek crosses paths with Dara and they embark on a steamy relationship.  Later, it is learned that the subcontractor for whom Lucek and his team work is withholding their pay, causing many of his colleagues to immediately stop work and return to Poland.  With Lucek now out of a job but deeply in love with Dara, will he be able to remain in Lolland to sustain their relationship?    

Review

If “Giraffe” is going anywhere (and there’s no guarantee that it is), it’s in no particular hurry to get there.  At only an hour and a half, the story takes its time to get going; it is quite a while before the two lovers even meet each other.  It would seem that the director is more concerned with the setup about the characters than their interaction between each other – which is really what the movie should be about (at least theoretically, anyway).  An audience wants to see a film about other people and you get the sense that this director really just wanted to shoot a documentary – especially given that much of the picture has that documentary-like quality.

“Giraffe” is only partially in English and therefore has a heavy reliance on the use of subtitles.  Therein lies a rather significant quandary.  Technically speaking, the main problem with “Giraffe” has to do with its subtitles – specifically, the color.  They are in white and can be exceedingly difficult to read against a light background.  Why yellow isn’t the default choice of color for subtitles remains a mystery; yellow is a color that can be read against either light or dark backgrounds.  Hopefully, the industry will learn this lesson someday.      

Following the movie, there was a stream of an interview with writer/director Anna Sofie Hartmann.  There is a shot of a giraffe at the beginning of the motion picture and it’s never referenced again later on; Hartmann says that the title of her film came from a safari park located on the northern part of the island of Lolland – it has giraffes, elephants and rhinos.  She was struck by the fact that since these animals are not in their natural habitat, it gave her the idea of what it would be like to live in a place where you don’t really belong or where you’re not originally from.  Hartmann is originally from Lolland and has been fascinated with the changes she’s seen in her hometown over the past few years.   

 

"The Killing Of Two Lovers" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the long-belated New Directors/New Films Festival, there was a streaming of “The Killing Of Two Lovers”.

Synopsis

When a married couple grapples with their separation, how will the husband deal with learning that his wife now has a boyfriend?

Story

This is a difficult and stressful time for both David and Nikki (Clayne Crawford and Sepideh Moafi), a long-time married couple who have now agreed to a separation.  High school sweethearts who got married upon graduation, they now find themselves with four children:  a teenage daughter and three small sons.  After all of these years together, they now question whether they made the right decision.  David has now moved out and lives with his father; Nikki remains in their home with the children. 

What is particularly bothersome for David is that Nikki now has a new boyfriend – Derek (Chris Coy).  Their children know about this and are understandably confused – they miss their dad and wish he was still living with them.  Despite dedicating himself to being a good father, dealing with this new reality has driven him to ideations of murdering both Derek and Nikki out of anger, jealousy and all-around frustration.  Towards this end, David has decided to purchase a handgun, which he periodically practices shooting – at one point, taking a mannequin to an open field and imagining himself murdering someone at close range. 

David and Nikki agree to schedule date nights every so often, but these get togethers inevitably get ruined when Nikki is distracted by either worries about their children or interruptions of text messages or calls from Derek just when she and David start to rekindle romantic expressions for each other.  One Saturday when David is scheduled to have time with the children, he winds up having an argument with Nikki.  It is at this point that Derek insinuates himself into the situation and when he and David are alone, they have a physical confrontation.  When David finds the gun in his truck, will he finally get his revenge?

Review

This is a tough movie to describe – which is not necessarily a bad thing.  Is it a mystery?  Or is it a family drama?  A crime drama?  At various points, “The Killing Of Two Lovers” feels like all three.  Perhaps the best way to describe it is to say that it is something of a blue-collar version of “Marriage Story”.  However you choose to describe it, the film is quite an extraordinary experience.  From moment to moment, you never quite know exactly where you’re going in this story.  That’s what keeps you going from one scene to another because you eventually have to toss all of your expectations out the window. 

One of the more interesting things about “The Killing Of Two Lovers” is writer/director Robert Machoian’s choice to shoot much of the film with wide-shots.  This choice almost gives you the impression at times that you are watching a documentary – at a distance.  When there is a cut to a close-up, it is nearly alarming; when the camera dollies-in to a closer view, the viewer gets the impression that they’re being intrusive – they are suddenly somewhere that they don’t belong because all of this is such an intimate family moment that it’s none of a stranger’s business.  The performances by the cast transform this into being a particularly realistic experience. 

Following the streaming, there was a video of an interview with writer/director Robert Machoian and star Clayne Crawford.  Machoian said that while he grew up in California, he now lives in Utah, which is where the story is set – he likes to set stories in places where he lives because of his familiarity with the locale.  Crawford recalled meeting Machoian a decade ago at The Sundance Festival, where they hit it off and decided that they wanted to work on some projects together.  One of the better compliments that Machoian claimed he got about the film had to do with his script; after a screening, viewers actually believed that the actors had improvised all of the dialog.        

 

 

"My Psychedelic Love Story" -- Movie Review

This week, Film At Lincoln Center streamed the new Showtime documentary, “My Psychedelic Love Story”, directed by Errol Morris.

Synopsis

When a young woman pursues a relationship with Timothy Leary, is she really in love with him or is she just a CIA plant?

Story

In the 1960’s, former Harvard psychology professor Timothy Leary became the nation’s primary advocate for use of LSD – a hallucinogenic drug that was considered an illegal narcotic.  With Richard Nixon as United States president in the late 60’s and early 70’s, he declared a war on drugs and was determined to make an example out of Leary.  But Leary fled the country and lived in exile in Europe.  Unwilling to return to his home country for fear of being thrown into prison, he spent his time getting high with his fellow expatriates and writing about his experiences.

Joanna Harcourt-Smith, a young well-connected woman who lived her own nonconformist lifestyle, enjoyed a wide variety of lovers – many of them older men.  One such man was a wealthy and influential European entrepreneur with a somewhat sketchy background.  This man claimed to “own” Leary (i.e. – he got Leary to sign over his literary rights to him) and was among the things he mentioned to Harcourt-Smith in order to impress her after she seemed to lose interest in him.  Initially, she wasn’t sure who Leary was – but once she learned of his rebellious nature, she relished the thought of being with someone who was considered an outlaw.

Through her connections, Harcourt-Smith got an introduction to Leary, visiting him at his chalet in Switzerland; she found this charismatic man to be irresistibly attractive and after he introduced her to LSD they soon wound up in a serious relationship.  Eventually, Leary would return to America and wound up in the same prison as Charles Manson.  He would be frequently visited by Harcourt-Smith but did their return spur the CIA to spy on him?  Later, when he got out of prison and agreed to cooperate with the Drug Enforcement Agency, both Leary and Harcourt-Smith were relocated to New Mexico where they lived under assumed identities.  Their love would be tested and when they got into an argument one night, Harcourt-Smith awoke the next morning to find Leary gone and she would never see him again.   

Review

On its surface, the story behind these two is an interesting tale – but you might never know it based on the convoluted fashion director Errol Morris chooses to tell it to the audience.  Part of the problem, too, has to go to the narrator, Joanna Harcourt-Smith; the film is based on her book, “Tripping the Bardo with Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story”.  Hopefully, the book makes better sense than the movie on which it is based.  It is at times rambling and incoherent; certain stories seem to go in circles making you wonder what parts (if any) may be true. 

As bad form as it may be to speak ill of the dead (she died in October of this year), Harcourt-Smith is what you might refer to as an “unreliable narrator”.  She can’t seem to say for certain if she was a Mata Hari embedded with Leary by the CIA in order to do Nixon’s dirty work.  Add to that the fact that she was a hardcore partier with various celebrities and indulged in a variety of substances during that period (not the least of which being LSD trips with Leary) and you might as well be left to make up your own story about these two.  Morris includes plenty of news clips and interviews, but none of the interviews are relatively recent.

It would appear from the interviews that Harcourt-Smith reached out to Morris after seeing his TV mini-series “Wormwood”, which focuses on some rather dark experiments conducted by The United States government.  After seeing these episodes, Harcourt-Smith was slowly convinced that she may have been a mole who was used by the government in order to get the goods on Leary once and for all.  Unfortunately, some of her seeming moments of clarity in her memory are betrayed by much clearer memories of her childhood and extensive sex life.              

"Wander Darkly" -- Movie Review

 

This week, Film at Lincoln Center streamed a preview of the new drama from Lionsgate, “Wander Darkly”, starring Sienna Miller and written & directed by Tara Miele. 

Synopsis

When new parents experience a trauma, can their relationship survive the ensuing tension?

Story

Adrienne and Matteo (Miller and Diego Luna) have a joyous life-altering event when their daughter is born.  In a long-term relationship, they are unmarried – yet they purchased a house together with the plan of starting a family at some point in the future.  Now that the baby is here, however, the stress of parenthood along with the financial obligations of paying off a mortgage each month is beginning to take its toll on their relationship.  They find themselves constantly fighting, sniping and making unfounded accusations against the other.  Feeling cooped-up alone in their house with the baby, they decide that the best thing for their mental health is a bit of self-care:  they hire a babysitter and have a date night.

Unfortunately, their night out is a disaster.  Socializing only serves to heighten the strain between them.  Once their evening draws to a close, they drive home and almost immediately proceed to argue with each other.  During their quarreling, they are the victims of a horrific automobile accident in which both of them are seriously injured and are taken to the hospital.  Following a near-death experience, Adrienne eventually pulls through – but her recovery from this traumatic event is prolonged when she experiences nightmares, flashbacks and panic attacks.  Eventually, Matteo turns up; although she is glad to see him, it doesn’t take long before they pick up where they left off with their fighting.

In order to help out with things, Adrienne’s parents move in.  This turns out to be something of a mixed blessing because the mother starts going after Matteo as well.  Adrienne becomes concerned that Matteo might leave her because he’s feeling as though they are ganging-up on him.  She doesn’t want to drive her partner away, but at the same time, she is finding it increasingly difficult to live with him.  After all of the bitterness and recrimination, will the two be able to find a way to remain together for the sake of their daughter?    

Review

“Wander Darkly” is one of the more aptly-titled movies you’ll see.  Both the characters and the audience wind up having a feeling as though they are wandering through a forebodingly doleful landscape.  Whether or not you will appreciate “Wander Darkly” depends on how well you might deal with feeling disoriented throughout the entire experience.  If you liked something such as “The Sixth Sense”, then there’s probably a reasonably good chance you’ll enjoy “Wander Darkly” because both are unsettling and have a surprise twist in the third act. 

Both Miller and her co-star Diego Luna give excellent performances, especially when you take into consideration the time-shifting nature of the script.  However, it’s the script itself that provides the challenge for audiences.  The story can come off as confusing and convoluted to the point that it can appear hard to follow.  One might be excused for feeling a bit off-balance throughout much of the film; it may make you want to simply give up on the whole thing after a while.  Additionally, while there are interesting scenes, you never get a sense of dramatic narrative propelling the story forward.  In this case, it may feel more like “Meander Starkly” rather than “Wander Darkly”.

Following the stream, there was an interview with Tara Miele and Sienna Miller conducted via Zoom.  Miele said that the shoot was only 24 days because they were working on a very small budget; there was a scene where one of the characters gets out of a car in the middle of a busy street and that was one of the more challenging parts of the shoot.  Due to the budget, they had only 90 seconds to get the shot because they couldn’t afford to do a total lockdown of the entire street.  The idea for the movie came from Miele’s personal experience.  Seven years ago, she and her husband were in a serious car crash; in the aftermath, she was concerned for her two daughters (at the time of the accident, one was only six months old and the other 14 years).      

 

"Let Him Go" -- Movie Review

 

 

This week, Film At Lincoln Center held an advance screening of the new Focus Features crime drama, “Let Him Go”, starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane.

Synopsis

When a treacherous family absconds with a couple’s grandson, can they safely rescue him?

Story

After their adult son’s accidental death, Margaret and George Blackledge (Lane & Costner) go into an understandably prolonged period of mourning.  Their now-widowed daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter) continues to live with them on their Montana ranch with her baby son, Jimmy.  Eventually, Lorna meets and marries a mysterious stranger named Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain).  Donnie moves them into an apartment where Margaret comes to find out that he is abusive of both his new wife and her grandson. 

One day, Margaret heads over to the apartment to visit her grandson, only to learn that the family has abruptly moved out.  Getting a tip that Donnie’s family is located in North Dakota, Margaret and George, a retired law enforcement professional, pack up their station wagon and head out to locate The Weboys.  As they gradually hone in on the family, Margaret and George slowly deduce that The Weboys are rather notorious in this state; this only causes their anxiety to heighten over concern for the welfare of their grandson.

Upon finally tracking down The Weboy clan, Margaret and George find them to be a creepy and dangerous tribe.  Although they have welcomed little Jimmy into their family, Margaret and George believe that their grandson will not be well-treated there.  Secretively, they meet with Lorna to plot how to get her and Jimmy back to their home in Montana.  Plans go awry when The Weboys get wind of the plan and torture The Blackledges, causing George to be hospitalized.  It becomes quickly evident that local law enforcement won’t be terribly helpful here because they too are afraid of The Weboys.  Determined to save their grandson, can Margaret and George get the boy out of their clutches?   

Review

“Let Him Go” tries to be something of a combination between a family drama and a crime drama; its success as a crime drama comes only in the third act of the movie which succeeds in a tremendous degree of building tension.  It’s self-sabotaged in the second act, which plods along at a snail’s pace.  The film comes in at just under two hours, but would have been greatly helped by some editing in that second act.  Normally, the second act is supposed to be about, “What are the bad guys doing?”.  Instead, the second act of “Let Him Go” asks the question, “What are the good guys doing?”, which is much less interesting. 

The long-standing rule in movies is “if you show a gun in the first act, you had better use it by the third act”.  “Let Him Go” certainly adheres to this rule, in spades.  (And apropos of absolutely nothing, one might expect that there were not too many creative brain cells burned coming up with that title)  What may begin as an almost contemplative, genteel film turns out to stir up a great deal of blood lust by the end; given how “Let Him Go” was set up, you don’t see the mayhem of its end coming – which, by the way, is not necessarily a criticism.  It’s just that the motion picture could have capitalized on that a bit more.

Following the screening, there was a Zoom interview with the film’s writer-director Thomas Bezucha.  “Let Him Go” was based on a novel by Larry Watson; Bezucha said that he found a copy of the book at a local Barnes & Noble book store in Manhattan; being somewhat familiar with the author’s work, he decided to take a chance on the book and felt it would make a good movie.  He acknowledged one of the observations by others, which is that his motion picture is somewhat reminiscent of the John Ford classic, “The Searchers”, to which he gave a bit of a homage in one scene.  Although the story takes place in Montana and North Dakota in the early 1960’s, it was actually shot in Calgary, Canada due to the tax breaks they received.   

"Martin Eden" -- Movie Review

This week at the Lincoln Center Virtual Cinema, I streamed the Italian film “Martin Eden”, which appeared at The 57^th New York Film Festival.

Synopsis

When an uneducated man aspires to become a writer, will making his dream come true lead to happiness?

Story

As a ruggedly handsome man, Martin Eden (Luca Marinelli) has absolutely no problem attracting women.  But as a travelling sailor in Italy, he has trouble keeping them.  So, he is forever single, never burdened with a serious relationship.  That changes one day when his shipmate Arturo is bullied by one of the other crew members; Eden springs into action and comes to his aid, subduing the bully and saving his friend.  Unbeknownst to Eden, this will wind up having some long-term benefits when Arturo introduces him to his wealthy family, who effusively thanks him for saving Arturo from a beating.

An added bonus to meeting Arturo’s family is an introduction to his sister Elena (Jessica Cressy) – a beautiful, erudite young woman who is instantly drawn to Eden.  This turns out to be something of a watershed moment for Eden because he’s smitten; the two begin to spend a great deal of time together and it is not long before Eden proclaims his love for Elena.  But the class difference proves to be too much of an obstacle to overcome; even Eden himself admits that she is brilliant.  Elena encourages Eden to seek further education, but his rudimentary scholastic capabilities prove to be a considerable shortcoming. 

Eden confesses to Elena that he wishes to become a writer.  When he attains questionable fame for being mistaken as a socialist, she rejects him for being shamed by her family.  Eventually, Eden gets recognized for his writing ability and obtains celebrity by having many books published.  Over time, he becomes even more entrenched into his beliefs about how all workers are essentially enslaved by the free market economy and his political philosophies are his greater identity than as a writer.  When Elena suddenly returns and admits she made a mistake by shunning him, will Eden resume his relationship with his one true love?

Review

This movie version of Jack London’s novel is utterly unfocused, inarticulate and overwrought; as a result, it misses an opportunity to make a significant impact on an audience.  Speaking of overwrought, the performance by Luca Marinelli as the eponymous protagonist goes the full spectrum from nuanced to scenery-chewing so much so that it is absolutely alarming.  “Martin Eden” had a chance to be something groundbreakingly special, but blew it so badly that it’s almost embarrassing.  At least director Pietro Marcello gave us some lovely shots of scenery (especially at the end).

At over two hours, “Martin Eden” seems to meander and might have benefited from some “tough love” editing; as it stands, it comes across as somewhat self-indulgent – but perhaps we can at least be thankful that it’s not a three hour ego-fest.  The point of the movie – which may differ from that of the novel on which it is based – seems to be that success will destroy you and that it is its own form of death (if not corporeally, at least spiritually).  However, the fact that the character of Eden himself seems to be ambiguous about his own political beliefs fails to make that connection.

What challenges belief is Eden’s sudden realization that Elena only now loves him for his renown as an author, despite the fact that she snubbed him when he was perceived as a socialist.  The scene comes across less as a realistic revelation than as a drug-induced fever dream by Eden.  His rejection of Elena is understandable but the manner in which it is done is anything but.  In the hands of someone better at shaping a narrative, the film version of “Martin Eden” had the potential of something spectacular.  Instead, it is nothing less than a shallow attempt at artistic relevance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"French Exit" -- Movie Review

 

On the closing night of the Virtual 58^th New York Film Festival, I streamed the World Premiere of a new comedy-drama, “French Exit”, starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

Synopsis

When a dowager loses all her money, she and her son head to Paris – but can they make a go of it?

Story

Frances (Michelle Pfeiffer) has just gotten the worst possible news.  The inheritance she’s been living on since the death of her wealthy husband is quickly running out; pretty soon, she’s going to be completely broke.  This will also negatively impact her adult son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges), who lives with her.  Malcolm and his girlfriend Susan (Imogen Poots) were thinking about getting married, but that doesn’t look like it’s in the cards now.  The plan forward is for Frances to raise some much-needed cash by selling her art, jewelry and Manhattan mansion.    

While ridding herself of many of her material possessions, Frances confides to her friend Joan (Susan Coyne) about her predicament.  When Joan realizes that Frances will soon be homeless, she offers Frances her apartment in Paris, which she hasn’t used in a long time.  With no better offers on the table, Frances takes up Joan’s generous proposal.  When Frances informs Malcolm, he finds that he is now forced to break up with Susan, who is understandably furious.  Soon, Frances and Malcolm set sail to France to carve out a new life. 

During the cruise, Malcolm befriends Madeleine (Danielle Macdonald), who works on the ship as a fortune teller.  Although her ethics are notoriously suspect, she does seem to have one redeeming feature:  she has formed a connection with Small Frank, Frances’ black cat.  This comes in handy once Frances and Malcolm settle into their new apartment because Small Frank runs away; Frances gets an idea to reach out to Madeleine to use her talents as a clairvoyant to help locate the cat.  But when Frances is forced to reveal the true importance of Small Frank, will finding her pet really be the best outcome for Frances?    

Review

The movie “French Exit” takes its title from the novel on which it was based, authored by Patrick DeWitt, who also wrote the screenplay.  The title of both is derived from a phrase that means “to make an early exit without saying goodbye”.  If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand the title better, as you will if you see this screen adaptation.  As for the film itself, it’s a mildly entertaining bunch of oddball characters, but the comedic portions of the movie aren’t truly deserving of a laugh and the dialog is a bit wanting.  The attempted humor doesn’t come so much from jokes as it does from the characters in wacky situations.

“French Exit” ultimately morphs into something of an ensemble piece-cum-drawing-room comedy.  The characters of Frances and Malcolm are its main focus – and at that, mainly Frances.  At times, it feels like Malcolm is only around so that Frances doesn’t have to go through this entire adventure completely alone and gives her someone with whom to talk.  Primarily, it is Frances’ story, but Malcolm’s story – which is only fully explored in the third act – is essential to the movie as a whole and is handled as something of a reveal late in the game. 

Pfeiffer’s performance is what keeps you hanging in there – as Frances, she’s not exactly the most sympathetic character in the world.  In fact, at times, you might even find yourself rooting against her because she comes across as so cold, cruel and dispassionate.  It is the fact that despite this, Malcolm’s lack of harshness towards her makes you think that if you hang in there long enough, you will eventually find a likeable human being.  That said, you’ll be in for quite a long wait.  Director Azazel Jacobs succeeds in providing the audience with “geo porn” – i.e., beautiful shots of Paris that will make you want to visit if you’ve never been and make you want to return if you already have.        

 

 

 

 

"Undine" -- Movie Review

 

On the closing weekend of the Virtual 58^th New York Film Festival, I streamed the new romantic drama from Germany, “Undine”, directed by Christian Petzold. 

Synopsis

When a mysterious woman’s love affair abruptly ends, will she be able to take revenge on her ex even though she’s found someone new? 

Story

Undine (Paula Beer) is having coffee with her boyfriend Johannes (Jacob Matschenz) when he breaks the news to her that he’s leaving her for another woman.  This is bad news not only for Undine herself, but also for Johannes, against whom she promises to seek some form of retribution.  She has to go to work but warns him to stay right where he is until she returns.  Her job is that of a tour guide who explains Berlin’s history and architecture to tourists.  Unfortunately, when she goes back, Johannes is nowhere to be found. 

While searching for him in the café, Undine is approached by Christoph (Franz Rogowski), one of the people in the group who heard Undine’s lecture earlier.  In an awkward “meet cute” that winds up trashing the café, Christoph asks her out on a date.  Despite the clumsiness, Undine agrees to go out with him and they wind up spending a great deal of time together.  Eventually, things turn romantic and they become a couple.  Things are going quite well until one night when Undine receives a phone call from Christoph, accusing her of cheating on him.  Convinced he is right, he curtly hangs up on her.

The next morning, feeling things unresolved, Undine goes to meet Christoph at his job – only to learn that there was a terrible accident and he was taken to the hospital.  Undine rushes to the hospital to visit Christoph at the hospital, where she discovers that Christoph is in a coma from which he may never awaken.  Upset over the fact that she has lost yet another lover, Undine uses this opportunity to make good on her threat and seek vengeance on Johannes.  But can she carry out her plan – and if she does, will she be held accountable for her deed?     

Review

“Undine” is based on a character in Greek mythology – Undine, a spiritual woman of the water who turns human only after she falls in love with a man who will die if he betrays her.  This movie has a rather preternatural quality to it, so know that it won’t be either a typical romantic story or a full-on science fiction fable either.  Instead, it focuses on unusual characters doing unusual things all against the backdrop of a love story.  If you’re in the mood for something non-traditional, this may just be the motion picture for you.

The performances in “Undine” are quite good – you really believe that Undine and Christoph have a legitimate attraction to each other; perhaps that’s because the same two actors played romantic interests in a previous Petzold film, “Transit”.  Both Beer and Rogowski genuinely do seem to have a chemistry between each other.  When they have an argument over the telephone, you truly worry that this may very well be the end of what came across (to the audience, at least) as a perfect relationship and you’re rooting for the relationship, not necessarily either character.        

One of the more remarkable things about “Undine” include the type and variety of the visual images Petzold is able to capture by way of telling this phantasmagorical story.  At points in the movie, you get a sense of a dreamlike quality to the whole yarn – in large part, due to the trancelike imagery.  This is something that’s a key to the film’s success – if you’re going to depict a tale that has some degree of a mythical quality to it, then you better make sure that parts do in fact feel other-worldly.  Where Petzold succeeds is in his ability to traverse between naturalism and supernaturalism.             

 

 

 

 

"American Utopia" -- Movie Review

  

This weekend at the Virtual 58^th New York Film Festival, I streamed the new HBO documentary, “American Utopia”, starring David Byrne and directed by Spike Lee.

Synopsis

The Broadway staging of the musical “David Byrne’s American Utopia” as shot by director Spike Lee.

Review

The Talking Heads first showed up on my radar way back in the late 1970’s, as a college freshman.  Back then, my enjoyment of the band’s music came largely because I found David Byrne to be delightfully silly.  Decades later, approaching The Medicare Generation, I still find Byrne to be delightfully silly.  But also, more profound than originally perceived in my callow youth.  Whether Byrne’s depth came through his maturity or mine is almost irrelevant; the point is that it is there to be experienced.  Although I missed “American Utopia” when it was originally on the Broadway stage, we can consider ourselves fortunate that it was recorded for all to enjoy.

If you are (were?) a fan of “The Talking Heads” and expecting a greatest hits performance in “American Utopia”, then you will be sorely disappointed.  In that case, you might be better off renting Jonathan Demme’s excellent “Stop Making Sense” to see Byrne in his clownishly oversized suit.  However, in doing so, you will miss a truly great performance by a brilliant creative mind in music.  It turns out that David Byrne still has plenty to say and there are many out there who are eager to listen.  One of the more fascinating things that are discovered in this documentary is both Byrne’s humor and his expertise as a monologist.

In “American Utopia” (a bitterly ironic title if there ever was one), you will find such classics as “Once In A Lifetime” (a personal favorite), “Burning Down The House” (which appeared to have the greatest crowd response) and “Road To Nowhere”, which closes out the performance.  Others may be somewhat lesser known (at least to the casual music fan), but it is the performance art and the staging are what make them noteworthy.  Also, Byrne’s ability to tell stories and introduce the songs provide a greater context and insight into each one. 

As for Spike Lee’s direction, it is almost flawless.  Lee never allows this documentary to feel in the least bit static; he shoots from many different camera angles and incorporates them well.  Some overhead shots are reminiscent of the late Busby Berkeley.  However, if there is one criticism, it would be the fact that there aren’t enough crowd reaction shots included during the performances.  The audience is clearly exuberant (at least, those in the orchestra seats appear to be) as they are standing throughout many of the songs.  But it’s not until the performance of “Burning Down The House” that we realize there haven’t been any reaction shots up to that point.

Byrne is not at all shy when it comes to getting political.  He talks about participating in a voter registration program and is disappointed when he reports that only 55% of eligible voters actually turn out to cast a vote for national elections and when it comes to local elections, there is a woeful turnout of only 20%.  Later in the show, Byrne performs a protest song by Janelle Monáe which is about the many African-Americans who have died over the years due to police brutality.  The moment brings a serious note into an otherwise fun experience but fails to completely interrupt the performance. 

For many years, Byrne has seemed like a distant, almost reluctant celebrity.  In his oddball creativity, he didn’t seem like one with whom a normal conversation could be had.  One of the achievements in this documentary is the fact that it humanizes him completely.  Byrne tells his own story – he is a naturalized American citizen who was brought to this country by his parents who immigrated from Scotland.  He describes how this shaped his viewpoint as an American and exclaims that America’s diversity is what has already made it great.