"Titane" -- Movie Review

 

The first weekend of The 59th New York Film Festival  concluded with the U.S. Premiere of the French science fiction/horror movie “Titane”.  

Synopsis

When a young woman goes on a killing spree, she hides from the police by posing as a man’s missing child -- but how long can she pull off this scam?

Story

When Alexia was a little girl, she was in a terrible automobile accident which resulted in surgeons implanting a titanium plate in her skull to protect her brain.  When she grew up, the surgical procedure would leave a highly sensitive and ugly mark on the side of her head, where hair would never grow.  Fortunately, though, she would become a woman who was otherwise physically healthy -- but what about her mental state?  Sadly, she was not quite so lucky in that regard.  Although she wound up being a successful erotic dancer with quite a loyal fanbase, she nevertheless had some issues that would play out throughout the rest of her life.  

As an adult, Alexia has evolved into a hostile sociopath with a disturbingly violent streak -- eventually, she turns to murder, the overwhelming majority of which are either unprovoked or unjustified.  After killing so many people, the police are finally on the case.  Once she is aware that she is being sought by the law, Alexia goes on the lam.  She drastically changes her appearance, cutting her hair, taping down her breasts and even going so far as to disfigure herself in order to look like someone other than the resemblance that has been drawn on the now widely-distributed wanted posters that have been seen around town and online.

 

Ultimately, the police bring her in -- but not as a murder suspect.  Instead, they believe her to be a missing person -- a child who was reported missing over a decade ago.  To the police, at least, Alexia appears to be a 17 year-old boy.  They contact Vincent, the man whom they believe is the father and he confirms that this person is his son, Adrien, so he takes Alexia home.  Despite Alexia’s resistance, Vincent tries his very best to get “Adrien” oriented and assimilated into a new life.  But when Alexia discovers that she is pregnant, will she be able to get rid of the baby or will she be forced to finally reveal her true identity to Vincent once and for all?  

Review

The movie gets its title“Titane” from the French word for titanium; titanium is a very strong, corrosion-resistant metal.  One might suggest that you may need to steel yourself before seeing this film (you saw that pun coming, didn’t you?).  Seriously though, despite the fact that this is an incredibly unique story, it does seem reminiscent of the original “Alien” motion picture, at least thematically.  In “Alien”, the theme was motherhood; “Titane” has a theme of fatherhood.  So, both are essentially about parenthood.  Also, both are similar in the sense that they are of the science fiction/horror genre and have violent content.         

“Titane” at times seems like some sort of a fever dream -- the only difference being that it is structured and the story’s resolution makes sense within the bizarre world that was created.  It is all at once ugly, horrifying, brutal, profane, sexy and beautiful.  If you think all of that can’t be successfully combined into a single movie, then that’s because you haven’t seen this one yet.  Keep in mind, however, that it’s not for everyone -- the necessary caveat here is that in addition to the brutal on-screen violence, there is quite a bit of nudity and sexuality.  That said, it’s such an unusual film, it’s definitely strongly recommended.      

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Julia Ducournau as well as stars Agathe Rousselle (Alexia/Adrien) and Vincent Lindon.  Ducournau said that she originally got the idea for this story while doing post-production for her previous film “Raw”.  Lindon told a story about how he thought Ducournau was kidding when she told him that she had a screenplay with him in mind.  Rousselle had to audition for the role; she found out about the opportunity through a message on Instagram.  She had four callbacks before finding out she got the part -- and it was not until then that he finally got to actually read the script.     

"The Souvenir Part II" -- Movie Review

This weekend at The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new United Kingdom drama, “The Souvenir Part II”, by Joanna Hogg. 

Synopsis

Following the death of her lover, can a young artist recover and turn her pain into creative expression?

Story

After the death of her boyfriend, Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is deeply distraught.  His death was not a total surprise, though – he was a drug addict, but it seems that in the end, he may have taken his own life.  She leaves the London apartment she shared with him and stays with her parents for a while as she emotionally heals.  Eventually, she realizes that it’s time to get on with the rest of her life – she returns to London to live in her old apartment as well as to finish her studies at film school.  She’s in her final year and hopes to graduate by making her student film – but her proposal is running into problems with the school committee.   

When Julie presents the screenplay for her final film to the committee of teachers, it is not met with great enthusiasm – in fact, the response is one of anger, disappointment and hostility.  They feel that having read her previous scripts over the years, this is far from her best work.  It is too experimental for a student who looks to graduate – she should stick to something more traditional, they believe.  While they don’t have the final say over whether she makes the film as written in the screenplay, they do make it clear to her that if she does go ahead with shooting this script, the school will not fully support the effort.    

Julie does in fact proceed with making a film from the screenplay exactly as it was written in the script.  She soon finds out, however, that doing so is not going to be quite as easy as she had originally imagined it would be.  For one thing, the actors have difficulty with the script and in following her direction.  Also, with Julie’s frequent changes in camera angles and scheduling of the shoots, there is a bit of a mutiny with the crew and some of them threaten to quit the production, which of course would delay things considerably.  With all of this hanging over her head – not to mention the questions she still has about her boyfriend’s death – will Julie be able to finish her film in time to graduate?

Review

Part One of “The Souvenir” was previously reviewed here two years ago.  The second part of this movie is not much better – in fact, it’s worse.  How Hogg expects average people to sympathize with problems of the wealthy is hard to fathom.  This sequel suffers from the same issue as the first in the sense that it’s narcissistic self-indulgent elitist drivel; these characters seem so cold and distant – not to mention incredibly rich – that it is hard to relate to any of them.  Apparently, we are supposed to feel sorry for Julie and root for her character despite her white privilege.  To the filmmakers, a resounding “Spare me!” is the only reasonable reply. 

The pretentious nature of both parts of “The Souvenir” is particularly offensive.  After all, this character of Julie is not necessarily pursuing the most noble of professions – she’s going to film school and living in a duplex apartment in the heart of London during the 1980’s.  Oh, and by the way, her parents are paying for her film school as well as the apartment (not to mention the fact that she also borrows $10,000 from her parents).  Apparently, the fact that Julie has lost her young good-for-nothing junkie boyfriend is sufficient reason to care about her.    

Following the screening, there was an interview with director/screenwriter Joanna Hogg.  Hogg said that she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to attend the screening because, travelling from England, she was having issues securing a visa; it was only two days earlier that she knew she’d be able to fly to New York City.  The movie’s star, Honor Swinton Byrne, was supposed to accompany her, but because her own visa approval hadn’t been finalized yet, she was still in England.  The director said that she had originally wanted to shoot both parts all at once but was unable to do so because she could only secure the funding for one film at a time; it took a year to get funding approval for part two, so this delayed the production.  

"Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn" -- Movie Review

 

This weekend at The New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new Romanian comedy-drama, “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”. 

Synopsis

When it is discovered that a schoolteacher has a sex video on the Internet, will she lose her job, her reputation and her husband?

Story

Emi is frantic.  As a highly-regarded high school teacher in Bucharest, she suddenly finds that both her career and reputation are at risk because she and her husband Eugen made a sex video, which he uploaded to the Internet.  Although he eventually took it down, it was too late because the damage had been done.  Not only have people in the community already found out about it (and in some cases viewed it), others saw it too – and they downloaded the video, posting it to other Web sites, including PornHub.  While her husband is apologetic, Emi tries to cover up for him by telling people that it was the mischievous technicians at the repair shop who uploaded the video when the computer was brought in to have a problem fixed. 

Although she has a small but loyal support group, Emi has been officially warned that she must face a tribunal that will decide her fate.  The tribunal will be held at the school where she teaches and led by the school’s headmistress.  Attending will be parents of her current and former students as well as community activists who will hear not only the accusations but also Emi’s side of the story before voting on how things should be handled.  Emi will have no representation, so she will have to speak on her own behalf and provide reasons why she should ultimately keep her job. 

Upon the evening of the hearing, the headmistress discusses the reason why they are all gathered together and shows Emi’s video to everyone.  Before letting Emi speak, the headmistress reminds those gathered that Emi has been teaching at the school for a very long time and until now, has had no incidents.  In fact, the parents are reminded of the fact that Emi is such a good teacher that she has sent many of her students to various academic competitions.  With this in mind, can the community afford to lose such a valuable asset or will cooler heads prevail and consider some kind of alternative punishment?     

Review

During the introduction of this screening, it was noted that this film had perhaps the best title of any being shown at the festival.  That’s certainly true, but it is also the bawdiest movie to be shown here; at times, it is so explicit that you almost feel as though you’re watching actual pornography – there is not only nudity but also scenes where penetration between the actors appears to occur.  As a result, “Bad Banging” may not necessarily be a motion picture for every taste, especially if you are offended by such things – despite its occasional absurdities, it does tend to make some valid points politically, socially and culturally. 

If you're exceptionally open-minded and can appreciate going on something of a wild ride, then you may want to consider watching “Bad Banging”.  The story is told in three chapters, to go with the traditional three-act story telling structure.  That’s about where its adherence to customary filmmaking ends.  While the first and third acts deal directly with the teacher’s issue, the second act takes something of a detour in an attempt to display the hypocrisy of the disproportionate focus on her story in comparison to more urgent matters currently facing the country.  This going a bit off-track may be somewhat frustrating for the audience, but again, you really have to fasten your seatbelt when it comes to this one.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Radu Jude; since he was unable to travel to New York City, he conducted the interview remotely over the Internet from Romania.  Jude said that he got the inspiration for this movie from a tabloid story that made the rounds in Romania a few years ago.  While he saw the issue as relatively trivial, it got quite a bit of attention from the media due to its salacious nature.  What he found disturbing about this is that there were many more serious matters that he felt the country should be dealing with but weren’t getting anywhere near the notoriety in the national news.  

“The Worst Person In The World” -- Movie Review

 

On the opening weekend of The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new Norwegian comedy-drama, “The Worst Person In The World”. 

Synopsis

When a young woman abandons a promising career in order to focus on her personal life, will she find happiness in either?

Story

In Oslo, Julie, who is approaching her 30^th birthday, is attending medical school.  Although she aspires to be a physician, she doesn’t really seem to have much enthusiasm for the profession.  Seeing her interest wane over time, she decides to drop out and pursue other things that hold her attention – such as photography.  Julie takes a job at a bookstore in order to support herself while she studies photography – but there are other pressing matters in her life as well.  The time it took to attend classes and study in medical school didn’t afford her much of an opportunity to have a satisfying love life.  This also needs to be fixed. 

Julie, it turns out, has no problem meeting men.  The problem is meeting the right man.  She gets to know quite a few – some of them are either one-nighters, others brief flings, but rarely anyone with whom she feels a strong connection.  One night, while she is dating another man, she meets Aksel, a successful cartoonist; he has a series of comic books where the protagonist is a politically incorrect bobcat – stories that are very popular with young men.  Although Aksel and Julie develop a relationship, both are acutely aware of the possible impediment of their age difference:  he is in his mid-forties and she in her late-twenties. 

Eventually, when Aksel has to focus on his various career opportunities, Julie attends a party by herself, where she meets Eivind, a more age-appropriate man.  The two hit it off immediately and spend the remainder of the evening talking to each other and ignoring the other guests.  Nothing immediately comes of this since both are currently in a committed relationship.  Later on, the two accidentally run into each other at the bookstore where she works and they wind up realizing they need to be together.  Julie has a difficult conversation with Aksel and she leaves him for Eivind – but after living with Eivind, she suddenly learns she’s pregnant.  Is Julie ready to be a mother at this point?  

Review

“The Worst Person In The World” is told in twelve chapters (plus a prologue and epilogue).  It is entertaining and mostly amusing, until taking a somewhat dark turn in the last few chapters.  One of the nicer surprises is that the movie has an excellent soundtrack, not the least of which being Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bittersweet “Waters Of March” (“Aguas de Marco”).  The screenplay is well-crafted and the directing choices enhance the telling of the story (especially true in the scene where the friends experiment with hallucinogenics as well as a judicious use of some animation).

On balance, “The Worst Person In The World” is highly recommended, but not without one major caveat – and that being of a technical nature.  In the print that was shown during this screening, the subtitles were extremely problematic.  In some cases, the subtitles flashed on the screen so quickly that they could not be read (a speed-reading course would have been a useful prerequisite here).  Also, in other cases, there were subtitles that overlapped other subtitles to the point that neither could be read.  Of all the foreign films reviewed on this web site, this was one of the most dispiriting exercise in reading subtitles experienced in quite a long time.         

Following the screening, there was a very entertaining question and answer session with the director Joachim Trier and cast members Renate Reinsve (Julie) and Anders Danielsen Lie (Aksel).  When Trier gave his screenplay to actors to read, the feedback he received was that it seemed like part of a trilogy; this was not a response he expected because he didn’t conceive of it in that way.  Trier said he wrote the script for Renate, with whom he worked previously, but had a very small role in one of his films.  Reinsve felt that despite the fact that it was written by two men, it accurately portrayed how a woman would behave.  Lie said that he is a part-time actor; he is trained as a physician and worked in that capacity during the height of the Covid crisis when acting jobs were unavailable.    

 

"The Tragedy Of Macbeth" -- Movie Review

On the opening night of The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended the World Premiere of Joel Coen’s new adaptation of the Shakespeare classic, “The Tragedy Of Macbeth”.

Synopsis

When General Macbeth schemes to become king of Scotland, what price must he pay for his treachery?

Story

Since the story of “Macbeth” is well-known, you’ll be spared the details here; if you don’t know the details of this 400-year-old play, feel free to look it up online.

Review

For purists of Shakespeare, this adaptation of “Macbeth” may make some squirm; after all, not only does the film version take liberties with the source material (Coen’s version comes in at under two hours), it’s significantly more sanguinary than what some may be comfortable with.  That said, it does raise the question of whether or not “The Tragedy Of Macbeth” will attract movie goers.  Basically, you’ve got major stars playing Shakespearean roles in a famous play that’s shot film noir style (the entire motion picture is in black and white).  While it looks great, if you’re lauding the cinematography, is that going to move audiences to take a chance?

“Macbeth” the stage play has something of an infamous history.  The more superstitious members of the acting community never utter its name; instead, they merely refer to it as “The Scottish Play”.  Why this is done is because of a belief that if anyone utters the actual name of the play, then some kind of misfortune will befall the production.  There have been a number of film adaptations of this play over the decades – some of which being better than others.  Coen’s interpretation of “Macbeth” is truly a very cinematic one, but aside from fans of his, the lead actors and Shakespeare himself, questions remain about whether or not this will gain a significant following. 

Following the screening, there was a brief question and answer session with the cast and director, Joel Coen.  Coen also introduced the film; in his introduction, he said that they had begun production prior to Covid, which then caused a significant pause in the proceedings.  During the question-and-answer period post-screening, the cast unanimously agreed that part of the pleasure from participating in this project came from the fact that they had the luxury of having an extended rehearsal time before they actually began shooting.  This allowed them to try out different things and to experiment.   

"Apropos Of Nothing" -- Book Review

 

This summer, I read “Apropos Of Nothing”, Woody Allen’s autobiography. 

Review

Allow me to simplify this for you right from the start:  if you are a Woody Allen fan who does not believe he is guilty of what he has been accused of, then this book is a must read.  On the other hand, if you are one of those people who believes he is guilty without any proof of such guilt, then you’ll obviously not read this book.  In fact, you probably shouldn’t even read this review.  If you’ve even read this far, it’s surprising.  Obviously, if I have read this book, I’m a member of the former rather than the latter. 

If you want to know why, then you’ll just have to do your own research, which would include watching the documentary, “By The Way, Woody Allen Is Innocent”, because there’s a significant amount of information there to make you question the accusations (not to mention the blogs of his adopted son Moses, which is a first-hand account that refutes many of the family’s accusations). Additionally, there is the information Allen provides in this book – but whether or not you choose to believe what’s already in the public record, that’s completely up to you.

As for the book itself, it is somewhat unconventional – not unlike its subject.  Specifically, it is not divided into actual numbered or even titled chapters; instead, it is divided into sections of anywhere from 15 to 30 pages, presumably done to create a sense of continuous flow of a single story.  That said, however, Allen does traverse his tale in a more or less chronological fashion.  Despite the relentlessly bad press he’s suffered through over the past few years, Allen never comes across as ever feeling sorry for himself; quite the opposite in fact – he often wonders at how unbelievably lucky he has been throughout the majority of his life. 

Once Allen reaches the point where he begins his filmmaking career, he starts alternating between his experiences making each movie and his personal life at that time.  “Husbands And Wives” was the last film he made with Mia Farrow – and despite the fact that they were in the middle of their very controversial and public breakup at that point, he claims that everyone remained professional enough to be able to finish the shoot in a timely fashion.  If you are looking for detailed technical information about precisely how Allen shot his motion pictures as a director, you’ll be sorely disappointed; he claims that it’s not a subject that’s interested him and that he was always too lazy to learn the specifics (which is why he left everything to the knowledgeable professionals).

The book is neither a text on moviemaking nor a tabloid-like tell-all; that said, it’s certainly not a boring read – in fact, it’s quite entertaining.  Unsurprisingly, Allen tosses in some good jokes periodically – and they pay-off particularly well due to the fact that they take the reader completely by surprise.  Most of these jokes, of course, are in the typical Allen self-effacing style, so they should be rather familiar to his fans.  Also, as an accomplished writer, Allen inserts some quite literary references, so as not to disappoint his more erudite fans. 

If there is any criticism of this book, it is in the lack of certain details regarding his personal life – and I’m not talking about the sleazy details between Allen and Farrow.  Instead, it would have to do with two of his long-time friends and collaborators.  For example, he mentions Mickey Rose and Marshall Brickman, but never explains exactly why he stopped co-writing screenplays with them.  This is particularly curious given the fact that that Rose, Allen’s friend since their childhood in Brooklyn, passed away a few years ago.  He also makes no direct allusions to Eric Lax, who wrote two of Allen’s biographies, but does seem to suggest that he may have hoodwinked Lax regarding the origin of how Allen Stewart Konigsberg changed his name to Woody Allen. 

"Respect" -- Movie Review

This week, I attended an advance screening of the new musical biography of R&B singer Aretha Franklin, “Respect”, starring Jennifer Hudson. 

Synopsis

How did a talented little girl from Detroit come to be known as The Queen Of Soul?

Story

In the early 1950’s, Aretha Franklin was growing up in Detroit with her sisters.  Living with their father Rev. C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), the girls only occasionally get to see their mother Barbara (Audra McDonald) who divorced her abusive husband long ago.  Tragically, it is not too long thereafter that Barbara passes away and her daughters now only have their demanding father, who insists on having Aretha sing whenever he has company at his house.  The little girl doesn’t mind – in fact, she enjoys performing because it is her fervent hope that she someday becomes a professional singer. 

After hearing her sing, Aretha is signed to Columbia Records in the early 1960’s.  Unfortunately, after recording nine albums for that label, they release her from her contract because she hasn’t been able to score any hits.   It is then that Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron) becomes interested in Aretha and signs her to his label, Atlantic.  Wexler gives Aretha more creative freedom, rather than forcing her to sing standards like she did at Columbia – and this causes her to come into her own creatively, especially when she records with the musicians in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.  The hits start coming in rapid succession with her own unique voice catching everyone’s attention. 

By 1970, having won Grammy Awards and made more money than she could conceive of, she now turns to political activism.  Once her family friend Rev. Martin Luther King is assassinated, she starts supporting the controversial Angela Davis and the Black Panthers in order to bring civil rights to her fellow members of the African-American community.  But with no one who can really tell Aretha what to do, she becomes an alcoholic.  This not only negatively impacts her personal life, but also her professional life as well – she starts showing up drunk at live performances and cancels others because she is too hungover.  Will she be able to dry out and fix both her life and her career?

Review

It’s such a shame.  The Queen Of Soul deserved a much better biopic.  In “Respect”, the great Aretha Franklin was shown precious little in the way of respect.  So much of this movie is cringe-worthy, it’s hard to know where to begin – or to end, for that matter.  For a large portion of this film, it comes off as something of a hagiography – that is, until Aretha becomes a full-fledged superstar around 1970.  That’s when we see a darker side of her as she turns to indulging in way too much alcohol.  At almost two and a half hours, it comes off as a torturous and self-indulgent experience. 

Supposedly, prior to Aretha’s passing in 2018, she specifically chose Jennifer Hudson to portray her if her life story was ever made.  Is “Respect” worth seeing?  Well, it may depend on how much of a fan you are of either Aretha Franklin or Jennifer Hudson.  If you are more of a Jennifer Hudson fan, then maybe you might be better off just purchasing the soundtrack of the movie (there presumably will be one, if it’s not already been released).  Otherwise, this motion picture is something of a wasted opportunity in the hands of these filmmakers.  Hudson gives a performance that deserves a considerably better vehicle than the one she was provided. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with the screenwriter of “Respect”, Tracey Scott Wilson.  She said that the director of the movie was a friend of hers and wanted her to create a screenplay that concentrated on the key 20 years of Aretha’s life from the age of 10 to 30.  With that parameter, Wilson was able to focus on a structure where Aretha was able to find her own voice.  This is her first screenplay – most of her previous work was in the theater.  Wilson said that the film was shot from October of 2019 to March of 2020 – they coincidentally managed to wrap right before the entire industry was shut down.    

 

 

 

"All My Friends Hate Me" -- Movie Review

 

This week at The Tribeca Festival, I streamed the world premiere of the new U.K.  comedy-horror, “All My Friends Hate Me”.  

Synopsis

When a man attends a weekend-long birthday party celebration thrown by his friends, will they still be pals after things take some unexpected turns?

Story

Pete is eagerly looking forward to his birthday -- but only because it will be a party with his old college buddies held over the course of an entire weekend.  He hasn’t seen many of these folks in years, so he expects it’ll be a good time of catching up and re-connecting with everyone.  Pete’s girlfriend Sonia won’t be travelling with him initially, but plans to join him the next day.  After a long drive where he occasionally gets lost and encounters some odd situations, he finally reaches the countryside English Manor -- except no one’s there!  He waits hours for them to arrive.  Are they ghosting him?

Late that night, they finally arrive; after spending the evening at a pub in town, they bring back Harry, someone whom they met while out drinking.  Harry is a rather suspicious character -- at least as far as Pete is concerned.  Why is this stranger being brought in to celebrate Pete’s birthday?  And why did Pete’s friends think this was an appropriate thing to do?  Pete tries to shrug it off so as not to put a damper on the party, but he’s definitely feeling a bit of hostility coming from Harry. 

 

In a tete a tete with one of his closer allies, Pete confesses that things are going so well with Sonia that he’s planning on proposing to her.  He cautions Pete about Claire not finding out about this; Claire, one of the guests at this party, is Pete’s ex-girlfriend and she went through a difficult period when the two broke up.  As the weekend continues, Sonia finally arrives -- and by this time, Pete is especially glad to see her because he feels as though the people holding this party have been throwing quite a bit of shade at him the entire time.  On the night of the big party, Pete is infuriated when his “friends” make things extremely weird.  Can their friendship survive the night after this perceived transgression?  

  

Review

If you like quirky comedies with an element of horror, “All My Friends Hate Me” might be a good choice.  Despite the comedy (or, perhaps, because of it), it can be quite uncomfortable to watch; add to that the horror/thriller portions, and the movie could potentially make you rather anxious as well.  It’s something of an intense mix at times -- especially in the last act -- so be prepared for that if you intend on watching this film.  You don’t know if it’s appropriate to laugh or not in certain scenes because you aren’t quite sure what’s coming next. 

The characters, as written and performed, are well-defined and clear in their individual personas.  Stourton does a particularly good job in his role of Pete as he becomes gradually unravelled as the weekend proceeds and his perceived slights only serve to make him increasingly incensed.  What adds to the mysterious nature of these scenes is that it appears as though the characters are deliberately trying to gaslight Pete.  Are they in fact trying to do that or is it Pete’s paranoia (or narcissism) that leads him to believe this?  One must really hang in there to figure out which one is happening in subsequent scenes.

Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmakers:  Director Andrew Gaynord, screenwriter Tom Palmer and star Tom Stourton (who also co-wrote the screenplay).  Palmer said that the manor in which the story took place was also where the cast and some of the crew stayed during the entire three-week shoot.  Gaynord mentioned that the person who owned the house made dinner for the cast and crew every night; he was very welcoming and put everyone at ease.  Regarding the horror element of the story, Gaynord said that he was always conscious of doing things to keep the audience off-balance, including his choices for music.  

"Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It" -- Movie Review

 

This week, Film At Lincoln Center arranged a special screening of the new documentary, “Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It”, about the life of actress-singer-dancer Rita Moreno.  

Story

At nearly 90, Rita Moreno has left quite a legacy in the world of show business.  She is one of the few people in the entertainment industry who can brag of possessing the much-envied “quadruple crown” of awards known better as an EGOT (i.e. -- winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award).  While this is impressive for anyone, it is particularly so when you consider the extremely humble beginnings from which she came; there is almost nothing in her background that would suggest that such a bright future was any kind of a certainty.  

Born in Puerto Rico, Moreno and her younger brother were mainly raised by their mother following a divorce; while living with her maternal grandfather at this point, her mother decided that in order for them to have a better life, they needed to move to New York City.  So, the mother accompanied her daughter on a ship to Manhattan -- but left the son behind.  Moreno never saw her younger brother after that.  Moreno was bitten by the entertainment bug early on; when an associate of Louis B. Mayer helped to arrange a meeting with him, she was immediately signed to a contract with his studio because she looked like a Hispanic version of Elizabeth Taylor.    

With her first name now changed from Rosalita to Rita, Moreno embarked on a career in show business.  After small parts in motion pictures both major and minor, her big break came in “West Side Story”, for which she won an Academy Award.  After an on-again-off-again romance with Marlon Brando, she later settled down and married a physician; they were together for many years and had a daughter.  Following her success in “West Side Story”, Moreno didn’t work on a movie again for a couple of years because she kept getting typecast.  Eventually, she would find success on television (“The Electric Company”) and on Broadway, in Terrance McNally’s play, “The Ritz”. 

Review

If you are familiar with the work of Rita Moreno but not necessarily an avid fan, then you will likely learn quite a bit about her life in "Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It".  This documentary contains many surprises -- and not all of them good ones.  The audience is presented with as close as we might possibly get to the unvarnished truth about this woman.  That said, the interviewees in this movie are predictably glowing in their characterization of Moreno; not one of them is even remotely critical.  Despite Moreno’s attempts to come across as forthcoming, it would seem that the other participants thought this was supposed to be a hagiography.  

One of the more unusual techniques the director used was introducing animation in portions of her documentary.  Specifically, there are scenes when Moreno appears as a paper doll -- especially when referencing her youth -- where the doll gets dressed in various outfits.  Its use can be somewhat distracting although this was obviously attempted as something of an analogy; the purpose behind this is to show Moreno as being fragile and dressed up to be what other people perceived her to be, as opposed to who she really was.  It would seem that other photographs and movie clips made this point quite well and the cringeworthy paper doll stunt was a bit too on-the-nose.        

Following the screening, there was an interview with the director of the documentary, Mariem Pérez Riera.  While most of her work is done in Puerto Rico, her son plays Moreno’s grandson in the Netflix series, “One Day At A Time”.  Through that connection, she was able to get Moreno to consent to participating in the documentary.  It was her intention to show Moreno as she truly is instead of her “glamorous” side; she wanted the audience to see the real person when not on screen or stage.  As a result, Moreno did not wear a wig or makeup during the interview.  In total, 80 hours of footage were shot over a one year period -- of which, only an hour and a half made it into the final cut.

"Roadrunner" -- Movie Review

 

This weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival’s Virtual Cinema, I streamed “Roadrunner”, the new documentary about the late chef-writer-television host Anthony Bourdain.

Synopsis

How did the noted ex-chef change the way we viewed other cultures and why did he end his life?

Story

In 1999, Chef Anthony Bourdain’s life changed irrevocably when his book “Kitchen Confidential” was published.  At the age of 43, Bourdain found himself the author of a best seller which was read and loved by many in the restaurant business.  What Bourdain himself could not have predicted was that it would eventually lead to him leaving his world as a chef behind in order to become a full-time writer and host of a television show.  As hard as it was for Bourdain to believe his good fortune, his long-lasting influence on people around the world -- and especially in the United States -- was equally unforeseeable.  

When Bourdain was hired to write a book called “Cook’s Tour”, a production company reached out to him to ask if they could film his excursions around the world for the purpose of selling the resulting footage as a television show -- when Bourdain consented, the show also named “Cook’s Tour” was born on The Food Network.  Eventually, he and the production team moved the show to The Travel Channel, where it was renamed “No Reservations”; after many years, the show moved to CNN under the name “Parts Unknown”.  All the while, Bourdain kept writing a stunning array of books between his journeys.

During the last couple of years of his life, Bourdain had changed -- and it was clear to those closest to him that his demeanor had taken a dark turn.  Restless and miserable, Bourdain separated from his wife Ottavia, with whom they had a daughter.  He continued with his television show responsibilities, albeit joylessly.  Then, he met actress and filmmaker Asia Argento, who became his new romantic interest.  His mood changed for the better.  When she announced her sexual assault by a noted producer, Bourdain became an advocate for the Me Too movement.  However, his enthusiasm for his advocacy waned when he learned of Argento’s trysts with a much younger actor.  While shooting an episode of his CNN show in France, Bourdain committed suicide in his hotel room.  

Review

If you consider yourself a hardcore Bourdain fan, you may come away with some strongly mixed feelings about this documentary.  For one thing, there is very little in the way of previously-unseen footage from his old television shows; true, there are occasional outtakes, but much of this two-hour film consists of already aired footage.  One nice touch was the inclusion of some home videos where he’s seen as a doting dad to his daughter Arian.  While the last quarter of the movie focuses on Bourdain’s dark side, most of it concentrates on what he contributed to society and American culture.

There are some notable things missing from the documentary.  Perhaps the most glaring is the direct question to each of the interviewees, “Why do you think Bourdain committed suicide?”.  Since he did not leave a note, we can never know for sure, but it would nevertheless be good to have heard the answer.  One person interviewed merely speculated that Bourdain felt that he had come to the end of a successful journey and this would be a logical end.  Also missing were those who did not appear in the film:  his friend and former Travel Channel host Chef Andrew Zimmern and Bourdain’s girlfriend Asia Argento.  Were they asked?  Did they decline?  Did their interview wind up on the so-called cutting room floor?  Who knows?  His friend, Chef Éric Ripert, made it in the final cut; this is significant because he was the one who found Bourdain’s body in the hotel room, yet he declined to talk about the incident.    

Following the screening, there was an interview with the director, Morgan Neville.  He was approached by CNN and the family estate to do the documentary; although he wasn’t a Bourdain super-fan, he was convinced to make the film after working with restaurateur David Chang on a television show.  After becoming friends with Chang and learning how deeply Chang was hurt by Bourdain’s death, Neville was determined to shoot the movie.  Work on the documentary began about a year and a half after Bourdain’s death, so the memory of his passing remained fresh for those interviewed -- evidenced by how emotional many of them got during the conversation.  Among the interviews conducted which failed to make the final cut was one with David Simon, who was the creator of the HBO television series “Treme”, on which Bourdain served as a writer.