"The Son" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Film At Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of “The Son”, a new drama by writer/director Florian Zeller; it features Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Anthony Hopkins. 

Synopsis

When a divorced father learns of his teenage son’s emotional problems, can he save him before the boy does something drastic?

Story

Peter (Jackman) is a successful, ambitious businessman in New York City – he’s even fielding an offer from a United States Senator who wants to hire him for his upcoming presidential campaign.  After his divorce from Kate (Dern), he’s remarried to Beth (Vanessa Kirby) and started a second family with their newborn son Theo.  His plans get interrupted when Kate informs him that their 17 year old son Nicholas (Zen McGrath) has been having some problems; with Nicholas skipping school and displaying a variety of behavioral issues, Kate implores Peter to intervene.  When he meets with his son, Nicholas requests he move in with Peter and Beth – despite Beth's concerns, Peter relents. 

Nicholas takes a spare room at Peter and Beth's apartment; Beth maintains a watchful eye on him due to his unusual demeanor.  Peter registers him in a new school so he can have a fresh start.  Soon after, however, he discovers that Nicholas is a “cutter” – he makes cuts in his arm occasionally, causing bleeding and leaving scars.  When confronted about this, Nicholas admits to his father that he’s been having difficulty dealing with his parents’ divorce, especially after witnessing his mother's reaction; he feels that both he and his mother have been abandoned, discarded and completely forgotten. 

Eventually, Peter finds out that Nicholas has been hiding the truth from him – he hasn’t been attending classes at his new school and he’s continuing to cut himself with increasing frequency.  One of his cuttings results in a failed suicide attempt, which causes him to be hospitalized; once his physical health is stabilized, Nicholas remains in the psychiatric ward for observation.  The psychiatrist tries to convince Peter and Kate to let Nicholas remain there because of his severe depression and likelihood of another suicide attempt.  Despite the recommendation, they decide to sign out Nicholas and take him home, believing that if they shower him with enough love and attention, he will improve.  But will this plan truly work?

Review

With such a great cast, you would think that “The Son” would be a terrific motion picture – unfortunately, the performances can’t elevate its quality.  It couldn't be saved even if Hugh Jackman transformed into Wolverine at the end.  There is just too much of a melodrama feel to garner much interest.  “The Son” is basically a made-for-TV flick that only got greenlit as a feature because of the cast attached to the project – not to mention the director’s previous success with “The Father”.  After Zeller made “The Father”, he followed-up with “The Son”.  Will his next be “The Holy Spirit”?  That would make quite the trinity.           

Much of the script is rather curious, making you wonder what the characters are doing and why they are making the choices they have made (or haven’t made, as the case may be).  While the intent behind the film seems to be heartfelt, it’s difficult to muster much compassion for these characters.  Even the distressed son can be a bit irritating with his passive aggressive behavior.  One thing to note is that while Anthony Hopkins is in “The Son”, he only has the one scene, which is quite good; so if you’re considering seeing this for another stellar Hopkins portrayal, you may want to reconsider. 

There was an interview with the star of “The Son”, Hugh Jackman, after the screening.  Jackman said that Zeller’s approach to shooting the film was to not have any rehearsals, nor did he allow the cast to watch the monitors after a take.  As a result, Jackman felt that he had to put complete trust in his director.  The final emotionally intense scene of the movie was shot only three days after Jackman’s own father had passed away; he said it took a total of 17 takes and the entire time, he felt his father’s presence on the set.  The play on which the motion picture is based was set in France, but Zeller put the adaptation in New York City because he believes that New York is the crossroads of the world and that the story could be set anywhere because it’s so universal.      

"Aftersun" -- Movie Review

 

Recently at Lincoln Center, I attended a screening of the new drama, “Aftersun”. 

Synopsis

When a little girl goes on vacation with her father, will they be able to bond despite the fact that he is now separated from her mother?

Story

As the summer winds down and a return to school approaches, Calum (Paul Mescal) negotiates with his ex-wife to take their 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) to Turkey for a brief (and cheap) vacation.  The weather is hot and the sun is unremitting, so Calum is dutifully applying plenty of sunscreen to his daughter.  Sophie appears to be enjoying herself – or at least, she’s enjoying having time to spend with her father; a rare thing these days since her parents separated.  Short on cash since he’s had difficulty earning a living, Calum does his level best to show Sophie a good time. 

Sophie’s sources of entertainment are somewhat limited because there aren’t too many children at this resort that are around her age; the few young people she encounters are in their late teens.  Since they are mostly interested in hanging with peers their age so they can imbibe virtually unlimited alcohol, pretty much the only thing they can do with Sophie is play pool.  Sophie, however, is left to look on enviously and forlornly as her vacation pals engage in some romantic pursuits.  Pretty much the best Sophie can do is to befriend a boy at a nearby arcade as they spend the afternoon playing games together. 

Tension sets in during their stay when Sophie’s interests diverge from Calum’s; she wants him to join her in karaoke, but he refuses.  Later, he suggests retiring to their room, but she resists.  Seeking out her own adventures, Sophie finds the boy she met at the arcade; seeing as how they are close in age and neither one of them has yet fully embarked on the tremulous adventure known as adolescence, they make an awkward attempt at a tryst.  When it gets late and Sophie grows tired, she finally decides to return to the room she and Calum share – but when she discovers that she’s been locked out, will this imperil the remainder of their otherwise pleasant trip?       

Review

Although “Aftersun” played at the recent New York Film Festival, this screening took place after its official release.  The movie has received widespread critical acclaim; there is good reason for that given the stylistic choices made by director Charlotte Wells and the performance by Frankie Corio in the role of Sophie.  Despite “Aftersun” becoming something of a critic’s darling, it is a bit of a letdown in terms of the emotional impact which it attempts to deliver; much of what we learn comes at the end of the film and it is ultimately left up to the imagination of the viewer to figure out everything at that point. 

Where the directing somewhat falls apart is in the actual framing of the story.  Clearly, it is a coming-of-age tale told through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl; what we as an audience don’t immediately know – and are left to assemble the pieces of the puzzle at the conclusion of the film – is that this is told in the form of a flashback by the now-adult Sophie (who is apparently also a parent herself).  This “reveal” and the way it is done is both awkward and confusing; given the seeming intent by the filmmaker, it might have been made clearer (and more satisfying) to inform the audience upfront about how this story would unfold. 

Ultimately, “Aftersun” is more style over substance.  Unfortunately, this style obfuscates the substance, which is the reflection of the adult on her complex relationship with her father during her childhood now that she has also assumed the role of parent.  While the relationship between daughter and father in her childhood is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, without the context behind this story we cannot establish the deeper meaning behind adult Sophie’s reminiscences.  Perhaps that is the most heartbreaking part of the motion picture – knowing that it could have been so much better than its final version. 

The 60th New York Film Festival

Here's a photo dump from the screenings that have been reviewed at this year's New York Film Festival.  

Opening Night "White Noise"

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

 "Master Gardener"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

"Till"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

"Triangle of Sadness"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

"Stars At Noon"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

Centerpiece screening:  "All The Beauty And The Bloodshed"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

"Decision To Leave"

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

60th Anniversary Celebration Screening:  "Armageddon Time" 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

Closing Night:  "The Inspection"

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by virtual nihilist (@virtualnihilist)

 

"The Inspection" -- Movie Review

 

On the closing night of the 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. premiere of the drama “The Inspection”.

Synopsis

When a gay Black man joins the Marines, will this help to repair the relationship with his mother?

Story

Ellis French (Jeremy Pope) is a young Black man who has been homeless for nearly a decade – this is because his mother (Gabrielle Union) has disowned him for being gay.  As a last resort, he decides to join the Marines, hoping that will finally give his life some meaning and value.  Boot camp is brutal, but when French’s sexuality is discovered, it becomes even worse.  Determined to make a go of it no matter what, French takes the abuse and stands up for himself whenever necessary.  What he doesn’t know at first – but eventually learns – is that there are many like him already in the military.

While French’s fellow recruits are anti-gay (and specifically anti-French), his drill sergeant Laws (Bokeem Woodbine) is openly anti-Muslim as a result of serving shortly after the events of September 11, 2001.  As a result, Laws is particularly harsh on a recruit who is a devout Muslim when he spots the young man praying.  The other recruits decide to gang up on French and try to sabotage his training so he will be discharged from boot camp.  This doesn’t stop French from having an attraction to some of the other Marines, with whom he believes he has found some affinity. 

As boot camp draws to a close, it is beginning to look like French might successfully graduate, despite the lack of support from either his fellow recruits or his own mother.  But will French’s mother be proud of him?  Will she even attend the final graduation ceremony when he actually becomes a Marine?  For weeks now, he has been writing her but hasn’t gotten any response.  Not knowing if she is alright or simply ignoring him, and despite knowing she may be irked, French decides to call her to find out why she hasn’t corresponded with him.  Eventually, he summons up the courage to beg her to attend his graduation ceremony.  Will she attend or continue to ostracize her son?  

Review

As Elegance Bratton’s first narrative feature film, “The Inspection” is certainly meritorious, albeit flawed.  One might assume that the expectation and intention of the film is for the audience to feel that this mistreated character has a triumphant conclusion to his story; however, under further scrutiny, this inference might be questionable.  For one thing, French does not find his own way – it takes the grueling discipline of the Marines (i.e., the federal government) to transform him into a killing machine in order to provide structure in his life and convince him he has purpose.  French’s change is not of his own doing; he doesn’t change himself, the Corps forces the transformation on him. 

It would not necessarily be unfair to characterize “The Inspection” as the gay version of “An Officer And A Gentleman”; in the latter movie, the Zack Mayo character declares, “I got nowhere else to go!” – the exact same thing can be said for Ellis French.  Unlike “An Officer And A Gentleman”, there is no romantic subplot – instead, there are moments where there are allusions to sexual situations.  On a positive note, there are good performances by both Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union.  Pope is quite successful at making French a sympathetic character for whom an audience can root; Union’s performance as a cruel homophobic mother is courageous. 

In a post-screening conversation, writer/director Elegance Bratton discussed the autobiographical nature of “The Inspection”.  He said that the portions of the movie concerning his mother were true but most of the other incidents are not.  Bratton regrets that he was never able to actually reconcile with his mother in real life; the film was green-lit in mid-February of 2020 and she passed away just four days later.  Following his time in the Marine Corps, he went on to study at Columbia University, then took filmmaking courses at New York University’s Tisch School of The Arts; while there, he made a short film which got him some television work, essentially launching his career. 

"Armageddon Time" -- Movie Review

 

For the 60^th Anniversary of The New York Film Festival, there was a special screening of the new semi-autobiographical drama by James Gray, “Armageddon Time”, featuring Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins. 

Synopsis

Will a boy be able to overcome societal and family issues to achieve his lifetime dreams?

Story

At the age of 11, Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) began 6^th grade at a public school in Queens, New York in the year 1980.  Not particularly interested in the education they offered him, Paul’s goal in life was to become a comic book artist.  Similarly apathetic about academics is his classmate, Johnny (Jaylin Webb), who is a year older than Paul because he’s had to repeat the 6^th grade.  Although Paul is Jewish and Johnny is African American, their mutual disdain for schooling renders them kindred spirits and they soon become the very best of friends.  Sadly, it is this friendship that ultimately leads to the two boys being separated.

When the two boys are caught sharing a marijuana joint at school, Johnny is punished and Paul’s parents (Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway) transfer him to the same private school that his older brother attends.  Although Paul is having difficulty making friends at his new school, he can always rely on one member of his family to be both his friend and confidant – his grandfather, Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins).  Together, they bond through sharing secrets and embarking on their own adventures to the exclusion of others.  They are virtually inseparable until the point when circumstances dictate otherwise.      

Despite attending different schools, Paul and Johnny somehow manage to maintain contact, although not without great difficulty and inconvenience; both unhappy at home and in school, they concoct a scheme to run away.  The plan is to flee to Florida, where Johnny’s older brother lives.  Once free of both their academic and familial obligations, they fantasize that they will be able to live the life they want and deserve.  Before they can actually get out of town, their little scheme is abruptly scotched and once again, both Paul and Johnny find themselves in serious trouble.  Will this event change the course of their life forever?

Review

The track record of James Gray combined with a great cast is enough to garner interest in seeing “Armageddon Time” – unfortunately, it doesn’t quite deliver the impact that one might have expected.  For one thing, the ending is somewhat up in the air; it seems that the main point of the story is essentially summed up in a conversation between Paul and his father in the family car.  Additionally, Gray appears dead-set on offending as many people as possible who subscribe to a politically conservative philosophy – specifically, he takes shots at the late former President Ronald Reagan as well as the entire Trump clan. 

By setting this story in the 1980’s, Gray is apparently expressing his discontent with the current state of society and suggesting that we got on the road to where we are some forty years ago or so.  While there may be a point in showing that many of the class and race issues from then persist today, it seems somewhat unfair and simplistic to pin it all on one group and that another was not in any way complicit.  Were some seeds planted in our society back then?  Absolutely.  The focus seems to be only on what has not changed instead of acknowledging what has changed – including and especially things that have changed for the better, in some cases. 

Post-screening, there was a conversation with writer/director James Gray and some of the cast members (Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway, Banks Repet, and Jaylin Webb).  Gray said that he wrote the screenplay for “Armageddon Time” from September to November of 2019 – point being that not only was it pre-Covid, but also, prior to the events of January 6, 2021 and also before the George Floyd case.  His inspiration for writing this screenplay came when he took his children to visit the house where he grew up in Queens; he was saddened to find that there were precious few memories to be found of the major incidents in his life.  By making this film, he sought a way to preserve them.