"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. 

 

"The Dry" -- Movie Review

 

This week, Lincoln Center arranged an advance screening of the new Australian crime thriller from IFC Films, “The Dry”, starring Eric Bana.

Synopsis

When an investigator is asked to help solve a murder-suicide, will the suspicious locals let him do his job even though they are aware of his own questionable past?

Story

Having spent the past twenty years living in Melbourne, Aaron Falk (Bana) has managed to earn great success as a federal agent – but he still has many memories of the small town in the Victoria region where he grew up.  Not all of those memories are necessarily good, however.  Part of the reason why he hasn’t been back there in quite some time is because people believe that he covered up a girl’s murder when they were adolescents.  Falk has been haunted with that possibility ever since.  Now, with that farming town enduring a drought that has lasted almost a year, Falk must return to attend the funeral of his old friend, Luke. 

Luke is believed to have died in a murder-suicide, where it’s thought that he killed his wife and son before taking his own life.  What makes attending this funeral even more painful for Falk is the fact that Luke is believed to have been the one who murdered Ellie, their mutual friend.  While in town for the funeral, Luke’s parents ask Falk to unravel this mystery to determine why this tragedy happened.  Reluctantly, he agrees to stay on a while longer to see if he can figure out all of this.  It won’t be easy, though, because many of the residents still remember who Falk is and believe he was complicit in Ellie’s death.

During his stay, Falk rekindles a relationship he had with Gretchen; a mother now, Gretchen knew Falk back in the day and was also friends with Ellie and Luke.  During his investigation, Falk becomes suspicious of just about everyone he interviews.  There are so many people in this area that theoretically could have insight into what may have happened, but still no clue as to why.  Will Falk be able to solve the crime and in so doing, restore his good name?    

Review

“The Dry” is based on a popular novel of the same name by Jane Harper; in Australia, this movie adaptation was a big hit.  What’s most compelling about the film is not only the crime that Falk is trying to solve, but also, his own personal demons from the past that centered around that area where he grew up.  His internal struggles to come to terms with his fallibility as a mere teen are interwoven with the investigation, where he encounters a number of triggering moments.  Falk will never forget what happened, but will he ever forgive himself?

Where “The Dry” becomes problematic is in how it resolves both stories – the crime and Falk’s past.  Although the loose ends are tied up by the conclusion of the movie, it’s easy to get a little confused by some of the details.  While viewers can certainly draw their own conclusion about these specifics, it’s probably best to read the novel before seeing the film.  In writing this review, information about the book had to be researched in order to confirm (or refute) certain assumptions.  This can turn out to be more than just a little bit frustrating since some things aren’t spelled out as clearly as one might like, given the two-hour investment.   

Following the screening, there was a Zoom interview with the star of “The Dry”, Eric Bana, and the director/co-writer, Robert Connolly.  Connolly said that he was given a manuscript of the book before it was published; he liked it so much he eventually approached Bana about appearing in the adaptation – coincidentally, by that time, Bana’s wife had already read the book and urged him to join on.  Bana said that he was intrigued by the story more so than the character; what he found appealing was the idea of attending a school reunion you didn’t really want to attend.  The movie was shot mostly out of sequence, except for the scenes with the teenagers.     

 

"Gull" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the New Directors/New Films series, I screened the South Korean drama, “Gull”.  

Synopsis

When an older woman is raped by a coworker, what impact will this have on her life -- both professionally and personally?

Story

In her early 60’s, O-bok is a woman who is looking forward to marrying her eldest daughter -- even though she may not necessarily be that crazy about her fiancé.  For over thirty years, O-bok has worked at a fish market in Seoul; she is basically the breadwinner of the family as her husband can’t support their family of three grown daughters -- the middle one already married with her own family and the youngest merely looking to party.  One night after work, O-bok socializes with the other workers at the market; afterwards, she is sexually assaulted by one of them.

Initially, she tries to keep it a secret from everyone.  Having incurred some serious injuries as a result of the attack, she seeks medical help and is forced to take some time off from work.  Eventually returning to the market, she asks one of the supervisors to help her by getting her attacker to apologize to her -- but when she refuses to tell him the reason why, he is reluctant to be of assistance.  Soon, rumors abound and her fellow market workers hear about what happened and urge O-bok to remain silent as speaking out may have a negative impact on the future of their market.  

Ultimately, O-bok realizes that she must share her story with her family.  While the daughters are understandably horrified, her husband is of no use as he accuses her of being at fault.  O-bok’s middle daughter tries to come to her aid by urging her to file an official police report.  Once everyone else hears about this, it only exacerbates the situation at the market; O-bok winds up getting into a physical confrontation with one of the other women and the police are forced to intervene.  When she sees that she must finally leave her job at the market, O-bok seeks out the man who attacked her -- but will this confrontation resolve the issue?  

Review

The beauty of subtlety and nuance in a film are never better displayed than in “Gull” -- and it may be no coincidence that this is because its director is a woman.  One of the wisest choices Kim Mi-jo makes in telling the story visually is what she doesn’t show on camera -- specifically, the scene where O-bok is raped.  Likely the reason for this is in order to avoid being exploitative, which is smart -- also, being a woman, she probably didn’t want to put her female lead in a rather uncomfortable position to have to shoot a scene where she would be terribly vulnerable.  

One criticism of the movie would have to do with the ending.  It seems a bit ambiguous in the sense that we are apparently supposed to believe that O-bok confronts her attacker and may or may not be able to get some degree of revenge and/or justice.  This ambiguity seems to hurt the film, at least in terms of its conclusion.  Perhaps a more satisfying resolution would have been greater clarity -- regardless of the outcome.  Obtaining justice would have been an upbeat ending, but not getting it might have been downbeat but more realistic.  Since this is a neophyte director, such a transgression might be forgiven.       

Following the screening, there was an interview with the director Kim Mi-jo.  She said that the reason why alcohol is so prominent in her movie is because it is very much part of the culture in South Korea.  It is a way of bonding with others, especially your co-workers.  Her ideas for stories usually start with a theme of human desire.  When she originally conceived of the film, the character was not an older woman -- but then, she considered what would happen if the woman who was assaulted was her mother?    

"El Planeta" -- Movie Review

On the opening night of the New Directors/New Films festival, I viewed “El Planeta”, the new comedy-drama from Spain. 

Synopsis

When a mother and her grown daughter find themselves in financial straits, how long can they maintain their scheming in order to keep up a certain lifestyle?

Story

Gijon, Spain is a rainy seaside town in the northwestern part of the country.  After her divorce, Maria (Ale Ulman) remains there with her daughter Leo (Amalia Ulman) – in a flat neither one of them can afford.  Leo is a student who very occasionally picks up odd jobs – one day, she may get a gig where she works as a stylist for Christina Aguilera or in a worst case, offering sexual services in exchange for financial remuneration.  Her mother Maria, on the other hand, is getting stiffed on the alimony she’s due.  Without the means to afford a lawyer, she is unable to sue her ex-husband and without a sufficient work history, she doesn’t qualify for public assistance.   

All of that being said, none of this stops either one of them from living above and beyond their means – a lifestyle they both feel they deserve.  Maria is getting by on credit cards she knows she will never be able to pay off – and when she can’t use her credit cards, shoplifting always seems to be a viable alternative (even if she does get caught every now and then).  Leo is able to connive friends and potential boyfriends into paying for luxurious meals at high-end restaurants.  She seems to have learned well from her mother.

Before too long, things get out of hand – having been delinquent on the utility bills, the electricity is shut off.  The two women have to live by candlelight and cooking at home is now completely out of the question.  They now have to depend on the kindness of acquaintances for their meals.  Not one to let a minor setback get her down, Maria invites Leo to go shopping at the mall using credit cards to their limit, knowing the bills will go ignored.  While now having a nice upgrade to their wardrobe, this eventually comes to a halt when the authorities come looking for Maria.  Will she be able to talk her way out of this?  And what will become of Leo? 

Review

On some level, “El Planeta” is a fun film to watch because it is almost documentary-like in the sense that you get a glimpse into the life of these two women who, to some degree, are dependent on each other – at least from an emotional support standpoint.  This documentary-like quality has its drawbacks, however – it’s entirely episodic.  There is no plot to speak of and you feel that the movie is merely meandering – it is lacking any degree of dramatic momentum the drives the story forward to a conclusion (largely because there is no story to speak of).  It has no traditional beginning-middle-end and begs the question, “Why am I watching this?”. 

From a technical standpoint, there are some highlights.  First of all, “El Planeta” is shot in black and white; this is very reminiscent of much of the early work of Jim Jarmusch, especially given that this film is largely based on its deadpan-style humor.  Another positive point to report is that it’s a Spanish movie with English subtitles – which are in yellow, making them easier to read.  One might assume the choice to put them in yellow was based on the fact that the motion picture is in black and white.  Whatever the reason, it’s good to see that at least some filmmakers are going this route.  The weird thing, though, is that there are some scenes were English is spoken and the subtitles are still implemented (in English)!

Following the screening, there was an interview with the film’s star and director, Amalia Ulman.  She is originally from Gijon, Spain and said that her memory of it is that despite the fact that it is seaside, it is not a particularly touristy spot – instead, it tends to be more industrialized and has a good deal of factories.  The story, she said, is about the various transactional relationships the two women have in their life.  Due to their situation, they see these relationships as coming from a point of desperation – they need these relationships in order to eat.  As a result, they view all of their relationships as transactional – they view them asking, “What can this do for me?”

"Limbo" -- Movie Review

 

This week, Lincoln Center held an advance screening of the new drama “Limbo” from Focus Features. 

Synopsis

When a Syrian refugee seeks asylum abroad, will he be able to wait it out while separated from his family?

Story

Omar is a young Syrian man who suddenly finds himself isolated on a Scottish island; he is there as a refugee seeking political asylum from the government.  His reason for leaving was due to the long-standing civil war in his native country; he has escaped to seek a better, safer life in a new and unfamiliar land.  While his parents also escaped, too, they wound up going to Istanbul, Turkey.  Nabil, Omar’s older brother, chose to remain in Syria to fight in the civil war.  As a musician, Omar brought with him his most prized possession:  an oud (a mandolin-like instrument) handed down to him by his grandfather. 

Periodically, Omar lugs his oud on a long trek to a public telephone booth where he can call his parents in Istanbul.  Things are not going all that well for them; they are running low on funds and are finding it difficult to pay the rent on their flat.  By contrast, the government is providing housing and a modest stipend to Omar -- but the truth of the matter is that neither he nor his parents are living particularly well.  His parents hope that someday they will be able to return to Syria, but right now, things don’t look terribly promising as the war continues to escalate on a daily basis. 

While in his temporary housing, Omar is befriended by Farhad; he is not only Omar’s roommate but a fellow refugee from Afghanistan.  When Farhad learns that Omar is a musician, he offers to serve as his agent -- this despite the fact that he hasn’t heard Omar play his oud due to an injury that has resulted in him wearing a plastic cast on his arm.  At times, however, they both tend to get on each other’s nerves but maintain their friendship because neither one has any better options.  In spite of the fact that both men have applied for asylum at approximately the same time, Farhad learns that his request for asylum has been approved.  What will this do to their relationship?  Will Omar get discouraged to the point where he will give up on his goal to be awarded his own asylum? 

Review

“Limbo” is a film that might best be described as quirky -- although it is categorized as a drama, it’s sprinkled with bits of somewhat absurdist comedy.  While these humorous moments serve as a welcome relief from the otherwise dolorous tone of the movie, these brief little outbursts of comedy almost come as something of a shock to the system at some points.  Whether it feels appropriate within the context of the story may depend on your tastes.  Don’t be confused -- it’s definitely not what could be called a comedy-drama; it’s a drama with occasional (sometimes unexpected) moments of comedy.  

Where “Limbo” succeeds is providing a realistic insight into what the life of a refugee is like.  This is seen in the pain that Omar feels by not only leaving his homeland -- which he remembers as being a beautiful country -- but also leaving his family behind.  He remains very much connected to them, despite the numerous conflicts that are exposed throughout the film.  Carrying his oud around everywhere he goes is a good visual symbol of that -- it is almost like an umbilical cord between him and his family.      

Following the screening, there was an interview with writer/director Ben Sharrock and stars Amir El-Masry (Omar) and Vikash Bhai (Farhad).  Sharrock said that over a decade ago, he lived in Damascus, shortly before the Syrian Civil War erupted.  Later, he got to know some refugees who were frequently dehumanized.  Sharrock decided to do the film in order to humanize them, partly by using humor.  El-Masry mentioned that he had to learn how to play the oud for this role and a music instructor was brought in specifically to teach him.  Bhai’s greatest challenge was the weather in Scotland in how much it varied not only from day-to-day but also within a given day.   

"Sound Of Metal" -- Movie Review

This week, MoMA Film screened the award-nominated “Sound Of Metal”, starring Riz Ahmed.

Synopsis

When a drummer realizes he’s losing his hearing, can he handle the changes in his life and livelihood?  

Story

As a drummer in a heavy metal band, Ruben Stone (Ahmed) is struggling; with all the exposure to loud music over the years, he’s having difficulty playing because he can’t hear the music as well as he did in the past.  When he goes to the doctor, some tests are run and it is determined that Ruben has in fact suffered some hearing loss – he’s only able to hear around a quarter of what he should be able to hear.  This causes Ruben to panic – not only is he in danger of losing his career as a musician, but he’s also in danger of losing his girlfriend Louise (Olivia Cooke), who also happens to be the lead singer and guitarist in the band. 

During his doctor visit, he learns that there is a possibility that he could get his hearing back, but it’s both risky and expensive:  it’s called a cochlear implant.  As the doctor explains, there’s no 100% guarantee but this is Ruben’s best bet:  basically, there’s a surgical implant that would effectively “trick” his brain into thinking that he’s hearing again.  The problem is the procedure can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000 and it’s not something that’s covered by insurance.  With that being the case, Ruben is forced to confront the truth and admit to Louise that he’s going deaf. 

Reaching out to some friends, Louise learns of a deaf community that is run by Joe (Paul Raci), a Vietnam war veteran who became deaf as a result of his service.  The benefit of the community would be not only a support system of others who have suffered a similar hearing loss but also, that he would be able to learn how to live with his impairment as well as get lessons in American Sign Language.  Ruben isn’t crazy about diving into this but when Louise leaves to live with her father, he understands he no longer has any options.  After living at the community for a while, he sells all of his possessions in order to get the implant – but after the surgery, will Louise take him back?

Review

While a great deal of much-deserved attention has been bestowed upon Riz Ahmed’s excellent performance, what seems more remarkable is how well this story is told.  Director Darius Marder made the interesting choice of having the audience experience the world the way Ruben did – not quite hearing things all that well.  As a result, a considerable amount of captioning occurs all throughout the film so the viewer can still follow along.  Although daring, it does work, given the context of the story.  This technique definitely succeeds in giving you the sense of isolation Ruben is experiencing. 

One thing is that with the audio being distorted so much of the time, it does become a little annoying at times.  Although to some degree this gets offset with the captioning, it can be rather distracting.  Despite this, one of the ways the story succeeds is that it takes us into the world of the hearing impaired – not just how they live and survive, but also the medical advances that have been made over the years.  Yet, there are some that reject this technology that is designed to help because it rejects the special community they have formed.       

Following the screening, an interview of director Darius Marder and Riz Ahmed was streamed.  Ahmed said that during the shooting, he was given an audio blocker to place in his ear in order to create a sense of disorientation when he couldn’t hear.  In researching the story, Marder learned that the deaf community does not see their inability to hear as a disability – in fact, they think that calling it a disability in the first place is something of an insult.  They prefer instead to think of it as a different ability; that is why the concept of the cochlear implant is so controversial – they have their own community and to get the implant is to completely reject that.   

"Moving On" -- Movie Review

This week at MoMa Film, I streamed the Korean drama, “Moving On”.  

Synopsis

When a man moves into his father’s house with his children, will the multi-generational brood get along?

Story

At the age of 17, Ok-joo finds herself going through some things.  Living with her father and nine year old brother Dong-joo after their parents have divorced, she is bitter and lonely, feeling abandoned by a mother that she believes didn’t love her own children.  With summer coming and their father currently unemployed, the family moves in with their grandfather – an elderly man with a spacious house that makes their tiny apartment look like a mansion.  Yet despite all of this space, the siblings find a way to get on each other’s nerves with alarming frequency, only making their father’s already stressful life more difficult.

The father is currently unemployed and is severely financially strapped; while studying with the hope of eventually getting a well-paying job, the best that he can do to support his family right now is to sell sneakers from the back of his van.  Since these sneakers are cheap knockoffs of a famous brand, few people show interested in buying them.  Meanwhile, Dong-joo looks forward to all-too-infrequent reunions with his mother – something which Ok-joo disapproves and reproaches her younger brother for his enthusiasm when he anticipates seeing their mother.  Ok-joo’s main interest these days is to win the affection of a teenage boy who fails to reciprocate the same level of interest.

When the father’s sister experiences her own break-up, she moves in with all of them.  With all of the family now under one roof, it begins to feel like a somewhat normal life.  Eventually, however, the grandfather’s health comes into question.  The father and aunt discuss putting him in a home since the old man is increasingly difficult to care for, but the children want to keep their grandfather around.  Suddenly, the grandfather’s health deteriorates to the point that he must be hospitalized.  If the grandfather’s health doesn’t improve soon, what will happen to the rest of the family?    

Review

“Moving On” is one of the most heartfelt movies you will ever see – and it is a great reminder of the extraordinary filmmaking talent that has been coming from South Korea over the past number of years.  The acting, directing and storytelling are truly remarkable and it is worth taking the time to hunt down if you can find it somewhere.  This film is bittersweet in its authenticity and is proof that we all share the same humanity around the world, regardless of where you may come from – and add to that the complexity and inherent conflict of familial relationships that is one of the most universal of all truths.  

Despite the above plaudits, “Moving On” honestly does have its issues and while very good, is by no means perfect.  For one thing, the man’s sister is an underdeveloped character and seems to exist for no reason other than to mirror the relationship between his son and daughter.  Otherwise, the sister’s absence from the movie would not have been missed.  Also, in spite of her presence in much of the film, she seems to mysteriously disappear at the end and this is never truly explained, although one might be able to draw some conclusions based on some previous scenes.  It would have been appreciated if this had been clarified.    

Following the screening, there was an interview with the film’s director, Yoon Dan-bi.  The director said that only about 20% of the movie was autobiographical – including some lines of dialog and certain situations.  Other than that, it is mostly fiction.  She said that over the years, she has lost many loved ones and she often thinks of them with sorrow – that is basically the theme of her motion picture.  When “Moving On” first opened in her home of South Korea, she remarked that most of the feedback she got from the audience was wondering if these people were actually a real family; they would carefully watch the closing credits in order to see if they all had the same surname.