Hedonism II: New Year's Eve 2021

 

Every year since 1997, I’ve spent New Year's Eve at Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica.

Well, almost every year.

My streak ended in 2020 due to the pandemic.

After a negative Covid test on Christmas Eve 2021, I was cleared to enter Jamaica, albeit with great trepidation. 

Thankfully (luckily), I was back again this time around, following a year of what you might call … 

Covid Interruptus

 

Day 1:  Dec. 27, 2021 – Travel Day

This was not originally supposed to be my travel day; back when I had re-booked my flight (for the trip that was cancelled the previous year), it was scheduled for December 26^th.  In September, Caribbean Airlines rescheduled the flight for the 27^th and in so doing, also moved it to a later time (from 7AM to 9AM).  So, this year, I was to get into Jamaica a day later than planned at a time later than planned.  In re-booking the flight, I also had re-booked the resort accommodations thanks to the Cancel For Any Reason option which I’d purchased in 2020 (and which I shall miss if it is indeed gone for good).  

My flight was Business Class, which is supposed to include access to the first class lounge – unfortunately, the lounge at JFK was closed, likely due to the Omicron variant, so I headed directly to the gate after passing through security.  Additionally, I re-booked the VIP service from Club Mobay to speed me through Customs and Immigration so I could quickly get to my ride from Sangster Airport, courtesy Mr. Reasonable.  Check-in was a bit chaotic, but once getting to my room and unpacking, I was too tired for dinner and just went to bed.

 

Day 2:  Dec. 28, 2021 – First Full Day

Slowly but surely, I began running into a variety of familiar faces throughout the day.  These were folks I hadn’t seen in about two years and they expressed happiness – if not gratitude -- at seeing me back:  “It wouldn’t be New Year’s here without you!” is something I heard frequently.  Whether their joy came from the fact that they were glad to see that I survived the pandemic or (more likely) their pleasure at knowing they did, it wasn’t completely clear; perhaps it was some combination of the two.  Either way, it felt good to be back.  But this would be a vacation unlike any other; my own personal stress level was high.  Sure, I tested negative for COVID in order to get here, but would I be so lucky when time came to leave?

Day 3:  Dec. 29, 2021 – Imperfect Weather

Weather-wise, the day started perfectly, but clouds moved in mid-afternoon and by 4:30PM, it started raining hard; I left the pool area and returned to my room.  Most of the day was fine and since it didn’t rain until late afternoon, it wasn’t too much of a loss – but it did seem to complicate some matters.  For one thing, today was Wednesday – the day of The Repeater Party.  The invitation was unclear as to exactly where it would be held:  either the main pool deck or the piano bar.  Turns out, it was neither – they wound up moving it into the main dining room, which I stumbled upon quite accidentally.  Despite a small controversy over who won the big prize, it was nice to see some more recidivists return in time for the party.  

Day 4:  Dec. 30, 2021 – A Night Of Varied Entertainment

The weather was considerably better today.  Since Day 2 was Karaoke night in the piano bar, I skipped it altogether and instead went last night – my first night seeing Eldon behind the bar.  Last night, the place was packed; tonight, it was a sparse crowd.  The reason for this was due to the fact that there was a variety of entertainment options at night:  aside from the piano bar, there was a casino night on the deck of the main pool.  Additionally, being Thursday, it was also the night for the foam party outside the disco (or nightclub, as some refer to it these days).  Folks were divided between the multiple options, so none of them had a particularly large group. 

Day 5:  Dec. 31, 2021 – The Big Party

With the end of my vacation looming, I used this morning to schedule a COVID test on Sunday so I’d (hopefully) be approved to leave the island.  They have a computer workstation set up in the lobby; I found it cumbersome using the computer to schedule the test; a passing couple saw me struggling and noted they encountered similar grief, so they suggested I use the QR Code instead.  They pointed me to a sign next to the computer station that displayed the code, so I wound up scanning it into my cell phone; using this method, it only took about five minutes for me to schedule my appointment.  After conferring with some friends later on, it turns out they had no issues scheduling their appointment via the computer workstation, so clearly, everyone's experience varied.  

  

The theme for tonight’s party is Masquerade Ball and they had Phantom Of The Opera masks and pictures laid out around the resort.  This year was one of the extremely rare times I was able to snag a table to eat dinner on New Year's Eve; my guess as to why is that there has been a smaller than usual crowd this year and also due to the fact that the resort is limiting the number of night passes sold to people who are not currently guests staying at the hotel.  I grabbed some coffee to try to keep me up until midnight but almost missed the countdown anyway.  Fortunately, I made it back just in time to wish acquaintances a Happy New Year.

  

Day 6:  Jan. 1, 2022 – New Day, New Year

The group was very subdued today – especially in the morning.  It would appear that many partied late into the night and are slow to arise.  My COVID test is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10:30 and I’m growing increasingly anxious; despite the fact that I’ve been triple-vaxxed with Pfizer and currently have no symptoms, I’m worried that somehow I’ll manage to test positive and delay my return home.  As best I could, I've attempted to take great care to avoid close contact in large crowds -- I never went into the pool when it was crowded and while in the piano bar, I made sure to wear a mask (only slipping it down to take a  quick sip of my cocktail).  

Activity seemed to pick up somewhat in the afternoon.  That night, the courtyard was used as a dancefloor; not sure if the nightclub was open -- I've been avoiding it lately, partly because it's been under-utilized in recent years and partly as a COVID precaution.  The piano bar was open for business but attendance was relatively low.  I couldn't help but notice that most folks there weren't wearing masks and that people were sitting close together around the piano.  Why wasn't the seating more spread out?  And what about the guests singing into the microphone?  It felt like Hedonism was going from SuperClubs to Super-Spreader.

    

Day 7:  Jan. 2, 2022 – Testing

My COVID testing appointment was set for 10:30 AM; I booked an Antigen test for $20.  At the appointed time, I went to the testing area and after checking-in and paying the required fee, had the nurse perform the nasal swab; thankfully, she reported it was negative a few minutes later and informed me that later that day, I would get an official email with a PDF attachment that had the official results -- a duplicate email would be sent to the hotel and she recommended I ask the front desk to print the results to take to the airport with me when I checked-in for my flight.  

That’s when things got weird.  A friend of mine had her test taken at 10AM the same morning and got the email at 2PM; my test was only a few minutes later and I didn’t get the confirmation email until 8PM.  This kind of inconsistency is unsustainable.  As stressful as the trip had already been up to that point, things had now only gotten that much worse; when I had gotten my Antigen test in New York City, my results were emailed in a half hour.  For guests to wait hours for their test results -- especially knowing that they would be leaving the next day -- is unacceptable.  

Day 8:  Jan. 3, 2022 – Returning Home

Before even beginning to pack for my 10:45AM ride to the airport by Mr. Reasonable, the first thing I did this morning was to go to the front desk and request they print my test result so I could show it at the airport upon check-in for my flight.  The only problem was that the hotel did not receive a copy of the email, although I was told they would.  The front desk clerk recommended I forward my email to a Gmail address maintained by the resort; once he confirmed receipt, my printed my test result was delivered to me immediately.  After grabbing a quick double espresso, I returned to my room to pack; heading back to the lobby shortly after 10AM, I completed check-out without incident. 

Again, there was confusion following my check-in at the airport; my voucher clearly showed that I had access to the first class lounge at Sangster, but I was questioned multiple times about its legitimacy and had to explain each time that access to the lounge was included in the price of my Business Class ticket; once at the lounge, I was refused access until they could confirm that I was telling the truth.  The flight was a little late departing, but one good thing:  just like my flight to Jamaica, the seat next to me was empty.  Arriving at JFK, we had to wait close to an hour before the luggage was finally delivered to the carousel.  Getting home a little later than expected, I was not only grateful to have been able to return to Hedonism, but also, grateful to be home and exceptionally grateful not to have had my return delayed due to a positive COVID test result. 

 

"The Portable Atheist" -- Book Review

 

Over the recent holidays, I read “The Portable Atheist:  Essential Readings For The Nonbeliever” by the late Christopher Hitchens. 

“The Portable Atheist” is an anthology of writings on atheism that Hitchens collected for inclusion in this book.  Hitchens wrote the introduction; if you buy the book and read nothing but the introduction, then that alone is completely worth the price of the tome.  Each chapter is by a different author, some of whom are very familiar names.  My favorites included a controversial piece by Salman Rushdie, which was commissioned by the United Nations; a short-but-to-the-point essay by comedian/magician Penn Jillette (from Penn & Teller); and a truly heartfelt tale by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a previously unpublished story, stemming from her own book, “Infidel”. 

The book is 47 chapters long and also includes such luminaries as Charles Darwin (with an excerpt from his autobiography), Albert Einstein (selected writings on religion) and Carl Sagan (“The Demon-Haunted World” and “The God Hypothesis”, from his lecture at The University Of Glasgow).  Needless to say – but important to point out – no book on atheism would be complete without a section by Richard Dawkins (“Why There Is Almost Certainly No God”, “Gerin Oil” and “Atheists for Jesus”).  The stories these people tell are as varied as their backgrounds; they either evolved into atheism over time or have always been non-believers. 

It is noteworthy that many of the contributors to this work are scientists, who base their beliefs on facts which can be observed and proven by evidence; since the existence of god can be neither proven nor disproven (i.e., you can’t prove a negative), then the discussion of such a being is something of a moot point.  Where “The Portable Atheist” comes up a little short, however, is on the subject of faith; many people who believe in god will tell you that while they cannot prove the existence of The Supreme Being, they do, nevertheless have faith that their chosen god does in fact exist – which is the basis of just about any organized religion.

Despite that niggling shortcoming, “The Portable Atheist” will help answer many questions for those troubled by their religious beliefs and reaffirm the convictions of non-believers.  Whether you are an agnostic or an atheist, this book is most definitely a must-read.  For those who cannot be swayed, this work will either be an annoyance or an amusement – but it is quite unlikely that many who fall into that group would even consider giving it a read.  If you are one who belongs to the undecided camp, this book can serve as a new perspective on matters – not just from a single individual’s viewpoint, but from the perspective of many. 

Among the explanations some give regarding their non-belief is the fact that many of the original religious ideologies originates from myths, superstitions and the unfounded existence of demons.  An ancient term for a demon was a “mare” and it was thought that people who had bad dreams while sleeping were visited by evil demons (“mares”) – this is how we got the term “nightmare”.  Of course, there are those who used religion to control and manipulate people through fear; live your life this way or you’ll burn in hell forever (and they make a decent living this way). 

Religion-for-profit was also used during the Salem Witch Hunts; a panel of “experts” would be formed when someone was accused of being a witch; here, the burden of proof was on the accused, who had to pay the committee for their time.  When it was seen that the easily manipulated could be coerced, this spawned a racket which continues to this day, especially for people who fear what fate may await them in the hereafter.  The bible itself is also taken to task by none other than Mark Twain, who notes that while The Good Book embraced slavery, it was society that had to correct scripture by outlawing the practice.  

 

"Cyrano" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the musical drama “Cyrano”, starring Peter Dinklage.

Synopsis

When Cyrano learns that his beloved Roxanne is in love with another man, he starts writing her love letters that seem to come from the other man -- but will Cyrano ever be able to express his own love to her?

Story

Cyrano (Dinklage) is well-known in his town for being intelligent, witty and articulate.  He is also known for being a midget.  As a guard for royalty, he’s got tremendous skills of swordsmanship and only the foolish or reckless would dare challenge him.  But as stalwart as he may be, he does have one weakness:  her name is Roxanne (Haley Bennett), a beautiful young woman he’s known for many years.  So awestruck is he by her beauty that he cannot bring himself to admit his true love for her for fear that she would reject him because he’s so short.  This does not stop others from pursuing Roxanne – one of which being a Duke, whom she finds repulsive. 

Roxanne, as it turns out, has her sights set for someone else:  a young man by the name of Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).  Christian is neither as wealthy as the Duke nor as erudite as Cyrano, but he does have one advantage over both men:  he’s quite handsome.  One night, Roxanne set eyes on Christian and it was love at first sight.  From that moment on, they both knew they had to have each other.  Yet it would seem unlikely, especially since the much older Duke could rescue Roxanne from poverty.  Regardless of whether she wound up with the Duke or with Christian, Cyrano would be heartbroken. 

When Roxanne asks her good friend Cyrano to act as an intermediary for setting up a proper introduction with Christian, he is of course distraught because he thought Roxanne would be confessing her affection towards him.  Nevertheless, because he loves Roxanne and wants her to be happy, he agrees to set up a meeting with Christian.  Once Christian explains his reluctance due to his humble education, Cyrano offers to write letters to Roxanne on his behalf.  Upon receiving these missives, she truly believes that it is Christian who has authored them.  If Christian and Roxanne do in fact fall in love with each other, will Roxanne ever learn that it was really Cyrano who composed each billet doux ? 

Review

One of the sure-fire ways to ruin a film adaptation of a classic story is to indiscriminately add music to it – and that’s precisely where this version of “Cyrano” goes irrevocably wrong.  Apparently, this is based on a musical stage production, which itself was probably ill-conceived.  Here, instead of Cyrano’s self-image suffering from an overly endowed proboscis, his “shortcoming” is the fact that he is vertically challenged.  In this re-imagined version, there is a certain degree of wokeness that cannot be ignored; for example, the original story takes place in the 1600’s and there are people of different races in key roles and there is no mention of this.  With this updated version, the casting is somewhat “Hamiltonesque”. 

It is highly unlikely that you will waltz out of the theater singing any of these little ditties, regardless of how many times they may get repeated (out of spite, one might assume).  Also, if you’re able to suspend your disbelief into thinking that this Cyrano is quite the swashbuckler, then bless your guileless little heart.  Speaking of suspending one’s disbelief, are we really to understand that the Roxanne that is portrayed here is desirable enough to be the object of desire by three men simultaneously?  If so, is this town suffering a dearth of attractive women?  This is utterly ponderous. 

The information on this film states that it will be released in mid-January.  This is rather telling, given that this early-winter/post-holiday timeframe is typically reserved for lesser releases – in other words, it’s the season of garbage dumps, or movies that the distributor doesn’t believe will be terribly well-received.  After all, if they thought it would attract a sizable audience, they would be releasing it during the holiday season.  It is usually these end-of-year releases that are done for either of two reasons:  it’ll garner “boffo B.O.”, as they used to say, or it is likely that the picture will be worthy of one or many award nominations.  Neither will be the case with this “Cyrano”.

"Belfast" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended a screening of the new historical drama, “Belfast”, written and directed by Kenneth  Branagh. 

Synopsis

During the cataclysmic times of Northern Ireland, can a family survive in the city of Belfast?

Story

In 1969, the city of Belfast is being torn apart with violence.  Neighbors are fighting neighbors because of religion:  Protestants versus Catholics.  For some, there is a quest for what they consider “purity”:  Protestants shouldn’t live in Catholic neighborhoods and vice versa.  One must drive out the other, no matter how peacefully they may try to live and get along with each other.  To make matters worse, Belfast leads the entire United Kingdom in unemployment.  With jobs being so scarce, some are forced to leave home in order to get a job; one Protestant man (Jamie Dornan) must leave his wife (Caitriona Balfe) and sons Buddy (Jude Hill) and Will (Lewis McAskie) for weeks at a time to support them working on a construction job in England. 

Buddy, the younger of the two boys, is certainly aware of the danger in which he exists, but nevertheless tries to live a normal life, despite struggles academically, domestically and socially.  Things get so bad in fact that his father seriously considers uprooting the family and moving them as far away as he possibly can to avoid trouble – he considers Canada and Australia among his best available options.  The mother is strongly opposed to this, in large part because she’s lived in Belfast her entire life and she can’t bear the thought of leaving their relatives.  Buddy also doesn’t want to leave either his grandparents (Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds) or his friends. 

Eventually, the family reaches an untenable situation when one of the town’s gang leaders threatens the family:  although he’s a fellow Protestant, he wants Buddy’s father to pay him for protection.  The father rejects this shakedown and calls him out for being the no-good thug that he is, noting his incitement of violence merely exposes how insignificant he truly feels.  It becomes clear that the father will not be able to escape matters much longer; when a riot breaks out, the thug endangers the entire family.  If the father can save his wife and children, will they remain in Belfast or finally take this as a sign to move? 

Review

Today, if you were to tell millennials that there was once a city in Northern Ireland in the 20^th century that was the center of criminal violence, anarchy and chaos, they probably wouldn’t believe you.  Furthermore, if you explained to them that the reason why the violence occurred was due to the fact that Protestants and Catholics were unable to live together peacefully, they’d likely stare at you like you’re out of your mind.  Yet all of it is based in historical fact and if you’re old enough to have lived through that time, you may well remember seeing all of this play out on the television nightly news. 

Branagh’s film purports to be a dramatic re-enactment of his childhood memories from that time and place.  While it starts with great authenticity and verisimilitude, it becomes a little treacly and mawkish.  There is also something of a structural problem in the third act in the sense that “Belfast” gives us something of a false ending which psychologically makes the audience believe that the movie is over; despite that seeming resolution, it then continues a while longer, which can be a bit confusing or disconcerting to the audience.  It’s too bad because the film could have wrapped up much more efficiently following that scene; it detracts from what otherwise was a rather compelling story.

One of the conceits of “Belfast” is the fact that most of it is in black and white – think Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma”.  This is seemingly done in order to show audiences that this is a “memory movie” – that is to say, the adult’s childhood memory from that time is without color, however you may want to interpret that.  With respect to “Belfast”, it may be because the family’s television was black and white.  There are many time-specific cultural references in “Belfast” – movies, television shows and music that are of that era (by the way, a great soundtrack with Van Morrison).  It is interesting that many of these cultural references in Ireland actually came from America. 

"Lamb" -- Movie Review

 

This week, I streamed a screening from A24 of the new horror mystery, “Lamb”, starring Noomi Rapace. 

Synopsis

When childless farmers adopt a newborn lamb and raise it as a human child, what price must they pay for defying nature?

Story

Maria and her husband Ingvar (Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason) own a farm in a remote, mountainous region of rural Iceland.  Without children, they spend their time and attention caring for their flock of sheep.  Except for the occasional roar of their tractor or the bleating of the sheep, it’s incredibly quiet there.  No deliveries, no visitors, nothing.  Yet the couple seem quite content with their life – at least ostensibly.  The weather there is frequently chilly and damp and gray, it can tend to be downright depressing.  These are people of strong spirit, so there are no complaints. 

Occasionally, Maria must play the role of midwife when one of the sheep is pregnant.  One day during a peculiarly difficult birthing process, an unexpected event occurs:  the baby that is born has both human and sheep body parts.  It has the head of a lamb but the rest of the body is that of a baby human in form.  Both Maria and Ingvar are at a loss because they’ve never seen anything like this before.  Maria decides to bring the newborn into their house and proceeds to bottle feed the baby.  After a while of caring for it, they begin to bond.  Ingvar doesn’t interfere – instead, he buys into his wife’s fantasy and also takes on the role of father to this lamb – a girl they name Ada.

Eventually, they are paid a visit by Ingvar’s brother, Petur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) under some rather suspicious circumstances.  Petur is nothing less than shocked to find his brother and sister-in-law caring for Ada as if it was a normal situation.  He tries to snap them out of whatever spell they are in, but they shut him down completely.  Soon, Petur decides to play along, if for no other reason than he needs a place to stay for a while.  Not long after, he manages to ruin the arrangement when he tries to come on to Maria; realizing he’s overstayed his welcome, she drops him off where he can catch a bus into town, giving him some money.  But upon her return, how will Maria deal with the horrifying discovery at the farm?

Review

If you think that a movie about a pair of Icelandic shepherds wouldn’t be appropriate Halloween fare, guess again.  “Lamb” is an unusually spooky film with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.  The theme of “Lamb” appears to be something along the lines of, “if you mess with nature then ultimately, nature will get its revenge on you”.  “Lamb” is an unusual motion picture in many ways but also because it feels like it’s multi-genre – science fiction, horror and folklore all wrapped up into a single story.  For that alone, it deserves kudos for the unique blending of genres – something that’s rarely seen because it’s difficult to pull off, especially when you consider that this is a first-time feature film director.

One thing that’s noticeably problematic about “Lamb” is the fact that it is excruciatingly slowly paced.  This is of particular issue in the beginning because the movie takes its own sweet time getting started and you begin to wonder where it’s going or even if you’re watching a documentary about shepherds.  One the plus side, doing this is very filmic in the sense that it is all visual and there is precious little in the way of dialog.  That said, the setup isn’t terribly foreboding; there’s nothing to indicate that this rustic setting will turn deadly or that these farmers are bad people who do something worth being punished. 

The mountainous Icelandic countryside is beautiful and shot with both admiration and respect.  Depending on how you feel about such things, you may or may not be envious of where the couple lives – after all, there’s so much in the way of empty land around them they have no neighbors.  You get the sense that a trip into town to shop for some essentials would be a major excursion that they would not make often because it would be so time consuming.  Perhaps in that regard, their isolation is part of their undoing; it takes the brother-in-law’s visit to shock them back into reality and even then, their desperation for a child overrides that concern.  

"Parallel Mothers" -- Movie Review

 

On the closing night of The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new drama by Pedro Almodóvar, “Parallel Mothers”, starring Penélope Cruz. 

Synopsis

When two women give birth to a baby on the same day, their lives continue to intertwine in many mysterious and unexpected ways.  

Story

Janis (Cruz) is photographing Arturo (Israel Elejalde) for a magazine.  After the shoot, Janis engages Arturo, a forensic anthropologist, to investigate something of a personal nature.  Many of the people from the small town where she was raised know of a mass grave site where many victims of the Spanish Civil War are buried – one of them is a relative of hers and she would like the bodies exhumed.  As they spend increasing time together to discuss the project, the two become romantically involved.  The result is that Janis is pregnant with Arturo’s baby – a pleasant surprise for Janis because as she is nearing 40, she has long yearned to be a mother.      

When the time comes, Janis finds she is sharing a hospital room with Ana (Milena Smit), a teenager who also has an unplanned pregnancy – but unlike Janis, she is distraught over having a child at this point in her life.  With Ana’s mother preoccupied with her acting career, Janis tries to take over as Ana’s support system.  The two women wind up giving birth on the same day; when they are discharged from the hospital, they exchange numbers and agree to keep in touch so they can share this unfamiliar experience with each other.  Later, when Janis decides to take a DNA test, the results report that not only is Arturo not the father of her baby but that she is not the mother, either.

After a while, Janis and Ana lose contact, but one day accidentally run into each other at a café near Janis’ home.  Ana informs Janis that she has moved out of her mother’s home – and that her baby passed away due to crib death.  Janis offers her a job as a live-in babysitter for her daughter; Ana agrees and they become close friends.  Eventually, Janis decides to have Ana take the same DNA test that she herself had previously taken.  When the shocking results come in, will Janis lose both her friendship and her child if she tells Ana the truth or will she keep it a secret?  

Review

First off, Almodovar is both an immensely gifted and prolific filmmaker and any contributions he makes to this medium deserve to be cherished.  Having said that, “Parallel Mothers” is something that’s both melodramatic and overwrought.  There are some things that really require you to suspend your disbelief in order to go along with the story.  For example, why wasn’t Ana more suspicious when Janis swabbed her mouth for the DNA test?  Real life is certainly full of coincidences.  However, there feel like too many coincidences occur in this movie to make it seem realistic.  It would also be interesting to learn why Janis was photographing a forensic anthropologist for her magazine in the first place.      

From a story structure perspective, the somewhat abrupt right turn to the excavation in the third act felt a bit awkward.  One might easily title this movie “Parallel Stories”.  It seems that Almodovar wanted to make two completely different motion pictures and struggled to find a way to shoehorn both stories into a single film.  It probably would have been better to have made two separate pictures as each story is compelling enough; both wind up getting short shrift, which is really too bad.  It may be the case that Almodovar couldn’t find a better way to sufficiently wrap up the motherhood story and sustain an entire motion picture on the political issue that is a subplot.  On a positive note, Cruz is stunning and perfect in this role. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with Almodovar, Cruz and Smit.  The director said that although he became aware of Cruz many years ago, he didn’t have too many roles for her at the time because she was too young; now that she has matured, she is the perfect age.  Almodovar added that Cruz reminded him of Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani.  Cruz said that she had wanted to work with Almodovar since she was ten years old; eventually, after she made a couple of movies, he contacted her for some work.  They have remained connected ever since.  Smit said that there is little known about the history of their country especially in terms of fascism and the Civil War and that it’s important for people of her generation to see this film.    

"C'mon, C'mon" -- Movie Review

 

During the final week of The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the drama “C'mon C'mon”, directed by Mike Mills, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gaby Hoffmann

Synopsis

When a single man has to care for his nephew, will he suddenly be able to acquire the requisite parenting skills needed for a nine year old boy?

Story

Johnny (Phoenix) is finding himself in quite a bind.  As a radio journalist, he has been travelling the country conscientiously working on a project where he has been recording audio interviews with children about how they see their future.  In the midst of all this, he is contacted by his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann), who is in great distress:  her ex-husband is experiencing problems and she must help.  Can Johnny pitch in and watch her son Jesse (Woody Norman) while she’s out of town?  Although they are family, this is quite a bit to ask, considering the situation – Johnny hasn’t seen Woody in quite some time and they don’t really know each other terribly well.

Eventually, Johnny relents and flies out to Los Angeles to see Viv and Jesse.  Viv explains to Johnny that Jesse’s father, who has a history of mental problems, is going through something of a meltdown in his new home of Oakland and she must make sure that he is not doing harm to himself or others.  Reluctantly, Johnny agrees to stick around for a while so that he can supervise Jesse while Viv is away.  Things start out without too many problems, but eventually, Viv informs him that this looks like it’s going to take longer than she originally anticipated.  With Johnny needing to get back to work, he takes Jesse back to New York City with him, much to Viv’s consternation.   

While in New York City, things start out well between Johnny and Jesse – this boy has never been in The Big Apple before and views this whole thing as an exciting adventure.  Eventually, however, this precocious child begins to wear on his uncle’s nerves and things grow tense between the two – Jesse even occasionally seeming to run away from a panicked Johnny.  During this entire time, Johnny is simultaneously attempting to focus on his paused project while fulfilling his familial obligations to Viv and Jesse – but without any experience of actually taking care of a child, Johnny is getting on-the-job training.  Will he disappoint Viv and let down Jesse?  

Review

Are you hoping to see Joaquin Phoenix reprise his Joker performance?  If so, you’ll be sorely disappointed.  On the other hand, if you are in need of a good cry when watching a movie, then “C’mon, C’mon” may fill the bill for you.  It is certainly one of the most humanistic films you will see in a very long time.  On a micro level, the story is about how to learn to be a parent.  On a macro level, it is thematically about the importance of family in our lives – specifically, how it connects us to other people and, by extension, to the rest of humanity as a whole.  “C’mon, C’mon” will fill a void in your soul that you didn’t even realize was there.      

From the standpoint of story structure, however, there may be some areas to critique.  Early on, there is very little in the way of conflict that occurs.  It is not until well into the portion where Johnny and Jesse are in New York City that there is even a hint of tension between the two.  Why the movie is saved, however, is that once the conflict occurs, it is successfully able to sustain itself throughout the remainder of the film.  Moreover, the connection of family – however that may be defined – is what keeps the viewer engaged.  Regardless of whether the connection is sibling or parental, the theme persists. 

Following the screening, there was an interview that included director Mike Mills and star Joaquin Phoenix.  One of the more surprising statements was that Phoenix said Woody is English and that he does an American accent convincingly.  Additionally, Phoenix said, “(Woody) is my barometer for authenticity”.  What convinced them that Woody was right for the part was that during his audition, Woody ad-libbed in a way that showed intelligence about the character – “he gets it more than we do”, Phoenix added.  In his scenes with Woody, Phoenix said, “He was my guide – I would merely listen and react”.     

"The French Dispatch" -- Movie Review

 

During the middle weekend of The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new Wes Anderson comedy, “The French Dispatch”, featuring so many familiar names and faces in the cast that it would take too long to list them all. 

Synopsis

The story of The French Dispatch publication in the 20^th century – how it began, its most noteworthy pieces, idiosyncratic workers and how the periodical ended. 

Story

The French Dispatch was a publication from the quaint little town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, France.  It started as a Sunday supplement for The Evening Sun – a newspaper in Liberty, Kansas.  Its founder and editor was Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (Bill Murray), a hard-nose type from a long publishing career; he was tough with his writers when he needed to be and was gentle if his writers responded more to that.  He lived by one motto:  No Crying.  Howitzer tasked the writers to provide French-related articles of interest to an American audience; the subjects varied – human interest, politics, art and gustatory delights.  What follows are some of the publications more noteworthy pieces over the years:

• ·     The Cycling Reporter:  Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) was a cyclist who would write effusively about the town of Ennui-sur-Blasé and its denizens – or at least he thought it was effusive.  His editor, however, might disagree and frequently found his articles too dark or too negative.  Sazerac would cycle around town to find stories about locals, architecture and various cultural matters that arose from time-to-time, including the town’s history.    
• ·         J.K.L. Berenson (Tilda Swinton) was known for writing and lecturing about art; one of her most noted works for The French Dispatch was “The Concrete Masterpiece” – the story about how a prison inmate named Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio Del Toro) became a famous artist when he used Simone (Léa Seydoux), his prison guard, as his muse. 
• ·         “Revisions To A Manifesto” was written by Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand), whose particular interest was in politics.  She learned of a group of young political activists, led by chess master Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet) and Juliette (Lyna Khoudri) – a pair of university students who earnestly try to start a revolution (when Krementz helps Zeffirelli compose his manifesto). 
• ·         “The Private Dining Room Of The Police Commissioner”:  Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) was remembered for this article about Lieutenant Nescaffier (Stephen Park), the classically-trained chef for the town’s police commissioner; the chef was known to have specialized in something regarded as “police cooking”.  Wright was invited by the commissioner to sample the chef’s best comestible offerings in his private dining room.   

Review

With every Wes Anderson movie that comes out, you almost get the urge to say, “That was the most Wes Anderson of all Wes Anderson movies!”.  You wouldn’t be wrong if you did that.  But it’s utterly delightful to say that with, “The French Dispatch”, you’ll be declaring that yet again – if not screaming it from the rooftops.  This is pretty near perfect, leaving you anxiously awaiting what Anderson’s bottomless well of creativity will conceive for his next film – and until then, you can either go back for additional screenings of this one or stream his past motion pictures wherever you are lucky enough to find them.    

If there is any criticism of “The French Dispatch” it’s that some segments start to feel a little long.  The reason for this varies:  sometimes, the jokes fall flat, sometimes there are no jokes at all (the story tends to lag when they get a bit too serious) and in other cases, they could have just been cut down in the editing room.  But as the editor of The French Dispatch would be glad to remind you:  No Crying.  By the way, although it should go without saying, it must be mentioned that “The French Dispatch” publication never actually existed in real life; it was an invention by Wes Anderson purely for the purposes of this film.    

Following the screening, there was an interview with some of the cast members in person and others remotely, including director Wes Anderson.  Anderson provided an introduction to the movie via video because he is currently shooting his newest work in Spain – which is why he conducted the post-screening interview remotely.  He said that his idea for “The French Dispatch” came from his love of French cinema (he lives in Paris) and he put it in a literary setting due to his admiration of the pieces he read in The New Yorker magazine.  The remote interview also included Bill Murray, who was his usual hilarious self; he said, “We’re in Spain shooting a really good movie, much better than the piece of junk you just saw”.  After that, cocktails were served to the group in Spain and things started to go somewhat off the rails from there. 

"The Power Of The Dog" -- Movie Review

For the Centerpiece showing at The 59^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of, “The Power Of The Dog”, a western drama directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst. 

Synopsis

When a man’s brother marries a widow, will his suspicions of both the woman and her son cause a rift in both their family and their business?

Story

In 1925, The Burbank brothers run a successful ranching business in Montana.  George (Jesse Plemons) assumes the more executive role of running things while Phil (Cumberbatch) is more hands-on, overseeing the day-to-day activities of the ranch hands.  While George is more forward-thinking, Phil yearns for the days of his youth when Bronco, their late mentor from years ago, was around.  After wrapping up their most recent cattle drive, George brings his men to a boarding house run by Rose (Dunst), a widow who has the help of her son Pete (Kodi Smit-McPhee).  Pete is studying to someday be a physician like his late father. 

When the ranchers arrive for dinner, Phil immediately picks up on the fact that Pete is the intelligent sensitive type and makes him a laughingstock in front of the ranch hands for Pete’s lack of traditional masculinity.  Rose is deeply upset by this and when George tries to console her, a bond develops; after a brief courtship, they eventually marry.  Phil is outraged by this, especially since Rose is brought to their ranch to live.  He believes that Rose is out for their money and will ultimately hurt George.  When Pete returns from boarding school to spend the summer on the ranch, tensions only continue to rise.    

After Pete eventually learns of a dark secret Phil has hidden from everyone, Phil suddenly tries to reach out to Pete and befriend him.  Pete, however, is skeptical of Phil’s sudden change of heart because he has seen how Phil treats Rose and is concerned that Phil is trying to sabotage Rose’s marriage to George.  Phil sets out to try to mentor Pete by teaching him things like roping and horseback riding in order to make a cowboy out of him.  Is Phil sincere in his seeking friendship from Pete or is he simply trying to gaslight Pete in the same way he has been trying to gaslight Rose?    

Review

Is all masculinity toxic?  Is toxic masculinity just in the realm of straight men?  This seems to be the theme of Jane Campion’s latest effort, which is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage.  Although it’s set in the west, it’s far from a typical western; although about ranchers, it’s not really your typical cowboy movie either.  Instead, it feels like something of a cross between “Brokeback Mountain” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” – both films deal to some extent with forbidden sexual desire but also “Streetcar” deals with the upending of an otherwise happy family life.      

The problem with “The Power Of The Dog” is that it’s a little too subtle for its own good.  For one thing, viewers of the film version might find themselves as a little lost unless they have either read the book before seeing the adaptation or at least researching it, especially in order to understand the ending.  In order to gain a greater understanding of its nuance, one must see the movie at least twice – it is for this reason that it might be better to watch it on Netflix rather than in the theater.  Also, while the meaning of the title is alluded to in the end, it turns out to be a biblical reference to a line in Psalm 22:20, so it’s necessary to understand its context in order to fully appreciate the meaning of the title. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with Campion and stars Cumberbatch and Dunst.  The director said that she watched quite a few westerns in order to prepare for this shoot.  For her, the movie is about yearning and what it feels like to be in love and that the character of Phil is dealing with grief over the loss of his friend.  Cumberbatch said that he viewed his character as feeling alienated and alone.  During the shoot, he remained in character the entire time and as such, didn’t talk to Dunst at all.  Cinematographer Ari Wegner was also present and she said that she spent about a year in preparation for shooting.  

"Red Rocket" -- Movie Review

 

This week at The 59th New York FIlm Festival, I attended a screening of the new comedy-drama by Sean Baker, “Red Rocket”.   

Synopsis

When an ex-porn star returns to his hometown from Los Angeles, will he be able to adapt to his new surroundings -- and will the people there be able to adapt to him?

Story

Many years ago, Mikey (Simon Rex) left his small town home in the gulf area of Texas for the bright lights of Hollywood where he built a career as an adult film performer who worked under the name of Mikey Sabers.  Eventually, he aged out as newer, younger men entered the business and Mikey found jobs became fewer and further between.  Having spent all of the money he made as a performer on partying and living it up in the Los Angeles lifestyle, he must now return home to Texas City and somehow try to find a way to carve out a new life.  Unfortunately for Mikey, that’s easier said than done.

First, he returns to the home of his ex-wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and begs her to allow him to crash there.  Her mother Lil is initially against the idea, but when he offers to pay a nominal amount to offset the costs, she consents.  Immediately, Mikey tries to find a job -- any job.  The problem is that he doesn’t have any marketable skills -- adding to that, when prospective employers learn that Mikey used to work in porn, they flat-out reject him.  Desperate, Mikey hunts down Leondria (Judy Hill), a local drug dealer.  Reluctantly, she agrees to hire him to sell weed around town -- after getting high on his own supply, he ultimately does start to make some money.

Eventually, Mikey meets a young woman whose nickname is Strawberry due to her bright red hair.  Strawberry, who’s weeks away from her 18th birthday, works as a cashier at a donut store.  After flirting with her for quite some time, she eventually agrees to go out on a date with Mikey.  Once they hook-up, Mikey is convinced that he’s discovered the next new porn star.  He decides to make her his protégé -- and his new meal ticket.  If he can convince Strawberry to move to Los Angeles with him, he will promise to make her a star in the adult film industry.  But when Lexi learns of Mikey’s plan to leave her again, will he still be able to make his dream come true?    

Review

One of the more interesting things about “Red Rocket” is that its protagonist is something of an antihero.  Mikey is narcissistic, ignorant of others’ pain and yet his personality is appealing and somewhat charming.  The fact that his quasi-sociopathic behavior is set against the backdrop of the 2016 presidential election is not a mere coincidence; any similarities between him and our former president are entirely intentional.  These deeply flawed characters are likely what Clinton was referring to when she characterized them as “The Deplorables” even though none of them seem to have any strong political convictions.      

If there is a criticism of “Red Rocket”, it would be the fact that its ending is something of a letdown.  There is a deliberate ambiguity here that’s annoying because the filmmakers want the audience to interpret it as they choose.  This is problematic because the social compact between the director and the audience is violated here; the director, as storyteller, is supposed to tell us a story with a beginning, middle and ending.  When the director does not give us an ending -- or the ending is unclear -- then the viewers will have an unsatisfactory experience with the movie.  Ultimately, the story is its ending and if we don’t know for certain what the ending is that can ruin the film, at least in part.    

Following the screening, there was a very brief interview with the director and some of the cast.  Director Sean Baker said that he wasn’t originally planning on making “Red Rocket” as his next movie -- however, due to Covid, he was forced to switch from his previously scheduled film to this one.  “Red Rocket” was something that was on the backburner -- a motion picture he intended to eventually make at some point down the road.  When his first choice got postponed in February of 2020, he took the next few months to regroup and eventually wound up shooting “Red Rocket” in September of 2020.  Baker said that he was fascinated by the idea of telling a story where the protagonist was what they refer to in the adult film industry as a “suitcase pimp”.