"Decision To Leave" -- Movie Review

 

Midway through The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the new Korean crime drama, “Decision To Leave”.

Synopsis

When a detective is assigned to investigate a man’s death, what happens when he falls in love with the suspect?

Story

When an older man is found dead near a mountain, Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is assigned to investigate.  Was it murder?  Suicide?  Accident?  Once the Detective begins interviewing, what starts out as clear eventually turns muddy.  The most obvious place to start is with his wife, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), a beautiful young Chinese woman who apparently was in a marriage of convenience.  Were the two happily married?  It would seem so, at least on the surface.  But the more time Hae-jun spends with his investigation, the more attraction develops between the two – further complicated by the fact that he’s married.

Detective Hae-jun is very suspicious of Seo-rae – and with good reason.  As the detective proceeds with collecting evidence, much of the widow’s alibi does not add up.  He becomes obsessed with this case, which causes both his insomnia and the relationship with his wife to deteriorate to the point that he moves into a different apartment.  The more his relationship with Seo-rae turns more personal than professional, the more Hae-jun’s judgement becomes clouded.  His supervisor sees that he’s spending far too much time on this case and orders him to wrap it up as soon as possible.  He shortly thereafter closes the case and Seo-rae is off the hook.   

Eventually, Hae-jun and his wife move to another city for his health, where he transfers to the local police department.  About a year later, when he and his wife are shopping at a market, they run into Seo-rae, who has since remarried – another older man, but this one is something of a television celebrity.  He’s a professional stock market analyst who offers investment advice, so she once again finds herself living a rather luxurious lifestyle.  Things become quite complicated when Seo-rae’s new husband also mysteriously turns up dead at their mansion.  Is this merely a coincidence or can Hae-jun prove Seo-rae is a murderer?    

Review

If you are a lover of the genre known as film noir or a fan of Hitchcock’s movies, then “Decision To Leave” is most definitely for you.  Be assured that you are in good hands with Park Chan-wook as the director of this film; he’s clearly a master at his craft and makes some rather amazing choices in order to tell his story visually.  His characters are obviously seriously flawed, broken human beings, which makes you empathize with them; ultimately, they are just looking for love in life – and tragically, that love turns out to be with each other.  Without giving away spoilers, the denouement of this motion picture is both original and heart-rending for the main characters. 

Now might be a good time to discuss South Korean film.  If you are new to movies from this country, you’ll be in for quite a treat.  If possible, try to see as many as you can, either in theaters or via streaming.  Clearly, the South Korean filmmakers have been immersed themselves in motion pictures from other countries, most notably the United States; they have been studied them well and learned a considerable amount.  Many of them have a look and feel – at least thematically – of some of the best American-made motion pictures.  The success of films like “Minari” and “Parasite” prove that they may soon exceed movies from this country.    

Through interpreters, there was a post-screening conversation with Director Park Chan-wook and star Park Hae-il.  When the director was asked if “Decision To Leave” was a detective story with a romance or a romance with a detective story, he replied that he first wanted to do a detective story, then the idea of the romance came later because at first, he had no plot.  The song “Mist” is used crucially in the story; it is an old Korean song which everyone in that country knows.  Since he wanted to also do a movie about this song, that’s when he realized that it needed to include a romance.  The original version was sung by a woman, then it was remade with a male vocalist; the director reunited the two (who are now in their 70’s) to sing it as a duet for this motion picture.

"All The Beauty And The Bloodshed" -- Movie Review

 

For the Centerpiece of The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the new Laura Poitras documentary, “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed”. 

Synopsis

As a result of the opioid crisis, can a group of activists bring about change to a system that celebrates the family that’s caused many thousands of deaths?

Story

For decades, Nan Goldin has been known in New York City as a photographer, having many of her photographs either published in books or shown at various galleries.  After surviving a beating at the conclusion of an abusive relationship, she was hospitalized for her severe injuries and prescribed OxyContin.  Upon her discharge, she continued to take the medication in order to deal with her physical pain.  This introduced her to a new nightmare when she became addicted to her medicine.  Her addiction caused both her professional and personal life to become completely derailed. 

Over time, Goldin eventually overcame her addiction, but she was left emotionally scarred by the experience.  She began to educate herself about the drug, which was manufactured by Purdue Pharma, a pharmaceutical company owned by the incredibly wealthy Sackler family.  It turned out that the Sacklers were highly regarded in the artistic community for their philanthropic endeavors; many museums around the world had accepted huge financial contributions from them, resulting in a wing or other structures being named after them.  Goldin’s research uncovered the manipulative and misleading marketing of the medication to physicians, who then over-prescribed. 

As a result, Goldin formed a group called P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), an activist group made up of recovering addicts and surviving family members who died from their addiction.  P.A.I.N.’s goal is to serve as patient advocacy against big-Pharma because of how they become wealthy at the cost of human lives.  They decide to target the Sackler family who have become billionaires by pushing doctors to prescribe a drug that has ruined lives through addiction and overdose.  But when their public protests gain media attention throughout the country, will the Sackler family turn to ruthless means to silence them?    

Review

In “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed”, Laura Poitras has interwoven two documentaries into one – and that may or may not be a good thing, depending on how you view this movie.  One the one hand, there is this utterly triumphant story of activism to shame and defeat the Sackler family; also, there is the fascinating story of Nan Goldin herself which covers not only her professional life but also her personal life (including a rather painful suburban upbringing).  It became rather obvious that two films could have been made here – and arguably, they should have.  The problem with the twin paths here is that the documentary as a whole becomes more diffuse. 

Often, negative movie criticisms have the tone that they wish the filmmaker had made a different motion picture or made it in a different way.  Unfortunately, that’s the situation here.  A documentary about the life and career of Nan Goldin would have been great.  So would a documentary about Goldin’s activism (she also championed the AIDS cause some thirty years prior).  Combining the two into a single film results in an unfocused final product that lacks a single narrative thread.  As it is, the running time of “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed” comes in at just around two hours; two 90-minute documentaries might have been better.

In a post-screening conversation, Director Laura Poitras said that after meeting with Nan Goldin, she learned that many of the P.A.I.N. meetings were documented – once she discovered this, she decided that she had to be involved in making the documentary.  At one point, Goldin was introduced to the producers and pitched the idea of the documentary to them, asking if they would consider raising money to make the film; they decided that they were in, but only if they could hire Laura as the director.  Goldin added that she gave Laura full access to all photos and documents about her entire family – including some footage of home movies. 

"Stars At Noon" -- Movie Review

 

At the end of the opening weekend of The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new thriller by Claire Denis, “Stars At Noon”. 

Synopsis

When a journalist is trapped overseas, her sudden relationship with a mysterious stranger may help her find a way out – but when the government intercedes, will they suddenly find their life in danger?

Story

In the height of the global Covid pandemic, Trish (Margaret Qualley) finds herself stranded in Nicaragua.  An American, she aspires to a career in journalism, but has been encountering tough going trying to get her career started.  When she originally arrived in Managua, she had press credentials – but they were revoked when she wrote an unflattering piece about the government.  She’s been trying to pitch freelance travel pieces to various publications, but thus far, no takers.  At this point, she’d like to return home to America – unfortunately, the Nicaraguan government didn’t take too kindly to her journalistic style and has withheld her passport. 

Stuck in a country on the verge of revolution with an unstable government, Trish does just about the only thing she can do to survive:  this hard-drinking woman sells her body to anyone who can pay.  In some cases, she’s selective – offering herself up to men in powerful positions with the government who might be able to pull some strings for her.  In other cases, she pursues men of means who might be able to afford a little bit more – and that’s how she met Daniel (Joe Alwyn), a British businessman who works for an oil company (so he claims).  Despite his professional dealings in this country, he also wants to leave but the Costa Rican authorities are making it difficult for him to do so.

When things become untenable for both Trish and Daniel, they sneak out of Managua and try to make their way to the Costa Rican border – they appear to be well on their way to succeeding until they are confronted by a CIA Agent (Benny Safdie) who is intent on derailing their plans.  Specifically, they don’t really care about Trish – Daniel is their main target because they believe he’s trying to interfere in the upcoming Nicaraguan elections.  The U.S. government knows that he’s up to something that will be problematic when it comes to America’s relationship with the Nicaraguan government – whoever that turns out to be after the upcoming elections.  Will both Trish and Daniel be able to make it out of Nicaragua alive? 

Review

“Stars At Noon” has an intriguing concept, but its abstract nature makes the story hard to follow.  Instead, perhaps the most satisfying quality to it is its atmosphere; basically, you’re watching a spy drama with overtones of a romance doomed to fail in a mysterious, potentially dangerous environment.  If that’s enough for you, then you might enjoy this movie because keeping up with the plot can be something of a challenge here.  Whom to root for and when can change from moment to moment; this can be equally confusing and interesting, but ultimately frustrating to the point of making you want to give up on the film.    

On a positive note, “Stars At Noon” is fun not just because of the espionage element to it but also because it’s quite sexy.  As Trish, Qualley oozes a licentious nature that is absolutely intoxicating; the character of Trish is rather free with her body – both in terms of showing it and sharing with others.  This isn’t slut-shaming; if anything, it’s slut-praising because unable to make a go of it in her preferred career as a journalist, she is in survival mode and does whatever she can in order to get by from one day to the next.  She succeeds more on guile than anything else, which proves her intelligence.       

Director Claire Denis and stars Joe Alwyn & Benny Safdie participated in a conversation after the screening.  The film is based on the 1986 novel by Denis Johnson.  When the Director heard of him, she began reading much of his work in English (rather than a French translation, which is her primary language).    In the book, none of the characters have a name, so this is one of the changes she made; another is the fact that the novel has the female character as the narrator; Claire Denis felt that this would not work quite as well as in a movie version of the story, so that was another divergence.  Although the story takes place in Managua, Nicaragua, it was actually shot in Panama.  The reason for this was because Nicaragua was somewhat politically unstable at the time. 

"Triangle Of Sadness" -- Movie Review

 

On the second half of the opening weekend for The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the new comedy, “Triangle Of Sadness”. 

Synopsis

Question:  What can go wrong when the rich and beautiful take a vacation on a luxury cruise?

Answer:  EVERYTHING!

Story

Carl and Yaya are a young and attractive couple, befitting the requirements of their chosen profession as models.  Additionally, Yaya is profitable as an Internet Influencer – as such, she has been gifted with a free trip for two on a luxury yacht.  When she and Carl embark on their trip, they have the opportunity to meet many other guests – quite a few of them being incredibly wealthy people considerably older than they are.  A great chance to network?  Sure.  But mostly Carl is looking to relax and Yaya is focused on building her brand by taking selfies and posting them to social media. 

One of the many highlights of the cruise is supposed to be the night when the passengers have dinner with the Captain (Woody Harrelson).  Unfortunately for all concerned, the Captain is an alcoholic who remains cloistered in his stateroom, refusing to leave.  His alcohol-addled brain causes him to schedule the Captain’s Dinner for Thursday – despite the fact that he has already been advised that weather reports indicate that night the ship will encounter a severe storm which will result in choppy waters.  The night of the dinner is, as expected, a disaster – the rocking of the boat causes all of the guests to become seasick, abruptly ending the evening. 

After the storm ends, things only get worse – the ship finds itself under attack by a rogue group of pirates who wind up blowing up the ship, causing it to sink.  While many perish during their attempt to abandon the ship, a lucky few are able to make it to shore via a lifeboat – among them being Carl and Yaya.  The land on which they find themselves appears to be deserted with wild animals being the only other occupants.  Unequipped to fend for themselves in such a situation, a small bit of good fortune occurs when one of the ship’s maids washes up in an escape vessel; she immediately takes charge by finding and preparing food for them.  But with provisions limited, will they be rescued before their food supply is exhausted?    

Review

Whoa!  What a wild ride this one is!  If you’ve been waiting for a laugh-out-loud comedy then this one is got to be at or near the top of the list – provided, of course, that you don’t mind gross-out humor based on bodily functions.  It’s difficult to pick a best scene or best line from “Triangle Of Sadness” (the title gets explained early on), but the Captain’s Dinner and the Captain’s remark to the Russian oligarch (quoting Karl Marx, “The last one we hang will be the one who sold us the rope”) would have to be considered.  The entire movie is brilliantly conceived and carried out by the ensemble cast. 

Based on the story – in particular, the third act – there will likely be inevitable comparisons with the classic 1974 movie “Swept Away” by the late Lina Wertmüller.  This is certainly a valid point given the similarities in both the setting and theme.  There are, however, differences that make the two rather distinct from each other.  For one thing, in “Swept Away”, when the two become stranded a contentious relationship turns romantic; that does not happen in “Triangle Of Sadness”.  Another, is that there are only two stranded people in “Swept Away” while “Triangle Of Sadness” has quite a motley collection of castaways. 

A conversation took place after the screening, which included director Ruben Östlund and cast members Dolly de Leon (Abigail), and Zlatko Burić (Russian Oligarch).  Östlund said that having grown up as a Socialist, he wanted to set the island scenes as a turning of the power structure.  As a film teacher, he was describing the screenplay to his students when one of them suggested that it might be better if the power structure fell into the hands of a woman; that’s when he got the idea to make that character the cleaning lady rather than a maintenance man.  Suddenly, the Toilet Manager becomes the Captain. 

  

"Till" -- Movie Review

 

On the opening weekend of The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended the World Premiere of the new biographical drama, “Till”, directed  by Chinonye Chukwu. 

Synopsis

When a teenage boy is lynched in Mississippi, can his mother find justice?

Story

In 1955, the northern city of Chicago was just as bigoted and racist as the southern state of Mississippi – the only difference was the racism in Chicago took on a more subtle approach whereas the racism in Mississippi was more overt.  That summer, a 14 year old teenager named Emmett Till would learn that lesson the hard way.  Emmett grew up in Chicago and was naïve when it came to the ways of the south and his mother Mamie tried hard to shield him from it – she had known it first hand because that’s where she lived before moving to Chicago with the rest of her family. 

Young Emmett’s extended family invited him to visit them in Mississippi so he could become acquainted with cousins he had never met up to that point.  The thought of a trip to the deep south excited Emmett and despite Mamie’s concerns, she consented.  Once there, Emmett soon learned just how different Mississippi was from Chicago.  Encountering a shopkeeper while buying some candy, he remarked that she was quite attractive, even whistling at her.  Little did Emmett know it at the time, but that one act pretty much sealed his fate.  A gang of local white men took him from his relative’s house, then lynched him. 

When the boy’s body was sent back to Chicago for burial, Mamie insisted not only that the casket remained open, but also that the media see what was done to her only son.  Once pictures of the disfigured, bloated and badly beaten Emmett were published nationally, outrage quickly grew throughout the country.  The NAACP became aware of it and joined forces with Mamie to bring charges against the people responsible.  From the outset of the court case, it became apparent that the whole thing was rigged against the Till family;  every single witness for the defense outright lied on the witness stand.  With all odds against her, would Mamie Till ever expose the fraud?

Review

The advance word about “Till” is that its star, Danielle Deadwyler in the role of Mamie, Till’s mother, is expected to get nominated for multiple awards – and may very well win at least one of them.  Based on her performance, there is no doubt this will occur.  As for the film itself, “Till” feels like it plods along and at over two hours, probably could have been trimmed by a good 15-20 minutes.   At a length of two hours and ten minutes, it seems considerably longer than that.  In retrospect, perhaps too much time was spent on ancillary events and activities that could have been either condensed or cut altogether. 

Despite flaws in “Till”, it is useful as an instructional tool and should be shown to students in order to familiarize themselves with the story.  For some, this may cross the line of teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).  However, the argument should be made that in order to accurately tell the history of the United States, the ugly side must be included with the heroic side.  A similar argument could be made for a classic like “The Godfather”; the history of this country includes organized crime.  In the Coppola movie, it happens to be people of Italian descent; many Italian-Americans objected to this depiction, despite the fact that Coppola and Puzo (the author of the book on which the film was based) are both Italian-Americans themselves.

A post-screening discussion took place with Director Chinonye Chukwu, star Danielle Deadwyler and Executive Producer/cast member Whoopi Goldberg.  Chukwu said that when she was approached by the producers to direct this project, she had several conditions that had to be met.  First was that the film had to be told from the perspective of Emmett’s mother Mamie because without her advocacy, the nation would never know her son’s story.  Another was that she didn’t want to portray violence on any Black bodies – she wanted to make this for a Black audience.  Lastly, was that she insisted the movie end with joy – it is ultimately a love story of Mamie and her child.  She was careful about what was contained in each frame, stating, “Where the camera focuses is its own act of resistance”.  

"Master Gardener" -- Movie Review

 

On the opening weekend of The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new thriller by Paul Schrader, “Master Gardener”.

Synopsis

When a wealthy dowager with an extensive garden orders her horticulturalist to look after her grandniece, what impact will this have on everyone’s life, both professionally and personally?

Story

Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver) owns a huge Louisiana mansion with an impressive garden that’s envied and admired by many in the area.  She takes pride in its upkeep but in reality, owes it all to her gardener Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) and his team of apprentices.  Narvel has worked for Norma for many years – and has engaged in an affair with his employer for almost as long.  That’s their arrangement and both seem quite comfortable with it, despite Norma’s naturally overbearing nature.  It seems that she considers Narvel her property almost in the same way as she views her home or garden. 

Narvel’s latest instructions are to work on the garden so that Norma can win recognition of first prize while raising money for charity.  This is not new for him, but now it comes with a catch – he has to hire Maya (Quintessa Swindell), Norma’s grandniece, as one of his apprentices; he is to teach the finer points of gardening to her so that she will develop something of a career.  Although Norma was never very close to Maya, she is doing it as a favor to her sister; Maya’s mother passed away and her life went into a tailspin shortly thereafter, turning to drugs and dropping out of school.  Hopefully, this will turn around the life of the 20-something. 

Maya is not the only one with a regrettable past.  Narvel, it turns out, spent time in prison; in his former life, he was a White Supremacist who murdered several people.  After turning over evidence to the authorities, he was given a lighter sentence and released early – he studied horticulture in order to have a legitimate way of making money and start a new life.  As a result, he can understand where Maya is coming from.  Although Maya turns into a good student, she loses her job -- Norma resents her presence when she believes Maya’s developing an attraction to Narvel.  But when Narvel learns that Maya’s former drug dealer is now making life difficult for her, can he intercede to save her life? 

Review

“Master Gardener” is the quintessence of Paul Schrader’s filmmaking; arguably the best he has ever done to date.  Dark undertones that are gradually revealed are perhaps the best part of Schrader’s storytelling ability. The screenplay has well-drawn characters who are clearly imperfect and are not proud of their past.  In their own way, they are seeking redemption; they realize that they cannot completely erase their past but they do control how they can change their future.  Who the protagonist is/are may not necessarily be obvious at the outset, but evolves through the course of the story.  There are some really great performances here, particularly by Weaver and Edgerton.

If you are looking for likeable characters, then “Master Gardener” may not be for you.  True to form, Schrader gives us an ominous story with characters of questionable moral codes.  Who among them are the least objectionable?  That’s where you find the one for whom you root.  The evolution of how the characters interact with each other is also quite fascinating:  the cool, aloof and imperious Norma has both a professional and inappropriately personal relationship with Narvel – one which she only feels comfortable having because of her power over him.  Thus her outrage when he develops an intimacy with someone else who lacks that kind of power.     

After the screening, there was a conversation with Schrader and cast members Sigourney Weaver and Joel Edgerton.  Schrader characterized “Master Gardener” as something of a fable – in other words, it’s not a story that could really happen – “don’t believe it, just imagine it” was his description.  He saw similarities between the character of Narvel Roth and Travis Bickle, from his screenplay “Taxi Driver”; both of them experience feelings of guilt and self-punishment because they have done wrong.  The film, he sees, has a life-enhancing conclusion without the specter of death or prison.  

"White Noise" -- Movie Review

 

On the opening night of The 60^th New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the new comedy-drama by Noah Baumbach, “White Noise”. 

Synopsis

When a family grapples with various personal and societal crises, can they ultimately find happiness?

Story

In 1980’s Ohio, Jack Gladney (Adam Driver) and his wife Babbette (Greta Gerwig) work together to raise their four children – a blended family largely consisting of previous marriages.  He works as a college professor and she is a physical therapist at a facility for the elderly.  On the surface, things appear to be fairly normal and pleasant, yet there seems to be a foreboding sense of an ever-present and impending danger right around the corner.  To some degree, the urge is to ignore it and pretend everything is just fine, not wanting to overreact to every situation.  Unfortunately, that soon becomes impossible. 

After a truck carrying a gas tank crashes with a train, a huge plume of toxic smoke arises, blanketing the entire area.  While The Gladney clan monitors the situation, it becomes something of a struggle to remain calm as news reports update the situation.  Soon, residents are instructed to evacuate; The Gladneys pile into their station wagon and attempt to leave town, but they run into a significant traffic jam and remain stuck.  As a result, everyone is forced to take refuge in a small setup on the outskirts of town, hoping that they haven’t been exposed to the toxic chemicals.  Nine days later, people are instructed to return home. 

Once things have appeared to return to normal, Jack becomes aware of Babbette’s reliance on some type of experimental medication that she’s been using in an attempt to alleviate her anxiety over death.  Jack investigates this thoroughly and discovers this is all a hoax – it was the idea of a scammer trying to make money off of desperate people who are willing to do just about anything to be able to overcome their fears.  Eventually, Jack learns that the perpetrator has coerced Babbette into an intimate relationship in order to replenish her supply of pills.  Will Jack ultimately resort to desperate measures to resolve this?

Review

Over the years since the Don DeLillo novel was originally published, it was generally believed that it would be impossible to turn into a movie.  Baumbach’s ambitious attempt to do so results in something of a mixed bag.  While there are certainly some amusingly absurd moments, it might be a bit of a stretch to describe them as comedic; the drama portions of “White Noise” are closer to what might be better thought of as horror.  The motion picture seems to be saying that life is a miserable fright-fest so you better just get used to that and ride out the storm.  If you are considering watching it, be prepared to expect an episodic, non-linear story. 

Much of “White Noise” feels like something of a fever dream – which apparently is the intent here, particularly with respect to the closing musical scene in the supermarket; the idea presumably being to convey the overall sense of anxiety in modern-day society.  Thematically, it attempts to deal with worries over our own mortality, environmentalism and interpersonal relationships.  The degree to which film succeeds waxes and wanes at various points; some of it is quite over the top and far too disturbing to find funny.  Again, this may be purposeful on the part of the filmmaker, but the motion picture is definitely not for everyone.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with writer-director Noah Baumbach and his cast.  The book came out in the 1980’s and Baumbach read it when he was 17; it stuck with him over the years because he loved the author’s voice.  This originally started out as an exercise during the lockdown period of the Covid pandemic; following his film “Marriage Story”, Baumbach was feeling a bit frustrated because he didn’t know what he wanted to work on next.  In the midst of the pandemic, he began reflecting on what was going on in the country at that moment.  This is his first adaptation; Baumbach said that his intent was to say how he felt about modern life (although the story is set in the mid-1980’s).  He said that he didn’t want to set the story in modern times because he wanted to remain true to the book and also that’s when his childhood was. 

"My Best Friend's Exorcism" -- Movie Review

 

This week, I streamed Amazon Studios’ new horror-comedy, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”, now available on Prime Video.

Synopsis

When a teenager suspects her best friend is possessed, will she be able to save her with an exorcism?

Story

In the late 1980’s, teenagers Abby and Gretchen are best friends.  One of the many things they have in common is that they both think the religious teachings at their strict Catholic high school are ridiculous.  When they join some friends to spend a weekend in a cabin by the lake, things do not quite go as expected.  One night, the two go exploring in a deserted cabin; when they get spooked, Abby makes a run for it, with Gretchen close behind – until she isn’t.  Once their friends find Abby in the woods, they all go searching for Gretchen – but when they find her, Abby is immediately suspicious. 

Once they return to school, that’s when things get really weird.  Not only is Gretchen behaving strangely, but also, other odd things start occurring around them as well.  Is Gretchen trying to steal the boyfriend from one of the other girls?  After Margaret samples a special “diet” drink, she gets sick and is no longer able to eat.  Then, when Glee can’t find her EpiPen after coming into contact with some nuts, she also falls ill and comes close to dying.  By now, Abby becomes convinced that Gretchen is behind all of this; once she shares this with her other friends, they ostracize her. 

Abby decides to consult with someone connected to her school; he convinces her that all of the signs point to Gretchen being possessed by Satan.  The only thing that can resolve the problem is an exorcism.  Unfortunately, this is easier said than done -- Abby cannot go to a priest because she has become something of an outcast at her school.  Since the person recommending the exorcism has in fact witnessed one before, he suggests that he perform the ceremony.  However, once the exorcism begins, things take an unexpected turn and he is unable to complete the process.  Can Abby alone save her friend?

Review

Not to be diplomatic, but perhaps the best way to summarize a review of “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” is to fall back on an old quote (often attributed, perhaps spuriously, to Abraham Lincoln):  “People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.”  The movie is based on the Quirk Books novel by Grady Hendrix, so it’s clearly geared towards the young adult audience; that said, for folks old enough to remember the film “The Exorcist”, you will be glad to know that there is the obligatory pea-soup-vomit scene included in “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” (not to mention a hat-tip to “Alien” when a serpent-like creature emerges from one of the characters). 

While the horror aspect of this movie is immediately apparent, its comedic elements are less so; essentially, it’s supposed to be funny because the characters are so incredibly goofy – that is to say, they aren’t quite smart enough to know how silly they are.  As a result, we, the audience, can feel comfortable looking down upon them and laugh at them in a condescending fashion.  None of them are trying to be humorous because that would imply some degree of cleverness on their part; they can be thankful that not a single one of them is encumbered by such sagacity.  If one of them surprisingly does something remotely intelligent, just chalk it up to “the devil made me do it” (another quote, this one by the late comedian Flip Wilson, who himself was indeed quite clever). 

If you’re going to recommend this to either a teen or “tween”, have them watch (or better yet, read) “The Exorcist” first; otherwise, they might think that “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” inspired “The Exorcist” rather than the reverse.  Having said that, it might be better to not recommend this motion picture to them in the first place; from a cultural nutrition standpoint, it’s empty calories.  This film occasionally seems to be deriding organized religion (Catholicism in particular) until that same religion apparently comes to the rescue to save the day after all.  Don’t be misled – these characters are devout only to their own narcissism.   

"Bodies Bodies Bodies" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the A24 Screening Room, I streamed their latest comedy-thriller, “Bodies Bodies Bodies”, directed by Halina Reijn and co-written by Sarah DeLappe & Kristen Roupenian. 

Synopsis

When a group of young adults hold a hurricane party at a secluded mansion, they decide to play a game to pass the time – but when the game goes awry and people turn up dead, will they ever find out who is the murderer?

Story

It’s late summer somewhere on the eastern end of New York state’s Long Island; a hurricane is forecast for the coming days and that spurs David (Pete Davidson) to throw a hurricane party with some of his friends.  David’s wealthy parents own an expansive mansion in the area, so it makes total sense to use that location as the party spot – especially since his family isn’t currently home.  Over time, guests start to straggle in – the late-comers being Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her mysterious Russian partner Bee (Maria Bakalova) who are too late to join the others in the in-ground pool because that’s exactly when the rain starts. 

Unfortunately for Sophie and Bee, not all of the guests are glad to see them; while they are welcomed by some, others give them a rather cold greeting.  Despite the tepid reception, the couple try to make the best of the situation – especially since Sophie wants to show off her new girlfriend and Bee, still somewhat of an outsider, is eager to make new friends.  After dinner, the group decide to spend the evening playing a party game called “Bodies Bodies Bodies”; the idea of the game is that one of them is discovered “dead” (actually, tapped on the back by another guest) and the others have to figure out which one of them is the “murderer”. 

The game goes off the rails at one point when petty arguments break out between some of the party goers, completely ruining the fun mood.  When a couple of them decide they no longer wish to play, the rest of the group try to continue the game as the storm outside intensifies; it is precisely at this moment when the power goes out and their cell phones lose their signals.  Attempting to continue the game in total darkness (guided only by the dim light from their phones), what little fun that remains comes to an abrupt end when David turns up dead – apparently murdered.  But which one of the guests would do such a thing?   

Review

“Bodies Bodies Bodies” is characterized partly as a comedy; there really isn’t much here that’s laugh out loud funny, however – there are certainly amusing moments, but that’s about all you can expect.  Much of the humor derives from the sense of fun the filmmakers are attempting to provide by not taking the whole mystery genre terribly seriously.  There is a good cast assembled here, particularly Pete Davidson and Rachel Sennott; interestingly, their best and funniest performances did not make the final cut of the film.  At this streamed screening, an outtakes reel was played after the movie and that’s where you find some of their funnier moments. 

The screenplay is cleverly written and deftly carried out in its direction; it soon becomes clear that everyone is having fun with this theme and they are openly inviting the audience to join them in their enjoyment.  Are there any loose ends that don’t get tied up by the end of the film?  Yup, there certainly are; but if you’re concerned about that, then you’re probably focusing on the wrong things here – the filmmakers aren’t taking this entire endeavor overly seriously and neither should you.  It seems clear that the objective here is not necessarily to make the best in the category, but rather to use it to make some good-natured fun. 

While “Bodies Bodies Bodies” may be geared towards anyone who appreciates this horror-mystery-thriller type, it seems apparent that given the age of the cast, they are especially targeting the younger demographic – as a result, it may be understandable that anyone older than that age range might not find this film quite as entertaining as a younger (teens and 20’s) audience would.  Quite frankly, if you’re in the mood for a good satire – regardless of the form they are sending up – then this one is highly recommended.  Currently, the movie is in limited release in theaters; if you can’t find one near you that is showing this motion picture, then you can stream it on Vudu.    

"Moonage Daydream" -- Movie Review

 

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new documentary, “Moonage Daydream”. 

Synopsis

A documentary celebrating the career of rock legend David Bowie.

Story

David Bowie’s fans are certainly ardent – although they have primarily followed him through his music career, they are loyal to his other creative endeavors such as acting and painting.  Bowie’s transition to acting seemed rather natural, not just because of his wide-ranging creativity, but because in his live concerts, he was something of a performance artist, portraying such characters as Ziggy Stardust.  What’s revealed in some of his interviews is that he had a very specific reason for doing this:  he wanted to hide behind those characters because he was afraid of revealing his true self to the public.    

Although Bowie enjoyed painting, he never felt a need to have a showing of his work.  On a couple of occasions, galleries reached out to him to offer to display his art in their space; both times, he initially agreed, but ultimately backed out at the last minute.  Bowie’s androgyny was somewhat controversial at the time, but he didn’t care; he took some pleasure out of shocking or surprising people.  He was also quite open about his sexuality, admitting to being bisexual; however, he didn’t seem particularly interested in having serious relationships because they were distracting.  Later in life, he apparently changed his mind because he married the model Iman. 

Bowie’s acting initiatives included both stage and screen; perhaps his most notable role in live theater was on Broadway, where he performed the title role of The Elephant Man.  Most of his acting work, however, was on film.  Also, he often appeared in music videos of his songs, especially in later years when that became a popular way for musicians to market their latest work.  On television, arguably his most notable appearance came on a holiday special hosted by crooner Bing Crosby, where they sang Christmas carols.  Less notable was a soft drink commercial where he danced with Tina Turner.   

Review

This past May, “Moonage Daydream” played at the Cannes Film Festival where it was extremely well received.  If you are a hardcore fan of the late David Bowie, then “Moonage Daydream” will likely be a must-see.  If you are too young to remember Bowie, then you’ll likely take a pass on this one.  But what if you are a casual fan of his?  It is understandable that you would be interested in seeing it, but be advised that it can be a little bit hard to take for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that at two and a quarter hours, it rambles on far too long.  Only the Bowie-obsessed would be willing to sit still for this length. 

This loose and barely-structured (that may be unnecessarily generous) documentary is interspersed with footage of both live concert performances and television interviews.  This is perfectly fine; however, where things tend to go awry is when the filmmaker also includes unnecessary and unwelcomed cutaways to short clips from other unrelated films which not only comes across as a series of non-sequiturs but at times, even an assault to the senses.  Another problem with this attempt at a documentary is that the “story” of David Bowie does not appear to be told in chronological order; this is too bad, especially considering the interesting information he discloses about his family life and in particular, his older half-brother.      

Following the screening, there was an interview with the director, Brett Morgen.  Morgen met Bowie in 2007 and proposed a non-fiction project but by that time, the musician was in semi-retirement, so the project was never done.  A year after Bowie died in 2016, Morgen had a serious heart attack and went into a coma; when he recovered, he became determined to produce a documentary about Bowie.  He contacted the estate and was allowed to view their collection of media.  Over a period of two years, Morgan spent 14 hour days screening footage six days a week.  By the time he had a rough cut, the pandemic hit and that slowed things down considerably.