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Life After presents a short story with a big screen feel < Back Life After presents a short story with a big screen feel Evolve Studios, 2021 25 minutes Director/Writer: Jesse Edwards Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Evolve Studios Life After Pawnbroker 00:00 / 04:30 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Ginger Thought-provoking movies/shows Reba Chaisson 2024-09-11 Life After is an aptly named film about Police Detective Ashley “Ash” Seger, who is struggling to cope after losing her partner and lover. Played by Torri Yates-Orr, Ash offers no response to her boss who tells her to get over it and move on, as if imposing a clock on grieving is realistic. Instead, Ash retreats to her Nashville apartment and takes her frustration out on her core by mad-crunching until she is called into a hostage situation sometime later. Right before heading to the scene, she reluctantly meets her new partner and lead hostage negotiator Detective Matthew Booker (Parker Bradwell of country music trio MAMADEAR). When they arrive on scene, Commander Dax (Mykie Fisher) informs them of a note on the warehouse door with a riddle, a phone number, and the names of three people presumably being held hostage. Perplexed but confident, Booker calls the number, and we are immediately introduced to the story’s complication as the voice on the other end sends chills up our spines. Kidnappers have a pretty monolithic portrayal — deranged, outraged, and out of control, but predictable. However, the male voice on the phone is best described as controlled, rational, and highly educated, far different from the bitter, revenge-driven ramblings of the captors often seen in hostage-taking dramas like Speed and Olympus Has Fallen . In Life After , we are suddenly set in the grips of this story and feel placed at the antagonist’s mercy. Despite the dozens of police, SWAT personnel, automatic weapons, and even a helicopter on scene, we quickly realize that the situation is dire, and the authorities no longer have control over it. Life After looks, feels, and sounds like a big-screen production. So much so that it brings to mind F. Gary Gray’s gritty theatrical release, The Negotiator . The 1998 film stars Samuel L. Jackson as the title character with a reputation for smoothly taking control of what are often volatile situations with lives at risk. What we learn from Jackson’s character is that the key to negotiating is the ability to establish a rapport with your counterpart. So, when Booker is unable to do this by first answering the morbid riddle posed by the kidnapper, Ash reticently and hurriedly interjects with the answer and is suddenly thrust into the middle of the negotiations. Her fragile emotional state suggests she is unprepared for such a heavy responsibility, but she is left with little choice. Her answer to his riddle resonates so strongly with him that he will have it no other way. Indeed, his riddle conveys the sense that he too is reeling from the loss of a loved one. But will this empathy, this connection, be enough to get everyone out of this situation safely? In addition to its sophisticated, big-screen cinematography, writer/director Jesse Edwards infuses the film with timely musical elements by composer Ryan Taubert that enhance the suspense and heighten the intensity of the scenes throughout its 25-minute runtime. At moments during the standoff, for example, the kidnapper imposes time limits on his demands. As the deadlines approach, the tempo and volume of the music rise, increasing the pounding of our hearts and immersing us more and more deeply into the dilemma unfolding on screen. The technique shifts us from the perspective of audience members to feeling like characters in the film, wanting to grab the shirt lapels of the police officers and scream “ANSWER HIM.” This tension also occurs when the authorities consider whether or not to acquiesce to the kidnapper’s demands. The rhythmically steady beats and deep sounds at these moments convey the seriousness of the situations. In an interview , Edwards notes that the film was written and shot in just four weeks. This timeframe is not unusual for short films. What is unusual is the big-screen look and feel of the film, and its use of music. Throughout the movie, I could not help but feel that this production could be lengthened and greenlit as a theatrical release. While the dilemma it presents is a bonus, though, the longer version might just require a resolution. Available on Apple TV Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Fair Play is an adults-only story that considers the cost of over-investing in our work MRC Film, 2023 113 minutes Director/Writer: Chloe Domont Reading Time: 5 minutes Fair Play Rogue (00ND732RQNI7IRCI) 00:00 / 06:09 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2023-10-11 Despite being culturally aware of women’s skills and abilities as being no less sharp and infinite than theirs, many men still struggle to accept it when the person they love most earns more and advances more readily in their careers than they do. Fair Play features Phoebe Dynevor ( Bridgerton , Younger ) and Alden Ehrenreich ( Oppenheimer , Brave New World ) as Emily and Luke, a mid 30-something couple passionately embroiled in a romantic relationship and recently engaged. Both are career climbers working at the same investment firm where stakes are high around billion-dollar deals and careers can be suddenly enhanced or derailed. This thrilling story of corporate gamesmanship and fierce lovemaking gives off an adrenaline rush that we normally experience with a good action movie. Fair Play , however, is an intense drama wrapped inside a compelling story. The issue is an old one, which is the degree to which men struggle to deal with the success of their female partners. The inciting incident is Emily’s promotion to the coveted position of portfolio manager (PM) where bonus checks are multi-six-figure rather than just five. She is reticent about sharing the news with Luke and displays a sense of guilt about being promoted over him given his high hopes for getting the position. When she finds the words to tell him, Luke takes the news well, responding in his sedate and charming demeanor, “That’s amazing.” Research doesn’t indicate that women feel guilty about being more successful than their male partners. Indeed, women’s promotions into executive ranks that hold decision-making power are rare, so such an advancement is received as a form of self-affirmation. Studies do show, however, that women’s guilt usually lies in them being less available to their children . But in Fair Play , Emily and Luke do not have children, which indicates that Emily’s sense of guilt is linked to Luke’s aspiration for the job and his disappointment for not getting it. While he is initially supportive of Emily, Luke will not celebrate with her and over time becomes resentful of her. The depths of his resentment become clear when he angrily tells Emily, “You took my job. It was mine and you took it.” Men’s identity is strongly linked to work, and their gender role is tied to being the family’s provider. Luke’s behavior indicates that he is struggling with this conflict between his identity as a man and a reality that doesn’t align with it. What is surprising is the degree to which his behavior toward the love of his life devolves over the course of the 113 minute film – even to the point where he can’t get excited enough to engage in sexual relations with her. Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan , Ray Donovan: The Movie ) plays Campbell, the uncompromising and staunch leader of the firm whose focus is on making money (even if it means demeaning his employees to do so). As we see in this film, being fired from Campbell’s firm is mortifying, as the experience makes people cry like babies, destroy company property, and even bring grown men to their knees. It is also a place where the employees are accustomed to witnessing such meltdowns. This reality is demonstrated when a group casually chooses to increase the volume on an obligatory ethics video rather than stop and stare at the performance of yet another colleague being humiliatingly terminated. Given all of this, it makes us think that while Luke self-destructs, he is perhaps not wrong in some of the stupor-ridden advice he imparts to Emily. One piece of his advice consists of making sure Campbell and others understand that she is not available to them 24/7. To ensure our careers do not overtake our identities, should we make it a point to draw boundaries between what we do and who we are? Are the extreme reactions to being fired from the firm indicative of the person’s inability to draw lines between their personal and professional lives? Writer/director Chloe Domont meticulously presents a complete story beginning with the couple’s enthrallment of each other through its gradual and sad fracturing. Her deliberate casting of Emily and Luke as unmarried and with no children elucidates the source of stress in their relationship as strictly work-related. It helps us zero in on the question of whether Emily’s new responsibilities at work change how she relates to Luke and vice versa. This is critically important for us to see in order to consider the power of socialization in shaping who we are as individuals and how we make sense of our place in the world. Fair Play is good and uniquely thrilling given its story and central themes. It would be interesting, though, to see such a story about same-sex partners. Do things get equally crazy in same-sex relationships or are they significantly different in some way? Fair Play reminds me of another film about a firm, the law firm depicted in the 1993 movie, The Firm . Starring Tom Cruise as Mitch, The Firm is about a recent graduate from Harvard Law School who lands a role at a prestigious firm in Memphis and realizes its rampant lack of ethics. In threatening to expose them, he puts both his career and his life in peril with his no-nonsense and corrupt bosses, played by Gene Hackman and Hal Holbrook. Like in Fair Play , the stakes at Mitch’s law firm are high and the concept of fair play is non-existent. You get on board fast or get out now because the firm’s priority is to make money – and lots of it. Damn equity, ethics, individual careers, personal feelings, and even the people we love. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Peter & the Wolf provides a goth-animated adaptation to a familiar fairy tale < Back Peter & the Wolf provides a goth-animated adaptation to a familiar fairy tale Blink Industries, 2023 33 minutes Director/Writer: Elliot Dear and Stephen McNally / Bono and Sergei Prokofiev Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Peter & the Wolf Boo! (RESPVDYED21KBUR7) 00:00 / 04:02 Ginkgo Biloba Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2023-10-26 Peter & the Wolf tells the tale of a grieving 12-year-old boy sent to live with his grandfather in the forest after the death of a parent. While he wants to play outside, his grandfather tries to keep him close to the house and back inside early, as there is said to be a wolf on the prowl. However, Peter seeks out an encounter with the wolf with the help of a duck, a bird and his cat. He initially finds the wolf aggressive and predatory, but once he tames it, Peter attempts to protect it from capture at the hands of two hunters. Bono’s adaptation of a 1946 Disney animation (which itself was based on a classical composition by the same name) centers heavily around the idea of protection. Peter spends the entire short film trying to protect his animal friends from each other and from humans, while his father also tries to protect him from the wolf and the hunters. Peter uses several methods as means of protection, including his slingshot, trickery, and reasoning skills. His adventures allow him to transfer his angry energy about the loss of a parent into something productive, as he essentially makes a new family out of his animal friends. In stages of grief, we often need to withdraw from our routines in order to emotionally recover. Peter & the Wolf paints a different picture of processing grief, with its protagonist taking on the responsibility of caring for animals. The short also uses gothic animation to portray the good and bad, or innocence and guilt, in its characters. The wolf, initially in its predator state, is outlined in chalk with X’s for eyes, making it the clear villain. Once Peter has tamed it, the wolf’s outline goes away to reveal its fur and soft, round eyes, drawn the same as the other characters. Another example is the duck wearing a snorkel mask while it wades in the pond. Not only does it add a touch of humor, but it makes the duck seem more like a human. We see Peter’s animal friends experience the full emotional spectrum, from fearful to brave to playful to serious, and even annoyed (the cat jumps and glares at Peter for slamming down a book). Even more clever than the art is the way Peter & the Wolf uses music. The classical music accompanying this children’s story might even offer a nice reprieve for parents who still have Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” or the Hamilton soundtrack ringing in their ears. Accompanied by singer Gavin Friday’s narration, the short consists of similar music to the original, which contained compositions by Sergei Prokofiev. Each character (bird, duck, grandfather, wolf, Peter, and hunters) has their own instrument and musical theme. As with Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale first performed in 1936, the musical pace quickens to represent impending danger and the rush to safety, while the normal slow, bouncy tunes symbolize calm. The music, along with the character’s behavior, exhibits how violence begets violence, with the characters threatening each other’s safety one after the other before being subdued. Peter & the Wolf differs from a lot of children’s stories that tend to be about lost characters and their adventures in trying to find a way home. Rather, it depicts the need for safety and security of the most vulnerable creatures. There are few symphonic fairy tales available for a comparison; however, a recent one to shout out is the 2021 Merregnon: Land of Silence , about a wooden robot who must find his creator in a realm of eternal frost. Both projects offer adults a chance to introduce classical music to their children within the context of what is still a children’s story. Available on max Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Fabelmans reveals how life-changing it can be to discover your passion at an early age Amblin Entertainment, 2022 151 minutes Director/Writer: Steven Spielberg / Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Reading Time: 6 minutes The Fabelmans Just A Dream (IP2HUBXOLYGHAIN2) 00:00 / 06:46 📷 : Used with permission, Edgar Ascensão https://edgarascensao.bigcartel.com/ Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Reba Chaisson 2023-03-07 Some people might question if this film fits in the indie sector and should instead be viewed as a mainstream drama/biopic. This is fair I suppose, given that it was distributed in big theaters, shown on big screens, is connected to Steven Spielberg, and oh, is about Steven Spielberg himself – arguably one of the greatest film directors to ever grace a studio lot. Still though, I would argue that The Fabelmans is nonetheless a story; a small, tight, very personal story kneaded, molded, and lightly shaped, yet shaped perfectly in the indie tradition. This element, which is at the very center, the very origin of indie film’s birth about 30 years ago, makes The Fabelmans a quintessential indie film. The Fabelmans is the coming-of-age story about Sam “Sammy,” the oldest child and only boy in a family of four siblings, headed by Burt Fabelman, a brilliant and ambitious computer engineer, and Mitzi Fabelman, a talented but eccentric classical pianist. In addition to the family of six is the ever-present Benny Loewy, the seventh wheel played by Seth Rogen. Burt’s best friend and colleague, “Uncle Benny” joins the family for picnics, camping trips, and seemingly every dinner at the Fabelman home. After a while, I began to ask, why is he always there? Doesn’t he have a family? Amid raucous humor over dinner one night, even Grandma Fabelman chimes, “Natalie, he is not your uncle!” “He is only always here because he works for my son.” Initially set in New Jersey, the movie opens with Burt and Mitzi cajoling 7-year-old Sammy into going into the movie theater with them, insisting he will love it and that the movie is not real but just “photographs that move past faster than your brain can let go of them [tricking] us into believing the motionless pictures are moving.” Sammy relents and he is both mesmerized by what he sees and forever hooked. Played by Gabriel LaBelle ( Dead Shack , The Predator ), Sammy, now a teenager, makes movies with his friends in period clothing on authentic-looking sets, and presents the films at school functions. He is serious about movie-making and aspires to do it for a career. Sammy is very close to his non-traditional but sometimes quirky mother, played by Michelle Williams ( Manchester by the Sea , My Week with Marilyn ). A warm and loving mother, Mitzi is always seemingly starving to be the center of attention. She dances for them on camping trips, gets a monkey for a pet, and serves nightly dinner on paper plates with plastic utensils atop a paper tablecloth. There is a method to her madness though, and what seems like eccentricity is not necessarily so. Burt, played by Paul Dano ( There Will Be Blood , Love & Mercy ), views Sammy’s movie-making as a hobby and lovingly insists he should focus on doing “real work” that leads to a “real career,” like becoming an engineer. It is not uncommon for parents to impose their own career aspirations on their kids or to want their kids to follow in their footsteps. Unless encouraged to do so, children who go their own way are often viewed as being selfish. Indeed, when Mitzi loses a loved one, Burt asks Sammy to put off his “hobby” to make a film that would make his mother happy. The 16-year-old pushes back on this, “Dad, I have 40 people coming tomorrow …” Calling him “selfish,” Burt insists and then pleads for his help in making his mother happy. This, however, proves to be a mistake. As Sammy relents and splices clips for a movie that will “make his mother happy,” he stumbles on a pattern of scenes he did not want to see that tell a story he did not want to know. Together, they turn his peace of mind and sense of security on their heads, shifting the teenager’s world as if tectonic plates are suddenly moving underneath his feet. For someone who takes such joy in putting together a film for other people’s enjoyment, he was faced for the first time with making a movie he could not even enjoy himself. He is forced to tell a story that fits an occasion but leaves out the truth. The Fabelmans shows how Sammy uses his moviemaking to communicate and connect. Despite the antisemitic bullying he experiences in his Arizona high school, he uses his camera to show his fellow students who they were and what they looked like, as if perhaps seeing themselves could affect a change within them. In this way, the film hints at the transformative power of motion pictures. That how we see ourselves represented on screen, including our interactions with one another, teaches us something about who we are, who we can — or what we want to be. In The Fabelmans , Sammy’s film softens stances, enhances understanding, and breaks down barriers – but not in every case. When he is confronted by a guilt-ridden bully, he says “All I did was hold the camera and it saw what it saw,” while another bully simply wanted to beat the hell out of him. ‘Filming only what the camera saw’ is an oversimplification though. As was revealed in the movie for his mother, a film tells whatever story the filmmaker wants to tell, must tell to fit a moment or an occasion. A cinematic presentation does not just appear on its own; it does indeed have a subjective component. Having said this though, clips of unguarded moments captured on film can reveal a deep, authentic story. And The Fabelmans is a deeply personal one that must have been very difficult to tell. The Fabelmans spans the early-1950s through late 1960s and covers the family’s move from the East Coast to the West Coast; yet, I was challenged to stumble upon any anachronisms in this 2 ½ hour-long movie. Apart from the men’s shoe-length rather than ankle-length pants, the colors, the furniture, the clocks, and even the style of the appliances were consistent with the period. For a quintessential and exquisitely developed indie film that might take you back — way back, and long for the old days, you might want to curl up to this one. 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A Good Day Will Come sheds light on a real-life tragedy < Back A Good Day Will Come sheds light on a real-life tragedy Zargara Productions, 2024 25 minutes Director/Writer: Amir Zargara Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Amir Zargara A Good Day Will Come Just A Dream 00:00 / 04:24 Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Chris Chaisson 2024-10-19 If you follow sports even in the slightest, you are probably aware of the times that they have notoriously intersected with politics. From a historical standpoint, incidents like John Carlos and Tommie Smith raising their fists on the Olympic podium or Muhammad Ali refusing to fight in the Vietnam War stand out. More recently, we’ve seen Colin Kaepernick and numerous others protest against police violence. A less well-known example is decorated WNBA player Maya Moore abruptly retiring to focus on reform in the justice system. The most common pushback is to point out the privilege of famous athletes and suggest that they stick to what they know best. One political commentator famously told LeBron James to “shut up and dribble.” Though reductive and dismissive, the statement does highlight the quandary that gifted public figures find themselves in. Do they put everything they’ve worked for their entire life on the line for a just cause? Or do they decide that activism is best left to others? Inspired by the true story of Navid Afkari, A Good Day Will Come examines this quandary in the setting of an even more tumultuous political climate. Sia Alipour plays Arash, a talented wrestler with hopes of competing in the Olympics. However, in his home country of Iran, turbulent protests against the human rights violations by the current regime persist. While his wrestling coach initially dissuades him from getting involved or speaking on the matter, the issue becomes more personal for Arash in the blink of an eye. After brief comments to the press and the donning of a T-shirt, he decides to put his own safety on the line and attend a protest. Seeing the tide turning towards potential violence, he must decide whether to hang back or step to the forefront and use his celebrity to save lives. A Good Day Will Come brings us a very heavy re-telling of a recent tragedy, but it also shows us what change and activism looks like through a character arc. Arash is not just soft-spoken on the current political issues; he is generally very bashful for the first half of the short film. His skill for wrestling stands out immediately through the depiction of his matches, but he does not initially come off as brash as Muhammad Ali or as open as Arthur Ashe. Rather, he is tunnel-visioned and keeps his head low, looking to his coach for guidance. As the short progresses, he speaks more, initiates more and makes decisions without looking for someone else’s instructions. Short film protagonists may not always display the character arc that Arash does, but being forced into such precarious positions causes one to either change very quickly or pass the buck. The short film also shows the initial pushback to Arash’s decision to get involved. At one point, a group of agitators at a protest try to shoo him away when he discourages their behavior. They say, “All you’ve done is wear a T-shirt!” Their words echo the frustration of many activists at what they perceive to be performative measures. Often, public figures gain praise for what are symbolic gestures that do not necessarily contribute to a cause in any practical way. This allows them to gain adoration without any sacrifice. The exchange forces Arash to go a step further and put his safety even more on the line. Driven people with sky-high personal goals do not tend to put their own happiness aside quickly. It is often a gradual process as they learn the severity of many social issues. The timeline can often shrink significantly when they are personally affected. Nonetheless, it is a lot to ask of anyone to halt the pursuit of the one thing they’ve aspired to be all their life. What differentiates “real” activism from performative shtick? The answer is very subjective. A Good Day Will Come may make you reflect on your own perspective. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Righteous Thieves is an entertaining vehicle for showing others care about the travesties of the Holocaust Broken English Productions, 2023 91 minutes Director/Writer: Anthony Nardolillo / Michael Corcoran Reading Time: 4 minutes Righteous Thieves Turning the Tide (CCXHKP61WIO812WI) 00:00 / 05:12 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Reba Chaisson 2023-03-28 Quite often, we feel our stories are isolated, that no one cares about them but us. While it can sometimes seem difficult to find a sympathetic audience, there is indeed such an audience. Occasionally, we must figure out how to navigate to them and present our stories in ways that elicit empathy. This is apparently what happened with 20-something year-old Annabel in 1985, when 60-something year-old Josef catches her breaking into his Los Angeles home and rather than shooting her, makes a deal with her. I say apparently because the film then cuts to present-day, where Annabel is the head of an all-male Jewish syndicate focused on recovering art, jewelry, and other property stolen by Nazis during the Holocaust in Anthony Nardolillo’s Righteous Thieves . This cut in the movie remains problematic for me because it robs the film of a much-needed emotional element. Clearly, Annabel, played by Lisa Vidal ( Being Mary Jane , The Event ), has dedicated her life to Josef’s cause, which suggests he had quite the effect on her. But what was that like? What conversations did they have? How did their bond develop over the subsequent years – and for how many years? Ultimately, I need to see this relationship unfold – not be told about it through a line from Annabel here and there throughout the film. The absence of this essential element made the film feel inauthentic. Despite the absence of this emotional element, Righteous Thieves is nonetheless an entertaining story about a team of mostly longtime friends coming together to recover valuable paintings stolen from the Jewish community by Nazis during the Holocaust. Led by Annabel, the friends consist of one White and four Hispanic persons combining their safe-cracking, high-tech, and fighting talents to infiltrate the highly secure facility where the items are stored. While 60 Minutes , CBS News , and PBS segments typically focus on institutions and private collectors (Nazis and their heirs) in Europe, Righteous Thieves targets a German holder in upscale Los Angeles who brags to even casual acquaintances about his expensive collection of paintings. As I wrote in my review of Your Honor , good dramatic villains do not call attention to themselves. Denzel Washington’s character in American Gangster was livid that his girlfriend’s gift to him in the form of a white fur coat brought him the unwanted attention of authorities, who until then had no clue about him. The villain in Righteous Thieves , Otto, played by Brian Cousins ( Greenlight , Southland ), brings to mind his counterpart in Bad Boys II, who was neither menacing nor scary; just a bully bolstered by the millions from his ill-gotten gains. In one scene in a nightclub, a drink is spilled on Otto’s phone and out of frustration, he throws it at his bodyguard and yells “Clean it up, clean it up!” This lack of composure is uncharacteristic of an ominous villain. A villain that engages in silly, random, and over-the-top things disrespects audience members, making it difficult for them to buy into the movie. Believable antagonists such as the ones in American Gangster , the original Beverly Hills Cop and even the original Bad Boys are cool, menacing, and thus, scary. They show the audience what they are capable of doing and how far they will go to get what they want. Otto fell far, far short of this bar. While lacking the authenticity of emotion and a menacing antagonist, Righteous Thieves is entertaining and brings up a major theme that rings quite true. It demonstrates that people other than those of Jewish background care deeply about the travesties of the Holocaust and feel strongly that stolen assets should be returned to their rightful owners forthwith. The film reminds me of the television series, Leverage , that ran from 2008-2012, where the team of two women and three men frequently used advanced technology, costumes, and slick fighting to infiltrate high society in order to recover items or expose truths. Played by Timothy Hutton, Nathan Ford led the team with the impetus of gaining leverage for their clients who rarely had any due to their lack of money or class status. Righteous Thieves is quite similar in substance and entertainment value. The teams of five differed only in ethnic and gender composition and team leader. It would not be surprising if Righteous Thieves morphed into a sequel or two, or perhaps even migrated to television as a series. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Catalina considers what it means to call someone a friend < Back Catalina considers what it means to call someone a friend rubbertape, 2022 16 minutes Director/Writer: Tyler Rabinowitz / Sam DiGiovanni Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, rubbertape Catalina Friendship And Enmity (BYXIMB0N9DPNS9UC) 00:00 / 04:20 Chamomile Family dramas Ginger Thought-provoking movies/shows Reba Chaisson 2023-10-02 Located off the coast of southern California, Catalina Islands (or Catalina) boasts wonderful activities, restaurants, and accommodations for our vacationing pleasure. Why, then, would anyone go there to camp? Gus, Will and Brian do – and they make the trip every year to relax and reconnect. Catalina is about the bond the three have shared since childhood and their intentional efforts to remain close. The late twenty-something trio differ in several ways. Will is African American and Gus and Brian are White. Gus and Brian are secure in their chosen careers and Will is in flux after recently dropping out of law school. Gus is gay and his friends are not. Their relationship is unusual since most of us engage in gender homophily , meaning our closest friendships tend to be with people whose sexual orientation is the same as ours. Researchers found that the quality of male cross-orientation friendships is high. This is remarkable given that most heterosexual males hold steadfast to traditional views of masculinity. So, the idea of men being friends, let alone, good friends with someone of a different sexual orientation is astonishing. But in Catalina , Gus (Sam DiGiovanni), Brian (Ben Holtzmuller) and Will (Ronald Peet) are comfortable divulging their personal and professional struggles to one another without fear of judgment or criticism. This comfort level is something we typically find with our parents, close family members, and occasionally, long-time best friends – people we trust to offer support and encouragement rather than a snicker and/or admonishment. Researchers also found that close cross-orientation friendships usually predate disclosure of the gay member’s sexual identity. Sharing their sexual orientation with their heterosexual friends creates the space for the group’s relationship to grow deeper and more supportive. Gus, Brian and Will exemplify this as their friendship began when they were just kids and their depth of caring for one another has deepened over the years. Part of this consisted of the men gradually, over time, shedding their ideas about what constitutes masculinity. There are cases, however, in cross-orientation friendships, when heterosexual group members pull away because of concerns about being hit on by their friends who are gay. There are also instances where gay members make assumptions about their friends’ ideas about them, leading them to keep their sexual identity to themselves or avoid their friends for fear of ostracism and ridicule. Catalina touches on this dilemma when Gus, obviously hesitant, hits on one of his friends. This pivotal moment risks the film falling into stereotypes about both gay and heterosexual men. The film, though, reaches beyond these tropes to center this moment as a test of their friendship, so we can watch with bated breath if it will bend, break, or hold firm under these taboos. Among the many things I learned from a dear friend of mine who recently passed away, was to be intentional in loving the people you say you love. Catalina crystallizes this and for that reason, I found this film quite moving. Director Tyler Rabinowitz’s work makes us consider just how much richer our lives could be if we were intentional in letting go of our phobias and the contempt they breed. Catalina depicts this possibility along with the stumbling blocks that can occur along the way. How we handle them says something about us and the importance of our friendships. The short isn’t a tearjerker, just a 16-minute depiction of what it means to call someone a friend despite your differences. As for camping - don’t mind me. I like the outdoors, but I just crave modern amenities like plumbing, glass plates, and a roof over my head. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Frankie highlights the difficulty of finding your voice and standing up for yourself. < Back Frankie highlights the difficulty of finding your voice and standing up for yourself. Red Seed Films, 2020 11 minutes Director/Writer: James Kautz Reading Time: 2 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Red Seed Films Frankie Skeptical (JNOPSEQC5DDSCMWJ) 00:00 / 02:37 Ginger Thought-provoking movies/shows Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2022-09-25 “Do you have any idea what it’s like holding back who you really are ‘cause of someone else’s fears?” Frankie opens on the title character, a trans man, crashing his partner’s all-male support group meeting to vent his frustrations at him. The other members treat him with much hostility, as they feel their safe space to heal is being invaded. Though one might assume his scorn is at being rejected, Frankie’s true gripe is over his partner’s refusal to accept his new identity. Amidst the heckles and jeers of the other group members, he recounts the details of the fight that ended their relationship. The meeting serves as a microcosm of many individuals’ emotional experience in the midst of a transition. As they try to find their voice and discover their true identity, they frequently get silenced or shouted down. There is a constant battle to get others to see them as who they are, not who they were. Frankie reveals that to be cruel, his partner dead-named him (a modern term for calling a trans person by the name they used before transitioning). Throughout his soliloquy, his partner will not even look him in the eye, a gesture that would signify acceptance of his change. Director James Kautz does a brilliant job of using sound to create tension. It begins with Frankie in the hall outside the door, debating whether or not to go through with his plan. We can hear the other support group members’ echoing laughter on the other side of the door. Once Frankie enters, silence fills the room, and this contrast conveys their overwhelming discomfort. The group moderator uses a gentle tone, but the other members speak more sharply as they attempt to shoo him away. When Frankie is finally allowed to vent, a non-diegetic, quickening drum pattern accompanies the rise in his anger level before he stands up and yells. The emotional depth of this short may bring to mind feature-length films such as 500 Days of Summer , Juno , or even The Story of Us . All three deal with a drastic change throwing relationship dynamics in flux. We see the protagonists processing their anger and confusion while simply trying to be heard. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

I Love That for You shows that very little is as it seems < Back I Love That for You shows that very little is as it seems Annapurna Television, 2022 30 minutes Creator: Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Showtime I Love That for You Tell Dem (69KYUSWZ9TT2H6U9) 00:00 / 07:04 Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2023-05-04 The 1971 hit song, “Whatcha See is Whatcha Get” is about a man convincing his lover that unlike her past loves, he is for real. The medium tempo, soulful song by The Dramatics consists of lyrics penned by songwriter Anthony Hester, and begin something like this: Some people are made of plastic Some people are made of wood Some people have hearts of stone Some people are up to no good But baby, I’m for real. I’m as real, as real can get While this might be a bit dramatic (pun intended), you get the point. Things are not always as they seem, and the storyline and characters in the television series, I Love That for You , are strong evidence of this hard truth. I Love That for You depicts behind-the-scenes drama at the Special Value Network or SVN, a home shopping network enterprise. The business is headed by Patricia, a sharply dressed and dictatorial 60-something who founded the successful company. Typically, controlling bosses unwittingly work against themselves,alienating their employees with clear-cut directives and leaving no room for discussion. But this is not the case in this brightly lit series full of quirky characters. Put another way, Patricia, played by Jenifer Lewis, is a strong hands-on leader with skills at negotiating lucrative deals that keep SVN competitive and viable. Closest to her are Darcy Leeds, her smart and loyal assistant played by Matt Rogers ( Fire Island, Shrill ), and Jackie, Patricia’s 50-something best friend played by Molly Shannon ( Other People , Scary Movie 4 ), who is the most successful seller at the network for the past 30 years. While containing some funny moments, warm friendships, and lightly competitive workplace relationships, the show still holds some serious, thought-provoking moments that seem aimed at demystifying several long-held ideas about who people are and the range of their talents and capabilities. One example of this is the idea that life is over at 60-something. Though very serious and controlling, 60-something year-old Patricia is far from one-dimensional, as she is sexually active and particularly enjoys the company of younger Black men. In her words, “What are you saving your vagina for?” Indeed, Patricia is reminiscent of Lady Eloise, Eartha Kitt’s character in the 1992 film Boomerang , where she regularly pursued and seduced men much younger than herself. Like Lady Eloise, Patricia is wealthy and independent, even giving parting gifts to her lovers after their one-night rendezvouses. Despite Patricia being a big part of the series, I Love That for You centers on Joanna, an early 30-something who survived childhood leukemia and still lives under the protective wings of her parents. This is evidenced by her limited social skills (stale jokes, clothes and pajamas with characters, animals and fruits), lack of intimate experience with a partner, and living at home with her parents – who, frustratingly for her, still view her as “sick” despite being cancer-free for 20 years. Fascinated by SVN and Jackie in particular since she was a child, Joanna, played by Vanessa Bayer of Saturday Night Live fame who is also creator of the series, auditions for an on-air role and gets the job. When Patricia asks her “What story are you selling?”, during her first team meeting, she gives an emotionally immature response. Annoyed and unamused, Patricia asks experienced sellers the same – all of whom humorously articulate keen awareness of their on-air identities. Posing the question again to her new employee, Joanna, desperate to keep her job, belts out “I have cancer.” This sudden schtick conjures sympathy not only from Joanna’s colleagues, but also her shopping audience, making her a highly successful seller at SVN. But to what degree can Joanna keep up the lie about her fictitious cancer diagnosis? Storytelling is at the center of selling and perhaps I am being cynical, but many if not most of them are lies. This one is a big one though. Unseemly. It can even be viewed as making light of and profiting off the pain and suffering of people whose lives have been turned inside out by a word some find difficult to say aloud, so choosing to abbreviate it instead as “the C word.” The thing about telling lies is it warrants keeping up the facade, usually by telling more and bigger lies to do so. Finally, when the lie is told so much, it risks overshadowing the identity of the person who is lying. I Love That for You is largely light and fun, despite containing an element that does not make sense. For example, Joanna never shows signs of experiencing cancer treatments. Her skin color and body size never change, and she even maintains a full head of hair throughout the series. Yet, her colleagues make no mention of this. Each episode, though, does continue to challenge commonsense ideas. Joanna, for example, is presented as naïve and innocent but she is a big liar. Beth Ann, a self-identified Iranian woman played by Ayden Mayeri, is depicted as competitive, spiteful, and full of lust, when Iranian women are typically represented as covered and wholesome. Perry, another on-air talent played by Johnno Wilson who presents as effeminate, enjoys sex with women as well as men because “f***ing is f***ing.” And while confident and successful, Jackie carries some deep secrets that suggest she is not as okay as she seems. Even Patricia does not escape this, as while controlling, she demonstrates that she is also intensely passionate. Suffice it to say that very little is as it seems in this series, which is likely what creators Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler intended. In addition to entertaining, the show reveals the depth and breadth of people across race, gender, and age categories, as if to implore the audience to avoid judging a book by its cover. There are scenes in I Love That for You that recall the fun of Boomerang and the poignancy of the television series, How to Get Away with Murder . The diversity and quirkiness of the characters add to the series’ entertainment value and broad appeal. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Source and Impact of Smith's Actions Two Perspectives on "The Slap" Chris and Reba Chaisson 4/3/22 Reading Time: 10 minutes 📸: Licensed from Shutterstock Chris’s Thoughts To catch the unaware up to speed, Chris Rock took to the Oscars stage to present the Academy Award for Best Documentary. However, being the seasoned comedian that he is, Rock threw in a couple of quips, certainly with the encouragement of the producers, before moving on to the presentation. Among those quips was a punch line at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith, sitting front and center with husband Will. “Jada, love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” As Jada has recently shaved her head in response to an alopecia diagnosis and subsequent hair loss (reportedly unbeknownst to Rock), she was not amused and rolled her eyes. Will Smith, sensing her discomfort, then rose, marched toward Rock, and smacked him across the face before returning to his seat and screaming, “Keep my wife’s name out your f— mouth!” Though it may not seem so on the surface, there is nuance to this exchange. Chris Rock poked fun at both Will and Jada when he hosted the Oscars several years ago. Will and Jada have been transparent about the ongoings of their marriage, making them the butt of many jokes online and even amongst colleagues. Lastly, Will himself has admitted to continuously coping with the feelings of inadequacy he developed as a child from not being able to defend his mother from abuse. Another topic to provide context to the incident is how award shows for entertainers are often produced and the resulting tension. Frequently, the committee chooses someone with a comedic background, if not a standup comic themselves, to host. The objective of this booking is to have a recognizable jester poke fun at the regal atmosphere that the committee generates. Having exceedingly rich people gather in fancy garb to exchange pleasantries and take turns congratulating themselves will draw a larger TV audience if someone is there to poke fun at them (you may have heard about the exploits of one Ricky Gervais, for instance). There is an unspoken divide here, as many actors (whether they say it or not) do not take kindly to being mocked. Regardless of their feelings on roast comedy, they want nothing to do with being the butt of any gags on their special night. Beyond all these details exists an even larger talking point, which is the normalized ostracizing of Black women’s hairstyles. In both comedy and society at large, it has become so commonplace to denigrate how Black women dress, speak, respond to situations, and wear their hair that many people do not even recognize these disparaging remarks when they hear them. Thus, Jada’s decision to shave her head was measured and well thought out, knowing what the aftermath would likely be. Chris Rock, being the critical thinker that he is, still chose to take a jab at her. Contrary to popular belief, few people just snap over one comment. The source of the rage and frustration dates back much further in time for most instances. In this case, Will and Jada are a famous couple whose transparency about their marriage and daily lives comes at a time when the most possible people have access to them. In the 80s, 90s or even early 2000s, Chris Rock’s quip may have been a little easier to brush off. Unfortunately, Jada has likely caught so much flack leading up to this awards show from anonymous people that she has never and will never meet. Though it may seem trivial, these insults cut much deeper than we realize to the point that even loving friends and colleagues ribbing you becomes angering and tiresome. What we saw on Jada’s face was not just pain, but fatigue. Reba’s Thoughts During much of its existence, the Oscars has been a politically contested space. Presenters and awardees often use their time on stage to make statements on a broad range of social issues like the environment, geopolitics, human rights, Guantanamo Bay, LGBTQ rights, women’s issues, and race. And nearly since its inception, it has been wrought with controversy, some more well-known than others. In 2019, the Academy’s announcement that awards for Cinematography, Live Action Short, Film Editing, and Makeup and Hairstyling would be presented during commercial breaks created significant social media backlash. While it reversed this decision due to social pressure, the organization received quite the lashing for the absence of women nominees in the Best Director category that same year. Also in that year, the show went without a single host when Kevin Hart resigned after significant criticism for what were labeled as “homophobic jokes” he made in the nascent stages of his career. Indeed, some issues around the Oscars have been quite repugnant. Woody Allen’s award nominations, after news broke about his relationship with his adult stepdaughter in the late 1970s is one example. And Roman Polanski’s nominations after he pled guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor before fleeing the U.S. to avoid prosecution is probably the most egregious. The industry’s punishment was to expel Polanski from the Academy for life. Like Allen, his work, though, would continue to be recognized, celebrated, and awarded for years to come. Undoubtedly, there is a tension between where the celebration of cultural accomplishments ends and accountability for moral failings and legal troubles begin. Blending the two means canceling people wholesale. In the case of Polanski, I think this is warranted; otherwise, I am simply not down for that. Nonetheless, this seems to be the abyss where Will Smith is headed, given news of his resignation from the Academy and rumblings of various movie deal cancellations. It’s going to be a while before we know the full impact of Smith’s actions at the Oscars on Sunday. Admittedly, on the one hand, I felt some sense of validation as a Black woman – seeing a Black man stand strong for his Black wife. On the other, I felt ashamed and embarrassed even though I personally had no part in it. My feelings stem from the fact that what one Black person does typically gets transferred onto the collective. So, what Smith did affects anyone who looks like me and lives here in the U.S. Whether it was due to pent-up anger from social media comments, or the singular joke made by Chris Rock, Smith’s physical assault of Rock was unwarranted – particularly in plain view. There is simply too much at stake for Black and Brown people still working to gain entry into this space. At a time when we were all but absent at the Oscars, awardees of color and some White presenters showed that they were acutely aware of what was at stake and comported themselves in a manner that recognized this. A proverbial elephant in the room existed at the show in 1939, when Hattie McDaniel was presented with the Best Supporting Actress award. As Fay Bainter, who won the previous year’s award in the same category, makes her presentation speech, the camera pans the audience and homes in on several expectant, White nominees, but never on McDaniel. Bainter stated in part during her presentation, “To me [the award] seems more than just a plaque of gold, it opens the doors of this room, moves back the walls, and enables us to embrace the whole of America.” The White women in the audience seem a bit perplexed. When announced by Bainter as the winner, McDaniel walks to the stage with pride, shoulders back, and gives a brief, pointed speech that concludes “I sincerely hope that I may always be a credit to my race. …” In 1964, Sidney Poitier won the Oscar for Best Actor, where he simply thanked colleagues and the Academy but mentions nothing about race, despite being only the second Black performer to win the award in the Academy’s then 36-year history. Poitier is keenly sensitive to the significance of the win, however, as can be heard in his speech after receiving the Academy’s Honorary Award at the 2002 Oscars. In it, he speaks about the absence of customs for him to follow upon his arrival in Hollywood and how he benefited from a handful of visionaries who made “courageous, unselfish choices.” “Each,” he adds, “with a strong sense of citizenship responsibility to the time in which they lived. …” Eight years later, Sacheen Littlefeather, an Indigenous activist, acknowledged an award on Marlon Brando’s behalf. Dressed in traditional Indigenous garb, Littlefeather rejected Brando’s Best Actor Oscar because of the persistent, dehumanizing depictions and treatment of Indigenous people in Hollywood film. According to the report, John Wayne was offended by the statement and had to be restrained by several men to keep him from going onto the stage and removing Littlefeather during her 60-second, audience-jeered speech. This despite her concluding that “I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity.” Years later, in an interview with The Guardian , Littlefeather said, “I didn’t use my fist [she clenches her fist]. I didn’t use swear words. I didn’t raise my voice. But I prayed that my ancestors would help me. ... I went up there with the grace and the beauty and the courage and the humility of my people.” Smith showed no such grace. On the contrary, his blatant assault of Rock likely embarrassed every Black and Brown person who has been striving to get on a stage for decades. His actions marred the event and detracted from the celebrations of the nominees and their work. Coincidentally, Questlove won his first Oscar that night. His Best Documentary win was the first award announced immediately after the incident, when he and his team had to pretend as if nothing had just happened. It is not unusual for Black folks to have to suppress openly acknowledging what is obvious. For decades, people of color have fought to get their stories told on screen and to loosen their identities from unflattering depictions since the advent of film at the beginning of the 20th century. Arguably, significant gains have been made. But as recent as 2016, the absence of acting nominations for Blacks and Hispanics led to the cultivation and trending of #OscarsSoWhite , indicating we are not there yet. With much work to do still, Smith commits an act on an iconic award show streamed across the globe that reinforces and perpetuates the very associations Black and Brown people have been and are still tirelessly working to disrupt. It is too soon to know if and how much of a setback this will be. What we do know is that Smith’s actions at the Oscars are regrettable and will be difficult to detach him– and ourselves from– for years to come. 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< Back Wind River gives a glimpse of life on “the rez” Acacia Filmed Entertainment, 2017 107 minutes Director/Writer: Taylor Sheridan Reading Time: 5 minutes Wind River Things Gone Wrong (WWEH576CL64WHWCC) 00:00 / 05:52 📷 : Used with permission, Snollygoster Productions https://www.instagram.com/snollygoster.productions/ https://posterspy.com/profile/snollygoster-productions/ Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Mint: Movies and TV shows in cold weather and blizzard conditions Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 Few contemporary stories are set on lands of Indigenous people. This one is guided by Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen who work together to catch the rapist and killer of a young woman. The 18-year-old is found barefoot in the winter wilderness on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. While the film is focused on investigating the crime, the cultural backdrop gives viewers a front seat to the Arapaho Nation’s challenges, cynicism, and humanity. Sadness, sameness, and a sense of lull hang over the film at the outset. Until the audience spends the next hour and 47 minutes on “the rez,” an appreciation for this can never be understood—short of the firsthand experience of living there or somehow becoming a part of the community. Renner ( The Hurt Locker , The Town ) plays Cory Lambert, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife specialist who hunts wild game that prey on the cattle and sheep raised by Wyoming ranchers on federal lands. Recently divorced, he is very close to his ex-wife, her family, and their neighbors who live on Wind River. When he is dispatched to the reservation to track down a lion that recently killed a rancher’s steer, he stumbles upon the body. The discovery deeply affects him because he knows the woman and her family quite well—she is his daughter’s best friend. Graham Green ( Goliath , Molly’s Game ) plays Ben, the sheriff of Wind River. The combination of his cynicism and seriousness strikes a perfect chord in the film, balancing the murder tragedy with the travesty that is life on the reservation. A valley of flat land for miles cradled by mountains so difficult to climb “you have to travel 50 miles to go five,” Wind River appears to be a forgotten place despite being only 140 miles from Jackson Hole, an affluent vacation and resort area. “The rez,” on the other hand, is a desolate and impoverished community with few prospects for young people. The geographic and social isolation of Wind River brings back images streamed of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Then, people in the once-rambunctious city motioned in the warmth to hovering news helicopters for help. On Wind River, cold and silence fill the space as residents seem to have resigned themselves to the fact that help will never arrive and no one with authority cares. When a lone FBI agent is dispatched to help with the murder investigation, no one is surprised; indeed, the scene is almost laughable if the situation were not so tragic. When Agent Jane Banner is flabbergasted that the coroner will not declare the woman’s death a homicide, noting that she will get no additional federal help unless he does so, Ben quips “Don’t look at me; hey, I’m used to no help.” Played by Olsen ( Avengers: Infinity War , Sorry for Your Loss ), Jane is a breath of fresh air in the film. Her naivete about life on “the rez” brings a much-needed outsider’s perspective. Not only is she a federal officer who works collaboratively with Ben and Cory to find the killer, Jane arrives on Wind River with no apparent assumptions about the people who live there or the conditions of the community. She displays the ability to empathize more through emotions than words, which stands out amidst the apathy surrounding her. What she learns about life on “the rez” and what the young woman endured before her death are aptly revealed as overwhelming for her. This is particularly so after an intense, action‑packed climax. In some ways, Jane’s telling emotional scene is reminiscent of the 1996 film, A Time to Kill . In his summation to the jury, Matthew McConaughey’s character described in detail what happened to the little girl who was assaulted. He then asked the jurors to close their eyes, and said, “Can you see her? Now pretend she is White.” Jake Brigance, McConaughey’s character, saw this statement as his last‑ditch effort to humanize the little Black girl for the all-White Mississippi jury. Jane’s character in Wind River functioned much like Jake’s in pushing forth the film as a story about humanity, rather than just a crime saga produced solely for entertainment value. I wonder, though, about the effectiveness of this had Jane and Jake been cast with Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous actors. Unfortunately, this is still something I wonder although the two films are separated by more than 20 years. Filmed mostly during the daylight hours and almost entirely on Wind River, the movie contains some intimate family moments. During these times, we come to understand what underlies the personal and emotional pain of the characters including that of Cory, as well as the factors that contribute to the breakdown of families on “the rez”. While it is a film about a crime, Wind River is also a story about a forgotten segment of the U.S. And ironically, the audience sees this through the empathetic eyes of White lead actors, one of whom depicts a federal agent. Wind River might be for you if you like crime mysteries, suspenseful climaxes, and particularly if the sight of mountains and the use of snow gear and snowmobiles are appealing. Also, if you are a history buff, you get to view the legacy of the U.S.’ century-long movement of Indigenous people onto reservations. 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Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born < Back Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born KZK Productions, 2015-17 60 minutes Creator: Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, and Daniel Zelman Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Bloodline Altered Fate (JADIEIFGX0QKXZJ1) 00:00 / 06:01 Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 When I was in graduate school, my professor stated, “Inequality is violent.” I listened attentively to his explanation then, and while I thought he made a solid case I never fully bought into it. Even the most socialist and altruistic countries have inequality, which indicates it is something that is inevitable and occurs naturally. I do agree, however, that the scale of inequality in the U.S. is obscene and must be remedied through policy. What is violent is unequal treatment and unequal access to opportunities because they allow for castigation, marginalization, and even dehumanization of people who do not have the resources valued in the culture—or in the case of Bloodline , the family. Bloodline is a Netflix original series about a traditional family of six in present-day Florida Keys, an untraditional but serene setting. Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek head the cast as Robert and Sally Rayburn, a set of older Baby Boomers who own Rayburn House, a beautiful resort set on the ocean. As the patriarch of the family, Robert is loved and revered by his four adult children, while Sally is adored and overprotected by them. Skeletons haunt the family, as we learn through flashbacks, old pictures, and of course the dialog between the characters. While the family is highly respected in the community and appears to be close‑knit, it harbors strong anxieties and a general distrust of Danny, the eldest sibling. At the root of these are Robert’s sentiments for his son and the lifelong purgatory he has relegated Danny to because of a pivotal moment of poor judgment he exhibited as a teenager. As the siblings follow Robert’s lead in his ostracism of Danny, we painstakingly realize that outcasts and monsters are not born, rather they are molded and shaped through years of harsh and unequal treatment. The style and setting of Bloodline are reminiscent of the 1960s Elvis Presley movies shot in Hawaii. White sandy beaches, palm trees, and tropical foliage are omnipresent. Boomer hippies sit around in straw hats singing songs backed by the music of Robert’s ever-present ukulele, along with a speckle of teenagers to draw young audiences. The tone and subject matter of the story, however, are serious, making Bloodline a stark contrast from Blue Hawaii , Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style . When he is unable to stay an extra day, a guest jokingly says to Sally “I feel like I am being kicked out of paradise!” Far from paradise, the series is particularly disturbing in season 1, where I often found it difficult to sleep after watching an episode. Generation-X is well represented with the 40-something children led by Kyle Chandler ( Friday Night Lights , Early Edition ) as John Rayburn and Ben Mendelsohn as Danny ( The King , Ready Player ). And while Robert and Sally Rayburn present as hippies, Rayburn House offers very little in diversity by way of its employees, guests, or friends of the Rayburn family. Except for the Hispanic workers who have stereotypical roles of carrying the guests’ suitcases, driving the hotel shuttles, and turning down the beds, the resort—indeed the cast—is overwhelmingly White. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau , Key West is 60% Non-Hispanic White. This means 40% of the island consists of other groups, namely, Hispanics who comprise just under a quarter and Blacks who make up about 14%. Their absence in Robert and Sally’s circle after 50 years on the island reinforces the show's ‘60s aesthetics feel. Interestingly though, each of the siblings has a working or personal relationship with a member of one of these groups, as if the writers were positing the message that time has moved on. Finally and annoyingly, Sally is flappable at every unexpected turn of events. Despite establishing the reputation of the Rayburn House with her husband over the last 50 years, she repeatedly asks how, why, and when questions like she’s clueless, and she defers meaningful business and family decisions to her husband and children. They, in turn, consider the degree to which their decisions will please or upset “Mom.” Sally’s relinquishing of her power is another example of the throwback feel of the show. She is the matriarch of the family, but she does not assert her authority by making her wishes known. Instead, she retreats, refusing to deal with the difficult things and expecting the men in her life to “take care of [them].” Unlike her mother, Meg, played by Linda Cardellini ( The Green Book , Daddy’s Home 2 ), is a strong‑willed, tenacious, and competent lawyer who handles the legal aspects of the family business. Throughout the series, she is revealed as fun‑loving and quite the opposite of a traditional wallflower. Her portrayal hammers home the generational difference between her and her mother. Make no mistake about this show. While it is a ‘60s feel story in a contemporary, bright, beach setting, the subject matter is serious and can be quite disturbing. Stories about family dysfunction often are this way, some less scratch-the-chalkboard-surface than others. But our tastes and appetites vary. While I struggled to get past season 1, this series might just work for you. 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