SEARCH RESULTS

< Back Missing disorients time and place with suspense and thrill Stage 6 Films, 2023 111 minutes Director/Writer: Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick / Will Merrick, Nicholas D. Johnson, Sev Ohanian Reading Time: 5 minutes Missing Quiet Desperation (HRM7QT5CDUE33KUJ) 00:00 / 05:33 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Reba Chaisson 2023-06-15 As adults, we sometimes carry grudges against our parents for all kinds of things. As time passes, we either shake them off or become increasingly incensed. “How could Mom possibly do that?” “Well, she didn’t do this!” “Mom likes you better than me.” In our complaints, we former kids come off as omniscient, as if we had a complete understanding of the nuances of parenting as preadolescents and teenagers. The film, Missing , humbles us by letting us know that as kids, we understood little about the decisions parents made to do what was best for their children. At first glance, a movie where the audience spends half the duration of the film looking at the reflection of the lead actor in monitors and mobile phone screens seems inconceivable, corny, and unappealing. Well actually, all are still true. However, Missing evolves into a suspenseful thriller about a woman who goes missing and her daughter’s efforts to find her. Along the way, the film reinforces the intended function of technology, which is to serve as tools that not only simplify our lives but, when used optimally, can help with challenging and arduous tasks. Storm Reid ( A Wrinkle in Time , Euphoria ) plays June, a tech-savvy 18-year-old occasionally irritated by her mother’s tendency to fuss over her. Insistent on calling and texting to check on her, Grace, June’s single mom played by Nia Long ( The Best Man: The Final Chapters , Look Both Ways ), is loving but also obsessed with keeping her only child safe. While June is a normal older teen with the obligatory best friend and a healthy peer group, she experiences moments of melancholy when sitting in front of her oversized computer monitors. Pulling up a home video of her late father James, whom she was close to as a young child, helps us understand that she still grieves his loss. On this day, Grace is excitedly preparing for a vacation in Cartagena, Columbia with Kevin, her sedate partner played by Ken Leung ( Industry , Lost ). Not as adept as her daughter at technology, Grace inadvertently Facetimes June instead of calling her. Flustered, Grace explains to June when she will return and asks her to pick them up at LAX. June replies in the affirmative with strong hints of annoyance and sarcasm in her tone – “Yes ma’am.” Sound familiar? The mood of the film suddenly turns ominous when Grace and Kevin do not get off the plane from their scheduled flight, and June’s efforts to reach them are in vain. Planting herself in front of her computer, we see her reflection in the monitors for much of the film as she desperately makes phone calls, sends texts, and breaks into emails for clues on their whereabouts. In this sense, Missing brings to mind the 2018 film, A Simple Favor , with Anna Kendrick as Stephanie, a vlogger who uses technology to locate Emily, a missing woman played by Blake Lively. Providing background noise, or what can also be viewed as the soundtrack for Missing , is the familiar sound of computer work, such as telephone ringing, text message bubble bursting, and fingernails hitting the keyboard. In addition to the audio, the film also provides an unorthodox movie experience with doorbell cameras and video chats. For example, June has video chats with personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Columbia and also with Javier, a messenger in Cartagena played by Joaquim de Almeda ( Warrior Nun , Queen of the South ). Through the video interactions, the audience is given the sense of remote work. Images of Columbians in outdoor settings reveal the architecture and the bright and clear days. People moving about in short sleeves and tank tops indicate the hot temperatures. And the honking of horns gives a sense of the city as busy and congested. The effect of these combined with the aforementioned soundtrack, gives the sense of watching a movie within a movie. So rather than the audience being contained to June’s room to stare at her reflection for much of the film, Missing uses video images to provide a sense of movement in the film, not to mention an international flair. Despite her deftness at technology, June becomes frustrated when she can neither get the answers she wants nor the help she needs. She is at the mercy of people who sympathize but do not share her urgency in finding Grace. One example of this is her need to see the hotel’s security camera video before it loops. While the embassy worker does take June’s call, he does not sufficiently engage to be of help. Javi, on the other hand, will, but for a price. Through these experiences, June realizes that technology and the skills to use them are powerful, but both have their limits when you don’t know what you don’t know. At some point, footwork and face-to-face engagement are necessary to find the answers to questions you don’t know to ask. What is uncovered in this virtual-to-reality thriller blindsides us, leaving us with the all too familiar epiphany that we ignore as children and young adults. We might think we’re smarter than our parents, but we don’t know anything. 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 Beau is Afraid stays surreal from beginning to end A24, 2023 179 minutes Director/Writer: Ari Aster Reading Time: 5 minutes Beau is Afraid Feast (JUPMOPH6SNVDEVIS) 00:00 / 04:51 📷 : Used with Permission, Agustin R. Michel https://www.instagram.com/agustinrmichel https://twitter.com/AgustinrMichel https://www.behance.net/agustin_rmichel Yarrow: Movies and TV shows about illness or set in hospitals or similar medical institutions Chamomile: Family dramas Chris Chaisson 2023-05-17 Creating a fantasy-based universe in a script can give writer/directors a lot of leeway. Often, they spend the first 15 or 20 minutes providing a boring, grounded reality familiar to the audience as a basis for comparison. Think of Jumanji , which both begins and ends with our basic modern-day existence. In the middle portion of the movie, we see lions, stampedes, and David Alan Grier in a cop uniform. However, some filmmakers go wire to wire with the fantasy, never letting the audience catch their breath. Ari Aster chooses this path in his newest psychological horror-drama Beau is Afraid . Joaquin Phoenix ( Joker ) plays the title character, a middle-aged therapy patient suffering from anxiety who tries to make it home to visit his mother, Mona (Patti LuPone, Summer of Sam ). In a true case of Murphy’s Law, several unforeseen circumstances prevent Beau from catching his flight home, some of which are quite surreal. For instance, as Beau tries to drift off to sleep the night before, a neighbor slides notes under his door asking him to stop playing his music so loud. This confuses Beau, as he is not playing any music at all. After a few notes and some banging on the door, the neighbor proceeds to blast his own stereo as payback, taking Beau off of his sleep schedule. Upon the realization that he will miss his flight, he calls to inform his disappointed mother of the situation. He later calls her back and a delivery man picks up, telling Beau that he has discovered Mona’s lifeless, mutilated body while making his delivery. Beau determines that he must find a way home immediately to either find his mother or mourn her passing, leading him through several perilous situations. Ari Aster’s three-hour odyssey feels like an extended fever dream at times, as it occurs from the hallucinatory perspective of Beau. As with other psychological horror films (for instance, Aster’s very own Midsommar ), the audience does not know what is happening in the “real world” and what is in Beau’s head. Aster plants several seeds from scene to scene that create a sense of dread in the audience. For instance, Beau’s crime-ridden neighborhood consists of violent vagrants that he could run into at any point in time. His own apartment has a large spider loose somewhere, shown to the audience when Beau first arrives at his unit. Ultimately, what’s real to him is real to us, and the ominous surroundings and situations make the audience relate to Beau’s unease. Loneliness heavily contributes to Beau’s anxiety, as he has no trusted friends to guide him back home. In many odysseys, the central character has a confidant or protector, such as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Beau has no such support system. Everyone he comes into contact with is either hostile towards him or just untrustworthy. This even includes Roger (Nathan Lane, The Birdcage ) and Grace (Amy Ryan, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) ), the couple that nurses him back to health after he gets stabbed and hit by a car. Beau not only lacks a friend but also a romantic partner, as he still yearns for his first love from childhood Elaine (Parker Posey, Dazed and Confused ). The befuddling surroundings he finds himself in (the forest, a stranger’s home, an unsafe neighborhood) could only be made more comforting with a friendly, trustworthy face, which he does not come across until the final act of the movie. As several perverted, scary and violent moments occur throughout Beau is Afraid ’s 179-minute runtime, the audience is not grounded in any type of reality. Thus, Aster’s fantasy-riddled style emulates that of contemporaries like Darren Aronofsky ( Black Swan ) and Charlie Kaufman ( Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ), who often hold the audience’s head under water from beginning to end and never let them up for air. For some, this style creates a much more enthralling film with no limitations on what the audience will see. Others may view it as a cop-out, allowing the director to depict the most absurd and vulgar goings-on with no consequences, defying any sort of cause-and-effect chain. The side of the fence you fall on will determine how you feel when the end credits roll. In spite of the aforementioned Aronofsky and Kaufman comparisons, the film Beau is Afraid reminded me of the most was an early 2000s film directed by Stephen Spielberg: A.I. Artificial Intelligence . Though the main character was a robot as opposed to an anxiety-ridden 40-something, both characters embark on dangerous quests to gain the adulation of their mothers, with menacing antagonists standing in their way. 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 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On paints a portrait of resiliency A24, 2021 90 min Director/Writer: Dean Fleischer-Camp / Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, and Nick Paley Reading Time: 5 minutes Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Hope Springs Internal (IUOYFM5ZEJE970SL) 00:00 / 04:54 📷 : Used with permission, Showtime Ginkgo Biloba: Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2023-03-22 Admittedly, as I have gotten older and cynical, I have written off nearly every movie with talking animals or inanimate objects as “for kids.” I may watch them with my niece and chuckle but never fully believe there are any life lessons to be learned. What could a kid’s movie tell me about life (never mind that all of these movies are made by adults)? Every now and then, though, I sit down with an open mind and get a reminder that family movies can deliver a message that resonates with viewers of all ages. Dean Fleischer-Camp’s touching mockumentary about a resilient mollusk gave me just that reminder. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On presents a protagonist who is both literally and figuratively down-to-earth. Marcel (Jenny Slate, Obvious Child ) stands just an inch tall with one eye, but he sees the bigger picture far better than most. Separated from much of his family when the humans who owned his house moved away, Marcel looks after his grandmother, Connie (Isabella Rossellini, Enemy ), and carries out his daily routine while being the subject of a documentary shoot. Despite his clear-cut regimen and affection for his grandmother, he has not given up on his search for the rest of his family. The odds are very much against him, as the couple that moved away has broken up and cannot stand one another. Furthermore, his family has no idea that he is even alive or looking for them. His efforts are initially fruitless, as the public is more allured by the celebrity of Marcel than the opportunity to help him. Even though he gains notoriety from being on YouTube, his presence simply spawns fan videos and skits rather than any altruistic attempt to assist him in his search. He and Dean set out on a tour of the city, and when Dean’s car reaches an area with a panoramic view, Marcel is struck by its beauty. Sadly, he is also discouraged by how hard it will be to find his family given the endless possibilities of their whereabouts. A potentially fortune-changing moment occurs when a producer from 60 Minutes reaches out with an inquiry about doing a segment on Marcel. While the opportunity seems like a no-brainer, Marcel worries about the impact of all the hustle and bustle on his ailing grandmother’s health. He declines the interview initially before Connie convinces him that he cannot let the fear of change keep him from growing. Much of the film, which is a continuation of the viral short film series from 2010, consists of banter between Marcel, Dean and Connie. While Dean wishes to remain off camera and unheard, Marcel asks questions as much as he provides information. His inquisitive nature would have you believe that he is naïve or lacking in wisdom. Quite the contrary, Marcel’s questions reveal a different and perhaps deeper understanding of the world than many humans. In one particular instance, Marcel notices the reactions in the comment sections of his YouTube videos and says, “It’s more of an audience than a community.” He realizes that while people are engaging or seeking attention for themselves, they are not actually bonding with one another in any significant way. The most noteworthy aspect of Marcel’s character is that despite his diminutive stature, nothing seems insurmountable for him. He has figured out ways to accomplish any daily task that he needs to, from scaling the wall to shaking fruit out of the tree to typing up email responses. His performance of such tasks is generally overshadowed by his exchanges with Dean or Connie, but his adaptability stands out as an inspirational takeaway for the audience. For Marcel, none of these tasks are cumbersome or discouraging in the slightest. As the house seems vast to him, the world can seem vast to any one of us. Despite how overwhelming it can be, we all have the ability to acclimate ourselves to a routine and find it manageable if not enjoyable. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On feels like a delightful cross between Toy Story and Finding Nemo . Marcel’s mannerisms resemble that of the toys from the 1995 Pixar hit, all having to figure out how to maneuver around the vast houses they reside in. However, Marcel’s mission certainly resembles that of Nemo’s family, separated and trying to re-unite against all odds. The film provides many laughs and a few tears, but also serves as a reminder to any human being of what enduring spirits can accomplish. 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!

Anatomy of a Scandal emphasizes the difference between facade and reality < Back Anatomy of a Scandal emphasizes the difference between facade and reality 3dot Productions, 2022 45 minutes Creator: David E. Kelley and Melissa James Gibson Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Anatomy of a Scandal True Crime Investigation (D3SGMJXWKFQOQMKJ) 00:00 / 06:21 Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2023-07-10 Erving Goffman, a social theorist, coined the concepts “front stage” and “back stage” to convey that we all have a public-facing persona, or front stage, that is very different from our private one, back stage. For those of us who are heavily invested in our career aspirations, particularly as they relate to politics, the stakes are high. In this case, realizing them and gaining influence relies heavily on our front stage appearance. How well we take care of this can be the difference between achieving our goals or remaining a relative unknown. The television series, Anatomy of a Scandal , drives this home, as it centers on a crisis faced by an affluent, political family in Britain. The six-episode story presents Peter Whitehouse, a very handsome, eloquent, and perfectly well-dressed member of the British Parliament accused of raping Olivia Lytton, a colleague in his office with whom he had a long-time affair. While both admit to the affair, it is the context of their last encounter that is in question. Before the story breaks, Peter, played by Rupert Friend ( Homeland , Asteroid City ), rushes home to tell his wife, Sophie, about both the accusation and the affair – in that order. Keenly aware that it would be disruptive to his family, made perfect with his beautiful wife, two kids, and even a housekeeper and dog, Peter uses a political consultant to help control the story. Sophie Whitehouse, Peter’s partner since their time at Oxford University, doesn’t receive the news well, and the cynical political operative in their living room doesn’t help matters any. Peter admits to the affair, but he vehemently denies the rape and the case goes to trial. While not a political thriller, Anatomy of a Scandal is riveting, with some special effects that add suspense to the drama, tempting us to binge watch the series. It also helps that the story is not contained to the courtroom, but moves throughout London, taking us in, out, and around offices, homes, and Westminster Abbey, all of which are nice distractions from the extensive dialog in the series. As an affluent political family, it is important that the Whitehouses, whose name likely stems from the U.S.’s own sex scandal during the Clinton administration, display both the accoutrements and demeanor of their class to maintain appearances. Thus, Sophie attends court with Peter, despite things being less than harmonious at home. In this narrow sense, the series is similar to The Law According to Lidia Poët . While Lidia presents as a member of Italy’s wealthy and influential class, she has no money of her own, despite growing up wealthy. She is even kicked out of her apartment, which forces her to move in with her brother and his family. Despite this, Lidia continues to dress like a member of the elites. In Anatomy of a Scandal , Peter and his family present as unified, and they possess the wealth and influence their presentation suggests. Like Lidia, though, this outward appearance of unity is inconsistent with a core aspect of their private life, the increasing disintegration of the family’s harmony at home. Another focal point of the series is the highly skilled prosecutor, Kate Woodcroft. Played by Michelle Dockery ( Downton Abbey , The Gentlemen ), Kate insists on handling the case herself, and believes, quite vehemently, that Peter is guilty of rape. In the courtroom, she skillfully questions both the accuser and the accused about the most minute details of their affair and the ensuing event. Both provide equally eloquent and impressive testimonies, as respective versions of their sexual encounters and the rape are shown through flashbacks. Nearly every response to every question is upsetting to Sophie, as the intimate acts they describe are familiar to her – at times even overwhelming for her. Complicating the trial is Peter’s long-time connection to the prime minister. A best friend since college, the prime minister stands by Peter, asserting his innocence to the press and suffering political backlash for it. For his part, Peter, with great eloquence, self-control, and even humility, focuses on maintaining appearances so as not to blow up his chances of realizing his political aspiration to succeed his friend as prime minister. After a while, the series begins to feel like a game of Whac-a-Mole as more and more details of Peter’s affair come to light, and he then feels compelled to explain away the events to Sophie, played by Sienna Miller ( American Sniper , The Lost City of Z ). For appearances, she is pressured to be in the courtroom with him, but repeatedly hearing the details of their relationship is excruciatingly painful for her. Each time, Peter eloquently rationalizes what was revealed, essentially conveying that the details are not what they seem and again reasserting his innocence. And each time, Kate ramps up her cross-examination, and grows even more determined to prove his guilt. Peter’s seemingly daily explanations prime his wife to stay in the fight with him, and essentially, mentally prepares her for the next day’s revelations. But between the details, political pressures, the press, and the poignant questions by the prosecutor, Sophie becomes increasingly unable to maintain the facade. Oxford-educated like her husband, Sophie mentally relents and gives in to her instincts, wondering about the man she married and why such an accomplished and skilled prosecutor took on this case. She begins asking some questions of her own, which gradually reveal truths about who people are and what the trial is about. What we learn is that like most situations in life, things are not always as they seem. 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 Palm Trees and Power Lines humanizes the victims of grooming Neon Heart Productions, 2023 110 minutes Director/Writer: Jamie Dack / Jamie Dack and Audrey Findlay Reading Time: 5 minutes Palm Trees and Power Lines A Dark Past (8X1ML5IYINJAVVLB) 00:00 / 04:41 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2023-03-14 As Millennials and Gen Z’ers become increasingly open about their dating experiences, people of all ages collectively re-examine their teenage romances. The openness has helped people smile for the fun times they remember. For others, it has helped them both heal from abuse and recognize problematic behavior in retrospect, specifically with relationships involving large age gaps. While films and documentaries dive into the behavior of groomers, we generally do not get the perspective of the young, impressionable party being manipulated. In this way, recent indie and Sundance darling Palm Trees and Power Lines can provide a deep understanding from a different vantage point. Palm Trees and Power Lines illustrates how groomers operate by zeroing in on Lea (Lily McInerny, Tell Me Lies ), a 17-year-old on summer break struggling to find her support system. An only child with an absentee father, she does not have an emotional connection at home, as her mother Sandra (Gretchen Mol, Manchester by the Sea ) cycles through boyfriends that Lea does not care for and who do not show the slightest interest in being a husband or dad. While she has a group of friends, she feels a disconnect as they gossip and share in sex-obsessed discussions. One evening, her friends dine and dash, leaving her to fend for herself in a physical altercation with the dishwasher. Fellow patron Tom (Jonathan Tucker, Hostage ), who is twice her age, comes to her defense, then gives her a ride home. After giving her his phone number, Tom stays in touch with her and gradually seduces her. Feeling an emotional connection for the first time, Lea looks past the inappropriate age difference. Tom becomes more possessive and eventually reveals his even darker intentions. Though not the first film about predatory behavior, Palm Trees and Power Lines effectively humanizes the character being preyed upon. Many stories surrounding the grooming of teenagers focus on the older perpetrator and their repulsive tactics. The film certainly puts those tactics on display, as Tom not only draws Lea away from her friends but tells her he does not want her being involved with anyone else. However, director Jamie Dack, who won Best Director at The Sundance Film Festival, shows not only how Lea is not on the same wavelength as her friends, but also how her detachment from friends and family allows for Tom to pull the wool over her eyes for so long. The scene that best illustrates Tom’s ability to play mind games with Lea is when they eat lunch at a diner. The waitress, recognizing Tom, waits until he leaves the table to encourage Lea to desert him. Lea ignores the waitress’s prompts and mentions her warning to Tom as they leave the restaurant. When Tom goes back in to confront the waitress, the camera stays outside with Lea. We never hear the exchange, and neither does she. This tidbit allows Tom to manipulate the narrative, and Lea, however he wants. Instead of feeling uneasy about Tom, Lea feels that he is protecting her. Dack uses the camera to illustrate Lea’s mindset in several other scenes as well. When Lea is with her friends or her mother, she remains centered in the shot while they are often completely out of frame or on the periphery. As she sits with her friends, they often banter back and forth off frame or stare at their phones, while the camera rests on Lea sitting in uncomfortable silence. These shots contrast sharply with the scenes where she accompanies Tom. Both are centered in the frame, making solid eye contact and speaking directly to one another. The shot composition, along with Tom’s manipulation, convey how one can trust a stranger when they make you feel seen in ways that your loved ones do not. The third act of Palm Trees and Power Lines is sure to make stomachs turn, if the first two acts did not already do so. A similar movie in tone and message is the 2010 David Schwimmer-directed indie, Trust . Though that film dealt more with online predation and the fallout from such encounters, it depicted the same manipulation tactics that Tom uses in building false trust through isolation. These disturbing strategies are employed not only by individual predators but also cults and hate groups. Hopefully, the telling of stories like Palm Trees and Power Lines can help those being preyed upon and their well-intentioned loved ones to recognize warning signs. 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 From the World of John Wick: Ballerina entertains while projecting subtle messages with a big punch Lionsgate, 2025 124 minutes Director/Writer: Len Wiseman / Shay Hatten and Derek Kolstad Reading Time: 4 minutes From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Fight in the Shade (EKIKGL4QFG9IHJ3G) 00:00 / 05:56 📷 : Used with permission, visualsofazmet https://www.instagram.com/Visualsofazmat/ https://x.com/visualsofazmat1 Rosemary: Movies and TV shows with intense action Masala Chai: Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2025-06-11 When my kids took Tae Kwon Do, I remember their teacher constantly harping on the fact that body size doesn’t matter. That even if the kids were small in stature or girth, they could take down someone tall and big because they were quicker, more agile, and perhaps even stronger than the larger person. Being a fan of movies, I’ve heard this a lot since then in films like the original Karate Kid and Enemy of the State , although I have to say I’ve never seen it done in real life. (Then again, I don’t watch fights in real life!) I can now add From the World of John Wick: Ballerina to that list of movies making this claim. The latest installment in the John Wick series does not disappoint in its action nor story, but I think its much more subtle message packs the biggest punch. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina ( Ballerina ) opens with a mildly bruised and brooding young girl sitting alone in a police station holding a snow globe of a ballerina. The inciting incident is the invasion of the young girl’s home by well-armed fighters. They arrive at the water isolated Czech Republic compound like Navy Seals, slowly and stealthily lifting their heads out of the water under the cover of night, quietly killing armed guards, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. They encounter quite the challenge, however, with Eve’s father, Javier (David Castañeda), who is not only determined to protect his 8-ish-year-old daughter Eve, but who is also quite skilled himself. Ultimately, Eve ends up alone and is taken in by The Director (Anjelica Huston), who heads the Ruska Roma crime organization where they not only teach ballet but train the students to become lethal weapons themselves. Ana de Armas plays the adult Eve in Ballerina . With the bitter pill of her father’s loss on her tongue and a promise to avenge his death, she is further toughened by The Director who insists she repetitively practices dance movements even while blood soaks through her pointe shoes. “Again!” asserts The Director. “Again!” Nogi (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) is equally tough as the fighting teacher. When Eve continues to get beat by a male opponent in class, she becomes upset and claims she “can’t” beat him. With intensity, Nogi exclaims that she is allowing him to dictate the terms of the fight and adds that she must “fight like a girl.” I love this unpretentious movie. Not only do The Director’s and Nogi’s teachings emphasize winning, but they project the reality that female fighters are more often than not disadvantaged in physical battles. Traditional methods are male-developed and male-centered and thus do not work effectively for females. This means that the latter must play their own game, use whatever is at their disposal, and occasionally break rules if they must. We see Eve put the school’s lessons into practice when she gets her first assignment. More so than traditional weapons, she uses dishes, groin kicks, and eye gouges to get the advantage on her male opponents. We continue to see this creativity (and frankly, entertainment) throughout the film. What it demonstrates is that women have, indeed must have, a more strategic approach to fighting, not just physical battles but dealing with other challenges as well. What we learn also from this film is that maturity enhances the ability to set aside emotions. When Eve and John Wick (Keanu Reeves) battle, for instance, she seems unable to compete. It is as if she is back in school unsuccessfully fighting against her male competitor on the mat. Like then, her objectivity is lost and she is fighting with emotion, proving Nogi’s point that when emotion takes over, she is unable to reason, see things clearly, and play to her strengths. While I love the powerful themes underlying Ballerina , I would argue that they do not just apply to women but also to people of color and other disadvantaged social groups. To be fair, the film hints at a bit of this with its portrayals of Eve and Nogi, both actresses of color. With the deck stacked against these groups, all must prepare their mindset and develop strategies to deal with the big and tall obstacles they regularly (and will inevitably) face. I like the structure of this film because it presents like a game. It requires toughness, creativity, and wit – all while also requiring that you abide by a set of rules. This is the function of The Continental, a hotel that serves as a safe haven for assassins in the John Wick series. While being a guest at The Continental, certain rules cannot be broken. In this sense, Ballerina reminds me of movies like The Hunger Games series and Escape Room , all of which require protagonists to use their wits to survive either physical battles or other constraints imposed upon them over the course of the films. 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 Polite Society offers life lessons without taking itself too seriously Focus Features, 2023 103 minutes Director/Writer: Nida Manzoor Reading Time: 6 minutes Polite Society K!ng (JY0GLFGSIJAMMVFN) 00:00 / 06:29 📷 : Pixabay White: Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Ginkgo Biloba: Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2023-05-09 “The gods whispered to the warrior, 'You will not withstand the fury.' The warrior whispers back, 'I am the fury!'” Between John Wick, Fast and Furious and the slew of comic-book movies in theaters, there is no shortage of big-budget action-packed cinema hitting the big screen. Nonetheless, these franchises all take themselves very seriously. Yes, they have humor and heart, but their characters are frequently indestructible despite their many brushes with death. They fight off villain after villain, sometimes without breaking a sweat, and reel off fake deep proverbs with a straight face. In fact, it’s been suggested that the goal of blockbusters is to create meme-worthy moments to increase their popularity. While it works, a nice change of pace would be a goofy action-comedy where the main character looks foolish and over their head at times. Director Nida Manzoor and her new action-comedy Polite Society provide this refresher. Polite Society unfolds from the perspective of Ria (Priya Kansara, Bridgerton ), a British-Pakistani high school student in London practicing martial arts and aspiring to become a professional stuntwoman. She finds inspiration in not only her idol, but also her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya, The Umbrella Academy ), an aspiring artist who has dropped out of school and moved back home. While they are a few years apart, Lena and Ria remain very close, with Ria helping Lena shoot videos of her training in martial arts and reciting mantras. One day, Lena, Ria and their parents attend the fancy party of a young doctor, Salim (Akshay Khanna, Grace ), whose mother, Raheela (Nimra Bucha, Churails ), is trying to marry him off. He is smitten with Lena, takes her on a date, and seduces her. Feeling as though she’s losing her sister to someone who will strip her of her passion for art, Ria sets out with her school friends to sabotage Lena’s promising new relationship, discovering Raheela’s true motives in the process. Polite Society ’s calling card is the heavily stylized action and editing. At times, it feels reminiscent of the 1960s Adam West Batman series, the Kill Bill movies or an Edgar Wright film. Between the voiceover narration, frequent quipping, and bombastic sound effects accompanying fight scenes, the film engages the audience through its absurdity. Manzoor makes it intentionally difficult to determine if the action depicted is exactly how scenes are playing out or part of Ria’s imagination. Considering her goal to be a career stuntwoman, this stylistic choice complements the story and protagonist well. If your main character is a dreamer, you may as well place the audience directly in her dreamlike world. However, Ria comes back down to earth frequently, such as when she cannot land a spinning kick on her school bully and comically falls to the ground in a heap. A clear example of such a surreal moment in the film is when Lena finds out that Ria has been tailing her boyfriend to find dirt on him. Lena enters Ria’s room and engages her in a violent fistfight, damaging walls, mirrors and doors all through the upstairs level of the house. Their parents, down in the kitchen, hear the noise and appear nonplussed, as though they are used to it. While they are both bloody and bruised, they eventually stop and have a verbal argument before parting ways. Similar to prior scenes, the violence is a bit over-the-top for what you’d expect from sisters with a healthy relationship. They go beyond tussling and bloody each other up. This type of fight choreography is meant to portray the existence Ria will likely have if she is successful with her career goals. It also heavily contrasts the notion that Pakistani women be meek, docile or subservient. A major theme of Polite Society is keeping one’s dreams alive. While Ria is young, rebellious and full of optimism, Lena feels beaten down by the beginning of her adulthood, experiencing self-doubt for the first time. Part of why she is so charmed by Salim is his recognition of her uncertainty, despite his own clear-cut career path. He comforts her with the sentiment that it is okay to be unsure of where you are headed, understanding her in a way that her sister cannot. Meanwhile, Ria and Lena’s camaraderie is clearly a source of motivation for Ria. Though her school friends are fiercely loyal, she craves Lena’s support in more ways than one. Not only does she need encouragement, but she also needs Lena to continue on with her own dream. Such a difference in perspective can occur between friends or siblings in different phases of life, where the younger of the two still thinks idealistically while the older becomes more practical. A noticeable element of the film is Ria’s strengths and weaknesses. Outside of meddling in her sister’s relationship, her fighting skills fail her in many confrontations; basically, every single one. She takes quite a few lumps in the movie, all in humorous fashion to keep a light-hearted tone. Her failures contrast sharply with many other movies where the main character has martial arts training. Instead of wiping the floor with everyone she faces off with, Ria struggles to execute all of the moves she has learned. Her inability to win fights or execute stunts makes the movie that much more endearing, as there is a clear message about perseverance in all of her disappointments. Despite her embarrassing and painful losses, she keeps getting back up and trying again. Similarly, she continues writing to her idol Eunice Huthart, a famous stuntwoman, despite months and months of having never heard back. Her persistence makes her a charming character, even if she is occasionally irritating to those around her. Polite Society tickles the funny bone throughout while still offering poignant moments and quirky action sequences. While having a different storyline, Manzoor’s indie flick feels strikingly similar to the 2010 action-comedy Kick-Ass . The latter is far more violent, but both lean heavily on style, sound editing and the humorous slapstick failings of their main characters. 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!

Boys in Blue offers a raw view into the lives of high school football players and coaches < Back Boys in Blue offers a raw view into the lives of high school football players and coaches Showtime Sports Documentary Films, 2023 45 minutes Creator: Peter Berg Reading Time: 7 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Showtime Boys in Blue Vision (WHGTRGECNCLJ0AQJ) 00:00 / 07:56 Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2023-01-31 Okay, I am not a prude, just naïve about some things. Several years after my son graduated high school, I asked out of the blue if his high school football coaches used foul language. He was incredulous that I would ask a question that seemed to him to have such an “obvious” answer. “Yeah,” he said. I also learned that it was not unusual for football coaches to have profanity-laced practices and film sessions. Indeed, this was the norm. The documentary series, Boys in Blue , sent these memories rushing back and I could not help but laugh. So that’s what Brandon meant! Boys in Blue focuses on the North Community High School football team. Located in Minneapolis, the predominantly Black school sits in the middle of a poor community where sadly, gunfire and violence are all too common. Initially unbeknownst to the talented football players, the coaching staff consists of Minneapolis police officers. This combined with the team’s blue uniforms makes for an apt title for the piece. In addition to the jovial and open coaching staff, several of the kids are profiled. Hill, the 15-year-old varsity quarterback, is friendly but reserved, and quietly aspires to play professional football. Best friends Meiko and “Rio” are seniors whose goals are to do the same. And “Cash” is a sophomore who is focused on using football to “repay [his] family for everything they’ve done for [him].” The coaches are all in lock step with the kids, as their own goals are to help their players get where they want to go. In this sense, high school football, at least for many of the team members at North High, is a means to an end – but this is not in any way atypical. We know this from the numerous studies conducted by social researchers over the last 30 years. In The Great American Football Ritual , D.E. Foley writes about the season he spent studying a high school football team in a small Texas town back in 1990. He found that the Friday night “football ritual” played a significant role in how the players, and even the community, viewed themselves and their status relative to non-elite players and towns, respectively, based on the strength of their high school football program. The television series Friday Night Lights , which ran from 2005-2011, was based on H. G. Bissinger’s 2004 book of the same name . The critically acclaimed series was about a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, and its significance to the town’s identity. Like the kids at North Community High School, the players here aspired – even expected – to go to a major university and ultimately play in the National Football League (NFL). I think a lot about the level of emphasis kids and coaches place on getting to the pros. According to the NCAA , only 7.3% of high school football players play NCAA football, and of those, 1.6% go pro. In raw numbers, that is 254 NFL players out of 1,006,000 high school football athletes each year. Knowing these odds, should young people be given what can be viewed as false hope? Shouldn’t they instead be encouraged to pursue much more realistic, attainable goals? Admittedly over the years I have waffled on these questions. My family and I have had long, serious, and sometimes contentious debates at the dinner table on this very issue. The viewpoint I settled on is that these are not mutually exclusive paths. Pursuing the dream to play professional sports does not preclude simultaneously preparing for a more traditional career. Given the odds of going pro, grave mistakes are made when the former is heavily – or worse, solely emphasized over the latter. Still, some might say it is sad that the lofty dreams of the kids in Boys in Blue are not being tempered by the adults around them. Such statements though, reflect a lack of appreciation for the complexity of the kids’ lives. The sadness here should be reserved for the circumstances under which Hill, Rio, Meiko, Cash, and the other kids at North High are forced to learn and live every day. Gunshots are heard throughout much of the documentary’s filming. Coach Adams acknowledges the persistent violence in the surrounding community, adding with great seriousness: “But for some reason, when it’s game time (shaking his head slowly), don’t f*** up my football game. Don’t f*** up my football game.” When gunshots are heard during a talk outdoors with Rio and Meiko, Meiko casually comments: “I ain’t ‘gon lie; that sh** normal for us.” Much of the research on high school sports focuses on teams in Texas, with a smattering in Florida and New York, and all address things like identity, sense of community, unrealistic aspirations, and significantly, the dangers of concussion. Not to minimize the importance of these issues, but none hone in on the challenging and often dangerous conditions under which students learn, play, and even walk to school every weekday. Perhaps these were not the conditions of the communities that were studied. If so, then sense of community is not the same near North High as it is in the places focused on in many of the studies. So while the coaches in Boys in Blue can be criticized for not tempering the kids’ aspirations for going pro, they should be recognized if not rewarded for what they do provide. These include friendship, yet another family to trust and rely on, and a sense of security for their young players, who are experiencing daily travails that include just trying to stay alive. I was glad to see Peter Berg contextualize the players’ experiences in this work. Boys in Blue reminds me so much of the HBO series, The Wire , which ran from 2002-2008. Each season focused on a different aspect of the Baltimore community: the police, the streets, the docks, the media, and even a focus on the schools. During that particular season, viewers saw teachers find innovative ways to both connect their students to the work and show that they were there for them during difficult times. This is similar to the role of North High’s coaches in the training and support of their players. Also like The Wire , Boys in Blue delved into local politics and how the actions of leaders often impact students’ lives in unintentional but very real and stressful ways. Indeed, politics in the North High community looms over the fate of all of the boys in blue. While not technically a film, Berg’s Boys in Blue documentary series checks all the boxes for why it nonetheless fits the indie sector so well. It tells a small story of a high school football team in an urban community, allowing the audience to not only get inside the school, but inside the players and coaches’ lives. The significance of this cannot be understated. Whereas judgments are often made about predominantly Black schools and the kids in them, this work gives us the privilege of an extended firsthand glimpse over four episodes. With this, we can at least begin to form/shape/modify our own ideas about the kids, families, and coaches through a deep and broad lens. At Cup of Tea Critiques, we rarely recommend a production – this will be our first (and perhaps only) exception to this. 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 Bob Marley: One Love presents the look and sound of sincerity Paramount Pictures, 2024 104 minutes Director/Writer: Reinaldo Marcus Green / Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, and Reinaldo Marcus Green Reading Time: 6 minutes Bob Marley: One Love Mother Earth (UGMU6CW0MDCL4R3L) 00:00 / 06:59 📷 : Used with Permission, Dustin Knotek https://www.instagram.com/dustinknotek/ https://www.behance.net/dknotek, https://dknotek.com/ Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Reba Chaisson 2024-02-17 We are so primed to the lies and pretentiousness of political and cultural leaders and even members of the judiciary that we have a knee-jerk reaction to sincerity. Sincerity is questioned in part because of our limited exposure to cultures outside of the Western mainstream, where perspectives, attitudes, and approaches to life and living are different from our own. This film about the life of Bob Marley stands a chance at challenging our cynicism about the possibility that sincerity can be real. Bob Marley: One Love is about the musician’s constant and incessant search for ways to fulfill the purpose he believes Jah (God) has for him. Set in Jamaica and the UK, the film begins with the adult Marley, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir ( Barbie , King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ), arranging a concert to bring peace to his country, which is divided by factions warring for power. The divisions are a result of Jamaica’s recent independence from Britain and the familiar vacuum that colonial powers create when they leave territories in political and economic ruins. Marley expects his melodies of love and unity to transcend the actions of his fellow Jamaicans, transform their thinking, and motivate them to put down their guns – until he is targeted by rebels who invade his home and shoot him. Such trauma would lead many people to question their faith and the understanding of their purpose. Marley, instead, questions his countrymen. In an exchange with his long-time mentor, Marley expresses his incredulity about the incident, stating, “I would have never believed they would try to kill me!” Family Man Barrett, his mentor played by Aston Barrett Jr., passionately responds, “The question is not why they tried to kill you. It’s why they did not succeed.” Marley doesn’t falter in his purpose after the trauma, instead striving to strengthen his music and move people to change in these new post-colonial times. For now, the sound is imperfect. The drums are not quite right. Even the album cover isn’t on point. Ever more focused, he moves as if guided by something deeply spiritual and he refuses to deviate from its instruction. Bob Marley: One Love will likely be criticized as a display of reggae music rather than a story about the man’s life. He draws thousands to his riveting concerts all over Europe and sings sweet quiet songs with soft melodies and lyrics about love. I agree that the film is heavily infused with Marley’s music and performances. However, it also gives us context and perspective for Marley’s life with glimpses into his childhood and the painful void left by a father who shunned him. I would also argue that the movie portrays Marley as an imperfect man who cares deeply for his wife Rita, played by Lashana Lynch ( No Time to Die , Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical ), and has a special relationship with his son, Ziggy. And while a lot of bands disband because of divisiveness or changing interests, Marley’s band remains intact and steadfast, even after relocating to Britain for a time. So, understanding this film as it regards Marley’s life beyond his music requires hearing what is unspoken and seeing what is not front and center. A fair criticism of the movie is the lack of space given to other reggae artists. People younger than 40 are likely unfamiliar with Bob Marley since he passed away in 1981 and reggae is not a part of mainstream music in the West. So, Marley and his music not only predate rap, pop, and alt rock, it stems from a part of the globe that few of us think to visit when we vacation – Jamaica. In addition, Western media utters little about the goings on in this former British territory. The movie compounds this by zeroing in only on Marley’s world. In my humble opinion, this is a missed opportunity for the film given the captive mainstream audience. It was a chance to expose us to the range of this genre, not only its sound during Marley’s era but also through to its present beats. Who are the artists? What is their message? How has the genre changed over the years and how has it influenced other music? Why don’t we hear it on the radio stations that tend to keep only a dozen songs in their playlist despite music like reggae that is pop and rock adjacent? Introducing reggae artists in the film could have gone a long way in broadening viewers’ minds and expanding their tastes into this segment of the music industry. Small Axe , a series of five shorts by British filmmaker Steve McQueen, depicts the harassment experienced by people from the West Indies between the late 1960s and early 1980s in Britain. We see an example of this in Bob Marley: One Love when Marley and his friends are pushed around by the police, searched and thrown in jail for standing around a statue at night and talking. The fact-based Small Axe series suggests that Marley and his friends endured much more physical harassment than was shown. The scenes are likely crafted in this manner to keep the movie positive and avoid detracting from the emphasis on Marley and his message of love. This is not an unusual tactic in film. Indeed, Mr. Church did something similar where it omitted historical context so as not to distract from the story’s focus on the main character. As I said then, it does beg the question on whether a story should be presented with complete and accurate historical context, or if filmmakers have tacit permission to strip away extraneous but ugly information that can add noise to the film and disrupt its themes. The approach depends on what the filmmakers want to convey. Marley’s love and respect for people was so genuine that he nearly takes the head off his manager for bringing corruption into his space. In an interview, he stated that his kind of rich could not be measured in money. His kind of rich was love, safety, and happiness for all people, and this strand ran throughout his life and music. What do you do with such a unicorn? How do you wrap your arms around someone who is such an oddity? Whether we realize it or not, we miss Marley. It is sad that we did not have the pleasure of being wrapped in his ever-evolving music for a longer period of time. We could sure use a unicorn today. Yeahh maan! 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 Lonesome Soldier redefines heroism as what we do for ourselves Military Movies, 2023 109 minutes Director/Writer: Nino Aldi / Alexander Randazzo, Lionel Chetwynd, and Linda Lee Reading Time: 7 minutes Lonesome Soldier Revolve (BBKXZ5A8I1B3NWE3) 00:00 / 09:53 📷 : Used with permission, Malachi Pictures Coca: Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Reba Chaisson 2024-06-14 I think we can all agree that patriotism is important and honorable. I’m not talking about material symbols of patriotism, like some phony ball cap with words suggesting that wearing it is patriotic. I am talking about deeds, commitment, and sacrifice of self, much like that inherent in military service. Enlisting in the military requires complete surrender of yourself and relinquishing of your own ideas about who you are. Those who join the service place themselves under the control of an institution that strips them of their identities, molds their minds into a different way of thinking, and shapes their bodies into something they won’t recognize by the time their service is over. Knowing this, some of us submit to it anyway. All of us know someone who did. Few of us, however, witness the struggles of someone who came back broken by what they saw, what they did, and who they had become. That is until Nino Aldi’s film, Lonesome Soldier , introduced us to Jackson Harlow. Lonesome Soldier centers Jackson, a twenty-something musician played by Alexander Randazzo ( The Lost Bus , Bad Impulse ). Jackson lives in a close-knit rural Tennessee town, where he grew up showered with the love of his overprotective mother and nourished with the wisdom of his supportive but curmudgeonly grandfather, Mack, played by John Ashton ( Gone Baby Gone , Beverly Hills Cop ). The mild-mannered Jackson has incorrigible friends with whom he hangs out at the local bar, where his band regularly performs in front of hometown patrons. Not making enough money as a musician nor mechanic, Jackson enlists in the National Guard Reserve soon after marrying his long-time sweetheart Christy, played by Leah Grosjean ( Bird of Paradise , The Recipe ). He expects to be away from her one weekend per month, until he is called to serve in Iraq where his orders for three months turn into an additional six, and then more. Based on a true story, Lonesome Soldier feels authentic on several dimensions. The age–, gender–, and racially–diverse cast helps us see ourselves as part of a larger, broader family. Although the film’s setting is a small rural community, the relationships between the characters feel like those many of us had while growing up even in corners of large urban areas. At twenty-something, many of us are still connected with our closest childhood friends and enjoy getting together at a local spot. Also as young adults, we quite frequently gather with family for dinner at “Mom’s house,” sometimes bickering with folks at the table. And occasionally, we find ourselves in spontaneous but poignant talks with older adults, who impart bits of wisdom that stick. I like this film in part because it feels like the lives many of us lived when we were young. These elements make Lonesome Soldier feel like a story about us, even though its focus is on the one of us who makes a consequential choice to enlist. The one of us who leaves as an unassuming and kind young man who loves his wife and treasures his baby girl. And the one of us who returns home as something quite different. Early in his Basic Military Training, Jackson meets Ritchie (Dion Earl, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot , Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping ), a fellow enlistee from a nearby town with whom he becomes close friends. When Ritchie’s sergeant catches him smoking, he orders him to dig a hole to bury the cigarette. “DIG DEEP!” yells his sergeant. He then demands that Ritchie offer a eulogy for the buried cigarette. This moment certainly conveys the ingenuity of those who train others. It reminds me of the 1984 movie, Karate Kid , where Mr. Miyagi requires his teenage student, Daniel, to paint fences, wash cars, and sweep floors. Later, to Daniel’s surprise, he learns there was a purpose to these seemingly pointless household chores. Similarly, Ritchie’s sergeant takes a seemingly small infraction of the rules and makes it into an exercise to toughen him. Digging the hole and eulogizing the cigarette butt are not only meant to dissuade Ritchie from smoking again. They are meant to force him to bury any “soft” feelings he might have for anything in his life. They are meant to transform him, prepare him to do what is unimaginable, and feel in a way very different than he felt before. We are all changed in some way by our experiences. But change is not strong enough of a term to convey the transformation that occurs as a result of experiencing war, where non-combatants such as babies and children are slain, and soldiers are left with the imagery of their mangled bodies and are often covered in their blood. Just as horrendous is soldiers seeing their brothers– and sisters-in-arms shot right in front of them, and they are helpless to do anything substantial to save their lives. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’s National Center for PTSD , these experiences along with being shot at and ambushed “increase [soldiers’] chances of having PTSD or other mental health problems.” Compounding this, it says, are the long absences from home. To mollify these effects, some veterans self-medicate to suppress the nightmares, hallucinations, anxiety, and depression; others tragically commit acts much more damaging. Upon returning home, Jackson is often thanked by friends and family for his service and referred to as a hero, sincerely and teasingly. Reconciling such references though with his experiences and how he now feels about himself proves difficult and leads him to display the prototypical symptoms of PTSD. Thus, his family and friends’ comments seemingly exacerbate the frustration, confusion, and helplessness he already feels. Indeed, Jackson expresses, “I don’t really give a f*** about myself.” Jackson’s grandfather, Mack, a veteran himself, advises him to “just suppress the guilt.” Such advice hints at the belief that these feelings can be stopped like brakes function on a bike. But just as stopping a bike in heavy rain can result in serious injuries from the skid, suppressing guilt as Jackson does risks throwing his life even further out of balance. Something different is needed. At his lowest point, Jackson is reminded that his “Fight’s not over; it’s just different,” which suggests that Jackson has to be re-transformed. He has to “dig deep” to fight his way back to himself. Unlike most movies I have seen about war and soldiers returning home, Lonesome Soldier exposes the impact on families when soldiers are absent from home for extended periods of time. Partners can become overwhelmed with stress, which is exacerbated when caring for children or sick family members. Children’s health and safety can be put at risk due to the constant worry and simply missing their enlisted parents. We enjoy seeing news clips of children jumping into the arms of a parent returning home after a long deployment. But what we don’t see is what happens to families between the soldier’s departure and return. This film elucidates an aspect of military deployment that is rarely addressed in the media, particularly as it regards the partners of soldiers and the types of support they want or need. I remember watching the 2014 biopic, American Sniper , about Navy Seal Chris Snyder. Upon returning home from the Middle East, Chris, played by Bradley Cooper, was repeatedly thanked for his service. It was awkward for him, off-putting even. The film depicted him as angry about it because it seemed disingenuous. After all, what does that mean “Thank you for your service” or “You’re an American hero?” These sentiments flew in the face of what he felt about himself given his experiences in the service. While the expressions are meant to acknowledge those who performed extraordinary acts, “hero,” “heroism” and comments relating to them are so overused that their power has flattened into platitudes and led to cynicism. Perhaps we should now consider something both timeless and meaningful. The next time we see a veteran or a soldier in uniform, maybe we can consider adding something to make our acknowledgments impactful. Ask “What can I do for you?” “What do you need?” or “How can I help you?” But let’s do this only if the intent is truly to be of service to them. This way we are digging deep to uncover the hero within ourselves. 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 Marketing Associate Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Part Time Workspace Remote About the Role This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Apply Now

< Back Talk to Me tackles peer pressure and the effects of witnessing violence A24, 2023 95 minutes Director/Writer: Danny Philippou / Michael Philippou Reading Time: 5 minutes Talk to Me A Most Sinister Kind (LQSZUBJOBXALHA5N) 00:00 / 05:00 📷 : Used with permission, Agustin R. Michel https://www.instagram.com/agustinrmichel https://twitter.com/AgustinrMichel https://www.behance.net/agustin_rmichel Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Chris Chaisson 2023-08-11 The phrase “elevated horror” has been thrown around in cinematic circles over the last few years, as horror directors aim for more depth in their stories. The term is meant to refer to horror stories that tie in to social or psychological issues. Many younger creators have touched on topics like social media addiction, grief and generational trauma with their works, a change of pace from the costumed villains of decades past. I recently re-watched a ‘90s film Menace II Society , an unflinchingly violent film about the final high school days of two friends growing up in Watts, California. What struck me most about the film was how every brutal moment had an innocent bystander who would likely face permanent emotional damage due to what they had just witnessed. Though part of a much different genre, Australian YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou tackle this theme in their new A24 flick, Talk to Me . Talk to Me revolves around a group of high school aged students who use an embalmed hand cased in ceramic to conjure up spirits. After lighting a candle and holding the hand, they say, “Talk to me,” and a ghost appears to whomever is holding the hand. They then recite, “I let you in,” allowing the ghost to possess their body. The caveat is that after 90 seconds, the spirit will want to remain in the body, so they must let go of the hand and blow out the candle before the time is up. When the younger sibling of one student partakes, the spirit possessing his body causes him to inflict violence on himself, putting him in critical condition and ending the group’s enjoyment permanently. The A24 project, created by two brothers who own the popular YouTube channel “RackaRacka,” is certainly not the first horror movie to feature kids contacting spirits from beyond the grave. There have been several Ouija board-adjacent horror flicks in which the game goes terribly wrong. Where Talk to Me diverges from the others is its tie-in to contemporary pop culture trends. The teenagers do not partake in the activity to rebel against strict parents; they do it to fit in and gain attention. An unfortunate trend in recent years has been adolescents succumbing to dangerous challenges on social media that bring them harm and, in some cases, death. Though letting ghosts possess your body sounds, um… ill-advised , so does consuming laundry detergent or running across a series of large stacked crates. The film points out the intoxicating effects of fame and popularity, whether in a local or global community. As we see repeatedly, all that is needed to encourage foolish behavior are a couple of examples where nothing bad happens. The more individual sub-plot of Talk to Me is the stages of grief its protagonist, Mia (Sophie Wilde, The Portable Door ), experiences. Having witnessed her mother’s overdose, Mia struggles to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, as does her father. She lives with her friend Jade’s family, as her relationship with her father has been strained. With both having witnessed the life leave her mother’s body two years prior, Mia and her father both struggle to come to terms not only with the loss of life, but what they saw with their own eyes. They each carry the guilt of believing that she could have been saved. Mia’s infatuation with contacting the spirits compromises her judgment. Not only does Mia play along but encourages Jade’s little brother, Riley, to join in, putting him in a perilous situation against Jade’s wishes. After the teens all witness a violent, horrifying and consequential moment, the fun ends and the ancillary characters drift out of the story. While this puts even more focus on grief-stricken Mia, it also highlights how trends among youth come and go once a sobering and catastrophic moment occurs. Though Talk to Me mirrors Menace II Society in its depiction of young people witnessing death and violence, the two films hail from completely opposed dramas. Talk to Me ventures into the supernatural while Menace II Society is very grounded in the reality of its time period. A better comparison in the same genre would be the early 2000s thriller Joy Ride . Paul Walker and Steve Zahn play brothers on a cross-country trip who prank a truck driver on a CB radio, leading him on to think they are a woman that is interested in him. Once they reveal themselves, the truck driver wants vengeance and goes on a violent rampage. What the films do have in common is young people seeking attention, letting a game go too far, and having to cope with the horrifying, irreversible results. 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!