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Discover why film lovers trust Cup of Tea Critiques. Our tea-stimonials highlight Film & Movie reviews that deliver depth and perspective. Click here to see more! Tea-stimonials What filmmakers are saying Short Film: Operation: Cavity Alex Morsanutto, Founder Silvermine Productions "... I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for your time and thoughtful critique of "Operation: Cavity." Your feedback was incredibly insightful and demonstrated a keen understanding of the nuances within the film. I particularly valued your observations regarding character development, as well as your analysis of the cinematography and sound design elements. Your attention to detail truly enhances the depth of your review. Your input serves as invaluable guidance for our ongoing creative endeavors, and we are grateful for your contribution to our growth as filmmakers. Thank you once again for your time and expertise. We look forward to sharing future projects with you and hearing your thoughts."

< Back Our Son centers the pain of a break-up with an atypical couple Tigresa, 2023 104 minutes Director/Writer: Bill Oliver / Peter Nickowitz and Bill Oliver Reading Time: 5 minutes Our Son A Father's Love (SBPKC2XMTQYWW7G6) 00:00 / 06:08 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2023-12-14 Our lives can get messy. What even our closest friends see and hear doesn’t reveal what’s underneath the façade masking the messiness of our realities. But I guess it depends how closely we hold our friends. In the movie, Our Son , Gabriel and Nicky are married with an 8-year-old son named Owen. To their relatives and friends, they appear to be a happy family. But while Gabriel is close to his son, he no longer feels close to Nicky. A stay-at-home dad, Gabriel is the prototypical homemaker: cooking, cleaning, walking Owen to and from school, dealing with the PTA (Bless him!), and comforting him in time of need. Nicky is a successful publishing executive who works outside the home to financially support the family. The two share a tight-knit group of friends with whom they regularly get together for dinner, special events, and just hanging out. Hints of problems in Gabriel and Nicky’s relationship appear as they initially exchange small slights in private, which then evolve into larger put-downs in front of their friends. Owen, while generally a happy child, senses a breakdown of the harmony at home as he overhears the two arguing more and more frequently, despite their efforts to keep it down. When one of them files for divorce, what was once a tightly woven relationship begins to unravel and the pain experienced by everyone in proximity to them becomes palpable, even to us in the audience. I can remember a visit to the emergency room when I was in severe abdominal pain, so much so that I would not allow the doctor to touch me. It doesn’t make sense, but we rarely do when we are in excruciating pain. We get a sense of the emotional parallel to this when Gabriel insists that he and Nicky tell Owen that they are splitting up. Nicky responds by promptly kicking Gabriel out of the house. Incredulous, Gabriel asks, “Are you serious?” Nicky angrily points to the door, “Go, now.” Nicky stands in the foyer as Gabriel very slowly puts on his slippers, opens the door, and turns to look at Nicky in disbelief before walking through the threshold and softly closing the door behind him. Similar scenes in dramatic films are usually performed fast, in fits of anger with raised voices, and ending with the slamming of a door, as in the 2010 film, Blue Valentine . The absence of such histrionics in Our Son is undoubtedly by design, so the audience is permitted the time to sit in the scene and feel the pain of the deep emotional wounds often associated with divorce. This tactic is not unique to this film, though, as it can be found in other compassionate works on the subject, such as the 2019 release, Marriage Story starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and the 2021 HBO mini-series, Scenes from a Marriage , with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. True to form for stories about divorce, there is some yelling. But yelling neither dominates nor defines these pieces so exquisitely crafted to depict the pain and dynamics of the break-up of a marriage. Another major distinction between Our Son and other films about divorce is that the lead characters are a gay couple rather than heterosexual . I love this switch. Indeed, one of my pet peeves about films with LGBTQ+ individuals and communities is their tendency to center the story on the people rather than the problem that needs to be solved. Think Boys in the Band , The Miseducation of Cameron Post , and numerous other films. In contrast to these, Our Son focuses on divorce as the dilemma requiring a resolution. This is a refreshing contrast from past films because it presents LGBTQ+ individuals and families dealing with the same kinds of issues and struggles that others do – the most fundamental of which is keeping their families safe and intact. Phylicia Rashad makes an appearance in Our Son as Gabriel’s loving mother, who reminds him that despite their differences, Nicky, played by Luke Evans ( Beauty and the Beast , The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ), is someone he cares deeply about. The two, however, are at odds over who gets custody of Owen - Nicky who says he “can support him financially in the way he has become accustomed,” or Gabriel, played by Billy Porter ( Pose , Fairfax ), who feels it is appropriate since he has been “Owen’s primary caretaker since he was born.” These are not atypical claims for fractured families who live middle-class lifestyles, such as those with college degrees, low to mid-six-figure incomes, and multi-story homes in communities with Blue Ribbon public schools. This is the context of Gabriel and Nicky’s existence, which leaves one to wonder if such a story about divorce would be appealing within a different set of socioeconomic circumstances - a movie, for example, about the divorce of a working-class couple (same-sex or heterosexual) presented in a similarly humane and palpable way. For working-class families, such stories are rarely central to the film, and when they are, they tend to be presented as modern-day comedies ( Crazy, Stupid, Love. Def initely, Maybe ) or tragedies ( Safe Haven , Enough ). In this respect, Our Son depicts more of the middle-class lifestyle often presented in film and television. Despite the social-class rub, Peter Nickowitz and Bill Oliver’s moving piece does an excellent job of maintaining the focus not on the couple’s sexual orientation, but on the unimaginable yet relatable pain that is part and parcel of the break-up of a love that once was. This is needed to help us remain mindful that these are people’s lives and the sh**’s real no matter the couple’s sexual orientation. 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 Soft and Quiet, Along With 6 Other Movies Shot in One Take A Brief List of Movies Shot in One Continuous Take -- er, Supposedly Chris Chaisson 1/27/23 Reading Time: 9 minutes 📸: Used with Permission, Snollygoster Productions (hello@snollygoster.productions ) I recently watched the Blumhouse indie film Soft and Quiet , which premiered last spring at the SXSW Festival. While the film has too many twists and turns to discuss without spoiling, one noteworthy aspect about the project is how director Beth de Araújo chose to shoot it: all in one take. “Whenever there’s a cut in a film, there’s a sort of inherent exhale where you give the audience a second to catch their breath,” Arajuo said in an interview with SXSW. “And so if you never give them that, they’re feeling the tension a little bit more effectively.” The style of shooting with no cuts or breaks originated over 70 years ago (more on that later), but we rarely see directors incorporate this technique for a variety of reasons. For starters, this approach completely changes the story that the writer crafts. Writers traditionally follow a rule of thumb with their scenes: “Get in late, get out early.” In other words, start the scene at the latest moment possible when the audience can still understand everything, convey the important plot points, then move on to the next scene once all exposition has been delivered. Scripts usually cut anything mundane, even if it is true to real life, to avoid losing the audience’s attention. When directors shoot a film in one take however, they do not have this luxury of compressed time. Additionally, shooting a feature-length film in a single take requires precision with camera and lighting setups, set design, and dialogue memorization that are very difficult to pull off with no break in the action. Thus, what many filmmakers shooting in one take have to do is rehearse ad nauseam before shooting the entire film a handful of times, ideally becoming more comfortable with each rep. The post-production crew will take the best run-through and, if needed, incorporate bits and pieces from other takes before smoothing it over to make it look uninterrupted. Which genres does this style attract? Horror movies and crime thrillers choose the shooting style more so than other genres. Its immersive nature builds more suspense and anxiety in the audience, making it an asset to thrillers and horror. For instance, a hostage or home invasion movie, where you want the audience to experience arrested development, would be movies that may utilize this technique. Here are a handful of such movies spanning several decades that embraced the challenge of presenting a story in one take: Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Best Picture-winner Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) follows washed-up actor Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) attempting to revive his career by creating and starring in his own stage play. Its use of the one-take method conveys the dizzying state of being a live performer, especially one with a troublesome personal life. In no scene is this more apparent than when Riggan is forced to run through Times Square donning only a pair of whitey-tighties in order to re-enter the theater and continue his performance. While many one-take films attempt a very grounded feel, Birdman dabbles in the surreal, using voiceover narration, pulsating non-diegetic jazz music, and the occasional telekinesis. Oh yeah, and Michael Keaton flying over Manhattan streets in a bird costume. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu stuck to a very rigorous and meticulous schedule, including both the lines and the blocking of the actors. He stuck mainly to one location and both rehearsed and shot the film in sequence, with very strict lines of dialogue and choreography (McKittrick, Creative Screenwriting ). 1917 1917 surrounds a pair of British lance corporals (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) during WWI sent into enemy territory to deliver a message that would halt a planned ambush. Winning multiple Oscars for sound mixing, visual effects and cinematography, the Sam Mendes picture uses its continuous take style to illustrate the very sudden nature of life-and-death situations in a war zone. It is not as graphic and gory as many other war films but nonetheless effectively illustrates that soldiers are never really safe, even in quiet moments. The project was quite a commitment for all actors involved, as they spent 6 months in rehearsal prior to shooting. While the film appears to be one continuous take, Mendes concealed many edits through camera movements behind objects and the occasional black screen (i.e. dirt being kicked up in front of the lens, etc.). Rope Who better to take on a herculean filmmaking task than Alfred Hitchcock? Nicknamed the Master of Suspense, Hitchcock applied the one-take filmmaking aspect to his 1948 project, adapted from a Patrick Hamilton stage play by the same name of nearly 20 years prior. In the adaptation, two students, Brandon and Philip (John Dall and Farley Granger respectively), murder their classmate and hide the body in the same location of their dinner party later that evening. The point of their daredevil tactic is to test the precision for executing the crime. As Brandon’s guilt weighs on him Telltale Heart style, one of their guests, Rupert (Jimmy Stewart) grows suspicious. Shot on 35mm film, Hitchcock had to resort to shooting a series of 10-minute takes and stringing them together due to the technological limitations at that time. As in Soft and Quiet , the camera heightens the effect of big revelations by panning around, zooming in and resting on particular props, such as a gun in one’s pocket, a message on a piece of stationary or a design inside a bowler hat. Silent House Silent House is adapted from an Argentinian horror film titled La Casa Muda . It revolves around Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), a young woman trapped in her family’s lakeside retreat with an intruder and no way out. Without spoiling the ending, Silent House utilizes the “unreliable narrator” trope and places the audience in Sarah‘s limited perspective, leading to a dark and shocking plot twist. The film doesn’t shy away from the jump scare method through lighting effects (or lack thereof), tight shots and sound mixing. Similar to Rope , Silent House was shot as a series of 10-minute takes edited to appear continuous. Timecode Like the other films on this list, Mike Figgis’ Timecode filmed multiple run-throughs using the one-take style. Unlike the others, this particular selection incorporated a split-screen to show four takes at once. While this sounds like a battle of attrition for one’s attention span, the film foregrounds the audio of the screen that it wants the audience to focus on at any particular point. Timecode tells the story of a jilted lover (Jeanne Tripplehorn) discovering her partner’s (Salma Hayek) infidelity and listening in to a Hollywood production company’s casting call, located in the same place her partner was heading. The initially separate characters eventually intertwine, culminating in a tragic ending. Rather than containing meticulous dialogue and action as the other films on this list chose to do, Timecode consists largely of improvisation, with each actor and actress responsible for their own clothes, hair and makeup. Figgis shot the film fifteen times over the course of two weeks, always as a continuous take. Victoria Sometimes, tourists who trust strangers can get more than they bargained for. Such is the case for the titular character, a twenty-something Spanish woman (Laia Costa) who leaves Madrid for Berlin and runs into a group of friends at a nightclub. After a fun and flirtatious start to the evening, Victoria finds herself coerced into a bank robbery with dire stakes and consequences. As is common in one-take movies, Victoria takes place in real time over one evening. The film contains many emotional swings, as the protagonist goes from guarded to trusting, euphoric to depressed and back multiple times. As Victoria is in every scene, we see the events unfold through her viewpoint. The limited perspective also drives home how loneliness can compromise anyone’s judgment. Like Timecode , Victoria leaned heavily on its actors to improvise, with the original screenplay being just 12 pages long. While other one-take movies use clever editing to smooth out cuts, Victoria was shot as one continuous take three different times during the early morning hours in Berlin. Director Sebastian Schipper watched them all and picked the best run-through. What are the takeaways? For starters, a lot of one-take movies are not actually one take. Editors tend to weave together clips in a way that appears continuous by using black screen, extreme close-ups and stagnant frames as in and out points. Movies meant to appear as one continuous take tend to require a lot of preparation, even relative to other detailed shoots. Some of the movies on this list performed well at the box office while others didn’t. Some received critical acclaim while others did not. The reality is that this style can be a turnoff for moviegoers who see it as a gimmick used to distract from a script’s gaping plot holes. Despite viewers' complaints, one-take movies can be done very well, as evidenced by the critical acclaim and accolades of Birdman , 1917 , and others not on this list. It is yet another cinematic tool that provides directors, crews and cast one of the best things about art: an opportunity to challenge themselves. 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 A Thousand and One shifts expectations and challenges stereotypes Sight Unseen Pictures, 2023 117 minutes Director/Writer: A. V. Rockwell Reading Time: 6 minutes A Thousand and One 13 Out 1 In (OYHAUOLODSLKHRSJ) 00:00 / 07:04 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2023-04-18 The adage says that before judging a person, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. A cliché no doubt, but it nonetheless rings true and certainly applies to this story of a woman willing to risk it all for the chance to raise her child on her own terms. Starring Teyana Taylor ( Coming to America 2 ) as Inez de la Paz, A Thousand and One spans an 11-year period in New York City beginning in the mid-1990s, when a racially segregated Harlem consisted of tenement housing and densely populated communities of people struggling to get by. Setting the social climate of the period is audio of speeches from then-Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg promising to enhance the city’s landscape and stamp out crime (despite violating the civil rights of people to do so). After being released from a short jail term, Inez abducts her 6-year-old son, Terry, from foster care, determined to raise him on her own. A former foster child herself, she struggles to do this. Friends can only offer minimal help, styling hair for the occasional client yields little income, and the closest job she can find is a two-hour subway ride away. At times forced to leave her child home alone while she works, Inez eventually obtains the documents needed to get him into school. When Terry arrives home one day, he finds a man in the apartment with his mom. Inez introduces him as “Lucky” and happily informs the child, “He’ll be moving in with us.” Lucky, though, seems to want nothing to do with the quiet, unassuming 7-year-old, played by Aaron Kingsley Adetola ( Rise , The Tramps New World ). Too often, stories with Black characters fall on long-held stereotypes. I like this story precisely because it does not. For example, Black men are often depicted as unavailable to their children physically and emotionally. While initially aloof about connecting with Terry, Lucky, played by William Catlett ( The Devil You Know , The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray) , does eventually commit to being a father to the child and develops a close bond with him. This is especially remarkable given that Lucky was recently released from prison. Typically viewed and treated as lost causes, people who experience incarceration are often depicted as being drawn to trouble and having constant run-ins with the law. This story avoids perpetuating these cinematic tropes. Similarly, as the positive narratives surrounding African American boys are scarce, Terry, even as a teenager, is neither depicted as a troubled child at home or in school, nor a child who gets into trouble with the law. Rather, he is quiet, thoughtful and introspective, wondering for example why he should have to leave his community in order to get “a good education.” Terry’s character challenges the widely-held views of Black boys as problems and up to no good, despite occasions in the film where police throw Terry up against a wall and frisk him without cause. Regarding stereotypes about Black women, Inez’s character could have been written as a terrible mother. Instead, Inez spends time with her son and helps him understand that while things are difficult now, they will not always be this way. She meets with teachers at his school to understand the educational plans they have for her son and what it could mean for him. She resists reacting to a back-handed compliment by a White teacher, even though it is clear it took a lot for her to hold back. Had she not, the “angry Black woman” stereotype would have left its indelible mark on the audience. Inez’s refusal to react can be viewed as purposefully resisting stereotypes. She realizes that the cost of reacting means perpetuating negative ideas about Black women. So instead she chooses, then, to reserve her strength for the bigger battles she fights every day, which include protecting and caring for the two Black men in her life. The stress of this emotional work is taxing, however, as it suggests a never-ending level of vigilance. She alludes to her wear and tear at several points throughout the film, stating, “What about me? Who takes care of me?” An abundance of research exists on how African American women in particular, expend so much time and energy protecting and looking out for their loved ones that little time is left for themselves, and they often feel tired and neglected. While this movie has a small hint of the 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness , its feel is more reminiscent of the HBO series, The Deuce , which is set in roughly the same period and coincidentally the same city. Both make use of the dark cinematography of the day and just as with The Deuce, which ran from 2017-2019 , the lives of people in A Thousand and One were affected by politically-motivated initiatives that directly impacted their lives. Also, the sight of Inez inserting coin after coin into telephone booths, affixed just outside of subway entrances and throughout the neighborhood, pulled me into the era that predated today’s technology. Even the use of the big, printed phone books surfaced long-buried memories of how tedious everyday tasks used to be. Anyone doubting the convenience (or annoyance) of cellphones and computers is likely to think again after seeing this film. While A Thousand and One challenges prevailing stereotypes, it ensures the pendulum does not swing too far in the direction of depicting the characters as infallible. Inez and Lucky are indeed flawed characters in the film - both do scandalous things. After all, Inez did kidnap Terry. It leaves the question though: To what degree can the characters’ behaviors be explained by flaws in their personalities or their past (and present) hardships and life experiences? This is always difficult to discern. But a poignant moment in the film gives some insight into this when Lucky asks Inez why she loves him. Initially dismissing him, he insists on an answer. She slowly responds, “Damaged people don’t know how to love one another.” This was an emotionally moving film that also moved the story along, letting the audience inside Inez’s life, creating the space for empathy. This full 360 degrees was needed for the audience to appreciate her depth of character, her shortcomings, and conveyance of a story that can be generalized to women like her in major cities across the United States. In addition to kudos to writer/director A. V. Rockwell on this piece, newcomer Teyana Taylor should receive major award nods for her strong delivery of Inez de la Paz in this film. We look forward to seeing more of her and Rockwell’s work. 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 How to Increase Latin-American Representation in Film What a Recent Horror Blockbuster Can Tell Us About the Importance of Representation Chris Chaisson 4/26/23 Reading Time: 7 minutes 📸: Used with permission, Vini Kick Scream VI has been a raving success at the box office this past month. It is not altogether surprising for a myriad of reasons. Beloved franchises will always have their built-in audience looking for recurring characters, adjacent storylines and callbacks to previous films. Additionally, the experience of watching a horror film in a movie theater is hard to duplicate elsewhere. The dim lighting, projector screen and surround sound, along with the collective audience reaction, amplify every scary or funny moment. Thus, horror is the genre most likely to excel despite the downturn in movie theater attendance. Even with all of these factors working in Scream VI ’s favor, there is another less talked about influence on its success. Like its 2022 predecessor, Scream VI consists of two Latin American co-stars, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, playing fiercely loyal sisters. The decision to cast the two actresses is a shrewd move given one of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets. According to a 2019 report by the Motion Picture Association, Inc., White and Black people are both underrepresented in the frequent moviegoer category relative to their overall population (with frequent moviegoers being defined by the Motion Picture Association as ‘people who attend the theater at least once a month’). While White people make up 61% of the population, they only constitute 55% of frequent moviegoers. Black people are 12% of the population but only 9% of frequent moviegoers. Asians and other ethnicities attend the movies at about an equal rate to their percentage of the population. Hispanics, despite only being 18% of the overall population, comprise an astounding 26% of frequent moviegoers. What accounts for this impressive turnout? For starters, the movie industry is based in Los Angeles, California. The population of the city, second largest in the U.S., and the surrounding area are roughly 50% Hispanic. As there are more theaters, early screenings, and movie-related special events in the area relative to the rest of the country, it follows logic that they could be disproportionately attended by the overwhelming ethnic group in the region. According to the Wall Street Journal , major chains like AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. pay attention to where Latinos are densely populated when deciding where to build their theaters. This suggests that in addition to the ethnic demographics of the film industry’s location, peripheral businesses make deliberate efforts to reach Latinos by setting up in proximity to them. In spite of this overrepresentation, Hispanics tend to be underrepresented on screen, particularly in blockbuster movies. The USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism conducted an Inclusion Initiative in 2019, selecting 1,300 popular films spanning back to 2007 and doing a breakdown by the ethnicity of each character. On average, Hispanic/Latinos only made up 5% of the total characters, far less than their percentage of the population or frequent moviegoers. In no particular year did Hispanic/Latino characters make up more than 7.2% of the total on screen. As far as lead characters go, only 3.5 percent of the 1,300 (roughly 46) included a Hispanic/Latino protagonist. Out of these lead actors, only Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez had multiple leading roles in this timespan, meaning other Hispanic/Latino actors did not get the opportunity for extended screen time and increased exposure to the movie-going audience. Not being recast as central characters denies actors the ability to become household names, which would increase the excitement around their presence in upcoming projects. Felix Sanchez, the chairman and co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, points out that, “…even if there are Latino roles, the movie is generally told through a white person experiencing a Latino environment. You don't see stories truly told from a Latino perspective." To this point, many Hollywood productions are indeed set in Los Angeles neighborhoods, often predominantly Hispanic. However, the members of that community are removed from the story or pushed to the background. In the battle for more representation, equally important to creating more roles is creating a diverse set of characters. The overwhelming portrayal of Hispanic characters are impoverished citizens, immigrants, or criminals, often drug dealers and cartel leaders. Frequently, English is not the characters’ first language. Female Hispanic characters are more likely than White, Black or Asian actresses to be scantily clad or nude on screen. Often, diversity efforts fall short of creating quality representations and simply place the same character on screen in various stories. Amidst putting more Hispanic/Latino faces on screen, directors and producers must remember to also present original, unorthodox depictions to elevate beyond monolithic portrayals. So what’s a good way to accomplish this goal? The best method to accomplish on-screen diversity is to have diversity amongst the decision makers. Having more writers, producers, and directors of Hispanic origin will likely allow more of such actors to gain opportunities and more innovative stories to be told. Out of the 1,300 films in the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 4.2% had Hispanic/Latino directors. Just 3 directors were female and of Hispanic origin. Such underrepresentation behind the camera most certainly translates to the big screen. The initiative suggests putting pressure on organizations such as talent agencies, advertising agencies, philanthropists and film festivals. Additionally, legislators and film offices can enforce tax measures that incentivize productions to hire Hispanic/Latino individuals. All of these proposals are valid, but the best way to see an increase in the representation of an ethnic group is to provide that group with hiring power. Progress involving diversity measures often comes slow. A narrative to never fall for is the notion that there is a dearth of talent or desire. There are plenty of aspiring and capable individuals waiting for the chance to show their abilities. Many major cities in the U.S. have Hispanic/Latino film festivals for those interested in contributing or learning. Such cities include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Miami, Seattle, Vancouver, and of course, Providence, Rhode Island. Additionally, major non-profit coalitions such as the Latino Film Institute , Cinema Tropical , and Film Freeway can provide both more information and a hub for discovering talented artists. References Case, A., Z. Mercado and K. Hernandez (2019). Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,300 Popular Movies. USC Annenberg School of Communication of Journalism . https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-hispanic-latino-rep-2021-09-13.pdf Fritz, B. (2013) Hollywood Takes Spanish Lessons As Latinos Stream to the Movies. The Wall Street Journal . https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324049504578545812929816462 Miles, K. (2013) Latinos Attend More Movies Than Anyone Else But Are The Least Represented On Screen. HuffPost . https://www.huffpost.com/entry/latinos-movies_n_4221232 Motion Pictures Association, Inc. (2019) Theme Report. https://www.motionpictures.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/MPA-THEME-2019.pdf 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. 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< Back This suspenseful political thriller starring Jessica Chastain, takes viewers on a whirlwind around Washington’s power-elites where influence, will, and ingenuity meet center stage. EuropaCorp, 2016 132 minutes Director/Writer: John Madden / Johnathan Perera Reading Time: 5 minutes Miss Sloane Intercept (KJBRWNSW03XUAWPG) 00:00 / 05:39 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Reba Chaisson 2022-05-22 Some people might argue that it takes a person devoid of emotion to do the work of politics, where the goal is not to be charismatic but simply to get your way. This suggests that those who do political work are automatons motivated solely by the desire to win, damn the cause and the potential human costs— even to oneself. This also suggests that the person has lost him or herself in the quest to win. That they have become oblivious to what drove them to the debate in the first place. When this happens, they lose sight of their peripheral vision and are blindsided by moves they failed to anticipate. Why? Because politics is a game of chess, not checkers. Chess so aptly describes Miss Sloane , an immersive film about political maneuverings, manipulation of relationships, and ideologies that shift with the wind depending on which direction yields the advantage over an adversary. Headlined by Jessica Chastain ( Molly’s Game , Zero Dark Thirty ) in the title role as Madeline Sloane, the contemporary Washington DC-based drama is a suspenseful political thriller, in which figuring out motivations and a winning strategy proves to be simultaneously mind-boggling and mind-blowing. Because Shakespearean tragedies involve the death of a political hero, few people consider their parallels when tragedy befalls a heroine. To sell a modern story as one, the central character must be cloaked in stoicism and traditional, yet masculine exhibitions of leadership and determination. In Miss Sloan for example, Evelyn Sumner, a wealthy supporter of feminist causes who is played by Christine Baranski ( Mamma Mia! , The Good Wife ), does not hide her disdain for Sloane, telling her directly that “all she needed was a d***.” So, a woman who exhibits traditional male qualities and conducts her business in a traditional male domain is essentially viewed as problematic when she does not consistently support feminist causes. This, however, narrows what women can be and helps explain why some exhibit behaviors typically associated with men, particularly in the political arena. Sloane is a quick-witted, high-energy, and bold thirty-something political operative who takes on the powerful gun lobby to regulate firearm purchases. This not only upsets the lobbyists but also raises the ire of certain congressional members who receive millions of dollars in campaign donations and in-kind favors under the tacit assurance that restrictions are never imposed on gun purchases. With the vote on a gun regulation bill looming, the lobby solicits the political consulting firm where Sloane is highly regarded and used to winning. Unable to contain her cynicism when approached by the head of the gun lobby, Bill Sanford, played by Chuck Shamata ( The Day After Tomorrow , One Week ), she laughs in his face and declares that they have no case. Incensed, her boss, George Dupont, played by Sam Waterston of Law and Order fame, gives her an ultimatum. She then takes viewers on a whirlwind around Washington’s power-elites where influence, will, and ingenuity meet center stage. The 2016 release is reminiscent of the 1987 film, No Way Out , which stars Kevin Costner as Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell. He secretly witnesses the accidental killing of his lover, Susan Atwell by Senator David Brice, a powerful politician who was having an affair with her. Played by Gene Hackman ( The French Connection , Runaway Jury ), Senator Brice finds a Polaroid negative underneath Atwell’s bed appearing to be Atwell and her lover. He then embarks on a plan to divert attention away from himself by pointing the authorities in the direction of Farrell as the killer. Not only must he get the negative developed first, but he must ensure Atwell’s friends don’t reveal his relationship with her. Unfortunately for Farrell, Senator Brice exerts his influence to get the case assigned to him and to insist he uses the Pentagon’s software to render “the killer’s” image from the negative. Unbeknownst to Brice, the image is that of Farrell, who must work against himself to ensure the picture does not get revealed and that he simultaneously protects Atwell’s friends by staying one step ahead of Brice and his goons. Both are done at great cost to all involved. Like No Way Out , Miss Sloane uses politics to tell a story about human costs and sacrifice. Sure, the cost of expending energy to win in Washington is measured in terms of livelihood, degree of influence, and wealth. So determined are the players to get their way that they leave immeasurable human wreckage in their wake. Instead, said wreckage manifests itself in intangibles like unmet needs, unchecked emotions, and unrequited love. Miss Sloane left me wondering how much of ourselves we should sacrifice, and if winning is worth what we are risking. The price of not pausing to consider these has long-term consequences for what many believe are the most important things in life. Understanding this, is winning truly everything? 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 How Deep is the Ocean spurs questions around self-sabotage A W Pictures, 2023 78 minutes Director/Writer: Andrew Walsh Reading Time: 6 minutes How Deep is the Ocean Sepulveda (VXAQAGDAIRDQD7FB) 00:00 / 07:08 📷 : Used with permission, Andrew Walsh Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Coca: Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Reba Chaisson 2024-05-17 You might have heard of a very successful film released in 1996, called Jerry McGuire , starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger. Tom Cruise plays the title character, a self-absorbed sports agent who is left with just one client after being fired from his firm for writing a Mission Statement. The Statement contradicted the company’s values of being aggressive and even unethical in recruiting clients. A poignant scene during the story’s setup shows a dejected Maguire on the elevator, when he observes a deaf couple signing “You complete me” to one another. The stark contrast between the couple’s enthrallment and Cruise’s down-on-his-luck body language is quite hilarious. But this scene ignites wonderings about self-sabotage, much like Andrew Walsh’s indie film, How Deep is the Ocean . Set in Melbourne, Australia, the improvisational film stars Cris Cochrane ( My Cherry Pie , A Promise Carved in Flesh ) and Olivia Fildes ( Sunflower ) as new roommates Roy and Eleanor, respectively. Roughly in his late 40s/early 50s, Roy is gregarious, quick-witted, and a heavy drinker, while Eleanor, a late 20-something emigrant from Los Angeles, is nonchalant, broke, and lacking any short- or long-term plans for herself. Despite clear signs that Roy suffers from alcoholism, she agrees to rent a room from him in his home, leaving us perplexed about her decision. When he bursts into her bedroom drunk on her first night, she kicks him out and promptly returns to bed, seeming largely unfazed by the intrusion. Many of us would have responded quite differently, perhaps beating up the intruder and leaving the house at first light, if not that very moment. Shortly after renting the room from Roy, Eleanor meets Matt, who takes a liking to her when he helps her get Roy settled after one of his benders. Matt even uses his influence to get Eleanor a job at the store where he works when she tells him she was fired from her restaurant job. She conveniently leaves out the part about spitting in the coffee of a rude customer. Despite Matt’s overtures, Eleanor opts instead for Roy’s friend, Charlie, played by Adam Rowland ( Home and Away , Neighbors ). Within minutes of meeting him, she promptly asks Charlie out to lunch. Upon learning that Charlie is married, she continues to pursue a relationship with him despite the likelihood that she will end up with a broken heart. In case you are unfamiliar, improvisational films like How Deep is the Ocean lack a script, which means there is no (or minimal) prepared dialog. Think the long-running comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm . The actors are guided by their character’s descriptions and interactions, along with a general understanding of the story’s flow. This lack of structure inevitably leads to awkward scenes, where something unplanned occurs and we anticipate a type of response that never transpires, much like the aforementioned bedroom encounter. There are several instances of such awkward scenes in the movie. During Eleanor’s and Charlie’s picnic on the beach, a bird comes into the frame as if beckoning for food. Instead of the couple shooing it away, they ignore the bird despite its persistent and continual encroachment of their space. Another example of similar unresolved anticipation occurs in the kitchen where Roy and Eleanor are having a casual conversation. Several times, the camera zooms on the sausage cooking in the skillet. We anticipate something funny will happen with the sausage but nothing does. The panning on the links (pun intended) has no import, which shows how even the film’s crew become a part of onscreen play in an unscripted production. They too are never sure what will happen in a scene. And like us, they anticipate some action which often never materializes. There are also some incredibly funny and astounding moments that come out of the film’s improv. Eleanor drinks whisky at a job interview and eats the food she accidentally drops on the ground. Maybe the streets are cleaner in Australia than in the U.S., though. How Deep is the Ocean provides the feel of a bright, upbeat film. The 78-minute production is shot in warm, sunny weather, and the interactions among the characters are largely friendly and quippy. In addition to more than five sets, the film has a big cast which includes four main characters. It is rare to see this breadth of mise-en-scène and cast members in what the director, Andrew Walsh, describes as a micro budget film. We also see such largesse in the short film, Divertimento , where the 31-minute movie has more than 20 actors, some with name recognition (i.e. Kellan Lutz of FBI: Most Wanted and Torrey DeVitto of Chicago Fire fame). The film was set in a castle in France, which likely chewed up a significant piece of the budget. Still, what filmmakers are able to do with so few funds is impressive. There are plenty of movies centering self-sabotaging protagonists. One such film is A Star is Born with Bradley Cooper as a successful but deeply unhappy musician who suffers from alcoholism. Another is Leaving Las Vegas with Nicholas Cage as an alcoholic who sets out to drink himself to death. There is also Uncut Gems where Adam Sandler plays a gambling addict who risks his family’s safety when he is unable to settle his debts. Finally, there’s Queen of Earth with Elizabeth Moss as a woman who resents her close friend and winds up descending into delusion. How Deep is the Ocean is neither dark or heavy, nor is it a film about addiction or mental illness. Its style and elements make it comparable to the mumblecore subgenre film, Drinking Buddies – improvisation, love angle, young adult focus, and all. Walsh’s indie is a bright story about a young person with no sense of direction in her life, and who repeatedly exacerbates this rudderlessness and lack of introspection with poor judgment and ill-advised decisions. How Deep is the Ocean makes us adults (young, old, and every age in between) consider why we self-sabotage in these ways. Why we exacerbate the challenges in our lives, making our experiences more unpleasant and our lives more onerous than need be. Why we tend toward something that risks our heart and sense of self, and against something that takes care of both. These are questions worth pondering for a moment or two as we engage in self-therapy. Perhaps How Deep is the Ocean gives us some insight. 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 Underneath its crude humor, Funny Pages presents a relatable inner conflict. Elara Pictures, 2022 86 minutes Director/Writer: Owen Kline Reading Time: 4 minutes Funny Pages Bright Sunny Day (XKZNBXMW4TPZG38B) 00:00 / 04:47 📷 : Used with permission, Izzy Aghahowa https://izzyaghahowa.co.uk/ Ginkgo Biloba: Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2022-09-19 It’s no secret what a dizzying time the end of high school can be. Given how hard it is for full-grown adults to make life-changing decisions, picking a place to move on to for the next four years (if anywhere) brings a lot of pressure to teenagers. The ability to figure out what will drive you for the rest of your life can be overwhelming when you can barely drive yourself, but some adolescents know earlier than others. When you discover your passion ahead of schedule, the choices you make can perplex those around you. Such was the case for the protagonist of Funny Pages , a Cannes Award-nominated indie project all about self-discovery. Funny Pages follows Robert (Daniel Zolghadri, Eighth Grade), a teenage comic strip artist grieving the unexpected death of his mentor. After he is caught breaking and entering to recover his drawings and then let off easy, Robert decides that he does not want to keep living under the protective arm of his parents, Jennifer (Maria Dizzia, True Story) and Lewis (Josh Pais, Joker). He saves up to buy a broken-down jalopy from his comic book store manager and rents a room in Trenton, New Jersey. After finding a job as a typist for the public defender that got him off, Robert runs into Wallace (Matthew Maher, Captain Marvel), a color separator for a comic that he once admired. He slowly realizes that one of his biggest influences, just like the independence he seeks, can turn out to be a huge letdown. At times, this coming-of-age story appears to be in support of adolescents rejecting familial support, going out on a limb and finding their own way. After all, Robert experiences independence with some success. He acquires his own transportation, shelter, and job while meeting one of his biggest inspirations. However, he finds himself in uncomfortable and even inappropriate predicaments that don’t seem necessary. For instance, his living situation involves him sharing a space with undesirable roommates, no ventilation, and no view to the outside world. Similarly, the public defender that he works for puts him in direct contact with Wallace, who is in a severe state of self-loathing. Robert’s struggles do lead to some creative material for his comics, but they put him at odds with the people who care about him the most. He repeatedly puts down his loyal best friend Miles (Miles Emanuel, Calidris), who has the same passion for comic strips that he does. Similarly, Robert is snotty to his parents, who give him space while trying to keep his best interests at heart. Rather than embrace the unconditional support that he receives, Robert bends over backwards to appease his troubled source of inspiration, despite Wallace’s reluctance to befriend him. While Robert’s talent is clear, his need to be rebellious compromises his decision-making. Stylistically, writer/director Owen Kline shoots an abundance of close-ups, often highlighting the physical oddities of his main characters: acne, balding patterns, sweat stains, etc. The shots feel like a reference to what a reader would see in caricatures or comic strips. One could surmise the movie is attempting to show us life through the eyes of a comic artist, who hones in on such blemishes as their inspiration. As they would in a comic strip, the characters do not change their appearance; they simply exist in their imperfection. This element makes the story stand out from your typical mainstream flick that fine-tunes every main character’s visage through makeup, rigorous diets and exercise routines. Being that Funny Pages is an independent film, its theme of anti-vanity fits well. Though the audience may be occasionally grossed out by the lewd nature of the comics or unkemptness of the characters, it delivers a quirky story about going through a confusing phase of life and venturing off the beaten path. 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 Mickey Hardaway highlights the need to prioritize mental health Mylineal Films, 2023 104 min Director/Writer: Marcellus Cox Reading Time: 5 minutes Mickey Hardaway A Dark Past (VNQH2YEJUZ5IYSE2) 00:00 / 05:04 📷 : Used with permission, Marcellus Cox Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Chris Chaisson 2023-04-18 The title character in this brooding melodrama has not had an easy life. Mickey, a 20-something talented aspiring artist, simply wants to pursue his dream of creative expression. He embraces the possible footfalls that come with it, but simply wants to be given a chance. The story begins with his visit to a psychiatrist. As he opens up to his therapist, we see flashbacks of Mickey’s upbringing and key moments that influenced the path of his life. The most impactful element of his trajectory is the relentless verbal and physical abuse he endures from his father. Mickey’s dad, Randall, clearly maintains the practical mindset with which he was raised, the belief that artistic endeavors are a waste of time and energy. In his view, both are better spent learning a trade that could earn money and help loved ones. Part of Randall’s mindset, we later learn, comes from sacrificing his football dreams for the good of the family. Rather than accepting what his life has become, he continually takes out his anger on his family, beating Mickey up and verbally disrespecting Mickey’s mother, Jackie. Once he finally stands up to Randall, Mickey decides he is better off living on his own. His father does not try to keep him from going but instead encourages him to get out. In addition to his financial struggles, Mickey battles a bad drinking habit he has learned from his father. When his girlfriend, Grace, brings it to his attention, he admits that he has always used it as a way to calm his anxiety. Between his father’s abuse, his drinking habit and his inability to achieve a career breakthrough, he becomes self-sabotaging and emotionally unavailable, creating problems in his relationships with Grace and a supportive former teacher. The culmination of these issues compel Grace to encourage Mickey to seek the help of a professional. But can Mickey’s new therapist be accessible enough to meet his needs? There has been an abundance of discourse about the need for young Black men and women to prioritize their mental health and seek counseling when feeling overwhelmed. However, a stigma has long stood in the way of taking this step, with therapy being viewed as something for the “weak,” “soft,” or “crazy.” Many Black men in particular are necessarily raised to be tough and independent, and admitting the need for counseling does not fit in with such old-school ideas of masculinity. Additionally, quality mental health services are not always available or affordable for marginalized groups, which lends itself to continuing the perception in communities of color that mental health support is not meant for people like them. Another challenge to overcoming the stigma of using mental health services is the matter of finding relatable professionals. In the film, Mickey is a young Black man seeking the help of a professional with a similar background, which is an important component of counseling. Negative or unhelpful experiences with therapy sometimes stem from the patient and professional having vastly different life experiences. This dissonance can leave the patient feeling misunderstood or as though their experience is being minimized. On the flipside, the professional may have their expertise dismissed by the patient. Many female therapists, for example, struggle getting through to their male patients who display misogynistic tendencies. In any case, this indie feature subtly conveys the need to find help from professionals with a shared viewpoint. Mickey clearly needs help, but has he waited too long to find it? Has he reached a point of no return where he will act out in an irreversibly destructive way? In entertainment, scenes of protagonists undergoing therapy have often been used as somewhat comedic devices, particularly when they do not fit the profile of psychotherapy patients (i.e. Tony Soprano or Paul Vitti). This is done in fun and meant only as a source of humor - for its entertainment value. However, there is a serious side to the issue that also deserves attention. Mickey Hardaway gets at this by illustrating the importance of doing away with the perception of therapy as something that is needed and should not be embarrassing when sought. As far as melodramas go, Mickey Hardaway is most reminiscent of the early 2000’s biopic Antwone Fisher . Both films consist of young Black protagonists dealing with residual anger from years of mistreatment and finally seek counseling in hopes of turning things around. Jonah Hill's Stutz , although more of a docu-drama, deals with this topic as well and with similar goals to Mickey Hardaway . The hope is to get young people to seek help when needed and in doing so, find a therapist they feel comfortable with and that is right for them. 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 Do Slasher Movies Still Cut It? (No Pun Intended) Examining the Shift in the Thematic Trends of the Horror Genre Chris Chaisson 2/9/23 Reading Time: 8 minutes 📸: Used with Permission, Snollygoster Productions (hello@snollygoster.productions ) My music fandom runs deep. As a lover of both oldies and hip hop, I sometimes lament missing the Beatles craze and not being able to connect with why they are so beloved. Recently, I attended the Beastie Boys exhibit in Los Angeles and had the same feeling of having missed out. I can hear the instrumentals and sing along with the lyrics, but I have no recollection of the pure excitement fans had when these groups were in their primes. Hearing the music of these two uber-popular groups over the last few weeks brought me back to a movie night that a good friend of mine hosted several years ago. As it was October, he chose to hold a horror movie night filled with the classics of which he knows all too much trivia. After another one of his trivia nugget-filled monologues before hitting play, he turned on Halloween . No, not Halloween 2, Halloween 3 or Halloween 45 and a half. The original Halloween . A good strategy when watching classics, if you can help it, is to somehow put your mind in the time period when the movies were released. Imagine that all the tropes, visuals, and story twists have never been done before. I couldn’t do that. To me, Halloween seemed dated and clichéd. As my friend had pointed out before his screening, it was actually the first horror movie to do many of the things that I was perceiving as overdone. The piano score, shot composition, and entire slasher concept was initiated by John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece and frequently emulated afterwards. In fact, the film was so renowned that it was inducted into the Library of Congress . Nonetheless, I felt slight disappointment that the heavily revered trailblazer of horror movies seemed so past its time. Playing Mind Games Fast forwarding to the present, I notice that the ground under the entire slasher genre is giving way to a new standard in horror movies. Rather than a crazy, masked, freakishly strong guy chasing around and killing people at random, the villains in today’s horror movies seem much more conniving and mentally torturous. Instead of hunting down the main characters, they toy with the psyches of the protagonists until everyone around them believes they are losing their grip on reality. You may have heard the term gas-lighting in popular culture. People often use this word to describe the behavior of an emotionally abusive ex-partner who makes them believe that they are making things up or overreacting, simply so they can avoid accountability. In recent years, depictions of this manipulative behavior have infiltrated the horror landscape and become a go-to trope. Just for fun, I researched movies about gas-lighting. There are a handful of thrillers from the ‘90s and 2000s that stick out (i.e. the 1991 film, Sleeping with the Enemy ), as well as the 1944 film that originally coined the term, Gaslight . I compiled a list of projects that I would classify simply as horror. My list tilts largely towards very recent hit movies: The Invisible Man, Resurrection, Get Out, Smile, Barbarian, Midsommar, and The Girl on the Train (released in both 2016 and 2021). All of these movies, along with several others, hit theaters over the last seven years. While there is the occasional oldie in the mix, the imbalance feels strong enough to hypothesize a fairly significant movement in the thematic content of horror stories. Possible Explanations Everyone still on board must be wondering why this trend has emerged. A tongue-in-cheek theory may be that building a story around psychological horror allows you to shrink the hair and makeup budget by having less blood and guts on screen (I kid). A more serious theory may be to point the finger at the production companies and how they have chosen to self-brand. A24, for instance, has produced many popular horror movies in recent years, and many deal with stories of personal trauma inflicted by loved ones. A Sign of the Times Though horror movies sometimes seem divorced from reality, I would argue they reflect the prevailing fears of the time of their release (we’ll ignore Sharknado and its sequels for the purpose of this argument). Though less calculated, slasher movie villains and their depravity could be reminiscent of real-life serial killers. During the 1970s and 1980s, the prevalence of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy was a big news story. Police had a tough time catching many of them or rescuing their victims, and to this day, a lot of mini-series and podcasts are dedicated to their atrocities. While they have by no means gone away, the stigma around them has dissipated with the numerous ways that people can protect themselves or contact the outside world. Therefore, a slasher movie may not hit the same nerve as it did at the time. Case in point, the original Halloween was released in 1978, right in the middle of this scary time period. Another possibility could be that sculpting a horror story around abusive partners and mental health is a more inclusive narrative. Critics of the horror genre believe it to be rooted in misogyny, as much of it revolves around villains chasing around attractive, promiscuous women. More often than not, the victims make very silly decisions that lead to their demise, as Neve Campbell called out during her infamous phone conversation in Scream . Newer narratives in horror movies shift the accountability to the villains and provide more three-dimensional protagonists with which to empathize. Talking Bout My Generation Younger generations have learned to be more open about their experiences in both romantic and platonic relationships. Between sharing stories and seeking out mental health resources, many individuals have come to the conclusion that what their partners put them through is not normal or acceptable. With the normalization of terms like gaslighting and self-care, 20- and 30-somethings more easily articulate what they have endured and how to avoid it in the future than the generations that came before them. For fans of horror, especially the millennial/Gen-Z crowd, seeing these shared experiences portrayed in newer hit movies may be more viscerally frightening but, in a strange way, cathartic. A counter-argument would be that gaslighting has always been an element of horror movies. It is fairly common for the protagonist of a horror movie to be doubted and questioned about the danger they are in or what they have witnessed. After all, Mia Farrow’s character spends two and a half hours being treated as if she is in a state of postpartum delirium in Rosemary’s Baby , a movie that is now over five decades old. I would argue that though horror movie characters have long had their grievances met with a skeptical eye, it has never before been such a central focus of the horror genre so consistently. In older horror movies, the main characters were doubted about whether or not a man that had been shot and set on fire was still alive, or if a child was actually the devil (both of which do sound ludicrous). Now, the protagonists are betrayed by the person they trust the most and doubted by people they’ve known their whole lives. Even in the satirical 2022 horror movie Bodies Bodies Bodies , gas-lighting and other new-age terms are explicitly brought up and discussed by its collection of 20-something characters. Of the movies that I named earlier from my compiled list, all of them had an antagonist who was a significant other, in some cases even a spouse. Regarding slasher movies, there will always be something unsettling about an indiscriminate homicidal maniac who cannot be reasoned with. However, an equally scary thought is that very normal human beings that we love and confide in will chip away at our mental well-being through lies and manipulation. Young, diverse, and talented filmmakers have picked up on this reality and implemented new elements in a genre as old as motion pictures themselves. 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!