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< Back Down with the King emboldens us to prioritize our overall wellbeing Breaker, 2022 100 minutes Director/Writer: Diego Ongaro / Xabi Molia, Diego Ongaro, and Freddie Gibbs Reading Time: 5 minutes Down with the King Vision (FYEHZSWDP1BL4ENZ) 00:00 / 06:30 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2024-01-21 “Good to get some fresh air, you know. Kinda hit mute on everything.” Mercury "Money Merc" Maxwell Every once in a while, you scroll through the content tiles on your streaming offerings and your eyes land on what turns out to be a gem. This is what happened to me the other day as I was, coincidentally, looking for a gem on Netflix. I came across Down with the King and was disappointed to learn it was released in 2022. How could I have missed this? An old adage says it’s okay to talk to yourself as long as you don’t answer. In this case, I answered myself: Because there’s a lot of content Reba! That aside, I enjoyed this film about Mercury “Money Merc” Maxwell, a popular late 20s/early 30-something-year-old rapper who retreats from the limelight to live in a rural farming community. Although he is the only Black man around, he is friends with Bob, played by Bob Tarasuk ( American Thief ), a farmer who lives nearby, and he eventually becomes acquainted with the people who work at the local hardware store. Led by Freddie Gibbs, Down with the King feels like a documentary. The story begins in the middle of the protagonist’s retreat and never visually integrates his prior life. Because of this, the film doesn’t sufficiently contextualize Mercury’s story by answering the central question around the events that prompted him to leave his family, friends, and a successful music career. So, the film lacks a clear definition of the problem Mercury is dealing with. However, this doesn’t necessarily keep us from relating to the film as is. Mercury’s dilemma cannot be resolved by a vacation, something we take every so often to escape the stresses of work and family to relax and recharge. Instead, his struggle seems to warrant something more akin to what we do to figure things out and gain some clarity about what we really want for ourselves, something a week or two will not resolve. Mercury’s problem is less about getting the temporary decompression offered by a short getaway, but more about wellness — what he feels he needs to learn in order to better manage his life. Researchers emphasize that wellness is about “living life fully,” but add that it is “a personalized approach to living life in a way that… allows you to become the best kind of person that your potential, circumstances, and fate will allow.” Mercury retreats to this quiet, rural community for his overall wellbeing. Down with the King helps us appreciate what peace feels like through the film’s visual and auditory presentation. Scenes of wide-open land, tall trees with fresh powdered snow, a pond, and Mercury grilling food for himself outdoors in the cool temperatures give us the sense of his satisfaction in being alone without feeling lonely. We see that life is slower and offers a cadence as families gather for dinner and create their own entertainment with an acoustic guitar, piano, and popular folk songs. Such family bonding defines the culture of many rural communities, which is partly reinforced by the absence or unreliability of Internet and cable service that invite distractions like social media and television entertainment. While shaky connectivity benefits rural communities with respect to culture, it has some social disadvantages as well. Few pathways for information streamed through the Internet and TV compounded by the lack of access to people who are different buffers residents from alternative perspectives on a wide range of matters. These deficits contribute to a communal solidarity built around sameness and that is resistant to difference. We see this in the film when Mercury begins hanging out with Michaele, a young woman in the community played by Jamie Neumann ( The Deuce ). He returns home after a walk to find the windshield of his car shattered and the culprits speeding away. Even Michaele agrees with him that this is likely why his windshield was busted, and calmly adds, “I told you. This town is for the f***in birds. … it’s small town. Maybe somebody got pissed off. ... That’s why I want to get the f*** out of here.” During his time away, Mercury develops a close friendship with Bob and helps him on his farm. When Mercury makes a grave error preparing an animal for market, he apologizes and offers to compensate Bob for the loss and to purchase another animal to replace it. Upset, Bob tells Mercury that he doesn’t want his money, adding “And where are you getting that cow? And who the f***’s is it? And what food did it eat?” This exchange is quite telling of Bob’s pride in his farming and the tacit commitment he makes to his customers about the quality of his products. The scene is meant to be a statement about individual (not commercial) farmers in general: the physical labor, the tight budgets, and the deep sense of pride they have in their work. It also shows, though, that money alone doesn’t fix everything on a farm, even though it is all Mercury has to offer given his inexperience with farming. Thus, Bob’s expectation that he not make mistakes is unrealistic and unfair. The scene showing Mercury’s frustration with his mistake and Bob’s refusal to give him a way to make it right, is relatable for many members of marginalized groups who often feel the pressure to be perfect and are rarely given margin for errors. Throughout Mercury’s retreat, Paul, Mercury’s agent played by David Krumholtz ( Oppenheimer , The Deuce ), beckons him to return to his music career despite Mercury insisting he is not ready to do so. Paul ignores him, however, and it becomes clear that Mercury’s wellbeing and wishes are not of concern to the industry. What is of concern to the industry is Mercury’s ability to generate revenue for all involved. Throughout this film, he is essentially, tirelessly, inexhaustibly fighting for himself. Something I suppose we all have to do. 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 Emily the Criminal shows the deceptive innocence of white-collar crime Low Spark Films, 2022 97 min Director/Writer: John Patton Ford Reading Time: 5 minutes Emily the Criminal Grimey a River (S7NF0YJXBZ7YPSYM) 00:00 / 05:05 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Ginseng Suspenseful/Intense thrillers Chris Chaisson 2022-12-23 Many of you reading this have probably had the experience of knowing someone for a decent amount of time, then being blindsided by information about them that changes your perspective. You might have gone to karaoke with them and found out they sing like Whitney Houston. Maybe they cooked you a Gordon Ramsay-caliber meal. Or in a darker vein, maybe they told you about their past misdeeds. Depending on the severity, it could influence your trust level or even end your relationship entirely. John Patton Ford’s newest work, Emily the Criminal , presents a protagonist with a cloudy history who falls back on her old behavior in a moment of desperation. Starring Aubrey Plaza ( White Lotus, Parks and Rec ), Emily the Criminal ’s title character has a relatable struggle: she’s broke and saddled with student loan debt. Her day job as a food runner does not pay her nearly enough for financial security, leaving her on the verge of moving from California back to New Jersey. While Emily could find a better job, one big caveat stands in her way: she has a criminal record. In fact, the movie opens with her lying about it in the midst of a job interview. Though not explicitly stated, her past interferes with any chance she has at financial stability. One day, her co-worker gives her a lead to a one-off gig for some quick cash. As it turns out, the gig in question is credit card fraud. Emily pursues the lead, completes the mission and is offered the chance at another quick score. She is initially reluctant, but she finds success and continues when her problem of gaining a legitimate income source continues. However, the missions escalate into more and more dangerous territory. The majority of moviegoers probably do not lend much credence to the titles of the movies they watch. We are mainly hooked in by trailers, lead actors, directors, and brand familiarity (*cough* Marvel *cough*). For this particular indie piece, the title gives the audience an interesting dilemma in how they perceive Emily. Her struggle is all too common, and her veneer seems innocent enough. Since Emily is the character we follow for the entirety of the film, it is tempting to give her the benefit of the doubt on her past transgressions, vague as she is about them. After all, no one wants to dwell on or be forever judged by their lowest moments. In spite of our initial leniency, every story worth its salt puts their characters in situations that reveal to us who they really are. As the plot progresses, Emily finds herself (and places herself) in volatile circumstances. The film suggests that she is not simply a docile character struggling to survive, but rather, she has her own demons. Though student loan debt is practically a rite-of-passage for any former student, most people would not engage in theft, violence and deception as the means for dealing with it. Emily is sometimes on the receiving end of the violence but delves out her share as well. Whether intentionally or not, the film calls attention to how much we profile people. Emily does not have the hardened exterior we associate with a felon. She does not scowl at people or snap at the first provocation. She does not curse like a sailor or carry a firearm. Her criminal activity put in context seems relatively victimless, until it’s not. A moment emblematic of her character occurs when she commits her first theft and leaves the store wearing a hat that she absent-mindedly took off the shelf. The store security guard, unaware of her more serious ongoing crime, confronts her about it in the parking lot, to which she willingly hands the hat back and apologizes. Her disarming presence and relatable need make her appear much more well-intentioned than she actually is. Emily the Criminal and its protagonist bring to mind the 2014 film Nightcrawler , starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Louis, the main character, is ambitious and desperate for work. While it is clear from the start that Louis is not exactly a boy scout, he largely appears to possess an entrepreneurial spirit, trying to excel in a career that he has carved out for himself. He gradually becomes more controlling and manipulative, crossing the line further and further. Emily, on the other hand, just wants to be free of debt and maintain her current living situation. Nonetheless, in both films and other crime dramas as well, the characters dipping their toes in the pool of illegal activity always end up doing a full-fledged cannonball. 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 Do We Measure Box Office Success Considering the Value of a Movie Chris Chaisson 12/18/21 Reading Time: 5 minutes 📸: Photo from Pixabay In recent years, pandemic notwithstanding, the box office has seen record numbers from blockbusters. Despite the prevalence of pirating, many of the highest grossing movies in film history have been fairly modern. The year 2019 set a record for global box office earnings with $42.3 billion. Though this number clearly dipped in 2020, the film industry had seen increased profits despite a plethora of other increasingly popular options for entertainment. Many factors contributed to these unprecedented turnouts. For one, the advancements in visual effects and sound quality make the movie-going experience more appealing, specifically for the biggest action movie franchises ( The Fast and the Furious , Transformers , Marvel , etc.). Additionally, the largest movie theater chains have opened new branches over the years and scaled up their venues to attract customers. Not only are the marquees and glass windows bigger and fancier, but the concessions have become more diversified. Some theaters have even carved out space for restaurants near the entrance and acquired liquor licenses to entice those of age. All these tidbits lead to the biggest contributor to increased box office numbers: movie tickets cost more now . A trip to the movies used to be a fun activity for a group of teenage friends or a young couple that didn’t have money to make more expensive plans. Enthusiastic cinephiles would hang out at the movies all day, maybe taking in two or three flicks and just hanging out with their buddies. What the box office represented culturally has since changed. Now, between the tickets and the concessions, going to see The Avengers cost about as much as going to see the Yankees. The year I was born, 1989, the average price of a movie ticket was $3.99**. While my hands weren’t big enough to hold four dollars at the time, that price provides evidence of a time when attending the movies was a less grandiose experience. Today, the average movie ticket price is $9.16**, and the most popular theater chains are all charging much more. Likewise, many venues have increased the number of private screenings and Q&As in recent years, which are primarily attended by members of the industry or patrons who spend the most money there. Research shows that 11% of the U.S./Canada population accounts for nearly half of all tickets sold, and frequent moviegoers tend to have more key technology products. Both findings reflect a possible class distinction on who attends the movie theater most frequently. As the future of cinema holds more rewards programs, QR codes and email confirmations, movie theaters likely won’t return to the minimally staffed, dollar-matinee feel that they had in the past. Many of them have simply embraced more upscale branding efforts. Whether good or bad, the modern and lavish atmosphere of the Cineplex makes box office sales difficult to compare to the era of more simplistic, communal venues. Returning to the discussion of the highest grossing movies, can we judge a movie’s popularity solely by what it grosses now? Once we account for the change in the cinematic experience as well as ramped up marketing efforts through T-shirts and theme park rides, Orson Welles seems to have been at a competitive disadvantage. What if we judged movies less by the dollar amount and instead checked the ticket stubs? How many tickets were actually sold for any specific motion picture? This re-examination of a movie’s earnings could highlight films that achieved extreme popularity when cost of living was low and other films that simply benefited more from inflation. Though not a perfect equation, I would suggest taking the dollar amount a movie grossed and divide it by the average ticket price of that year. Click the charts below to see what the Highest Grossing Movies vs. Movies with the Most Ticket Sales looks like. Chart by Gross Sales .pdf Download PDF • 133KB Chart by Tickets Sold .pdf Download PDF • 132KB There are very few surprises in these two tables as a whole. The most popular movies are the highest budgeted and most well-marketed, regardless of what measure you use. Nonetheless, contrasting dollar amounts against the number of tickets sold illustrates that some of the most popular movies would be even higher on our list if they had premiered after the industry-wide renovation of modern cinema. For instance, despite an exorbitant dollar amount for American Sniper , the film benefited significantly from an increase in ticket prices. Conversely, the original Star Wars was incredibly popular but premiered at a time when movie tickets were less than $3. Had Titanic been released after theaters introduced their expanded menus and 4K screens, it may have set attendance records never to be broken. Cultural shifts never stop happening, so the future remains to be seen. Maybe movie theaters will scale back down as everyone retreats to their HBO Max accounts. Or maybe they’ll continue their upward trajectory and offer lobster dinners with Courvoisier to wash it down. Either way, it’s always worthwhile to think critically about the record-breaking statistics being thrown in your face. But right now, time for a matinee. 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Sunrise Meets Sunset shows the turmoil that threatens the gift of music < Back Sunrise Meets Sunset shows the turmoil that threatens the gift of music Makenna Guyler, 2022 7 minutes Director/Writer: Aram Atkinson Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Aram Atkinson Sunrise Meets Sunset Power (13UR2T1Z0YUK42MZ) 00:00 / 03:43 Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2022-10-08 “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” ( Victor Hugo , early 19th century) Centering around a small, predominantly Black British jazz group, Sunrise Meets Sunset takes place during a time of racial civil unrest in 1960s London. The outside forces spill over into the group and risk tearing apart the members’ potentially promising musical careers. Starring Durassie Kiangangu as Ray ( Imperial Blue , False Men ) and Sanchez Brown as Nile ( Game Over , Malachi ), the film brings the outside turmoil up-close and personal when Ray arrives late to a rehearsal badly beaten and bruised on the day of a show. With telling dialog and footage, Sunrise Meets Sunset parallels the same historical period in the United States where, like the UK, it was in a battle over the struggle for civil rights and racial justice. The story brings to mind the film Green Book , based on the life of piano virtuoso Dr. Donald Shirley. With Mahershala Ali in the titled role, the movie depicts the high level of disruption to Dr. Shirley’s routine and badly needed rest as he travels the Deep South during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation. Black people, including famous artists, were not permitted to stay in some hotels or eat in upscale restaurants. This widespread discrimination forced them to drive extra hours to find accommodations listed in what was known as “ The Green Book ,” a guide to establishments for Black people. Ray and Miles Ahead are two additional movies that come to mind. In the former, Ray Charles arrives in Georgia for a performance and suddenly cancels, stating that it is wrong to play to segregated audiences. A story about Miles Davis, Miles Ahead does not contain scenes from the South, but it does depict the actual event of the artist’s beating and arrest by New York City police in 1959 for standing in front of the jazz club where he was performing. So, despite their celebrity, wealth, and musical talents, Black artists did not escape the touch of racism during that tumultuous period. Although only seven minutes, Sunrise Meets Sunset poignantly displays the frustration among band members and the enormous degree to which racial strife weighs on them, both individually and as a group. Some may ask how artists endured given these pressures, how the show went on. My response is that we will never know the count of those who cut short their musical careers because the stress took such a toll on their lives. For the ones we do know about (i.e. Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, B. B. King, and others), we can only surmise that they persisted because they loved bringing their music to us more than they could tolerate the often brutal treatment of authorities and the disrespect of proprietors in the ”hospitality” industry. Perhaps it is this resolve that explains what is meant by music being a gift from the heart and of the soul. And oh, what a gift it is! Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Account Director Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Full Time Workspace Hybrid 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

The English features a pairing uncommon in its genre < Back The English features a pairing uncommon in its genre Amazon Studios, 2022 51 minutes Creator: Hugo Blick Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock The English Heist (X2EIFVYLXVNFHFWM) 00:00 / 04:54 Rosemary Movies and TV shows with intense action Barley Movies/shows with a lot of dialogue Chris Chaisson 2022-12-23 If you’re a fan of westerns, you know how often they center around a tough-as-nails protagonist, sometimes forced to fend for themselves. Ninety-nine percent of them tell a story through the perspective of a rugged White cowboy, rescuing a damsel in distress from outlaws or saving an entire town. While there are plenty of tales of vigilante justice, they rarely consist of any other main character than the typical perpetrators of self-righteous violence. Given the rigid characterizations we’re used to, Hugo Blick’s new mini-series The English provides a refreshing change of pace. The English revolves around Cornelia (Emily Blunt), a British aristocrat venturing across the Great Plains in 1890 to avenge her son’s murder. Cornelia comes from privilege but is skilled in both riflery and archery. Along the way, she crosses paths with a Pawnee tribe member, Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), heading to Nebraska to claim land he is owed for his military service according to the Homestead Act. When Cornelia first happens upon Eli, she rescues him from a rancher attempting to kill him. While initially going their separate ways, they reunite and continue westward to complete Cornelia’s mission together. For much of the series, Cornelia seems to be a fish out of water. She carries a large bag of cash with her in a satchel on her horseback carriage. As if that didn’t make her enough of a target, she wears fancy, pristine attire and skillfully applied cosmetics, not hiding her wealth at all. Every character around her carries with them the toll of physical labor or combat on their faces and clothes. This is in stark contrast to Cornelia’s prim and proper appearance that leads everyone to underestimate her, which she frequently uses to her advantage in the face of danger. Even after committing gruesome acts of violence, Cornelia seems troubled and guilt-ridden. In a universe with a desensitizing amount of violence, she serves as a presence right on the threshold of civilized and barbaric behavior. In contrast to the expressive Cornelia, Eli remains a portrait of stoicism for much of the mini-series. Likely a product of his military training, Eli’s even-keeled nature conceals not only the grief he feels from lost loved ones, but the burden of the oppression he experiences as a Native American. Despite his service, he still finds himself as the game being hunted in many scenarios, surviving due to his own cunning and Cornelia’s loyalty. The supporting characters stand much more in line with the typical Western personas. Most of the villains throwing up obstacles for Cornelia and Eli have the typical conniving motivations, out for riches (of which Cornelia has plenty), property or scalps to put on display (gross). Many either operate by the code of “kill or be killed” or have deep-seated bigotry toward Native Americans, to the point of engaging in grand, faux-philosophical discourse with the reluctant protagonists. Unlike your typical vengeance story, the focus of The English turns out to be the bond forming between the two leads. The audience can determine this based not only on where the majority of the series is spent but where it picks up. We are thrust right into the midst of Cornelia’s journey, meaning we neither meet the villain that she is after nor see the inciting incident that spurred her on. Similarly, for Eli, his time with the military ends at the very beginning of the pilot, upon which he is reminded by a fellow service member, “In there, you’ve been one of us, but out here, you’re one of them.” The series’ focus on the friendship rather than the vengeance itself could be construed as a statement on the unfulfilling nature of revenge. Though violence is as second nature to some as it is unthinkable to others, payback rarely satisfies the seeker as much as they expect it to. A hidden message in The English may be that the best way to heal from a painful loss is to foster relationships with those that are still here. Though each belongs to a different broader genre, The English and Kill Bill are similar revenge stories. Cornelia, like The Bride played by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill , lost a child and seeks retribution, killing many other villains in gruesome fashion along the way. Both characters are greatly underestimated by some of their foes. At the end of each of their journeys, the chase and eventual slaughter left both characters less content than the time they shared with their close companions along the 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 Jules simplifies the alien invasion plot into a story about the foils of aging Bleecker Street, 2023 87 minutes Director/Writer: Gavin Steckler / Marc Turtletaub Reading Time: 5 minutes Jules Home Inside (5NUNQ46B64LFIRRJ) 00:00 / 05:08 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Chamomile: Family dramas Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2023-09-23 Jules follows the unlikely friendship between its title character and Milton (Ben Kingsley, Schindler's List ), a widow in his late seventies. Normally, the phrase “unlikely friendship” refers to two characters with differing personalities. I say “unlikely” because Jules is an alien whose spaceship crash landed in Milton’s backyard in Boonton, a suburb in western Pennsylvania. Though initially startled by his presence, Milton eventually invites Jules in, cares for him and assists him in repairing his ship. After initially sharing the news and being met with skepticism, Milton decides to keep it a secret once he develops a friendship with Jules. As Jules gets close to finishing his repairs, Milton must face the possibility that he will either lose a friend or leave his old life behind. Director Marc Turtletaub’s slice-of-life/sci-fi indie maintains a pretty clear subject matter: the unfortunate ageism that senior citizens consistently face. Often, older adults experience the irritability and impatience of their caretakers. Their opinions and concerns go either unheard or disregarded on a regular basis. Jules illustrates this from the jump, as Milton attends town hall meetings and repeats his same grievance, which the board ignores day after day along with the concerns expressed by other senior citizens. The film illustrates this in a humorous, Groundhog Day style, but the underlying message is still sobering. For Milton, compounding the frustration from the meetings is his daughter Denise’s (Zoe Winters, Succession ) belief that he is showing mild symptoms of dementia. His forgetfulness and misplacing of items in his house worries her, though he insists that it is simply human nature to have such moments. While Denise is compassionate, she also does not take Milton’s perspective seriously, which is exacerbated by her own busy schedule and the fact that no one else can assist her in caring for him. Another clever detail of the movie is Milton’s fractured relationship with his son, who has moved away, started his own family and cut Milton off completely. Milton admits to Jules that he was not always the best father, and considering his son’s young adult status, he just does not have time to connect. Milton utters to Jules, “He’s busy, and that’s fine; I was busy at his age too.” His comment and the sadness in his voice points out a bleak reality, which is that sometimes senior citizens feel the pain of mistakes that they made in their relationships from many years ago. As their social circles dwindle, they not only become lonelier but never get the chance to repair such relationships. Additionally, they find themselves reconciling the inattentiveness of their loved ones, no matter how hurtful they find it. Jules serves as a perfect friend to Milton. He does not speak back, cast doubt or attempt to diagnose Milton. Rather, Jules simply keeps him company, sitting on the couch and watching television. Being from another world, he does not have any preconceptions about Milton because of his age, making him the ideal caretaker. While he is the protagonist, Milton is not the lone example of an older adult in the film. Sandy (Harriet Sampson Harris, Frasier ) and Joyce (Jane Curtin, Third Rock from the Sun ), two of Milton’s neighbors, endure the same dismissiveness at the town hall meetings. Sandy tries to organize get-togethers, highlighting another unfortunate reality for older adults when a person responding to her flyer has malicious intentions. Often, senior citizens serve as easy targets for thieves, practical jokers and even people capable of violence. Joyce appears focused on the perception of not only herself but the other older members of the community. While she believes that Milton is harboring an alien, she does not want him to make mention of it, as it gives fodder to those who already want to ignore the voices of senior citizens and dismiss them as feeble. Sci-fi films about alien invasions typically are paired with the action and suspense genres, displaying war imagery and good versus evil archetypes. Jules instead tells an individual story about how a well-meaning lifeform from another planet, through sheer naiveté, offers the compassion and company that many younger adults do not exhibit for the generations that preceded them. While the movie is about aging, Jules at times felt reminiscent of the late 1980s drama Rain Man . Tom Cruise plays a self-centered bachelor connecting with his autistic-savant brother, whom he just learned existed, in order to gain a larger share of their inheritance. After he is initially irritated with his brother, he learns how to foster a relationship with him through patience, generosity and respect. The bond Milton and Jules forge does not explicitly teach younger adults how to be better providers, but their friendship conveys how deference and compassion can be the most important elements of caretaking. 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Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl offers biting satire of sexism in male writing. < Back Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl offers biting satire of sexism in male writing. Garden Road Pictures, 2018 11 minutes Director/Writer: Kylie Murphy Reading Time: 2 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Kylie Murphy Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl Imaginative Play (ITJ3BJSP4CWIKENA) 00:00 / 02:28 Oolong Movies/shows that make you laugh or involve physical activity like exercise/dance Chris Chaisson 2022-09-25 An old saying goes, “There is a grain of truth in every joke.” Such is the case in Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl , a clever comedy short poking fun at an all too common media trope. For those unfamiliar, many creators of sci-fi and romantic comedies tend to write heavily infantilized female characters, often referred to as manic pixie dream girls. The character may be a mermaid, alien, ghost, or simply a recluse unfamiliar with civilized society. When she comes across the protagonist, typically male, he introduces her to a life she’s never known. Coincidentally, the manic pixie dream girl is often inexperienced in dating, sex and relationships (in other words, easy to manipulate). This trope character, and the works that contain it, are often viewed as the male writers living out their fantasies through their scripts. Writer/director Kylie Murphy’s short satirizes this trope by jumping between the real world setting of two male writers finishing their script and the fictional world that they are creating. Their main character experiences a breakup and meets the dream girl in question. The writers finish their script by using a book of mad libs to create the setting, dialogue and many other clichéd details that appear in many such comedies. The dream girl widens her eyes, sucks on a lollipop and plays her folk band CD for the protagonist, humorously highlighting the unrealistic nature of their interactions. These moments are clearly meant to poke fun at films such as Garden State , Splash , and Along Came Polly . While the short mocks this formulaic approach, it also brings into focus the influence media can have on the thinking of young impressionable minds. Writers are certainly responsible for their own work, but they draw inspiration from what appears to have been successful in the past. Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl is well worth the watch and the discussion. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Substance throws subtlety out the window Working Title Films, 2024 140 minutes Director/Writer: Coralie Fargeat Reading Time: 6 minutes The Substance The Great Beyond (TRJQZFP7BOZXMZSS) 00:00 / 06:17 📷 : Siddharth Vinod https://www.instagram.com/21ddharth/ https://x.com/21ddharth Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Chris Chaisson 2024-10-14 Artists and critics alike make a habit of applauding subtlety, maybe even overvaluing it. Often, viewers scoff at anything that is not filled with symbolism and subliminal messaging, categorizing it as low-brow or simple. But who made this rule? Why does every project have to take a “medicine in the candy” approach to be valued? The Substance bucks this trend as the newest critically acclaimed body horror that goes for broke at every turn. Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an aerobics instructor/actress with her own Walk of Fame star, who experiences a mid-life crisis after overhearing a crass executive (Dennis Quaid) named Harvey (hint hint) expressing his wishes to push her out the door. He insults her age and appearance, going beyond the insinuation that she is replaceable, to later just flat out saying it and firing her. Disheartened, she ruminates on Harvey’s hurtful language, and while heading home, sees a picture of herself being removed from a large billboard. The distraction causes her to get in a violent car accident and a visit to the emergency room, where the younger of her two doctors slips her a card with a phone number and quietly comments that [“she’s] perfect.”. When she calls the number, she learns about a cell-replicating chemical solution that, when injected, will “unlock her DNA” and allow her to become a younger version of herself, whom she must switch off and on with every seven days. When Sue (Margaret Qually, Sanctuary ), the younger version, starts stealing both time and anatomy from Elisabeth, the consequences for Elisabeth are irreversible and grotesque. You may have heard of the sub-genre “body horror.” The Substance is the body-horrorest of body horror films you will ever see. While the film has a clear, strong and possibly repetitive message, it is not for the faint of heart (or other body parts for that matter). During its nearly two and a half hour run time, there are numerous scenes of blood, gore, and body metamorphoses; these despite the film not having much actual violence at all. Director Coralie Fargeat ( Revenge ) goes heavy on the stylized elements of the film, using amplified sounds, extreme close-ups and the occasional fish-eye lens effect to create a sensory overload for the audience. The goal of all these disconcerting technical elements is to hold a mirror up to viewers, highlighting how ageism and misogyny operate in tandem within the entertainment industry. Rather than display the mental and physical effects of these social ills subtly and sporadically throughout the story, Fargeat amplifies them at every turn. The Substance does bear resemblance to many films in the “robot takeover” sub-genre in that, though not an actual robot, Sue begins as a seemingly empty vessel. In a heartfelt, dramatic version of this movie, she and Elisabeth would develop a mentor/student relationship that enriches both of their lives. But in the sci-fi universe, they are not allowed to co-exist and instead end up pitted against each other. Sue learns how to navigate the world through social interactions and the attention and opportunities that she is awarded; thus, she quickly views Elisabeth as disposable, nothing more than a barrier to her own continued success. In this way, the drug has the opposite effect from what Elisabeth intended. The film will definitely turn a few stomachs, and as with the release of other gruesome films, such as the new Terrifier sequel, a common criticism will be that the volume of gore is unnecessary. Certainly, everything isn’t for everyone, and regardless of message, The Substance may not be everyone’s cup of tea (hmm). However, if you gravitate toward films of the Coca and Saffron variety, maybe you have already decided that you’re game. One could also criticize the film for being repetitive in its messaging, but then again, discrimination to oppressed parties feels very repetitive. An unfortunate reality is these social ills have spanned many generations. In this respect, such a story probably holds true and resonates with those who can relate. The abundance of visual effects should not overshadow how strong the performances are. Quaid effectively plays Harvey, who is not just a smarmy chauvinist but a fairly disgusting human being. Early on in the film, he goes to the bathroom while on the phone, does not wash his hands and leaves to eat. His table manners in the next scene leave a lot to be desired. Harvey’s interactions with both Elisabeth and Sue lack any level of professionalism, empathy or genuineness, and he consistently speaks about Sue to others as though she is his “creation.” Just the same, Moore commendably plays a forlorn former star who cannot peacefully appreciate the success she has achieved. While her decision to inject the substance in the first place suggests she is desperate to revisit her youth, her actions later in the film indicate that deep down, she would have relished simply having an authentic relationship with a protégé. Lastly, Qualley strikes a perfect balance in her role as an adaptive humanoid. Early in the film, she gives off blank expressions, empty stares and minimal speech. As she has more exposure to others and more time in the spotlight, her non-verbal communication becomes much more nuanced with eye rolls, head turns and shrugs. For sci-fi and horror fans, The Substance may bring to mind Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream , a film about the crippling effects of drug use on four people with intersecting stories. Both films come across as quite downtrodden, with Requiem being the classic “It was good, but I’ll never watch it again” movie. The Substance dabbles in satire and offers a few more chuckles with its absurdity. One way or another, this film exists as the perfect example of how important it is to find your cup of tea. Although after watching some of the visual effects, you may trade the tea out for a large bottle of mouthwash. 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 Steven Renkovish Interview: A Talk with Writer/Director Steven Renkovish Interview with Writer/Director Steven Adam Renkovish on The Awakening of Lilith Chris Chaisson 2021-11-19 Reading time: 18 minutes Synopsis: A woman finds herself in the midst of a dark mystery after the unexplained loss of a loved one. Her mind begins to unravel as her sense of reality begins to slip away. Principal Cast: Brittany Renée as “Lilith” Justin Livingston as “Noah” Mary Miles Kokotek as “Mother” Rachel Sims Jackson as “Elizabeth” Tiffany Majors Doby as “Emily” Christiana Wilson as “Dawn” Jessie Roberts as “Iris” Crew: Writer/Director/Editor: Steven Adam Renkovish Director of Photography: Thomas Springer Music: Seth Anderson Producers: Ashley Renkovish, Lorraine Renkovish, Steve Renkovish, Brittany Renée Special Makeup Effects: Jessie Roberts During 2019, writer/director Steven Adam Renkovish decided to build off the momentum he gained from his short film, Fugue , by writing and shooting its feature-length version, The Awakening of Lilith . Starring Brittany Renée in the role of “Lilith,” the film addresses how we grieve in the aftermath of traumatic events and how some remain in that state, seemingly unable or unwilling to fight their way out of it. “ The Awakening of Lilith explores this idea of the weight of grief - how some of us long to forget it the minute we feel it, the very second it shows its face, and how others almost see it as a comfort,” Renkovish states in the film’s press kit. “Because grief tethers us to our loved ones for eternity, every time that we grieve for them, they are there, in some way or another… I hope that the experience of watching The Awakening of Lilith will initiate a conversation that needs to be had. I hope that, through the character of Lilith, people may see a bit of themselves. That is my hope.” I reached out to Steven for an interview to talk more about the film’s themes and the challenges he faced in finishing it during the pandemic, as well as his plans for future projects. Lilith’s Themes Chris: The big theme of the movie is processing grief following a traumatic event. How would you describe Lilith’s dilemma and the more surreal experiences she has? Renkovish: Throughout the movie, Lilith has two different realities that she's wrestling with, to cope with this tragedy in her life that she's blocked out. She's taken the reality and sort of put her own spin on it to be able to cope. … I did a lot of research about false memories, and how people who are grieving will create things to fill in those gaps in their memory of the stuff that they blocked out. … So I really wanted to play with that psychology of just how we can take the traumatic experiences in our lives and sort of whittle them down and get them to a point where they're something that we can live with. … Describing a poignant scene in the film with Lilith and her best friend Elizabeth, played by Rachel Sims Jackson, Renkovish explains that it was telling because it reveals Lilith’s own emotional baggage and how it gets in the way of helping people close to her. Renkovish: So, if you look at Lilith, you'll notice that there are similarities in the situations and in the dialogue, but they're twisted in a lot of ways. So I really wanted to play with that psychology of just how we can take the traumatic experiences in our lives and sort of whittle them down and get them to a point where they're something that we can live with. … Because in a way Lilith was never really prepared to help Noah in the way that he needed to be helped. … I wanted to touch on the fact that when we lose people - I feel like, we sit there and we ask ourselves so many times, what could I have done to alleviate their pain. … we have those dialogues with ourselves when really, I mean, we can't put that kind of pressure on ourselves. … And I wanted to touch on that sort of dynamic with her character of just the guilt that she's feeling and the way that it's just caused her to retreat. And it's almost like she finds comfort in her grief. And that's an odd thing, too, because we tend to look at grieving as something negative. … But it's also a comfort because whenever you grieve for your loved ones, they're there with you, in a way, their presence - it's just a lot of stuff to unpack. … But it was one of those situations where it's like, you have this opportunity to make this feature film. Why not say the things you want to say? Chris: Exactly. When I was watching it, I felt like Lilith seemed like somebody who leans on people a little bit. She's a codependent personality. So I thought it was interesting for her to be having this stage of grief in her life by herself. You see a lot of movies where the main character suffers a loss, and the movie’s about somebody that they meet that pulls them out of that. When I was watching it, I thought it was interesting, this movie where she's in this state largely by herself and at odds with some of the people around her. Renkovish: Oh, exactly. Yeah, to me, that was one of the big things because when you're in the midst of something like that, and if you're with people who are not ready to be emotionally available to you when you need that support, especially if you're someone like Lilith with the mother that she had. … the more I watch it, the more I see where my own subconscious sort of took over. And there's just so many possibilities with it. Like so many. There's a lot of mirroring in it. Like, one minute Lilith is the one just popping off or it's Noah who's popping off to Lilith in one scene. And then in the next scene, he's the more submissive one, and the more docile one, and she's the one who's aggressive. ... Sometimes, we treat our loved ones, especially when they're going through something, we can be dismissive. It doesn't necessarily mean that we're responsible for what ultimately ends up happening, but that we’re imperfect. … There's a lot of twists and turns that it takes, and it is deliberately ambiguous in a lot of areas, because I always find that I would rather have that ambiguity, and leave some strings untied, rather than have everything presented in a nice big bow at the end. ... I hope it will be able to generate these kinds of discussions. And I think that these are things that need to be talked about, especially now when there's just so much loss going on in the world. And I understand that it deals with some heavy and dense and complex themes, but at the same time, to me, it is a hopeful film. Shooting Challenges Renkovish and I spent some time talking about the challenges he faced while shooting Lilith during the pandemic. Besides directing a large pool of actors and fighting what he calls his tendency to be a “people pleaser,” he had to deal with time and budget constraints. Chris: You shot this film in the middle of the pandemic. What was the most challenging aspect of the shoot? Renkovish: Everyone that worked on it, God bless them, they were volunteers. Altogether, after the movie was through, we're like, “How much money did we spend on this thing?” Because we really didn't spend a lot. I bought a new laptop to edit; well, my sister got me one for Christmas. And we catered a little bit, paid for Thomas's gas money whenever he would let us do it. And about $3,000. About $3,000 for this little movie. … We really wanted to have sort of a homemade, homespun sort of feel to it. And the challenge was working within those constraints, and still trying to be as true to the nature of the script as we possibly could. And I really think we did. … There were several days where I was thinking to myself, you've bitten off more than you can chew, because this is a huge project … [We] didn't have the luxury of having the time to block things out … And it was just chaos, because every person there had an idea of how they wanted a scene to go. And I got really overwhelmed because I'm a people pleaser, and I didn't want anybody to get offended. And I was trying to be that director who listens to suggestions, and just works with the group … Just the fact that we didn't have the time that you usually have on a film set with a big budget to block things out and to have all that planning ahead of time. And so that was a challenge. But it brought the best out of everybody. Art Influences During our conversation, I learned that Renkovish is “old school,” in his approach to filmmaking. He talks about Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch as he delves into how he thinks about the stories he develops. Chris: As I was watching it, I was just thinking about directors who do movies with a similar tone to them. One of the ones that came to mind was Charlie Kaufman and the way some of his movies are about a main character [experiencing] a breakup or an imagined relationship, more so than the death of a loved one. They have some surreal elements concerning the state that this person was in and how they were coping with this new reality that they were having. I know you mentioned Roman Polanski, but I was wondering if there were any other directors that you looked at and saw yourself as emulating. Renkovish: Um, let's see. Okay, so I think after I started writing Fugue , which was the lead up to this, I think by then Polanski was just no longer a blip in my mind at this point. My other influences at this point were Ingmar Bergman. Specifically, his film, Hour of the Wolf, and Persona . So I really had those on my mind. And then David Lynch. And Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession , so those three juggling around in my brain, maybe with a dash of Terrence Malick. Yeah, just a little bit, I think. ... But then this was one of the first times where I could see myself also being influenced by my own little ways of doing and saying and staging things. With Fugue , Fugue was actually really big, just as far as trying to keep within the mood of that and the framing. And so it was one of the first times that I was acutely aware of the way that I like to do stuff. And then sort of pulling little bits of inspiration from these other people as well. … And so I definitely had my influences. And, especially Bergman, in this case, that bedroom scene with Noah and Lilith. I was thinking of scenes of a marriage a lot when I was shooting. So I got my people that I'm always thinking about. Chris: What did you find more interesting, as a director, the framing, and I know you leaned on your director of photography a lot, Thomas Springer is his name? Renkovish: Thomas Springer. Old Tommy, yeah. Chris: I know you probably leaned on him a lot for your framing of the shots. But what did you find to be the more interesting part of making the film, the framing of the shots or the coaching up of your actors? Renkovish: Um, I would say a little bit of both. I mean, as far as the framing and everything, I have a shot list prepared. And I talked earlier about having to make compromises whenever something needed to be changed up, Tommy would frame it up for me, and then he would bring me over and he'd be like, “Alright, boss, how does this look?” And I would confirm it and be like, “Yeah, that looks good. That looks really good; that actually looks better than what I had in mind.” So as far as that, with Tommy, I knew that I was gonna get as much coverage as humanly possible. And he was willing to do what I wanted, and then go off and experiment and do other things, too. So I gave him ... free reign. … I mean, when you have somebody like Tommy on your team that is just so dependable, and willing to just go all out. That took a lot of that aspect off my shoulders, although I was always very aware of it. ... But then just going in and talking with my actors, and especially Britney and Justin Livingston, who played Noah. Justin is like, he is incredible. I'm so proud of him in this role, he did such a great job. And he was the perfect match for Britney because they both played off each other so well. ... So I would send them long texts with background information about their characters. And they would read that and incorporate that into their characters. I would go in before each scene and we would talk about the subtext of every scene and what the scene meant and what the characters were thinking. But you give them that bit of direction, and then just let them go with it. And they'll surprise you. There's no need to get in there and micromanage and overcorrect a scene when you have actors as good as that. Promotion Plans One of the most expensive elements of making a film is promoting it. This exposure is important for gaining “buzz” about the film, which typically leads to viewership and prospects for distribution. Renkovish described film festivals as the path to doing this for Lilith . Chris: You were talking to me about submitting to festivals, and you said you've gotten yours into the Tryon International Film Festival in North Carolina, and also the Mental Filmness Film Festival in Chicago. Were you able to attend those in person? And what was your experience like? Renkovish: Well, the Tryon International Film Festival in Tryon, North Carolina, is like the Sundance of this area. Like they got it going on, and they never let me down. Just about every single thing that I've had. I mean, everything that I have made thus far has gotten to try on in there. They really have been supportive of my work. And I'm telling you, Chris, they are so I mean, they're with it. Like they're there. ... A lot of festivals, God bless them, they just don't have the budget, but the people at Tryon, they take every penny and they make it stretch, and they put on quite the event. And they're always so accommodating and familial and welcoming. It really is like a home away from home. If you ever get the chance to go to the Tryon International Film Festival, you need to do it. It is well worth it. You will go away feeling so loved. ... And that's where we had the world premiere of Lilith , and it was quite the event. There were just, there's nothing like seeing your dream come true. With a room full of people that you've known your whole life who are there rooting for you. And that's it. The premiere of Lilith at Tryon was something that changed my life and something I'll never forget. It was one of those landmark moments. ... And the Mental Filmness Festival is a virtual film festival based in Chicago. So I actually didn't attend in person, but [Sharon Gissy] who runs it is phenomenal. Like she knows her stuff. She's very well read and Mental Filmness is basically a film festival that focuses on films that have the theme of mental illness and try to take away from the stigma of mental illness. And they brought our film on and we're happy to have it, and it played on their platform for about a month. And they were wonderful too; just really good people. So that was, shoot, I would’ve gone if I could have if it had been a physical event at a venue. But not at this point. It's just virtual, but another good festival. Future Projects Before ending our talk, Renkovish touched on several of his upcoming projects, including a collaboration with his co-editor on Lilith , and one that he hopes gets him in a “little bit of trouble.” Chris: That's cool. I'm glad you got to have those experiences. I mean, it's really impressive that you were able to put this film together with the resources you had and in the time period you were able to, and then I'm glad you're able to not only get it into those, but probably future ones as well. And so I will of course be rooting for you, not only for the future of this project, but for your future projects. Any, of course, is there anything else you wanted to say? Renkovish: Oh, well, number one, thank you so much for this opportunity. Like, it really means the world to me that you reached out for an interview. Yeah, I'm definitely going to keep you posted on my future projects. I've got two short films that I've sort of got on the back burner right now. One of those is going to be shot completely on eight-millimeter film stock. So that one is coming up. And then my next feature is going to be called Immersion . And it's basically going to be like an anthology film about people that are wrestling with faith and doubt in many different forms. And I'm going to take the Evangelical crowd to task a little bit in this one. But yeah, I'm hoping that one gets me in a little bit of trouble. We'll see what happens. I'm going to stir the pot a little bit. So yeah, I've got those things going. ... And my brother from another mother, Bradley Andrew. He was the assistant editor with me on Lilith . There's like a big dream sequence in the midsection of Lilith. That just comes out of nowhere. And he and I edited that together. We stayed up to like three o'clock in the morning one night and edited that whole sequence together. And so yeah, me and him are doing a short film called 16 . That is shot on eight-millimeter film stock. And it's sort of like an experimental, psychedelic film. And he's also going to act in it as well. And he's a film director and also an author, and he is working on his own series of comic books right now. So he's got a lot on his plate, too. So just a lot of really good things are coming on down the pike. So I'll keep you posted. Having submitted to 70 film festivals, the filmmaker describes himself as “broke,” but his comments indicate that he is passionate about the work while also hopeful that the film hits strongly on its themes. “I’m not always going to make films that are palatable to a mainstream audience. …,” he says. “But I’m hoping that it does well … and resonates with people [who] see it.” You can find more info about The Awakening of Lilith on Facebook , Letterboxd and IMDb , or email Refuge Films for updates. Check out our review of Lilith in our Movies section. 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< Back Saint Omer weaves a deep story that draws in the audience and shifts perspective Srab Films, 2022 122 minutes Director/Writer: Alice Diop / Amrita David, Alice Diop, and Zoé Galeron Reading Time: 5 minutes Saint Omer Redemption (A7X9UHXWTZE3THEC) 00:00 / 06:31 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Reba Chaisson 2023-03-28 In 2000, Nicolas Cage played Memphis Raines, a master car thief in the film Gone in 60 Seconds . Incentivized by a big payday, he came out of retirement to steal 50 luxury cars in one night. I recall cheering for his success as he came close to hitting his number, and pondering how the filmmakers were able to manipulate my emotions in this way. How do writers and filmmakers convert the audience from sympathizing with protagonists to cheering for antagonists? There seems to be multiple ways, one of which is through flash for sure, but others are certainly breadth of story and depth of character. Saint Omer certainly fits the latter two. Saint Omer is about a writer and literature professor who covers the courtroom drama of a woman who has pleaded guilty to leaving her 15-month old daughter to drown in the sea. Set in France with nearly the entire film situated in a courtroom, Rama, played by Kayije Kagame ( H24, 24 h de la vie d'une femme , L'invité ), is drawn to the case’s similarity to the Greek mythological story about Medea. Referred to in the film as “The Saint,” the story is about a woman who murders her children as revenge against her husband. Lacking an emotional connection with her mother, Rama carries a deep-seated fear that she too is capable of such an act. I would not think that a film set largely in a formal space and dictated by rule and order could hold my attention for two hours. But the extensive soliloquies and in-depth interviews that make up the overarching foci of the film continually pull me in, arm over arm like tug of war. Unlike the game, I offer no resistance. Laurence Coly’s telling of her story, not through flashbacks but her own words, are compelling enough to make me empathize, even sympathize with her plight. Like everyone in the courtroom gallery, I become deeply immersed in her story to learn why – how she could have done something so unthinkable. In France, even a guilty plea allows for getting answers to these questions, which is in stark contrast to the judicial process in the U.S. When a person pleads guilty in the U.S. court system, it is to avoid an inquiry into the crime and minimize the risk of extensive punishment – in theory anyway. Indeed, the guilty plea is entered and the person who is accused is summarily sentenced by the judge to some pre-negotiated terms. In France, a plea of guilty does not circumvent an extensive court inquiry into the commission of the crime. On the contrary, a detailed examination is performed of the person’s life from birth to present, including family background, schooling, relationships, social life, psychological state, and even current experiences with incarceration. The process is akin to an oral defense of a thesis or dissertation. Instead of professors lobbing questions at the graduate candidate, the judge asks the defendant numerous and detailed questions informed by police reports, psychiatric examinations, and other investigations. In Saint Omer , Laurence, played by Guslagie Malanda ( My Friend Victoria , The Beast ), stands in a designated box throughout the entirety of the proceedings. She responds to each question, even sometimes with a hesitating but eloquent “I don’t know,” essentially putting on her best defense with hopes of mitigating her punishment for the crime. To sum, the French courts aim to gain an appreciation not only for the context of the crime but also the context of Laurence’s life before sentencing her. This is very different from the U.S. system that operates in a way that suggests it cares very little about the circumstances of a crime, let alone the person who committed it – in some cases even if the person committed it. It takes a brilliant piece of writing to convert an observer who initially dismisses a person because of their heinous deeds to one who sympathizes with said antagonist. But something happens when we get to know people — when we get inside the lives of people. Something changes. We come to appreciate that things are much more complex than they seem. We realize that context matters. One of the enjoyable aspects of international films is the view it provides of cultural practices in other countries. France considers context in its efforts to understand criminal cases. It makes me ponder the difference it would make in the complexion of the criminal justice system in the U.S. and the prisons in which they house the people that are convicted. Saint Omer also helps to answer more personal questions concerning Rama’s worries about the kind of mother she can be. And that is: Does coming face to face with those things we fear most help us move forward? Winning the grand jury prize and best debut feature in the Venice Film festival, Saint Omer was the only French film submitted for an Oscars nomination in the international films category. The strength of the feature is not surprising given writer/director Alice Diop’s 15 years as a documentarian presenting stories about the lives of people living on the periphery of French society. As she told The Guardian , “For 15 years, I’ve been making films from the margins, with a political intention of filming those margins – the banlieue, people who have been silenced, because those are the people I come from. That’s my territory, my history.” Saint Omer, which is based on a true story, resonated with Diop’s aesthetic priorities and filmmaking style due to its compelling, eloquent, and deeply personal story. We look forward to seeing more of her 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!