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< Back Blue Bayou brings well-rounded characters and a humanizing touch to a complex issue Focus Features, 2021 119 minutes Director/Writer: Justin Chon Reading Time: 3 minutes Blue Bayou Dialogues (OYGI4OTBHPZB4HUA) 00:00 / 04:23 📷 : Pixabay Chamomile: Family dramas Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2021-11-13 Rarely does a movie succeed in highlighting an ongoing political issue that affects millions of people through the lens of a personal story. Many films opt for the multi-protagonist approach, such as Crash , Traffic , or Requiem for a Dream . Having several characters as the main focus rather than one makes it easier to represent as many facets of the issue as possible. Written, directed and produced by lead actor Justin Chon ( Twilight trilogy), Blue Bayou manages to capture the turbulence and obstacles that befall many U.S. immigrants through the eyes of just one character. Through Chon’s brilliant performance, we see him navigate circumstances both in and out of his control. Blue Bayou centers around Antonio (Chon), a Korean immigrant with a daughter, Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), and pregnant wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ). Antonio is a devoted father attempting to improve his family’s circumstances and overcome his past mistakes. Along the way, he strikes up a friendship with Parker (Linh Dan Pham, Mr. Nobody ), a terminally ill woman from Vietnam who bonds with him over their shared journey to the U.S. However, friction between himself and Jessie’s biological father, a police officer named Ace (Mark O'Brien, Ready or Not ), leads to Antonio being on the verge of deportation. Blue Bayou skillfully displays the complexity of its characters. Rather than present them as purely good or evil, the film allows the audience to see them as three-dimensional. For instance, one of Antonio’s good friends is an ICE agent (Toby Vitrano) who frequents his tattoo parlor. Despite his job, the officer hangs out with and looks after several of his immigrant friends, subverting the expectation that he would harbor any hostility towards them. While Antonio is a family man that viewers are inclined to root for, he has a criminal record that he must reconcile. Despite appearing to be a villainous character, Ace simply wants to see his daughter Jessie and has no desire to negatively impact Antonio’s life. Though Kathy is a strong mother who loves Antonio fiercely, she struggles to get out from under her mother’s influence. Even Denny (Emory Cohen, T he OA ), Ace’s bigoted and morally bankrupt partner, views his actions through the lens of being a loyal friend. All of the major characters have well-established wants and tragic flaws that impact the chain of events in the story. The complexity of the characters is mirrored by the convoluted rules around gaining U.S. citizenship, as displayed in several scenes between Antonio and his attorney, Barry Boucher (Vondie Curtis-Hall, Chicago Hope ). Though being born in the U.S. grants you citizenship, arriving in the U.S. as a toddler does not. Despite being a child of adoption, Antonio is handcuffed by his specific circumstances. Antonio’s back story reveals a dizzying upbringing in which he did not feel safe or supported. As the movie delves into his childhood, we further understand the strong bond he has with Jessie and Kathy, raising the stakes for what is about to unfold. As many natives’ exposure to the issue of immigration is merely through dehumanizing commentary, a story like Blue Bayou decreases the emotional distance many people have. While not seeking to impose a viewpoint, the film puts into perspective that immigrants are human beings with hopes, dreams, and loved ones to look after. Tonally, Blue Bayou resembles a family drama of a similar name, Blue Valentine . The 2010 drama provides more of a non-linear storyline without a political backdrop, but it consists of similar family strife. Both films include a strong father-daughter relationship, a resentful and interfering ex-boyfriend, and a mother trying to escape the influence of her family to make her own decisions. Despite strong bonds, the desires of the families in both movies to stay together become threatened by outside forces and stressful circumstances. Though it tugs at the heart strings, Blue Bayou may be the family melodrama you’re in the mood for. 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 Speak No Evil shows the most severe consequences of acquiescing Profile Pictures, 2022 97 minutes Director/Writer: Christian Tafdrup / Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup Reading Time: 5 minutes Speak No Evil Feast (UUXKG2RZM3LJUDFS) 00:00 / 05:27 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Chris Chaisson 2023-01-17 “Why are you doing this?” “Because you let me.” Full disclosure: I rarely leave parties exactly when I’m ready to be gone. I have had a frequent problem throughout my youth cutting the cord and saying my goodbyes. I could blame this on any number of things: being indecisive, fear of missing out, or frankly, not having any other plans (insert shrug emoji). The main reason many struggle with this, and label themselves introverts because of it, is the need to be polite. Many of us squander way too much free time simply avoiding an uncomfortable exit from hosts that will likely either not be offended or will get over it quickly. Director Christian Tafdrup takes this basic level of common acquiescence and ratchets it up to a life-or-death situation in his new work, Speak No Evil . At an enjoyable retreat, Bjørn (Morten Burian, Sons of Denmark ) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch, Steppeulven ), a couple from Denmark, meet Patrick and Karin, two casual acquaintances from Holland. Patrick (Fedja van Huêt, Character ) and Karin (Karina Smulders, Bride Flight ) send them a postcard inviting them to visit their countryside property for a few days. The invite feels aggressive, as they barely know the couple. Rather than decline, they offer a reluctant acceptance and head off. Bjørn and Louise bring along their daughter Agnes to join and spend time with Abel, Patrick and Karin’s son. This unenthusiastic RSVP sets the tone for a series of uncomfortable occurrences between the two families over the course of the stay. Patrick and Karin impose several times by not respecting Louise’s dietary restrictions, invading their privacy, hiring a babysitter they’ve never met to watch the children, and being verbally abusive to Abel in front of them. Despite ample opportunities to leave and signs that something is off, Bjørn, Louise and Agnes stick around and get much more than they bargain for. Speak No Evil ’s genius is its ability to start its protagonists off with a relatable emotion, the unwillingness to offend. Patrick and Karin make such a gracious offer that many watching the movie would possibly consider it themselves. After all, some people are more trusting of strangers than others. The first act of the movie may come off as two couples with different lifestyles and different behavioral standards in the presence of others. For the viewer, it makes for some hilarious, albeit cringe worthy, scenes in the stylings of Meet the Parents . However, the visit quickly takes a turn for the dark as Bjørn and Louise express their displeasure more vocally and even attempt to leave. Patrick and Karin pull the very familiar tactics of manipulative people: play dumb, apologize and insincerely promise to change. In a word: gaslighting. A prevalent criticism of movies like Speak No Evil is that the main characters’ passivity rises to a level too far-fetched to keep audiences engaged. At some point, we like to see the protagonists stand up for themselves to complete their character arcs. The reason behind Bjørn’s consistent buckling under becomes obvious as the film progresses: he is entranced by Patrick’s type A personality. Patrick has far more hutzpah, which Bjørn both admires and envies. This desire comes through in one of the few wholesome moments of the film, where they walk to an open field and take turns shouting into the void to release their tension. The power dynamic between the two, Patrick being more in charge than Bjørn, is not confined to money, work or social status, but rather difference in personality. Bjørn’s unspoken longing to be more like Patrick compromises his judgement, a situation very common in real life. Speak No Evil could easily be compared to its contemporaries Get Out and Barbarian , movies with a general sense of dread where a character visits an ominous place and ignores signs that they should leave. Another common comparison floating around is the 2008 home invasion thriller The Strangers , particularly due to similar lines uttered between the protagonists and villains near the end of each movie. Between reading, watching, and listening to podcasts regarding the film, it instead brought to mind for me another movie from the early 2010s: Compliance . An equally disturbing film, Compliance depicts the true story of a fast food worker who is accused of stealing and strip-searched by her co-workers at the instruction of someone impersonating a police officer over the phone. Both films call to question social etiquette and the ways that people will bend to either perceived authority or the incessant need to be polite. It is so ingrained in some of us that we get taken advantage of and even put in harm’s way. For moviegoers who are less trusting in their everyday lives, Compliance and Speak No Evil are just movies about people who are either cowards or complete idiots. For those of us who have been scammed, duped, pranked or even harmed, these two projects serve as a reminder to follow your intuition and protect yourself at all costs. 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< Back The Fabelmans reveals how life-changing it can be to discover your passion at an early age Amblin Entertainment, 2022 151 minutes Director/Writer: Steven Spielberg / Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Reading Time: 6 minutes The Fabelmans Just A Dream (IP2HUBXOLYGHAIN2) 00:00 / 06:46 📷 : Used with permission, Edgar Ascensão https://edgarascensao.bigcartel.com/ Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Reba Chaisson 2023-03-07 Some people might question if this film fits in the indie sector and should instead be viewed as a mainstream drama/biopic. This is fair I suppose, given that it was distributed in big theaters, shown on big screens, is connected to Steven Spielberg, and oh, is about Steven Spielberg himself – arguably one of the greatest film directors to ever grace a studio lot. Still though, I would argue that The Fabelmans is nonetheless a story; a small, tight, very personal story kneaded, molded, and lightly shaped, yet shaped perfectly in the indie tradition. This element, which is at the very center, the very origin of indie film’s birth about 30 years ago, makes The Fabelmans a quintessential indie film. The Fabelmans is the coming-of-age story about Sam “Sammy,” the oldest child and only boy in a family of four siblings, headed by Burt Fabelman, a brilliant and ambitious computer engineer, and Mitzi Fabelman, a talented but eccentric classical pianist. In addition to the family of six is the ever-present Benny Loewy, the seventh wheel played by Seth Rogen. Burt’s best friend and colleague, “Uncle Benny” joins the family for picnics, camping trips, and seemingly every dinner at the Fabelman home. After a while, I began to ask, why is he always there? Doesn’t he have a family? Amid raucous humor over dinner one night, even Grandma Fabelman chimes, “Natalie, he is not your uncle!” “He is only always here because he works for my son.” Initially set in New Jersey, the movie opens with Burt and Mitzi cajoling 7-year-old Sammy into going into the movie theater with them, insisting he will love it and that the movie is not real but just “photographs that move past faster than your brain can let go of them [tricking] us into believing the motionless pictures are moving.” Sammy relents and he is both mesmerized by what he sees and forever hooked. Played by Gabriel LaBelle ( Dead Shack , The Predator ), Sammy, now a teenager, makes movies with his friends in period clothing on authentic-looking sets, and presents the films at school functions. He is serious about movie-making and aspires to do it for a career. Sammy is very close to his non-traditional but sometimes quirky mother, played by Michelle Williams ( Manchester by the Sea , My Week with Marilyn ). A warm and loving mother, Mitzi is always seemingly starving to be the center of attention. She dances for them on camping trips, gets a monkey for a pet, and serves nightly dinner on paper plates with plastic utensils atop a paper tablecloth. There is a method to her madness though, and what seems like eccentricity is not necessarily so. Burt, played by Paul Dano ( There Will Be Blood , Love & Mercy ), views Sammy’s movie-making as a hobby and lovingly insists he should focus on doing “real work” that leads to a “real career,” like becoming an engineer. It is not uncommon for parents to impose their own career aspirations on their kids or to want their kids to follow in their footsteps. Unless encouraged to do so, children who go their own way are often viewed as being selfish. Indeed, when Mitzi loses a loved one, Burt asks Sammy to put off his “hobby” to make a film that would make his mother happy. The 16-year-old pushes back on this, “Dad, I have 40 people coming tomorrow …” Calling him “selfish,” Burt insists and then pleads for his help in making his mother happy. This, however, proves to be a mistake. As Sammy relents and splices clips for a movie that will “make his mother happy,” he stumbles on a pattern of scenes he did not want to see that tell a story he did not want to know. Together, they turn his peace of mind and sense of security on their heads, shifting the teenager’s world as if tectonic plates are suddenly moving underneath his feet. For someone who takes such joy in putting together a film for other people’s enjoyment, he was faced for the first time with making a movie he could not even enjoy himself. He is forced to tell a story that fits an occasion but leaves out the truth. The Fabelmans shows how Sammy uses his moviemaking to communicate and connect. Despite the antisemitic bullying he experiences in his Arizona high school, he uses his camera to show his fellow students who they were and what they looked like, as if perhaps seeing themselves could affect a change within them. In this way, the film hints at the transformative power of motion pictures. That how we see ourselves represented on screen, including our interactions with one another, teaches us something about who we are, who we can — or what we want to be. In The Fabelmans , Sammy’s film softens stances, enhances understanding, and breaks down barriers – but not in every case. When he is confronted by a guilt-ridden bully, he says “All I did was hold the camera and it saw what it saw,” while another bully simply wanted to beat the hell out of him. ‘Filming only what the camera saw’ is an oversimplification though. As was revealed in the movie for his mother, a film tells whatever story the filmmaker wants to tell, must tell to fit a moment or an occasion. A cinematic presentation does not just appear on its own; it does indeed have a subjective component. Having said this though, clips of unguarded moments captured on film can reveal a deep, authentic story. And The Fabelmans is a deeply personal one that must have been very difficult to tell. The Fabelmans spans the early-1950s through late 1960s and covers the family’s move from the East Coast to the West Coast; yet, I was challenged to stumble upon any anachronisms in this 2 ½ hour-long movie. Apart from the men’s shoe-length rather than ankle-length pants, the colors, the furniture, the clocks, and even the style of the appliances were consistent with the period. For a quintessential and exquisitely developed indie film that might take you back — way back, and long for the old days, you might want to curl up to this one. 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Class of ’09 uses emotionless characters to present a bleak future void of humanity < Back Class of ’09 uses emotionless characters to present a bleak future void of humanity FX Productions, 2023 45 minutes Creator: Tom Rob Smith Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Pixabay Class of 09 Over the Grey Skies (N2UZAAFOZQGQNCER) 00:00 / 05:56 Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2023-06-27 Class of ’09 centers five FBI agents who become friends during their training together at Quantico in 2009. All go on to become skilled agents who realize career advancement, with one even ascending to director of the agency. The burning question in the 8-part series concerns the degree to which artificial intelligence (AI) should be relied upon in investigative work. Presented through sub-stories labeled as “The Past,” “The Present,” and “The Future,” the show provides a glimpse of what can happen if a computer program developed to support criminal investigations is modified to predict crime and criminality. The series presents a world where AI becomes so advanced, it operates autonomously, automatically dispatching authorities and drones to arrest and/or neutralize people for even talking about issues that can lead to committal of a crime. The cast is led by Brian Tyree Henry ( Bullet Train , If Beale Street Could Talk ) as Tayo Michaels, and Kate Mara ( Fantastic Four , Chappaquiddick ) as Ashley “Poet” Poet. The series feels futuristic with respect to the cinematography, set design, and even the characters. Poet, for example, becomes romantically involved with Lennix, a fellow trainee at Quantico played by Brian J. Smith ( Stargate Universe , Sense8 ). However, she often appears unemotionally invested in the relationship. This becomes especially clear when Lennix breaks up with her, and she simply responds with only an “okay,” leaving him stunned. Not quite as extreme of an example is Tayo, who presents as stern, clear, and direct, such as when he tells his training officer (TO) he will only participate in what he considers to be an unreasonable exercise if he admits the truth about its purpose. The lack of empathy and emotion in the characters sells the series as a futuristic drama not far removed from The Terminator. Doubling down on the futuristic feel of the series is its set design. While the characters’ homes and apartments have open layouts, the furniture contains a lot of metal and is constructed with sharp corners. Kitchen countertops appear to be solid black granite and are always clear of the foods, appliances, and dishes that usually make the area feel like home. The floors are seemingly of black concrete or the tile found in offices, and the doors appear to be a mix of wood and metal that when shut, leave the feel and muting sound of an audiometric booth. In short, the residences lack any hint of the owners’ aesthetic taste or personality. Considering home design and decor are extensions of the people who live in them, the absence of these in the series give the added feel of the characters as automatons – flat, two-dimensional, and void of human qualities. Reinforcing the idea of futurism and the prospect AI holds for robbing humans of their potential is likely what the filmmakers intended to convey with Class of ’09 . The not-so-subtle hint is that AI holds the potential to void people of their humanity should it be allowed to take on the mental work that contributes to people understanding themselves and others, thereby developing a perspective on the world. Being largely shot in bluish-gray hues doubles down on the sense of foreboding that hangs over each episode in the series like a nimbus cloud, making everpresent the sense that something terrible is coming. Class of ‘09 is nothing if not pointed about demonstrating the characters’ high level of competence at hand-to-hand combat, sharpshooting, and the ability to extricate themselves from dangerous situations. Ironically, these are the moments that provide space for the audience to appreciate the characters as living and breathing human beings. They not only show their skills but also reveal their fear and pain. Even these revelations, though, are short-lived, as the characters almost immediately revert to their robot-like stances, such as when Poet fends off a murder suspect in close quarters but returns to her normal sedate state seconds after. It is as if we are being told that our bandwidth for feeling human as we experience it today will be significantly diminished in the future. This characterization contrasts with the depictions of some of the characters in “The Past,” such as Lennix’s emotional reaction to his break-up with Poet, or Tayo convincing his TO to delay their return to campus from a training field trip so he can ask a woman for a date. Class of ‘09 is quite similar to the 2002 film, Minority Report , where Tom Cruise plays Chief John Anderton, a police officer assigned to a task force that arrests and/or neutralizes what their computer program predicts to be future offenders. Like Class of ‘09 , citizens resented and resisted such overreach. A strong distinction between the two stories, however, is the 3-dimensionality of Anderton and other characters in Minority Report , and the intentional lack of such depth in the characters of Class of ‘09 . The cinematic style of the series is impressive, as it gives off a bleak feel for what the future holds should AI be allowed to expand and strengthen without legal constraints and oversight. Given that AI has arrived, Class of ‘09 is worth watching, and conducive to a post-viewing discussion with people you are emotionally invested in – at least while you still can. 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 You Hurt My Feelings examines self-awareness and tough love FilmNation Entertainment, 2023 93 minutes Director/Writer: Nicole Holofcener Reading Time: 6 minutes You Hurt My Feelings Imaginative Play (MKVM0XFUDZYWYUI0) 00:00 / 05:23 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Chamomile: Family dramas Chris Chaisson 2023-05-30 Whether comedies choose to be dark, light-hearted or somewhere in between, they often still have a menacing antagonist that the main character has to overcome. It may be the principal who heavily values perfect attendance ( Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ) or the new camp counselor enforcing strict rules and fitness ( Heavyweights ). Nevertheless, penning a slice-of-life comedy allows the opportunity for more of a disembodied villain. This sort of bad guy can simply be a character trait, like the negative self-talk that many of us consistently experience, echoed in the comments of someone we hold dear. Such is the case in the 2023 comedy You Hurt My Feelings . Julia-Louis Dreyfuss ( Seinfeld, Veep ) stars as Beth, a writer and teacher who leans on her husband Don (Tobias Menzies, Casino Royale ) and sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins, Paint ) for emotional support. Similar to many creatives, Beth suffers from insecurities about the quality of her work, in large part due to how long she has been in the business. One day, she overhears Don talking to Sarah’s husband Mark (Arian Moayed, Succession ), admitting what he would never say to her directly: that despite reading many drafts, he dislikes her most recent novel. This admission devastates Beth, shaking her confidence not only in her work but in the strength of their relationship. She is left to figure out how, if at all, to confront Don about the issue. Before doing so, Beth must mull over whether she is angry about his dishonesty or the criticism itself. As a slice-of-life comedy, You Hurt My Feelings addresses a constant dilemma of relationships, romantic or otherwise, which is how to tactfully critique your loved ones. Having unconditional love for someone does not necessarily equate to having unconditional love for everything they do. Writer/director Nicole Holofcener hits on this theme effectively through her characterization of Don. He is not a cold-hearted, abusive spouse in the mold of a Tyler Perry antagonist. In fact, he is not an antagonist at all. He adores Beth and is unrelenting in his support of her, so much so that she would have been none the wiser had she not eavesdropped on his conversation. The reason Don’s criticism stings Beth as much as it does is because her profession already requires so much vulnerability. Working in a creative field exposes you to effusive scorn from complete strangers who do not care about your feelings at all and even measured criticism from those attempting to market you. Many professionals take solace in the approval of their loved ones as the only constant that they have. With this context, it is easy to see how Beth’s feelings can be so hurt but also why Don would hesitate to be truthful. Though Don’s confession is the inciting incident for the movie, the theme of how to critique those close to you resurfaces among several characters throughout the film. Don and Beth have a son Elliott in his early 20’s, who works in a marijuana dispensary and lives with his girlfriend. As the story progresses, Elliott questions whether or not he was raised with an appropriate level of self-awareness or coddled into thinking too highly of himself. Similarly, Don’s work as a therapist comes under the microscope. With markers of progress being so undefined in his field, it is tough at times to figure out whether or not he is really helping his patients get better and if they have any faith in his abilities. Sarah is a high-end interior decorator who questions her own life’s work several times, as she struggles to please a difficult client. These portrayals all feel very relatable, causing the audience to assess every situation and question how they would handle it. Jonathan (David Cross, Arrested Development ) and Carolyn (Amber Tamblyn, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ), a married couple who are two of Don’s clients, serve as the control group in this story of rocky relationships. They bicker constantly in their sessions with Don and lack any intimacy or even basic respect for one another. In a strange way, it stands out as the most candid relationship of the film, even if completely unhealthy. Jonathan and Carolyn’s fights and teeth-gritting insults at one another give credence to Don’s decision to swallow his tongue about Beth’s work. Seeing a brutally honest married couple argue and hurt each other week-after-week could make anyone second-guess the value of being completely forthcoming about a loved one’s flaws. While far less dramatic, You Hurt My Feelings bears some resemblance to the late 90s rom-com The Story of Us . Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer play a couple who are on the verge of divorce and fight constantly. Despite couples therapy and having two children, they struggle to settle their differences or move on from past betrayals. Don and Beth never have such high stakes for their quandary, but the core issue of their marriage, how to be tactfully critical, translates to any and every relationship. 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 Burn Burn Burn examines how familiarity can breed contempt Rather Good Films, 2015 106 minutes Director/Writer: Chanya Button / Charlie Covell Reading Time: 4 minutes Burn Burn Burn Finding My Way (T2ZTIRYFQ43TQUUV) 00:00 / 04:33 📷 : Pixabay Chamomile: Family dramas Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2021-08-30 Road trips are the truest test of friendships. Spending an hour or two with a friend who has their flaws requires much less patience than being trapped in a vehicle with them for several days. This reality may be what makes these films so interesting, as many of us are familiar with the commitment that is spending this amount of time in proximity to a non-family member. The trip starts out with fun, noise and optimism and becomes a battle of attrition. In the end, you must figure out if you love this person’s virtues more than you hate their vices. As a road trip buddy comedy, Burn Burn Burn puts this struggle between its co-leads on display. Directed by Chanya Button, Burn Burn Burn puts two best friends in a car together to travel through England, spreading their deceased friend’s ashes in various landmarks at his request. Similar to other movies of this sub-genre, the road trip itself occurs amidst a period of transition and stress for both the main characters, Alex (Chloe Pirrie, Downton Abbey ) and Seph (Laura Carmichael, The Queen’s Gambit ). Alex catches her girlfriend in a compromising position while Seph questions her feelings for her long-term boyfriend. Both are on shaky ground in their professional lives as well due to their lack of focus. And most importantly, they each juggle their worrisome romantic situations with their grief for the inciting incident of the story: their young friend Dan (Jack Farthing, Poldark ) succumbing to pancreatic cancer. Unlike many road trip movies that are driven (no pun intended) by the desire of the main characters to “shake things up,” Alex and Seph’s goal is to fulfill Dan’s last wish of having his ashes spread across England. He leaves them a series of webcam videos discussing what all the locations mean to him and even addressing his complicated friendships with each of them. Burn Burn Burn pulls off very well what many films struggle to do, which is to make a deceased character feel like they are still in the story. Dan is not only responsible for all of the film’s action but much of its conflict as well. In airing out his grievances, he exposes issues that Alex and Seph have with one another. Seph considers Alex to be stiff as a board while Alex believes Seph to be selfish and flaky. Of course, their increased time around each other exposes these differences and begs the ultimate question: do these two really like each other? Or are they simply staying friends because it feels like they are supposed to? For anyone past the early stages of their adulthood, Burn Burn Burn hints at a subtle reality that can be tough to grasp: the older you get, the harder it is to make new friends. We hold on tight to the people that we have known the longest and enjoy being around the most. Alex and Seph not only lose someone who fits that description but now, in the midst of troubling times for each of them, must examine one another’s flaws more closely. It is a drawback to embarking on a road trip that is often only realized in the middle of the journey. Sometimes our closest friends are very different from us, and we may even keep them close because we take solace in observing their issues over addressing our own. In this way, Burn Burn Burn feels very much like the early 2000s buddy road-trip comedy Sideways , a film considered by many at the time as one of the best in its genre. Miles and Jack clearly enjoy each other’s company but are nothing alike, and the impact of their stark differences grows from a crevice to a gorge over the course of one week together. The viewer feels the same animosity develop between Alex and Seph, and as many of us do in real life, we must decide once the cat’s out of the bag whether we remain friends. If you enjoy films about two aging friends questioning their bond and ultimately working through their issues, Burn Burn Burn offers a few laughs, a tear or two, and some tough questions sure to infiltrate your own social circle. 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!

From prioritizes three-dimensional characters in its dystopian universe < Back From prioritizes three-dimensional characters in its dystopian universe Epix Studios, 2022- 52 minutes Creator: John Griffin Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock From A Most Sinister Kind (DDEBPQXXMUPGG39Y) 00:00 / 04:55 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Yarrow Movies and TV shows about illness or set in hospitals or similar medical institutions Chris Chaisson 2023-05-04 Sci-fi horror projects tend to be pretty cut and dry with their good guys, bad guys, and missions. The lead characters are bad mamma-jammas who know how to operate every weapon ever created. The villains are ugly, bloodthirsty and otherworldly. The mission boils down to fight or flight: defeat the bad guy or get away safely. But what if the bad guy cannot be defeated and the setting cannot be escaped? The story and character representation need to shift to other aspects, especially to maintain a several episodes-long TV show. The new horror series From masterfully manages its breakaway from these established archetypes. From takes place in a present-day dystopian universe, centering around a community of strangers trapped in a nowhere town surrounded by the forest. In addition to their inability to leave, they have to barricade themselves inside at sundown to stay safe from ravenous monsters in the form of ghostly humans protruding from the woods. The monsters can only enter through open doors or windows and retreat at sunrise, but when they get inside, they kill and devour the town residents in brutal fashion. The townspeople are led and protected by the town sheriff, Boyd, his deputy Kenny, Father Khatri, a paramedic named Kristi, and several others. Despite its sci-fi horror premise, this MGM+ original series picks its spots to be gory and violent. Rather than going the action route, From is much more character-driven than one might guess. It differs from many other post-apocalyptic works in that the characters still have some semblance of free will. In sci-fi shows like The Walking Dead or The Last of Us , the protagonists essentially have to keep fleeing the flesh-eating monsters to survive. In From , the citizens of this town live ordinary lives during the day and hole up inside at night, relying on trust and cooperation. This caveat creates interesting distinctions in the characters’ behavior. The mix of personalities reveal opposing mindsets about how to handle such a grim reality, allowing different audience members to identify with different characters. For instance, Jade spends all of his time trying to figure out a way to escape the town. As a bachelor with no family who’s lost his best friend, Jade’s focus is not on providing, protecting, or cultivating relationships. He simply wants to get back to his old life. In complete contrast to Jade’s attitude is Fatima, who makes it a point to celebrate life and community with her acts of generosity, even in such a bleak atmosphere. She even says to another character at one point that she does not know how she would return back to her old life if they were all to escape. Jim and Tabitha must factor their children, Julie and Ethan, into every decision they make, protecting them before all else. In context, all of these characters’ actions and behaviors feel justifiable, but the characters nonetheless clash simply over their contrary approaches to coping. The premise of From contributes to one of its biggest strengths—the diversity of its cast. Sci-fi projects tend to be predominantly White, often a reflection of their writer’s rooms. While there are plenty of White characters, Boyd, Kevin, and Kristi are all from underrepresented demographics (Black, Asian and Hispanic, respectively). All three characters have heavy speaking roles, positions of authority, and depth to their personalities. Though many projects are capable of incorporating this range of diversity into their cast, some fall back on the excuse of the time period or geographic region for not doing so. Having a premise in which the cast of characters randomly wind up in an undetermined dystopian setting, creates an opportunity for many people of color to appear on screen. Aside from their racial/ethnic backgrounds, the characters vary in age, gender and marital status as well. Since the citizens of From must cooperate with one another to gather resources and survive, their interactions (cordial or not) reveal their multi-dimensionality. Given the hallucinations and ominous threats that the seemingly trapped townspeople experience, From feels the most similar to a season of American Horror Story . In spite of its surrealism and occasional graphic scenes, much of the story revolves around the backgrounds of the lead characters and their differing philosophies on how to stay alive. While From is not for the queasy or faint-of-heart, it provides an array of personalities that appeal to various audience segments. For added fun, take a shot of rum every time you hear the word “talisman.” Cast Harold Perrineau as "Boyd" Ricky He as "Kenny " Shaun Majumder as "Father Khatri" Chloe Van Landschoot as "Kristi " David Alpay as "Jade" Pegah Ghafoori as "Fatima" Eion Bailey as "Jim" Catalina Sandino Moreno as "Tabitha" Hannah Cheramy as "Julie" Simon Webster as "Ethan" 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!

The Night Agent’s diverse cast helps welcome all to the political thriller genre < Back The Night Agent’s diverse cast helps welcome all to the political thriller genre Exhibit A, 2023 49 minutes Creator: Shawn Ryan Reading Time: 7 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The Night Agent Rising Tide (WDHRNXUZFGYGCOIV) 00:00 / 07:22 Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Reba Chaisson 2023-04-12 I like political-spy thrillers – novels that is, not cinema so much. They just don’t quite deliver the mystery and adrenaline rush of a well-written book. Windmills of the Gods by Sydney Sheldon still stays with me more than 30 years after reading it. Brad Thor’s Code of Conduct , Foreign Agent , and Backlash novels are others I could not put down. Dean Koontz’s The Silent Corner is yet another one that comes to mind. In terms of movies and television shows, Miss Sloane and the television series, 24 , definitely hit the mark. So given the short list of cinema, my expectations were low for the Netflix series, The Night Agent . The Night Agent is a ten-episode political thriller about an early 30-something FBI agent who works the Night Action phone in an isolated room of the White House. For his eight-hour shift, Peter Sutherland, played by Gabriel Basso ( Hillbilly Elegy , Super 8 ), sits alone in a secured room, waiting in the unlikely event that the phone on his desk will ring. The phone ringing signifies that the caller, a U.S. spy or night agent, has been compromised and needs emergency assistance. Normally an uneventful 3 rd shift, the phone rings. But instead of a night agent, it is Rose Larkin, a 30-something like Peter whose aunt and uncle were suddenly attacked and killed in their home. She has narrowly escaped, but not before the pair gave Rose a phone number urging her to call it immediately and get out of the house. Making eye-contact with one of the killers while running away, Rose is now a target. This inciting incident for the series sets off a chain of events that leads to Peter as Rose’s protector. The two must collaborate on who Rose’s aunt and uncle really were, why they were killed, and how their identities as spies were compromised. Diane Farr, the president’s chief of staff, assigns Peter to be Rose’s protector, and he proves himself to be up to the task. On several occasions throughout the series, he is forced to use his surveillance acumen as well as his self-defense and neutralizing skills, both with and without a weapon. Observing his proficiency in these areas goes a long way in establishing his much-needed credibility given his youth and the personal baggage he carries about the wrongdoings of his late father, a disgraced FBI agent. He repeatedly complains about the events that transpired around his father’s case, making him seem immature and thus difficult to take seriously. Showing his skills builds his credibility as a competent, but still whiney, agent. A tech genius, Rose, played by Luciane Buchanan ( The New Legends of Monkey , Sweet Tooth ), uses her skills to break into computers and navigate complex file systems. But while determined to find out who killed her aunt and uncle, she presents as naïve. Rather than strategizing, she looks to act on the information she finds by confronting the parties she believes to be involved, as if they will simply give her honest answers, let alone permit access to them. Peter’s experiences in the White House temper this by helping Rose realize that these are powerful people with strong influence and broad social networks. Direct confrontation accomplishes nothing. Dealing with these matters must be approached like a game of chess, not checkers. In this sense, the series reminds me of the political suspense thriller, Miss Sloane , where Jessica Chastain plays the title character as a cunning and powerful Washington, D.C. political operative who takes on the gun lobby. The film pulled me in and kept me guessing about what move would be made next. I became so immersed in this story, which contained strong characters and took its time unfolding. The ending was so great, it made me sing – and I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. The closest television production to The Night Agent is 24 , the series led by Kiefer Sutherland as CIA agent Jack Bauer, who took audiences on a thrill-ride for seven seasons across the first decade of the new millennium. The action-packed series was full of twists and turns, and far from predictable in story or character. Story and depth of character are usually the draw of cinematic pieces. With just a few exceptions, The Night Agent was largely lacking in both. Nearly everything about it was predictable. The relationship between Peter and Rose – predictable. The young female secret service agent who resents the older, more experienced male agent – predictable. The bratty daughter of the vice-president – predictable. The people involved in the conspiracy – predictable. The conspiracy itself – predictable. The gist here is that The Night Agent needs to go deep to measure up to its predecessors in the political thriller genre. One saving grace of the series is Diane Farr as the president’s powerful and quick-thinking chief of staff, who can deliver a profanity-laced line better than soldiers in the armed forces, albeit with a calm and controlled demeanor. Played by Hong Chau ( The Whale , The Menu ), Diane receives significant screen time in the series since she serves as the connection between Peter and the White House. It was quite entertaining to watch her calmly take down people above and below her in rank with her verbal wit, especially knowing she had the power to back up her words – and threats. The most important element of appeal, though, is the wide-ranging characters and the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity across roles. The roles are not patronizing but substantive: Black male and female secret service agents and an agency head who is Hispanic; a woman of color with IT security acumen; an Asian American female chief of staff to the president; a White woman as president, and a cast ranging from early 30s to mid-60s distributed across influential roles. This casting seems natural and reflective of today’s mosaic. It likely helps audience members connect with the series, allowing them to imagine what the political landscape and the seats of power across the Executive Branch could or even should look like today. In casting the series in such an inclusive way, the filmmakers signal to audiences that everyone belongs at the table, every group is entitled to political power. This is the major appeal of The Night Agent and it distinguishes it from any of its predecessors in the genre. The Night Agent holds some entertainment value and promises to keep you engaged to get answers to the unanswered questions, such as: Who ordered the hit on Rose’s aunt and uncle? What are they after? And what does any of this have to do with the White House? These are the questions that hover over the ten-episode series. But don’t underestimate the aesthetic power of seeing ourselves represented on screen in seats we don’t typically occupy. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

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

< Back Society of the Snow encourages us to be grateful by keeping it real El Arriero Films, 2024 164 minutes Director/Writer: J. A. Bayona / J. A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, and Jaime Marques Reading Time: 6 minutes Society of the Snow La Guitarra Triste (TVJ38JUQQ7JHHYAA) 00:00 / 07:42 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Mint: Movies and TV shows in cold weather and blizzard conditions Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Reba Chaisson 2024-01-24 We are good at saying what we would or would never do. After all, we’ve been doing it since we were six years old. But I’m not sure we have a clue what we would do if we found ourselves in the most desperate and unimaginable circumstances. This is the situation a group of early 20-somethings set to attend law school, medical school, and with aspirations for other careers, find themselves in when their plane crashes into South America’s Andes Mountains, the highest mountain range outside of Asia. Society of the Snow is a true story based on the October 1972 plane crash, which stranded 29 members of the Uruguayan amateur rugby team and their family members in the snowy Andes Mountains. With excruciating detail, director J. A. Bayona depicts what happens to airline passengers when control of a plane is lost, and it nosedives into the earth. Fair warning that these scenes are intense. Numa Turcatti, a popular player on the team played by Enzo Vogrincic ( Christian , A Twelve-Year Night ), uses occasional narration to tell the story from his perspective. Numa explains how the survivors organized themselves as a community. But the film’s sounds and visuals pull no punches in depicting the group as being exposed to nothing short of brutal cold and harsh weather over the 72 days that they are stranded. Uruguay carries fall temperatures in the 55 to 70-degree range. However, nighttime on the mountain is especially difficult, as the temperatures drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. So, what the survivors feel is a bone-chilling, excruciating cold, as evidenced by people screaming throughout the night due to the weather’s impact on their bodies. Taking shelter in what remains of the plane’s fuselage, survivors pull out the seats and carefully remove the bodies of their family members and friends to make a temporary home that doubles as a hospital for those who are injured. Without gloves or shovels to help shift the snow to cover their loved ones’ bodies, the young men use their bare hands, pieces of broken metal from the plane, and whatever else they can find. They adapt suitcases and blankets as weather stripping to seal breaches in the fuselage to block the wind and blowing snow. This is something we think very little about when at home, since sealing windows and doors entail a simple walk or short drive to the local hardware store for supplies. The survivors’ efforts to create a semblance of secure shelter for themselves make us consider what life was like before modern shovels and ditch digging machines. Layers are important when it’s cold, so they put on whatever additional clothing they can find, and they get frustrated when viable shoes and boots don’t fit their feet. Each savors his lone cracker per day as if eating the perfect cut of filet mignon, escaping for just that sliver of a moment the thought that they must stretch the food supply until they are rescued. Many families in Western societies stretch food, but rarely if ever to this extreme, nor because of a real fear of starvation. The survivors’ self-rationing is not motivated by a need to save money. Rather, it is a conscious focus on literally surviving. Still, their numbers continue to dwindle from injuries and exposure. When they run out of food, their urine turns black, and reality sets in that their rescue is not imminent, the young men are faced with a decision that tests their lifelong commitment to their Christian faith. Should they eat the bodies of the dead for nourishment in order to survive? Society of the Snow reminds me of other films about people stranded on mountains after plane crashes. I think of Hany Abu-Assad’s 2017 movie, The Mountain Between Us , where a small plane crash-lands in Utah’s snowy Uinta Mountains. Starring Kate Winslet as Alex Martin and Idris Elba as Ben Bass, the story feels like one about the need for immediate survival, with several intense scenes of the pair fending off a mountain lion and desperately searching for a way out of the wilderness with one of them severely injured. Although the two travelers do not know one another, they come together to support and protect each other, bonding as they go along. Researchers who study disaster write extensively about this phenomenon of closeness and community that naturally develops out of disaster. Scientists, who have not made each other’s acquaintance, for instance, collaborated across oceans to develop a cure for COVID-19. Time and time again, everyday folks help pull people they don’t know from rubble left by hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Researchers explain that this is due to the need for social connection in times of disaster. It is true that the passengers on Uruguay flight 571 on October 13, 1972 already knew one another and enjoyed a sense of community, but their experiences together on the mountain became their shared connective tissue. Alex and Ben in The Mountain Between Us were strangers until that fateful day, and yet, from their disaster, a bond between them was forever forged. Unlike Society of the Snow , The Mountain Between Us is a fictional story, so other than the cold and the mountains, we wouldn’t think the films share anything significant, but they do. News media simply informs us that a plane has crashed and occasionally the reports are accompanied with distant images of the aftermath – the fuselage here, the tail there, a wheel found in a family’s backyard or a farmer’s cornfield. When possible, reporters interview survivors days, weeks, or months after the crash when they look no worse for wear. These limited (and dare I say selective) pieces convey the sense that while some lives were lost and some people suffered catastrophic injuries, everything turned out alright, as can be seen from the survivors they present to us. But after watching Society of the Snow , we realize that these news reports and images wash over what are actually horrific crashes and unfathomable experiences for the passengers – those who perished as well as those who survived. There are still some who say “yuk,” “blasphemy,” and “heathen” when they consider what some of these young men did to extend their lives for 72 days. Little is said, though, about the ingenuity of the men in sewing together pieces of insulation to create a sleeping bag. Or in their cooperation with one another in rationing their food supply so everyone had a chance. Or in Nando and Roberto (Agustín Pardella and Matías Recalt, respectively) enduring a days-long walk in the cold and snow with busted shoes on a quest to save themselves and their now extended family. None of us can fathom enduring the kinds of conditions that would lead us to the level of desperation that prompted these young men to do the things that they did. Let’s pray, hope, and pray again that we and our loved ones never have to find out what we'd do, firsthand. 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 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 The Outfit takes viewers on a rollercoaster of continuous dread and relief Focus Features, 2022 105 minutes Director/Writer: Graham Moore / Graham Moore and Johnathan McClain Reading Time: 3 minutes The Outfit With You Always (NOVN2BQ05DLWR5DD) 00:00 / 03:58 📷 : Pixabay Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Matcha: Mysteries or whodunnits Chris Chaisson 2022-04-24 Mysteries rarely come without the presence of some form of law enforcement. Whether a detective, private investigator, or street officer, these stories typically consist of a character that the audience will assume has the skills and experience to bring about justice. However, the occasional story takes an introverted character free of such a profession and centers the story around them. As they are underestimated or dismissed entirely, they figure out how to manipulate the more dynamic characters to reveal the truth. The Outfit is a gangster movie seen through the eyes of a local tailor named Leonard (Mark Rylance, Dunkirk ), who must repeatedly outwit dangerous goons to spare his life. Set in the 1950s, The Outfit chooses Leonard to serve as the rare non-gangster protagonist of a gangster movie. He is an older gentleman who moved to Chicago to escape his secretive past and has settled in at his clothing shop, along with his companion Mable (Zoey Deutch, Zombieland: Double Tap ). There is, nonetheless, a complicating factor to his business: it is controlled by an Irish mob boss named Roy Boyle (Simon Russell, The Death of Stalin ). Making matters worse, Mable has an ongoing romance with Richie (Dylan O’Brien, The Maze Runner ), Roy’s son. Leonard has no choice but to embrace every aspect of his business situation, as the mobsters remain his most loyal customers. One night, enforcer Francis (Johnny Flynn, Emma. ) shows up with a wounded Richie, who was shot during a run-in with the LaFontaine family, a rival mob of Black Frenchmen. After a confrontation between Richie and Francis ends in Richie’s death, Leonard spends the remainder of the night trying to survive the impulsive Francis and Roy while also protecting Mable. The Outfit provides the feel of watching a stage play, as the film takes place almost entirely in Leonard’s shop, consists largely of dialogue and a small cast, and has very sophisticated costume design. The story’s biggest draw is how Leonard stays one step ahead of the mobsters consistently, knowing that any misstep will cost him his life. Despite being older and not appearing intimidating or authoritative, he maintains his poise in the face of danger time and again, using clever fibs and reverse psychology to convince the mobsters that they need him alive. Graham Moore’s directorial debut joins Knives Out and The Gentlemen as recent mystery thrillers executed at a high level. Though a more limited release than the others, The Outfit has received some critical acclaim following its festival appearances and shows the storytelling that can be done with limited resources. Despite Leonard not having the character arc of a typical protagonist, he sticks out as a non-superhero personality that nevertheless has a superpower. While the above movies may be the most apt comparisons, another similar story to The Outfit would be the early 2000s thriller Road to Perdition . Rather than the violence that Tom Hanks’s character, Michael Sullivan, uses to protect his son while on the run, Leonard uses wit and finesse, lacking the ability to flee the scene. The film’s cat-and-mouse dynamic at times could also be reminiscent of other heart-stoppers like Enemy of the State or No Country for Old Men , as you find yourself thinking, “How is he going to get out of this one?” These films all have their strengths and weaknesses but evoke the same emotional highs and lows in their viewers. 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!