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< Back Civil War centers war photography and its desensitizing effects A24, 2024 109 minutes Director/Writer: Alex Garland Reading Time: 6 minutes Civil War Quiet Desperation Part 2 (21TRXKFWFOPYJLBU) 00:00 / 05:57 📷 : Used with permission, Ryan Layah https://www.instagram.com/grievity/ https://twitter.com/grievity/ https://posterspy.com/profile/grievity/ Rosemary: Movies and TV shows with intense action Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Chris Chaisson 2024-04-11 There is a lot of talk in screenwriting circles about world-building. Audiences tend to go with the flow and suspend their disbelief if you can establish early what universe they will be escaping to: the protocols, the hierarchies, and the consequences. Generally, there will be a common thread between our society and the one we are introduced to, and moviegoers tend to recognize it while latching onto all of the fantasy. Alex Garland has gained a reputation over the last decade for his dystopian futures. Between Ex Machina , Annihilation , and Dredd , he has provided us our fair share of robots and aliens. But a dystopian future does not have to be science fiction; it could simply exaggerate the same conflicts that currently exist. Instead of machines and animals being more human, maybe human beings are a little less so. Garland presents such a universe in his newest A24 project, Civil War . Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a war photographer hardened by decades of prominent and dangerous work. Much of society has broken down, and major metropolitan areas have become wastelands overrun with militia men fighting amongst each other. A specific rebel group is heading to Washington D.C. to overtake the White House and assassinate the president, played by Nick Offerman. Before what seems inevitable, Lee, her press partner Joel (Wagner Moura, Narcos ), and longtime friend Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lincoln ), embark on a trip from New York to D.C., hoping to beat the rebel groups there to get a scoop with the Commander-in-Chief. Before heading out, they are joined by the ambitious twenty-something Jessie (Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla ), an aspiring photojournalist looking to follow in Lee’s footsteps. Jessie embraces the danger associated with the profession, or so she believes, despite Lee’s skepticism. Similar to a show like The Walking Dead , Civil War goes the route of explaining very little to its audience about how we got here and even what exactly is going on currently. For much of the film, we simply follow Lee and her group blindly on their trip, our uncertainty mirroring theirs. I’d imagine many expected a thorough rundown featuring flashbacks and exposition dumps in the first 30 minutes. Instead, the audience is dropped into several large gunfights with no real sense of what side anyone is on or what instigated any particular conflict. This style of storytelling could have a polarizing effect, as some people want all the information upfront. Others may decide that this is the most effective way to build the universe. Knowing what we know about our socio-political climate, a story about a very muddied up war on our own soil seems self-explanatory. The most dangerous people that the main characters encounter simply act on their own prejudice without speeches or explanations, which feels true to real life. Also, without context or preambles, the audience cannot take sides or empathize with any particular group in combat. The biggest takeaway from the film is how in this dystopian setting, our main characters have become very desensitized to the loss of life. Lee has had to compartmentalize witnessing violence while doing her job for many years, and she no longer seems to have the need to process it. Joel and Sammy are much the same way, while Jessie learns quickly the difficulty of this task. Both Lee and Jessie clearly love the art of photography, and at times throughout the movie, they speak about “getting the shot” when the shot in question is a dead or dying person. As the story progresses, Lee and Jessie’s sensibilities seem to switch, as one’s jitters disappear while the other’s return. However, this theme of desensitization continues all the way until the very last moments of the film. While the crew’s reaction to the violence around them may come off cold and detached, they are the closest we get to a humane presence on screen. Most of the other characters simply fight and kill one another, with no indication that anyone is merely defending themselves. Even characters outside of the field of battle seem to lack compassion. For instance, as Lee lugs her stuff toward an elevator at her hotel in New York, the front desk clerk informs her of the inconsistent power connection and the potential to be stuck mid-trip. Rather than pitch a realistic alternative for someone on the tenth floor or an emphatic warning, he states it matter-of-factly, still willing to let Lee risk her own safety. Similarly, while stopped in a town removed from any of the war violence, a cashier expresses complete disinterest in engaging with Joel or Lee. She merely answers their questions in aloof fashion before returning to her book. Such moments reveal a subtler reflection of the times they are in than the militaristic violence happening. Even aside from death and destruction, people are apathetic and disconnected from each other, making it easier to dehumanize them. War movies tend to fall into two buckets: a fictional representation of an actual war in world history or human beings fighting another species (i.e. zombies, robots, or aliens). For this reason, it is difficult to come up with a comparable dystopian future war film, other than the Mad Max franchise. However, the theme of journalism’s ability to desensitize individuals is reminiscent of the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler . Jake Gyllenhaal plays a driven but sociopathic individual striving to make a footprint in crime journalism at any costs. While Lee and Jessie are much more grounded, they share with Gyllenhaal’s character a seemingly disproportionate focus on perfectionism in work amidst a swath of inhumanity. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back A Thousand and One shifts expectations and challenges stereotypes Sight Unseen Pictures, 2023 117 minutes Director/Writer: A. V. Rockwell Reading Time: 6 minutes A Thousand and One 13 Out 1 In (OYHAUOLODSLKHRSJ) 00:00 / 07:04 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2023-04-18 The adage says that before judging a person, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. A cliché no doubt, but it nonetheless rings true and certainly applies to this story of a woman willing to risk it all for the chance to raise her child on her own terms. Starring Teyana Taylor ( Coming to America 2 ) as Inez de la Paz, A Thousand and One spans an 11-year period in New York City beginning in the mid-1990s, when a racially segregated Harlem consisted of tenement housing and densely populated communities of people struggling to get by. Setting the social climate of the period is audio of speeches from then-Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg promising to enhance the city’s landscape and stamp out crime (despite violating the civil rights of people to do so). After being released from a short jail term, Inez abducts her 6-year-old son, Terry, from foster care, determined to raise him on her own. A former foster child herself, she struggles to do this. Friends can only offer minimal help, styling hair for the occasional client yields little income, and the closest job she can find is a two-hour subway ride away. At times forced to leave her child home alone while she works, Inez eventually obtains the documents needed to get him into school. When Terry arrives home one day, he finds a man in the apartment with his mom. Inez introduces him as “Lucky” and happily informs the child, “He’ll be moving in with us.” Lucky, though, seems to want nothing to do with the quiet, unassuming 7-year-old, played by Aaron Kingsley Adetola ( Rise , The Tramps New World ). Too often, stories with Black characters fall on long-held stereotypes. I like this story precisely because it does not. For example, Black men are often depicted as unavailable to their children physically and emotionally. While initially aloof about connecting with Terry, Lucky, played by William Catlett ( The Devil You Know , The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray) , does eventually commit to being a father to the child and develops a close bond with him. This is especially remarkable given that Lucky was recently released from prison. Typically viewed and treated as lost causes, people who experience incarceration are often depicted as being drawn to trouble and having constant run-ins with the law. This story avoids perpetuating these cinematic tropes. Similarly, as the positive narratives surrounding African American boys are scarce, Terry, even as a teenager, is neither depicted as a troubled child at home or in school, nor a child who gets into trouble with the law. Rather, he is quiet, thoughtful and introspective, wondering for example why he should have to leave his community in order to get “a good education.” Terry’s character challenges the widely-held views of Black boys as problems and up to no good, despite occasions in the film where police throw Terry up against a wall and frisk him without cause. Regarding stereotypes about Black women, Inez’s character could have been written as a terrible mother. Instead, Inez spends time with her son and helps him understand that while things are difficult now, they will not always be this way. She meets with teachers at his school to understand the educational plans they have for her son and what it could mean for him. She resists reacting to a back-handed compliment by a White teacher, even though it is clear it took a lot for her to hold back. Had she not, the “angry Black woman” stereotype would have left its indelible mark on the audience. Inez’s refusal to react can be viewed as purposefully resisting stereotypes. She realizes that the cost of reacting means perpetuating negative ideas about Black women. So instead she chooses, then, to reserve her strength for the bigger battles she fights every day, which include protecting and caring for the two Black men in her life. The stress of this emotional work is taxing, however, as it suggests a never-ending level of vigilance. She alludes to her wear and tear at several points throughout the film, stating, “What about me? Who takes care of me?” An abundance of research exists on how African American women in particular, expend so much time and energy protecting and looking out for their loved ones that little time is left for themselves, and they often feel tired and neglected. While this movie has a small hint of the 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness , its feel is more reminiscent of the HBO series, The Deuce , which is set in roughly the same period and coincidentally the same city. Both make use of the dark cinematography of the day and just as with The Deuce, which ran from 2017-2019 , the lives of people in A Thousand and One were affected by politically-motivated initiatives that directly impacted their lives. Also, the sight of Inez inserting coin after coin into telephone booths, affixed just outside of subway entrances and throughout the neighborhood, pulled me into the era that predated today’s technology. Even the use of the big, printed phone books surfaced long-buried memories of how tedious everyday tasks used to be. Anyone doubting the convenience (or annoyance) of cellphones and computers is likely to think again after seeing this film. While A Thousand and One challenges prevailing stereotypes, it ensures the pendulum does not swing too far in the direction of depicting the characters as infallible. Inez and Lucky are indeed flawed characters in the film - both do scandalous things. After all, Inez did kidnap Terry. It leaves the question though: To what degree can the characters’ behaviors be explained by flaws in their personalities or their past (and present) hardships and life experiences? This is always difficult to discern. But a poignant moment in the film gives some insight into this when Lucky asks Inez why she loves him. Initially dismissing him, he insists on an answer. She slowly responds, “Damaged people don’t know how to love one another.” This was an emotionally moving film that also moved the story along, letting the audience inside Inez’s life, creating the space for empathy. This full 360 degrees was needed for the audience to appreciate her depth of character, her shortcomings, and conveyance of a story that can be generalized to women like her in major cities across the United States. In addition to kudos to writer/director A. V. Rockwell on this piece, newcomer Teyana Taylor should receive major award nods for her strong delivery of Inez de la Paz in this film. We look forward to seeing more of her and Rockwell’s work. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back A Clash of Knuckles: Movies and the System of Rating Them Highlighting the Tension Between Filmmakers and the MPA Reba Chaisson 3/15/25 Reading Time: 19 minutes 📸: Cup of Tea Critiques As a teenager, I paid close attention to ratings because they dictated whether or not I could get into the theater to see a movie. If it was “R,” I simply wasn’t getting in, as they were serious about ticket admissions back then! Things have softened quite a bit now. I can’t remember the last time I saw a ticket agent card a young person. Also, now that we can buy tickets in advance on the Web, and just show our phones and grab a seat, who is stopping to question anyone about seeing any movie these days! After all, the ticket checkers are teenagers too. I even hear toddlers yelling in the theater when I’m there to watch an R-rated movie. When I was young, I envisioned movie ratings as a task done by committee — you know, a bunch of people in a room who watch movies all day and ultimately agree on a rating after deliberating over its content. You know, like a courtroom jury trial. It turns out, I wasn’t far afield in my understanding of the process. But there is a bit more to it than that. This paper covers the film industry’s rating system and reports on the usefulness of the ratings to many of us today. Indeed, more interesting than the ratings themselves is the history of Hollywood’s system of rating films. Hollywood’s History of Rating Films Hollywood’s system of rating films didn’t begin with the goal of rating movies at all. Its goal at the outset was to “ensure the financial stability of Hollywood.” So, the new Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), founded in 1922, set out to secure funding from Wall Street to do this. Perhaps there was a quiet quid pro quo, but soon after, the organization resolved to maintain a “clean moral tone” across the film industry in the United States. The studios were already ensuring that the directors, actors, and other talent they had under contract adhered to a “code of conduct.” The next step, in the view of executives and the MPPDA, was to get the film content inline. This is where the MPPDA came in, effectively inserting itself as gatekeeper and enforcer of the film content. Through 1934, films were not rated, or what was then referred to as not “coded.” In this pre-code era, religious clergy and politicians carried a great disdain for films with scenes of nudity, and what they called illicit dealings and morally gray matter. In 1930, with the support of congressmen, senators, and other influential people in the U.S., former politician and Republican National Committee chair William H. Hays assumed leadership of the MPPDA and established stringent rules for rating film using what became known as the Hays Code , also referred to as the Production Code. The rules of the Production Code became legally binding and breaking them was punishable by law. Hays even established the Production Code Administration (PCA) to enact and oversee the ratings process, empowering it to make the binary decision to either approve or deny films and to dole out $25,000 fines for rules violations. Some filmmakers would be penalized or their works denied for displaying such social activity as liquor use, ridiculing clergy, miscegenation, and even engaging in same-sex behaviors. This glimpse back in time, though nearly a century ago, feels like an oppressive creative environment for filmmakers, who not only were required to submit their films to the MPPDA for ratings, but had no recourse on the decisions made about their films. In many cases, they were forced to re-edit their films as a condition of the films’ release. The MPPDA was not the only film watchdog during the early 20th century, however. The National Legion of Decency , a consortium of partially Protestant but predominantly Catholic organizations, evaluated films and assigned ratings using “A” for morally unobjectionable, “B” for partly morally objectionable, and “C” for condemned. The group assessed more than 12,800 movies between 1936 and 1959. But this represents only a partial list since the Legion continued to operate through the late 1970s. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho , was among those given a “B” rating by the Legion because, according to Daniel Gauss of Taste of Cinema , the shower scene was sadistic and “Marion [laid] on her bed with a man while only wearing a bra.” It is important to note that not everyone agreed with the MPPDA’s and the Legion’s censoring of film during this era. Letters to the New York Times Screen Editor regarding the Legion’s rating of Psycho pan this out. Upon seeing the movie at the theater in 1960, one gentleman wrote a response to an enthusiastic supporter of the Legion’s “B” rating of the film. He replied, To be more specific, [the supporter] objects to a scene which presents, he says, “the stabbing of a naked woman in a shower in ugly detail," a description which would be more accurate if the scene were either ugly or detailed . Another individual writing to the Times noted, I realize that it is not to everyone's taste … As for Psycho's being ‘deliberately sadistic,’ I certainly don't think it a film for children, but can mature audiences take it as anything but a macabre prank …? Even then, some viewers of the film appreciated Psycho as a brilliant work of art, even though it was scorned by others and condemned by the Legion. Consider also that such rigid ratings of film decontextualize the work’s visual content, failing to account for a scene’s mood, the story that encompasses it, or even the film’s overall themes. As we pointed out during the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast on short films , even the shortest films use dialog, compelling media images and creative cinematographic techniques that when viewed collectively tell strong and powerful stories. In the end, the films often pose searing questions that encourage us to think critically, ultimately broadening our perspectives. The early rating systems reduced the works to a scene here or there, failing to account for these crucial elements of the art form, not to mention being oblivious to the breadth of cinematic tastes of audience members. Hays left the MPPDA in 1945 when, coincidentally, the organization changed its name to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This is not unusual, as many organizations, companies, and sometimes even people, adopt this tactic to decouple from the past and reset their respective identities as something different. The Production Code, though, was not repealed until 1968, when the industry summoned a collective exhale, and filmmakers once again enjoyed exercising their creative freedoms. By this time, the National Legion of Decency’s influence had shrunk tremendously thanks in part to a series of Supreme Court decisions ruling against censorship. Burstyn v. Wilson is one such case, where the justices in 1952 unanimously ruled that free speech in film is guaranteed based on the first and 14th amendments. Another is the 1964 Jacobellis v. Ohio case, where the Court reversed the conviction of a movie theater manager accused of showing an obscene film. The justices opined that the film was “not obscene” and that obscenity needed to be based on a national standard. Together, these and other cases chipped away at censorship across the film industry and the Legion’s influence along with it. Although the Hays Code was not repealed until the late ‘60s, the MPAA had already begun to signal a new day in the way the organization conducted its business around rating films. Taken over by Washington D.C.-insider Jack Valenti in 1966, the MPAA no longer required filmmakers to submit their films for rating. And rather than using a code to effectively censor films, the organization, which soon shortened its name to Motion Picture Association (MPA), established a new objective: providing information about the age-appropriateness of a movie. Valenti ushered in a more nuanced system for rating movies, one which we are most familiar with today, The Motion Picture Association Classification and Rating Administration (CARA). You probably know it best as the movie rating system. The Movie Rating System and the MPA Today’s movies are slotted into one of five ratings categories, each of which is listed in the table below, under columns “Rating (1990).” As seen by their predecessors to the left (“Rating (1968)” and “Rating (1984)”), the ratings have varied ever so slightly over the last several decades. In 1984, M became PG and PG-13 to signal the appropriateness of content for children ages 13 and under, and the age limit for R was raised from 16 to 17. The most significant change to the system was ushered in in 1990, with NC-17 replacing the notorious X rating which had been assigned to what were then deemed pornographic films . One X-rated film included Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris , which was the seventh highest grossing film in 1973. Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider led the cast as a couple involved in a relationship based only on sex. Another film is John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1969. The film starred Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, with Voight’s character as a male sex worker for gay men. Best Picture honors are typically not given to bad films. So, despite Midnight Cowboy containing a lot of nudity and/or sex between persons of the same or different sex, the movie had a powerful story with strong themes that likely left the audience with deep searing questions about ourselves and some aspect of the world around us. In doing so, it proved the point that film as an art form has great value. As for Last Tango in Paris , Gauss suggests it encourages us to question if sex without intimacy is fulfilling enough. As a professor of mine once said, “chew on that for a bit.” While doing so, consider that being among the top 10 grossing films in any year is itself an accolade and attests to the broad cinematic tastes of viewers. While one would think the X ratings for these films would directly convert to NC-17 under the current rating system, a quick lookup in IMDB shows Last Tango in Paris with an NC-17 and Midnight Cowboy with a rating of R. A recent article in Vanity Fair painstakingly explains how this inconsistency came about. In short, the MPAA begrudgingly gave United Artists's Midnight Cowboy an R rating along with strong suggestions that they make changes to it. The studio steadfastly refused. The studio did, however, consult with a psychiatrist about the film. Since the doctor expressed concerns about the sex and sexual innuendo, the studio made the decision to give the film an X rating. Midnight Cowboy ’s ratings journey, though, is highly unusual. Filmmakers are typically coerced into making concessions to get the ratings they want for their movies. This means recutting the films to make them more palatable to the MPA in order to get an R rating. R is such a coveted rating because it means the films are more accessible to the public and can thus maximize its earning potential. The substantially smaller audience for X rated films makes it difficult to achieve these goals. To get the R rating, though, filmmakers must agree to edit some scenes. This complexity around ratings in film is a good place to segue into a discussion on the longstanding tension between filmmakers and the MPA. The Tension between Filmmakers and the MPA Kirby Dick’s 2006 documentary, This Film is Not Yet Rated , highlights the sharp divisions between the MPA and filmmakers. At the center of the breakdown, according to Dick, is the rating of films as NC-17 versus R. To put it mildly, filmmakers bristle at NC-17 ratings because the films potentially lose millions of dollars in sales. According to several directors featured in the documentary, an NC-17 rating presents marketing challenges for films. Walmart, for example, will not carry an NC-17 movie, which is where many people, they say, buy their DVDs. Another point of contention is that the MPA will not provide the filmmakers with notes, so they can potentially make adjustments to their films to get them from NC-17 to R. They are simply told that they can “recut it.” This area is a special point of agitation for filmmakers because they have discovered that deferential treatment exists for independent filmmakers versus those producing films for large studios. For example, the 1997 independent film, Orgazmo , received an NC-17 rating. When director Trey Parker asked for suggestions to get the film to an R, the MPA representative told him that they don’t give specific notes and he was “welcome to recut it.” Parker’s experience was quite different, however, when he directed South Park at MTV Entertainment Studios. When South Park initially received an NC-17 rating, he was given “extremely specific edits” to get an R rating. This suggests that a level of discrimination is occurring at the MPA, to the detriment of small, independent filmmakers. This is especially the case when the films contain sexual content. In the documentary, actress Maria Bello complains that the ratings board has “desexualized sex.” Expounding on this, she explains that her film, The Cooler , was given a rating of NC-17 because they said some of her pubic hair could be seen in a love scene. Filmmakers also note that intimate acts involving persons of the same sex consistently receive NC-17. Others remark that the raters seem to have a number for sexual thrusts, and that when there’s more than two, then the film is doomed to an NC-17. Still, others say that the distance of the shot is also a factor. The closer the camera is to the sexual activity, the more likely it is to receive an NC-17 rating. While NC-17 ratings may seem reasonable to some given the stated mission of the MPA to advise parents on the appropriateness of content for children, the problem, filmmakers insist, is the built-in bias, the lack of accountability or explanation for the ratings, and the lack of transparency about who is making the ratings decisions. UCLA professor and researcher, Theresa Webb, added to this by noting the MPA’s preoccupation with sex but little attention paid to violence. So, what are we not getting about the way the MPA operates? The Disconnect Between the MPA and Independent Filmmakers Today, the segment of the MPA whose direct and sole responsibility is to watch films and rate them is parents. They are believed to serve 3–7-year terms, with the requirement that their children be between the ages of 5 and 16-years-old. The rationale for using parents is related to the organization’s mission regarding the appropriateness of film content for children. Given this, it makes sense to have parents perform this function, as long as their demographics are representative of the parent population in the U.S. with respect to race, education, income, religion, and even region. If due diligence is paid in this regard, then the rationale for choosing parents is reasonable. As for the MPA itself, it is a member association, where major studios like Disney, Netflix, MGM Studios, Paramount, Prime, Sony, Universal, and Warner Brothers essentially agree to the terms and conditions of the MPA and its strategy for rating films. That the MPA and the studios work in tandem is not new. As I alluded to earlier, major studios historically controlled all aspects of the film industry in the first several decades of Hollywood. Each studio had exclusive and binding contracts with the talent in front of and behind the cameras. Each controlled the distribution of its films. And each owned the theaters where the films were shown. This vertical integration broke down in the wake of the 1948 Supreme Court ruling in the United States vs Paramount. But the social relationships between studios, as facilitated through politically-connected organizations like the MPA, religious clergy, and executives’ similar values and sensibilities, allowed for the “studio system” to thrive and remain positioned as the arbiters of film and the film industry. For the most part, studios have enjoyed their stronghold over the industry. The benefits have outweighed the drawbacks. When they don’t like the ratings of their films, they have not only obtained the feedback for the necessary changes, but they’ve had access to the financial resources to recut a film if necessary. This is still the case today. Studio heads are well-connected enough as MPA members to cajole leadership into giving a film the rating they want. A rater in Kirby’s documentary revealed that Valenti regularly broke ties in their votes and tried to cajole raters to vote a certain way when he didn’t like their rating of a film. According to the rater, he appeared before them once saying, “Come on, you can do better than that.” What this suggests is the studios get their movies to their target rating (and ultimately to market fast), while small studios and independent filmmakers languish. Will the MPA ever evolve to support the full filmmaking community while fulfilling its mission to parents? Today’s MPA and What Parents Have to Say Today’s MPA is significantly more user-friendly than it was under Valenti, who retired in 2004. Its mission as it regards the rating of films is still the same, but Charles Rivkin, a former U.S. diplomat, has been the new head of the organization since 2017. Rivkin describes his role as “the best job in the world” and talks of creating “new ways for storytellers to reach even bigger audiences” and adapting to “changes in consumer tastes and behavior[s].” Indeed, under his relatively short tenure so far, streaming channels like Disney, Netflix, and Prime have come into the MPA fold. Independent filmmakers are now provided with an explanation of their films’ ratings, including suggestions on how to make changes to the movies to reach their rating goals. Extending upon the gradient ratings ushered in during Valenti’s tenure, the MPA also now augments the rating we see on the film with a descriptor that explains the basis for it (see image below). And there’s even a weekly bulletin published listing the films reviewed, along with their ratings and the explanations for them. This newfound transparency is undoubtedly welcome to filmmakers and even satisfies the curiosity of cinephiles like us! One way to assess the effectiveness of the ratings for the consumer, though, is to see how they are resonating with a representative sample of parents. As recently as 2022, the MPA commissioned a survey to understand how well the organization helps parents in determining the appropriateness of film content for their children. The 20-minute online survey was administered to 1,500 parents of 5 to 16-year-olds. More than 70% indicated they are quite satisfied that the new descriptor does a good job advising them on the amount of sexual content, violence, and profanity in films. They also agree that the ratings themselves are accurate. There is some variance by region, though. While parents in the South Atlantic region of the country (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky) believe the ratings to be accurate, their “familiarity” results indicate they are less aware of the ratings than parents in other regions. Belief in the accuracy of something we are unfamiliar with, though, is paradoxical, which suggests the survey respondents in the region take the validity of the ratings at face value rather than having a true understanding of it. When asked about their content concerns, parents listed their top 10 in the order below. While parents are uncomfortable with numbers 1 through 4 and 6 for PG-13, they are most uncomfortable with the N-word, even in R-rated content. They are quite flexible, however, on the F-word, as evidenced by its absence in the top 10. Twenty-five or more uses of the term, however, pushes the film firmly into R territory. And related to Professor Webb's point regarding raters' oblivion to the violence element, parents' concerns about violence in film run a distant second to their anxieties about sex and nudity. Summary The MPA, throughout its history, has been self selected as an arbiter of morality and a guardian of privilege. It has maintained a studio system that advantages the powerful, helping them to sustain their positions of power at the expense of creators who lack such influence and affluence. To its credit, however, the organization has evolved and continues to do so. It operates in a much more inclusive manner toward independent filmmakers than it did a century ago. And based on its recent survey, its work, as it regards the movie ratings system in recent decades, has been useful to most parents. Having said this, about a third of adults go to the movies each year (even to a G or PG movie with a child). While the demographic representation of survey respondents seems balanced, the paltry number of individuals sampled leaves me questioning the strength of the survey results. Still, though, I am both informed and impressed with the MPA’s continued progress. Regarding the matter of violence in film. The survey indicates that parents are not very concerned about this element, which hearkens back to Webb’s statement regarding raters’ not assessing the films for violence. This is troubling because it suggests that the neither the rating panel nor the survey sample is sufficiently representative of a large swath of the movie‑watching public. All communities are affected by violence such as domestic, burglary, robbery, and rape, but poor communities of color are subjected to it with great frequency and intensity. It is beyond the scope of this paper to delve into the structural factors contributing to it. Like other families, however, families in these communities go to the movies and watch television. That sensitivity to their lived realities is not reflected in the ratings of films, is problematic and requires addressing. There is undoubtedly a subjective component to rating films. Consciously or subconsciously, the parents who rate them bring in their own values, experiences, and yes, even their biases into the assessment. Knowing this, I wonder how the MPA is thinking about the future for rating films given the move toward what are mistakenly viewed as “bias free” intelligence technologies. Couple this with the lack of political will in the United States to limit their use or curb their proliferation. Consider also the film industry’s eagerness to use these technologies to replace some functions around cinema production. So, what do you think is next for the MPA’s rating system? Will robots programmed to tally sex scenes, nudity, profanity, and perhaps even thrusts soon be occupying the theater at the MPA in place of parents, and automatically assigning a rating to the films? Or will the films’ digital media be downloaded to "RaterGPT" to do this work? Or — will the MPA accept, live with, acknowledge, or tolerate the human flaws in rating films as it does at this moment, while continuing to strive to improve it? References Abreu, Rafael. (2023). What is the Studio System — Hollywood’s Studio Era Explained. (2023). Studiobinder , (2023 January 1). https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-the-studio-system-in-hollywood/ American Parents’ Views on Movie Ratings. (2023). Motion Picture Association , (April 2023) https://www.motionpictures.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/American-Parents-Views-on-Movie-Ratings.pdf Dick, Kirby (Director). (2006). This Film is Not Yet Rated [Film]. Independent Film Channel. https://watchdocumentaries.com/this-film-is-not-yet-rated/ Film Ratings. Motion Picture Association . https://www.motionpictures.org/film-ratings/ Frequency of going to see a movie in theaters among adults in the United States as of May 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/264396/frequency-of-going-to-the-movies-in-the-us/ Gauss, Daniel. (2017). 20 Films Banned by the Legion of Decency That Are Worth Your Time. Taste of Cinema , (2016 January 2017). https://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/20-films-banned-by-the-legion-of-decency-that-are-worth-your-time/3/ Glenn, Frankel. (2021). X-Rated: Inside the Myths and Legends of Midnight Cowboy. Vanity Fair , (2021, February 26). https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/02/inside-the-myths-and-legends-of-midnight-cowboy?srsltid=AfmBOorTKptBhmiYOHWoAbx_e7d1tb-vuF8RDrc3Vj3GrB4FksflDCfv Hudson, David. (2009). Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964). Free Speech Center , (2009 January 1). https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/jacobellis-v-ohio/#:~:text=Jacobellis%20(%20Jacobellis%20v.%20Ohio%20)%20's,not%20obscene%20and%20was%20thus%20constitutionally%20protected . Heckman, Sam. (2021) Movie Censorship — A History of Film Censorship in America. Studiobinder , (2021 June 20). https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/movie-censorship-in-america/ Johnson, Ted. (2024). MPA Renews CEO Charles Rivkin’s Contract For Three More Years. Deadline (2024 January 17). https://deadline.com/2024/01/mpa-charles-rivkin-contract-1235795088/ Kench, Sam. (2022). What is MPAA — History of the Hollywood Ratings System. Studiobinder , (2022 August 7). https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-the-mpaa/ Knight, Rich. (2024). 6 Famous X-Rated Movies And What Made Them So Controversial At The Tim. Cinema Blend (26 June 2024). https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/famous-x-rated-movies-and-what-made-them-so-controversial-at-the-time Legion of Decency Collection (1933-1968) . Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. https://archives.chrc-phila.org/repositories/2/resources/33 Motion Pictures Classified By The National Legion Of Decency 1936 1959 . https://archive.org/details/motion-pictures-classified-by-the-national-legion-of-decency-1936-1959 . PG‑13 Rating Debuts. History . https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pg-13-rating-debuts 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 Rye Lane blends surrealism and cold hard truth together Searchlight Pictures, 2023 82 minutes Director/Writer: Raine Allen-Miller / Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia Reading Time: 5 minutes Rye Lane Hope Springs Internal (D9N6UOZMHBI8EFXI) 00:00 / 05:14 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Gingko Biloba: Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2023-04-06 “What makes you think I've got a mess?” “Everyone has a mess.” Break-up movies can take many different approaches. Some, like Legally Blonde , vilify the significant other and center the story around the main character’s payback. Others shed light on the relationship and force the protagonist to bear some responsibility, such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall . A lot of films pair the melancholy protagonist with a fun and upbeat new person, like Along Came Polly . While having a short running time, the new indie rom-com Rye Lane manages to combine all these elements while avoiding the many clichés of its genre. Rye Lane follows Dom (David Jonsson, Industry ) and Yas (Vivian Oparah, Then You Run) , two twenty-somethings fresh off of break-ups who meet at a mutual friend’s art exhibit. After leaving, they improvise the rest of the day together in South London and open up about how they are coping. Yas does her best to boost Dom’s self-esteem and convince him that he is better off without his old flame, who cheated on him with his best friend. Along the way, the two meet each other’s exes, hang out with family members, and of course, get into a couple of sticky situations. First-time director Raine Allen-Miller uses visual gags and surrealist scenes to appeal to the audience. Rather than simply having Dom and Yas converse or show narrated flashbacks, Allen-Miller inserts the co-leads into the flashbacks as if they are reliving the moments themselves. The most entertaining of these scenes is when Yas recalls her ex’s disdain for hip hop music while she plays her A Tribe Called Quest album. This scene could have simply been a throwaway line amidst her and Dom’s conversation, but instead the audience sees Yas and her ex onstage in a black box theater as if they are starring in a play. All of the seats in the audience are filled by clones of Dom watching while Yas narrates. All of the Dom doppelgangers react in unison: laughing, slapping their knees, gritting their teeth in anger at the ex’s off-putting comments. In illustrating the flashback this way, Allen-Miller maximizes the comedic potential of the story beat. This scene, and other such flashbacks, provides the audience with added context for the breakdown of Yas’s and Dom’s relationship. It is one thing to hear differences of opinion between couples and feel them to be too petty to lead to a breakup. But depicting the disagreement instead gives the audience a better sense of the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the two. Yas’s ex maintained a hyper-serious nature that, combined with his dismissive tone, did not mix well with the free-spirited, goofy personality of Yas. Many rom-coms involving a recent breakup attempt to place the exes in a scene together to show the audience why they did not work, and Rye Lane accomplishes this with its absurdist elements. While the stylized humor may be too quirky for some, it certainly holds the audience’s attention. Rye Lane also flips gender norms on their heads right from the jump. In the opening scene, Yas enters a unisex bathroom and overhears Dom crying in one of the stalls. In countless rom-coms from past generations, the female character is the crying, inconsolable co-lead while the male attempts to comfort her. Without being preachy or overbearing, the film continues to subvert expectations of masculinity and femininity. Dom rocks a pair of pink sneakers, which is how Yas recognizes him when he later exits the bathroom. As the film progresses, Yas is consistently the authority on relationships and plans of action, also going against rom-com gender norms. She offers Dom life advice since she seems to be handling her breakup better emotionally. Despite being joyous and impulsive, Yas is still down-to-earth and flawed enough to not assume the “manic pixie dream girl” stereotype. On the flipside, Yas never belittles Dom’s personality as less than or “beta male.” She seeks to instill confidence in him without playing to any toxic traits associated with old-fashioned masculinity, simply urging him to stand up for himself. Similarly, Dom is never put off or intimidated by Yas’s confidence. He instead voices his admiration for who she is and aspires to be more like her. Though the respect could be attributed to them withholding judgment due to having just met each other, it can also be seen as an example of allowing people to grow into their own without denigrating them. Though the rom-com genre is chock full of recent breakup stories, Rye Lane definitely forges its own story path. It does, however, come across as a perfect mix of the 2000 John Cusack flick High Fidelity and the late 2000’s Michael Cera comedy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist . Between the reliving of breakups, stylistic flashbacks and emphasis on musical tastes, all three films offer what newly single people need: acceptance, good times, and a glimmer of hope moving forward. 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!

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!

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Mr. and Mrs. Smith fuses relatability with escapism < Back Mr. and Mrs. Smith fuses relatability with escapism Amazon Studios, 2024- 45 minutes Creator: Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Alexander Kaufmann https://www.instagram.com/djanoidgfx Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hope Springs Internal (RLQDVWKEF6DHSGLT) 00:00 / 06:01 https://twitter.com/DjANOIDgfx https://jakaufmann.myportfolio.com/ Rosemary Movies and TV shows with intense action Oolong Movies and TV shows that make you laugh or involve physical activities like dance and exercise Chris Chaisson 2024-02-18 Numerous articles are written about the decreasing number of young people getting married (the median age of a first marriage has been increasing, per Forbes ). At the end of the day, there is a financial component to the institution of marriage that has muddied the waters for millennials and older Gen-Z members. Even with these shifts in trends and generational perspectives on marriage, marital issues will always be relatable to most of the country, as many have at least witnessed the ups and downs of marriage in their own households. For this reason, the most recognizable people in our culture typically have a spouse and possibly children. Their day-to-day celebrations and squabbles have mass appeal and can win hearts, as evidenced by top-selling gossip magazines and long-running shows about married couples and their families. This is the case even if their careers are not the least bit relatable. Such is the premise for the TV series adaptation, Mr. and Mrs. Smith . Adapted from the 2005 Brangelina blockbuster , as well as a lesser known 1996 TV series starring Maria Bello and Scott Bakula, Donald Glover’s newest project revolves around John (Glover) and Jane (Maya Erskine), two strangers thrust together by a secret organization to carry out spy missions with the cover of an arranged marriage. While they initially swear off anything physical and struggle to create chemistry, John and Jane eventually bond and forge a romance in the midst of their dangerous operations. Throughout the eight episodes, the audience sees the many phases of relationships play out: honeymoon, jealousy, exposed secrets, and differing long-term desires. Despite their work not being relatable, everything about their arguments and personality clashes feel like something most viewers have experienced firsthand. The overall theme of the series is that relationships involve a lot of hard work and communication, at times seeming even more difficult than the life-and-death situations of being a spy. In many scenes, John and Jane argue about their relationship while they are in imminent danger. Resolving their differences seems to be harder than fighting off bad guys, acquiring assets or tailing a moving target who is on to them. Just as in its aforementioned predecessors, the violence and suspense often seem trivial when superseded by the bickering of a married couple. Mr. and Mrs. Smith is an interesting study in how our perception of the elements in a movie or series can be relative to whatever else is happening on screen. Without John and Jane’s arguments, the action scenes could have the suspense of a sequence from The Bourne trilogy, a Bond movie, or a Mission: Impossible film. Imagine Matt Damon or Tom Cruise arguing with their significant other about who was supposed to take the garbage out in the middle of combat. Imagine the Benny Hill theme music playing while Daniel Craig pummels some henchman; it kind of overtakes the violence at hand. In an interview many years ago, comedian Chris Rock discussed how most household names of stand-up comedy are (or were) married. As funny as a single performer can be, his or her problems do not have the same relatability as someone with a family and a spouse to keep happy. While they can be very successful in the industry, they may not have the same universal fan base. Often, shows and movies present complete escapism or complete relatability. There may be a small thematic element of one in a movie that is about the other, but rarely do they contain a balance of both. Mr. and Mrs. Smith creates its humor by juxtaposing an up-and-down marriage (relatable) with the adventures of an international spy (escapism). It is hard not to giggle at the notion that when you have a life partner, nothing could make you put your petty squabbles aside, even the most dangerous possible situations. If you’ll argue with your spouse while fighting off a villain trying to stab you to death, when will you not argue with your spouse? When this series was first advertised, many people thought of the feature film and balked at the casting choices. After all, the film consisted of two A-list actors, both known largely for their sex appeal and action roles. Glover and Erskine are both known for comedy, with much of Erskine’s work coming in the voice-over world ( Bob’s Burgers , Big Mouth ). In fact, Paul Dano ( The Fabelmans ), who plays their next-door neighbor, is a larger movie star than either lead. I would argue this casting makes perfect sense, as both Glover and Erskine have the comedic timing to do a series that is ultimately based in humor. Their place on the totem pole of in-demand actors should probably take a backseat to their on-screen chemistry, which is pretty copacetic. A bird’s-eye view of the show could lead you to conclude that it is indicative of the disappearance of “movie stars,” precipitated by the takeover of superhero franchises. I would rather view it as bolstering the comedic vibes of the series, while simultaneously representing an interracial couple (black man and Japanese woman) that seldom appears onscreen. Having co-stars from underrepresented groups, each with comedic backgrounds, further illustrates how anyone’s relationship issues can be funny and relatable. As far as romantic spy thrillers go, most play it pretty straight, with Mr. and Mrs. Smith giving a rare comedic twist that foregrounds the relationship. Outside of the movie and series it is based on, the closest comparison to draw is likely the mid-90s thriller True Lies , starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. Like Mr. and Mrs. Smith , it consists of a spy trying to save his marriage and includes its fair share of humorous scenes. Donald Glover’s newest project drops the mundane, sympathetic problems of a rocky relationship into a world of gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, providing us a chance to relate and escape all at once. 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!

Tardes De Sol. Noches de Agua. (Afternoons of Sun. Nights of Water.) provides a glimpse into the many systems perpetuating violence against vulnerable people. < Back Tardes De Sol. Noches de Agua. (Afternoons of Sun. Nights of Water.) provides a glimpse into the many systems perpetuating violence against vulnerable people. CAY Productora, 2019 20 minutes Director/Writer: VD Menzella Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, CAY Productora Tardes De Sol. Noches de Agua A Dark Past (JLBBO78WK8JWZXUT) 00:00 / 03:19 Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Ginger Thought-provoking movies/shows Chris Chaisson 2022-09-25 Tardes De Sol. Noches de Agua. centers around Lamia, a young woman who is developmentally disabled. She resides in a small Argentinian village under the close supervision of her devoutly Christian mother. Forced to dress conservatively and refrain from any hint of promiscuity, Lamia draws and writes in her diary as an outlet for her fantasies. She creates a character, Sister Rosa, to contrast with the deity that her mother worships and wants her to fear. In her ventures through the village to deliver groceries and her mother’s knitting to neighbors, she develops an infatuation with Rabbit, a local man in the neighborhood who seduces her. After he violently assaults Lamia, she goes into a comatose state, prompting her mother and the village priest to nurse her back to health. This stellar short film highlights several significant social issues, not the least of which are the attempts of men, religious institutions and older generations to suppress women’s sexuality. Despite the close parental supervision, Lamia lives a very lonely and vulnerable existence. Her mother forces her to recite mantras about the evil nature of men, instructs her to conceal her figure at all times, and physically punishes her upon finding out about her crush on Rabbit. Director VD Menzella highlights this suppressive environment through shots of Lamia hiding her diary or avoiding eye contact with the other characters. Rabbit’s disturbing assault illuminates the reality that many people with developmental disabilities become victims of violence, despite the frequent narrative that they are more often perpetrators of it. The motive behind many such assaults stems from the culprit’s belief that they will get away with it, largely because the victim’s credibility is questioned. Lamia’s mother, for instance, believes that she has harmed herself, a theory that the local priest adheres to without much pushback. The skepticism and attempts to control women’s behavior have historically led to torture in the name of religion, be it through execution, exile, or other means. Such institutions do offer support and comfort to community members, giving them direction and hope during tough times. However, they also chastise conduct and thought processes that are different from theirs. As opposed to showing compassion, Lamia’s mother and priest instead ostracize her. T ardes De Sol. Noches de Agua. is reminiscent of feature films such as Boys Don’t Cry and Precious . Lamia, Brandon Teena and Precious are all vulnerable protagonists existing in environments where they are subject to abuse because of their sexuality, gender and skin complexion, either in the household or the larger community. While the films all have different conclusions, they each center around a young character attempting to survive and break free from authoritarian surroundings. 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 Perfect Days reminds us to count our blessings Master Mind, 2023 123 minutes Director/Writer: Wim Wenders / Wim Wenders and Takuma Takasaki Reading Time: 5 minutes Perfect Days Warmth And Wonder (E97ZYSRMYWTFIXZS) 00:00 / 05:33 📷 : Used with permission, Christian Niemann https://www.instagram.com/justbychris/ https://twitter.com/justbychris https://www.behance.net/justbychris Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Chris Chaisson 2024-02-28 A frequent topic amongst news outlets and culture critics is the seemingly endless rise in depression, particularly amongst adolescents. There are several theories on why (e.g.. social media pressures, financial struggles, loneliness, etc.), and they’re probably all at least a little bit correct. The sheer number of hypotheses might pinpoint the cause: life has gotten too complicated, and those who can simplify it often remain the happiest. I harken back to an episode of the ‘90s sitcom Frasier , where Frasier creates a long and detailed bucket list after seeing a false obituary of himself in the local paper. His dad cautions him against trying to accomplish all these random, herculean tasks, saying, “You know, I think what you discovered this week is that something's missing from your life. And before you start to fill it up with everything but the kitchen sink, I think you ought to just ask yourself, "what do I really want? What is really going to make me happy... now?" Wim Wenders ponders this notion in his latest film, Perfect Days . Set in Tokyo, Perfect Days covers the daily routine of Hirayama (Koji Yakusho, Babel ), a very kind but somewhat aloof man who cleans public toilets for a living. Hirayama sleeps on the floor of his home and wakes up every day to the sound of a neighbor sweeping the sidewalk. When doing his work, he patiently waits for bathroom attendees and even lets them in when the bathroom is technically closed. Nothing seems to bother him about his job or the behaviors of others, who often shuffle past him as if he is not there. On his breaks, he takes time to stare at the greenery around the parks and public areas he is in, direct people who get lost, or comfort children looking for their parents. His assistant Takashi (Tokio Emoto, Outrage ), much younger than him, is less committed to and enthused about the job, but maintains a good rapport with his cleaning partner nonetheless. While Hirayama’s existence seems lonely and mundane, he takes constant joy in the simplicity of his daily agenda. As the film follows its protagonist through every single scene, it is easy for the audience to at first feel like something is missing. Often, the conflict in our favorite yarns is produced from frenzied, anxiety-inducing run-ins with villains, bullies, or nature. Perfect Days carries a calmness and quirkiness throughout, where the antagonist becomes less an actual person and more a desire for complexity. Hirayama’s routine slowly exorcises this need from the viewer, and we see the positives of enjoying what we have without looking for something more. The characters around Hirayama serve as the audience’s subconscious, providing a contrast to his content nature. He has several interactions with people who are busy, anxious, or too complex for their own good. For instance, Takashi opines about his social life early on in the movie and later ditches work with no heads up. A mother in the park scowls at Hirayama for comforting her son after they get separated. Some of the bathroom attendees avoid eye contact and treat him as though he is a bother, or worse, invisible. The biggest contrast is provided by Hirayama’s pre-teen niece, Niko, who runs away from home and visits him. Few things illustrate a lack of happiness like running away from home as an adolescent. Her desire to visit him not only shows her affection for him but also her recognition of how he differs from her mother. Niko’s frequent tendency to pull out her smartphone to take pictures and perform Google searches sharply contrasts with Hirayama’s use of his phone for nothing but phone calls. At one point, Niko mentions Spotify, which he has never heard of, and he confuses it for a brick-and-mortar store, much to her delight. Ultimately, when Niko’s mother tracks her down, she reunites with Hirayama and carries on a conversation with him that very much highlights their differences. Though the love is clearly there, she cannot fathom the thought of him being pleased with his modest lifestyle. While these interactions call attention to the anomaly of living such a simple life, they also reveal people’s willingness to connect with Hirayama where he’s at. For instance, one bathroom attendee, whom he never actually meets, leaves a game of tic tac toe behind for someone to join in. Hirayama finds the game and makes a new move every day, enthused by the interaction. Just the same, he attends a restaurant every day where the staff knows him by name and greets him with a glass of water “for his hard work.” Though not directly called out, these moments are clearly bright spots in his day, an experience many regulars at restaurants can relate to. All in all, Perfect Days and its protagonist urge us to be content with and appreciative of what we have and what’s positive in our lives, whether that be friends, family, or an enjoyable view. Whether or not cleaning toilets brings Hirayama joy, the interactions his job allows him to have with others, and the calming environment it places him in, ultimately lead to the happiness that many others cannot achieve in much more lucrative professions. His enduring spirit can be a lesson to us all: figure out what really makes you happy, shut out everything else, and enjoy both the clarity and simplicity of your life. 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!

Learn about Cup of Tea Critiques, an online hub for Proof of Concept & Insightful Movie Reviews designed for film and TV enthusiasts. Click here if this sounds like your cup of tea! Welcome to Cup of Tea Critiques® Cup of Tea Critiques examines movies and television series through a critical lens. Our main focus is independent cinema—films rarely talked about, found in mainstream theaters, nor advertised on billboards. However, they are broadly available on streaming platforms and can be watched from the comfort of your own home. The shows consist of stories from across the globe—often important, funny, and entertaining stories—that captivate and inform, expose you to underrepresented perspectives, stimulate your thoughts, and facilitate discussion. Reviewing elements like story, depth of character, aesthetics, and themes, we develop a synopsis and denote it with a tea brew that evokes a feel for the work. So, instead of likes, ratings, emojis, or thumbs up or down, our reviews are tagged with a type of tea that, based on its benefits, gives you a sense of the show's feel and substance. In the mood for a lot of dialog? Maybe a movie tagged with a barley tea is just for you. Prefer something light? Perhaps a show tagged with ginkgo biloba is what you're looking for. Don't worry, we provide a legend that describes every tea we use. So, what movie or show are you in the mood for? Reading the review and noting the show's brew will help you decide if it's your "cup of tea." ® chris@cupofteacritiques.com Hi! I’m Chris reba@cupofteacritiques.com Hi! I’m Brandon brandon@cupofteacritiques.com Hi! I’m Reba Subscribe to receive email alerts for new movie and television critiques. Follow us on our Facebook, Instagram , and Letterboxd pages.

The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. < Back The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. Blown Deadline Productions, 2017-19 60 minutes Creator: George Pelecanos and David Simon Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO The Deuce Tell Dem (I96IRB1HB2AEJATW) 00:00 / 04:13 Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 While short-lived, The Deuce provides an immersive experience. Nothing less would be expected from David Simon ( The Wire , Treme ), who co-wrote and co-produced it with George Pelecanos and others. The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. A long way from the glitz and popular tourist attraction it is today, The Deuce, as it was known in the 1970s, burst with a bustling and open sex trade with well‑dressed pimps and tenacious sex workers who openly flaunted their stuff for sale. The gritty series captures the feel of the era with the authenticity of a warm embrace from a long-passed favorite aunt. Like a time-machine, it places us in the familiar urban settings of the period when afros were in style, communities were called neighborhoods, and everyone knew the folks who lived there—and what they did to get by. James Franco headlines the cast, playing a dual role as a resourceful but reluctant bar and dance club owner and his carefree twin who jumps at any chance to get ahead. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Candy, a fiercely independent worker in the sex trade who later realizes success producing pornographic films because “It’s just sex, right?” The characters take refuge at Leon’s Diner owned by Anwan Glover ( The Wire ), who graciously serves hot meals and pie to his customers without judgment of their dress or avocation. This sanctuary is where we get a glimpse inside many of the characters’ lives and gain an appreciation for their aspirations, shortcomings, and the life events that led them there. Beneath it all are unseen political forces working to reshape, reinvent, and reconstruct the area they view as home. During a contentious meeting about coming changes to the area, Abbie, played by Margarita Levieva ( The Blacklist , The Lincoln Lawyer ), proudly proclaims her bar as a place where people in the neighborhood are treated with respect and can get “an honest pour” no matter their walk of life. While she doesn’t hide her disdain for the pimps who patronize the Hi Hat, once referring to them as “slap-a-hoes,” she spoke truth about the bar’s customer service. Lines like this run throughout the series. This one provokes thoughts about the exclusivity of establishments of all types today, the degree to which respect and an honest pour is afforded to everyone who enters them, or if these courtesies are perhaps doled out only to those viewed as worthy. Indeed, this questioning of ourselves and what we have come to accept as normal treatment are part of what makes the writing so great and keeps the show’s subject matter relevant even 50 years later. Beyond the struggle for survival, most of the characters in The Deuce are running away rather than toward something, while a smaller contingent desperately fights to remain relevant and to keep the status quo intact. As we know though, change is inevitable. Indeed, this story is about the inevitability of change. So real, it is as palpable as the raw emotions of fear and love displayed by the characters, along with the seemingly necessary emotional detachment they exhibit at crucial times throughout the series. The depth of the characters and their transformation over the series resonate with the experiences and aspirations of many everyday people who strive to maintain their dignity and strength. This suggests that the show has something that appeals to everyone. It is raw, but a necessary raw that pushes forth conversations about power, race, class, and gender. If this is your thing, go for it—and be prepared to think a lot about its themes in the days that follow. 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!

Black Doves, a quirky spy thriller that avoids tokenism < Back Black Doves, a quirky spy thriller that avoids tokenism Noisy Bear, 2024 55 minutes Creator: Joe Barton Reading Time: 7 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Black Doves Rebel (HLUU3PIJNIDKQNJ0) 00:00 / 08:47 Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Reba Chaisson 2025-02-10 Black Doves is a quirky six-part series starring Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire. Knightley is Helen Webb, a British politician’s wife with young twins, who unbeknownst to her family, is a spy for an independent intelligence organization known as Black Doves. A clandestine “company,” Black Doves makes its services available to the highest international bidder. Lancashire is Reed, Helen’s no-nonsense boss at Black Doves, who rarely smiles, rarely changes her calm demeanor, and is always focused on results. When Reed pulls Helen away from her Christmas party, she informs Helen that her secret lover, Jason, has been murdered. Helen is momentarily perplexed how Reed knows about him at all since she thought she was being so careful. (Doesn’t everybody?). Emotionally overwhelmed by the news, Helen’s disbelief and hurt become evident, which along with flashbacks, make it clear how much Jason meant to her. Still quite upset, Helen presses Reed for the circumstances surrounding his death. Though Reed explains that Jason was shot, she continues to convey information to Helen about her next mission. To give her context, she states that Ambassador Chen, China’s ambassador to Britain, was found dead in his residence, and that his 19-year-old daughter Kai-Ming has disappeared. Flabbergasted by both the manner of Jason’s death and Reed’s insensitivity, Helen, still clearly upset, is adamant that she needs to find who killed Jason and to kill them. Reed, on the other hand, is less concerned about who murdered Jason than Helen’s next mission, which is to find Kai Ming. Later that night, while her husband is out and the kids are asleep, a man with a gun enters her home and accosts her in the kitchen. He asks for a recording, which she knows nothing about. When he threatens the life of her kids a second time, she states “I advise you not to do it a third.” When he does, she attacks him, completely catching the audience off guard. Her fast hands, swift body movements, and deftness at turning kitchen appliances into weapons make for a shocking and entertaining fight scene. This is the most engaging sequence of the series because we are drawn into a significant moment of departure from Helen, the mother and politician’s wife who just hosted a large obligatory Christmas party, to this fighting machine. The physical altercation made for enjoyable action early in the series, portending a fun and dynamic story ahead. Black Doves ’ action, characters, and numerous twists and turns are reminiscent of spy thrillers, particularly those depicted in episodic series like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Night Agent . But rather than a dark quality like the latter, Black Doves has the quirkiness quality of Mr. and Mrs. Smith , that aspect of a show that conveys it is neither scary nor should it be taken too seriously. Indeed, Black Doves ’ quirkiness contains elements of comedic short films like Drone and Operation: Cavity , which are not satire but take humorous twists on serious topics not to make fun of them, but to have fun with them. When Helen tells Reed about the encounter in her kitchen and the man’s inquiry regarding a recording, Reed says she knows nothing about the latter nor what prompted the former. However, she decides to call in someone to protect Helen — despite Helen’s insistence that she always works alone. She gives in when Reed tells her that the person is Sam Young. The two are friends, even though they haven’t seen one another since they last worked together. Played by Ben Whishaw, Sam is an early 30-something independent contractor with killer/assassin qualifications. What is striking about Sam is he is small in frame and stature, so the idea that he can protect Helen is inconceivable. He appears quite unassuming as he frequently walks around with his hands in his jacket pockets and is always dressed too thin for the cool fall temperatures. When other people are donning thick sweaters and coats, he is still wearing the same short, spring jacket, appearing to be cold but never doing anything to address it. By far, Sam is the most intriguing character in Black Doves . When others around him are talkative, he is self-effacing and contemplative but a bit tense. He is, however, loyal, a man of action, and a person who loves sincerely and deeply. We learn a lot about Sam during a flashback where he is contracted to kill three brothers. Without hesitation, he creates a bloodbath killing two of them. But when he realizes the third is a child, he finds himself unable to finish the job, as if he himself has suddenly learned he has a red line. And now that Reed’s hiring has brought Sam to London years later, his former boss wants him to finish the job she hired him to do before he left – kill the third brother. Accomplishing this while protecting Helen will be a challenge for him. As Helen and Sam investigate Jason’s death and at a lower priority look for Kai-Ming, they begin to unravel a conspiracy at the highest levels of the British government as the cases converge. Complicating things, China’s Intelligence officers are in-country on a rogue mission, determined to find out who killed Ambassador Chen, and Helen and Sam are getting in the way. Their pursuit of the truth puts their lives and those of the people they care about at grave risk, despite being highly skilled assets themselves. Reed expresses her annoyance not because their lives are at risk, but because by deviating from their very narrow assignment of finding Kai-Ming, they have discovered a recording they shouldn’t have, thus jeopardizing Black Doves’ reliability and credibility with its mysterious client. Black Doves is a highly entertaining series and one of the most inclusive I have watched in recent decades. It contains a fusion of representation with characters from traditionally underrepresented race, gender, and LGBTQ+ groups. Michael, for example, is a mild-mannered and gay Black male who exhibits traditional feminine traits. During a shootout, he relies on his partner’s protection by hiding behind him and physically holding onto his waist with his eyes closed due to sheer fear. Sam is a quiet, self-effacing White male with a small frame who is a killer for hire and who is also gay. Helen, who in addition to being a mother and performing the traditional ceremonial obligations and emotional labor of being a political spouse, is also quite deft at hand-to-hand combat. In a scene exemplifying Helen's toughness, she casually slams her dislocated shoulder into a structure to force it back into place. This is reminiscent of an oft repeated technique used by Mel Gibson’s character in the Lethal Weapon franchise for fixing his bad shoulder. Such skills and traits tend to be much more associated with masculinity than femininity. So, by extension, the show displays the varying manifestations of gender in males and females, and particularly highlights the versatility and adaptability of the latter. All of this demonstrates that people of both sexes cannot simply be confined to the boxes they were assigned to at birth and the keys subsequently thrown away. They present themselves to the world in varied ways. Most interesting about Black Doves is that these characters in the series are not presented as tokens; each has an active role in the show, which lends itself to humanizing people of all types. Black Doves bears some similarities to Guy Ritchie's 2023 theatrical release, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare . Let by Henry Cavill from Man of Steel along with Alan Ritchson of Reacher fame, the show presents a racially and ethnically diverse cast, including a gay character who occasionally displays feminine traits. Both movies are spy thrillers with quirky characters and avoid taking on too much of a dark or ominous tone. Ginseng tea is much better suited for these productions than a tea that yields a heavier feel, like Rosemary or Dandelion. 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!