Thursday, March 28, 2024

OLD ONES (2024)

 


OLD ONES is a trip through Lovecraft country with varying degrees of success.

The plot has long ago sacrificed  man named Marsh being pulled from a river by a father and son. When one of the old ones comes  out of the river and kills the father Marsh saves the boy and drags him along on a trip that crisscrosses through the lives of several Lovercraftian characters.

The basic story and execution is quite good. It’s nice to see  someone trying to do something with the Lovercraft mythos that is a kind of hybrid of the stories and something original.  Most films seem to be one or the other. The film also has everyone in the cast and crew invested. No one seems to be sleep walking through the events.

At the same time some of the effects are not pulled off perfectly. We can see that there are masks and prosthetics. While this would be fatal in most other films, the fact that the film is so filled with love we just nod and go with it.

I liked OLD ONES. It’s wonderfully free of pretensions and simply a film trying to be spooky

Worth a look

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Against All Enemies (2023) opens Friday


This is a look at how military and police are being radicalized by the far right and militias and how this radicalization helped the January 6th Insurrection happen.

Good look at the hows and whys of how people are joining the violent hateful right. It's a film that makes clear why it's happening and what we have to do to try and stop it. 

I like this film a great deal for what it tells us. We need to hear and see what is happening. What works against my absolutely being  over the moon about it is that the film is a bit too matter of fact. As vital as the film's subject is there isn't enough of sense of urgency. Yes the information will anger and horrify you but the presentation may not move you.

Reservations aside the message is important enough to recommend the film

FAREWELL MR HAFFMANN (2023) opens Friday


One of the best films of 2023’s New York Jewish Film Festival was a tense tale of the Second World War. The film tells the story of a Jewish jeweler who sends his family to safety  in the country, while briefly staying behind to “sell” his business to his apprentice before fleeing himself. However unable to get away himself he is forced to stay in the basement. 

Suspenseful and chilling, this film is a great thriller that also is a telling discussion of life under the Nazi’s in France.  An absolute must see.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

PROPERTY (2023) Make Believe Seattle 2024


This is a thorny thriller that kind of works on the most basic level, but fails as a film that wants to say more about (Brazilian) society

The plot of the film has a well off husband and wife heading to their farm in the country in a new armored SUV. The wife was the victim of an attempted kidnaping and become reclusive. They arrive just as the workers on the farm have been informed that they are being sent off because the land is being sold to make a luxury hotel…and they aren’t getting owed wages because they were all essentially working as indentured servants and they have to pay back certain monies. The workers have decided to take the land and everything on it as their own. Things quickly spiral out of control and the woman is left locked in the car alone with lots of angry homicidal people outside.

I really didn’t like this film much. The problem is that the film is so stacked against everyone and everything there really is no one and nothing to root for. The rich couple are an annoying rich couple who are abusing their help. If the wife wasn’t suffering from trauma there would be no reason to side with her. The help are seen to be abused by the system, but at the same time are portrayed as monsters. Their desire to destroy their masters is understandable but at the same time they are not anyone we can root for either. Everyone sucks so why not let them have at it?

Because PROPERTY wants to be a be more than a thriller it falls on its face. You can’t want to explore social dynamics like this and paint everyone in a bad light. If there is no grey only black  there is no real way to have a meaningful discussion. I mean what can you say the rich are bad and need to be taken down a notch, and while the poor are abused by the system, they are really animals so they so it was okay for them to lash out? Honestly they have to be portrayed as animals since it's thats the only way they can make the suspense last.

On the other hand if you can ignore all of the political social commentary the film is a good thriller.  There is a real tension to being trapped in something that will keep you safe but not giving you an exit. On that most basic level PROPERTY is good.

The Listener (2023) opens Friday


THE LISTENER consists of Tessa Thompson’s mental health hotline operator taking calls over night as she wanders around her home. Thompson is the only one on screen for the entire film which consists of her talking to unseen people.

A solid performance from Thompson is what keeps this film watchable. Thompson’s steady and seeming never riffled is everything. While Thompson keeps it cool, we get to see that she is moved by what she is hearing thanks to the looks, gestures and little throw away motions of her performance. It’s one that is all in the details and if you are watching closely you will end up rocked by what you see. In a better world there could be talk of an Oscar nomination in the mix, but realistically I don’t think it will happen because it's not a showy role and won’t get noticed.

The film itself is going to end up being argued over. The fact that there is no dramatic through line, just a series of differing calls is going to drive some viewers mad. Some people want high drama, and while some of the calls provide that, the fireworks (say a pervy caller or an unrepentant cop) only last as long as the call.  Additionally because unless you are really watching Thompson, she is going to come across as mechanical.  As much as I like the film I described the film as walking the fine line between riveting and boring. Steve Buscemi’s choices not to have Thompson react big and bold is probably closer to life but it’s going to alienate a chunk of the audience. And while I briefly thought this might make a good stage play, I really don’t think so since we need to see Thompson up close for this to work.

I like this film, but I can see some people not doing so. If you are adventurous it’s worth a look.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Avoid Donnie Yen in Polar Rescue (2022) (Some Rambling thoughts)


While on a winter vacation with his family Donnie Yen's son acts up. Fed up, Yen drives off without him in the hope of teaching the kid a lesson. When he goes back five minutes later the kid is missing. A manhunt results.

This is hands down the worst Donnie Yen film I've ever seen. I hope never to see it again. (It's even worse than the film Donnie Yen personally apologized to me and Hubert about before we saw it)

The film begins by giving us a family unit we instantly don't like, the filmmakers then up the ante by having them behave badly. Not only don't we like them we kind of want them to die. I truly hated the son. As  the film shifts into the rescue mode the film things go farther off the rails as the narrative has Daddy Yen do things that make zero sense. He's just wandering randomly in the wilderness. Worse Yen is required to do things that no one who has ever had even the slightest contact with snow and ice would ever do. I mean he walks across cracking ice, jumps into a frozen river.

I've never seen a Yen film where I simply said "and then he dies" every three or four minutes.

Who wrote this? 

Actually I want to know why Yen and his family are so badly written, but all of the other characters, all the police and rescuers, are so well written. Sure they have have to do movie sort of stuff, but they actually seem like real people. 

This movie is terrible. It's so bad that it may make you rethink what you feel about Donnie Yen.  I wouldn't care, but he produced this film. WHY? What do the other producers have on him? 

No. you do not want to see this. This isn't a so bad it's fun film, this is just a bad film.

LA CHIMERA (2023) opens Friday


Alice Rohrwacher‘s latest LA CHIMERA is an interesting, if rambling portrait of an Englishman wandering through Italy.

Arthur has just gotten out of prison. He just wants to go back home and pine for his lost love. His friends want to put his skills as a dowser to good use and help them find lost tombs and buried antiquities.  As things go he tries to stay out of trouble and debates going after his love’s grandmother’s student.

Nice slice of life with people living on the edge of society, LA CHIMERA mostly works. It’s good time with some interesting characters. I enjoyed myself.

If the film has any trouble it’s in the final fifteen minutes or so where the films rambling nature begins to wear thin. You begin to wonder when the film is going to end…and how. When the end come its kind of out of left field and it left me, and the others I spoke with at my screening, feeling as though it came not so much having a place to end but a need to stop (I’ve run out of film, I’ll end here)

Odd ending aside, LA CHIMERA is worth a look.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

NIGHTCAP 3/24/24: Making Waves New Romanian CInema Starts this week, good bye NYICFF, random bits


The annual New Romanian Cinema Making Waves is playing NYC at IFC Center, Roxy and DCTV we are better for it.

Highlighting some of the best films Romania. The festival will open your eyes as to films outside of the art house. Films beyond the very serious films that American distributors pick up are high lighted so aren’t getting dark sides of life.  

What kills me is that the distributors here go for the sturm and drang films where as they don’t bring the comedies which, I’ve discovered thanks to this festival, are very funny.

I’ve not finished seeing films for the festival, so I’m not certain if there are comedies, but I do know that they are running good films (reviews are coming).

I suggest that if you want to see some great off Hollywood films that you check the schedule and buy tickets.

Screening Venues:

Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film, 87 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013 (The cinema’s entrance is around the corner on White Street between Lafayette and Centre Streets)

IFC Center, 323 6th avenue, New York, NY 10014

Roxy Cinema New York, 2 Avenue of the Americas, Cellar Level, New York, NY 10013


Tickets:

DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema: $17 General, $8 DCTV Members. Visit www.dctvny.org/s/firehousecinema for more information.

IFC Center: $18 adult/$15 senior/$12 IFC Center members. Visit www.ifccenter.com for more information

Roxy Cinema New York: $17 General. Visit www.roxycinemanewyork.com for more information.

--

I am increasing of the opinion that people getting upset about the use of the wrong terminology, as in the case of CHASING AMY not mentioning the term bisexual,  or in the case of older films using offensive language or stereotypes is simply a refusal to deal with the world as it is and was. These things happened and a desire to ignore that won't make them go away or make a great film any less great because it doesn't fit in your box.

Film fans don’t want to think or consider or go outside their cocoons and deal with the big bad world. Of if they want to deal with it, it is to cut loose anything doesn't fit with their world view or experience.

The refusal to watch a film, or see a work of art, because of something "offensive" or wrong in today's eyes is to narrow a world view, especially if the offensive thing can be seen in context.  Perhaps the term they want used wasn't readily used or invented.  You can't fit today's views into the eyes of people decades or centuries ago.

Additionally dismissing something because it isn't as enlightened as today is wrong, just like saying the the ancient Romans were stupid because they didn't have cellphones.

---

For those who are interested, the plan for the next month or two are a bit free form, more so than the last few months where I was trying to be free form.

This week is a whole bunch of new releases.  That will bleed into coverage of New Directors New Films. From there I have a smattering  more of new releases, and then things are kind of vague until the mid-year festivals.

I do know that there will be more streaming reviews  of Netflix, Amazon and other streaming films. Yes they are late, but they are coming.

If you want a steady stream of what I’m watching with early reactions, as well as Randi’s favorite things- blind comments on embargoed films follow my on Twitter or Blue Sky.

--


This is a reminder that Peter Gutierrez has two new books out. One is a collection of short stories and the other is a novella. Both are excellent

Details and links to buy them can be found here.

--

I am enjoying the post awards silence. It’s so nice not to have to listen to talk of the same four of five Oscar films and which is better than another.

I am enjoying that we are back to discussing a wide variety of films that cross all sorts of genres and nationalities.

--

Ran into some clips from CODA on You Tube recently and I realized that I want to see it again…

…and I also realized that the streamers exclusive lock on films is a bitch. There are so many recent films that either I missed or saw before their release that are now locked behind a pay wall that it’s likely I will never see them.

I have Amazon and Netflix (and Max because I subscribe to HBO) but I don’t have anything else. I don’t have time or the cash to have a stack of streaming services I probably won’t watch beyond the odd title. It might be different if I wasn’t dealing with Unseen, but I could potentially have a new film every night chose for me.

--

Related- I’ve largely stopped buying physical media- not because I don’t want it- rather because I don’t have time to watch it.

--


Lastly I want to thank everyone at NYICFF for another wonderful festival.

Thank you for putting it together.

Thank you for  your kindnesses.

I can’t wait for next year.

Born To Fly (2023)


After realizing that their planes aren't as good as those made in America, the Chinese Military decides to develop the  best fighter aircraft in the world tested by the best pilots China can muster.

This is a jingoistic rah rah Chinese piece of propaganda that is their answer to TOP GUN MAVERICK.  It is a 100% hooray for our side film that is their version of the Tom Cruise films. It's just as macho and over the top as the American counterpart. It is also has 100 times more soap opera with the narrative sequences taking turns that you only see in over done pot boilers.  I laughed myself silly with some of the turns (one characters meaningful death speech and later, a control room full of teary eyed pilots). The plotting is so boiler plate that you can't help but know how this is going to go.

The plotting doesn't matter, what matters here are the the action sequence and they are quite good. While the CGI is uneven, especially early on, flying sequence still grab us and hold our attention. There are some great aerial sequences here, with the final test flight a nail biter, even if the shots of the crying pilots make it seem less serious than intended.

To be certain the over the top anti-American stance is a bit much and similar to the anti Russian stances many Hollywood films took in the 50's, but it really doesn't matter since this is a film about manly men trying to do something heroic in ways that they only do it in the movies. Because the film is supposed to be silly macho BS you can't take it too much to heart. (Besides in many ways we earned the ribbing by sending our jingoistic nonsense out into the world).

To be certain BORN TO FLY isn't high art but it entertains enough that it's worth a look.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ALLEE WILLIS (2024) SXSW 2024


The World According to Allee Willis is a magical film. The story of a woman who wrote some of the best known songs of the last 50 years, won Tonys, Grammies and other things. She started out poor and climbed to the top of the heap ending up in a house that would have (and did) make Pee Wee Herman envious). She was a crazy, lovely woman who influenced and delighted generations.

I fell madly in love with this film early. I never met Allee Willis but I have several friends who were/ are are soul sisters. One in particular was named Sally Willis, which was what the autogenerated subtitles on the print I was watching kept calling Allee. Watching the film I was spending time with an old friend I never met.

What makes the film work is that Willis filmed her life and as such we get to see the story through her eyes, yea, her friends and family talk about her, but mostly we see her being her wonderful self, the friends and family simply add slight shading and context (such as talking about her Tony Award winning work on the musical COLOR PURPLE)

Seeing the film after its premiere at SXSW I’m kind of left flabbergasted, how is it that this film not being talked about. This is wonderful celebration of a wonderful woman. It’s a film that will make you feel things and glues a big goofy smile on your face.  We should all be this lucky to have a film like this made about our lives.

I’ve seen this film a couple of times now and I had a blast each and every time… this is truly great time with a great person.

One of my favorite films of 2024 it is highly recommended.

A MOST ATROCIOUS THING (2024) Make Believe Film Festival 2024


Don't let the fact that is horror comedy only cost 5 grand to make influence your opinion, it would be still be amusing if it cost more. The only thing that extra money would have added would be minutes to the run time.

A bunch of friends head off into the woods for weekend hunting and carrying. However things take a turn for the worse when they eat tainted venison and are turned into blood thirsty killers.

You know we aren’t entirely serious territory when a film opens with a deer puppet drinking from a watering hole with a warning that the water is contaminated. Any remaining doubt is quickly put to rest when the silliness starts when we meet the human cast, and we realize that we are going to silly woods.

This is a low budget (the film cost 5 grand) film that is a lot of fun. Bloody and funny the film is more comedy than horror. Actually outside of the blood and the stereotypical horror set up there is no real horror just laughs. Unlike most recent similar films I’m perfectly fine with that because the film is genuinely funny. Too many filmmakers seem to be going into the realm of comedy to cover up the fact that they can’t make a good film so they go for laughs so we laugh at the cheapness/badness. That isn’t the case here since the jokes land and the filmmaking is good enough that everything else leans into making the film work.

I had a blast watching the film because everyone involved was too. More importantly everyone was leaning in and whispering to us “just go with it- we know what we are doing”.

A MOST ATROCIOUS THING  is a great deal of fun.

Recommended

Friday, March 22, 2024

Magic Candies/ Klutzy Witch Double Feature at NYICFF 2024


MAGIC CANDIES
World premiering at NYICFF this short film from TOEI Animation is based up upon Heena Baek‘s picture book, The film tells the story of a young lonely boy who loves marbles. Buying a cool bag of them he finds they are actually candy, magic candy. Each candy will give him the ability to speak to or hear something hidden. First his couch talks to him, then his dog… and then… well that would be telling.

Photo realistic backgrounds are mixed with a stylized animation in a little film that may have you tearing up. This is a lovely tale that reals the connections we have to each other, even if they aren’t readily apparent.  I smiled and laughed… and teared up.

The screening was attended by a lot of people connected to the film including director Daisuke Nishio and author Heena Baek who wrote the book.  The Q&A was a joyous event and the kids asked some good questions (see it here - though I bounced my camera, again, so it's better as radio).

They also brought along a lot of goodies, bags, paper hats and other things for the kids. They even had  cut outs that the kids could use to enhance photos of themselves on the red carpet.

It was, as most NYICFF special events truly special


KLUTZY WITCH
Hour long tale of the daughter of a white witch who is a bit of a klutz. She ends up a pawn in the plans of a banished dark witch who wants to escape her imprisonment and get revenge on those who locked her away.

This is an hour long short feature should have been turned into a series. While the film covers a lot of familiar territory (no doubt the result of it’s short length) there is enough here that it’s clear this could have been expanded. While what here is really good, I would have loved to see more with all of the characters. Back stories are hinted at that would make for fantastic little films/episodes.  That is not a knock at the film, rather an explanation that this film is so rich material you’ll want to revisit.

If there is any real flaw it’s that the short run time causes a bit of friction in the telling between the klutziness of the early part of our heroines tale and the serious of the second.  Things don’t blend as well as they would have in a longer telling.

Regardless this was a delight and I would happily line up for a sequel.

Legend of Lake Hollow (2024) hits VOD March 26


A group of friends rent a house in the woods and soon realize that there is something in the woods, and it isn't friendly.

Let me say up front I had a great time with LEGEND OF LAKE HOUSE. It's a well made horror film that has a great cast who are invested in their roles and so they end up selling the story even before the weird stuff starts. It's so good that I'm kind of scratching my head as to why this film didn't get a noticed previously since it is a film made with care and love.

I also love that the film puts some spin on the typical story like this. The filmmakers give us enough clues that we don't instantly march to the end in our minds knowing how it all goes. We are pretty much along for the ride to the end.

My only problem with the film is that the ending kind of disappoints.  It's not that it's bad, more that for a film that tries for much of its running time to do something different, it's rather run of the mill. It isn't bad, just not not as satisfying as it could have been. Thought to be honest how it's presented it quite good

That said, I had fun with LEGEND OF HOLLOW LAKE and it's recommended.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Shorts One NYICFF 2024


Thoughts on the films that made up the Shorts One collection at NYICFF

TWO ONE TWO
his is a lovely little film about a baby and it’s mom out traveling around. Done in a style that makes thins expressionistic the film is destined to make you smile. Sitting in the SVA theater you could hear all the adult sighing in recognition.  This is an absolute delight.

PUFFERFISH
Breaking the usual formula that many of the films that Julia Ocker’s film follow, this is the story of  a pufferfish trying to remain alive by inflating itself in the wake of danger, How it plays out is a delight. This is probably the best of Ocker’s films at this year’s NYICFF


LITTLE FAN
A little fan plays with an origami swan.

When the film started I heard a could of kids mention that it seems to be a riff on LUXO JR, the Pixar film, however while the set up may seem similar, where the film goes is entirely different.

I had a great time with this film. It made me smile and laugh. I had such a good time with the film that I ended up talking to director Sveta Yuferova in the lobby after the screening for a good chunk of time. After I explained how much I liked the film and loved how the photorealitic animation had a weight to it that most  big budget features don’t have.  She then regaled me with the story of her seven year quest to finamce and create the film. My  mention of all of the easter eggs in the background resulted in her hinting at goodies hidden there as well as a discussion of the creation of the soundtrack which is full of all sorts of hidden audio treats including lions roars. (I would have recorded the “interview” except that it was an off the cuff and unexpected happening)

If you want to see a great little film check this film out.

MARIE
This is an animated look at a young girls school note book and the doodles that come to life in it. Another delight.

HOW TO LASSO
This is a sweet film about a decked out young lady teaching herself to throw a lasso. It’s a wonderful that played in the front of some features at the fest.


MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW
A man named Edgar goes to a slaughterhouse and takes home a cow which he raises in his apartment.

This is a funny and thoughtful about the fangers of raising a cow in an apartment and about how we treat other living things. It’s sweet.

RICE BALL
One of the joys of the collection and the festival is about a young girl sharing her lunch with friends.  This is such a delight  that I want to see director Kristina Pringle make a feature film. (This also played with other films at the festival)


COQUILLE
Awesome film about a couple of crabs traveling across a hot beach. Along the way they become friends. 

Another great film (that’s so good it played before other films) this is another film I’d love to see expanded, I want to see what happens to the buddies next.

FOREVER SEVEN
Based on a book this is the story of how a box went into and out of the lives of seven people and ended up bringing them together.  It’s a sweet little film that only suffers because of the company it keeps in the collection.

HOOFS ON SKATES
A pig and a cow go ice skating and discover some big fish under the ice.

I had no clue where this was going, but I was real curious as to where we would end up. The film has a wonderful through line punctuated by some great set pieces and some wickedly wonderful character animation. I mention this because  I want posters of some of the cow’s expressions which are very funny. (As I said to friends it has one of the greatest cartoon images of a goofy face I’ve ever seen)

Track this one down.

Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023)


Radu Jude (Last at NYFF with BAD LUCK BANGING OR LOONY PORN) is a back...and if you liked his earlier films you'll possibly like this and if you didn't stay away.

The film follows a girl named Angela as she goes through her day as a production assistant. She is scouting locations, filming people who were hurt on the job for an upcoming film, and doing her errands as she sits in traffic and drives around. At the same time Jude intercuts life of this Angela with that of another girl named Angela from a 1983 communist film traveling in the same locations.

How you react to Jude's sense of humor and his love of long takes where nothing happens will determine if you like this film or not. If they click great, if not you'll get up and leave.

His sense of humor is such that he has Angela talk about how in America you can buy all the guns you want at a grocery store and that if buy a bazooka they'll send a machine gun to Ukraine. He starts off with a poke in the eye about how the world sees America, which he pushes too far and neuters the jab (it ends up a nerf ball and not a stick).  A lot of the satire is like that, obvious points pushed too far. It might have worked but the writing isn't as clever as it thinks it is.

The other problem is Jude loves the long take. Some directors can make it work, but I've never found that Jude has been able to pull it off. In his previous film BAD LUCK BANGING he had one of his characters wandering across a city for no real reason for the better part of an hour . While there is nothing as long as that in this film there are numerous sequences where I don't know why they are running so long. The sequences could have been trimmed.  (There is no reason this needs to be almost 3 hours long)

To be honest as with Jude's other films, if he trimmed it down it would be the winner it could of been  and not the bore it actually is.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Black Guelph (2023)


Canto is a not so young  man in a lower class part of Dublin is looking to get out but it doesn’t seem to be possible. He’s been thrown out of his house by his girlfriend who doesn’t want him near his kid. His dad is just out of jail and is squatting in an abandoned orphanage. The past is haunting everyone, as is a local kingpin who is trolling the neighborhood looking to get paid back – and Canto owes more than he can come up with.

This is a bleak examination of life on the downside of Dublin. Everyone is hamstrung by toxic traditions, bad choices and dark secrets in the past. It’s the story of a group of people who can’t get out of their own way even though they desperate to do so.

One of the best films I’ve seen for this year’s Dances With Films THE BLACK GUELPH is the feel sad film of the festival. It’s film that feels more like real life than a drama and as such it hits hard. I didn’t want to watch the lives imploding and wanted to look away, but I liked them so much I couldn’t not see what happened to them. It’s such  a good film that I can’t believe it’s director John Connors‘ first feature.

I really liked the film, but the downbeat edge to it makes it a film I may not revisit.

My reservation about revisiting it aside, this is definitely one you’ll want to see at least once.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders(2024)


I wanted to say that I saw the Netflix documentary series AMERICAN CONSPIRACY: THE OCTOPUS MURDERS

I saw it when it dropped at the end of February and I’ve been trying to figure out what to say.

The problem is that I’ve been reading and following the story since it all went down and my opinions of the series are tied to that.

For those who don’t know the series follows the story of journalist Danny Cosolaro who was found dead in a hotel room. He had been working on a story about corruption involving people inside and outside the government which he called the Octopus because it had so many tentacles they reached everywhere. Along the way he uncovered some bad things the government was doing as well as he brought some bad people into the light. The thought of many people was that he was killed to silence him.

It’s clear that he did find something was going on but how much of it past a certain point is really a conspiracy is open to debate. I say this because the grand conspiracy that he proposes and that many people have grabbed onto is so huge as to be unwieldy. You can’t have something that big and not have it slip into the light. Is it absolutely possible it was a bunch a rogue bad guys trying to make a buck, but the idea that they actually are controlling so much is pretty near impossible, even if they cast shadows over some corners.

Yes, that’s convoluted but so is the alleged uber conspiracy.

Just because bad people know other bad people doesn’t mean they are in connections in their badness. It’s a fact that is best seen in the various JFK conspiracies, many of which link up all these unconnected people because they were in and near Dallas  or had met tangentially somewhere along the way.

I mention this because the Netflix show at times seems to get a little lost and spins its wheels. My interest drifted in and out. It also didn’t help that the focus on Christian Hansen who was trying to finish what Danny Casolaro started prevented the series from dealing  with certain aspects that could have been more interesting.

Still this conspiracy’s legend is one of the reason that people don’t trust the government and are buying the bullshit of a deep state or hidden cabal controlling the world, and as such it’s worth a look.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Wendy Feinberg on PLASTIC PEOPLE (2024) SXSW 2024

 


While sitting here composing this review of PLASTIC PEOPLE, I find myself surrounded by so  much plastic, from picture frames to remote controls, from my cable box to the buttons of my  blouse and much, much more. Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong’s PLASTIC PEOPLE, which  premiered at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, gives us a brief history of plastic (a derivative of  oil), which, when invented, was often used as a substitute for more expensive or rare products.  Examples include women moving from wearing silk stockings to “nylons” and the use of  celluloid and then bakelite (the first synthetic plastic materials) as a substitute for ivory. Soon  there was an increase of plastic in shoes and fabrics and the manufacture of vinyl records  beginning in the 1940’s. We are now living in a “plastic world”, inundated with millions of tons  of plastic bags, bottles and cups, with only about 10% of plastic being recyclable! 

Microplastic (extremely small pieces of plastic debris) has been found in the carcasses of birds  and in the foods we eat. The sheer process of making plastic causes pollution in the air we  breath. There is plastic in snow and rain. I watched with horror as scientists spoke of their  discovery that microplastic has unfortunately invaded our bodies, being found in our cells and  even in small amounts in our brains! It has been found that chemicals in plastic can cause  infertility and plastic has been found in the cells of a baby’s placenta. 

The film is a cautionary tale of where we may be heading if we don’t find alternatives to plastic  use. In the film, to paraphrase, we see that we can’t live without plastics, but we must change  how we use them. A few communities around the globe are attempting to address the issue,  but it’s going to take much more than a village to succeed! 

Although dealing with some technical scientific info, PLASTIC PEOPLE is presented in a clear  and interesting way that I feel will be understood by a layperson, including older adolescents. I  believe it is an essential film for anyone who is interested in saving our environment and is  concerned about the future of mankind in general! In other words, EVERYONE! 

Perfect Day for Caribou (2023) plays 3/22 and 3/29 at NYC's Roxy


A father is recording a message for his estranged son  in the time before he kills himself. As he is doing so his son calls and asks to meet him.  An awkward meeting results.

Moody black and white film is a potent slice of life as fathers and sons try to come to terms with each other. Bouyed by first rate performances, which will criminally be overlooked in the year end gold rush, this film is one of the first gems I’ve seen in 2023.

The film opens with a kick ass monologue by Jeb Berrier as Herman, the eldest of the men. Sitting in his truck and talking into a tape recorder about life, this is what cinema is all about. While we eventually get inserts, most of the first fifteen minutes is simply Berrier talking and it is as thrilling a cinematic experience as most of Hollywood’s exploding superheroes. Berrier’s performance pulls us in and connects us up to life in ways that few films ever do. More is said and done in this brief sequence than most full features.

The only problem with the sequence is that what follows, a quasi real time meeting between father son and grandson, seems slightly off.  It’s not that there is any problem with what follows, only that the rhythms of the last 75 minutes requires a readjustment.  As words are fumbled and silences creep in between the men. If you can make the adjustment what follows is just as kick ass, just in a different way.

This is a super film.

Recommended, and as I said at the top this is one of the first gems I’ve found of 2023.

Monday, March 18, 2024

The Concierge (2023) (aka The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store ) NYICFF 2024

 


A young woman takes a job working as a concierge at department store that serves animals. 

Episodic tale feels more like the manga that it  is sourced from. It feels like three episodes of a TV show more than a feature film. The first is her first day of work, the second is her involvement in several stories of romance and the final is a number of Christmas stories.

This is a wildly uneven and very messy film that wanders all over the place. At  times it feels like it is juggling way to much. There are so many idea in this film, from the basic tale of finding your place in the world to serious pondering of how humanity is destroying environment and killing off species.  It was such a mess that I thought I was going to write a review trashing the film. However by the time the film ended the film had pulled it all together and I was getting misty. 

What a joy. Sure it's messy, but it's a joy.

Recommended