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Chasing the Gold: SAG Anonymous Ballot #4 and 5 From Academy Queens

Joey Gentile
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Chasing the Gold: SAG Anonymous Ballot #4 and 5 From Academy Queens

SAG Ballot #3

I have two SAG members joining me this week, one of whom is a local broadcaster here in Cleveland, and the other is not only a SAG member, but an Academy member, as well, in the acting branch. The former will be known as SAG voter 4, while the latter will be known as SAG voter 5, let’s dive in. 

 

Joey Gentile: Welcome, and thank you for doing this today.

SAG Voter 4: Thank you for having me.

SAG Voter 5: I’m honored to do this, thank you.

JG: So, let’s start with Best Supporting Actor. Break down to me your thoughts of the nominees and who you will be voting for. 

SV4: Supporting Actor- 

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza: Bradley is so much fun here and you can tell he’s having a blast. His role is the shortest of the bunch here but that doesn’t mean he’s not giving his all. He’s really enjoyable. 

Ben Affleck, The Tender Bar: I also really enjoyed Ben in this film.I really have liked his work over the years, most notably in Argo and this is no exception for me. I think what he’s bringing to the table is the type of acting that is not only fitted to him like the perfect suit but one that all in all feels just right. I fell for him in all the best ways and he makes you look forward to him in his next scene. 

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog: This is the type of nomination that is head scratching to me. Kodi is not bad at all in the film but there’s not a whole lot of material for him to work with here, and that disappointed me. He’s mainly lurking in shadows or in the back most of the time and walks in some lanky pants. 

Jared Leto, House of Gucci: This feels like the type of role Al Pacino would’ve played had this movie been made in the 70s. I remember discovering Jared Leto for myself back in the 90s in the film Urban Legend and of course he’s won before and was nominated again last year but I don’t know if this is any good? I’m genuinely on the fence because it feels like Leto is in his own movie and ignoring the assignment. I remember being at the theater seeing this in November and the woman behind me saying out loud “Mario needs to lay off the salt”, and that’s stuck with me ever since. 

Troy Kotsur, CODA: I really enjoyed this movie, and this performance is the complete standout. Troy is able to take his character from the “dad role” and really layer it with drama, comedy, and humanity. It’s so nice to see a new discovery this year with this type of nomination in the same way we were able to discover Paul Raci last year during awards season. 

 

I’m voting for BEN AFFLECK in The Tender Bar. I just love his performance there and it would be fun to see him get his due.

 

SV 5: Supporting Actor- 

 

Troy Kotsur, CODA: There isn’t enough love to go around for me with Troy Kotsur, and I haven’t talked to one person who doesn’t love this nomination. What sold me on this performance was the clinic scene where he’s explaining and reacting to the diagnosis of his jock itch, absolutely hysterical. 

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog: What a powerhouse of a performance that stayed with me for days, post watch. I haven’t been able to see this a second time, mainly because I know for a fact that the film will not have the same effect on me as a first watch, but boy am I loving this nomination. 

Jared Leto, House of Gucci: I adore this one as well, Jared is so good here and I really enjoyed the film. I was at the Academy premiere of this movie and the crowd went nuts for it. Jared is having a blast and it really comes off screen as such.

Ben Affleck, The Tender Bar: This is good, but for me is the obvious “something doesn’t add up to the others” in this category. I never felt once that Ben was challenged with this role and that’s unfortunate. He’s much better in The Last Duel from the same year. 

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza: I am not a size queen, meaning if you gave an amazing 13 second performance and earned yourself a nomination and I loved it so much, you’d have my vote. This is the reason this category is in existence because of roles like thi,s so I find it interesting that I’ve seen articles complaining about the size of this role. With that said, he’s hysterically funny in this role and does better work here than let’s say something like American Sniper. 

TROY KOTSUR gets my vote, and I am so proud to cast that one. 

 

JG: Love these, how about Supporting Actress? 

SV 4: Supporting Actress-

 

Ruth Negga, Passing: I am floored with her work here, not only is it haunting but it’s extremely sad and yet I can understand why her character is doing what she has to do to survive. Negga is really able to capture the moment in time and bring it to life here and I tip my hat to her. 

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story: I wasn’t sure that someone could ever top Rita Moreno as Anita and yet here we are. Not only does she steal the film but she is truly a marvel in every sense. I wish I liked the film better as a whole but she is the obvious standout for all the best reasons. 

Caitriona Balfe, Belfast: I loved Belfast for its runtime and Balfe and Dench and that’s really it. Balfe is really tugging at the heart strings and, as a child of a single mother, I really saw what a lot of my mom went through on Balfe’s face. (Obviously she’s not a single mother in the film but she really is) 

Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley: Woof. That’s the only thing I can say about this trainwreck of a movie. 

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog: As someone who grew up on Drop Dead Gorgeous, I am ecstatic to see Dunst get some love here and I am loving that it’s for her sublime performance in this film. Like Negga, Dunst is haunting and the character I really wanted more from when she left the screen during this movie, unlike McPhee who doesn’t really have a lot to do, Dunst really shines with so much to do here from level headed woman to absolute mess. 

 

CAITRIONA BALFE is getting my vote here, this was the hardest vote for me to give as it really should be a tie between Balfe and Dunst but Balfe just pulled ahead as it felt personal to me. 

 

SV 5: Supporting Actress- 

 

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story: She is a delight and I like her in this. I am more keen on Rita Moreno in the movie as yet again she shines brightest in West Side Story but I am not against this nomination. I will say that Moreno made my nomination ballot over DeBose though, so I have my fingers crossed. 

Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley: I really like her work here and I think Cate would have made an amazing actress in the Double Indemnity era of filmmaking but I do think she’s a lot better in Don’t Look Up than she is here. 

Ruth Negga, Passing: I voted for Ruth Negga in 2016 for Loving at the Academy, I am so floored that she didn’t win that to this day as she is just magnificent and nothing changes here. I continue to be wowed by her work as the years go on, I just wish we got MORE of her in things. 

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog: Yet again another great performance by Dunst in a film as I mentioned above that I cannot bring myself to watch again just yet. I wanna truly let this experience soak in for me and Dunst is a big part of that. Pity and hopeful is what she’s displaying throughout this performance and I’m here to buy the ticket to the show. 

Caitriona Balfe, Belfast: What a joy this performance is, there isn’t one beat she’s missing and she really makes you feel warm on the inside. Not to mention that the scene where she sees her son has stolen the detergent is really funny for the few moments it plays as a comedy. 

 

RUTH NEGGA is getting my vote here though. She must pull through this time. 

 

JG: Alright, and moving onto Actor-

SV 4: Actor- 

 

Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of MacBeth: I love Denzel Washington but this ain’t it for me. There’s nothing else to bring to this story that someone hasn’t already done, and this includes Denzel. 

Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos: He’s good here but that’s all I got. 

Will Smith, King Richard: Will is doing solid work here, and I do like the film as a whole, but as a whole when I think of this film I think of Aunjanue Ellis, who plays his wife. She has the better performance, in my humble opinion, and outshines Will at every moment. I will say the scene that stuck with me the most with Will is the scene where he wants to shoot at his attackers and then is “saved by the bell”.

Andrew Garfield, tick…tick…BOOM!: As a lifelong fan of RENT, I was so excited for this movie and it truly didn’t disappoint. This is one of those nominations that just feels correct, like you look at the film and the performance and you get it. Andrew is working his butt off here and it shows, never a dull moment with his performance. 

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog:  This film is really carried by Dunst and Cumberbatch and it shows because WOW, what a revelation he is. The brooding, internalized homophobia, the cruelty, and yet you are left to pity the man. Benedict is marvelous here and is so damn good. 

 

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH is getting my vote.

 

SV5: Actor- 

 

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog: He is very good here, and I like him in this film just as much as I did in The Imitation Game. I can’t help feeling that he is overshadowed by his co-stars and that’s just because it feels like Jane Campion really focused the film more on their trauma than Phil’s story. 

Will Smith, King Richard: I really enjoyed this performance and take it for what it is. I don’t feel like this is a stretch of a role at all for someone like Will Smith and in fact I find this to be lesser than his last nomination for The Pursuit of Happyness but better work than Ali, so it falls right in the middle for me. 

Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos: I don’t know why I like this performance as much as I do, it’s funny I like him and Nina Arianda who plays Vivian the most in the film out of everyone. While not Bardem’s strongest work, I’m not necessarily against this nomination.

Andrew Garfield, tick…tick…BOOM!: I’m sorry but this one is a big yikes from me. Everything feels so forced and it just doesn’t work. No thank you.

Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of MacBeth: Denzel is a master of his craft and that cannot be disputed. But if anyone is going to be nominated for this film in acting it needs to be Kathryn Hunter. 

 

JAVIER BARDEM gets my vote. There’s something just too charming about his work here in the film.

 

JG: Moving on to Best Actress.

 

SV4: Best Actress it is- 

Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos: Nicole has done so much better work, I actually cringed during most of her time on screen. That awful makeup work is so, so bad.

Lady Gaga, House of Gucci: She just doesn’t click for me as an actress, she wasn’t good in A Star is Born and she isn’t good here, she really should just stick with music. 

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye: Okay, this joins the ranks of the bad Kidman makeup this year, but what Chastain does that Kidman doesn’t is give a really good performance. There is not one moment where you see Chastain, she’s always Tammy Faye and honestly, Kidman could take a few pointers here because Jessica is doing it right. 

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter: As a fan of Colman’s since Hot Fuzz, I have absolutely adored the rise of success over the last few years of Olivia Colman. She’s really good here but it’s just too subtle for my liking coming from such a powerhouse like her. 

Jennifer Hudson, Respect: This movie is a mess, Hudson is really good though so you have a weird balance power dynamic. While she is much better here than she was in Dreamgirls, she is easily in the top two of this category for me, her Aretha Franklin is so on point. 

JESSICA CHASTAIN  gets my vote barely over Jennifer Hudson.. 

 

SV 5: Best Actress

 

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye: I continue to be astonished by the consistent work Jessica Chastain does, and this is just as good as her work in something like Zero Dark Thirty. She truly became Tammy Faye Bakker here and her passion for the project shows. 

Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos: As I said earlier, I really liked Bardem and Arianda’s work in the film. Kidman is fine, but she’s not super memorable nor is this her best work she’s ever done. 

Jennifer Hudson, Respect: I really liked this movie and her performance, it’s nice to know she’s back on the circuit and wasn’t a one and done from her first time. She’s really strong here and I like her a lot. 

Olvia Colman, The Lost Daughter: I didn’t like this one at all, the movie is very dull and truly we have seen so much better from Colman. This one is a hard pass from me.

Lady Gaga, House of Gucci: Gaga is giving us a full show, not only in the film but on this campaign trail, and you cannot fault her at all. She’s really enjoyable here in the film and, like her costars, you can tell she’s having a good time. 

JENNIFER HUDSON gets my vote here, while I do like her here, Lady Gaga or Jessica Chastain is going to win this and so I’m throwing my vote to Hudson because someone has to.

 

JG: How about Ensemble? 

SV 4: Ensemble- 

 

I’m giving the vote to Don’t Look Up, that cast is sublime and on a whole different level than the others. 

 

SV 5: Ensemble- 

 

House of Gucci is getting my vote, it’s easily the best film in the list and it’s a way to reward them all. Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, and Salma Hayek all made my (Oscar) nomination ballot and I want to reward them all at once here too. 

 

JG: How about the TV categories? 

 

SV 4: TV- 

 

Stunts: Dune 

Drama: Squid Game 

Drama Actor: Lee jung-Jae

Drama Actress: HoJeon Jung

Comedy: The Kominsky Method 

Comedy Actor: Michael Douglas 

Comedy Actress: Sandra Oh 

Actor TV/Limited: Michael Keaton 

Actress TV/Limited: Jean Smart 

Stunt TV: Squid Game 

 

SV 5: 

Stunts: Dune 

Drama: The Morning Show 

Drama Actor: Billy Crudup 

Drama Actress: Elisabeth Moss 

Comedy: The Great 

Comedy Actor: Steve Martin

Comedy Actress: Elle Fanning 

Actor TV/Limited: Ewan McGregor 

Actress TV/Limited: Jean Smart 

Stunt TV: Cobra Kai 

 

JG: Thank you both! Much appreciated. 

 

List: Brendan Cassidy’s Top 10 Movies of 2021

Brendan Cassidy
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List: Brendan Cassidy’s Top 10 Movies of 2021

It’s being said a lot – 2021 was an incredible year for movies. But is it really that simple? If you thought 2020 tested us to our highest limits, imagine how us critics felt in 2021 when many delayed movies finally got their official releases; at times we just couldn’t keep up. The 2020 cinematic year certainly felt incomplete, making 2021 the biggest course-correction in all of Hollywood, and if the law of supply tells us anything, that means 2021 was always going to be a great year for movies, simply because we saw more of them. The questions remain, would it have been as strong a year if not for the pandemic, and how would that have changed 2020? Can the overabundance of movies be too much of a good thing?

But I bring these questions up to arrive at an even more important one – what does it even matter, and what do we have to complain about? If 2021 had a theme, it was refamiliarizing ourselves with the magic of the moviegoing experience, something that was on the verge of becoming dangerously forgotten. Getting to see juggernauts like Dune and No Time to Die the way they were meant to serves as both a reminder and a warning, but if 2021 provided us with anything, it’s the hope that that warning may still be a ways away.

Let’s keep that hope alive by celebrating the great films 2021 had to offer. We do encourage you to listen to Episode 465 for a much (and I mean MUCH) lengthier discussion on the year as a whole, but for the less patient-minded individual, below are my Top 10 Movies of 2021.

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RELATED: Brendan’s Top 10 Movies of 2020

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10. The Night House


David Bruckner’s The Night House is a grief-horror film with a slightly different perspective. Aside from being scary as hell (Bruckner’s use of jump scares should be studied in horror classes), it’s a film that questions whether grief is about simply missing a loved one, or if it’s just as linked to not knowing where that loved one ended up. We’ve seen movies explore each notion individually, but The Night House correlates grief with the fear of what comes after death, a refreshing turn for a now popular horror subgenre. Rebecca Hall’s performance also joins the pantheon of horrifying screen presences, from Sissy Spacek in Carrie to Essie Davis in The Babadook.

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9. Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)


Perhaps I’m a little biased here, but Summer of Soul is a documentary tailormade for me, given my love of classic funk and soul music from the Motown era. Questlove’s account of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival has an unmatched musical vibrancy, with live footage so pristinely restored they may as well have been ripped straight from Bonnaroo (I dare you not to get up and shake your rears when Sly and the Family Stone takes the stage). The experience feels inviting and willing to listen in its celebration of togetherness, a rarity for most message movies, and that sense of joy matches the music of its era, despite being fueled by harsh realities. Click here to listen to our full review.

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8. Drive My Car


What 3-hour runtime? Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car ranks as one of the most human experiences of the year, about people struggling to open up to their loved ones, recognizing how a lack of transparency can be a relationship’s most mortal enemy. This is especially true for artists, whose only way to reopen old wounds is to channel it through their art, and in the case of Drive My Car, the line between real life and dress rehearsal remains incredibly blurred. Look out, Criterion. Click here to listen to our full review.

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7. The Power of the Dog


No film for twelve years? No problem. With The Power of the Dog, it’s as if Jane Campion never went anywhere (despite being hard at work on the series Top of the Lake), and she crafts the most quietly haunting film of the year, blending the lushness of a period drama with the experimentation of a mood piece. It’s never quite clear what Campion’s adaption of Thomas Savage’s novel is really about, and what it hints at regarding male ego, repression, sensitivity, and sexuality are left as just that – hints. Carried by a killer ensemble (Benedict Cumberbatch has rarely been better), it is also one of the most beautifully cinematic films of the year, thanks to cinematographer Ari Wagner and composer Jonny Greenwood. Click here to listen to our full review.

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6. Licorice Pizza


What discourse? I can sympathize with those turned off by Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, but it’s a complicated and provocative scenario that Anderson wants us to think about. It’s not whether the film’s central relationship is “okay”, but what (if anything) can make it okay. In the case of Gary and Alana, one’s need to reclaim their innocence feeds off the other’s adult-like façade, and it’s made even more ironic when the 15-year-old child is the one carrying that manly disguise. If anything, Licorice Pizza is more of a coming-of-de-aging film, a regression from adulthood for a brief reconnection with childhood. Growing up too quickly is not always a good thing, because sometimes, adulthood just sucks. Click here to listen to our full review.

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5. Luca


Luca is a film that separates the Pixar “formulites” from those wishing the studio would take more daring narrative risks. This sits firmly in the latter, and is the closest Pixar has come to breaking away from their usual formula. Luca features no overly clever world-building or complicated themes, and instead feels like an animated hangout movie, more akin to Studio Ghibli and even the films of Richard Linklater. Its smallness makes it all the more daring, and what director Enrico Casarosa suggests about embracing open male love and friendship is something we must all learn to be comfortable with. Who would’ve thought Pixar would be the ones to make a great companion piece to I Love You, Man. Click here to listen to our full review.

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4. Pig


Michael Sarnoski’s Pig is all about deconstruction, whether it be deconstructing the tropes of the revenge-thriller genre or the walls holding you back from following your true passions. Just when you think the film is about go to full-on John Wick, it takes multiple steps back in favor of something more subdued and internalized, whether it be about grief, the culinary arts in Portland, OR, or simply what it means to follow your dreams (I dare you not to get up and quit your day job after watching the restaurant scene). It takes a great film to move you like this, and an even greater actor to make you do something about (Nicolas Cage, you brave and wonderful man). Click here to listen to our full review.

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3. Red Rocket


Sean Baker’s Red Rocket ranks as my favorite film of the year that I would recommend to virtually no one; it is gross, intensely provocative, and…incredibly awesome. The film features an all-star comeback by Simon Rex, who you may remember from Scary Movie 3 (yes, that guy!), and he somehow brings so much nuance to an abrasively disgusting character, and even sympathy for a man who arguably doesn’t even deserve it. But what makes Red Rocket a crucial film for its time is its backdrop against the 2016 election in rural Texas, dissecting the narcissism as a result of our current sociopolitical divide. There are no sides in Red Rocket, just selfishness, and it frighteningly affects us all. Click here to listen to our full review.

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2. The Worst Person in the World


If 2021 was a theme, it would be how turning 30 sucks. Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, one of the year’s most “alive” films, capitalizes on that notion best; it has the energy of a musical, with at least one sequence that would give Hunter S. Thompson a run for his money, and a script that includes dialogue like, “One of the most iconic buttholes ever.” It’s a film that finds a common ground between maturity and immaturity, innocence and responsibility, and stresses how straddling that line doesn’t necessarily make you the “world’s worst person”. It’s a tricky balancing act in tone and morality, made all the more successful thanks to Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie, one of the year’s best movie pairings. Click here to listen to our full review.

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1. Petite Maman


Experiencing Petite Maman was like discovering a wonderful secret I needed to share with the world. That secret is how some movies can feel like genuine time machines, and in the case of Celine Sciamma’s latest, it did something not many coming-of-age films have been able to do to me – it made me feel like a kid again. The film presents a potentially high concept scenario (what would happen if you befriended one of your parents as a child) that never once gets bogged down by fantasy or rules, and instead focuses on how mother and daughter learn to relate to one another (the casting of twin sisters Josephine and Gabrielle Sanz is a stroke of genius). It takes an especially talented filmmaker to communicate so much depth while exercising in restraint and simplicity (along with a mere 72-minute runtime), and in doing so Sciamma crafts one of the most nostalgic-feeling films of the 21st century. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) Annette
12) West Side Story
13) The Green Knight
14) The Sparks Brothers
15) C’mon C’mon
16) The Novice
17) The Tragedy of Macbeth
18) A Hero
19) Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
20) The Matrix Resurrections

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

To hear us discuss our InSession Film Awards and our Top 10 Best Movies of 2021, subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or you can listen below.

Part 1

Part 2

Download MP3
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 465 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 465 (Part 2)

List: Top 10 Movies of 2012 (Updated)

JD Duran
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List: Top 10 Movies of 2012 (Updated)

This week on Episode 367 of the InSession Film Podcast, we revisited 2012 to discuss how our Top 20 lists have changed over the course of the last ten years. If we remove our nostalgic blinders, as 2012 was the year InSession Film was incepted, it may not have been the deepest year. However, it was still a very good year for movies all around. It had some wonderful mainstream films such as Skyfall, The Avengers and depending on who you ask The Dark Knight Rises (although we aren’t big fans of that one in particular). However, it was the fall season that dominated the year with films like Zero Dark Thirty, The Master, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, and so many more. Of course, the point of this exercise specifically was to consider how these films have shifted for us over the years. Perhaps others have resonated and our Top 10 lists look differently now than they did in 2012. Time always offers up a new perspective, and we thought this would make for a fun time capsule episode by considering how our lists have evolved. That said, what would be your Top 10?

NOTE: Some of JD’s picks have shifted since the recording of this episode thanks to Brendan’s bad influence.

JD

1) The Master
2) Life of Pi
3) Beasts of the Southern Wild
4) Zero Dark Thirty
5) Moonrise Kingdom
6) Holy Motors
7) Lincoln
8) Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
9) Amour
10) Skyfall

11) The Avengers
12) Wreck-It Ralph
13) Magic Mike
14) Looper
15) End of Watch
16) Silver Linings Playbook
17) Argo
18) Les Miserables
19) The Perks of Being a Wallflower
20) Compliance

Brendan

1) The Master
2) Amour
3) Zero Dark Thirty
4) Beasts of the Southern Wild
5) Skyfall
6) Killing Them Softly
7) Magic Mike
8) Lincoln
9) IT’s Such a Beautiful Day
10) The Kid with a Bike

11) 21 Jump Street
12) The Grey
13) Looper
14) Holy Motors
15) Life of Pi
16) Moonrise Kingdom
17) Cabin in the Woods
18) Dredd
19) American Reunion
20) Argo

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Clearly there are a lot of other contenders from 2012 that just missed the cut for us, and perhaps some of those are on your list. That being said, what would be your Top 10? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For comparison, see our original Top 20 lists (as they were in 2012) here.

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

Chasing the Gold: 2022 Guild Nominations – Episode 44

Ryan McQuade
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Chasing the Gold: 2022 Guild Nominations – Episode 44

On Episode 44 of Chasing the Gold, Ryan is joined by Mike1 and Also Mike from Mike, Mike & Oscar to break down the 2022 Guild nominations.

The industry is on the verge of nominations, and the WGA, DGA, and PGA nominations have given us the ultimate look at what the Oscar nominations will be. Ryan and the Mikes take a look at everything that has been announced and see if these will translate in full come Oscar nomination morning.

On that note, have fun with this week’s episode, and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening!

– Music
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher, and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM, and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.

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2022 Guild Nominations – Episode 44

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Movie Review: ‘Air Doll’ is a Flawed But Meditative Exploration of Human Nature

Alessandra Rangel
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Movie Review: ‘Air Doll’ is a Flawed But Meditative Exploration of Human Nature

Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu

Writer: Kore-eda Hirokazu, based on the original graphic novel “Gouda’s Philosophical Discourse, The Pneumatic Figure of a Girl” by GOUDA Yoshiie

Stars: Bae Doona, ARATA, Itsuji Itao

Synopsis: A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.

Kore-eda Hirokazu has an admirable understanding of human nature. In Like Father, Like Son (2013), for example, he explored the stubbornness of clinging to blood ties and the real meaning of family bonds. In Shoplifters (2018), he reflected on the meaning of emotional connections and human emotion, proving that family is not necessarily limited to the one in which you are born. Now, for the first time, his feature film Air Doll (2009) is being released in the United States, 13 years after its original premiere. In this film, Kore-eda plays with the clean slate of a just-born soul to theorize on what makes us human. This fish out of water story allows him to observe different ways of living and bask in the little things that make life equally magical as tragic.  

In Air Doll, Kore-eda mixes sensuality, mundanity, and discomfort by presenting Nozomi (Bae Doona), a sex doll that inhabits an apartment in an old neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan. The doll solely exists to fulfill the physical and emotional needs of her owner Hideo (Itsuji Itao), who converses with and has sex with her. In his loneliness, this lifeless object is his beloved and his home.

One day, this doll comes to life, acquiring a soul. She goes through a period of discovery, as if she were a baby, admiring herself and everything and everyone around her. With her as a vessel, Kore-eda inspires us to focus and revel on the small things. The director allows himself to follow Nozomi as she focuses on the morning dew, a girl running around the block, or the daily routine of those around her. The film is both curious and slow, endearing and patient with its protagonist. Through Nosomi’s eyes everything is unforgettable and awe-inspiring, forcing us to focus our attention on the things, details, and idiosyncrasies that we take for granted and have internalized as unremarkable. 

When Nozomi wakes up, her curiosity drives her outside the apartment and into the streets of Tokyo. Soon enough she arrives at a video store and instantly falls in love with its clerk, Junichi (ARATA). While Hideo is away working, Nozomi builds a life for herself: she wakes up, goes to work to the video store, and explores the city; sometimes alone and sometimes in company of Junichi – who displays an astounding patience and empathy for this clueless woman–, and goes back home to act as lifeless as she was before for a Hideo that is too immersed in his needs to notice her consciousness. 

Kore-eda is interested in offering contrasts, as if wanting us to value the things and experiences that us humans have at our reach and don’t enjoy enough. Through Nozomi’s existence, he unravels the beauty of our mortality and humanity. Given that she can’t eat or age, the director offers peripheral stories that show characters suffering because they are aging or trying to fill a void within themselves through food. While the interconnectedness isn’t organic, the contrasts are unmissable. The things that we shy away from, Nozomi is desperate to experience and understand. There is something endearing and lovable about her human discoveries, only strengthened by Bae Doona’s performance, who is inquisitive, innocent, and captivating.  

Accompanied by a curious and gentle score by World’s End Girlfriend, Nozomi walks around the city learning about life and the complicated bonds that humans share. Her curiosity allows her to enjoy and fear everything in equal measure, contrasting clearly with the boring and disappointing reality of everyone else around her. Just as she starts understanding life, she encounters the best and worst of humanity. In this regard, Kore-eda is willing to be cruel with his main character, surrounding her with vicious men that take advantage of her lack of understanding of social norms and traps. While the men of the story are shaped by malice and abuse, the women are threatened by cruelty and suffering. It seems as if Kore-eda is interested in showing all the facets of life: the ecstatic enjoyment of nature, infatuation and discovery, and the fearful threats of abuse, self-centeredness, and cruelty.

While the film is a mostly gentle and sometimes uncomfortable exploration of humanity, its ending goes through an unexpected change that turns it into a darker and gloomier story than previously anticipated. Kore-eda offers an unstable level of naiveté in Nozomi, sometimes being too innocent and ignorant, and others understandable and insightful. At the end, the film offers a not too optimistic message, which in hindsight, offers a gloomy and realistic conclusion about human existence: curious, expectant and haunting.

 

Grade: B-               

                                                         

 

 

 

Poll: What is your favorite Roland Emmerich film?

Brendan Cassidy
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Poll: What is your favorite Roland Emmerich film?

Roland Emmerich has made mostly disasters. Of course we mean that literally, as Emmerich has threatened to end the world with global warming, the Mayan calendar, aliens, a remake of a giant Japanese reptile, and this weekend it’ll be the moon itself. Unsurprisingly, Roland Emmerich still remains one of the top 20 highest-grossing directors of all time; is that because his films are the dictionary definition of ‘so bad it’s good’, or do people just love to watch the world burn? Welcome to Earth, indeed.

With that said, what is your favorite Roland Emmerich film?


Podcast: Zero Dark Thirty / 2012 Retrospective – Episode 467

JD Duran
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Podcast: Zero Dark Thirty / 2012 Retrospective – Episode 467

This week’s episode is brought to you by the ExpressVPN. Sign up today and get 3 months FREE with a 1-year package!

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we go back ten years as we review Zero Dark Thirty and look at the year 2012, our Top 10 lists then and how our thoughts on the year have changed over the last decade!

It’s hard to believe that the movies of 2012 will be celebrating their 10-year anniversaries this year. While InSession Film wasn’t birthed until January of 2013, the inception of the idea came in the fall season of 2012. So this is a year that holds a special place in our hearts. Zero Dark Thirty in particular is a film that, as other podcasts reviewed it, helped push us over the edge to start the InSession Film Podcast just a month later as the year turned over. There’s no doubt this was a nostalgic exercise for us, but it’s always interesting to look back at how things have evolved for us over the years.

That said, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

– Movie Review: Zero Dark Thirty (8:35)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers: Mark Boal
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler

– Notes / Scream 3 / Scream 4 (56:23)
For our break segment this week, JD finally offers up his thoughts on Scream 3 and Scream 4 after not being able to see them for last week’s show. It may not seem like a big deal to most people, but for those who know JD and his history with the horror genre, seeing all five Scream movies is a feat. His excitement for them is a whole other thing as well.

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RELATED: Listen to Episode 465 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed our Top 10 Movies of 2021!

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– Top 10 Movies of 2012 (Updated) (46:24)
If we remove our nostalgic blinders, 2012 may not have been the deepest year, but it was still a very good year for movies all around. It had some wonderful mainstream films such as Skyfall, The Avengers and depending on who you ask The Dark Knight Rises (although we aren’t big fans of that one in particular). However, it was the fall season that dominated the year with films like Zero Dark Thirty, The Master, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, and so many more. Of course, the point of this exercise specifically was to consider how these films have shifted for us over the years. Perhaps others have resonated and our Top 10 lists look differently now than they did in 2012. Time always offers up a new perspective, and we thought this would make for a fun time capsule episode by considering how our lists have evolved. That said, what would be your Top 10?

Show Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast

– Music

Flight to Compound – Alexandre Desplat
The Bathtub – Ben Zeitlin, Dan Romer
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 322

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Next week on the show:

Main Review: Moonfall
Top 3: TBD

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Podcast: Traffic / Cabaret – Extra Film

Ryan McQuade
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Podcast: Traffic / Cabaret – Extra Film

This week on Extra Film, Ryan and Jay are joined by InSession Film’s EIC Dave Giannini to continue their Steven Soderbergh Movie Series with Traffic, and then they discuss the musical classic Cabaret!

Finishing out Soderbergh’s amazing run in 2000 comes the drama that birthed the connective story device for the next 20 years and got the director his Oscar for Best Director. Set at a time of transition in America, comes a multistory film set within America’s war on drugs. This on-point drama is a stand out in the director’s career and Ryan, Jay, and Dave dive into what makes it so good.

In the back half of the episode, the boys dive back into Cabaret. On the heels of its 50th anniversary, and with not a lot of new releases, Ryan and Jay take a look at what many consider to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. And while many love it, and the boys liked it, for the most part, they had some issues with it. Listen and hear what they have to say about it.

Thanks for listening!

– Movie Review: Traffic (4:41)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Luis Guzmán, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones

– Movie Review: Cabaret (1:10:41)
Director: Bob Fosse
Screenplay: Jay Allen
Stars: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Marisa Berenson, Fritz Wepper, Joel Grey

– Music

On The Plume – Thomas Newman
Helicopter – Cliff Martinez
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher, and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM, and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.

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Traffic / Cabaret – Extra Film

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Criterion Releases: February 2022

InSession Film Staff
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Criterion Releases: February 2022

In the shortest of all months, Criterion will have one new release every week. Three new films and one re-release make this February’s slate full of romance for Valentine’s Day, including a legendary Douglas Sirk film and another gem from the great Leo McCarey. Plus, another film from the Coen Brothers and a piece of Hong Kong realism that brings back the memories of people adrift in the agony of a civil war. These are the new releases:

Love Affair (1939)

Among the greatest Best Picture lineup in the history of the Academy Awards was McCarey’s romantic drama, a departure from the screwball comedies with which he had established himself. Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer star as strangers who meet and fall in love while on a transatlantic trip, even though both are involved in other relationships. The story of star-crossed lovers would be remade by McCarey in his more famous version, An Affair to Remember, and its original story would get a direct remake in the 1990s starring the real-life couple Annette Benning and Warren Beatty.

Written On The Wind (1956)

Known for his Technicolor melodramas, which grabbed the attention of future filmmakers including Pedro Almodóvar, Rainer Fassbinder, Todd Haynes, and Lars von Trier, Kirk reconnected with Rock Hudson for a story loosely based on real life. Within the confines of an oil-rich Texan family, an alcoholic (Robert Stack) impulsively marries a secretary (Lauren Bacall) and becomes a problem with the drunkard’s best friend (Hudson). Dorothy Malone won an Oscar for her performance as the deeply neurotic and harmful sister of Robert Stack, who tries to intervene with her own sinister mind, completing Sirk’s family perversion.

Boat People (1982)

Ann Hui created a “Vietnam trilogy” on the exodus of the Vietnamese who fled the country following the communist takeover following the war. Boat People was the last of them, the story of a photographer who goes back to Vietnam to see the country in its rebuilding phase, only to learn the painful truth of what the goal was years after unity. In doing so, he befriends a young woman who is looking for any chance possible to escape the communist prison for a hopeful future. Its political content made it a controversial feature, considering Hong Kong’s relationship at the time (and now) with China, but it still packs a hard punch on the basic theme of freedom.

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

The Coen Brothers’ foray into Prohibition-era gangster drama is a brilliant tale of two gangs and a middle man (Gabriel Byrne) who works on both sides. Threats of a mob war brew between the Irish political boss (Albert Finney) and his Italian counterpart (Jon Polito) over the former’s bookie (John Turturro) who asks the middle man to, “look in your heart,” and avoid the bloodshed. The Coens play to their tune of noir with a taste of their deadpan humor influenced by the novels of Dashiell Hammett, and the fedora being blown across the fields symbolizes the winds of change brewing every other day.

Follow me on Twitter: @brian_cine (Cine-A-Man)

 

Movie Review: (Sundance 2022) ‘After Yang’ is a Gorgeous and Serene Take on Grief and Love with a Sci-Fi Twist

Amy Smith
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Movie Review: (Sundance 2022) ‘After Yang’ is a Gorgeous and Serene Take on Grief and Love with a Sci-Fi Twist

Director: Kogonada

Writer: Kogonada

Starring: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Haley Lu Richardson

Synopsis: When Yang – a lifelike, artificially intelligent android that Jake and Kyra buy as a companion for their adopted daughter – abruptly stops functioning, Jake just wants him repaired quickly and cheaply. But having purchased Yang “certified refurbished” from a now-defunct store, he’s led first to a conspiracy theorist and then a technology museum curator, who discovers that Yang was actually recording memories. Jake’s quest eventually becomes one of existential introspection and contemplating his own life,, as it passes him by.

After Yang is a sci-fi tale like none other. Sure, it is a film that is focused on the plot of androids, and it is clear that the world building vastly improves on the technology that we have in the current age. However, the technology is only present to help explore themes such as grief, memories, and the passage of time, and that is what director-writer Kogonada is interested in. The screenplay is what shines in this film as the audience is given time to not only connect with the family that the story follows, but to also go on the emotional journey that they go on  trying to repair Yang.

The film breaks a lot of the stereotypical tropes when it comes to being a sci-fi film, and this is outside of just the themes of the screenplay. For starters, the film clocks in at only 96 minutes, which does not give the film a lot of time to focus on the world building or how the technology came to be. Additionally, the lead character Jake (played by Colin Farrell) has an occupation which has nothing to do with the future of technology, but instead focuses on old-fashioned techniques of brewing tea and selling tea leaves. This contrast grounds the film in a reality that we are familiar with, but also speaks about the importance of history and not being consumed by technology in the future.

On top of those two points, the aesthetic of After Yang is very different to what is expected from a sci-fi film. The color palette is very muted, with the gorgeous cinematography bringing a sense of stillness and serenity to the world. The cinematography in the film is also highlighted through a change of ratios, which is done to communicate whether each sequence is in the moment, a video call, or one of Yang’s memories. Unlike other attempts from films in the past that try to alter the aspect ratio and end up being distracting, its use in After Yang helps show the audience quickly what is happening and immerses them further into this stunning world.

Every actor here plays their role well and understands the calm tones that the film is going for. It is refreshing to see Colin Farrell take on a performance like this that is subdued and toned down, especially compared to his recent work; such as in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen (2019). Jodie Turner-Smith once again proves that she is one to be taken seriously after playing Jake’s wife Kyra, a role that could not be more different to her breakout role in 2019’s Queen & Slim. Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja is fantastic in her feature film debut, and the writing of her character Mika feels authentic to her age and the curiosity a child would have in a world like this, especially given her circumstances.

There is cultural importance when it comes to a film like this, and that is apparent from the opening shots when the family is introduced. There is representation of not only a biracial relationship between Kyra and Jake, but they have also chosen to adopt a Chinese daughter, Mika. The story of having Yang be a part of the family as a way to help their daughter still learn about her country of origin but to also have someone she can connect with is beautiful and highlights the importance of knowing your past and embracing different cultures.

After Yang is the best film to have been shown at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. A film that is beautiful to watch and so easy to get immersed in, Kogonada has created something that I will want to revisit again and again. For a film that is short and keeps a soft tone throughout, there is certainly a lot to think about when it comes to a finish.

 

Grade: A-

Chasing the Gold FYC: Troy Kotsur, Best Supporting Actor – ‘CODA’

Benjamin Wiebe
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Chasing the Gold FYC: Troy Kotsur, Best Supporting Actor – ‘CODA’

CODA is one of the standout films of the year for me. With its heartwarming story about someone finding themself in grade 12, I was always going to love it. What surprised me about the film, however, was just how well made it was. From the subtle editing to the great music and performance from Emilia Jones, CODA became a top five film of the year for me. However, what I truly didn’t expect was the impressive performances from the supporting cast. Between the eccentric performance that Eugenio Durbez gives as high school choir conductor Mr. V, or Marlee Matlin’s terrific work as Jackie Rossi, CODA truly was elevated by the consistently fantastic performances. So when I say that Troy Kotsur deserves an Oscar, I mean it.

What elevates Kotsur’s performance is the layers behind the character of Frank Rossi. The first layer of Frank is how bluntly funny he is. And Kotsur understands and elevates that to new levels. Where the banter between Ruby and Leo (played by Emilia Jones and Daniel Durant, respectively) is often making fun of each other, Frank says funny things not to make fun of others. And Troy Kotsur gets that immediately. Kotsur uses sign language to a whole new level; adding physical energy to his performance that defines the Rossi family. And that visceral body language adds to Frank’s lack of tact. His performance sells the audience on Rubi’s discomfort with having to constantly be a translator for her family. 

But that is just the first layer. For as non-confrontational as Frank appears, Troy Kotsur puts in the work to show Frank’s stronger emotions. When the Rossi’s fight against the auction house, Frank leads the charge, and Kotsur’s vibrant performance shows a determined man willing to fight for the fisherman to get livable wages. When arguing with Jackie Rossi about whether Rubi can sing, Troy’s avoidant demeanor sells us on the conflict of the scene, how will the Rossi’s live without Rubi, better than any vocal performance could. 

And the final layer of Troy Kotsur’s performance is the vulnerable side we rarely see. It’s a side that shows Frank’s fear of letting Rubi grow up, mixed with his desire for her to spread her wings. Kotsur sells this perfectly in one of the best scenes in the film: the truck scene. For many people, it’s their favorite moment, and for good reason. At this moment, Kotsur lets the gruff exterior fall. Here, Frank uses his entire body to portray longing. The way his hands move to find a better spot to locate the vibrations caused by Rubi singing is heartbreaking. And it sells the movie. This is furthered by other key moments in the film, such as the concert performance. Both Kotsur and Matlin improvised their dialogue during numerous scenes such as the concert, with his comments about what’s for dinner, their sudden starts and stops for clapping, and simultaneous excitement for Rubi’s name to be in the pamphlet sell the emotional core of this scene. Kotsur’s performance is all at once funny and heartbreaking. 

CODA is a film built on its performances. Aside from the definite need for the entire industry to better represent the deaf community, CODA provides the academy with an opportunity to recognize some of the best performances of the year from deaf actors. The nomination of Troy Kotsur would be cemented as a historical moment for the Academy, and he has earned it. 

Movie Review (Sundance 2022): ‘FRESH’ is a Mix of Tones that Manages to Cook Up a Storm

Amy Smith
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Movie Review (Sundance 2022): ‘FRESH’ is a Mix of Tones that Manages to Cook Up a Storm

Director: Mimi Cave

Writer: Lauryn Kahn

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan

Synopsis: Frustrated by scrolling dating apps only to end up on lame, tedious dates, Noa takes a chance by giving her number to the awkwardly charming Steve after a produce-section meet-cute at the grocery store. During a subsequent date at a local bar, sassy banter gives way to a chemistry-laden hookup, and a smitten Noa dares to hope that she might have actually found a real connection with the dashing cosmetic surgeon.

This is one of the hardest films to review from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and that is due to the fact that it is a lot more fun to enter this film not knowing anything about the main premise. The synopsis only reveals the first thirty minutes of the film, before the title credits even roll in. This review, while primarily sticking to the information that is revealed in the synopsis alone and focusing on non-spoiler analysis, will also delve into information that is important to note going into a film such as FRESH.

The two leading performances in this film from Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan are both excellent. Edgar-Jones is slowly becoming one of the more exciting actresses working today with the projects she is taking on, and FRESH offers her a role with a lot to do. Stan has also taken on a lot of interesting projects over the past few years, however he has struggled to be consistent or to choose performances that let him shine outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Between his titular role in the new Hulu mini-series Pam & Tommy and now a role such as Steve here, this may just be a fresh new start for Stan’s career as he shows a different side to him here.

This film takes several major twists and turns, and with that the screenplay must balance between a variety of tones. It can be jarring to begin, but the first act slowly transitions from one tone to the other, taking the audience on a physical and emotional journey just as Edgar-Jones’ Noa does. There is a major reveal before the title credits roll in, and the editing choices for the opening credits only solidifies the twisted tale that the film goes on to tell.

FRESH may take some twists and turns in the screenplay, but it does still fall into some traditional tropes and the film is quite predictable. It is not the first film to tell this sort of story and to present it the way it does, and I do wish that the story did more with the premise that it has. However, when a film plays to the tropes as well as this and when actors such as Sebastian Stan are having as much fun with their roles and the genre as they are here, the film is a good time regardless.

Throughout the film, Noa is introduced to several characters who the audience do not get to see for a majority of the film but is instead guided by their voices. These moments help flesh out the situation that Noa has found herself in and having women helming the project with Mimi Cave directing and Lauryn Kahn writing the screenplays shows in these moments. It is a perspective that is not new or original, but hard hitting moments in the dialogue and the strength of support between the women is one that is always positive to see reflected in the film.

Given the cast and buzz around this film, it is no surprise that this was one of my most anticipated films of the festival. It could have done with an extra 15 minutes to commit further to the themes of the story and I wish that the film was not as predictable as it was, but this is also a genre that I am drawn to and I am impressed at how Mimi Cave blended the genres and tones to create a thrilling and fun experience. This is one of the easiest recommendations of the Sundance Film Festival line-up this year.

 

Grade: B+

Movie Review (Sundance 2022): ‘A Love Song’ is Short, Simple and Sweet, Almost to a Fault

Amy Smith
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Movie Review (Sundance 2022): ‘A Love Song’ is Short, Simple and Sweet, Almost to a Fault

Director: Max Walker-Silverman

Writer: Max Walker-Silverman

Starring: Dale Dickey, Wes Studi

Synopsis: After unhitching her camper at a lakeside in the mountains, Faye finds her rhythm cooking meals, retrieving crawfish from a trap, and scanning her old box radio for a station. She looks expectantly at the approach of a car or the mailman, explaining to neighboring campers that she’s waiting for a childhood sweetheart she hasn’t seen in decades. When he does arrive, Lito and Faye, both widowed, spend an evening reminiscing about their lives, losses, and loneliness.

It does not take long into A Love Song for director Max Walker-Silverman to create a warm and cozy atmosphere. The location is gorgeous alongside the lake and the dark nights and lit fires help bring the viewer into the scene, gathering around the campfire. There is a real sense of community built into the foundation of this film, in which Wes Studi’s Faye is seen mingling with the other campers in her area, talking about life and death and all things love. Everyone in this film is open and honest, which helps the audience feel like they have known these characters for years.

Of course, the main plot of the story revolves around the interactions between Faye and her childhood sweetheart Lito, played by Dale Dickey. His screen time is shorter than may be expected, but it helps support the role that he is in as someone who comes in to rekindle his love with Faye. Dickey is able to add a lot of emotional weight to the film with his presence, and he and Studi have great chemistry together which helps sell their connection together authentically.

The structure and presentation of A Love Song is very simple, only staying at the campsite for what is basically the entirety of the film. There are only a handful of characters and there is very little action that takes place. Instead, this film focuses on the dialogue and atmosphere, creating what feels like a warm, comforting hug that is familiar but needed. Sometimes, all that a film needs to do is to be pleasant and to remind the audience about the power of love and rekindling old friendships.

There are many small moments that, while not adding much to the narrative, help add to the tone of the film and are just endearing to watch. From making ice-cream cones to singing and playing guitar, these small moments are something the viewer gets to watch as they witness one night with these two people. It is small, personal, and intimate; yet in these moments it works incredibly well. These small moments are paired together with the use of a toned-down colour gradient and cinematography that helps capture these beautiful landscapes to help immerse the audience further.

For those who are looking simply to escape for a few hours and be taken away on this journey with Faye and Lito, the simple presentation may just be all that they need to connect with the story. However, there may also be a fault with how simple and short this story is. The film is short, clocking in at only 81 minutes, and it would have been nice to get to spend more time with these characters and add more depth to some of the subplots throughout the film. Faye interacts with several other characters in the campsite and it seems like it is only there to flesh out time while she is waiting for Lito, and it would have been great to get more development here. The most emotional storyline that felt like it had a lot of weight to it actually came from a subplot involving a family wanting to dig under Faye’s campervan and it would have come to a more satisfying conclusion if we got more of that story within the film.

A Love Song does what it says on the tin and presents a film that is stripped back and honest. For his first feature film, Max Walker-Silverman shows a lot of strength in capturing tone, heart, and using key filmmaking techniques such as cinematography and color grading to help elevate what is a simple and pleasing script. I am certainly excited to see what he goes onto in the future and how he will continue to push outside of his limits.

 

Grade: B-

Movie Review: ‘The House’ Doesn’t Feel Like A Home At All

John McDonald
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Movie Review: ‘The House’ Doesn’t Feel Like A Home At All

Directors:  Emma de Swaef, Marc Roels, Paloma Baeza, Niki Lindroth vonBahr

Writer: Enda Walsh

Stars: Matthew Goode, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Goth

Synopsis: Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy.

Here’s a film to spice up your film palate so soon into the new year; an adult stop-motion anthology film that is split into three separate stories, with each story set in the same house during different periods in time. The animation is both creepy and oddly mesmerizing; so, on paper, this sounds like an absolute treat, right? Well, what starts as a perfect blend of bizarreness, with an engaging story, begins to slowly drop off as the film unfolds. The first section is undoubtedly the highlight; a fabulously unsettling and funny story with a spooky twist, the second tries to copy the fundamentals of the first, and then the third forgets everything that the previous chapters tried to establish.

I’ve always felt that stop-motion films don’t need any assistance in making me feel unnerved, without feeling the need for any additional moments of terror. It has something to do with the slowness of the figurines; those jerky little movements and the severe lack of emotion these detailed puppets possess. All these things hold true to the first chapter, but to top it off, there is a very uneasy atmosphere attached to the story, which really does elevate it to the top of this anthology’s tree.

The first chapter’s creepiness hits you right off the bat (it’s those weird-looking figurines with giant heads and mousy features that get you – why are their eyes so close together?) – these puppets are memorable that’s for sure. Part one is directed by Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels and is set sometime in the early to mid-20th century. It follows Mabel (Mia Goth) who lives in poverty with her father Raymond (Matthew Goode), mother Penny (Claudie Blakley), and newborn sister Isobel. The family is offered a house of grand proportion by a mysterious benefactor, Mr. Van Schoonbeek, with his butler Mr. Thomas (voiced brilliantly by Mark Heap) walking them through the rules of the house. As you can imagine, things aren’t as simple as first thought in this house of mystery, with Mabel taking it upon herself to get to the bottom of the crazy goings-on.

The weirdness of this house is there for all to see (keep looking around corners for those crafty builders), but this chapter also has wonderful humor and some genuine terror. But hold on a second, because aiding that great terror is an exquisite score, created by Gustavo Santaolla, which enhances that already tense atmosphere.

With the first part being so intuitive and engaging, the fact that the following stories are kind of flat and uninteresting is quite disappointing. I can’t help but feel they missed a trick here by not following the first’s footsteps. Take the second chapter for instance, directed by Niki Lindroth, which sees the house now in the present day, in a world where anthropomorphic rats have become the driving force of humanity since the original story – what on earth happened by the way? Yeah, that is a weird concept I’ll admit, but it’s not like a certain Wes Anderson hasn’t been playing around with humanoid animals for years. One particular rat though (voiced by Jarvis Cocker) is attempting to develop the house but runs into a beetle infestation and some other unwanted guests.

Apart from some cool cinematography (which tries to emulate the feeling of a horror film), more of that great animation, a handful of creepiness towards the end, and some scenes that kind of remind me of something… Oh yeah, that’s it, more Wes Anderson, there isn’t too much to shout home about. But it is the final chapter that really tosses all the original ideas out of the window; forget about the weirdness and the unsettling nature of the house, chapter three doesn’t engage with you on any level.

This third story (now directed by Paloma Baeza) is set in the future, with cats now ruling the roost on this land (so, I’m guessing that the cats ate all the rats then?), a land that has been left in an apocalyptic state due to a flood – cats surrounded by water… how ironic. Rosa (voiced by Susan Wokoma), the self-appointed landlord of the house, attempts to return it to its former glory (which isn’t much going off these stories now is it?). Rosa’s tenants include Jen and Elias (Helena Bonham Carter and Will Sharpe), with the free-thinking Cosmos (Paul Kaye) also making himself known later.

What the third chapter succeeds at is perfectly capturing the different personalities of real cats; ranging from uptight and stubborn, to hippie cats with relaxed characters (we’ve all met some of these different feline companions). The film slowly starts to lose its edge as the stories progress, and a film that started so bright with great quirkiness and originality steadily begins to lose all its engagement. The weirdness has disappeared, and we are left thinking, “what could have been”.

 

Grade: C

List: Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

JD Duran
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List: Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

This week on Episode 414 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our Top 5 most anticipated films of 2021. It’s a new year and that means there are a lot of new movies for us to look forward to this year. At least, we hope so, fingers crossed. We don’t know what 2021 has in store for us, but again, if we are being optimistic, it could end up being a really solid year for movies. It could also end up being a bit of a cluster since so many moved from last year to this year, so it’ll be interesting to see what shifts in mainstream entertainment, or perhaps we are simply gifted with more this year. As of now though, No Time to Die, Black Widow, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Eternals, Morbius, Dune, In the Heights, West Side Story, A Quiet Place: Part II, Top Gun: Maverick, Candyman, Coming 2 America, F9, and a few others are expected to be released after moving from last year. Additionally, 2021 is set to see Godzilla vs Kong, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Untitled Spider-Man Sequel, Mission: Impossible 7, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, The Suicide Squad, Space Jam 2, The Matrix 4, and maybe even Sherlock Holmes 3. And that’s just the bigger stuff. Let alone all of the awards players and indie films that have moved and are interacting with original 2021 content. Hopefully this just means we are getting gifted with great content this year, which could make for a rich year for film, even if a bit convoluted. So, we had a lot to discuss here and it was fun talking about what the year has to offer.

For the sake of this post, we are going to list our Top 5 selections as heard on the show, but additionally we are going to list our full Top 10 most anticipated films of 2021.

(Note: Please keep in mind that we each had different criteria for our selections)

JD

1) Women Talking
2) The Northman
3) Showing Up
4) The End
5) Nope
6) 3,000 Years of Longing
7) The Zone of Interest
8) Babylong
9) The Killer
10) Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

Brendan

1) Apollo 10 1/2
2) Peter Pan and Wendy
3) This Much I Know to be True
4) Creed 3
5) Poor Things
6) After Yang
7) Men
8) Armageddon Time
9) The Northman
10) Showing Up

Honorable Mentions (Combined)

Top Gun: Maverick, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Elvis, Dog, Blonde, Maestro, The Way of the Wind, Fire, Bardo, Pinocchio (Guillermo Del Toro), Decision to Leave, Broker, The Fabelmans, The Son, Knives Out 2, Astroid City, The Holdovers, White Noise, The Whale, Don’t Worry Darling, The Sky is Everywhere, Killers of the Flower Moon, Crimes of the Future, Kimi, Disappointment Blvd, God’s Creatures, Turning Red, Wendell and Wild, Hellraiser, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Studio 666, Sharpshooter, Lightyear, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Batman, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part 1), Avatar 2

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are obviously many more films coming out this year that we didn’t have time to mention. That is to say, your list could look very different than ours given the amount of great potential that we could see in 2021. That being said, what would be your Top 5? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

Chasing the Gold: SAG Anonymous Ballot #2 and 3 From Academy Queens

Joey Gentile
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Chasing the Gold: SAG Anonymous Ballot #2 and 3 From Academy Queens

As I continue down the rabbit hole that is interviewing SAG voters, I have come by a first time voter who recently joined SAG due to the unions opening to influencers, and as an influencer with over 3 million followers this is a first time for this person, as well as a 25 year long SAG member who you’ve seen in projects like American Horror Story. We will be referring to the influencer as “SAG Voter 2” and the actor as “SAG Voter 3”.

 

*Note- these interviews were done separately, but for this piece I combined them for the sake of time.

 

Joey Gentile: Welcome and thank you for giving me some of your time to talk about your plans for your SAG ballot. 

 

Sag Voter 2: Hey, thank you.

 

Sag Voter 3: Of course, glad to do this.

 

JG: So, here we are again. Another crop of SAG nominations are out and I’m curious to know your thoughts and if you have an idea of who you want to vote for yet?

 

SV2: I think I do.

 

SV3: This is the first year where I’ve seen everything in a long time. I usually don’t get the time to watch all the shows (the movies I definitely see) but everything nominated is something I’ve seen. 

JG: Perfect, let’s start with Supporting Actor.

 

SV2: Looking at the nomination list in front of me I think I would go with Jared Leto for House of Gucci.

 

JG: Oh I’m sorry, let’s go through each of the nominees and tell me what you think of them in their films and then at the end of each category you can reveal out of the five who you would vote for.

 

SV2: I haven’t seen these.

 

JG: ….I’m sorry, what?

 

SV2: Yeah, I’m not going to watch these. Although I did see WandaVision and that Tammy Faye movie, I just am excited to vote for the first time.

 

JG: So you’re going to vote without seeing the movies? 

 

SV2: I know, I know it sounds awful but it is what it is, but yeah I want to vote for Jared Leto and Lady Gaga because I like their music. So I’ll vote for House of Gucci for best film too. 

JG: Okay, sure. 

 

SV2: That leaves the other categories, and I really loved Bring it On growing up so I’ll vote for Kirsten Dunst, and then I don’t really care who wins actor but I did love Benedict as Doctor Strange, so him too, I guess. 

 

JG: So to be clear, just so myself and the eventual readers are aware, you are voting for people you love for their music and past films and not so much this year with their work?

SV2: I know, I know how it sounds. But yeah.

 

JG: Okay then. 

 

SV3: Supporting Actor-

 

Ben Affleck, The Tender Bar: I really like this performance, it doesn’t feel like it’s that much of a stretch for an actor like Affleck but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. This is one of those performances where you leave the movie thinking about him and I like that. 

 

Troy Kotsur, CODA: I really like this one too. Troy is really able to tug at the heart strings here without pulling focus from the story. Not only is his comedic timing really on point here, but this performance is also just right on the dramatic effect too. 

 

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog: There is something beautifully haunting about this performance. At first I wasn’t sure if there really was a role here as there is a solid chunk of the movie that he’s missing from but once he’s back it’s electric, the type of silhouette Kodi is projecting here is so intriguing. 

 

Jared Leto, House of Gucci: I mean this with no foul intent, but what is he doing? Legit I don’t mean that negatively, Jared is putting on a show here and taking no prisoners. Does it feel like a lot at times? Sure. But that doesn’t mean he’s bad because he’s not bad at any point in the film, but he’s not blowing the socks off of me like his brilliant performance in Dallas Buyers Club or even his solid work in last year’s The Little Things.

 

Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza: It’s odd to me that Bradley is the sole representation for this film, and it’s not to say he’s bad either because he’s not. I just find it odd that SAG didn’t eat this film up. The small screen time is exactly the type of performance that the Supporting category is made for and I love it. Really funny and a fun performance all around, I find myself missing him in the film once he exits. 

 

This whole category has not one sour apple in the bunch and I’m pretty sure I would be voting for Kodi Smit-McPhee based on just performance but I would be lying if I were to say I’m not not voting for JARED LETO based not only on his performance but because whether you like it or not he’s the most memorable in this lineup, love him or hate him in the movie he’s the one everyone is talking about and he’s the stand out. 

 

JG: I actually did not see that one coming, but I completely get what you’re saying. How about Supporting Actress? 

SV 3: Supporting Actress, okay-

 

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story: I saw this film opening night on the big screen and I enjoyed it a lot. There are some choices that Spielberg made that I enjoyed more than others and DeBose falls right in the middle of that feeling. She’s good in this role and her dancing is super impressive but it feels like it’s on the cusp of needing something more. I never felt connected with Rita Moreno’s version of Anita, so at least I’m connecting here with DeBose’s but something is missing that I cannot put my finger on. If I was voting solely based on dancing she would win hands down. 

 

Caitriona Balfe, Belfast: The movie is nice but I’m not sure if there’s much of a story behind it. It feels like a generic, by the book, Oscar bait film. With that said though, I found Balfe to be absolutely wonderful, she is funny and heartbreaking in one smooth take and that’s true talent there. She’s the highlight along with Hinds in a movie that’s nice but forgettable. 

 

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog: She is truly a spectacle here, not only does she hold the whole film in her hands I’m not sure if it would work as a whole without her here. If Kodi is magnetic, Kirsten is the charge of the movie. Absolutely sublime.

 

Ruth Negga, Passing: I like what she’s doing for her character here but I’m not for sure if this is much better than her co-star Tessa (Thompson) who seems to be getting snubbed by the precursors. Ruth is silent and effective but I’m not sure THIS is the one that should be getting the nominations. 

 

Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley: Cate is definitely a surprise in this category and not because she is bad here (she isn’t) but because this seemed to have come from nowhere. While I would’ve personally nominated Toni Collette over Cate I don’t hate this, but let’s be honest on this she isn’t winning here. 

 

KIRSTEN DUNST is edging out Balfe for me for the win. Dunst is not only WAY overdue but she’s easily the best in this lineup that this should feel like a deadlock in any of the categories. 

JG: Moving onto Actor.

 

SV 3: 

 

Will Smith, King Richard: If there is a sure way to be disappointed this season for me it was Will in this movie. Not only was the movie just completely uninteresting, going into this I heard the buzz about this being “the one” for Will, but I ask you- what does he do? I cannot figure out what he’s doing here to warrant a nomination, it’s like a bad SNL sketch performance. 

 

Andrew Garfield, tick, tick… BOOM!: I really wanted to love this performance, I really did but I also found this movie to be unbearable. It was so pretentious that it made Don’t Look Up bearable. If Will Smith is a bad SNL sketch, this is a MadTV sketch gone bad. Also, Eraserhead called and wanted it’s hair back…

 

Javier Bardem: Being the Ricardos: (Silence filled the call for what felt like a solid 3 minutes) It takes so little for men to be given praise, it really does. 

 

Note* I actually did a spit take on the zoom call here.

 

JG: THE SHADE OF IT ALL! 

 

SV 3: Tell me I’m lying.

 

JG: How about Denzel? 

 

SV 3: Okay- 

 

Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth: I am a complete classics snob, and not only did the film completely satisfy my itch for that genre of film to make a comeback but this is top tier Denzel Washington. I have never seen such a rich and layered take on Macbeth but I am literally pointing my finger at how numb society has become to these types of films because this should easily be sweeping every category possible. BRAVO! 

 

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog: We love our closested gay cowboys don’t we? This is really good, and I was mesmerized by what Cumberbatch was doing here. The whole Dog trio is so good but he only gets my runner up position because- 

 

DENZEL WASHINGTON is easily getting my vote, please let him win this one!

JG: How about Best Actress? 

 

SV 3: Full disclosure- 

 

JG: Yes? 

 

SV 3: I have been voting for these awards since 1997 and never once has my vote been the winner. 

 

JG: Ever?

 

SV 3: Ever. So let’s see if I continue my Susan Lucci moment this year.

 

Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos: Unlike her co star I can see why she has this nomination and I’m not mad about it. I’ve never really been enamored with a Kidman performance outside of Lion really, and this is very much in the vein of being okay with it but not blown away by her. 

 

Lady Gaga, House of Gucci: If Jared (Leto) is the thing you think of the most from the movie in general, Gaga is the thing you remember second. Her performance is really good and I actually like her a lot in this. I don’t have any complaints when it comes to her here. I will say this is much better than her work in A Star is Born.

 

Jennifer Hudson, Respect: Jennifer is really playing Jennifer here, and I can’t see Aretha Franklin in there, it’s just Jennifer and I cannot get past that. Plus the movie isn’t very good so that doesn’t help her chances. 

 

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye: The thing with this is that I don’t hate this performance at all, in fact I think she’s damn good and I get lost within her performance. What I have issues with is that makeup job. Tammy Faye was larger than life but for some reason (especially when she was young) that makeup team decided to make her have chipmunk cheeks, in fact she looked like Greta in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 when Freddy is murdering her by force feeding her and she pops out in Alice’s refridgferator, THAT is what Chastain looks like here, but for an entire movie. Outside of the terrible make-up job, Jessica is really good here. 

 

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter: In a very odd year of a Best Actress lineup, Olivia Colman, like Denzel in the lead actor category, is the biggest stand out and it shows. Not only is she doing the trifecta of acting ( visual, mental, verbal) all at once she is able to balance it perfectly while never making us bored with what she’s bringing to the table. 

 

I’m voting for OLIVIA COLMAN and I hope this is the year where I break my Actress curse. This lead race is really a 3-way race between Colman, Gaga, and Chastain. Hudson is happy to be here and Kidman is here like Helen Mirren, not a filler, could have a chance at a nomination but nothing more. This whole category made me sad, how do we ignore people like Taylour Paige, or Riley Keough in Zola, Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza, Renate Reinsve in The Worst Person in the World, or hell even the Mass women with Ann Dowd or especially Martha Plimpton?! It makes no sense.

 

JG: Well speaking of Mass, ensemble. What are you choosing there? 

SV 3: 

Belfast: Outside of Balfe I have no connection to it.

 

King Richard: No, on every level, no.

 

Don’t Look Up: Somebody stop Adam McKay.

 

CODA: Is wonderful yes, but an ensemble win?

 

House of Gucci: This really is the only option I think, it’s a wide ensemble and the only one here where I like more than 1-2 people.

 

HOUSE OF GUCCI is my vote here, sure. 

 

JG: Let’s knock out the TV winners for you.

 

SV 2: 

STUNTS: Black Widow

MALE TV: Evan Peters 

FEMALE TV: Cynthia Erivo 

MALE DRAMA: Kieran Culkin

FEMALE DRAMA: Reese Witherspoon 

MALE COMEDY: Brett Goldstein 

FEMALE COMEDY: Juno Temple 

ENSEMBLE DRAMA: The Morning Show 

ENSEMBLE COMEDY: The Great 

 

SV 3: 

STUNTS: No Time to Die 

MALE TV: Murray Bartlett 

FEMALE TV: Jennifer Coolidge 

MALE DRAMA: Brain Cox 

FEMALE DRAMA: Kate Winslet 

MALE COMEDY: Brett Goldstein 

FEMALE COMEDY: Hannah Waddingham 

ENSEMBLE DRAMA: The Handmaid’s Tale 

ENSEMBLE COMEDY: Only Murder’s in the Building 

 

JG: Thank you both for your time, appreciated.

 

Poll: What is your favorite film of 2012?

Brendan Cassidy
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Poll: What is your favorite film of 2012?

As we kickstart our 2022 campaign on the InSession Film Podcast, naturally the first thing we decide to do is go back in time by a full decade. This may seem random, but 2012 was an important year for us, as it was the year the idea for InSession Film was officially incepted. Our critical minds have evolved significantly over the past ten years, making it an almost necessary exercise to go back and see just how much our opinions have changed; it’s a natural thing for all critics to accept that a particular review or ranking is never absolute, and is merely a reflection of a particular headspace at a particular time. This means mini-retrospectives like this may become an annual norm for the podcast going forward, and no better year to start with than when the basis of this site was created.

So let’s hear from you; what was your favorite film of 2012?


Podcast: Scream / Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022 – Episode 466

JD Duran
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Podcast: Scream / Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022 – Episode 466

This week’s episode is brought to you by the film The Addams Family 2. Follow us on social media for your chance to win a FREE Blu-ray!

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we begin our 2022 campaign by discussing Scream and our Top 5 most anticipated movies of the year!

After a long but thorough celebration of film in 2021 last week, this week’s show marks the first of our 2022 campaign. While there are still some uncertainties as Hollywood continues to adjust to the changing world, we are confident this will be a great year for cinema. There are some heavy hitters coming back this year, including Scorsese, Spielberg, Fincher and Cronenberg, but we’ll also see movies from filmmakers who have been absent for awhile. There’s a lot to be optimistic about and we had a great time talking about the potential that 2022 has regarding the cinema.

On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

– Movie Review: Scream (6:41)
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Guy Busick (screenplay), Kevin Williamson (characters created by)
Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

– Notes / A Hero (1:11:56)
On this last week’s Extra Film, Ryan and Jay discussed Asghar Farhadi’s latest film A Hero. Both JD and Brendan have also seen the movie, so they decided to give their thoughts on it as well. We also talk about our latest Patreon Bonus Content, available now to the public, and we tease a new Blu-ray giveaway promo.

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RELATED: Listen to Episode 465 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed our Top 10 Movies of 2021!

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– Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022 (1:32:41)
It’s a new year and that means new movies for us to look forward to this year. As things started to normalize, at least in some ways, toward the end of 2021, there’s a lot to be optimistic for as we transition to the new year. 2022 stands out as we’ll see filmmakers this year that we haven’t heard from in awhile. We’ll finally get new films form Sarah Polley, Jonathan Glazer, Joshua Oppenheimer, Daniels, Kogonado, Alexander Payne and Henry Selick. We’ll also see heavy hitters like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Steven Soderbergh and David Cronenberg. As always, it’ll be a heavy superhero year with The Batman, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thor: Love and Thunder and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part 1). This year will also see Michael B. Jordan behind the camera in Creed 3. And will we finally, after a decade of teasing, finally see Avatar 2? Awards season will surely bring out some great films as well later on in the year. We’re hoping for a rich year at the cinema and we had a lot of fun previewing the movies we’re most anticipating. That said, what would be your top 5?

Top 5 Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast

– Music

New Horizons – Brian Tyker
The Batman – Michael Giacchino
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

Subscribe to our Podcasts RSS
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 465

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Next week on the show:

Review: Zero Dark Thirty
2012 Retrospective: Looking Back 10 Years Later

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Help Support The InSession Film Podcast

If you want to help support us, there are several ways you can help us and we’d absolutely appreciate it. Every penny goes directly back into supporting the show and we are truly honored and grateful. Thanks for your support and for listening to the InSession Film Podcast!

VISIT OUR DONATE PAGE HERE

Criterion Crunch Time – ‘Conceiving Ada’

Dave Giannini
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Criterion Crunch Time – ‘Conceiving Ada’

When you pick movies nearly at random that are leaving the Criterion Channel, your life as a writer is never boring. When I began this column, one of my goals was to watch more films by women, which was why I picked the film I did this time around. This particular film also has the selling point of Tilda Swinton, one of our most interesting and enigmatic screen presences in some time. That being said, sometimes these movies are much harder to write about. If I’m being perfectly honest, this may be the first time in which I honestly do not know where a piece is headed. And with that, I give you Conceiving Ada, a film you’ve probably never heard of before this very moment.

Conceiving Ada, directed by experimental filmmaker Lynn Hershman-Leeson, is a whole lot of things in an 82-minute package. But generally, it focused on a computer scientist, Emmy Coer (Francesca Faridany), who is obsessed with Countess Ada Lovelace (Swinton). Lovelace is the author of the first computer algorithm, but much about the creation of this, and her life, is shrouded in mystery in theoretical thought. Through a series of events – an unexpected pregnancy, an ability to communicate with Lovelace, and discussions with her mentor, Simi (Timothy Leary, of all people) – Lovelace’s consciousness is implanted in a young girl in order to live a life that will be remembered. This is, of course, the broad strokes of a plot in a movie where plot is inherently less important than ideas.

Among other thematic areas, it is particularly effective and meditative regarding feminism and the “place” of women throughout time. As a film, it can appear preachy, which is why Swinton is so important to the message of the film. Conceiving Ada is clearly an experiment in technology and feminism, but likely will not be remembered for it visual flair. For this reason, the first half of the film may be a difficult sit for many viewers. It is a necessary build, but with the focus on relationship drama between Emmy and Nicholas (J.D. Wolfe), Swinton is literally a still image just waiting to twitch to life. However, Emmy’s argument with Nicholas regarding the unwanted pregnancy has a confusing impact, as it should. It is Emmy’s body, but she is connected to Nicholas and they eventually make the decision to keep the child, an important plot moment even if we do not realize it immediately. That being said, once Emmy creates a way (that I still don’t actually understand) to communicate directly to Ada, the film opens up.

The camera, and Hershman-Leeson, clearly love Swinton (as proved by her repeated casting in her three narrative films). When we are finally able to engage with Lovelace’s past and her future, Hershman-Leeson’s ideas come to a kind of fruition. Lovelace is clearly a once in a generation talent mathematically, and actual genius. And yet, she is limited in her world, purely by her gender. Even the men who believe in her and support her, treat her like an anomaly, a creature in captivity. But here is the trick, because of the direction and Swinton’s pitch perfect performance, we do not pity her. Instead, we are filled with rage at the inequity she faces on a daily basis. Nothing hammers this point home quite like the heartbreaking near ending in which Emmy essentially offers to trade her unfinished “half” life for Ada’s.

Ada replies that a half life is no life for her, which is particularly poignant as it is reminiscent of the limitations that she struggled against and suffered under for her entire life. She is a woman who was not fulfilled by what is expected of women, especially in that time. She had two children “come from her” but this was never what she wanted as a result, she was not meant to be remembered for motherhood, but for massive change. The decision to place Ava’s mind in the shell of her unborn daughter is one that is more shocking the more you think about it. Yes, Ada is gaining more than a half life by taking over from birth. But I think it is more than that. This could be the director’s view on where life begins. Surely, Hershman-Leeson would not have Ada Lovelace take over the body of a human woman who existed. That would be tantamount to reenacting what men did to her to an innocent woman. However, if life begins at birth, then Ada is committing no such crime. 

For not the first time, I am grateful that this column does not force me to give letter or number grades on the films that I watch. The fact that we are seeing these movies mostly blind, leads us to see films that are, at a minimum, outside of the mainstream. Conceiving Ada may be one of the most difficult to access movies we have seen here, but I still mainly found it rewarding. Would I ever have watched this without the combination of The Criterion Channel and the name of Tilda Swinton? Absolutely not. But I am still glad I did, and I find myself even more grateful for this experimental film given our current barren cultural landscape.

Podcast: Pedro Almodóvar Movie Series

Ryan McQuade
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Podcast: Pedro Almodóvar Movie Series

Known for his movies to consist of melodrama, irreverent humor, bold color, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narratives, Ryan and Jay couldn’t think of a better director to end the year than the legendary, Pedro Almodóvar. With a frequent cast of collaborators, this deep dive into the Spanish director was an education for both hosts and pure joy in learning about this man’s work.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, 1988

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, 1990

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

All About My Mother, 1999

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

Talk to Her, 2002

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

Volver, 2006

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

The Skin I Live In, 2011

Listen to our review below as heard on Extra Film.

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