This week for our poll, inspired by his new film Mandy, we are talking about the craziest Nicolas Cage performances. Cage has always been a unique actor, but his eccentricity is perhaps what makes him stand out the most. Whenever he goes “full Nic Cage” you know you’re in for a treat. There are several great contenders for this poll, but we want to ask you guys; what is the craziest Nic Cage performance?
Vote now!
Prior to the Spanish Civil War, General Francisco Franco had actually written a screenplay that was produced. In his story, it involves two brothers, one who supports the New Republic (1931-39) and one who opposes it and remains aligned with the exiled monarchy. Upon his victory in 1939, General Franco reinstalled the country’s rigid system that banished democracy and the liberalism it once had been advocating. This included the arts, literature, and the cinema, where the poet Federico Garcia Lorca was murdered and many others were jailed or fled into exile. Picasso went to France, Luis Bunuel (see below) went to Mexico, and others scattered around the rest of Europe or immigrated to the Americas.
During his time of a quasi-fascist rule, Franco censored anything that was not Spanish nor reflective of its values – Catholicism, nationalism, morality – and thus many stories were subject to censorship. Yet, the system born from within Franco’s rule allowed some expression in cinema to be made and gave way to great films that laid the foundation of Spain’s great industry of today. This was called the Francoist aesthetic as directors used complex metaphors and secret vocabulary to make a bold statement the censors could not catch. Here are three notable directors who worked within the rigid system of Spain’s censorship and produced outlandish, fantastic movies that reflected the mood and mocked the life the country was living under at the time.
Berlanga was a master of satire in Spanish society, going around the mines laid out by the strict laws of the time. Welcome, Mr. Marshall (1952) is a reference to Spain’s reopening into Europe and a small village composed of a priest, the mayor, and its peasant population. Hearing that the Americans may be driving through town, the small village goes to ridiculous lengths to impress them. Berlanga established the stereotypical American culture and history known at the time for comic effect, but also criticism for the lack of exposure outside of Spain. In Placido (1961), the apt-named protagonist helps distribute baskets for a town’s Christmas drive while struggling to get a mortgage payment in time. In his panic, Placido finds himself caught in bizarre situations while exposing the more wealthy to donate to the poor out of “charity” than actually be helpful. Berlanga made a more direct criticism in The Executioner (1963) about capital punishment surrounding an undertaker who marries an executioner’s daughter and becomes an executioner like his father-in-law in order to keep their apartment given by the government. Filled with gallows humor, it is a satire of the state’s use of the garrote and references the excruciation a person faces in marriage and in doing such a job.
Bardem was a communist who stayed in Spain and installed social realism against the conservative backdrop of Spain. The Happy Couple (1951) tells about a husband who loses their whole savings after being swindled by a business partner; they rely on faith and hard work to survive, even though it is clear the hard labor post-war won’t them any good for their age. Death Of A Cyclist (1955) told the story of a wealthy socialite and a university professor who have an affair and accidentally kill a passing bicyclist. They cannot get help because there would be questions about why the two are together and becomes a battle of consciousness over their actions. Main Street (1956) questioned the tradition of marriage as a thirty-something woman, unmarried, must consider themselves single for life. As a way to “punish” her for not going out, a group of people tries to trick her into falling for a man but only for him to leave her; the man realizes the cruelty of this but finds himself trapped and unable to leave. Bardem, by recognizing his surname, is an uncle of actor Javier Bardem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4hTSjfh7Y0
Next to Pedro Almodovar as the most recognizable Spanish film director in history, the atheist Bunuel returned to his native country and produced two scandalous works in defiance of Franco’s government. Viridiana (1961) is about a virgin woman who is about to take her vows as a nun when she visits her uncle. He and his beggar friends confront her with desire, even lying to her that they had raped her in order for her to stay because she is no longer a virgin. Thanks to blasphemous images that parodied The Last Supper and remarks that upended the Catholic Church, it was banned in Spain but did not prevent it from winning the Palme d’Or. Bunuel got a second chance in 1970 with Tristana, the story of a man who falls in love with a girl he had adopted as a daughter, but she seeks out to become independent when falling for a man her age. Lust by older men on younger women and the hypocrisy of the church are central themes and it gives a middle finger to the conservative values of the Franco regime.
Later films in the early 70s included The Spirit of the Beehive, a moving tale about Frankenstein and how a child saw things back then, and Pim, pam, pum… ¡fuego! which gave a more open look at the realities of the Spanish Civil War without direct attention to the government. Pascual Duarte (1976) was made prior to the fall of the dictatorship but portrayed the difficulties of life in the country as the title-character awaits death by guillotine. While The Executioner features a funny shot of the leading figure also being carried inside to do his job of killing a person, Duarte concludes with a graphic shot of the character dying slowly, strangled to a long, painful death, such as many in Spain felt once Franco took over.
As Spain slowly opened up culturally to the world, the censorship of Franco began to loosen and was removed when he died in 1975. In transitioning to a democracy, Spanish cinema opened itself to a progressive movement of storytelling that was forbidden for 36 years prior and let open the likes of Carlos Suara, Victor Erice, and, most notably, Pedro Almodovar. The Franco-era works are as essential and influential as democratic, modern Spain for its creation of social criticism within a comic context or melodrama. Some works were caught by the Francoist regime, cut, and banned temporarily, while others sunk through the cracks and have outlived the hand of repression that held a country down for most of the twentieth century.
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This week on Episode 291 of the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by The Predator, we discussed our favorite sci-fi films from the great ole decade of the 1980’s. Not only are there some great sci-fi movies from that era, several of them are considered to be among the best films of all-time. So, this topic was arguably the most challenging we’ve done all year. How does one choose between The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., Blade Runner, Terminator, Aliens, Back to the Future and The Road Warrior? Or The Thing? The Abyss? Hell, even the original Predator? Man, there was some great sci-fi from that decade. That said, here are our lists:
(Note: Please keep in mind that we each had different criteria for our selections)
JD:
1) The Thing
2) Brazil
3) Predator
Brendan:
1) The Thing
2) Akira
3) The Abyss
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
Terminator, Aliens, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, E.T., Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Videodrome, Scanners The Fly, They Live, Ghostbusters, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Escape from New York, RoboCop, Cocoon, Tron, Flash Gordon, Spaceballs, Re-Animator, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Short Circuit
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. As noted above, the 1980’s may have been *the* seminal decade for great sci-fi, and there might have been some great films we missed out on. That being said, what would be your Top 3? 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.
Director: Yann Demange
Writers: Andy Weiss, Logan Miller
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley
Synopsis: The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
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There is potential.
There is realized potential.
Then there is A Failure To Launch.
The irony is the actor who co-starred with Sarah Jessica Parker in the aforementioned 2006 film is one of the biggest ailments afflicting the success of White Boy Rick (in theaters now). While Matthew McConaughey might be the biggest star in this cast, his inability to allow others in the cast to shine impeded the overall quality of the piece. One would have thought the Oscar winner was playing the title role based on any number of clips Lionsgate publicity made use of in the trailer.
If the idea of the film is to tell the rise of the biggest narcotics trafficker in the history of Detroit then do just that and back away from focusing so much on his father. Screenwriters Andy Weiss and Logan Miller are so enamored with filling in all this exposition that they neglect providing any development for Ricky (played by Richie Merrit). Why provide a cursory look at a figure who is for lack of a better way to describe him fascinating? White Boy Rick is just one wasted moment after another culminating in a rush third act which seeks to immortalize this man.
Director Yann Demange’s latest project is irregularly paced and never truly achieves the type of focus needed for this tale to be effective. Some moments are incredibly slow and tedious (how many times do we actually need to be at the skating rink) while others are incredibly rushed bordering on a blur. There happen to be some noteworthy performances which are overshadowed by a menagerie of missteps. Bel Powley portrays Ricky’s sister Dawn and her mixture of guilt and addiction is devastating on screen. Merrit is solid as well but is overshadowed throughout the film by McConaughey’s over the top performance. Had there been any semblance of a consistent balance between the cast and source material, White Boy Rick would have been a better film overall.
Max Richter’s score didn’t inspire any confidence in this tale. Tat Radcliffe’s cinematography didn’t do the film any favors by making use of a dreary color palette. Radcliffe’s decisions were perplexing at times. Why wasn’t more of an effort made to show how destitute the city was? White Boy Rick at times is a mess and those fleeting moments where the narrative progresses, elicit little reaction from the audience.
What they should have done is recast the role of Rick’s father. Having the Oscar winner in this role is a disservice to the rest of the cast. Secondly, Lionsgate should have retooled the film with a focus on the evolution of Rick. What drives a child to want to become the biggest drug kingpin in Detroit? Was it the families socioeconomic status? From that launching point, you could have had one hell of a movie.
Overall, there are so many options at the box-office which would allow anyone to avoid subjecting themselves to White Boy Rick. However, if anyone reading this has some burning desire to see this then just watch the trailer as most of what works is in it and that’s never a good sign.
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we discuss Shane Black’s The Predator and our Top 3 1980’s sci-fi movies! We also give a few brief thoughts on Support the Girls, The Wife and Operation Finale. And most importantly, we finally settle the debate as to who would win; a Predator or a Xenomorph.
Despite the quality of The Predator, we had a lot of fun with this show. As awards season approaches and ramps up, it’s refreshing to have shows where we sit back, relax a little bit and enjoy talking about sci-fi movies from the 80’s. At least that was the goal, and we hope you bask in fun as we did.
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: The Predator (10:10)
Director: Shane Black
Writer: Fred Dekker, Shane Black
Stars: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn
– Notes / Support the Girls / The Wife (45:47)
As mentioned above, since we – JD & Brendan – missed Extra Film this last week, we decided to offer our thoughts on Support the Girls and The Wife. JD also offers a few thoughts on Oscar Isaac in Operation Finale and also the Australian film Sweet Country.
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– Top 3 80’s Sci-fi Movies (1:07:19)
Not only are there some great sci-fi movies from the 1980’s, several of them are considered to be among the best films of all-time. So, this topic was arguably the most challenging we’ve done all year. How does one choose between The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., Blade Runner, Terminator, Aliens, Back to the Future and The Road Warrior? Or The Thing? The Abyss? Hell, even the original Predator? Man, there was some great sci-fi from that decade. That said, what would be your Top 3?
Top 3 Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast
– Music
The Arrival – Henry Jackman
Blade Runner End Titles – Vangelis
Predator Theme – Alan Silvestri
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 291
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Main Review: Mandy
Top 3: TBD
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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!
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We’re now on the cusp of the last weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival and the films are beginning to run out (or is that my patience with people who simply won’t turn off their phones during screenings?) Regardless, we’ve got more movies to discuss!
As the Toronto International Film Festival heads into its second week, the vast majority of critics have begun heading home, but there’s still plenty of films left to review!
Director: Karyn Kusama
Writers: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Scoot McNairy, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan
Synopsis: A police detective reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace.
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In the last few years, Karyn Kusama has become one of my favourite American directors. Jennifer’s Body is an underrated piece of genre filmmaking that has only recently been reclaimed by the horror community and The Invitation is one of the best slow-burn thrillers of the last decade. Needless to say, there’s a certain amount of expectation going into her latest, a neo-noir crime film with a prestigious cast, including lead actress Nicole Kidman.
Destroyer has received mixed reviews from other critics at the festival, so I guess that I am an outlier because I really enjoyed it. Kidman’s turn as Erin Bell is rightfully being praised, but there’s more to the film than just its notable lead performance.
Like a lot of noirs, Destroyer uses an open murder as its opening salvo. Here Detective Bell wakes up in her car following a bender and stumbles onto an active crime scene involving a dead man, a very distinct neck tattoo and a handful of ink-dyed hundred dollar bills. Erin immediately connects the murder to a traumatic event 16 years earlier when she went undercover with a partner (Sebastian Stan) to shut down a violent crime ring.
The flashbacks are scattered liberally throughout the film and generate a surprising amount of tension despite our awareness of the outcome, which is explicitly declared up front. One noteworthy component of the flashbacks is the makeup effects, which are so effective that the change in Erin’s appearance (young and vibrant in the past; old and hard-bitten in the present) are alarming. Kusama regularly films Kidman’s face in close-up to emphasize the wear and tear the years have taken.
As Erin, Kidman delivers one of her best performances ever. The Oscar-winning Australian actress completely disappears into the role of a hard-bitten police detective suffering from trauma and alcoholism. Regardless of the fact that this is a well worn character type, Kidman finds nuance and depth in a woman whose personal life and career have been completely derailed. Interestingly Erin isn’t remotely sympathetic; she’s self-destructive and entirely focused on catching lead villain Silas (Toby Kebbell) – using any and all means to advance her cause, regardless of whose life she fucks up en route including her ex husband (Scoot McNairy) and rebellious teenage daughter.
Destroyer features two significant action sequences – both of them bank heists. The first, set in the present, is the more spectacular of the two and features a great supporting turn by Orphan Black standout Tatiana Maslany as Petra, Silas’ girlfriend. The way that Kusama shoots the robbery and subsequent chase is masterful and exciting. The second, set in the past, utilizes security camera footage and the audience’s knowledge, which reinforces the tragedy and inevitability of events to come. It’s not as exciting, but by the time this fateful heist unfurls in the film, that’s no longer the point.
One detractor to the film, and the most oft-cited opinion from critics who didn’t care for it, is the long run time. At a certain point it seems as though Destroyer should be ramping up towards its dramatic climax, but the pacing lags. There are too many one-on-one character discussions to sustain the momentum, which saps the ending of a great deal of its energy. All in all this didn’t bother me as much as it did others, however, if only because the film is so engrossing.
Grade: B+
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Director: Marielle Heller
Writers: Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant
Synopsis: Celebrity biographer Lee Israel makes her living profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack.
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There’s a standard formula to biopics, which often center around exceptional people overcoming adversity, challenges and obstacles. The structure of Marielle Heller’s new film adheres to this format, but in this case the exceptional person is actually terrible and the challenge involves passing off forgeries without getting caught.
Based on the bestselling memoir of the same name, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is the story of talented writer Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) and the desperate lengths she goes to in order to avoid financial ruin. The film opens with a simple but clever scene where she is fired for talking back and drinking at work, which establishes Lee’s prickly social skills, her problematic drinking habit and her money problems all at once. In quick order it becomes clear that Lee is in significant trouble: she is months behind on rent, her agent is dodging her calls, and her only companion – a lethargic house cat – has fallen ill.
She needs a lifeboat and fast.
The answer to her problems literally falls into her hands when she’s at the library researching a new biopic. Hidden in a book, Lee finds two original letters, one of which she sells to a bookstore for a handsome sum. While negotiating the sale, Lee learns that the more unique, personal or sensational a letter is, the greater the sum collectors will pay. With a few embellishments, she alters her remaining letter and the return is enough to put her back on financial track. From there Lee begins to craft her own letters, becoming increasingly skilled at forgeries through the use of various typewriters, papers and manipulative selling tactics.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? has garnered a fair amount of buzz for McCarthy’s performance and the hype proves to be justified. In Lee, McCarthy has a role that allows her a rare opportunity to demonstrate her dramatic chops and the actress knocks it out of the park. Lee is defiantly anti-social, narcissistic and full of disdain for things (and people) she deems unworthy of her time. McCarthy manages to both embody these characteristics without disguising the fact that Lee is wounded and still vulnerable.
The film makes it clear that Israel, who passed away in real life a few years ago, is incredibly talented, but her passions don’t align with popular taste so her ideas, her sex and her opinions are rendered invalid. There’s a great gag about prolific populist author Tom Clancy (who briefly appears at a party) that cuts to the heart of the issue: he schmoozes, he’s “likeable” and he has a recognizable name. Lee, by contrast, has none of these things. This is a subtle inference that this is not a world that is kind to people (female, lesbian, overweight) like Lee.
Thankfully the film isn’t a grim, dour slog. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s quite funny. A significant portion of the humour comes from McCarthy’s biting one-liners and takedowns, but the comedy is also attributable to Lee’s banter with fellow drunk hustler, Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant). As an aging queen with a fondness for theatrics, Grant is simply fabulous – in every sense of the word. The banter between Jack and Lee is hilarious and he helps to soften and give Lee depth. Narratively Jack also becomes her confidant, and eventual partner in crime as the stakes rise and the net begins to tighten around them.
In addition to the strong performances and witty dialogue, Can You Ever Forgive Me? also has a great sense of pacing. The nearly 1hr 50 min run time really zips along thanks to energetic directing and editing and a well-crafted screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty. There’s a strong chance that if the Academy can overlook its bias towards comedies, the film could be an awards contender.
Grade: A-
Director: Ian Samuels
Writers: Lindsey Beer
Stars: Shannon Purser, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, RJ Cyler
Synopsis: A case of mistaken identity leads to a virtual romance, but will he still like her when he finds out who she really is?
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Netflix has been cranking out movies and TV series lately, some are good, some not so much. But it seems like they’ve been steadily improving production quality and attracting bigger star power. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser is one of their latest attempt at another rom-com.
The gist of the story is: Sierra (Shannon Purser) is an outcast at school, bullied by Veronica (Kristine Froseth) the head cheerleader. She’s called a loser, fat, a mouth breather and variety of other things from the standard high school bully repertoire. While out with friends, Veronica is approached by teen heartthrob and rival high school quarterback Jamey (Noah Centineo). Veronica deems him unworthy because she thinks he has loser friends, and gives him Sierra’s phone number instead of her own. This leads to a virtual romance between Sierra and Jamey that feels a lot like catfishing.
One of the things I didn’t like in the movie was how we were expected to read the texts between Sierra and Jamey off of their phones. In some scenes they were almost impossible to see and only stayed on screen for a few seconds. Other films have done things like display the text in a larger font across the screen or as subtitles. I think if they had gone in that direction, we would have had a chance to better connect with the characters and maybe understand how they fell for each other.
There’s also a lot of questionable things that happen in the movie. For example Jamey’s little brother, Ty, is deaf and is played by deaf actor Cochise Zornoza. His role in the movie seems like an attempt to check off a list of diversity requirements, rather than add anything of purpose. There was hardly any signing and they don’t really develop that sibling relationship. Other characters make jokes and fake being deaf, and it was a tad awkward. The way the girls lied to Jamey and lead him on was also uncomfortable. There’s a scene where Jamey believes he is kissing one girl, but he has his eyes closed and the girls swap places and then switch back before he opens his eyes. It’s a moment that felt disingenuous and a little mean-spirited.
The movie did have its good parts though. The acting was decent, there’s a Lea Thompson cameo, and it had some relatable qualities with its themes. Dan, the quirky best friend (RJ Cyler), added some great levity to the film. “Hey, where are the Sour Patch parents?” was one of his better lines. As far as supporting roles go, he may be the best one in the film. The English teacher was also great (Loretta Devine). The leading man, Noah Centineo, is currently in at least three Netflix movies playing pretty much the same character, so I guess “teen heartthrob” suits him.
Overall, I really didn’t like the plot of the movie. The lying to Jamey, the mean girl shenanigans, the fat shaming, and how easily all is forgiven didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t awful, but I have no interest in watching Sierra Burgess Is a Loser again.
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Director: Paul Feig
Writers: Jessica Sharzer (screenplay by), Darcey Bell (based upon the novel by)
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding
Synopsis: Stephanie is a mommy blogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily’s sudden disappearance from their small town.
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Director Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor is a chic, uptempo, thrillfest done with a Hitchcockian flair which is audiences will find deeply satisfying. His latest project is a twisted change of pace but still handled with great precision. The score and cinematography are the toppings on this very dark yet delicious cinematic sundae. Fear, not cinephiles! Feast on Feig’s dark pivot and hope for more.
The film is based on Darcy Bell’s novel (adapted by Jessica Sharzer) and centers around the relationship between Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Blake Lively). Kendrick’s character is a widowed mother who runs a vlog and is an extremely active homeroom mother. Emily is the polar opposite of Stephanie, but that matters little to her. She’s drawn to her stylish yet abrasive way due to a mixture of envy and loneliness.
Their friendship quickly grows (it also helps their kids appear to be getting along) and what use to be a once a week playdate now evolves into hanging out every day after school. Emily seizes on this new friendship and starts asking Kendrick’s character to pick up her child from school a few times a week. What starts off as a few times a week quickly morphs into almost every day. Then suddenly out of the blue, she fails to pick up her son from Stephanie’s house. Emily’s husband (played by Henry Golding) is stunned and is feverishly trying to locate his wife (along with Stephanie).
The film itself is a tawdry filled romp with some campiness that’s oozing with numerous WTF moments. Even those who have read the book, won’t be able to predict how A Simple Favor‘s ends. Kendrick and Lively are spectacular on screen. The chemistry of this dynamite pairing is off the charts and could cause Hollywood executives to attempt pairing these two down the road. Henry Golding performance reminded the three audience member in America who haven’t seen Crazy Rich Asians why he’s on the rise.
Feig’s direction in the film was spot on. A Simple Favor is paced perfectly allowing the theatrics of this tale to unfold in an organic matter. While most of what unfolds in the film is absurd, every moment has elements of plausibility. It seems nutty that Emily would have a picture of her nude body drawn from the ground up but in this tale we accept it. It becomes one of what would be many examples of her “presence” being felt. Feig made use of Kendrick’s perceived innocence to sell her very subtle dark side. Is that a homeroom mom or someone who would have an affair with a family member?
John Schwartzman’s cinematography highlighted the chicness of the set design and enhanced the telling Sharzer’s narrative. Renee Ehrlich Kalfus’s costume design reflected the tone of the film while playing an essential part in shaping who these characters were. Everyone one of Emily’s looks was enhanced by the designer’s use of bold colors and exceptional use suits. Theodore Shapiro’s score was able to walk that fine line between whimsy and seduction. Shapiro’s work could easily be compared to any number Agatha Christie.
Overall, A Simple Favor is a fabulously good time for all theatergoers and could either be the perfect date night or ladies night film. Lively, Golding, and Kendrick bring out the best in one another on screen. Feig’s direction is a gentle reminder to everyone that art involves some element of risk. Very few saw this coming but damn are we happy he brought Bell’s novel to the big screen.
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This week on the InSession Film Podcast: Extra Film segment, we discuss The Wife starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce, as well as the comedy Support the Girls starring Regina Hall and Haley Lu Richardson.
Jay and Ryan once again hold down the fort together, offering up some wonderful discussion on these two films. Both films have garnered high praise for their respective leading actresses (specifically Glenn Close and Regina Hall); do Jay and Ryan offer up the same praise?
On that note, have fun with this week’s Extra Film segment and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening!
– Movie Review: The Wife (3:30)
Director: Björn Runge
Writer: Jane Anderson, Meg Wolitzer (based on the novel “The Wife” by)
Stars: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons
– Movie Review: Support the Girls (32:35)
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Writer: Andrew Bujalski
Stars: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle
– Music
Libera Me – Jocelyn Pook
Cowboy Up – Annie Bosko
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, Spotfiy 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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The Wife / Support the Girls – Extra Film
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Director: Shane Black
Writers: Fred Dekker, Shane Black; Jim Thomas, John Thomas (based on)
Stars: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Keegan Michael-Key, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K. Brown, Yvonne Strahovski
Synopsis: When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe’s most lethal hunters’ return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.
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“Girl, he ain’t gonna catch you,” howled the lady in the seat directly behind, not giving a damn about her annoyed surroundings. The narration is for a moment where Dr. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn), after accidentally tranquilizing her right foot, needs help deboarding the Yautja-immobilized bus she’s on (the roof of) and our lead, Army Ranger Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), is standing below with both arms stretched out. “Nuh-uh, he ain’t,” the lady continues, her voice warps into the amplifying score and noise. And lo, it happens: Quinn lets the dirt greet Casey just as she jumps. Even though 3/4 of the auditorium are laughing their guts out, the lady’s “Told ya, honey!” is five decibels higher than the rest.
But credit where it’s due: The lady, total absence of decorum aside, is still not as embarrassing as what is on-screen. The Shane Black-directed and co-scripted film — Shane. Black. — does everything it can to three-point lasered our interest and, in turn, continually giving the lady a chance to make random statements, ask her friends for a summary (a fella among them is also an up-and-coming in-theater commenter, joy!), discredit Casey, question Quinn’s intelligence quotient and offer spoken commentary as if we’re watching Discovery Channel made The Predator.
The only watchable sequence in The Predator, and the one where the lady stays attentive as a filmgoer should, is the beginning, among the stars where a spaceship (of the Shaq-height Yautja, the one that met Arnold) crash-glides above South America after being chased by a bigger one (of the Mureșan-height Yautja). Afterward it’s a woefully impetuous and muddled chain of events where Quinn — the first to encounter, and loot tech from, the Predator — Casey — she’s been researching the creature — Quinn’s autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay, again as an “abnormal” boy!) — who receives the tech after Quinn mails it to his Georgia home and activates it — a troupe full of undesirables — among them the jokester Coyle (Keegan Michael-Key), oft-bullied (since he has Tourette’s!) Baxley (Thomas Jane) and semi-charismatic Gaylord (Trevante Rhodes) — and sinister agent (Sterling K. Brown, whose splendid chords makes his grating introductory line, “They’re large, they’re fast, and f**king you up is their idea of tourism,” tolerable) appear on the Yautja’s to-kill list.
Frankly, past Predator films assume a “whatever” attitude to the script; as long as the beast can show its badassery and the body count rises all is well. Black’s involvement, however, much like his brand of subverting preconceptions (for better and worse), suggests the freakish hunter’s outing will have that and a new-but-solid foundation. John McTiernan’s suspense and Black’s love of surprises? How can you not volunteer as trophy, right? Then comes the decloaking that reveals the horror: The advertised “explosive reinvention” vision never shows up as possible golds — the suburbs as a hunting ground, Predator “Bulldogs,” Predator vs. (CGI-heavy Super) Predator, to name a few — are introduced and then traded for actual pebbles — questionable vulgarity, encouragement of infantilism and, most visibly, disorienting structuring — until that’s what the entire bag consists of. The insulting, or humorous, thing here is not that you’ve been lied to (deception is a marketing tactic, heartless as that sounds), it’s that Predator 2 is more engaging than this. Add Predators, too, while we’re at it.
Noticeably, a lot of The Predator is on the cutting room floor. Not just the chase with the flipping Humvee in the trailers, but also — being a hopeful creature here — a narrative where the beats of refreshment (or, at least, the minims of a stalked-by-Yautja film) are realized, harmless-and-mindless entertainment is offered, temporal progression is shown and geographical switches are acknowledged. Right now, everything feels pureéd together and effortful to decipher, the latter is rage-inducing when you have Larry Fong as your d.p. Remember that bit with the chasing starships? That’s the only time his lensing skills are honored, otherwise a frame is placed under a turbocharged woodchipper. What’s worse, though, is Harry B. Miller III and Billy Weber’s cutting style turns the film into a high-budgeted propaganda for those who worship the “boys’ club” mentality to use; as regular as the pickings on the disabled are Munn’s character being the epicenter of others’ barbs. One sure hopes it’s accidental that this shows up after the reshoots and however many passes in the editing bay. That Steven Wilder Striegel can be on the set is an already depressing enough matter, you know?
Still, every film has an audience, and The Predator certainly has that in the lady in the seat directly behind. Mulling over it now, it seems she is a cognizant individual: The experience is an obnoxious one, and what she is doing that is stating the fact in her distinctive way. Should there be a sequel for this — the ending screams so (such brass) — one hope she’ll be in the audience again, highlighting truth in a time when most struggle to define it. Bless your heart, lady. Bless your freaking heart.
And for those involved with the film: If you have a resume, leave this project out. Or retitle it “Yautja Skit.” Or something, as this is far from the Shane Black’s The Predator you’ve signed up for.
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Podcast review coming soon on Episode 291
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As the Toronto International Film Festival heads into its second week, the vast majority of critics have begun heading home, but there’s still plenty of films left to review!
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writer: Alfonso Cuarón
Stars: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Fernando Grediaga
Synopsis: A story that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
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I’m very reticent to use the term masterpiece because I think it sets unfairly high expectations, but there’s really no other word that can be used to describe Cuarón’s latest opus. This gorgeous black and white film is the definition of art cinema, a film with no stars or significant hook that perfectly captures the power of cinema nonetheless. For those who love a well-told, well-executed story, this (and Shoplifters) are the films to beat.
Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is a young maid who lives and works in the Antonio household, supporting fraught mother Sofía (Marina de Tavira) and her adulterous doctor husband (Fernando Grediaga) . Cleo cooks, cleans, holds the dog when the front gate is opened, acts as a nanny to four alternately lovable and annoying children, as well as anything else she is asked to do. If she has a spare moment, Cleo goes to the movies or sleeps with her boyfriend Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero) – at least until the louse abandons her when she tells him that she’s pregnant.
Despite the synopsis, Roma is hardly plot focused; it is almost entirely driven by emotion. This is clearly a passion project for Cuarón, and the result is a deeply moving melodrama about the quiet personal tragedies that unfold behind closed doors.
As the nearly silent Cleo, Aparicio is devasting. She hides the young girl’s sadness and pain behind a mask made of smiles for the benefit of her employer and the children. Her personal struggle is mirrored by the tumultuous family drama and the larger national and historical conflicts that can be seen sporadically in the background as Roma spins its yarn across a single momentous year.
Sumptuously photographed and staged, Cuarón rarely deviates from slow panning long takes, the better to bask in the visual feast of this lived-in world, complete with period perfect set and prop design. Two outstanding sequences stand out as showstoppers: at a New Year’s party a fire breaks out that distinguishes the class disparity between the middle class, who hold their champagne glasses and sing directly in harm’s way, and their employees who work tirelessly to stop the threat. The other is a late in the film sequence when violence breaks out in the streets while Cleo is shopping for a crib for her unborn child. Both rival the technical proficiency of likeminded large scale scenes in Citizen Kane, Gone With The Wind and their ilk from the heyday of the studio system.
Cuarón’s capacity to capture the smallest, most intimate moments of Cleo’s life as well as these seismic cultural shifts catapults him into the same cinematic company as Kubrick, Truffaut and, most significantly, Luis Buñuel.
It also all but cements Roma‘s status as an awards frontrunner. Look for a big Oscar push from Netflix as they aim to make history as the first streaming service to nab a Best Picture statuette.
Grade: A+
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Director: Felix Van Groeningen
Writers: Felix Van Groeningen & Luke Davies
Stars: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.
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Having checked out Ben Is Back a few days ago, Beautiful Boy offers a fascinating opportunity to compare and contrast two “parent tries to manage and/or save their teenage son’s drug addiction” films. Swap out Julia Roberts for Steve Carrell as the overwhelmed, dutiful parent and boy du jour Lucas Hedges for other boy du jour Timothée Chalamet and you’ll find that the films are not completely dissimilar.
The biggest difference is that where Ben Is Back starts strongly and then pulls a nasty about face, Beautiful Boy simply lives in that initial family drama space for the better part of two hours, rinsing and repeating the same narrative development over and over again. Despite the fact that Ben Is Back goes completely over a cliff in its second half, the far superior first half excels by focusing on the little details that are required when welcoming a drug addict back into your home, including hiding all prescription medication and jewelry, monitoring the person’s whereabouts at all times, and checking their pockets before letting them into a mall change room.
In Beautiful Boy, none of these activities occur. In their place David (Carrell) and Nic (Chalamet) cry, yell, talk on the phone and stare stony eyed into the camera. David cares deeply for his son, but he’s completely ineffectual at stopping Nic from relapsing, relying instead on proclamations of love and disappointment. Sometimes this works and Nic stays clean; sometimes he doesn’t. Occasionally he even overdoses.
Watching this once is compelling and emotional stuff, but by the sixth or seventh iteration, it hasn’t gotten more interesting. This is unfortunate, considering that Carrell and Chalamet are giving it all in their respective roles. Problematically there are also some questionable screenwriting decisions by Van Groeningen and Davies, including an ill-conceived deus ex machina opening that adds nothing to the proceedings other than eat up runtime, as well as several stretches where an undefined or unclear amount of time has passed despite the fact that David’s two youngest children with new wife Karen (Maura Tierney) always look exactly the same.
Beautiful Boy isn’t a bad movie, but it’s not a particularly good one either. The film has garnered goodwill at the festival because it is a male-fronted tearjerker, but this is more of a testament to the quality of the acting than to the film itself. The repetitive nature of the film and its “been there, done that” drug treatment narrative make this a good fit for Amazon’s streaming service.
Paying a full ticket price for the theater – as opposed to seeing it at home in bed – would be a bad trip.
Grade: C+
On Episode 1 of Chasing the Gold, Ryan is joined by Karen Peterson and Tom O’Brien to talk about the 2019 Best Picture race and they reveal their Top 10 predictions as it stands right now for Best Picture at next year’s Oscars.
We hope that you enjoy our inaugural episode of our new Oscars podcast. You may seem some structural changes as we evolve and figure out how we want these to go, so please bear with us. But we felt now was the time to get things going as the 2019 Awards Season is underway, and it looks like it’s going to be a great one. There’s so much to talk about, and big thanks to Karen and Tom for joining us, they were great guests to have on Day 1.
On that note, have fun with this week’s Chasing the Gold and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening!
– Best Picture Race Discussion (4:17)
– Best Picture Predictions (1:15:27)
– Music
Celebrate the Oscars – Hans Zimmer
2012 Oscars Theme – Hans Zimmer
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, Spotfiy 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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2019 Best Picture Race – Chasing the Gold
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Director: Steve McQueen
Writers: Steve McQueen & Gillian Flynn
Stars: Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Carrie Coon, Liam Neeson, Robert Duvall
Synopsis: Set in contemporary Chicago, amidst a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities, take fate into their own hands, and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
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Right off the top, it’s inevitable that Widows will be compared to Ocean’s 8. Due to the subject matter and the sex of the core cast members, audiences will compare one to the other. This is a mistake: not only are they separate films by completely distinct filmmakers, the way that each film handles its “heist” is also unique. Where Ocean’s 8 took a page from its male-dominated predecessors to focus on a large group who use gadgets for an elaborate theft, Widows is much closer to a traditional gritty crime film, with far more drama and life and death stakes.
A closer comparison is The Town, Ben Affleck’s 2010 crime drama about a thief looking for one last score who falls in love with a bank teller. Widows, the latest film by Steve McQueen (from a script co-written by queen of crime fiction Gillian Flynn), ditches the romantic subplot for a B-plot about city Councillors Jamal Manning (Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry) and Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) whose electoral feud intersects with a heist being planned by the widows of a team of thieves.
The film opens with a heist intercut with moments that establish each of the men involved (and their respective partners). Before the title card appears, the men all dead in a spectacular shootout/explosion with the police. In short order Veronica (Viola Davis), the wife of team leader Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), is being threatened by Jamal’s pitbull enforcer brother, Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya, miles away from his Get Out character). The political candidate wants the $2 million that Harry stole back, regardless of the fact that the money burned up, or that Veronica was uninvolved in Harry’s criminal endeavors. With a one month deadline, Veronica recruits the other widows, Alice (Elizabeth Debicki, the film’s breakout) and Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), to execute Harry’s final planned heist on Mulligan’s campaign headquarters.
Unlike Ocean’s 8, these women have no idea what they’re doing and the script doesn’t play their ineptitude for laughs. There are a few montages and Debicki brings some welcome humour to the proceedings, but on the whole Widows is a dark, gripping drama about women who were abused by the men in their lives and then left to fend for themselves. The fact that Harry and Veronica were recovering from a trauma in their marriage, or that Alice’s boyfriend beat her or that Linda’s stole from her, is all part of McQueen and Flynn’s masterpiece screenplay, which is interested in the ramifications of crime, violence and abuse on women. It’s heady stuff, but it gives the film weight and depth. The emotional investment in these characters’ success is that much greater because if they fail, it means prison or death.
Two actresses in particular are uniformly excellent. The first is Debicki, the film’s biggest surprise and the actress most likely to see a bump in popular awareness. Despite coming off as shallow, Alice proves both resilient and resourceful. The other is – naturally – Davis. As the defacto lead role of a deep bench cast, the actress is predictably superb. Her Veronica is a complete mess throughout the film, ricocheting from tragedy to tragedy and then trying to appear put together and totalitarian in front of the others, at times to her and their own detriment. It’s a nuanced performance, and though it likely won’t be enough to earn her award accolades, the film would fall completely apart without an actress with her screen presence and charisma. McQueen clearly agrees: he frequently shoots Davis’ face in close-up or even extreme-close up to zero in on her lips, her eyes and her tears.
The fact that the rest of the cast are all given something significant or meaty to do is another testament to the screenplay (an adapted Oscar nom isn’t out of the realm of the possible). Every few minutes, another star or character actor appears and nearly all of them are used in the smartest, most memorable fashion – from Coon’s flustered newborn mother to Duvall’s racist former politician to Jackie Weaver as Alice’s opportunistic mom. Throw in McQueen’s expert direction, which deftly balances the intimacy of various sex scenes to thrilling action sequences and everything in between, and Widows is another expertly crafted crowd-pleasing future blockbuster.
Grade: A
This week for our poll, inspired by The Predator hitting theaters this weekend, we simply want to know who wins the ultimate showdown. Sure, there’s been another film to already tackle this debate, but we all know that was major disappointment. We think you, our lovely listeners, are more apt as to deciding who wins in *the* match between Alien and Predator.
So with that said, who wins in this classic matchup?
Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer: Josh Singer
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler
Synopsis: The film tells the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost—on Armstrong and on the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
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If First Man is any indication, Damien Chazelle REALLY wants that elusive Oscar he lost out in a few years ago. The Neil Armstrong flick starring Ryan Gosling is basically award season catnip, deliberately designed within an inch of its life to appeal to both audiences and critics alike.
That’s an observation, not a criticism; the film is damn good. Focusing on the time when Armstrong (Gosling) and his family move to Houston to prepare for the Apollo missions in the early 60s, First Man is an immensely self-assured balance between thrilling space adventure and introspective family drama.
The specter of death looms large over the entire film. The film opens with Armstrong on a mission that nearly sees him float uncontrollably out into space (the words “skipping on the atmosphere” should never be uttered aloud) and then immediately cuts to Neil saying burying his daughter Karen after she dies from cancer. In this way First Man announces its dual priorities by establishing a link between space exploration and death.
As the titular first man on the moon, Gosling is impressively understated and introspective. Neil keeps most everything beneath the surface, remaining silent about Karen’s death even to his patient, supportive wife Janet (Claire Foy, mostly wasted in the role of dutiful partner). Still, it’s not hard to see how the failures and the deaths of many of his fellow astronauts impacts Neil. And there are many: the body count in First Man may actually rival that of a horror film.
Chazelle is very smart in the way that he uses the camera to distinguish everyday life from space flight. He shoots the “action scenes” of the rockets taking off and in space with a handheld camera and in close-up to ensure the experience is as claustrophobic and nerve racking as possible. Considering that audiences know the outcome of the mission before a single frame is projected, it’s incredibly impressive how much tension Chazelle packs into the film.
Ultimately there’s little doubt that First Man will be a major success – it ticks all of the boxes, appeals to both popcorn movie fans and cinephiles and is technically sound enough to wind up on the Academy’s radar. Expect to hear a great deal more about the film when it opens in early Oct.
Grade: A
Director: Ethan Hawke
Writers: Ethan Hawke, Sybil Rosen
Stars: Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat
Synopsis: The life of musician Blaze Foley.
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Musical bio-pics are films that we claimer to, with their unique perspective of the artist and the music that we have grown the love throughout the decades of content brought forth by said musician. But while most of the films about musicians we know are mostly safe and conventional, it’s the ones about the forgotten figures in music history that give us more insight into the mind of a musician, leading the audience compelled by what they have seen. Films like Inside Llewyn Davis and Born to be Blue give us thought provoking introspection into segments of fictional and nonfictional characters, and show us the real hardship of what it takes to be a musician – especially the baggage that life carries. In steps the new film Blaze by actor, now writer-director, Ethan Hawke, that blends together of a perfect Texas cocktail of old school music bio-pic film ideas with the thought provoking moments of movies we have seen come out within the last couple of year that are breaking the mold.
Blaze follows the life of country-blues musician Blaze Foley told in three nonlinear sections. The first follows Blaze (Ben Dickey) recording a live album in a small honky tonk bar that he plans to send to Merle Haggard for him to hear his music but also the story of his life. While this is going on, we get look backs to the main story of the film which follows Blaze’s love affair with the love of his life Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat) and how she inspired him and his musical career for better or for worse. While this is going on, we are also cutting back to an interview with two of Blaze’s friends (Josh Hamilton and Charlie Sexton) that fills in the holes of the remaining parts of Blaze’s life. The information gathered in all three sections amount to a messy life full of heart break and despair but that is the point, Blaze’s life is not a perfect one, just like many artists before and after that have left this Earth. He comes from a family of alcoholics and broken hearts, led by his father, briefly played by Kris Kristofferson, who barely remembers who Blaze is unless Blaze is playing his music. His relationship with his sister is strained and that becomes a common theme for anyone that tries to get close to him in his life, leaving his songs as the only memories he has of Sybil and the time they had together.
The music is what defines Blaze and yet it is his downfall, causing it to lead to be his own destructive tornado and lose just about everything in his life. Just like Llewyn in that Coen Brother masterpiece, the decisions Blaze makes throughout his life haunt him and led him down a road where there wasn’t much coming back from. The two films are like wild brothers of each other but the thing that makes Blaze’s story more layered is that we get an origin story of how he became who he was in the scenes with Sybil in the tree house, the parts that were taken directly from Rosen’s novel for which the film was inspired by. We see how the man rises from nothing and give shown by the woman he loves that he can make it in this crazy world of music, only to see it backfire and lay to dust his chance of happiness in this world. His music was his weapon and his curse and we see that played out beautifully throughout the film.
Hawke, who earlier this year turned in one of the most thought provoking, transformative performances of the year in First Reformed, gets Dickey, a friend of Hawke’s for the last twenty years who had no acting credits to his name before making this film, to give one of the rawest performances I have seen someone give within film this year. Dickey brings all the emotional turmoil and devastation someone can go through within not being every good enough to get out of their own way and make music that Dickey must have struggled within his own musical experiences in order for it to feel so real on the screen. Dickey is helped by a mostly great screenplay by Hawke and Sybil Rosen, whose realistic approach to the character make it seamless for Dickey to step in and transform into this music legend. The supporting cast is pretty good but is mostly out shined by Sexton, who brings songwriting legend Townes Van Zandt to the screen with so much unpredictability, you have no idea where this performance is going to go next. Sexton, together with Dickey performance, elevated this film into a different conversation than standard music bio pics.
The direction and the editing are the unsung hero of this film, and with the films nonlinear structure, it could be really easy to lose track of the story but you never feel lost. You feel like you are in a more than capable hands which is a little unreal considering that Hawke really hasn’t directed a lot of films over his career. While at my screening, Hawke talked about being influenced a lot when making this film by the style of his longtime collaborator and friend Richard Linklater. His comments made a lot sense because of Linklater’s knack of character development and the master of making his characters feel as real as possible, which I felt a lot when watching this film. But while Hawke has made a very good film here, there is only one problem to it, and that the film doesn’t know how to end. The last twenty minutes of the film, while moving and heartbreaking, is a jumbled mess that does drag along for a while, leading me to wonder if they had multiple endings and just used them all. That being said, Blaze is a very unique story and experience and proves that Ethan Hawke doesn’t just have to act in order to impress audiences.
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This week on Episode 290 of the InSession Film Podcast, inspired by The Little Stranger, we thought it would be fun to talk about ghosts in film. Ghosts have been featured in many films over the years, and in many different forms, so narrowing down the list to three was a good challenge. It’s even more difficult when some of the best films the last 20 years are ghost story films. That said, here are our lists:
(Note: Please keep in mind that we each had different criteria for our selections)
JD:
1) The Devil’s Backbone
2) The Sixth Sense
3) A Ghost Story
Brendan:
1) The Devil’s Backbone
2) 1408
3) Casper
Josh:
1) The Haunting
2) Beetlejuice
3) Poltergeist
Honorable Mentions (Combined)
The Shining, The Orphanage, The Ring, It Follows, The Conjuring, Crimson Peak, The Babadook, Personal Shopper, Under the Shadow, The Innocents, The Others, Ghost, Ghostbusters, A Christmas Carol
Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. As noted above, ghosts have haunted audiences in films for a long time and there’s many films that we sadly passed over. That being said, what would be your Top 3? 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.
Director: Barry Jenkins
Writer: Barry Jenkins
Stars: Kiki Layne, Stephan James, Regina King
Synopsis: The film follows an African-American woman who sets out to clear the name of her wrongly-convicted husband and prove his innocence before the birth of their child.
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Blame unrealistic expectations, but I appear to be the lone contrarian who didn’t fall in love with Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to Moonlight. To say that I connected emotionally with the Oscar winning film is an understatement, so much so that I confessed to the woman sitting next to me in this morning’s If Beale Street Could Talk screening that she should prepare for me to make a spectacle of myself.
But watching his new film I felt…nothing. A few smiles and chuckles, but no emotional gasps and certainly no water works.
There’s no denying that Jenkins’ adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel about a pair of young lovers whose lives are derailed by a false arrest is exceptionally well-made and, sadly, extremely topical for modern times. Childhood sweethearts Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) have got their whole lives ahead of them – they’re about the move into their first real home together and Tish is secretly pregnant – when Fonny is falsely accused of rape and incarcerated. The details of the case are explained by Tish in voice over with accompanying pictures and maps, and it’s immediately evident that Fonny could not have been involved and he’s been unfairly targeted by a racist criminal justice system. The rest of the film details Tish and her family’s attempts to free him from jail, while in flashbacks we see how Tish and Fonny’s relationship developed prior to the inciting incident.
Jenkins’ script is smart, funny and frank and his directorial work is even better. If Beale Street Could Talk has a lived-in period-realistic feeling that isn’t overdone (set design and costumes, particularly Tish’s, are immaculate) and Jenkins knows exactly how to shoot his actors to imbue the film with a sense of intimacy. The first time that Tish and Fonny make love in his Bank St basement apartment during a rain storm is among the most romantic scenes of the year – perfectly paced, sensuous and ably capturing the awkwardness and anticipation of pre- and post-coital encounters.
And yet…
Both of the young leads are good, but they’re not on par with the performances in Moonlight. There’s no Mahershala Ali in this film; no Janelle Monae, Ashton Saunders, Trevante Rhodes or Andre Holland. None of the performances bowled me over, or made me tear up. As much as I care for Tish and Fonny, I wasn’t incredibly invested in their success as a couple and that’s a huge issue. Beale Street fails to envelop the audience in their romance or their plight; as a result the film is more of a social issues film, drawing conflict from the troubling social and racial implications. Whereas Moonlight embedded its social conscience around homophobia, internalized hatred and coming out into its narrative, Beale Street keeps them divorced.
As the film progresses the focus in both timelines turns primarily to Fonny’s arrest and incarceration. This makes sense narratively, but foregrounds the social injustice elements of the film and not the characters. There’s a need for more quiet moments, like when Tish’s father Joseph (Colman Domingo) holds his daughter’s head to his chest to soothe her morning sickness, and fewer sojourns with Regina King to Puerto Rico to track down a key witness for the defense. And I say this as someone who might as well be the President of the Regina King fan club!
Virtually every other critic has praised Beale Street for its technical and emotional mastery, so I am well aware that I am in the minority. And don’t get me wrong: it is a good film. It’s just not a great film. Perhaps it’s simply best to go into the new film without expectations, rather than continually wait for it to reach the same apex as its predecessor because unfortunately If Beale Street Could Talk is no Moonlight.
Grade: B
This week’s episode is brought to you by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase today!
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Josh Parham from Next Best Picture joins us to discuss The Little Stranger and our Top 3 ghost story films! JD also gives his thoughts on Searching and Juliet, Naked.
Big thanks to Josh for joining us, it was a pleasure to finally get him on the show. We are big fans of his work over at NBP and he did not disappoint. Thankfully, because our featured review this week was full of disappointments. Despite that though, we had a lot of fun talking ghost story films and the potential of The Little Stranger.
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: The Little Stranger (4:56)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Writer: Lucinda Coxon, Sarah Waters (novel)
Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter
– Notes / JD Reviews (43:58)
As mentioned above, since JD missed out on last week’s Extra Film, he gave his thoughts on Searching, starring John Cho, and the romantic-comedy Juliet, Naked, starring Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke.
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– Top 3 Ghost Story Films (1:00:26)
Ghosts have been featured in many films over the years, and in many different forms, so narrowing down the list to three was a good challenge. It’s even more difficult when some of the best films the last 20 years are ghost story films. That said, what would be your Top 3?
Top 3 Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast
– Music
To Hundreds – Stephen Rennicks
Malcolm is Dead – James Newton Howard
Casper’s Lulliby- James Horner
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson
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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 290
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Main Review: The Predator
Top 3: TBD
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Featured: ‘Peppermint’ and ‘The Predator’ are great examples of what’s still wrong with Hollywood
How do we live in a world where movies like Predator and Peppermint are green lit?
Hollywood should be dedicating their time to promoting projects which celebrate our diverse world rather than pushing releases which perpetuate hurtful stereotypes. Instead of celebrating the strength of the female characters we’ve seen in 2018, we are forced to endure poorly written attempts and capturing previously found glory. If you enjoy stereotypes and trope ridden moments are what make you smile then look no further than these two films.
For example, in Predator, Director Shane Black cast Olivia Munn as Dr. Casey Bracket in what appears to be an attempt by Black to show a woman in an empowering role. It doesn’t take very long for audiences to see that she was cast to be the object of ridicule and nothing more. When Munn’s character isn’t being portrayed as the butt of the joke, she’s flaunted on screen in the most provocative way possible. There is a sequence in the film where Munn’s character is trying to escape the predator’s onslaught and gets caught in a decontamination unit and rather than have her sprint right through it; they have had her strip down which leads to the monster just walking by. What exactly does having her character strip serve towards advancing the plot? If this is supposed to be an action movie then why not have her kick the Predator’s ass? Was this just a misstep or precisely what Black had intended?
Then there is how they handle Rory.
Pretty early on in the film, they make it abundantly clear that he has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) but rather than have some level of authenticity to the role, Black opted to “Hollywood” the neurological condition. So instead of having an example for kids to potentially look up to who have ASD, The Predator creates this false idea about the condition. We even find out that The Predator is interested in harvesting Rory (the boy with ASD) as he might be the next step in evolution (eye roll). Mix in a 1/4 of the movie rife with one-liners aimed at making light of the band of heroes who have some psychological issues and that we have a film that spends a great deal of time making fun of people with neurological and psychological problems. Is this the type of narratives we want to see coming out of Hollywood? If the idea was to create an action film intended to be an homage to the original Predator, then I’m all for it. However, if in our quest to recapture nostalgia we’ve decided it’s okay to demean women and make light of issues which are serious then count me out!
One positive that I can say about The Predator is at least they didn’t perpetuate any racial stereotypes like director Pierre Morel’s Peppermint.
Morel’s latest project constructs its storyline around these gross concepts and perpetuates a reality which is far-fetched at best. In Peppermint, 98% of the Hispanic characters are in some way associated with some form of crime. To make matters worse, every single female Hispanic character was either scantily clad or serving their man drinks (some with evidence of being beaten). What message does this send? Is this reflective of our world?
To make matters worse, he ends up casting Indian and Korean families as shop owners as shop owners. Did Morel feel that they weren’t capable of anything else? While there’s certainly a need to suspend disbelief when seeing these pictures, at what point do you try to do some semblance of the right thing?
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Hear our review of The Predator on Episode 291: