Inside
Willem Dafoe puts on a one-man show in the tragically dismal psychological thriller, Inside. Greek filmmaker Vasilis Katsoupis makes a bold directorial debut here, poking holes in the perception of affluence within the art world and its superficial meaning when compared to life itself. Starring Willem Dafoe in the role of a lifetime – who acts alone for nearly the entire film – Inside offers high-concept commentary on the meaning of art and what happens when we devoid it of context.
Cats die. Music fades. But art is for keeps. This is the mantra that justifies the actions of Nemo (Dafoe), a member of an art thief ring who has successfully broken into the temporarily vacant NYC penthouse of an ultra-wealthy art collector. Remembering a prompt he was given as a schoolboy about what he would save from a house fire, Nemo recalls putting the priority on his sketchbook, not on his parents. Fast forward to today, Nemo is hurriedly pulling paintings and memorabilia off of the apartment's towering walls as his partner, only heard from through a walkie-talkie, gives him a minute-by-minute countdown. Nemo has millions of dollars worth of artwork in his bag. Everything has gone according to plan. That is until the high-tech security system is accidentally triggered and locks Nemo inside the palatial apartment.
After a frantic effort to disable the alarm's blinding lights and screeching alerts, the reality of the situation sets in. His partner – scared off by the misstep – abandons him. The museum quality doors won't open. There is no exit in sight. Also, the apartment's temperature system has been wrecked, and uncontrollably raises the interior up degree by degree. With food scarce and the water supply cut, Nemo is sweating out more of his sanity with every hour that passes. It's funny; on the one hand, literally, he is worth millions of dollars. But what good is it to be a millionaire when you're dead?
For a film about extravagance, it's fairly minimal in its execution. Willem Dafoe gives a tour de force performance and holds nothing back, his malnourished frame getting more obvious as the days pass with little to no food or water. By watching Inside, we're witnessing a man unravel from the inside; going from sensible to insane in a matter of days (or weeks, it's purposefully ambiguous). Dafoe's execution of a psychological mental is extraordinary, never once feeling forced or untrue. Paired with the airy, unnerving score by Frederik Van de Moortel, the increasingly frenetic energy gets absorbed by the audience. I caught myself taking shallow breaths during heightened moments of tension multiple times.
Despite this being a film about the disillusionment of art, its gorgeousness is still something to swoon over. The architecture, spacial awareness, interior design, and gallery walls would no doubt be featured among Architectural Digest's most-watched home tours. There's also an abstract beauty to the film in the way director Vasilis Katsoupis plays with sound and space. Reverberations and sporadic moments of deafness in the music edit combined with the rich and dramatic lighting foreshadow the space's stronghold over Nemo, and its ability to destroy him.
Inside is isolation insanity at its peak while simultaneously shining a light on the dark side of luxury. Despite its gritty and suffocating nature, this is one of the most beautifully meditative films on materialism that I've seen in a long time.
Distributed by Focus Features. Opening in theaters this Friday. For times and locations, click here.
Nainita Desai Debuts Track From 'Villeneuve Pironi'
Betrayal is one of the cornerstones of filmmaker Torquil Jones' upcoming documentary about one of the sports world's most tragic events. And who better to encapsulate this frenetic, invigorating energy and put it into music than Jones' past collaborator, the Emmy-winning composer Nainita Desai?
Having last worked together on the Primetime Emmy and Grierson-nominated Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, Desai jumps into the driver's seat of the multi-award-winning director's latest project, Villeneuve Pironi for Sky TV in the UK.
Villeneuve Pironi tells the story of two supremely gifted Ferrari F1 drivers, forever torn apart by a historic and hugely controversial moment in time. In this epic story, friendship, duplicity, ambition, and honor all collide at racing speeds. Told through compelling interviews by both the Villeneuve and Pironi families, a friendship becomes a rivalry and a rivalry becomes a tragedy in this Shakespearean tale, told – for the very first time – by those who were closest to the men involved.
Cinemacy is excited to premiere the track "The Betrayal - End Credits" from Villeneuve Pironi
A pulsating electronic beat – which could quickly be mistaken for a heartbeat – sets the tone at the onset of the score. As the tension builds, the inclusion of orchestral strings adds another layer of mysticism and passion. This nod to the documentary's larger themes of unpredictability and intrigue within the score is both subtle and imperative; Nainita has smartly designed her sound with this experimental, deeply immersive approach in mind.
"I wanted to create something almost operatic with 'The Betrayal', says Nainita. "It is the emotional culmination of the friendship with a dramatic twist that takes place over the course of a thrilling race. On top of the energy, propulsive earthy percussion floats a strong melody that has gravitas and elegance followed by a counter melody that eventually takes over. It emulates the real-life rivalry between Gilles and Didier and the outcome of the race.”
Nainita continues to expand her reputation as an in-demand composer within the industry. Her previous score for the documentary The Reason I Jump was highly regarded throughout the awards circuit, winning the News and Documentary Emmy in the Outstanding Music Composition category and landing nominations at the British Independent Film Awards and the Cinema Eye Honors. In addition to film scores, she also has a long list of credits in the television and video game space. Her next film, The Deepest Breath, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in collaboration with A24, Ventureland, Motive Films, and RAW, and is set to be released later this year.
"Villeneuve Pironi" (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will be released on digital platforms from Sky Music this Friday, March 17th.
Icelandic Composer and Filmmaker Kira Kira Debuts 'We The Lightnings'
A score is the heartbeat of a film; the smallest of nuances in a key change or the inclusion of certain instruments or effects can alter how one perceives the story being told. It can be hard for a filmmaker to get their vision to translate sonically, but not for Kristìn Björk Kristjánsdòttir. Kristìn – who goes by the name Kira Kira – dually operates as both the director and composer in her short animated film We The Lightnings, a tenderly told story about the healing power of love, friendship, music, and nature when a person comes undone.
We The Lightnings is made up of dreamlike hybrid animation with art from Oscar nominee Sara Gunnarsdóttir (My Year of Dicks). The film revolves around Nua, a young woman who returns to her birthplace in rural Iceland, a sanctuary at the end of the road where her friends have gathered for a letting go ritual in honor of her mother’s passing. Music, performed by an ensemble of Icelandic musicians who appear in the film and play on the score, serves as the welcoming embrace that catches Nua on her arrival back home after her life has spiraled out of control.
Cinemacy is excited to premiere the title track from We The Lightnings.
The dreamy atmospheric vocals with lullaby-like melodies feel like a warm hug by a cozy fire. It immediately transports the audience to a safe place, one where we are given permission to feel our raw emotions and complicated feelings. Through her score, Kira Kira connects with the sense of grasping for tangible connection, only to realize that the most precious gifts of all – time, love, and memory – can never be held. It's the feeling of letting go that so beautifully resonates throughout the track We The Lightnings, its ethereal nature as precious as life itself.
"The music I wrote for We The Lightnings is an act of love for that which remains with us at times of loss," says Kira Kira. "So rather than lamenting what or those who have passed, I like to gently move on in the certainty that love does not die. Music is energy and keeping a sacred space of clarity around it is paramount to me. That does not mean articulating why or explaining how. It is just a filtering system that only lets love through. I hope the music beams some sense of wonder and comfort out there."
Born in Reykjavik, Kristìn comes from a background of experimental ambient music and soundscapes. In 1999, she founded the music collective/label Kitchen Motors with guitarist Hilmar Jensson and the late, great composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. In 2011, Kristìn's first film Grandma Lo-fi won the sound & vision award at CPH DOX and screened at MoMA, SXSW, IFFR, and hundreds of international film festivals. In addition to film scoring, Kristìn has recorded 5 solo albums that have been released internationally on various labels, including Berlin's Morr Music, Tokyo's After hours, California's Time Released Sound, and Iceland’s Smekkleysa.
“We The Lightnings” (Original Film Soundtrack) will be released on digital platforms and 10” vinyl from Reykjavik Record Shop this Friday, March 10th.
Our Favorite Moments from the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Last Saturday, Cinemacy returned to the giant tent on the Santa Monica beach to celebrate the 38th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards.
The event has become a mainstay throughout awards season for its total dedication to celebrating independent storytellers, and always attracts top talent who recognize the importance of keeping indie film alive. This year brought new changes too, including the switch to gender-neutral acting categories ("Best Actor/Actress" became "Best Lead Performance"), a distribution shift from being broadcast live on the IFC channel to IMDb.com, and – perhaps most impressively – Everything Everywhere All At Once's near awards sweep. With the Academy Awards only days away, the Spirit Awards have had a history of predicting who will walk away with an Oscar on Sunday. Keep reading for highlights from this year's awards show, as well as where you can watch the winners.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
This is no doubt the darling of awards season, racking up seven total trophies at this year's awards show including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Lead, Supporting, and Breakthrough Performance, and Best Editing. Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the film stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis in roles that are guaranteed to take you through the full spectrum of emotion. The logline is simple: an exhausted Chinese American woman can't seem to finish her taxes. But this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the absurdist comedy's unexpected depths, its unmatched genius vision, and unforgettable pop cultural moments (hot dog fingers, Raccacoonie, everything bagel). You can rent Everything Everywhere All At Once on iTunes and Amazon, now streaming on Showtime.
Aftersun
It's hard to believe that Aftersun is director Charlotte Wells' first feature. The mastery of craft and the confidence to let her actors, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, explore their characters on screen is something that usually comes with years of experience. It's no surprise that the Best First Feature award went to Wells, who generously shared the honor with her filmmaking crew. Aftersun tells the story of a young, single father and his daughter on holiday before she is set to return to her mother's house and start up the school year. Wells so effortlessly captures the innocence of childhood memories and the unbreakable bond between father and daughter. Aftersun still remains among Cinemacy's favorite films of 2023, and clearly, the rest of the independent film community agrees. We're all excited to follow Wells' career and are looking forward to seeing what she does next. Aftersun is available to rent on Apple TV and Amazon.
Women Talking
Director Sarah Polley and her incredible cast of actors took home the Robert Altman award for best ensemble. Sarah and her casting director John Buchan, who also happens to be her brother, accepted the honor by acknowledging the strength and power of the women who turned Miriam Toews' novel into a force of nature on screen. Women Talking tells the story of a group of women within an isolated religious community who grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith. Starring Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, and Frances McDormand. Women Talking is available to rent on Apple TV and Amazon.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Winner of Best Documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a standout, revelatory addition to the growing number of films raising awareness around the opioid crisis. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) uses her gifts as a documentarian to tell the story of renowned photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose mission has become to seek justice against the Sackler family, the pharmaceutical dynasty who was greatly responsible for the opioid epidemic's unfathomable death toll. Interweaving rare footage and intimate interviews, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a tough watch told in a tender way. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is streaming on DirectTV, available to rent on Amazon and YouTube.
God's Time
The chaotic energy of New York City is bottled up, shaken, and set to explode in writer-director Daniel Antebi's offbeat comedy, God's Time. The first-time filmmaker tells the tale of two addicts on a misguided mission to stop the murder of their mutual crush's ex-boyfriend. It's messy, but so is life sometimes! God's Time is not for the sensitive viewer. Its lighthearted look at sobriety mixed with tongue-in-cheek humor about addiction woes make for an at-times uncomfortable watch but it's obvious that Antebi doesn't try to play this dark comedy safe.
Addiction comes in many forms, and for best friends Dev (Ben Groh) and Luca (Dion Costelloe), it's the embodiment of Regina (Liz Caribel Sierra). Regina is a fellow recovering addict and the source of their shared infatuation. A topic that comes up a lot during their recovery meetings is Regina's passionate hatred of her ex-boyfriend (rightfully so–he stole her dog, after all).
Her flippant comment of saying she wants to kill him is usually followed by "In God's time," a semi-morbid sentiment that implies he has death coming to him soon enough. But when Regina leaves out that three-word foreshadowing during one outburst, Dev and Luca are convinced that this was her premature confession. And so, they take it upon themselves to stop a crime that hasn't yet been committed.
For fans of Jobe'z World, Zola, or any Safdie Brothers-adjacent film, God's Time has similar tonal energy. Dev continuously breaks the 4th wall and addresses the audience, keeping us up to speed on their thought processes (no matter how bizarre). It's fast-paced and hip, fitting squarely into the growing category of films for the Euphoria crowd.
Daniel Antebi's unique perspective on recovery is a welcomed one, as he allows audiences to find humor in the darkest of places. He offers us the opportunity to laugh with the characters as they poke fun at the antiquated notion of trusting a higher power to fix your problems. Produced by Topic Studios, God's Time is an intoxicating serotonin hit that you'll want to chase.
Distributed by IFC Films. Opening at Laemmle Glendale and on VOD this Friday.
This review originally ran on June 22, 2022, during the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Or, in director Robert Machoian's case, if a man murders another man in a secluded nature preserve and no one sees it, is he guilty? Exploring themes of personal accountability and masculine fragility told through an intimate lens, The Integrity of Joseph Chambers is a methodical study of human behavior and the self-preservation tactics we default to when we fear the unknown.
Robert Machoian's previous feature film, 2020's Sundance-selected drama The Killing of Two Lovers, offered an introspective look into a fraught relationship from the perspective of a scorned ex-lover. Machoian once again re-teams with his lead actor Clayne Crawford (Hollywood Critics Association Award-nominee), who played the jilted ex in the slow-burn drama. That same ethos of exploring the darker sides of man's ability to rationalize hardships is very much on display here too, in his new film The Integrity of Joseph Chambers.
Here, Crawford plays Joseph Chambers, an insurance salesman who, despite being an inexperienced hunter, challenges himself to catch a deer. Believing that his manhood is on the line if he can't provide for his family with his "survivalist instincts," he disregards his wife's (Jordana Brewster) numerous attempts to get him to bring a friend along. After all, what if something happened and Joseph was out in the woods, alone?
The day starts out smoothly enough, Joseph eats his packed lunch and plays with his hunting rifle. However, things take a dark turn when he shoots at what he thinks is a deer, only to discover it was a man. This revelation causes Joseph to spiral, jumping between scenarios that involve burying the body and hiding the evidence to coming clean to the police. Either way, his life is forever changed.
This dilemma gives the film its psychologically thrilling roots. We're left to ponder – what would we do if we were Joseph? Director Robert Machoian does so much with so little; the setting is bare, and the film's entirety rests on Clayne Crawford's performance. But it is the combination of sound editing and score that gives the film life and much-needed emotional catharsis. Composer William Ryan Fritch crafts a hauntingly visceral sonic language that perfectly adds to the slow burn of the visuals. Rounding out the film's small but mighty impact are supporting actors Michael Raymond-James and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers is a psychologically impactful watch that faces an ugly truth. Are we really selfish beings, capable of lying and cheating when we think there are no consequences? Or does the thought of unraveling morality cause us to feel shame, making us own up to our mistakes? That's the chilling question at the center of this layered, pointedly crafted character study.
This review originally ran on June 14, 2022 during the Tribeca Film Festival
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures. 96 minutes. In Select Theaters and VOD on Friday, February 17th
The Good Nurse
A killer nurse's trajectory from doctor's scrubs to handcuffs is depicted in the eerie crime drama The Good Nurse (now streaming on Netflix). Based on the true story of Charlie Cullen's 16-year crime spree – which included the murder of at least 29 hospital patients and up to 400 additional victims – the film details the horrific events that led to his eventual arrest. Directed by Tobias Lindholm, whose previous credits include screenwriter on 2021's Oscar-winning film Another Round and writing the teleplay for one of Netflix's most binge-able crime series, Mindhunter.
Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne transforms himself into the 40-year-old sociopath Charlie Cullen. Having bounced around from hospital to hospital throughout his questionable tenure as an ICU nurse, he lands on the floor of a hospital in Central New Jersey in 2003. Here, he meets fellow ICU nurse Amy Loughren (Academy Award-winner Jessica Chastain), a compassionate woman and single mother of two whose own struggle with her health is becoming life-threatening. Amy immediately takes to Charlie's sweet disposition and kind nature, and his goodwill extends beyond that of just a colleague. Their relationship quickly goes from co-workers to friends, staying purely platonic but genuinely invested. However, Amy soon discovers that Charlie's projection of being a good guy isn't necessarily true for everyone he meets.
While initially optimistic about Charlie's addition to the hospital staff, his presence is overshadowed by the mysterious death of two patients. These unnatural circumstances lead the hospital's senior staff to involve state police and an external investigation into their causes of death is quickly launched. The two detectives assigned to the case, Danny Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha) and Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich), are immediately suspicious of the hospital's vow of secrecy and believe they are hiding behind loopholes in the law. When a light is cast on Charlie's sketchy employment history and possible involvement, the detectives reach out to Amy to see if they can crack the case, with her help, from the inside. Reluctant to believe that her friend is a murderer, seeds of doubt have already been planted and Amy takes it upon herself to risk their relationship, his future, and her life, to see that justice is served.
The Good Nurse does an especially good job of capturing the essence of feeling unsettled. Masterfully crafted to match the nature of the crimes, the film is deliberately paced so that the audience feels like they're uncovering Charlie's inconsistencies at the same time as Amy. Running just over 2 hours long, the film successfully builds suspense until the pressure cooker of intensity explodes at the very end, evidenced by Eddie Redmayne's remarkably powerful performance. His characterization of a serial killer is subtle yet undeniably haunting. In her role as an empathetic woman who finds herself struggling with mounting internal conflict, Jessica Chastain is the film's emotional vehicle. Her battle is internal yet we all clearly feel her plight, which is further explored through the film's soundtrack by ambient musician and composer, Biosphere.
Produced by Darren Aronofsky's production company Protozoa Pictures and FilmNation Entertainment, The Good Nurse is a thrilling watch that feels too surreal to be true. However, for as entertaining as it is to see onscreen, the lingering takeaway that not all service workers in uniform have good intentions is a dark realization that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.
2 hours 1 minute. Rated R for language. 'The Good Nurse' is now available to stream on Netflix.
Fingers in the Wind
Independent filmmaker Chad Murdock delicately crafts a tender story of love and longing in his feature-length directorial debut, Fingers in the Wind. This mystery/romance hybrid sets three Black and queer young adults front and center, in the midst of evolving relationship dynamics and memories of the past. Serving as director, writer, producer, and editor, Chad's preference for pastel visuals and restrained editing saturates the screen in a warm, artful way.
Set in a quaint section of NYC – untraditional to the majority of films set in the city – the audience can immediately settle into the film's calming atmosphere. A beautifully composed one-shot, running almost two minutes in length, foreshadows one of the film's defining themes: reflection. Opaque glass windows from the central location, a flower market, reflect a sort of optimism and newness stemming from the vibrant fresh flowers and active city streets. The protagonist, Young Man (Azendé Kendale Johnson), enters the frame and buys a bouquet of pink flowers, which will be prevalent throughout the rest of the film.
Meanwhile, two women Naya (Maya Holliday) and Faye (Taylor Brianna) are coming to terms with the end of their friendship. The reason for the breakup isn't immediately clear, only that their relationship has become "empty". Faye is heartbroken and quietly shocked at the drastic measure Naya has taken to sever ties. It's shortly after saying goodbye to her former friend when a vulnerable Faye comes across the young man from the flower shop, who she believes she recognizes from her past as Kenny. Coincidentally, he does not recognize her but their undeniable chemistry cannot be overlooked, so Faye chalks up her misremembering to the passage of time and continues to spend the rest of the day with him.
It's here when we start to realize that not everything is as it seems. After Faye confides in the man by sharing a deep-rooted secret of past trauma, the film takes a more surreal approach in its storytelling format. Like its title suggests, Fingers in the Wind encapsulates the feeling of trying to grasp onto something intangible, like a feeling or a moment in time. Confident performances from Taylor Brianna and Azendé Kendale Johnson, in particular, help guide the audience through the ambiguity of some of the film's more challenging scenes.
Fingers in the Wind is a measured, artful examination of friendship, memory, desires, and longing. At times, it feels reminiscent of a Shakespearean love story of courting, although it plays rather ambiguously which could hinder its universal audience appeal. However, it is an impressive debut from a new voice in cinema, especially one that's focused on Black, queer, coming-of-age stories.