'The Story of Film: A New Generation' Is a Must-Watch For Any Movie Lover
Jordan Peele's Nope packed a lot of themes into its 2-hour 10-minute runtime. Some themes were more obvious (human attempts to control uncontrollable forces), while others were more subtextual (filmmaking as a tool to shape our understanding of cultures). Like any good film, different themes will resonate with different people for different reasons. Various perspectives and takeaways further fuel the post-screening conversation, which can lead to a broadening of world views or start a fiery discourse on #FilmTwitter. Either way, there is a passion that lingers with the audience because, in one way or another, they have been affected by what they saw on screen. That's the power that Jordan Peele and countless other filmmakers harness when they make a movie.
This effect that cinema has on us is at the heart of filmmaker and critic Mark Cousins' epic documentary, The Story of Film: A New Generation. With a runtime of just under 3 hours, Cousins follows up his previously released miniseries The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) by compiling some of the best moments in film history to prove how cinema is continuing to innovate year after year.
The film pays homage to legends of the past by opening with a beautiful monologue praising Singin' in the Rain's Stanley Donen, The Piano's Jane Campion, Varda par Agnès' Agnès Varda, and other auteurs we cinephiles hold in high regard. "Who are their equivalents in the 21st Century?" Cousins asks somewhat rhetorically, as we revisit clips and scenes from some of the most revered classic and contemporary films of all time.
Cousins' main thesis statement is expressed by showing how different film genres have evolved over time. The structure of modern Musicals, Slow Cinema, and Action films are compared to films of the past, proving that filmmakers are not reinventing the wheel as much as they are building upon it. It can be argued that George Miller's Mad Max took inspiration from Buster Keaton's The General. Todd Phillips' Joker is more similar to Disney's Frozen than ever imagined. Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Cemetery of Splendor and Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women tell the same tale, through different lenses.
Cinema is always finding new ways of reinventing itself. Whether it be visually with the integration of sophisticated AI as seen in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, or thematically by breaking the rules of genre like Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin – which blended the boundaries between documentary and narrative – The Story of Film: A New Generation proves that film is not dead.
The Story of Film: A New Generation is now playing in New York, Los Angeles, and select additional cities, followed by a digital release on all major platforms on Tuesday, September 20. This compelling new documentary will arrive on DVD on Tuesday, October 18.
'Bodies Bodies Bodies' is a Cringey, Yet Crucial, Part of the Gen Z Cinematic Universe
Where to Watch: Bodies Bodies Bodies is playing at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DTLA, AMC Theaters, and more. Now playing at Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA.
Bodies Bodies Bodies has been out in theaters for almost a month now. Shortly after its release, the film found itself at the center of juicy #FilmTwitter internet gossip when lead actor Amandla Stenberg called out NYT culture critic Lena Wilson for her controversial take that reduced the film to a “95-minute advertisement for cleavage”. The aftermath of that statement has certainly drawn more attention to the film (and there's no such thing as bad PR, as the old saying goes), but what's been fascinating about seeing this unfold is how eerily on brand the whole discourse is. Here are two people with "Main Character Energy" unabashedly expressing their critiques and clapbacks through social media for validation from the invisible audience they're trying to win over.
Without even realizing it, Stenberg and Wilson's actions are like an extension of Bodies Bodies Bodies' thesis statement of cancel culture (as of writing this, Wilson's Twitter account has been deactivated), the desperation for acceptance among peers, and how social media has the power to divide us all.
It's hard to feel empathy for a group of entitled 20-somethings with so much disposable income and so little self-awareness, so the right approach to have when watching this film is to laugh at, not with, the characters. Sophie (Stenberg) and her new girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) arrive a couple of days late to the highly anticipated "Hurricane Party" at her friend's vacant mansion in the woods, but their timing turns out to be just right as they narrowly avoid the big storm. Quickly after Sophie and Bee's arrival, the weather changes and forces the entire group inside to partake in drugs, booze, food, and more drugs.
Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson round out the friend group, each adding their own quirky personality traits to the characters. Sennott's dramatic over-acting steals the show while Davidson doesn't do much acting at all in his role as "David" (lol), which will either excite or annoy his fans. His screen time is minimal in comparison to the rest of the cast, so it's puzzling that he seems to have been the focal point of the film's campaign- further evidenced by the film's header picture on its landing page on the A24 website. Davidson's good for a few laughs with his natural comedic timing but overall isn't as well utilized as one would have assumed. But I digress...
Stuck inside the house for an undetermined amount of time, the friends decide to play a game of Bodies Bodies Bodies. The rules are similar to the game Mafia but in BBB, every round begins by randomly slapping your neighbor in the face, a move that we all know will only lead to heightened tension among those with repressed anger issues and emotional angst (aka all of them). The fun party game quickly turns into a real-life game of Clue when David is found dead – throat slit – and no one knows who did it or why. As they try to figure out just what the hell is going on, the friends slowly turn into frenemies and begin to question everything and everyone, especially the new girl, Bee. Who is she, really? And going one step further, how well do you really know your best friends?
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a masterclass of self-awareness when it comes to the "style over substance" archetype. Directed by Halina Reijn with a screenplay by Sarah DeLappe, the intentional cringe of overly-woke vocabulary and everyone's fragile egos can be challenging to digest, even for a dark comedy, but it does fit squarely into the Gen Z cinematic universe.
So, is Bodies Bodies Bodies a film that needs to be seen in theaters? Not necessarily. In fact, I believe this film would be best enjoyed at home with friends and an alcoholic beverage or two of your choice. It's lighthearted fun for the most part until you realize that behind the campy and provocative moments is the horrifying reality that stories like this happen in the real world all the time, Bodies Bodies Bodies becomes more of a twisted cautionary tale for the social media obsessed.
'Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul' is a Flashy Satire of Organized Religion
Where to Watch: Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul opens this Friday in select theaters, including Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DTLA, AMC Americana, and more.
One of the more light-hearted films to shine at this year's Sundance Film Festival comes from writer-director Adamma Ebo and her producing partner and twin, Adanne. The sisters' feature debut, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul, is a flashy satire that pokes fun at the extravagant facade of organized religion and celebrity within a Southern Baptist megachurch.
Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown) is an outgoing man who leads a congregation of thousands at his megachurch, "Wander To Greater Paths." Or, used to lead, anyway. As the film opens, it's revealed that his not-so-angelic past has come back to haunt him.
In order to regain the trust of his community, Pastor Childs has enlisted the help of a documentary crew to chronicle his redemption journey; one that he calls his "ultimate comeback."
Regina Hall stars as Trinitie Childs in HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Steve Swisher / © 2021 Pinky Promise LLC
Not thrilled with the situation she finds herself in is his wife–the first lady of the church–Trinitie Childs (Regina Hall). Her willingness to participate in the documentary is comically dense at first, stating to the camera crew, "I have been blessed with some beautiful Prada!," completely unaware of how unnecessarily flamboyant a statement that is.
Trinitie and Pastor Childs work together to put on a united front for the cameras with the forced smiles of pageant contestants. They're committed to making their redemption story as emotionally seductive as possible, but their faith in the documentary–as well as their own marriage–gets put to the test many times along the way.
Adamma and Adanne use humor to portray the ugly truth that not all who preach from the pulpit are free from sin. The creative decision to shoot partially in faux-documentary style contributes to its overarching comedic tone. Watching Sterling K. Brown ham it up to the cameras in one moment and then drop the facade in the narrative storyline draws a chuckle every time. His character is the epitome of how Michael Scott from The Office would look running a Southern Baptist megachurch.
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul is a sharp comedy that soars on the backs of Brown and this year's Sundance darling, Regina Hall. Their acting talents are on full display here, unobstructed by the fluff that films with bigger production budgets can easily distract from. The strength of the humble yet ambitious script was inspired by Ebo's own experience growing up in megachurch culture in Atlanta, Georgia. With this personal insight, the film captures a complex issue at the heart of organized religion but tells it in a way that makes it accessible and enjoyable for everyone who's interested in attending.
This review originally ran during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
'Three Minutes: A Lengthening' Gives Life Back to the Ghosts of the Past
Where to Watch: Three Minutes: A Lengthening opens this Friday at Laemmle Royal with additional theatrical engagements to follow.
It's the genuine spark that lights up the faces of nearly 150 men, women, and children as they look directly into David Kurtz's camera lens, that hurts the most in hindsight. It was a fleeting moment during David's sightseeing trip to Poland in 1938 and, if anything, he was inconvenienced by the crowd's presence in his shot. He wanted to capture the beautiful architecture of the city but was instead met with curious faces and locals from the community infiltrating his framing. David captured roughly three minutes of footage here before continuing on his trip. Little did anyone know that a short time later, most of the people that David got on film that day would be dead.
Writer/director Bianca Stigter gives life and dignity back to those in David's footage in the gripping documentary, Three Minutes: A Lengthening. Narrated by Helena Bonham Carter and co-produced by Steve McQueen, the film contains the only moving images that exist of the Jewish inhabitants of Nasielsk, Poland before the Holocaust.
Glenn Kurtz, David's grandson, spent four arduous years attempting to identify the people in his grandfather's images. His search spanned various countries, film preservation laboratories, and even an abandoned Luftwaffe airfield, which he details throughout the film. Acting as part film historian and part detective, Glenn narrows down key details in the grainy footage that ultimately end up leading him to a precise location: Nasielsk, Poland. His search yielded tangible results too, as he was able to locate seven living survivors, one of whom contributes to the film.
Distributed by Super LTD, Three Minutes: A Lengthening is a powerful portrait of the lives lost and a poignant celebration of the power of film. With only three minutes of archival footage in total, Bianca Stigter creatively stretches and humbly manipulates the images to create a 70-minute feature that is ripe with emotional depth.
In a similar style to Dawson City: Frozen Time, Three Minutes: A Lengthening keeps the memory of the dead alive by preserving the last known artifact of their existence.
Jeremy W. Bullock Shares Track From 'I Love My Dad'
What would you do if you discovered that your dad had catfished you? Instead of the pretty girl you thought you were talking to via Facebook message, it was actually your estranged father desperately trying to get back into your life by any means necessary. For writer/director James Morosini, he wrote a screenplay, starring himself, about his truly bizarre real-life experience. Cinemacy watched I Love My Dad at this year's SXSW Film Festival, and we weren't surprised when it won both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award. The film is a delicate mix of charming and cringe-worthy, the performances by Patton Oswalt and Morosini are authentically tight, and all of this is amplified by the percussion-driven, cheeky score by composer Jeremy W. Bullock.
Jeremy plays with the "cat and mouse" theme of the film by creating a score that feels both mischievous and forward-moving. It's often light and playful but also isn't afraid to get chaotic during some of the film's more uncomfortable moments, which there are plenty of! Bullock strikes all the right notes as he delicately finds the balance between the comedic and the awkward moments, and brings James' real-life experience to the big screen in such a thoughtful and charming way.
Cinemacy is excited to premiere “Hey Frankie”, from Magnolia Pictures' I Love My Dad, below:
“During the pandemic, as a way of escaping from the chaos that was going on in the world, I found myself heavily inspired by electronic ambient music that was coming out of Japan in the mid to late '80s," says Jeremy. "A lot of that music was made with Japanese synthesizers at the time that had a bunch of modeled percussion sounds on them (mallets, wood blocks, etc.) Playing around with sounds that were familiar yet artificial ended up being a huge part of the score for us”.
Director James Morosini comments, “This was a tricky film to score because we were aiming to create a very specific tonal blend. Playful and harrowing. Sincere and sarcastic. We spent hour after hour talking through the story and then finding sounds that reflected the emotional nuances of each moment. I hope folks who watch this film take a moment to appreciate the tremendous efforts of my good friend and collaborator Jeremy’s wonderful work.”
A songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jeremy is also a founding member of the indie rock band Wild Cub, which started in Nashville, TN alongside fellow composer Keegan DeWitt. In 2016, he relocated to Los Angeles in order to fully dedicate himself to working in music for film and TV, and has since gone on to score the upcoming docuseries for Hulu Who Is Private Dulaney, the HBO docuseries Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, the Netflix docuseries 7 Days Out, and more.
Saltwater Music is releasing the ‘I Love My Dad’ Original Motion Picture Score on Friday, August 19th. Listen to the album here.
‘I Love My Dad’ is now playing at the Alamo Drafthouse in LA, the Laemmle Monica Film Center, and Laemmle Claremont 5.
Stunning Eco-Thriller 'The Territory' Shows A Devastating Reality
This review originally ran on January 26, 2022, during the Sundance Film Festival
Where to watch: The Territory opens this Friday at the Laemmle Monica Film Center and AMC Burbank 16
Director Alex Pritz is a name you should familiarize yourself with because his film, The Territory, is one that you'll be hearing about throughout the year (it is, hands down, the strongest entry I've seen so far at this year's Sundance Film Festival). Equal parts heart-wrenching and poignant, The Territory uncovers the horrible reality and unjust hardships faced by the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe as they fight to save their livelihood deep within the Brazilian rainforest.
The level of access that Pritz has within the tribe is paramount to telling their story. The bond of trust between the Western film crew and indigenous people is deeply felt, as evidenced by how emotionally invested we become throughout the film.
When we first meet the Uru-eu-wau-wau community, they are desperate for help. The recent public support of land-grabbing by right-wing politician President Jair Bolsonaro puts their land, their homes, and their livelihood at risk of complete collapse. Deforestation at the hands of non-Native Brazilians, who equally feel as if they have a right to claim the land for their own endeavors, is proving to have environmentally and politically devastating results.
Helping represent the Uru-eu-wau-wau community in their fight for protection is environmental activist Neidinha. Her strength is unwavering, even when faced with death threats targeted at her and her daughter. Neidinha acts as a team of one serving one purpose: preserve the rainforest to keep the Uru-eu-wau-wau community safe.
Like any good investigative work, we're also given a countering perspective on the territory debate by a man who claims the land is his livelihood, too. Sergio is a farmer who dreams of owning and operating his own plot of land. His intentions are good, he plays by the rules, but that can't be said for everyone he associates with in his newly formed fraternity called "The Association of Indigent Farmers." While Sergio understands the territory divide, other men brazenly encroach into Uru-eu-wau-wau territory, setting fire to the wildlife without care or concern.
Co-produced by the Uru-eu-wau-wau community (and Darren Aronofsky, among others), The Territory is a masterful output from all involved. Staying true to Alex Pritz's participatory filmmaking model, he literally gives cameras to members in the tribe to document their experience on the frontlines, which he edits into his own footage. It's this unique, otherwise unattainable, point of view that gives the film its power, never once feeling exploitive or overdramatized.
The most powerful weapon here is the camera. Both Pritz and the Uru-eu-wau-wau community agree that the government's failure to intervene early on has caused irrevocable damage, and it is up to them to get their story told. The media attention from this story has already started to create a buzz in their native Brazil–as seen in the film–but the struggle is far from over.
The Territory, which was acquired by National Geographic during the festival, is an urgent call to action and the least we can do to raise awareness about this ongoing, deadly conflict is to talk about it, recommend it, and watch it. The future of the Uru-eu-wau-wau community, and the natural world, depends on it.
86 min.
In 'Ali & Ava,' Lonely Hearts Seek Love
This review originally ran on September 23, 2021 during TIFF.
I first became aware of acclaimed English director Clio Barnard Barnard after I saw her debut narrative feature The Selfish Giant at AFI FEST in 2013. In fact, I considered it to be the breakout film of the festival that year. Her latest film, Ali & Ava, is a cinematic epiphany of what Barnard does best. A working-class, middle-aged love story birthed from loneliness, Ali & Ava brings dynamic visuals, a fiery soundtrack, and an outsider's perspective on life to the big screen.
Related: 'The Selfish Giant' Review: Clio Barnard’s First Film is a Powerhouse
The film is set in a small community in England where Ali (Adeel Akhtar) and Ava (Claire Rushbrook) co-exist. Ali is a British Pakistani small-time landlord whose connections he forges with his tenets fill the void in his life where his failing marriage used to be. Ava, a single mother of five, is a teacher at the local children's school where she feels the most fulfilled since her relationship with her adult children is strained, leaving her maternal instincts in shambles. Both with a sense of longing for something more, Ali and Ava strike up a friendship after their paths cross serendipitously.
First bonding over their passion for (and extremely different tastes in) music–Ali loves the Buzzcocks, Ava prefers Bob Dylan– the lionhearted duo's connection grows deeper the more time they spend together. Both warm and sensitive people, Ali and Ava become more comfortable in expressing their most vulnerable thoughts with each other. This quickly leads both to develop strong feelings for one another, but emotionally complex and traumatic hurdles prove difficult to navigate as they pursue a romantic relationship.
As soon as I saw the opening shot of Ali & Ava, I knew this film was something special. The vibrancy, the pulsating beat, and the erratic dancing all culminated into such a powerful visual that I literally haven't stopped thinking about days later. Quite similar to how Monos has been imprinted into my brain since 2019. Stunning cinematography by Ole Bratt Birkeland and an energizing soundtrack (shoutout to Sylvan Esso's "Radio") portray a realistic depiction of two lonely English folks who just want to be seen. Supported by the fiercely affecting performances from Adeel and Claire, Ali & Ava is a truly special and untraditional love story.
'Resurrection': Rebecca Hall Unravels in Unsettling, Gripping Thriller
There are films that claim to be "heady psychodramas," but as soon as the title credits roll, warrant little more than an apathetic shrug. Then there are films that sneak up on you, drowning you in total cinematic dread and unease. Andrew Semans's Resurrection, starring Rebecca Hall, is the latter.
If you're looking for a movie that will give you more than the creeps and leave you shaken by the tour-de-force performances from its lead actors, then keep Resurrection on your radar.
Margaret (Rebecca Hall) is a biotech professional and single mother, and clearly has an anxious attachment to her daughter Abbie (Grace Kaufman). Margaret insists that it's just typical motherly concern, but staunchly independent Abbie is still annoyed. However, when Margaret's former partner David (Tim Roth) unexpectedly reappears in her life two decades after their last meeting, her increasing paranoia immediately disrupts her and her daughter's lives.
Why is David here? What does he want? Resurrection doesn't make these things immediately clear. The film turns into a brutal game of cat and mouse, and handheld camera movements heighten the intensity.
We soon find that Margaret isn't entirely innocent here, though. In fact, she's not the most redeemable of protagonists once we learn of David's backstory and her involvement in it. Her decision to withhold her lifelong secrets from her daughter causes confusion and growing resentment. Further, hiding this ongoing threat from her co-workers derails her performance at work. Keeping this secret is causing Margaret to slowly unravel into a pile of anxiety and fear, and Rebecca Hall does a soul-shattering job of conveying Margaret's out-of-control insanity.
The more Resurrection builds, the more David's history of physical and psychological torture is also revealed, further adding to the overall suspense. He turns into a narcissistic, controlling blackmailer right before our eyes–but this behavior is something that Margaret knew all along.
Director Andrew Semans doesn't let the audience off easy, though. The ending is both completely unhinged and totally satisfying. Resurrection is reminiscent of Titane in a myriad of ways (including its score by composer Jim Williams who recently worked on Ducournau's body horror film). But also, for reasons of unexpected (inhuman) life forms that may play a role in the story.
Dark, deranged, and wildly surreal, Resurrection is a stunning psychological thriller that lingers. Backed by gripping performances by Hall and Roth–whose dynamic is unmatched–this is one film that will be hard to shake.
'Resurrection' was acquired by IFC Films and Shudder during the Sundance Film Festival.