'Babyteeth' Shows When Your Life is Ending, You're Free to Fall in Love With Your Local Drug Dealer
Eliza Scanlen plays a terminally sick teenager who, after accepting that her future has an unfair expiration date, decides to live out one of her last days with her family at the beach.
No, this isn't Greta Gerwig's Little Women (where Scanlen has found herself in this exact scenario before). This is a tender moment from director Shannon Murphy's quirky dramedy, Babyteeth.
This Australian-set, coming-of-age story centers around Milla (Scanlen), a single child to her self-medicating mother (Essie Davis) and therapist father (Ben Mendelsohn). After discovering that her cancer has returned, Milla embraces the You Only Live Once lifestyle by opening up and letting herself fall in love with the town's local drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace). His tough-guy exterior doesn't deter Milla from finding the softy inside, and together, Milla and Moses bring out the bold and beautiful in each other.
Babyteeth has an interesting editing cadence to it, reminiscent of a Greek Weird Wave dark comedy. It took me almost forty-five minutes to finally settle into the story, but once I did, I was hooked. The film is an exciting feature-length directorial debut from Shannon Murphy, assisted by strong performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Scanlen, who I hope is able to play a healthy leading lady soon!
The independent arthouse theatre, Arena Cinelounge, will be the first physical movie theater to open in Los Angeles and screen Babyteeth this Friday, June 19th. The film will also stream on VOD.
'Aviva' Breaks–No, Smashes–All Conventions Through the Beauty of Dance
Aviva is a surreal, dance-driven fever dream set against a Jewish-Israeli NYC backdrop of love, loneliness, and the yearning for growth. Breaking the fourth wall immediately and casually addressing this loose and transparent structure with confidence and ease, Aviva shouldn't work. But it does, and wonderfully.
What starts out as a promising long-distance relationship becomes much more complex when French-living Aviva – played by both Zina Zinchenko (and at times by Or Schraiber) – moves to New York City to be with the man she loves, Eden (played by Tyler Phillips, and at times Bobbie Jene Smith). The protagonists, at times, are played by both a man and a woman, interchangeably swapping genders in the middle of scenes. The masculine and feminine qualities within every person are given a physical body here, showing how we all are gender-fluid when it comes to expressing emotions and navigating through life. The rest of the film is just as poignant, including entire scene-long monologues, naked interpretive dance, and beautiful cinematography.
Aviva is a groundbreaking production from Boaz Yakin, who is probably better known as the director of the Denzel Washington football drama Remember The Titians or the Brittany Murphy/Dakota Fanning comedy Uptown Girls. Aviva is nothing – nothing – like his previous work. In fact, I had to do a double-take when I saw his name in the credits. The choreography from former Batsheva Dance Company member and co-star Bobbi Jene Smith is a visionary feat, landing the arthouse Aviva at the top of my favorite films of 2020.
If No Other Film Comes Out This Year, 'Shirley' Might Just Be The Year's Best
Director Josephine Decker returns to Sundance after her award-winning film Madeline’s Madeline with another captivating dramatic entry, Shirley.
Starring an eccentric Elisabeth Moss as famed author Shirley Jackson and the ever-wonderful Michael Stuhlbarg as her husband Stanley Hyman, Shirley tells the story of a young couple, Rose (Odessa Young) and Fred (Logan Lerman), whose life becomes forever changed by the famous horror writer and her college professor husband. After accepting room and board in exchange for household chores and companionship, Rose becomes an accidental muse for Shirley, who spends all day chain-smoking over her typewriter in the musky home office of her large Victorian house.
Decker's signature style of euphoric imagery and layered, complicated female protagonists in control is the film’s strongest calling card. Moss gives a phenomenal performance as a kooky yet brilliant artist whose inner turmoil is a constant battle. Not to be overlooked is Michael Stuhlbarg, who delivers yet another scene-stealing monologue that is almost as memorable as his Call Me By Your Name performance. Beautifully captured by cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen (Victoria, Wendy), who juxtaposes light and dark to create unforgettable moments and a moody score by composer Tamar-kali, Shirley is a hauntingly powerful film about a strong woman, made by a strong woman.
Shirley is available to rent via virtual cinemas this Friday.
How Else Would Spike Jonze and the Beastie Boys Make Their New Documentary? By Doing It Live
Admittedly, I didn't know much about the Beastie Boys–the iconic punk rock/rap trio from Brooklyn–aside from some of their biggest hits, including (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party). Turns out, 34 years after releasing that ironic frat bro anthem, that's the song Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz are the most embarrassed about. In Spike Jonze's live documentary, Beastie Boys Story (now streaming on Apple TV+), the remaining two members take to the stage to share the band's journey through all of its highs and lows, heartbreaks, and made-it moments.
Beastie Boys Story plays like a TED talk, with a slideshow of visuals from the band's early years aiding Mike D and Ad-Rock's energetic and lighthearted storytelling onstage. For a Beastie Boys novice (like me), the stories about their childhood in the early 80s, running around the NY punk scene as a group of misfits, is endearing (and left me slightly envious- how were these 13-year-old boys that cool?) Their evolution from a four-piece (Kate Schellenbach was their original drummer) to collaborating with a college-aged Rick Rueben and eventually opening for Madonna on tour (and earning a whopping $500 a show!), is a trip as we live vicariously through the energetic stories of Mike D and Ad-Rock.
The Beastie Boys were Monty Python as much as they were Black Flag. They embraced the celebrity and had fun with it while it lasted. Mike D and Ad-Rock also make themselves vulnerable as they go into detail about their burnout and, heart-wrenchingly, the decision to stop performing after the death of Adam "MCA" Yauch, who died of cancer in 2012. Beastie Boys was MCA's idea, after all.
For a group whose creative process has been described as "fucking around," Mike D and Ad-Rock emphasize that being themselves, in all of it's wacky and zany glory, is what skyrocketed them to success. That's a lesson we can all live by. When in doubt just think, What Would The Beastie Boys Do?
Beastie Boys Story is now streaming on Apple +
In 'Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy', a Spicy Chef Shares That You've Been Making Your Guacamole All Wrong
When it comes to iconic female pioneers, fashion has 98-year-old Iris Apfel, government has 87-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and cooking has 97-year-old Diana Kennedy.
This extremely talented, smack-talking British chef is the subject of Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy, the documentary from first-time filmmaker Elizabeth Carroll.
What makes Diana stand out from the rest is her life's dedication to researching and cooking authentic Mexican food, all while sporting an attitude that makes Julia Child look reserved. Author of nine books, most famously The Cuisines of Mexico, it's fascinating to watch Diana as she preaches authenticity and sustainability with such passion, even if that means insulting something or someone in the process. Widowed with no children, Diana is the definition of untraditional. While her lifestyle may be out of reach, she lives alone in the mountains 100 miles west of Mexico City, her mission is simple: greatness–in life and in food–takes time. That's her attitude as she peels and roasts coffee beans, a process that takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare one cup of coffee.
With a swift 81-minute runtime, Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is a wonderfully inspiring look at the art of Mexican cooking and the British woman who immortalized its importance. "You're a legend," says a photographer to Diana at a celebratory gala. "I know, goddammit," replies Diana with a cheeky grin. What is Diana up to now? She's still traveling Mexico, still learning, and most importantly, still sharing her wisdom. And yes, you've been making your guacamole all wrong.
'Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy' opens nationwide on Virtual Cinema on Friday, May 22nd. Available on VOD on Friday, June 19th.
Like A Good Twist? Then You'll Love This Documentary, 'The Painter and the Thief'
After tracking down Karl-Bertil Nordland–the man who stole two beloved oil paintings from her exhibition in an Oslo art gallery–Barbora asks if she can paint his portrait. Troubled, yet determined to make amends, Karl-Bertil agrees and becomes Barbora's muse, sparking a platonic love no one expected.
Directed by Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief is a humble documentary that tells a story of not just solving a mystery, but the evolution of compassion and humankind. There is no reliance on a show-stopping score or narration; Ree and his camera act as a fly on the wall, intimately capturing these moments in a charming, home video-like fashion. By shifting perspectives throughout the film, the painter–Kysilkova–and the thief–Nordland–each have an equal opportunity to share their story from their point of view.
Executive produced by famed documentarian Morgan Neville (Won't You Be My Neighbor, 20 Feet From Stardom) and released by NEON (Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire), The Painter and the Thief already sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this review.
Available everywhere this Friday, May 22nd.
'Spaceship Earth' Prepares You for Life on Mars
In 1991, eight biospherians made a commitment to live in a large, self-sustained terrarium for two years.
Located in Oracle, Arizona, the futuristic-looking dome was created as a prototype for colonies to live in space; should Earth become uninhabitable for any number of reasons, this experiment would either confirm or deny humans' ability for survival on another planet. In Matt Wolf's documentary Spaceship Earth, we are given an insider's look into this wild project that was created by scientific pioneers, brave humanitarians, and zany artists, and which ultimately fell into the hands of Steve Bannon. But that's another story.
At the intersection of Art and Science is a man named John Allen aka Johnny Dolphin. The San Francisco-dwelling artist is portrayed as a charismatic genius who easily could befriend other like-minded bohemians. After John and his newly-formed community of outsiders decided to form a theatre troupe as an outlet for creative expression, John shifted his focus from public performances to visionary science. Concerned with the effects of climate change, and with the support of his troupe, John created the Biosphere 2. His idea was to replicate Earth's natural biosphere that would incorporate all atmospheres inside of a dome: a man-made rainforest, an ocean with living coral reef, and a desert, all curated with specific animals and plants to populate it. In theory, it was genius. But like all good sci-fi stories, things didn't go according to plan.
Spaceship Earth plays like a love child between Claire Denis's sci-fi drama High Life and the sensational cult series Wild Wild Country, with a little inspiration of Biggest Little Farm mixed in. Supporters viewed Biosphere 2 as the search for the truth. Critics viewed it as trendy ecological entertainment, complete with matching red jumpsuits that looked like they came straight off of a Hollywood set. Rumors of John's cult-like behavior is a fascinating theme throughout the film, and while nothing is ever proven, if it actually was a cult, it was at the very least a force for good. In addition to the astonishing story, the archival video content and incredible time-lapse footage are breathtaking.
Watching Spaceship Earth in these times feels a bit ironic. I found myself thinking, why would anyone willingly quarantine!? However, there are similarities here as we continue to isolate from the outside world. Once the stay at home orders begin to lift and we're able to roam outside again, the Earth as we knew it pre-COVID-19, will be changed. Hopefully for the better, but changed nonetheless, and it is up to us to keep our natural habitats happy, healthy, and thriving.
NEON will release SPACESHIP EARTH on Hulu, VOD, Virtual Cinemas, and participating Drive-Ins on May 8th, 2020.
Hurry–Hedi Slimane's MUBI Watchlist is Only Available To Watch Through May
The last time I was this excited about a fashion and film collaboration, it was in 2015 when I interviewed Iris Apfel during her press tour for the documentary, Iris.
Not many things have compared to that feeling of stepping into the world of that feisty, fabulous (and now 98-year-old) woman, until now. Hedi Slimane, the creative, artistic, and image director behind the Parisian fashion house Celine, has partnered with the online streaming service MUBI to create a list of his 10 favorite films. How quarantine chic!
Enviable Style Icons? Check. Forbidden Romance? Check. Brutal War Drama? Oh yeah. Slimane's picks include a wide span of classic and cult favorites, including Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways and Stanley Donen’s Charade starring Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant.
MUBI has become our go-to for inspiring cinematic escapes during these times, and now it can be yours too because Hedi Slimane and MUBI are inviting everyone to enjoy 30 days for free.
Watch any of the Slimane's picks on MUBI until May 31st, 2020 on https://mubi.com/hedislimane.
Curated By Hedi Slimane:
