'Gunda' Review: A Wordless Film of a Mother Pig Stuns in Black and White
Extreme animals rights activist Joaquin Phoenix has teamed up with director Victor Kossakowsky and NEON to bring the arthouse film Gunda to the big screen. Taking on an executive producer role, Phoenix's passion in support of the film is clear, stating, "Kossakovsky has crafted a visceral meditation on existence that transcends the normal barriers that separate species. It is a film of profound importance and artistry.”
Shot in black and white and with no dialogue or soundtrack, Gunda chronicles the unfiltered lives of a mother pig, a flock of chickens, and a herd of cows with masterful intimacy. This observational documentary sits in a class of its own with its quietly commanding message of animal symbiosis in the natural world.
Expression
Nothing pulls at my heartstrings more than a good animal documentary that is authentic in it storytelling and not set up to create maximum emotional impact. On the contrary, Gunda's lack of any narrative whatsoever is what makes the film so devastatingly beautiful. It requires some mental stamina to sit through, at times I had to wonder if the camera was left accidentally rolling for minutes on end before any sort of action or movement appears in frame. Confident in its directorial choices and unique sensibilities, it's no surprise that Viktor Kossakowsky calls Gunda his most personal and important film he has made as a filmmaker and as a human being.
Expression: 4 out of 5 stars
Daring
Gunda is the definition of an experimental film, and I've never seen anything quite like it. It's not really comparable to the beloved David Attenborough BBC documentaries because there is no dialogue whatsoever here. It stands apart from the nature docs on Disney+ because of its drastic black & white look. Gunda's stark beauty resembles that of a high-fashion Vogue film, but instead of watching waif-like models describe what they eat in a day or give us a tour of their home, we're literally following a pig around a barn. It's not the most daring or visually stimulating film I've ever seen, but what gives Gunda its cinematic strength is the commitment to a bold aesthetic.
Daring: 3 out of 5 stars
Craft
Gunda was apparently a 25-year project for Kossakowsky, and not once did his dedication to the project, or his vision, waiver. What he's created is an innovative documentary that breaks the traditional rules of making movies, notably to never work with animals to save unnecessary headaches and stress. Any film that relies on a wild animal as its protagonist is indebted with risk, regardless if it's a documentary or not. In Gunda, Kossakowsky's entire film rests on the presence of these animals. Plus, the absence of additional music or voice overs leaves so much up to chance, and capturing that unpredictability in its raw, authentic state is the film's biggest strength. The decision to shoot in black and white was intentional for an interesting reason, and seemingly in opposition to how many filmmakers would have approached a film like this. Kossakowsky states, "I didn’t want to show cute pink piglets –and believe me, they are very cute indeed. I didn’t want to seduce the viewer in that way. It felt to me like black and white makes us focus on their soul rather than their appearance."
Craft: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Impact
Unlike some animal rights documentaries that are overly graphic and attention seeking, the message behind Gunda isn't forceful or political. It's a simple message that asks us to slow down and experience life as the animals do. Gunda asks us to meditate on the mystery of animal consciousness and think about how we contribute to their way of life. Can we do better?
Impact: 4 out of 5 stars
Conclusion
I think the best conclusion can be summarized by Paul Thomas Anderson, who so perfectly captured its essence and cinematic importance: "This is a film to take a bath in -it’s stripped to its essential elements, without any interference. It’s what we should all aspire to as filmmakers and audiences -pictures and sound put together to tell a powerful and profound story without rush.” - Paul Thomas Anderson
Conclusion: 4 out of 5 stars
93 min. ‘Gunda’ is now playing at The Landmark theater.
'Mapplethorpe: The Director's Cut' Review: This Second Take is Still Shaky
If you've ever seen a photograph taken by famed artist Robert Mapplethorpe, chances are high that it stopped you in your tracks, and for a moment, took your breath away. The stark images of naked men intertwined with each other, limbs in knots, are clearly provocative and bold–this is apparent even to the untrained eye. But it's the subtext of sexualized flowers within them that really shows off Robert's innate artistic genius. How he is able to take something so ordinary and add such deep, emotional meaning is why his is considered one of the most celebrated and controversial artists of the 20th Century.
Director Ondi Timoner attempts to breathe new life into her 2018 artist bio-pic Mapplethorpe with her new The Director's Cut (now streaming on digital platforms), featuring an all-new soundtrack and previously unseen footage of Robert’s childhood. Seeing the 2018 film's Rotten Tomatoes score may make you hesitant to invest two hours into watching this new version, and unfortunately The Director's Cut doesn't add enough to improve that thought.
Shot on both super 16mm and 8mm, we are transported to the grungy NY art scene where Robert Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith) and his partner Patti Smith (Marianne Rendón) are just getting their start. It's not long before Mapplethorpe, who has been suppressing his sexually curious nature since childhood, feels comfortable enough to embrace his authentic self. This act of self-acceptance is the catalyst for Mapplethorpe "The Artist" to thrive. So begins his journey, where he forms a relationship with powerhouse art collector Sam Wagstaff (John Benjamin Hickey), conquers the art world, and ultimately succumbs to AIDS at 42-years-old.
The film itself feels stale in comparison to its lively and flamboyant subject, which is the biggest disappointment here. The performances are risky, especially for Matt Smith who is naked in a handful of scenes, but it feels like there's a layer of Saran Wrap over the film that's keeping everything from fully expanding. What's missing is an organic fluidity–scenes feel overly scripted and rehearsed in a soap opera sense, which is a shame given the loose cannon nature of Robert's life.
If you're looking for more insight into Robert, his life, and his career, you'd have better luck with the HBO documentary Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures. This Director's Cut, unfortunately, proves that sometimes bigger isn't always better.
'Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché' Review: A Tribute to a Rocker and Mother
Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, aka Poly Styrene, was a British punk rock icon who is credited as one of the first mixed-race front-women in the underground music scene. But beyond that, she was also a loving mother–a role that wasn't as flashy as "rockstar," but one that she loved just as much.
In the documentary Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, Marianne's story is told through her diary entries, voiced by actress Ruth Negga, her daughter Celeste Bell, and some of Poly's industry peers. All pay tribute to the irreplaceable new wave punk artist who left her mark on music forever.
Poly Styrene is best known as the lead singer of the band X-ray Spex, an English punk rock band formed in 1976. As Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché shows, growing up in London was difficult for her, who was of mixed race. She was half-English, half-Somalian, and was always categorized as "half-caste." Her rough childhood followed her throughout her adolescence and adulthood, giving her a hard edge, but to those who really knew her, Poly is described as a sensitive sponge. She absorbed everything around her both good and bad, including the success and the side effects of fame.
In 2011, Poly Styrene passed away from breast cancer. She was just 53-years-old. As the self-described caretaker of Poly's legacy, her daughter Celeste beautifully pays homage to a perfectly imperfect woman. The documentary acts as a memorial to the feminist trailblazer who proudly rocked braces, embraced her fuller figure, and shaved her head when she felt that people were paying more attention to her looks instead of her music. Directed by Celeste, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a touching tribute to a musical maven, courageous woman, and dedicated mother that will inspire you to rock out and share love.
William Basinski On Recording the Sounds of 9/11 in 'Disintegration Loops'
Everyone's lives changed on the morning of September 11th, 2001. While most of us flocked to TV screens and descended into chaos and confusion, William Basinski went up to the roof of his NYC apartment building and started filming the aftermath of the morning's catastrophic events. When his tape ran out, it was just after sunset. He took the footage and imported it into iMovie, laying it over the track he was working on at the time, which was constructed from decaying twenty-year-old tapes of his earlier music. What transpired was called "The Disintegration Loops," and it became an unintentional yet historical time capsule and masterpiece of an unforgettable moment in time.
Directed by David Wexler, the new film of the same name, Disintegration Loops, is a quick 45-minute snapshot of a complex, long-awaited resurgence from one of ambient music's most revered artists. William Basinski is best known for "The Disintegration Loops," but his repertoire extends as far back as 1998. It wasn't until Pitchfork scored The Disintegration Loops albums a perfect 10 (which is incredibly rare) for his career as an experimental ambient artist to become revered in the music industry.
Technically speaking, the pandemic filmmaking style in The Disintegration Loops is very apparent in the film, which allows us to connect to the film even more. Most, if not all, interviews take place over Zoom: the sound quality isn't perfect, but none of that matters compared to the story at hand.
This year will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a reflective time for both Basinski and all Americans, no doubt. While quarantining in Los Angeles, Basinski released "Lamentations," an album that transforms operatic tragedy into abyssal beauty. Although Disintegration Loops left me wanting more in terms of its story (and Basinski interviews), I've since jumped on Spotify and listened through his numerous ambient albums to feel that sense of sonic connection. And after you check out the documentary, I highly recommend you do the same.
'Alone Together' Review: Charli XCX Makes an Album Amidst a Pandemic
What's a pop star to do when their world tour gets canceled, and life as they know it feels like a horribly unpredictable nightmare? For Charli XCX, the only way out is through. In place of her Covid-dashed plans for 2020, Charli XCX channeled her creative energy into creating a new album, which she accomplished in quarantine and with the help of some of her biggest fans, which the new documentary Alone Together captures.
As documented in the SXSW closing night film Alone Together (directed by Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler–professionally known as Bradley & Pablo), Charli XCX adopts a total DIY approach in order to write, produce, and release an entire album and accompanying music video in a matter of weeks. Taking to social media and everyone's favorite video conference app, Zoom, Charli XCX encouraged fans to submit lyrics, artwork, and other ideas that ultimately helped bring her album "How I'm Feeling Now" to life. As the doc shows, this not only served as a way for Charli XCX to connect to the outside world when she needed it most, but it also gave her globally-reaching fan club a sense of shared purpose and belonging during a time of uncertainty and isolation.
Scored by Alex Somers (Honey Boy), the music doc uses a hybrid of mixed media to tell this far-reaching story, including Instagram, digital avatars, and self-shot footage by Charli XCX herself. This intimate documentary captures everything from the romanticizing of the early stages of quarantine to the effects it takes on her mental health (and that of many others). By sharing her vulnerability with her fans in real-time and throughout this film, the film acts as a life-raft for those who feel as if they've been wading through the physical and emotional turmoil that 2020 brought. Charli XCX proves that despite life's disappointments and hardships, music will always have the ability to connect us, and that's something COVID-19 can never cancel.
'Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil' Review: A Pop Star is Born Again
If the opening night showcase film at this year's SXSW film festival set out to prove anything, it's that sharing our struggles with strangers can be a cathartic and positively-affirming experience. When you're former Disney star/recovering addict/and newly "out" artist Demi Lovato, it can also be quite vulnerable and scary.
Drawing comparisons to the recent New York Times-produced documentary Framing Britney, which revealed a troubling, unacknowledged history of one of the world's most famous pop stars (Britney Spears), Demi Lovato's own story–Dancing with the Devil–sounds hauntingly similar.
Demi's catapult to stardom first launched as a child in Barney & Friends, then Disney Channel, and quickly led to deep-rooted insecurities, teenage rebellion, and addictions of many kinds. Demi candidly talks about her eating disorders, losing her virginity as a teenager in a sexual assault, and her tumultuous relationship with drugs and alcohol; it's the last topic that is covered most in-depth, and serves as the genesis behind making this film.
Dancing with the Devil shows that this wasn't Demi's first attempt at shooting a documentary to show her struggles. In fact, the initial shoot shut down in 2018 after Demi suffered a near-fatal overdose in which, as she reveals now in the doc, she was mere minutes away from dying. Removing herself from the public eye for a few years to recharge and reset (as well as rest her voice), Demi attributes 2020's forced quarantine with her family and ex-fiancé to keeping her alive. For many, 2020 was a brutal year; but as her family and close friends share in the film, it was the best thing that could have happened to Demi.
Directed by Michael D. Ratner, Dancing with the Devil joins the ranks of other docs made by former young pop culture icons who want to tell (and own) their stories, including Justin Bieber: Seasons and This is Paris. While Dancing with the Devil is itself, an engaging work, it feels as though its purpose is a thinly veiled beg for forgiveness from her peers and fans. I don't feel like it's my place to judge someone's past and their explanation as to why they did certain things, but the audience's only requirement here is to sit and listen. Demi's hope is that we allow her the chance for a fresh start, and this is her explanation as to why she deserves one.
So, the big question: is the struggle over for Demi Lovato? The film doesn't leave us with a confident answer either way, but one thing it hammers home is that the Demi who is going to reemerge in 2021 is not the same woman we've seen before. This new woman has the power to come out on top, and we should all be rooting for her much-deserved comeback.
'Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil' is available to stream on YouTube on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
'Max Richter's Sleep' Review: Drift Into Serenity With This Ambient Opus
Today, Friday March 19th, is "World Sleep Day." This is one of the only oddball holidays I'd like to acknowledge not only because it's an excuse to sleep in a couple of extra minutes, but because it also marks the release of Max Richter's Sleep on MUBI.
Max Richter is a composer that I've admired for years. His beautiful, soulfully constructed compositions have scored the cinematic achievements of Ad Astra, Arrival, and Shutter Island, among others. And now, it's Max's turn to step into the spotlight as the star of his own feature film.
Directed by Natalie Johns, Max Richter's Sleep is an arresting look at the infamous performance of his celebrated eight-hour ambient opus "Sleep" at an open-air concert in Los Angeles. Together with his creative partner Yulia Mahr, the documentary explores the genesis of the complex piece, as well as the relationship that his fans have developed to it after spending the night under the stars while Max and company performed it live.
Max Richter's Sleep is not only a groundbreaking composition but also a massively overwhelming physical performance. Running eight hours long (his original performance–not the doc) the "Sleep" composition consists of 204 classical movements and was composed in consultation with American neuroscientist David Eagleman, whose input was to scientifically examine the relationship between music and the subconscious mind during sleep.
Natalie Johns precisely documents the strength that it takes to create the perfect calming atmosphere, all the while emphasizing Richter's mission statement of "stillness and meditation." As the world seems to be swinging from one disastrous news event to the next, Max Richter's Sleep aims to unite all who watch in a collective moment of musical reflection. Celebrate "World Sleep Day"–and every day after–with this spell-binding experience.
Distributed by Dogwoof, 'Max Richter's Sleep' is available to stream on MUBI on Friday, March 19, 2021.
'ON-GAKU: Our Sound' Review: For Lo-Fi Fans and Arthouse Rockers
A star is born in ON-GAKU: Our Sound, the latest release from the much-loved distributor, GKids. Stuck in production for over seven years (which includes over 40,000 hand-drawn frames that were animated almost entirely by director Kenji Iwaisawa), ON-GAKU: Our Sound tells the story of teenage misfits turned rock & rollers who prove that you don't have to be talented to play music–you just have to be passionate (although, having talent definitely helps).
ON-GAKU: Our Sound centers around three friends (including one voiced by Japanese cult singer and multi-instrumentalist Shintaro Sakamoto) who, after growing tired of their rebel misfit image, decide to reinvent themselves as musicians. After strumming the same chords over and over again and beating the drums in the same tempo (clearly lacking any sort of technical skill), the trio promptly decides they're good enough to enter the town's local music festival. What follows when they hit the stage can only be described as a magical musical moment.
With a 70-minute runtime and a minimalist, scratchy 2D animation that immediately feels full of heart, ON-GAKU: Our Sound is a short and sweet watch. Those familiar with Japanese Anime and the modern manga landscape will recognize this story, which was adapted from Hiroyuki Ohashi's most popular manga release. Full of deadpan humor, a buzzy score, and a laconic style reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch, ON-GAKU: Our Sound is a fun, refreshing watch that may even inspire you to pick up a guitar yourself.
Distributed by GKIDS, 'ON-GAKU: Our Sound' is now available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime, Blu-Ray, and DVD.