'The Birds Who Fear Death' Review: Spotlighting Local Indigenous Struggles
Two brothers set out to reclaim what they believe is their rightful inheritance in filmmaker Sanjay Patel's The Birds Who Fear Death. Visually impressive, the film spotlights the side effects of prioritizing economic wealth over quality of life. Patel's thought-provoking drama also offers an urgent perspective on the ongoing eco-crisis caused by corporate greed. The Birds Who Fear Death already stands strong with 20 award nominations after its World Premiere at the 2024 Calgary International Film Festival.
"Dearly Departed Asshole"
Adam (Adam Beach) and Ryan (Simon Baker) are not shy about the fact that they want their sick father to die. Once he does, they expect an inheritance that will hopefully solve all of their problems. It's a perfect plan. However, once he passes away, the brothers are shocked to discover they've been left out of the will. Instead of contributing to generational wealth, their father privately gave their inheritance to a rural 1st Nation community called BIRD. "Screws us in life, screws us in death!" they proclaim angrily. Adam and Ryan threaten to contest the will but are swiftly met with roadblocks and red tape. They believe that the only way to get "their" money back is by talking to the chief of BIRD and convince him to split the inheritance with them 50/50.
Upon arriving at the BIRD community, their presence isn't exactly celebrated. Many blame their father, who was a prominent Indigenous businessman, for the disruption and ongoing health crisis within the community. Cancer and other chronic health issues are a direct result of some of their father's shady business dealings primarily with the oil & gas industry. After speaking with BIRD's Chief Ed (Graham Greene), Adam and Ryan realize their father acted selfishly. His decision to funnel money back into the community is now seen as an act of repentance. It's blood money, not an act of goodwill. This discovery sends Adam and Ryan into a spiral. They frantically start questioning everything they thought they knew about their dad.
Spotlighting Local Indigenous Struggles
The Birds Who Fear Death playfully dips into the dark comedy genre for moments of emotional brevity. The relationship between Adam and Ryan includes playful banter reminiscent of a Cheech and Chong skit. More striking, though, is the film's ability to mirror an eco-thriller. Sanjay Patel does a fantastic job of showing, not telling, the audience, these stark facts. If we continue to blindly fuel these industries and allow them to destroy more native land, we risk the loss of irreplaceable natural wonders.
Takeaway
A good journey contains many layers, as does The Birds Who Fear Death. The film is an exploration of human fragility and empathy in a world often driven by corporate greed and selfishness. "Having worked in the Oil & Gas sector for over 20 years," Patel says, "I witnessed firsthand the relentless and often unethical pursuit of wealth. [This led] to ruin, disaster, and the collapse of ecosystems. This film is a powerful visual exploration of universal themes like love, faith, greed, and man’s conflict with nature, told through the lens of local Indigenous struggles."
'A Time of Reflections' Review: A Passion Project That Sparks Joy
Filmmaker Matthew Paris has an important message to share. It's simple, yet honest: Everyone deserves a break. The experimental short film, A Time of Reflections, is Paris' plea to the overworked and underpaid people in our society to stop and smell the roses. A true one-man band, Paris takes on the role of director, screenwriter, and actor in this humble indie short.
One Man's Introspective Journey To Gratitude
Through a confident and compelling voiceover, an unnamed man (Matthew Paris) abruptly decides to leave the isolation of his home. Spending his days and nights working and living in one location has taken a toll on his motivation, so he decides to get some fresh air and change his surroundings. He jumps into his truck with no destination in mind, just chasing a feeling. Driving around his neighborhood, he finds a newfound appreciation for life's unpredictable journey. On his exploration, he encounters and praises the sun, trees, and roads. They all remind him that the finer things in life often exist right outside of your comfort zone. This perspective reinvigorates him as he experiences a reawakening of sorts. He returns home refreshed, renewed, and ready to get back to work.
A Passion Project Made by, and Starring, Matthew Paris
Using footage seemingly captured entirely by Paris, the film acts as a therapeutic message to those struggling with burnout and identity. It's clear that this is a passion project made on a limited (or potentially non-existent) budget. Because of this, some of the elements feel stretched. At times, the music starts and abruptly ends which can feel a bit disjointed. Visually, the film forgoes color correction, giving the overall aesthetic a more organic feeling. However, A Time of Reflections does offer audiences a few moments of serenity through its poetic script.
Takeaway
With a brief runtime of three minutes and thirty-nine seconds, director Matthew Paris' film reminds us that life is short and that it's never too late to practice gratitude.
'Nightcap' Review: A Young Man Terrorized by Job Interview Anxiety
Writer/director Cody MacDonald shows how internalized paranoia can lead to real-life consequences in the ultra-indie short film, Nightcap. Running a little over six minutes long, Nightcap uses one man's pre-job interview anxiety and personifies it as a tangible night terror.
Job Interview Anxiety Unlocked
The night before a big interview at an impressive company, Gus (Michael Lake) begins to panic. He had traveled out of town for this opportunity, which only adds to his mounting stress. Despite words of encouragement from his girlfriend, whom he talks to briefly on the phone once settled into his hotel room, Gus's lack of confidence continues to grow. He struggles to fall asleep that night, knowing what is to come in the morning.
Just as he is about to drift off, he senses a figure in the corner of the room. The film shifts sonic gears and the score turns into a fun bass chord progression as the figure becomes more in focus. This mystery man startles Gus who frantically turns on the light from his bedside table, when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the figure vanishes. Was it all in Gus's head? Is the hotel haunted? These questions are never fully answered but hypothesizing the outcome is almost half the fun.
Doing a Lot With a Little
Nightcap shows how a clever filmmaker can do a lot with limited resources. Shot mostly in a single location, the film's claustrophobic tendencies add a sense of urgency to the protagonist's existential dread. The film also does a solid job of playing with sound, both in the score and effects. It is heavily reliant on music to convey feelings through different storytelling beats.
Takeaway
For a debut film, MacDonald shows promise as a budding filmmaker. Sure the technical components of the film could have been stronger. The script could have given the audience more resolution at the end, and the performance could have been a little more lively. But MacDonald does the best he can with what limited resources he has, making Nightcap a brief, yet true, indie film experience.
'The Summer Book' Review: A Summer Spent Swimming Through Grief
Filmmaker Charlie McDowell captures a wistful spirit of summer amidst the backdrop of family tragedy in the drama The Summer Book. Based on the novel of the same name by Finnish author Tove Jansson, the film pulls audiences into its world much like a breaking wave returning to the ocean. It's easy to get swept away in this intergenerational drama about the finality of life and death.
What Happens
8-time Oscar-nominated actor Glenn Close plays Grandmother, an artist who lives on a small, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Finland. She invites her adult son (Anders Danielsen Lie) and her 9-year-old granddaughter (Emily Matthews) to stay with her for the season as they heal from a heartbreaking death within the immediate family. Amidst the beauty and stillness of their environment, the trio begins to reconnect with nature and each other. They engage in a communal journey through grief that ultimately allows old wounds and complicated family dynamics to start to heal.
Takeaway
The Summer Book is light on plot, which may cause some viewers to grow impatient. However, it seems as if filmmaker Charlie McDowell would rather his audience "experience" the film as opposed to "analyze" it. The one-location setting allows us to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, imagining how we would spend our days and nights on a picturesque remote island. Aiding in this daydream is the softly angelic score by composer Hania Rani who knows how to elicit feelings of warmth from within. Despite its lack of substantial momentum, The Summer Book still provides a gently therapeutic and visually appealing experience.
'September 5' Review: Reliving an Olympic Nightmare
A retelling of the horrific events that claimed the lives of eleven Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics, September 5 is an adrenaline-inducing thriller that feels eerily relevant given today's political turmoil. Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, September 5 was among the highlighted titles at AFI FEST. The film made its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival where it was nominated for, but ultimately lost, the Audience Award. September 5 is being distributed by Paramount with a limited release date scheduled for November 27, before a nationwide release later in December.
What Happens
Starring Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro, September 5 takes audiences into the control room of ABC studios on the fateful day that changed live broadcasting forever. It was supposed to be just a typical morning for the ABC sports crew who were gearing up for another 12+ hours of covering the Olympics. However, everything changed when the newly hired German interpreter, Gladys Deist (Georgina Rich), deciphers through chaotic messages, that several Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage.
Eight members of the Palestinian militant organization, Black September, infiltrated the Olympic Village in a highly orchestrated attack targeted toward Israeli athletes. In the blink of an eye, the ABC crew abandoned their typical sports broadcasting routine and transformed into an impromptu breaking news station, led by Geoffrey Mason (Magaro) and Roone Arledge (Sarsgaard).
Takeaway
September 5 relies heavily on incorporating archival footage from the station's actual 1972 broadcast. It is both stunning and heartbreaking to relive these moments, knowing full well that these events changed the course of history. To that end, part of me believes that September 5 would have been even stronger as a documentary film, as opposed to a "Hollywood-ified" historical thriller. Director Tim Fehlbaum's control-room drama feels a bit too slick at times, with characters effortlessly getting from point A to point B without much struggle (I highly doubt the individuals who actually worked the newsroom that day had a similar experience). However, September 5 keeps an energetic pace throughout and is an easy film to get caught up in for an hour and a half.
'Blood Dried Hands' Review: A New Take on the Conventional Genre Film
The spooky season may be over but filmmaker Jason Vandygriff proves it's never too late to indulge in a good thriller. A new take on the conventional genre film, Blood Dried Hands offers a unique perspective inside the mind of a serial killer who begins to battle with his own conscience. Blood Dried Hands marks Vandygriff's directorial debut, but don't make the mistake of expecting an inherently novice production. It's quite the opposite, in fact. Vandygriff brings unmatched authenticity to the film by incorporating past experiences from his 15 years in Texas law enforcement.
A Serial Killer Suffers From Growing Empathy
There are two types of people on this earth: Predator and Prey. Hayden Carey (Chance Gibbs), however, is a combination of both. He is a conventionally attractive man who appears to have it all, but deep down is battling serious demons. When we first meet Hayden, he is in the process of murdering an innocent woman and discarding her body in the woods. "The screaming eventually stops," he says, "but the sound still echoes." Despite his atrocious actions, Hayden reveals that he also has a sensitive side. His uncontrollable killing spree not only affects the victims of his crimes, but the mental anguish is ruining his life as well. It isn't until he kidnaps a local young woman, and confesses his desire to kill himself, that we truly see how far gone Hayden is.
All the while, Sgt. Investigator Edi Sharp (Micha Marie Stevens), is hot on Hayden's trail. The local detective is desperate to save his latest victim before reaching her deadly fate. Much like the scene in The Silence of the Lambs where Clarice visits Lecter in prison, Sgt. Sharp visits a man named Finley Rawls (director Jason Vandygriff), who she hopes can guide her in the right direction before it's too late. Rawls is the most prolific child murderer in Texas' state history and Sgt. Sharp is hopeful that he may provide insight into the mind of this killer.
An Awards-Circuit Darling
Blood Dried Hands holds an impressive awards record with 102 wins and 15 nominations. Jason Vandygriff impressively pulls off the responsibility of not only writing and directing but also starring in his first feature film. His performance as Finley Rawls steals the scene every time. Vandygriff's performance evokes the personalities of some of cinema's most memorable villains like Anthony Hopkins' "Hannibal Lecter", Danny DeVito's "Penguin", and even Nicolas Cage's "Longlegs". Chance Gibbs and Micha Marie Stevens equally carry their weight as they find themselves stuck in the classic cat-and-mouse chase.
Takeaway
If you're looking for a highly dramatic serial killer thriller told from a unique perspective, Blood Dried Hands is for you. In a similar vein as Mindhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, and True Detective, Blood Dried Hands is an impressive independent production that will have you wrapped in suspense until the very end.
'American Meltdown' Review: A Fun Joyride Into Homegrown Anarchy
Filmmaker Andrew Adams' riotous 'coming-of-rage' story about a millennial woman trying to make it in America is the indie movie of the moment. A funny yet topical take on the desperation some people revert to when they feel they've been slighted by the system, American Meltdown is a fun joyride into homegrown anarchy.
A Millenial Coming-of-Rage Story
Olivia Walker (Jacki Von Preysing) has a career as an interior designer, or at least she did, up until an hour ago when she was fired by her company. Instead of hiring her after the standard 90-day probation period, the company she worked for cites labor union rules as the reason they need to temporarily let her go. Exploiting a loophole in the policy, they mention that they can't afford to provide her benefits as a full-time employee, so she'll have to find work elsewhere. This news shakes Olivia to her core, as she's already struggling to pay rent. That night, Olivia returns home to find her house has been broken into and valuables have been stolen. Out of a job, broke, and afraid to sleep in her own bed, Olivia admits her defeat to the universe.
Upon hitting her rock bottom, Olivia wanders to the beach to decompress. Here she meets Mari (Nicolette Sweeney), a spirited pickpocket who opens Olivia's eyes to an alternative way of life. Mari describes herself as "self-employed". Her line of "work" consists of committing petty crimes and stealing from the rich. She claims it's the only way to survive in America. At first, Olivia is horrified but soon begins to see this injustice from Mari's perspective. It's not long before Olivia invites Mari to stay with her at her house, and the two women begin to fall deep into a life of crime.
A Middle Finger to the Man
In American Meltdown, writer/director Andrew Adams crafts a heartfelt and introspective conversation about the state of the millennial struggle today. Using humor, this dramedy also acts as a cathartic big middle finger to "the man". The performances by Jacki Von Preysing and Nicolette Sweeney are so in sync as partners in crime; they act like raccoons in human form, scavenging and cheating the system to hilarious results. The score is another standout element. Composer Jason Martin Castillo infuses jazzy elements underneath pivot scenes to highlight the stress and anxiety of Olivia's growing out-of-control situation.
Takeaway
American Meltdown is the definition of a true independent film. This micro indie was self-funded by Adams for roughly $70,000, paid for by savings, loans, and debt. His passion and dedication in bringing this story to life gives the film a humanistic quality. With Adams' thumbprint all over the screen, the result is an authentically funny and creatively apt feature film.
'Sunflower Girl' Review: A Heartwarming Story Detailing a Shared Human Experience
Filmmaker Holly M. Kaplan crafts a pivotal story of childhood angst and discovery in her new short film, Sunflower Girl. Running a swift 13 minutes long, the film uses every precious frame to its full potential. Starring Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja from A24's After Yang, Sunflower Girl has been selected to screen at the 2024 Woodstock Film Festival.
Growing Up is a Shared Human Experience
Rosie, a 13-year-old Chinese-American girl, is at the point in her life where her parents are embarrassing, her sibling is a nuisance, and being different is socially unacceptable. She's not overtly disregarding her heritage but she actively avoids using her Chinese birth name, which translates to "sunflower", and instead, opts for an American moniker, Rosie. After visiting her mom at her family's dry cleaning establishment, Rosie expresses–through voiceover– that she often pretends to be someone else.
Rosie engages her mom in a brief obligatory chat before she decides to ditch her and hang out with her teenage crush and his best friend. The trio rides their skateboards through the streets of New York, and all the while, Rosie attempts to play it cool and assimilate into this lifestyle. While hanging with the boys at a skatepark, Rosie sees her younger sister approach. Initially embarrassed, she tries to downplay her presence. However, when her crush's friend puts Rosie's sister in a potentially dangerous situation, she is forced to choose between her sister's safety, or putting her at risk by continuing to ignore her, with the hopes of impressing her crush. At this moment, Rosie realizes it's exhausting trying to be someone you're not, and family will always come first.
Your Family is Your Strength and Your Weakness
There is one line in particular that stands out the most: Your family is your strength and your weakness. Sunflower Girl does an effective job of crafting a tight story that both acknowledges the pains of growing up while also offering a sympathetic reminder that family will always have your back. Director Holly M. Kaplan captures this universal moment in time with such grace and sincerity, made even more impactful by the ukulele song that runs during the end credits.
Takeaway
In addition to being a heartwarming story of family ties, Sunflower Girl also serves as a reminder that sometimes, the simplest message is the strongest. Says Kaplan, "When writing Sunflower Girl, I drew direct inspiration by tapping into my past, as a child growing up in New York City and my family history as immigrants from Hong Kong who owned a Chinese laundry storefront in Brooklyn in the 1970s. With an uptick in stories of discrimination and violence against Asians in the US since the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt moved to tell an uplifting and personal coming-of-age story that explores the universal experience of young love and growing pains without showcasing hate or violence."