'The Most Hated Woman in America' Review: Melissa Leo is The Most Hated Woman in the Country
After this biopic, it is hopeful that one will take away a new understanding or, dare I say, sympathy, for the woman who singlehandedly changed America... for better or for worse.
A quick Google search of the phrase "the most hated woman in America" may bring up pictures of Casey Anthony, but it's anti-religious activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair that holds this unfortunate title in the Tommy O'Haver directed biopic, "The Most Hated Woman in America." O'Haver, whose directorial range spans from the drama "An American Crime" to the family film "Ella Enchanted," puts an engrossing spotlight on one of the strangest cases in American history.
O'Haver teams up with his long-time collaborator and writing partner, Irene Turner, to bring this true story to the big screen. The film begins on August 27, 1995, the first day of the O'Hair family's kidnapping. 77-year-old Madalyn Murray O'Hair, portrayed by an unrecognizable Melissa Leo, is an infamous crusader for atheism who definitely has more haters than supporters. Her circle of trust runs small– aside from her younger son, Garth (Michael Chernus), and granddaughter, Robin (Juno Temple), who have also been kidnapped– Madalyn has never been one to get sympathy from anyone, especially her older son Bill, Jr (Vincent Kartheiser). So when news of her disappearance begins to make the rounds, it is either dismissed or assumed to be a self-gratifying fundraising ploy for her organization, American Atheists.
However, despite her blacklisted reputation, journalist Jack Ferguson (Adam Scott) can't ignore this obvious case of kidnapping. Digging into Madalyn's past, and eventually teaming up with her estranged older son Bill Jr, Jack sets out to solve the unanswered questions and bring the woman considered to be the "Devil's Daughter" home.
She eventually founded the organization American Atheists, which undoubtedly received daily death threats, but even that did not stop her from continuing to be a pioneer and revolutionary of the First Amendment and religious freedom.
The film does a fantastic job when cutting back and forth between the kidnapping and Madalyn's upbringing in the 1950's. Even as a young mother, Madalyn was very unconventional and anti-religion. She was raising a son as a single mother, had a law degree but no job, and did not conform to the religious undertones of the times. Her first exercise in speaking her truth came during the march for equality in downtown Baltimore, as Madalyn and her young son Bill Jr. were the only white protestors. In 1963, Madalyn was the force behind the banning of prayer in public schools. She eventually founded the organization American Atheists, which undoubtedly received daily death threats, but even that did not stop her from continuing to be a pioneer and revolutionary of the First Amendment and religious freedom.
Melissa Leo sinks into the character of Madalyn, a performance only made stronger after watching the archival footage of the real Ms. O'Hair during the film's end credits. Leo's approach to embodying this strong-minded woman isn't alienating or off-putting, instead, she humanizes a famous figure who, up until this point, had only been seen as the devil. After this biopic, it is hopeful that one will take away a new understanding or, dare I say, sympathy, for the woman who singlehandedly changed America... for better or for worse.
'The Most Hated Woman in America' is not rated. 91 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.
'Our Dream of Water' Short Doc Highlights Tragic Water Crisis
"The Wolfpack" director Crystal Moselle brings "Our Dream of Water," an effort to raise awareness about the global water crisis, to National Geographic today.
It's ironic that the minute I start watching this film, it begins to rain in Los Angeles. The slight drizzle is always a welcomed sight, especially with our growing drought, however, I can't help but feel guilty as I listen to the heartbreaking stories from three women who dedicate their lives to finding clean water for their family and community, only to be faced with daily roadblocks and hardships. For many of us, rain equals a free car wash, but for the people that face extreme droughts, rainwater is literally life-saving.
Director Crystal Moselle, the creative visionary behind "The Wolfpack," has teamed up with Stella Artois and National Geographic to create the documentary "Our Dream of Water" in an effort to raise awareness about the global water crisis. The film profiles three women from some of the most water-scarce countries on the planet: Haiti, Kenya, and Peru. Running just under an hour long, the film will debut on National Geographic today at 6:oo PST.
Being fortunate enough to have access to drinking water that is free of dirt, animal feces, and bacteria is a gift that we often take for granted. The Flint water crisis has brought much-needed attention to this global problem, but shockingly, millions of people face even more extreme conditions. In Peru, the single reservoir the town shares holds water that looks like hot chocolate due to the mud channels it drains from. In Kenya, 17 of 45 million people don't have access to clean water and have to rely on the dirty river for their survival. Haitians have resorted to scooping up buckets of water from gutters.
Being fortunate enough to have access to drinking water that is free of dirt, animal feces, and bacteria is a gift that we often take for granted.
At a time when we use excess water as a form of mindless entertainment, like offering a free Nintendo Wii to anyone who can drink the most water without using the restroom (which unfortunately resulted in one woman's death due to water intoxication), "Our Dream of Water" really opens our eyes to lives outside of our own and makes one think about how we can do our part to help those in need.
Cinematically, Moselle has the same respect for these women as she did with the Angulo siblings in "The Wolfpack," there is no sense of judgment or exploiting their shortcomings. We are purely observing their daily lives with beautiful sweeping montages of the dry, yet colorful environment and moving through the streets as fluidly as a running river.
Intentional or not, Moselle also broadens the impact of the film by reinforcing the power of women and their roles as not only family caretakers, but activists, doctors, and above all else, extremely hard workers. In all three countries, women have formed support groups that attempt to lift community spirits and take their mind off of water problems.
The strength and perseverance of these women are incredibly inspiring. Despite their circumstances and lack of basic necessities, they remain grateful for what they do have. Even the film ends on a positive note, that "No burden is too heavy with lots of hands put together."
Since the film's premiere, donations have already begun to help improve the situation in the three communities, allowing wells to be created and filters to be installed.
“Our Dream of Water” (commissioned by Stella Artois as a part of the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign, an ongoing partnership with Water.org) will debut on National Geographic at 6:00 p.m. EST/PST on March 22, on World Water Day, with an encore presentation on March 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST/PST and on demand through most large cable providers,natgeotv.com, and on the Nat Geo TV Everywhere platform (available on AppleTV, Roku, iOS phones and devices, Android phones, Xbox One & 360, Samsung Connected TVs).
'Personal Shopper' Review: Kristen Stewart Proves Herself as a True Tour de Force
Personal Shopper can best be summed up by the following film references: The Devil Wears Prada meets The Sixth Sense told through an art-house lens.
Next to her newly shaved head, Kristen Stewart’s indie film Personal Shopper is the latest buzz-worthy presentation coming from the multi-hyphenated actress/director/Chanel ambassador. Stewart fully breaks free from whatever vampire blockbuster chains she had left as she transforms into an emotionally complex and intriguing fashion stylist who dabbles in connecting with the spirit world in the hopes of finding closure from her twin brother's death. Unfortunately, even with her strength and vulnerability portrayed in full force, she still can’t quite overshadow the gaps and confusion stemming from a questionable script and tonal imbalance.
Stewart continues to uphold her indie darling status by reteaming with French director Olivier Assayas (see: 2014’s Clouds of Sils Maria) for this intimate psychological thriller. Here she plays Maureen, an American living in Paris as a personal shopper for a local celebrity, Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten). The glitz and the glamour of this high-fashion life do not faze her (at first), as Maureen throws herself into the position as well as the extracurricular activity of looking for a sign from her deceased brother. Both born with the same heart defect, the siblings made a pact that whoever passed first would send the other a sign. Maureen is now adamant that she cannot leave the city her brother died in until she is confident he has made his presence known to her.
At first, Maureen brushes off the text messages from an Unknown number as just a prank or even inappropriate cyberstalking. What she did not expect was to be followed (haunted, if you will) by a presence she could not see or feel. As she becomes consumed by her phone and the anticipation of the next text, Maureen begins to unravel at the seams. Exposing her vulnerabilities brought on by her phone, she is pushed out of her comfort zone by the unfamiliar messenger, and finally caves by acting out her wildest fantasies. Wearing Kyra’s forbidden clothes and sleeping in her bed while she’s out of town are just the tip of the iceberg. It is only when Maureen stumbles upon a murder that she is forced to take an introspective look at herself and face her demons, once and for all.
Essentially acting opposite herself, she commands the picture with a quiet strength that I would love to see more of.
The French filmmaker’s high fashion-meets-ghost story tale proves to be a divisive watch (despite winning the Best Director award the Cannes Film Festival, as well as a nomination for the prestigious Palme d’Or– the honor ended up going to the British film “I, Daniel Blake”). Visually, the film is a nice balance between glitzy and gritty, but leaving the superficiality of looks aside, Personal Shopper leaves much to be desired. It is one thing to engage an audience in staying actively attentive, but a “choose your own adventure” scenario, which is what I felt like Personal Shopper ended up being, did a disservice to the film. Numerous setups never paid off and genre-blending felt inconsistent as opposed to fluid. However, it is undeniable that Kristen Stewart is magnetic to watch onscreen. Essentially acting opposite herself, she commands the picture with a quiet strength that I would love to see more of.
Personal Shopper can best be summed up by the following film references: The Devil Wears Prada meets The Sixth Sense told through an arthouse lens. Yes, the story seems unbelievable at times, but despite its flaws, Kristen Stewart emerges out from under the weight of this somewhat confusing script as a shining beacon of cinematic vision.
'Personal Shopper' is rated R for some language, sexuality, nudity and a bloody violent image. 105 minutes. Now playing in select cities, including ArcLight Hollywood and the Landmark.
'Burning Sands' Review: Underground Hazing Is Seen Through a Different Lens
With help from the film's soundtrack, which includes tracks from J. Cole, Outkast, Future, and an original song from the film's executive producer Common, McMurray creates a world full of raw emotion, tension-filled relationships, and an alternative coming of age journey that we don't often see in film.
Another Netflix acquisition from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival is having its big debut on the streaming service this Friday and as its name would suggest, "Burning Sands" is a pretty brutal and boundary-pushing watch. The story rings similar to last year's "Goat" centered on fraternity hazing and the psychological undertaking that pledges are put through before they are finally "accepted" into the brotherhood. Yet we are given a new perspective in "Burning Sands" thanks to director Gerard McMurray, who sets the story in a historically black college.
"It's all about the brotherhood," Zurich (Trevor Jackson) says as a small group of pledges make their way to the first day of Hell Week for the Lamda Lamda Phi fraternity at Frederick Douglass University. It's early in the morning, but that doesn't stop the older brothers from kicking, screaming, and all around demeaning the young men as a test of their loyalty to the prestigious group. For Zurich, joining the fraternity would be more than just a personal victory; his father had rushed the same frat but dropped out because he couldn't make it through hell week.
Hell week, we come to find out, tests more than just the pledges' physical strength, but also their pain tolerance (they endure branding with metal rods), intellect (they must memorize the fraternities entire history), sexual ability (they have to sleep with a girl of the older brother's choosing), and all around endurance (early morning call times, military-grade exercises, etc). Fraternity hazing is, of course, illegal, so the group takes their torture underground, where rules don't exist.
Fraternity hazing is, of course, illegal, so the group takes their torture underground, where rules don't exist.
Now, why would anybody willingly endure not only the physical but verbal abuse from peers and older brothers (including Trevante Rhodes of "Moonlight") who are supposed to be your life-long friends? Initially, Zurich's longing for societal acceptance and his dad's pride drove him to continue, but as the darker side of the fraternity begins to affect his personal life and gnaw at his conscious, Zurich finds himself stuck at a crossroads– should he remain silent and continue to endure unjustifiable violence or should he stand up against what he knows is wrong?
"Burning Sands" is Gerard McMurray's directorial debut, although he is no stranger to gritty indie films. He served as an associate producer on the biographical drama "Fruitvale Station" and brings the same intensity to his project. With help from the film's soundtrack, which includes tracks from J. Cole, Outkast, Future, and an original song from the film's executive producer Common, McMurray creates a world full of raw emotion, tension-filled relationships, and an alternative coming of age journey that we don't often see in film. So while it may be a tough watch, it is an unforgettable one.
'Burning Sands' is not rated. 96 minutes. Available to watch on Netflix this Friday, March 10th.
'Lovesong' is a Beautiful Breath of Fresh Air
This review originally ran on August 15, 2016, during the Sundance NEXT Fest
What we have here is an intimate drama about life, love, and dealing with life's unpredictability.
After seeing "Lovesong" on the opening night of NEXT Fest, LA’s mini Sundance Film Festival, I now know why this little indie film has made the industry's "Best of" lists. What we have here is an intimate drama about life, love, and dealing with unpredictability. "Lovesong" is a film whose strength comes from the quiet moments and commanding performances of leading ladies Riley Keough and Jena Malone.
Keough plays Sarah, a woman essentially living as a single mother since the relationship she has with her husband exists solely through grainy Skype chats. He travels a lot for work, leaving her alone to care for their 3-year-old daughter Jessie (phenomenally played by tiny tot Jessie Ok Gray). The time apart clearly has taken its toll on Sarah, who puts on a happy face around her daughter, but is hiding a world of pain inside. She feels alive again when her longtime friend Mindy (Malone) comes to town to visit. Escaping the boredom of home, Sarah packs up her car with Jessie in tow and, with Mindy by her side, the girls set out on an impromptu road trip that leads to unexpected truths. A combination of vulnerability, isolation, and a game of "Truth or Drink" leads to Sarah and Mindy discovering feelings that neither one of them expected as the lines blur between loving each other as friends vs being in love with each other.
"Lovesong" doesn't have a stereotypical happy ending, but it doesn't have a sad one either. I am especially impressed by how unapologetically realistic this film is, giving the audience very little, if any, backstory to the characters or their relationships; we only know what they are telling us, giving us no other perspective than their own. The trust that director So Yong Kim puts in her actors to convey her story pays off tenfold. It almost feels like we are watching a really gripping reality television show (and I mean this is in a good way), with ordinary people just trying to figure out their lives. There is no melodrama, no flare or theatrics, just one substantially powerful and honest film.
There is no melodrama, no flare or theatrics, just one substantially powerful and honest film.
There is so much to love aside from just the screenplay. Riley Keough is having a fantastic year and this further proves that she is not just a lucky girl who used her famous family to get into show business, she is the real deal. She has the ability to tap into deep emotional states, and watching her on the screen can only be described as seeing pure talent. The same praise should be given to Jena Malone, whose warmth radiates from the screen to our hearts. A mesmerizing soundtrack scored by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannson perfectly sets the mood, while singer-songwriter Shamir's RnB 90's poppy beat keeps the film light and airy.
Experiencing this intimate, personal growth through the character’s eyes makes "Lovesong" a true slice of life drama– despite the uncertainty of their future and anxiousness of the present moment, Sarah and Mindy are still able to find the beauty in simple moments. Not everything we want to happen in life will happen, and that's ok, as evident by our protagonists. We've just got to keep on keepin' on.
"Lovesong" is not rated. 84 minutes. Now playing at Laemmle Monica Film Center and Laemmle Playhouse 7.
Composer Keegan DeWitt on Seeking the 'Sad Little Happiness'
While he may not be as recognizable a household name as the filmmakers he collaborates with, I can almost certainly guarantee that you've heard Keegan DeWitt's work before.
A staple in the independent film world, his musical talents have been featured in the films "Hunter Gatherer," "Land Ho!," "Listen Up Philip" and many, many more. Most recently, DeWitt had four projects premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, making him one of indie cinema's most in-demand musical composers.
It must have been quite a surreal experience, and major validation as an artist, to have “Newness,” “The Incredible Jessica James,” “Golden Exits,” and “The Hero” screen at the festival. How difficult was it for you to juggle each of the film’s distinctive styles while in production?
It was definitely a bit hectic, but in many ways, it can be refreshing. It’s always nice to be able to jump from one world to another. If you’re running out of gas on one thing, or no inspired ideas are hitting, you can sort of pivot and try and jump into something else. It’s obviously not always that simple, but I enjoy the challenge of it.
How important is a composer’s job in relation to the film as a whole
I think it always depends, but obviously, it can be a very large part. The joy of composing– if you approach it as a filmmaker more than just a musician– is that you get to speak the unsaid and sort of be the air in the room. You get to hint at the intangible that is just slightly hidden. That sort of poetic beauty is what drove me to fall in love with composing. Walker Percy once referred to the idea of the “sad little happiness” and I always felt like that term pinned perfectly what I aim for as a composer. That quiet spark somewhere just beneath the surface. It’s something Chekov mastered in many ways… there is an entire tectonic emotional world just beneath the surface, and often, the music can be the voice to that.
Has music always been a fascination to you?
As I grew up, music was almost like my way of journaling. I grew up in Portland, OR and was obviously inspired by Elliot Smith, who was very active there at the time. His entire aesthetic sorta taught me about the world of 4-track cassette recording. I would sit up in my room all night long and just layer track on top of track, building these little sketches. Sort of like how someone else might draw or keep a diary, I was doing that with music.
My real driving desire growing up was to make films, so music was always a sub-current to that; I was sort of a lover of films and plays first. When those two worlds melded, it became something interesting because it made it so that I approached film composing almost as though I was a filmmaker. It was easy to put aside my musical conceits and dig towards what was behind an actor’s eyes or what was playing in the light that a cinematographer had so elegantly placed in the frame.
Walker Percy once referred to the idea of the “sad little happiness” and I always felt like that term pinned perfectly what I aim for as a composer.
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Musically, one of the most distinctive moments for me was the opening scene of “The Incredible Jessica James,” when Jessica Williams dances throughout the film’s opening credits and ends up on the roof of her NYC apartment. What was your inspiration going into the composition of that scene?
That was something from the very early stages that I knew Jim wanted to do. We had talked general overall sound stuff, and it all sorta branches out from there… this feeling of the Daptones meets Mark Ronson meets breakbeat vinyl cuts meets something else… I did a ton of processing on everything to really make it feel like a live vibrant take printed to vinyl.
Any unique tricks or techniques you used in the films?
Well, I definitely processed it much more like it was a pop recording versus a score. With a score, you almost never process the final stereo signal, but I was constantly shoving entire mixes through cassette tape players and old compressors and finding different ways to distort and age stuff. We wanted everything to feel like it could be a real album cut that we synced off of vinyl.
Like good editing, the best jobs often go unnoticed. It’s subtle, yet makes a huge impact on a film’s overall reception. Is this something you acknowledge in your work?
I think it varies based on the film obviously. Like you said, this film begins with a pretty big musical moment. It’s actually similar in some ways to another film I did, “Morris From America,” where if I’m doing my job right, you almost don’t realize it’s custom score, you think it’s a sync source track. With both “Morris” and this film, we almost wanted to trick people into thinking it had the best soundtrack ever, even though it was score made custom for this film.
...I approached film composing almost as though I was a filmmaker.
That said, do you ever feel like your work goes unrewarded at times?
No, I very rarely feel that way. If anything, you sometimes feel like you wish you could have pushed it to be edgier or more experimental, or perhaps there was a cue you did that you really fell in love with that didn’t make the cut. It’s more that than anything. There have been a few projects where I’ll come up with a bunch of ideas and then it [ultimately] ends up sounding like a safer version of things. Not always bad, though. Sometimes the director is very right, simpler is better.
Where do you feel like you do your best work; your most inspiring environment?
Sometimes it’s a new instrument. You sit down, play a couple notes and you know… there is an entire film score in there. Sometimes it’s the excitement of a new collaborator. Working with Alex Ross Perry for the first time on “Listen Up Philip,” I was just really thrilled to be teaming up with him and Jason Schwartzman and that alone really carried a lot of the weight.
Who are a couple of your favorite artists, past and present?
Separate from the film world, I love WARPAINT and Little Dragon. I listen to them more than most other things just to clear out my brain and ears.
As well as successfully working as a film composer, which has garnered an Academy Award among other prestigious titles, I hear you’re also a Portland Trail Blazers fan. What other passions do you have aside from music?
Every July my world pretty much shuts down because of the Tour de France, I’m avid cycling fan as well.
'As You Are' Review: An Edgy Look at Youth, Angst, and Sexuality
The structure of the film centers around a real-time investigation with flashbacks driving the story, much like the first season of "True Detective."
Before Charlie Heaton shot to stardom playing the gawky teen Jonathan Byers in the television phenomenon "Stranger Things," he was a fresh-faced actor starring in the indie film "As You Are," alongside television veteran Owen Campbell ("The Americans," "Boardwalk Empire") and teenage icon Amandla Stenberg ("The Hunger Games"). Hesitant to be labeled just another "coming of age" film, director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte creates an edgier, darker look at growing up and navigating through the confusing nuances of life, which don't always result in a happy ending.
Not only was "As You Are" accepted into the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, it was also awarded the U.S. Dramatic Jury prize.
"As You Are" is not rated. 110 minutes. Playing at the Village East Cinema, NYC on 2/24/17 with additional cities to follow.
'Every 40 Years' Discovers a Father's Rock Star Past [WATCH]
A balanced blend of thoughtfulness and boogie, "Every 40 Years" is as humble a film as the band members themselves.
Many people cringe at the thought of their parents’ wild and crazy antics as young adults, during the years of pre-children responsibility, but director Eric Goldrich was so infatuated with his dad's unknown past life, a man whose title, as far as he was concerned, was only that of "father," that he set out to investigate his family's history. What he discovered about the identity of his unassuming dad turned out to be a giant surprise in the form of an underground rock-n-roll icon of the 1970s. This is the premise of the documentary "Every 40 Years"– an enjoyable journey of discovery and second chances.
Goldrich, along with co-director Ben Friedberg, takes audiences down memory lane as he explores his dad's involvement in the band Gunhill Road, 40 years after the group broke into the Billboard Top 40 charts. His father, Steve Goldrich, (Piano/Vocals) and his bandmates, Glenn Leopold (Guitar/Vocals), Gil Roman (Original Bass/Vocals) and Paul Reisch (Bass/Vocals), recount their days as an up and coming band, playing shows at the legendary venue, The Bitter End, in New York City.
While they seemed to have a promising career after the release of their first and second record (the latter which Kenny Rogers produced), shady deals and other external factors caused the group to go their separate ways. Intimate interviews capture the heartache felt by the members at that time– even 40 years later, the raw emotions are still there. However, when an opportunity arises to reunite for one final show, the former bandmates jump at the chance, much to the delight of their fans and the guys themselves.
The title is a bit misleading to me, for some reason the phrase "Every 40 Years" conjures up feelings of heaviness and dramatic longing. But after watching this film, one thing's for sure, if these guys weren't musicians, they would have made a killing as stand-up comics. Aside from being funny, it is obvious that those who are fans of Gunhill Road will get a kick out of seeing them back in the spotlight. Whether or not you're a Gunhill Road fan, the universal theme of passionate living and believing in second chances will no doubt resonate with audiences.