'My Golden Days' Is a Nod to French Cinema's Classic Coming-Of-Age Tales
Director Arnaud Desplechin is a noted name in French cinema whose works have been festival favorites at Cannes and the César Awards, just to name a few. In a prequel to his previous film My Sex Life... Or How I Got into an Argument, his latest film, My Golden Days tells the origin story of protagonist Paul Dédalus, in which Quentin Dolmaire reprises his role as the adolescent Paul, through a series of three distinct flashbacks as he reminisces about his childhood, his life, and his former true love.
This coming-of-age tale reveals Paul as a grown man (Mathieu Amalric) who returns to Paris to take a new job. He is stopped by security and forced to explain some questionable events in his past that lead to this point. Here, Paul begins his journey down memory lane, which began with a troubled childhood, and included a mentally unstable mother and depressed father. He remembers an unorthodox trip to the USSR in which he offered up his identity to a stranger, a man whom he still considers his phantom twin. Heis overcome with emotion when reminiscing about the love of his life, Esther (Lou Roy-Lecollinet), and the tortured yet beautiful young woman he once knew.
The risk My Golden Days takes by including three flashbacks is what not only gives the film life but allows every moment to have a different temperament and tone. The first flashback is dark and straightforward, the second is intense and exciting while the third is fragile and takes the most cinematic risk using split screen effects, breaking the fourth wall. It is reminiscent of classic French films from the 80's mixed with a Wes Anderson quirkiness.
Perhaps one would benefit from having seen My Sex Life... Or How I Got into an Argument before watching this film, although it is not necessary to enjoy the story. First-time actor and Bridget Bardot lookalike Lou Roy-Lecollinet is a magnet on screen and her vulnerabilities play perfectly to Mathieu Amalric's restrained control and confidence. Using offbeat humor and emotional sensitivity, My Golden Days is an ode to youth culture and its enchanting unknowns.
My Golden Days opens Friday, March 18th at the Landmark
'Me Him Her' Is a Colorful Max Landis Rom-Com
If the name Max Landis sounds familiar, then you probably already know to expect high energy, slightly silly, and oddly off-beat indie movies from the young screenwriter, which he delivers here with Me Him Her, a madcap joyride of a comedy that makes for a solid directorial debut and should stand as another achievement in Landis' already colorful career. Landis, whose father is the legendary director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Animal House), has already made a name for himself in Hollywood, penning screenplays for such cineplex hits as Chronicle and American Ultra.
In the queer-aimed Me Him Her, two bi-coastal college friends reunite when Brendan (Luke Bracey), an actor living in Los Angeles, asks Florida-set Cory (Dustin Milligan) to fly to L.A. to help him keep his newly-realized homosexuality a secret, right before his big TV series debut.
Cory agrees and persuades Brendan to meet Brendan's crush at a gay bar, only to meet Gabbi (Emily Meade), a lesbian whose distressed flannel looks about as beat up as she feels. Cory and Gabbi's flirty, albeit drunken, banter, leads to a passionate one-night stand and an even bigger hangover, where a confused Gabbi leaves her mistake (AKA Cory) stranded in Santa Monica and deems to get her life together once and for all. The humor in Me Him Her comes into play when Brendan, Cory, and Gabbi are forced to face the relationship problems that millennials know all too well while struggling to stay true to themselves in a superficial town like Hollywood.
Landis' story of finding love in present-day Los Angeles may ring true to those who frequent gay bars and pride parades, but for the most part, this rom-com is entirely satirical and pokes fun at itself and the city in general. Brendan is told by his agents, tongue-in-cheek, that he "can't come out casually – it either has to be a secret or a career move." While not heavy-handed, Landis does manage to ever so slightly lift the lid on Hollywood's narrow-mindedness when it comes to the taboo of homosexuality in film and television, and seeing this struggle through Brendan's eyes makes for a unique and interesting perspective.
Small supporting roles from the more recognizable Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, and Geena Davis are sprinkled throughout the film, which gives it instant clout. The soundtrack is an upbeat mix of artists like Fun., Ingrid Michaelson, and Krewella and would make the perfect Spotify party playlist. If you're into high energy, slightly silly, and oddly entertaining independent films, then add Me Him Her to your movie queue.
In 'The Last Man on the Moon', an Astronaut's Final Story
On Wednesday, February 24th, scientists detected the origin point of a space radio signal 6 billion light-years away and managed to find the universe's missing matter as a result. This incredible discovery is a strong reminder of how far we've come since 1969, the moment when Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong declared the first successful mission to the Moon as One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Since Armstrong, twelve men in total have walked on the moon during the Apollo missions from 1969-1972. Of these 12, Eugene “Gene” Cernan was the last, and the documentary The Last Man on the Moon is his story.
Cernan's story is a unique one; a former Navy captain, his journey towards becoming a NASA astronaut started with a simple phone call. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the bar high for U.S. space exploration, putting pressure on the space program to be the first country to land on the moon. This public assignment given to NASA resulted in an increased demand for anyone willing to participate in the program, which lead to more opportunities for people like Gene to join. Getting his foot in the door was the easy part, he realizes in hindsight. The intense training that each of the aspiring young men endured, including desert survival, water survival, and jungle survival just to name a few, was the hard part. The best thing to come from that experience, Gene remarks, was the strong bonds he made with the other men.
His close friendships with his co-workers also made the tough times almost unbearable. Two deadly events, the unexpected crash of Gemini 9 which claimed the lives of the two pilots in his crew as well as the emotional Apollo 1 fire of 1967, when his neighbor and good friend Roger Chaffee and two other men died as a result of a flash cabin fire in the shuttle, shook up Cernan's world. At the time, he was married with a young daughter and the thought of never seeing his family again was extremely hard on him. However, when he was selected to be a part of the Apollo 17 crew, NASA's last mission to the moon, Cernan couldn't say no.
Cernan spent three days on the moon. Right before he was about to leave, and knowing that man may not be back on the moon again for years, he left his footprints and wrote his daughter's initials in the lunar dust. He describes this moment with such intimacy and detail that it's truly humbling to listen to him.
It does not feel like a traditional "documentary-style" film, thanks to the stylized approach from director Mark Craig as he strikes the perfect balance between the portrayal of Gene's personal and work life. He cuts between Gene in the present day with archival footage of his time at NASA, which, photographically, feels like a subtle effort to relive his experience. The B-roll of various space missions really does make The Martian look like a comedy. The Last Man on the Moon is a top notch documentary that feels like a perfect fit on the HBO or Showtime roster. It is humbling, poignant, hard-hitting, and emotionally charged, on top of being aesthetically rich and visually beautiful. Without giving too much away, I can say that the last shot will take your breath away as it did mine.
The Last Man on the Moon is not all happy endings. This is a deeply personal film for Cernan which is why it took until now, 40 years since his return to earth, to share his story. Now living on a ranch in Texas, Gene still works to this day, as his friends and family admit that "retirement" is not in his vocabulary. This film and its message is so important and will leave the viewer feeling inspired from both Gene's words and actions. Lightheartedly joking that he can't live forever, he wants to share his knowledge and experience now because he feels an obligation to inform the younger generations about man's potential and inspire hope for the future. "I walked on the moon," he says at the end of the film, "what can't you do?"
Alicia Vikander, Paul Dano, and More Honored with Virtuosos Award [WATCH]
The Virtuosos Award was created to recognize a select group of actors who have distinguished themselves through performances in film this past year, on Morgan chats with Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina), O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), and more.
The complete list of winners includes Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Paul Dano (Youth, Love & Mercy), Joel Edgerton (Black Mass), Géza Röhrig (Son of Saul), and Jacob Tremblay (Room).
'Stereotypically You' Offers a Twist on the Traditional Rom-Com
Broadway star Aaron Tveit aka "Danny Zuko" recently premiered his latest indie film Stereotypically You at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. While romantic comedies tend to skew toward the portrayal of relationship struggles of New York City dwelling, twenty-something women who are unlucky in love, Stereotypically You does offer this time-proven formula, but with a twist. Our protagonist Charlie Carroll (Tveit) is a handsomely charming man who seems unable to find love for one reason or another (more on that later) and follows his journey of ups and downs as a single man in the dating jungle that is NYC.
Tveit, who was most recently seen playing Danny Zuko on the FOX musical Grease: Live, is out of sorts after quitting his job and breaking up with his girlfriend Angela (Abby Elliot). Deeming himself unlovable, his surreal experiences, hallucinations, and flashbacks all center around Angela, as he struggles unsuccessfully to get her off of his mind. His pathetic attempts at speed dating prove a waste of time, but it finally seems as if his luck will turn around in the most unlikely of places.
First off, one has to wonder just why Charlie is single, he's so handsome and from the picture we've been painted, he's a really sweet guy. One flashback shows an adolescent-aged Charlie bumming over a rejection note from the girl he liked, while his friend plays video games. The question of why was he unlikable as a pre-teen, however, is not clear- so just what is Charlie Carroll's problem? The audience is never given the opportunity to understand why his relationships fail, it's like the job interview question, "What's your biggest flaw?" and the response is "I care too much." It just doesn't quite make sense.
Aside from this weak character development, what I found most underwhelming in Stereotypically You, was that the story didn't feel full or complete, despite strong performances from Tveit, Elliot, Lauren Miller, and Kelen Coleman. One of the most noticeable examples was the lack of score and background music in most scenes. Music could have aided in the film's fluidity by giving subtextual clues as to what our characters are feeling or thinking, but instead, the lack of sound draws attention to every quiet, awkward moment on screen.
What lacks in originality is compensated for in creativity, with many scenes feeling like zany or outrageous SNL skits. Writer/director Benjamin Cox does create authentically funny moments, like when Charlie's therapist "breaks up" with him, claiming "It's not you, it's me" and that he "Needs to see other people." The divorce party for Charlie's friend is another amusing scene, although overall, Stereotypically You seems to just fall a bit short of what it has set out to achieve. That said, I'm sure most viewers would agree that this lighthearted approach to being single in the big city will still make for a casually enjoyable watch.
'John' Highlights a Successful Painter Who Creates Without Sight
The short documentary simply titled John opens with John Bramblitt reciting a quote from Hemingway about the process of creating. Bramblitt's work studio is covered in different colored paint pallets and canvases both new and used. From the outside, this looks like an ordinary day in the life of a successful painter, and it is- to a certain extent. John is a successful painter, and he is blind.
What is shocking from the very beginning of the film is just how detailed and accurate John's paintings are, despite his condition. Throughout the film, he explains just how he became in tune with his other senses, especially garnering a heightened sensitivity to touch, and how for him, the fulfillment isn't about the artwork, but rather, the process. After an online Reddit post shot him into the spotlight, orders for personalized artwork came flooding in. John speaks with a softness that draws the viewer in, and keeps them there with his profound thoughts on life, like "if it wasn't for the dark you wouldn't notice the light." There are so many quotable moments in the film's 30 minutes, it almost feels like this film doubles as poetry.
'John' Trailer from Satellite Pictures on Vimeo.
John Bramblitt wants to change the way blind people approach art, and that's made very clear throughout the film. At times, it seems as if his message is a little over-repetitive; John is essentially a tribute to an artist director Lara Firestone finds inspiring and wants everyone else to agree to as well. However, it is never a dull moment watching him create magic surrounded by his wife and son. John says in the film that to him energy is color, and watching him onscreen, I'd say John is a fluorescent rainbow.
Michael Keaton & Rachel McAdams Talk 'Spotlight' at Santa Barbara Film Festival
Morgan chatted with Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams (Mark Ruffalo said 'hey' via satellite) as they celebrated their American Riviera Award for their performances in Spotlight at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The Snuggle is Real, in 'Cuddle Party'
The short film Cuddle Party has made the rounds throughout the festival circuit and screened last night at SBIFF. Recognizable faces drew audiences into the theater, and the tagline "The Snuggle is Real" seemed like a setup to the perfect 15-minute comedy. Unfortunately, the laughs are few and far between, and what we are left with at the end of the film's short runtime is a deflated sense of what could have been.