Oscar-Nominated 'A War' Examines Morality of Combat in War
One of the Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards comes from Denmark, and with a delicate sensitivity and commanding presence, A War tells the story of one soldier’s dealings with the repercussions of a life-changing, split second decision and its effects on the people he loves and supports. It is an unglamorous, yet extremely truthful, look at everyday life during wartime and how some of the toughest battles begin after the fighting has ceased.
Setting up the first scene with extreme intensity, a young soldier’s legs blown off by an IED during a routine outing near their base in an Afghan province. Blood is everywhere, body parts lay amongst the desert sand, and company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk) is informed shortly after that the man has bled out and died. A young man himself, Pedersen is deeply affected by the loss but as the leader, he shoulders the emotional outcry from his fellow soldiers. Behind the tough exterior is a sensitive soul who just wants to make it back home to his family.
Meanwhile, back in Denmark, Pedersen’s wife Maria (Tuva Novotny) struggles to take care of their three young children alone. The middle son acts out at school, a direct result of not having his dad around, and she relies heavily on her eldest daughter to help out with the toddler. Balancing both the maternal and paternal roles have Maria exhausted and her patience wearing thin; the sporadic phone calls from her husband are the only things keeping her going.
Claus and Maria are both looking forward to his return home, which is only weeks away when a routine safety patrol of the local Afghani civilians turns into an unexpected crossfire, which forces Claus to make a difficult decision that results in unimaginable consequences for both his family on the battleground and his family back home.
Director Tobias Lindholm brings the intensity both physically and emotionally in A War with the parallel dramas unfolding in Claus’ and Maria’s lives. They are both fighting for their own respective happiness and jointly feel life’s devastations when things are thrown into despair. The question becomes “What justifies something as being ‘the right thing’ or ‘politically correct’ when your life or the lives of the people you love is at risk?” Lindholm takes A War to philosophical depths that asks the audience to actively participate in the viewing experience by pondering the same existential thoughts as the protagonists.
While most films in this genre tend to overdramatize the action, “Hollywood-izing” the experience, A War does no such glorifying. Instead, what we have here is a harrowing and realistic account of what I can only imagine to be heightened tension during battle. In both a very literal and abstract sense, A War represents the universality of the human condition when put under extreme pressure and the lengths one is willing to go to in times of despair. A War is rated R for language and some war-related images and is in Danish with English subtitles.
Eddie Alcazar Talks Flying Lotus and 'FUCKKKYOUUU'
One of the buzziest films to screen during the festival circuit thus far (see: Sundance Film Festival, NEXT Fest) is a short film collaboration between director Eddie Alcazar and Grammy-nominated Flying Lotus. Unabashedly bold, FUCKKKYOUUU revels in elements of Grindhouse horror and experimental absurdity, not following the traditional "beginning, middle, and end" narrative formula we've come to expect, but instead takes the viewer on a mindbending visual trip. Alcazar, whose other films include 2014's Tapia and the upcoming features Johnny and 0000, caught up with us after the Sundance premiere where he talked about his creative process and shared his pre-production storyboard drawings. We begin:
It's been said that artists are ultimately driven by a need to be understood, on some level. With a film like this, to what degree is your message trying to be "understood"?
I believe that expression is most important. To be able to have a medium to explore and release visions and emotions like in film is a true gift. I also like the idea that multiple people will have different interpretations and I feel that the reactions that spark from projects are all very interesting. With FUCKKKYOUUU to be clear with narrative wasn't the intention, it was more focused on exploring a new way to communicate with just visuals and music. It made me analyze my dreams and how we accept our dreams how they are, they are part of being human and a lot of times they don't make much sense but we still feel them as we experience them, they don’t need to have a standard beginning, middle or end to make you think and strike emotion.
FUCKKKYOUUU is so strong and precise in its dark, old school horror aesthetic. Did you have a visual style or certain imagery in mind preceding the collaboration with Flying Lotus that you were looking to reproduce onto film? Or was the story the original thing you thought of first?
The original idea came to me very quickly after I heard some of Flylo’s music. I have been wanting to shoot on black and white reversal for some time so that also fit well with the idea. I knew without a doubt that I wanted that first vision I had to be in the film so we shot it right away. Then I was able to take some time away, edit and review that footage. It ending up inspiring more scenes which we shot later and then merged together to complete the film.
As a director, what does your inspiration/ mood board look like?
I created an actual book for this film. It's pretty lengthy and everything was storyboarded in pretty strong detail. Maybe one day we will release it...
What have people asked you about the most after seeing the film?
How I came up with such a crazy idea.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken that you feel has paid off?
I think all risks pay off, sometimes they pay off in one area of your life but leave another part fragile and so you tend to focus on the negative instead of how beautiful it is to have the freedom to take the risk at all. It's a rare thing for me to be truly fulfilled when creating. It's a constant roller coaster when you try and venture into new territory, so you just have to keep busy and create more. I'm grateful that this film was able to be seen by a wide audience with the help of Sundance and other festivals and then Vevo and Vimeo. So, in that sense, it has paid off. But I feel there should definitely be more outlets and financing for short films so they can make money and, in turn, be able to create more films.
What do you have planned for 2016?
A feature about the multiverse.
Flying Lotus - FUCKKKYOUUU (a short film by Eddie Alcazar) from Eddie Alcazar on Vimeo.
Animated 'Waves '98' Shows The Continuous Loop of Depression
Written and directed by Ely Dagher, Waves '98 is making a big splash on the festival circuit. This animated film, which won the short film Palme D'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of one teenager's decision to take charge of and uproot his life after years of living in a continuous loop of depression and monotony in post-war Beirut.
Like a hellish Groundhog's Day, Omar wakes up to his parent's financial stress, depressing newscasts, and isolation daily. A Kate Moss x Supreme poster hangs on his bedroom wall next to a map of Beirut, a clear indication that he has bigger and better plans for his future. He passes the time staring at the city skyline, until one afternoon he witnesses a beam of light in the city center. Intrigued, he leaves the life as he knew it and, without looking back, sets out to find the source of the light and discover what else the world has in store for him.
WAVES'98 Trailer from Beaverandbeaver on Vimeo.
Running just shy of 15 minutes, Waves '98 is not a typical animated film; the majority of the story is illustrated with hand drawn sketches, but most of the landscapes are actual shots of a Beirut Cityscape. When Omar watches the news on TV, the reporter is not animated, rather, she is a grainy, but real, woman reporting the news from the 90s. This combination of mediums creates an undeniable sense wonderment for the viewer and is a fantastic example of the beauty of video art.
Very little dialogue is spoken in Waves '98, but the melodic journey is so distinct that one could follow along with the story even with closed eyes. The film feels very personal to director Ely Dagher, one has to assume this was a cathartic release for him to express his love/hate relationship with specific personal attachments. For those looking for a mysterious, darkly haunting, but etherial film, Waves '98 is an inspirational watch.
Waves '98 is playing in the Animation Spotlight category and is screening 1/30 at the Holiday Village Cinema 1 at 8:30 pm. For more information, click here.
Matthew Gray Gubler, Adam & Aaron Nee Talk 'Band of Robbers'
Days before the theatrical release of the comedy/crime film Band of Robbers, Morgan sat down with Matthew Gray Gubler, Adam Nee, and Aaron Nee to discuss some very serious questions... and by that we mean not serious at all and instead we just practically laugh the whole time. We talk New Year's resolutions, heroes, and favorite scenes from the film!
Band of Robbers- the modern-day Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer treasure hunt re-imagining- opens today at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 and on VoD.
Morgan's Top 10 Films of 2015
What we consider to be the best of this year represents a combination of the movies that had the greatest emotional impact on us, matched with movies that felt innovative or groundbreaking. Here are the films Morgan considers to be this year’s best:
10. Finders Keepers
In 2007, Shannon Whisnant got a lot more than he bargained for when he bid on a used grill from a repossessed storage unit at a local flea market–he got a severed human foot, belonging to one John Wood. As bizarre as it sounds, this is a true story, and it all happens within the first act of the documentary Finders Keepers, truly one of the strangest and funniest films of the year. Directors Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel have really found a needle in a haystack with the subject of this film. While the whole thing's flat-out funny, they don’t shy away from hitting poignant, emotional notes that ground the film and give it substance.
9. It Follows
Now, I'm not usually one to walk away from a horror film talking about how ingenious it was, but leave it to David Robert Mitchell's breakout festival hit It Follows to not only bombard my mind with realistically terrifying thoughts that night but for many nights after. Rising star Maika Monroe plays 19-year-old Jay, who, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions. She can't shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. A fantastic film for the modern day horror-fan that gets just about everything right.
8. The End of the Tour
The End of the Tour is based on real-life journalist David Lipsky’s critically acclaimed memoir, "Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace," which chronicles the highs and lows of his 1996 five day journey with the acclaimed post-modern author. Meditative and thought provoking, The End of the Tour captures the complexity of one man’s life through a delicate lens. A neatly wrapped package with stand-out performances, this is an example of what finely-crafted filmmaking looks–and, more importantly–feels, like.
7. Tangerine
This micro-indie surges energy and pulses with electricity at every turn and around every corner of its L.A. backdrop. It also happens to be shot entirely on the iPhone 5s. Like its off-beat shooting style, the flick of the summer Tangerine, is all attitude, all brash, and all defiant in its film-making. It takes just one moment to learn this after meeting our main characters in the film’s opening scene: two Trans prostitutes, Alexandra (Mya Taylor) and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), a colorful cast of characters in this seedy, yellow and green colored L.A. circus world. (–Ryan Rojas)
6. Amy
It’s been about 4 years since her untimely death at the age of 27, but with each passing year, Amy Winehouse's musical legacy only continues to grow stronger. Director Asif Kapadia's Amy is a heartbreaking documentary, that shows, with an incredible amount of never before seen footage, the brilliant artist she was, her troubled personal relationships, and addictions that led her down a dark path of self-destruction that she was unable to escape from. However, for as heavy-handed as this film comes across, we are left remembering a brilliant artist.
5. Iris
As a 93-year-old fashion icon known world-wide, Iris Apfel exudes a naturalness that makes you feel as if you know her. Her body is fragile, her clothes are flamboyant, and her soul is, above all else, happy. Director Albert Maysles, whose previous films include Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter, takes audiences into Apfel’s life behind the scenes in the documentary Iris. From her private apartment in New York that she shares with her 100-year-old husband Carl, to her storage warehouse that doubles as a closet, we embark on an 80-minute journey that finds inspiration, as well as words of wisdom from Iris herself, at every turn.
4. The Tribe
A standout at last year’s Cannes Film Festival is the Ukrainian crime drama The Tribe, about a deaf teenager struggling to fit in at his new boarding school and told entirely through non-verbal acting and sign language with no voice overs or subtitles. If that doesn’t sound interesting enough, note the fact that the cast is made up of entirely non-professional actors. It is a modern day silent movie with a vibrancy that will leave a lasting impression on those who are willing to experience this unique art film. The Tribe was made for an audience waiting for an authentically beautiful and powerful piece of cinematic art.
3. Ex Machina
Ex Machina is one of the most aesthetically beautiful and stylish films to come out this year. Writer/Director Alex Garland's "Sci-Fi meets Mystery" film tells the story of a young programmer, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), who is selected to participate in the opportunity to test an artificially intelligent robot, Ava, (Alicia Vikander) created by the tech-wiz recluse and quirk-capitalist Nathan (Oscar Isaac). Caleb is tasked to test which qualities make Ava exactly human enough, through a series of interviews that lead to more and more uncertainties. Suspenseful and intelligent, Ex Machina also stars some of the year's hottest actors–Vikander also stars in this year's The Danish Girl and both Isaac (and Gleeson) can be seen in one of the year's biggest films, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
2. Room
Brie Larson delivers one of the strongest performances of her career as Ma, a victim of a kidnapping who has been forced to create a home out of the petty 10″x 10″ woodshed where she and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) are held captive. One night, Ma hatches a risky plan that could either result in living happily ever after in the real world, or risk never seeing each other again. Touting Oscar buzz (and rightfully so), Room is one of those special films that gets everything right: from phenomenal performances, to ingenious storytelling and visceral camerawork, this isn’t just a movie–it truly is a full body experience. And although it can be uncomfortable at times, it pushes the audience to tap into emotions in a way that has rarely been done before.
1. Anomalisa
He is the mind behind some of cinema's most creative and original films, such as 1999’s Being John Malkovich, 2002’s Adaptation, and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Now, screenwriter-turned-director Charlie Kaufman is back with his second directed feature film, Anomalisa. In similar Kaufman fashion, the protagonist is a middle-aged cynic crippled by the mundanity of modern life, only to come to life when a stranger opens his eyes and ears to the beauty of human connection, if only for a moment. Anomalisa is a transfixing, thoughtful, and touching film that goes deep into the viewer's psyche and stirs up emotions of introspective thought. Critics are highly praising the film's ability to transcend reality, as Anomalisa has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, leaving no doubt that Kaufman's latest masterpiece stands out as one of the year’s best.
Review: 'Anomalisa'
He is the mind behind some of cinema's most creative and original films, such as 1999’s Being John Malkovich, 2002’s Adaptation, and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – now, screenwriter-turned-director Charlie Kaufman is back with his second feature film, Anomalisa. In similar Kaufman fashion, the protagonist is a middle-aged cynic crippled by the mundanity of modern life, only to come to life when a stranger opens his eyes and ears to the beauty of human connection, if only for a moment.
Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is a customer service businessman, unhappy while constantly traveling to speaking engagements across the country. As the author of a highly successful book detailing the way to victory in the field, Stone finds himself a semi-celebrity, ever-reluctantly. Despite his outward successes, the married father of one longs for more – something, anything, to snap him out of his melancholy existence. Everyone he meets literally looks and sounds the same, a clever ruse in which the third billed Tom Noonan voices every other character (credited as "Everyone Else"). It’s on a trip to Cincinnati when everything changes, when he meets the quirky Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), different from anyone he has ever met, with a liveliness that awakens a passion inside him that he had long thought was gone. Together, Michael and Lisa embark on a personal journey of love and heartbreak that makes for one unforgettable experience.
Despite the inherently childlike quality of a stop-motion animated film, Anomalisa is definitely not for children. The animated format includes adult subject matter, including scenes of sexual content, which only serve to highlight the film’s mature themes.
'Anomalisa' is a transfixing, thoughtful, and touching film that goes deep into the viewer's psyche and stirs up emotions of introspective thought.
The stop-motion production is a marvel, taking a full day's work for animators to create just two seconds worth of screen time. Because of the tedious nature of the job and close attention to detail, no second in Anomalisa is wasted. The quirky mannerisms exhibited by everyday people that otherwise go unnoticed in daily life are so carefully captured here, playing as some of the film’s most inspired laughs. Composer Carter Burwell creates a minimal but beautiful soundtrack to emphasize Michael's desires, resonating with and affecting all.
Kaufman originally penned this longing-for-love story for the stage (released under the pseudonym Francis Fregoli) and cast David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan to be his principal, and only, actors. With growing interest of turning this "sound play" into a film, Kaufman hesitated, afraid that the movie adaptation would lose authenticity. Those who backed the film's production on Kickstarter had other thoughts, however, as the film raised over $400,000 of its $200,000 goal and proved that the interest was there and ready. With support from Starburns Industries and co-director Duke Johnson, Kaufman recruited his original cast of three to create the film.
Anomalisa is a transfixing, thoughtful, and touching film that goes deep into the viewer's psyche and stirs up emotions of introspective thought. Critics are highly praising the film's ability to transcend reality. Anomalisa has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, and there is no doubt that Kaufman's latest masterpiece stands out as one of the year’s best.
Anomalisa opens with a limited release at the Landmark on December 30. Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQkHA3fHk_0
Review: 'Stinking Heaven'
Factory 25, the same company that brought us Christmas, Again (and rising star Hannah Gross), is back with another micro-budget narrative steeped in realism and youth culture with the film Stinking Heaven. In it, a group of ex-addicts deal with the challenges of sober living and face the harsh realities of their choices in this earnest attempt at a slice-of-life drama from director Nathan Silver.
Right off the bat, Silver draws attention to the film's old-school style. Taking place in New Jersey in 1990, he pays homage to the technology of the times by shooting Stinking Heaven on an Ikegami betacam—a news camera commonly used in the early 70s. The quality, while intentionally grainy and double exposed in some scenes is intriguing- most of the time. And while the look is meant to mimic the docu-style of the 90s, the slow push-in close-ups of characters are more reminiscent of old soap operas; it's an effect that tries a bit too hard to be edgy and ends up feeling rather cheap at times.
'Stinking Heaven' will appeal to those who found the grittiness of 'Heaven Knows What' and 'Tangerine' a pleasurable viewing experience.
Stinking Heaven is centered around a sober-living home, where destitute young adults find themselves living among other like-minded individuals who find comfort in conformity and regulation. Drawing similarities from religious cults or communes, the group's requirements include mandatory participation in all house activities. Since they do not work they make a living selling a fermented health drink out of their shared van, real "hippie shit" as one customer points out. While the film has no main protagonist, Hannah Gross is one recognizable face whose character, Ann, finds herself seeking solace in the home which causes a disruption in her ex-girlfriend's attempt to regain control over her life.
With a nomination for the Audience award in the American Independents category at this year's AFI FEST, Stinking Heaven will appeal to those who found the grittiness of Heaven Knows What and Tangerine a pleasurable viewing experience. Despite not having as strong of a plot or linear storyline as the previously mentioned films, this type of filmmaking should be celebrated for its uniqueness and contribution to the indie catalog.
Stinking Heaven opens in Los Angeles at Arena Cinema this Friday and is available to stream on Fandor. Unrated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylolqPHxxNA
Review: 'Christmas, Again'
Rising indie star Kentucker Audley finds himself working the night shift of a 24-hour Christmas tree lot in New York City in the drama Christmas, Again. Director Charles Poekel's romance/art film hybrid is a welcome addition to the holiday movie genre, going against the Douglas Fir grain of your typical "Merry and Bright" expectations. Christmas, Again is methodical, nuanced, and a breath of fresh air in which nothing really happens, but is still a pleasure to watch.
Bundled in plaid and a 5 o'clock shadow, Audley plays the auspiciously named character, Noel, a newly single, twenty-something night shift worker whose daily routine consists of sleeping in a cramped trailer during the day and working at a makeshift tree lot at night. He is a man of few words but of conviction. Though a man of few words, he is a man of conviction with incredible patience despite having to make small talk with customers who often lack both common courtesy and people skills. Noel's years as a tree salesman seem to have created a sense of apathy towards these customers so he doesn't take offense to their attitudes.
An official Sundance Selection charmer, Christmas, Again is a carefully unfolding look at the holiday through the eyes of our reserved protagonist Noel.
It isn't until one night when Noel spots an out-of-sorts and visibly drunk woman (Hannah Gross) sitting much too close to a homeless man, that his mundane routine changes. After retrieving her cell phone back from the homeless man, Noel carries her back to his trailer and cares for her, even gently cutting the gum out of her long brunette hair. After leaving the next morning without saying a word, she returns later that day and sheepishly introduces herself as Lydia, realizing in her drunken stupor that she had also lost her wallet and a shoe. This brief encounter is all it takes to bring Noel back to life, snapping him out of his monotonous rut. Lydia is authentic, genuine, and obviously beautiful. For a guy whose satisfaction came from helping other people get into the holiday spirit, Lydia may finally be his gift.
Christmas, Again has the unique ability to heighten the viewer's senses; from the smell of the chlorine from the gymnasium pool to the pine needles falling from the trees, we are immediately transported to a cold winter's night. Director Charles Poekel's decision to shoot on 16mm film is also bold and smart as it gives the film a worn in, warm feeling with a timeless quality.
An official Sundance Selection charmer, Christmas, Again is a carefully unfolding look at the holiday through the eyes of our reserved protagonist Noel. Kentucker's performance is another fantastic one, but personally, I'd like to see him in a role where he is the one to stir things up instead of just going along for the ride (See: Funny Bunny, The Sacrament) and I look forward to seeing a film that pushes his acting limits a bit more. In the midst of the inevitable holiday overdrive, Christmas, Again is a welcome slow burn of enjoyment and reflection on the nuances of the season.
Christmas, Again opens this Friday at the Laemmle NoHo 7 and on iTunes and select digital/ cable platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZGHw3uJJAk