Review: 'Can You Dig This'
Right off the bat, this is exactly the type of story that a documentary can portray so much better than any other medium. Within Southern L.A. are numerous underprivileged communities most of which are stuck in a cycle of poverty and criminal activity. Delila Vallot’s documentary debut, Can You Dig This, which fittingly premiered at the L.A. film festival earlier this year, is a counter argument to the negative stigma surrounding impoverished areas, displaying the potential growth that this community can have.
A large handful of protagonists is shown here, giving a great variety of ages and backgrounds and relationships with the garden. No character is short on emotionally connecting stories, which makes the entire film flow extremely well without any flack. The running theme is that many of the people in these urban gardens have backgrounds in gang or criminal behavior, as well as non-existent access to healthy food. Gardening is a radical statement far against the status quo of what’s expected. One gardener, Ron Finley, has become the most famous of the group for inspiring urban gardening nationwide. His poignant statements of wisdom ground the film, including his observation that within his neighborhood in Compton there are 3 grocery stores, and over 75 fast food restaurants. Finley says, “Some people call these food deserts. I call these food prisons because you can grow stuff in a desert.” Yet when we meet him, the city is trying to fine him for growing sidewalk gardens where it’s supposed to be plain grass. As he points out, grass takes double the amount of water and doesn’t produce food.
So often these communities become the subject of frustration and scrutiny when in fact there are stories of inspiration blooming within.
The other four characters each have their own level of heart and spirit compellingly documented. Quimonie is a girl under the age of 10 with an already blooming garden, which she started to help her family. This little girl, along with her 4 younger sisters, has so much heart and humor perfectly captured in the project; her close relationship with her father ends up being one of the most heart-warming elements of the film. Vallot sneaks in some character moments that allow us to truly love watching her on screen.
On the other end of the age spectrum is Hosea, an ex-convict who served in prison for nearly half his life and is now in a halfway house. Together with another ex-con named Henry, these two men, both over 70 and with a major chunk of their life behind bars, revitalize a space in their house and transform it into a garden. Seeing these old-timers, who would be considered criminals, connect with the earth in such a harmonious way, quietly displays an alternative to the abuse that our criminal system generates. The other two protagonists, Spicy and Kenya, also have stories equally as rich, compiling into a perfect display of five unique types of gardeners.
So often these communities become the subject of frustration and scrutiny when in fact there are stories of inspiration blooming within. The film’s director never establishes how involved they are with the characters, one of the film’s only weaknesses, but masterfully shows a full range of dynamic characters whose stories naturally progress over the runtime. But what makes Can You Dig This work even better is that these characters represent archetypes for community members who aren’t often associated with gardening, but could easily get involved and find a better way of living. While being a compelling character piece instead of a blatant message movie, Can You Dig This inspires not only the food desert communities but all urban dwellers, to consider the positive impacts that can happen when one starts a garden.
Can You Dig This is now playing on all major VOD platforms.
https://vimeo.com/142570527
'Beasts of No Nation' Review: Child Soldiers Show the Horrors of War
Because we don’t see films in a vacuum, any story that carries social or political weight requires an extra step of scrutiny. This isn’t to dampen the experience, but to verify the authenticity of a cinematic experience. "Beasts of No Nation" is based on a novel carefully compiling numerous true accounts merged into the story of a child solider. An element worth dissecting is that this story does not take place in a specific location, instead opting for an unnamed African country. This has two potential effects. On the positive side, it makes the story and experience universal, as similar situations have happened in numerous central and western African countries. On the contrary, by not making the setting any one country in particular but a generic “Africa,” it continues an unfortunate American way of painting a massive continent with a single brush stroke. For as unique a story as this is, it only furthers the trend in viewing Africa as a country instead of a massive continent with numerous truths and stories within. This is a debate I don’t know the answer to, whether the universal nature of the story trumps its broad stroke of the continent.
What about the movie itself? The story structure in "Beasts" is that of "Pinocchio" or more recently, "12 Years a Slave" in terms of an innocuous individual getting swept into something horrific. In the beginning, our protagonist, Agu (Abraham Attah), is a boy living with a loving family. As civil war and unrest infiltrate their lives, it isn’t long before Agu is separated from his family and driven into a journey of the horrific world of warfare where children fight alongside adults as soldiers. After everything he’s been through, it isn’t hard for the rebel army to persuade him into actually wanting to be a solider (even though he doesn’t have another choice).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5N_3ki7cio
At the top of the army is the unnamed Commandant (Idris Elba). You’d expect this character to be a single stroke of evil, but he isn’t. He’s charismatic, he expresses interest and care in his soldiers, and he gives them a reason to fight. It’s even more terrifying that he is impressionable and even affable than if he were a terrorizing menace: in this world, he makes what they are doing seem okay, even though it is as nightmarish as you might anticipate.
In the middle of the film, we see this unsettling balance between the camaraderie and brotherhood of an army, in the backdrop of an absolutely sickeningly war. Much credit is given to the soundtrack, which is one of the best in recent memory. Because this is not a film with a plot or a driving story, but is more of a journey through the madness, it’s a film that evokes you to think about the story in a larger context. This also makes it arduous to endure through (and its runtime is well over 2 hours), but that is undoubtedly the intention. It is not a film for the light-hearted, nor would it ever be. Alas, although this story is fiction, this has been crafted to highlight the many facets of the child soldier journey.
Director Cary Fukunaga is also the cinematographer, therefore the camera work here is always on display. Numerous tracking shots expose the grandiose artistry at work and adds to the hypnotic nature of this warfare. The static shots are equally well composed. A provocative opening shot challenges the viewer to think about what they are watching, and how they are watching it. Is this entertainment? As affluent viewers (especially those on Netflix), how is this to be viewed? In this case, it is as important as the film itself to think about the social impact of this film. How can this film benefit a tragic, ongoing situation in a continent many Americans know little about is a question worth a further discussion. I don’t have the answer, but I urge anyone who sees this film to go into "Beasts of No Nation" looking for their answer to this question.
"Beasts of No Nation" opens at the Landmark this Friday.
Laia Costa and Director Sebastian Schipper on 'Victoria'
One City. One Night. One Take. This is the premise of the latest film to garner Oscar buzz–Victoria, a groundbreaking crime drama about one young woman's late night Berlin adventure with four strangers. We chat exclusively with German-born Sebastian Schipper, whose previous acting credits include Run Lola Run and The English Patient, and the entrancing Laia Costa, who won Best Actress for her role as the title character at the German Film Awards. The interview, or shall I say, conversation, is not only lively but extremely insightful. We talk about Schipper's "punk rock" attitude, disregarding the film industry's stereotype of creating "precious ideas" and how rehearsal is "bullshit." We begin:
I saw Victoria at LA Film Fest and went in completely blind, other than knowing it was shot in one take.
Sebastian Schipper: That's great, that's always the best. When the guys who did publicity for Victoria at the Berlin Film Festival popped in the DVD, they told me they didn't know anything about it. They were like, 'Oh this is just a walking, talking film before sunrise.. a little gritty, darker' and then they were like, 'Ohhh!' Haha! I'm glad, I wish I could give this kind of experience to everybody who watches the film.
In marketing the film, how do you find the line between selling the incredible work it is but not giving away the experience?
Sebastian Schipper: You can't control it. People are going to read what they're going to read and know what they're going to know. The one thing I know is I want them to see the film because I believe whatever they're expecting is going to be a little different. Maybe it'll be hugely different actually. Even if you know the two big plot points, I'm pretty sure you're going to find out that might be the least important thing about this film.
What was so incredible for me is that for the first hour or so, you're getting to know these characters. Getting so much time to develop the characters before tension starts to rise, you feel like one of them in a way.
Sebastian Schipper: Yeah!
How did you make this film- specifically, how did you plan out the film's beats and blocking before filming?
Laia Costa: We spent a month in every location. It was a very creative process because there was no script per se. I really loved Sebastian's rules, you cannot repeat any sentence or action, and that gave us a lot of power to discover our characters and the situations and make the story richer every time. Then we did it in three one takes. By then we knew our characters' backgrounds and roles. And then we did it in the one take. My favorite take was the second one actually. One night Frederick Lau and I were very drunk and we were like, "Our best take was the second! We don't like the third one!' But then we saw the third one and it was amazing too. I am really happy with the three of them.
Sebastian Schipper: I don't believe in rehearsing with actors on a film. We would only really spend one day talking about a scene. What's Laia going to do one month before shooting in some rehearsal space? It's total bullshit. I was an actor, and as an actor, deep down you're like I gotta do this for the director but for me, I'm going to do it the day it is going to happen.
There are shots that are deliberate, my favorite of which happens in the hotel. I think that's why the one take works so well is because within the one take are these types of shots.
Sebastian Schipper: That shot was a decision. Here is one thing that I think is very characteristic to this film- I wanted to get away from the precious ideas and I think sometimes making movies is too much about the precious ideas, like the "great line" or the "great shot". I love great lines and I love great shots but sometimes when I watch a film, I feel like 'Oh, this is a great idea' and it takes me out of the film. That's one thing. I don't want ideas, I want a great fucking film. I think we have a culture now, the smartphone culture, where everybody creates something small every day and shares it with everybody. We share pictures, quotes, this is my food today... haha. I feel like this culture is jumping into the making of movies; like you have a hundred ideas and that's your movie. I think it's the other way around, I think you have to tap into something tremendous and from that point stuff is going to come. There are great lines and images in this film, but they all spring from some deep, slow, cold undercurrent.
I said to my cinematographer Sturla [Brandth Grøvlen], 'You don't know anything, you're a war photographer with your camera with this girl in this club, and you follow her. You just hang on.'
I think we watch films with our nervous system, with our heart and brain. You feel a film. So, the most important thing is that you are enabled to feel it. I said to my cinematographer Sturla [Brandth Grøvlen], 'You don't know anything, you're a war photographer with your camera with this girl in this club, and you follow her. You just hang on. Please don't anticipate what's happening next because if you know, the audience can tell and that would inform their spine that this was make believe.' Of course you know up here (points to head) that this is a movie, but the important thing is that your nervous system doesn't know, and that enables you to get on the trip.
I like the war photographer comparison, it's like being a documentarian being ready for the action.
Sebastian Schipper: That's actually something I liked about Sturla, he shot documentaries before. He's young and has to carry around the camera for 2+ hours and he's a great artist.
Laia Costa: Yeah, he's amazing.
What other crew members were following the action during filming?
Laia Costa: For me, no one! I couldn't see anyone, but was later told there were people on the roof, and I didn't know that.
Sebastian Schipper: Sometimes the sound guys did boom the film and there was a point when I wanted to forbid it.
It's unusual for American audiences to see a foreign film in English.
Sebastian Schipper: Berlin has become the place for a lot of young people in their twenties to go to. People from New York are in Berlin, same with people from Austraila and Spain.
Laia Costa: Everyone talks in English. I was there for three months and I was talking to everyone in English. I have friends who have been working in Berlin for five years and they don't speak German at all.
What has it been like getting Victoria out to audiences?
Laia Costa: It's a bit tiring doing all of this promotion. When the journalist is as handsome as you, it's fine, haha.
Sebastian Schipper: If it's a conversation, it's great. It makes all the difference in the world. With the making of Victoria, I tried to get out of the box of how you're supposed to do things. Sometimes now while promoting it, I feel like a student again. I would rather just have the film be the film. I've done over 200 interviews and if it's a conversation [rather than Q & A], it's great. Sometimes it's like you have to answer for what you did, and what we did was punk rock. One part of me wants to show up [to interviews] totally drunk and give the finger all the time..haha. Not that that's the spirit of the film or how we feel about it, it's just trying to get away from all the [questions].
For our review of Victoria, click here.
'Victoria' Review: This Single-take Film Will Blow You Away
This review originally ran on 6/16/15 during the LA Film Fest
Amidst the vast number of movies released each year, when the truly excellent pieces come along, they allow you to check both yourself and all of life’s ponderings at the door, and instead, fully embrace the world within the movie for the next few hours. "Victoria" is such a film that you enter into, and lose yourself to, the characters and the situation at hand.
The first quarter of the film introduces us to the titular lead, Victoria (Laia Costa), a lone party girl at a club who inadvertently finds the company of four similarly aged men. At first, she is reluctant, understandably so given the potential danger of being a single woman with this group, but soon we realize that they are harmless partiers looking for a jovial time and she is able to enjoy their company. For the remainder of the runtime, we see this group go from little better than strangers into situations that will dramatically bring them together, throughout the course of one night, all over the streets of Berlin.
If you’ve read anything else regarding this film, the first thing you’ll notice is also a huge selling point of this movie: the entire 140-minute film is done in a single, uninterrupted take. While the oner is a favorite throughout film history, most pieces that do this (including last year’s Best Picture winner "Birdman") edit multiple long shots to flow as one. This is not the case with Victoria, and the effect is dazzling. I did know this was going to be the case going in and was wary it might be a gimmick.
What really sells the film as a triumph is how the protagonists are all given range and authenticity that allows us something to root for.
In the end, I deliberately didn’t start my review focused on this because the end result is so much more than this effect. In this case, it surprisingly doesn’t dominate the film: there are fantastic character developments and each major scene swiftly goes to a new location, which helps the viewer to keep track of the unfolding story and not feel ephemeral as many one-take movies do. The camera work is a major element in the film’s success, and undoubtedly elevates the movie to a new level, but enough else is going on in this movie it doesn’t overwhelm the experience.
What really sells the film as a triumph is how the protagonists are all given range and authenticity that allows us something to root for. As the film progresses the pace quickens and situations get tense: it is because of the first half’s development that we are able to feel genuine emotion for each of these characters. There are thrillingly tense sequences, and also moments where I was laughing the way I might with a group of friends.
If you do manage to see the film, you’ll know exactly when these moments happen. Sonne (Frederick Lau), the male lead, shares some intimate and beautiful moments with Victoria and delivers an impeccable performance, but is equally matched by his rowdy pal Boxer (Franz Rogowski), who looks something like a more handsome version of the Mad Max war boys and plays the full range of character. The success in capturing these characters makes the film stand out so much.
Victoria won the cinematography award at the Berlin Film Festival and just played at LAFF. I do not know where its release will be from here, but you can count on me to be championing this triumph for the rest of the year. So rarely does a film sweep you off your feet and play the entire emotional spectrum in the way that Victoria does. I hope that many more audiences can share this fantastic cinematic experience that I’ve just had.
Victoria opens today at the Landmark Nuart, additional theatres on October 16th.
Review: 'The Final Girls'
This review ran on 6/18/15 during the LA Film Fest
Horror fans of the 1980’s grew up experiencing the terror of a new set of tropes and the mainstreamed depiction of grisly, campy violence. Many of these classics were terrifying experiences back then, but today’s audience grew up knowing all the clichés as just that. Therefore modern movie fans aren’t wooed by serial killers at summer camps or boogymen in closets. The current generation has a more cynical approach, and thus has birthed the satire horror film, the most notable installment being the widely cherished Cabin in the Woods.
With The Final Girls, director Todd Strauss-Schulson attempts to bring a new entry into this self-aware subgenre.
Max (Taissa Faramiga) is the daughter of 1980’s horror scream queen Amanda Cartwright (Malin Akerman) and is coming to terms with her mother’s absence in her life. One event leads to another and Max and her friends end up at a screening of the classic horror film her mother starred in, Camp Bloodbath, and in a Wizard of Oz-esque turn of events, Max and her friends get transported into the movie itself, and are forced to fend off the movie’s bloody killer as if they are in the movie themselves.
While the film truly has an original premise and gets plenty of mileage out of the movie-within-movie scenario, it ultimately gets weighed down by the mother-daughter relationship as a focal point.
Within the movie they must also deal with the fictional characters already in the movie, which happens to include the character played by Max’s mom (unaware that she is her daughter). It isn’t as confusing as it sounds, but the basic premise is a hybrid of horror comedy jabbing at the various slasher and general movie tropes, mixed with a sentimental mother-daughter storyline.
While the film truly has an original premise and gets plenty of mileage out of the movie-within-movie scenario, it ultimately gets weighed down by the mother-daughter relationship as a focal point. It was the writers’ intention for this to be more than just a horror comedy, but unfortunately every time the film deviates to the mother-daughter relationship, it loses major momentum. The relationship between the characters is genuine and authentic, but isn’t properly fused with an otherwise campy story. The result is segments that feel out of place compared to the rest of the film.
When it comes to the horror comedy itself, surprisingly, the final result is something that actually plays it much safer than it potentially could. When lined up next to other action comedies that emphasize the gore as part of the humor, Final Girls seems out of its league. Its strength then falls into its characters, which thankfully are unique and inspired enough to keep the film going.
The only exception (and I’ll admit I may be alone here) is Adam Devine, who frankly I just find increasingly less amusing with every new experience. Otherwise, the cast is a wealth of young talent who I can imagine will land bigger projects from here.
Finally, when it comes to the ending, which I will not spoil, the film has all the pieces to do something truly daring and twisting as most of the film does. Instead, the film takes its biggest twist and turns it into something rather safe, even erasing some of the unique decisions that the film establishes earlier. All in all, The Final Girls will entertain and provides a fun, self-aware movie going experience, but might not be as daring as the initial premise and concept suggests.
The Final Girls opens at The Vista in Los Feliz & On Demand this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwke66eJ4H8
Review: 'Steve Jobs'
The word ‘auteur’ is generally used to describe a director whose vision is clear enough to be recognizable. The great directors all fit into this category, but most screenwriters tend to play a more anonymous role. The exception is Aaron Sorkin, a screenwriter whose hyper-speed style and wall-to-wall dialogue is immediately recognizable in the best way possible. Five years ago, he won an Oscar for his unprecedented script on modern classic The Social Network. Although not working with Network’s director David Fincher, a similarly matched level of energy and bold protagonist dares his next project, Steve Jobs, to stand confidently alongside his other award winning work.
In the case of both films, Sorkin’s writing is met with a director whose style is equally vibrant. Job’s Danny Boyle may not have the fanboy following that Fincher has gathered, but from the film’s first moments there is little doubt that this is a “Danny Boyle” film. Boyle utilizes a vibrant array of images, quickly maneuvers between subjects, and manages to feel both macro and micro scale. Boyle has a few tricks up his sleeve as well that add a refreshing enough touch to make the film feel alive. The hybrid of writer from Social Network and director of Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours feels like a beautifully matched synthesis.
Because of the similarities to predecessor 'The Social Network', 'Steve Jobs' may not feel as enigmatic or fresh as the former film, but it’s entertainment and gripping narrative are enough to make it a must-see in its own right.
Perhaps the most daring element of this biography is, rather than telling the entire lifespan like a conventional biopic, the egomaniac genius of Jobs is distilled into three different chapters, each from different stages of his career. The film wastes no time trying to tell us information that we already know: it is entirely focused on the relationships Jobs had with his closest confidantes. Some fantastic decisions are made to distinguish each chapter, the most prominent being the decision to shoot using three different eras of cameras/film to match the progression of technology. Just one of many unique decisions that result in a more dynamic film.
Michael Fassbender, easily one of the greatest working actors we have today, tackles the character of Steve Jobs from the immediate get-go. He never feels disguised as the character, but instead embodies the classic approach where he is still very much himself within the spectrum of this incredible character. As is the case with nearly every element of the film, the ensemble of performers all show-up and deliver knockouts. Supporting cast members Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Michael Stulhbarg, and Jeff Daniels each get opportunities to deliver feisty discourse with Fassbender’s Jobs, and each is equally compelling. Since the triptych structure of the film allows for a very clear progression of character’s relationships, the arcs are more easily recognizable, but nonetheless well executed.
Because of the similarities to predecessor The Social Network, Steve Jobs may not feel as enigmatic or fresh as the former film, but it’s entertainment and gripping narrative are enough to make it a must-see in its own right. It is firing on all cylinders and captures the man behind so much of today’s world in a delectable manner. Because of the conscious decision to not cover the entire lifespan of Steve Jobs, but instead explore a series of dramatic relationships he had, the film is one that can stand beautifully beside Walter Isaacson’s book in that it only makes you want to learn more about the man instead of trying to encapsulate everything about him. Few influencers were as complex as Steve Jobs, and he is fortunate to have a film that does justice to the fascinatingly complex individual he is. For the numerous reasons listed above, Steve Jobs, a film equally attributed to Danny Boyle, Aaron Sorkin, and Michael Fassbender, is one of the must-see films of the year.
Steve Jobs opens Friday at the Landmark Theatre followed by a national rollout October 16th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=aEr6K1bwIVs
Review: 'Time Out of Mind'
As a writer and director, Oren Moverman has remained a quiet yet essential contributor to the prestige dramatic film. His Oscar nominated turn for The Messenger and this year’s evocative work on Love and Mercy are two prominent examples of his craftsmanship. His latest film, Time Out of Mind, flew under the radar at Toronto last year and is now receiving a small theatrical release.
Richard Gere plays George, a homeless man falling under the usual parameters. When we meet him, he is sleeping in the bathtub of an apartment where the tenant has been evicted. The film’s style parallels the homeless experience: it isn’t driven by ever-changing drama, instead it unfolds at a slow and occasionally monotonous pace. As a director, Moverman is deliberate with his camera work, choosing to shoot a major percentage of the movie through glass or other obscurities looking at George, further establishing him as an “other” and the audience as outsiders looking at the homeless lifestyle. He favors longer camera setups and only cuts when he has to. The result is mixed: sometimes this works extremely well at capturing the essence, other times it heads more towards tedium. In the final shot of the film, this technique pays off like never before.
Moverman is deliberate with his camera work, choosing to shoot a major percentage of the movie through glass or other obscurities looking at George, further establishing him as an “other” and the audience as outsiders looking at the homeless lifestyle.
Richard Gere is a hard sell as a homeless man: his strikingly handsome visage doesn’t appear to be weathered by the streets. At times, this is addressed: a social worker asks how a handsome man like him doesn’t have a spouse. Ultimately, little effort is made to establish how his clean-cut nature ended up amongst the more battered homeless population. At one point, Gere’s character wakes up on the streets without a shirt on, and looks as if he is getting out of bed like the way any man does every morning. Actors playing against type are a pleasure to watch: in this case, it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Moverman’s treatment of the subject is never degrading or attempting to be a savoir toward the underlying homeless population. The decision to take place in the spring instead of the winter fortunately avoids the usual convention of the homeless person freezing during a blizzard: the homeless population struggles to find a place to sleep in all four seasons. In short, he treats the subject with respect and recognition that this individual film does not encapsulate the entire population’s experience.
Time Out of Mind may be a film that parallels its protagonist: it becomes lost and anonymous amidst the more flashy crowd. It does represent a filmmaker whose craft is actively working and still awaits a definitive project. In the mean while, I will remain intrigued to see what Moverman writes and directs next: there is a masterstroke still on the way.
Time Out of Mind is now playing at the Landmark Theatre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkDsYjuyZxQ
Review: 'Pawn Sacrifice'
A story loosely known to the general public but with details no longer widely known, American chess master Bobby Fischer served as one of the many pieces in the half century duel between the US and Soviet Union. In the latest film from Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), Tobey Maguire plays the troubled yet brilliant chess player whose every moment revolved around one of the world’s most complicated and fascinating games.
Traditionally chess has widely been treated as a sport, with the same level of complex battles as an intellectual tennis match. In viewing this as a sports film, one of the most essential elements is giving the audience enough information about the game being played so they can keep up. It’s as simple as a referee voiceover or a glance at the scoreboard. Obviously, every sport will have its own way of showing the audience what is happening. Chess is a game that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Despite the potential for gripping battles between Fischer and his opponent, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), no effort is made to keep the audience in the loop on what is going on.
Despite the potential for gripping battles between Fischer and his opponent, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), no effort is made to keep the audience in the loop on what is going on.
For a movie that revolves entirely around the game, this is the ultimate downfall: in every chess match scattered throughout the movie, the audience is left completely cold as for who is winning or what is happening, instead left to rely on sets of actors with intense expressions to achieve suspense. This issue cannot be overstated, as it makes a film that could be enthralling turn tedious and alienating.
There are plenty of notes to be made about the casting and technical elements, but ultimately nothing can overcome this major error. Cinematography from rising talent Bradford Young looks terrific, with stunning imagery of both Iceland and Los Angeles (where it rained more times in this movie that it has this year).Tobey Maguire puts on a very intense performance tapping into a character whose brilliance omitted standard social cues. Ultimately, the entire look and feel of the film, including a top-tier cast, has the essence of a prestige motion picture, but without the element that would allow the audience to engage, this is a hollow and dispensable film.
Pawn Sacrifice is in select theaters Wednesday, September 16th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpHXBKvmmKo
Review: 'Turbo Kid'
The most critical element of telling a story that isn’t grounded in everyday reality is to clearly establish the rules of the world we are entering. Let Turbo Kid, a nostalgic sci-fi movie set in a dystopian 1997, be the textbook example of how to do this well. This is not a moody apocalyptic slog, or even an attempt to paint the future as some sort of warning of our current state. This is a campy, gory, comical, self-aware thrill ride that embraces movies as a way to have an absolute blast for 90 minutes.
The story itself is pretty standard stuff. A lone, heroic kid takes down the forces of evil. It’s the execution, and the intentional absurdity, that make this such a worthwhile journey. The attention to detail here is impeccable, utilizing all kinds of goofy elements, and many nostalgic insertions, to get the point across. A heroine is introduced in the form of Apple (Laurence LaBoeuf), and her zaniness is something I was fully prepared to be irritated by, but instead manages to be endearing and fun. The villain, Zeus (Michael Ironside) is just as fun, self aware pure evil. With both of these characters, there is more than meets the eye, more to be revealed, and a journey ahead of us.
Turbo Kid is not a mainstream crowd pleaser, it’s a cult movie fan’s dream wrapped up in a brand new package.
For as much as I mentioned the overall story is straightforward, the film has its fair share of twists and unexpected turns, many of which riskily pay off. These are the types of decisions only seen in an independent film not clouded by what they think an audience can digest. And on that note, it’s an absolute gorefest in the best way possible, with plenty of bloody violence that manages to be funny because of how it’s established. As someone who normally finds comic violence deplorable, here is the rare anomaly that manages to land well.
The film played as a midnight movie at Sundance, and is already on its way to becoming the first major attempt at a cult movie in a while. The first sign of a midnight movie is its potential for audience involvement. First, the cosplay potential here is the no-brainer. I saw the film at during Sundance NextFest, and the audience embraced the fact that the film had 17 (count ‘em, 17) production companies listed before the movie began! Not much more can show how independent or grassroots a film is. How awesome is it than an audience can embrace this with a fun tradition in the making? If you see it in a theater, be sure to pass this along.
Turbo Kid is not a mainstream crowd pleaser, it’s a cult movie fan’s dream wrapped up in a brand new package. If this seems like your cup of tea you will love it. If it isn’t, then you may still find value in it regardless.
Turbo Kid opens in select theaters this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlZ6pVtnv0
Review: 'We Come As Friends'
This will be the first film I have reviewed for Cinemacy that I have seen two times before writing a review: first I saw this documentary at the world premiere at Sundance back in January of 2014. Over a year and a half later, I found the film captivating enough that it merited a second viewing, and attended a screening held by LA World Affairs Council leading up to its local release on August 21. With the luxury of having two viewings, here are my thoughts.
Documentaries on social or global issues tend to fall into the trap of emphasizing information in the most conventional way possible instead of using cinematic tools the way narrative filmmakers do to paint the picture. We Come As Friends may be the first documentary film I have seen to entirely emphasize the latter. Opening with a shot of ants crawling on sand amidst a toy airplane, it’s clear that this is going to be a different type of film.
South Sudan is the world’s youngest independent country, and it achieved independence after years of struggle against its Northern neighbor. Now the new country is in a chaotic state without the establishments developed countries take for granted. The result is that a slew of outside forces are intervening with the country to try and make it right in their eyes, each with their own agenda. The title “We Come As Friends” is a reference to these outsiders interference that has had massive consequence on the country, and an allusion to the phrase used to greet aliens in classic science fiction.
Because the results are more thought-provoking and impressionable than a more conventional depiction, I find this to be a worthwhile tradeoff.
Director Hubert Sauper built a tiny airplane to travel from France to South Sudan, as it is challenging to travel through the country any other way. The plane, fittingly named “Sputnik,” was designed specifically for this project. In early aerial shots from the plane, Sauper chooses to film the country upside down, implying that this is a foreign planet. The metaphor of alien invasion is pertinent through the film, as all these invaders seem to treat South Sudan not as a fellow country, but as the colonialists did: a foreign place incapable of independent survival.
Who are these others? The bulk of the runtime is dedicated toward showing all the different intruders and their range of alarming actions: Chinese oil riggers, American Jesus missionaries, Dutch guards, bomb diffusers, and land developers from all over the world. These characters each paint strokes of unnerving reality: every single one is blatantly exploiting the people and the resources of this country. Perhaps what is so insidious is that everyone appears to be happy and thinks they are doing what is right, but what is right for other countries is clearly not what is going to benefit South Sudan. In one sequence, a businessman is cutting the ribbon on a new power plant and shouts to the crowd, “We bringing you light!” as a self-glorifying charitable act. Over and over these foreigners think that they are doing what is best for the country without even giving the people of this country a seat at the table.
Some of the image metaphors are subtle. A quick shot of the Christian family sharing pictures of their house construction shows an image of the house foundation that eerily resembles a cemetery. During a celebration of independence, all of the foreign guards and UN workers are partying, while right next to them are a black South Sudanese waitress and janitor, working. None is more blatant than a Christian American woman trying to put white socks onto a naked toddler’s feet to “help” the child as he cries loudly, not wanting this at all. As I mentioned, because of the vérité artistic style that shows instead of tells, some of these subtle decisions are easy to miss, but the message of neo-colonialism could not be any louder.
Traditional documentaries choose to have crisp sound design for interviews or important moments so that the audience won’t miss a beat. In this film, the sound is often a barrage of background noise: televisions or loudspeakers are often in the background, crowds are never muted, machinery runs at full volume, and yet the film carries on. Not only does this reflect the reality, but it aids the audience to feel just how much of a sensory overload that these exploiting invaders are causing on the indigenous people.
This is an important documentary because South Sudan is a country that the US media has chosen is not worth their time to cover. While most of the footage is now at least 3 years old, the situation has only worsened. Not only is the impact of the film important, but from a documentary filmmaking standpoint, this is one of the bravest and most unique cinematic entries I have encountered. The film does not give an answer as to what to do next. Because of the vérité style, the film doesn’t have the structure often seen as essential. In this way, it mirrors the chaotic and multi-directional challenges that face South Sudan presently. We Come As Friends bears more resemblance to an art piece than to a call to action, which in some ways may be exploiting the country as a means for creating art. A film this radically unconventional runs that risk. Because the results are more thought-provoking and impressionable than a more conventional depiction, I find this to be a worthwhile tradeoff. We Come As Friends is challenging, exhausting, and overall an incredible cinematic experience with stories that otherwise would be ignored. See it as soon as you can.
http://www.wecomeasfriends.com/us/screenings/
We Come As Friends opens at the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0MgQLk2OCQ
Lily Tomlin, Sam Elliott & Director Paul Weitz on 'Grandma'
Last Friday I joined a slew of LA critics at the London Hotel in West Hollywood for a press interview for Grandma– see my review here. Writer/Director Paul Weitz, Lily Tomlin, and Sam Elliott participated in a press conference and answered some questions. We begin:
What conversations did you have prior to filming regarding the romantic relationship between Judy Greer and Lily Tomlin?
Paul Weitz (PW): A lot. I wrote this script with Lily’s voice in it and I didn’t tell her… I asked her to lunch and kind of sprung this on her and asked if she’d read it. I felt that this movie was going to be important to Lily that everything be understandable and right. I also knew that Lily has so much to tell me about the character, which is the case with every excellent actor. I remember talking about what it’s like to enter a relationship with a fan – and Judy is a fan of Lily in the movie. I needed it to be somebody whose intelligence Lily would respect and I saw that in Judy. We talked a lot about what we didn’t want it to be. It was just as important to explore what her relationship was with the off camera character of Violet (Lily’s late long term love) and I used Jacqueline Woodson as her picture and that character’s spirit because it would be important in setting the scene. When I first wrote that relationship it was incredibly idealized and Lily pointed out to me that if this were a real long term relationship they would have fought and had moments on the out, and Lily helped me put that spin on that.
Lily Tomlin (LT): I’d look at her (Judy) and say, “She’s young isn’t she?” And my character say would say “She wouldn’t leave me alone what could I do?”
PW: Lily’s character says to Julia (her granddaughter), “I met with her out of ego, now I’ve written more in the last 4 months than in the 5 years prior to that and that’s what good sex will to do you.” I love how when she says that her granddaughter is seeing her grandmother without expecting her to say that.
What were the ways you got into this character?
LT: I think Paul really did write it with me in mind, from the outside I wouldn’t have said I was like Elle, but I think I must be a great deal like Elle because it was so easy, fluid, natural. There are things you have to transpose yourself on, but it was terribly natural to me and that was a blessing.
PW: We also had a lot of time to go through it and figure out why Lily’s character was the way she was.
What was it like working on a film of this scale after all three of you have worked on much bigger projects?
LT: The scale was incredibly freeing creatively, it was less about perfecting that one joke or that one scene and more relaxed and focused on the subtleties. I wasn’t even sure it would be funny until we screened at the Sundance closing night.
PW: It was nice for me because when you have a bigger budget you sometimes shoot things just to see if they will work or not with the story, and then you sometimes end up with great material or masterful performances that you just can’t find a place for when someone is trying to get you to get the film shorter. With this project we only shot stuff we knew would be on screen. The film changed remarkably little from page to the final project.
Sam Elliott (SE): On big movies, there is a lot of wasted energy, a lot of BS, and here we were working with $600,000 and only 18 days of filming, and therefore it felt much more intimate and real.
How much improv was added into the scenes?
SE: Not much. When you have a good script, which is why I was on this, you want to be true to a good script. I did my work, I memorized my lines ahead of time – which takes me a while – but I came prepared to work and deliver on this story. We shot my scene in sequence, which also made it very easy.
PW: Lily would sometimes question how a literate character would swear so much and a few of the f-words we took out, but then during filming she sometimes added in new ones of her own. It balanced out in the end.
Lily would sometimes question how a literate character would swear so much and a few of the f-words we took out, but then during filming she sometimes added in new ones of her own.
Lily - how was it to play a lesbian character?
LT: As I said before I’ve played so many characters I guess it’s good to play myself! I did have my own car and my own clothes, and I brought my own experience but still made it a distinct character while having plenty of my own perspective. There were things she said or did that I would never do.
Could you touch on the subject of abortions and how you handled it in a more authentic way?
PW: It’s easy to turn characters into statistics when you talk about something serious like an abortion, and I know that in Juno and other films abortion is discussed but never fully realized. Lily’s character has a great line about how “this is something you’ll think about every day for the rest of your life,” but Sage is a confident teenager and knows what’s best for her right then. We wanted it to be a personal film but also have a connection to society and where we are right now. For Lily’s character, getting an abortion would have been something very dangerous and definitely illegal, so she brings her own perspective to it while Sage is very much a teenager of the present day.
Sam, how do you keep such a deep voice over the years?
SE: (laughs) It’s not anything I do. My mother always had me in church choirs and a capella, it only gets deeper over the years, but it’s nothing more than gravity not anything I particularly work on.
What was it like working with Elizabeth Peña and did you know it would be one of her last roles? (She passed away recently)
PW: I had no idea it would be. We had a very fun time on set, she loved her character and her costume, and she got excited about her scene. In the scene where Lily insults her the ultimate feminist insult by calling her a silver-backed alpha male ape, she actually wanted to act like an ape and jump over the counter. It’s a tragedy this will be her last or one of her last performances.
Great use of props and clothing to efficiently create characters. Could you talk about what elements were pre-envisioned and then how those decisions came to be?
PW: It was definitely important to let go of pre-conceptions and figure out what was best for these characters. I had originally imagined Sam’s character to have a pony tail and be a biker, but we discussed and figured out what would be more authentic.
SE: A lot of the details paid off for these characters. For example, when we first see my character, we decided his jeans would not be tucked in properly – he’s been caught alone in this big house and despite having so many children he is alone. He isn’t expecting anyone. That small touch really added to the scene.
Can you talk about the anger in the film and how you managed to create angry characters but not be one-note?
PW: I love the title of “Grandma” because it conjures this really sweet image which ends up being ironic when she’s such a firecracker. We were dealing with three generations of women and how they each handled situations… the main thing is all these characters needed to be full of life because they all have much more life to live. This was never meant to be a swan song, or a “dying movie” but it leaves with a sense of optimism that there is more room to grow.
LT: The anger is the initial emotion or the gut reaction but it’s what leads her to express the hurt that’s underneath. The most emotional moment for me is actually a laugh, and when she lets go of her past troubles with a degree of optimism instead of sorrow. If that is going to play it’s gotta be on the page, and with this script it was, which made it very easy to fall naturally into.
'Grandma' is the Film the Pregnancy Sub-Genre Needed
Grandma, a Sundance alum that opens on August 21st, is the story of a teenager who goes to her eccentric grandmother (played by Lily Tomlin) for money to get an abortion. Her grandma is also broke, so they endeavor to collect the money they need by the end of the day. You can read my review here and I highly suggest skipping the trailer, which unfortunately gives away some great moments better experienced in context. This piece is not a review: instead it’s a look at why this feels like a pivotal contribution to the pregnancy subgenre.
Let me get the one caveat out of the way: I’m a man. I am a feminist, but I cannot speak for a woman’s experience. In this article, I hope to shed light on how Hollywood portrays pregnancy. I will never be pregnant, nor will I ever go through an abortion myself. However, I am compelled to share what I’ve observed in these films.
It is old news that Hollywood is absurdly male dominant, but clearly 1 in 3 women’s experience cannot be entirely summarized by one scene from 'Blue Valentine'.
The first time I ever saw an abortion depicted in a film was Blue Valentine. Anyone who saw the movie remembers the scene. It’s absolutely traumatizing without ever being graphic. The director manages to get you in the character’s circumstance and make the abortion feel horrifying, and in the end it’s a no-brainer she does not go through with it. As an 18-year-old seeing this, I felt confident that abortions were bad news all around and a horrible experience to have, despite the fact that I was raised (and am still) Pro-Choice. How could I have this strong negative impression without ever experiencing an abortion myself?
Having an abortion is no doubt a serious decision. However, 1 in every 3 women will have an abortion in her lifetime. This is a huge percentage of the population! It is old news that Hollywood is absurdly male dominant, but clearly 1 in 3 women’s experience cannot be entirely summarized by one scene from Blue Valentine. Organizations have been working hard to demystify the negative stigma associated with this experience, but movies have been serving a counter point of view that reaches far more general audiences.
It is no spoiler that Grandma is a film where an abortion is a key plot point. The film is a comedy, but the abortion is never treated lightly or seen as casual. Instead, it is treated as a viable option, and not a thing of shame for the woman. Sage, the character having the abortion, is a teenager not ready to go through with an unwanted pregnancy and has made the decision that this is what will be best for her. Seeing the subject of abortion depicted this way is incredibly refreshing and honest instead of hokey. Why did something this simple and authentic feel so progressive for a movie?
I encourage readers to look back at any movie you’ve seen with an unwanted pregnancy – how many characters ever decide not to keep their child?
The pregnancy subgenre hit a noticeable peak in 2007, when 3 major movies came out: Knocked Up, Waitress, and Juno. All of them are about women who unexpectedly get pregnant and everything after. They also have another major element in common: all of the women at some point in the movie make the active decision to keep the baby. In Juno, she is set on getting an abortion, until a lone protester outside the clinic tells her that her baby has fingernails, and that elicits an emotional reaction that causes her to leave. The abortion protestor is a bit of a punch line, yet nonetheless the protestor effectively convinces the protagonist. In all of these high profile films, having an abortion is ruled out fairly early, despite the fact that all three women aren’t planning for motherhood. I’m not saying that just because a pregnancy is unwanted means there is a clear answer of what to do. But this is where in seeing Grandma, I realized how few times in movies I had seen an abortion depicted as an acceptable way to handle a situation, and therefore, it felt like an untold story. I encourage readers to look back at any movie you’ve seen with an unwanted pregnancy – how many characters ever decide not to keep their child? Another Sundance film getting released on August 21, Ten Thousand Saints, also features a teen pregnancy. The film includes a scene where the character confidently heads to a clinic to get an abortion, but arrives only to be scared off and in the end keeps the child. Sound familiar?
Even on the first season of Orange is the New Black, undoubtedly one of the most progressive shows in terms of depicting dimensional female characters, we still fall into this same predicament with two sides of the coin. A heroic character decides to keep her unplanned pregnancy, whereas a villainous antagonist has apparently had over 6 abortions. It appears to be abundantly clear which is the better character to emulate. (Side note: Laverne Cox is in both Grandma and Orange is the New Black).
It confirms my hunch that there is a clear negative stigma in the conservative world of Hollywood around the subject
In researching this article, I discovered that another recent indie film, Obvious Child, collaborated with Planned Parenthood to make “an edgy, hip, funny, remarkably honest (movie) revolving around one woman’s abortion.” According to the PP website,
“When NBC rejected an ad for the film because it included the word ‘abortion,’ Planned Parenthood Action Fund led a national campaign to insist the network reverse course… the campaign ignited a social media firestorm, opened a conversation about abortion stigma, and NBC decided to run the ad and clarify its policies.”
What this tells me is that I was incorrect in thinking Grandma is not the first film to progressively depict having an abortion. But it confirms my hunch that there is a clear negative stigma in the conservative world of Hollywood around the subject. Grandma is the best counter argument to this stigma I could have ever dreamed up: it’s a witty, clever, and completely believable story in which having an abortion is something that happens without a character feeling shameful or as though she is making the wrong decision. The ideal cinematic world should depict as wide a variety of opinions and scenarios as possible, and on the subject of unwanted pregnancies, there appears to be a clear majority as to what is shown as “right.” Not only is Grandma a fantastic film with well-executed humor and fully realized characters, but it is also a great counterbalance to an alarmingly unprogressive industry. I recommend seeing it for both of these reasons.
Links:
http://plannedparenthood.org/files/6714/1996/2641/2013-2014_Annual_Report_FINAL_WEB_VERSION.pdf
http://www.1in3campaign.org/en/
Review: 'Grandma'
In the opening scene of Grandma our hero Elle (Lily Tomlin), a spirited and short-term older woman, angrily breaks up with her much younger girlfriend Olivia (Judy Greer). Just from this quick bit, we are informed that something unusual is about to unfold across the screen.
The next scene establishes the premise: Elle’s granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) needs an abortion, and comes to Elle for monetary help. The two go around town to get the money that they need. The premise itself isn’t anything groundbreaking, but the level of devotion to creating quality characters and efficient storytelling is.
Over the course of the film we meet the cast of characters from Elle’s life, and learn all about her and discover what made her who she is today. At a brisk 80 minutes, no time is wasted, and therefore characters are developed extremely well– not suffering through clunky dialogue but rather through costume, location, and first impression.
We’re in an era where the question of great roles for women is pertinent, and here is a film that gives them out in droves.
Elle is the character who will reveal more as time goes on, but the way in which the supporting cast is introduced is credited to terrific storytelling. I’ll leave you to see, but all of the characters, including notable actors Sam Elliott, Marcia Gay Hayden, and more are all given individual moments to shine.
It is hard to summarize just how terrific of a lead Lily Tomlin is. Few actors can walk the fine line between comedy and drama so well: she gets plenty of chances to display both here. At this point I can’t see how she wouldn’t be a contender for Best Actress.
Another refreshing element that shouldn’t go unstated is just how many barriers it manages to break. We’re in an era where the question of great roles for women is pertinent, and here is a film that gives them out in droves. Not only that, but so many mainstream films have clouded abortion as this shameful, taboo subject (If you don’t believe me, re-watch all the pregnancy comedies and look at how negatively it is viewed). In Grandma, nobody is devaluing the emotional burden of having an abortion, but the subject is treated respectfully and in a seemingly authentic matter.
No situation in life is entirely dramatic or comedic, and this is a film that displays the true range of emotion that people, especially family, can share. All and all, Grandma is a crowd pleaser rich with great writing and genuine heart. It’s a short, brisk film that delivers wholeheartedly everything you could ask for and more.
Grandma opens in theaters this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXk1St0MDN8
Review: 'Station to Station'
The premise alone is enough to draw your attention: Station to Station is 62 one-minute films back to back, all made over the course of a 4,000 mile train trip by a wide array of artists and musicians. The film as a whole is more akin to a curated exhibit with all kinds of types of art and methods of using the medium.
One minute is not a lot of time - therefore the film doesn’t lose its pace because it switches gears so often. While 62 different films may seem completely incoherent, there are two elements which hold the project together. The first is the trip itself: the train ride and the various “happenings” where the train stopped and would display its various artists. A handful dabble into the themes surrounding train travel and the American landscape (not surprisingly these are the best ones) while others focus on the people on the trip. The second piece holding it together is that for the most part the films all keep a similar style, displaying each artist or member one by one, and only a few manage to truly deviate. This is unfortunate in that there are multiple shorts that are similar enough I wonder if the same person directed them, even though each one is given a different credit. By the end of the film, you’ve seen so many, it is difficult to recall the pieces except for a handful of true standouts.
While the art experiment and the journey was probably an enlightening experience for everyone involved, the film never is able to take on as powerful an experience for the viewer.
While the art experiment and the journey was probably an enlightening experience for everyone involved, the film never is able to take on as powerful an experience for the viewer. Because the film is always changing, it is hard to stay connected, and many of the short films are little more than documentations of a given artist. 62 one-minute films by 62 different visionary directors is what you’ll be expecting, only to find that the films are made primarily by visual and musical artists for whom filmmaking is a secondary art. The result is far less memorable than it potentially could be. The handful of the films that truly deviate or take on a more radically unique approach are the standouts, but they are surrounded by less memorable films.
I am also wary of the effectiveness of one minute for conveying information. I admire the experiment, and love the theme of railroad travel (which isn’t utilized nearly as much as it could be), but don’t feel as though the collective results are particularly inspiring. The good news is that if you aren’t too crazy about one of the shorts, it will be over within 60 seconds. The bad news is the same for the more intriguing shorts. Such is the nature of an anthology.
I would love to see more storytellers emulate this experiment, perhaps focusing more on filmmaking as opposed to other art forms. It isn’t to discredit the talent of each of the artists, but it becomes extremely clear for many that their short film doesn’t fully capture their essence the way seeing them live or being on the train with them would bring. Instead, I would love to see a train trip (or something equivalent) of 62 filmmakers who each direct a radically different one minute short all within a same theme. This is what I had expected to see with Station to Station, and unfortunately, the result is less cinematic and more archival. I admire the experiment that this group of people have put together, and would love to see another film that takes its structure up to the next level.
Station to Station opens at the Nuart Theater this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_bJP7rExmk
Review: 'Meru'
Documentaries about specific subjects or professions can transcend their field when focused on passionate people. Arctic climbing doc Meru is a banner example of how by showing the ins and outs of climbing told by people who love it, we all can connect as an audience. It also dramatically helps that just about anyone who sees the images taken will experience vertigo: it’s truly breathtaking to watch.
The synopsis: three renowned climbers (Jimmy Chin, Conrad Anker, Renan Ozturk) navigate nature’s harshest elements to ascend Mount Meru, the most technically complex and dangerous peak in the Himilayas.
Not only are these climbers attempting to scale the unconquered shark fin known as Meru, but one of the directors Jimmy Chin is filming while he does it. In a director’s statement on this subject he says, “When you’re making a movie on the mountain, the camera is an added appendage – one you often wish you didn’t have to carry. While shooting Meru, it was a real struggle just to keep the two small cameras we carried from getting destroyed. I always say the rules on filming on a mountain climb are fairly straightforward. Shoot whenever you can. Don’t hold up the team. And don’t drop the camera.” The fact that this expedition is documented on film remains a feat in itself.
It also dramatically helps that just about anyone who sees the images taken will experience vertigo: it’s truly breathtaking to watch.
The difficulty of the climb is expressed in both the variety of terminology used to describe what exactly they’re doing, and that the stakes are naturally raised as the film goes on. To give an example: while Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, you can have a Sherpa carry your load up the whole way. In this case, not only has nobody ever climbed to the top of Meru, but it involves a radical mixture of types of rock climbing amongst treacherous terrain. One area is known as the House of Cards, because if they chisel into the rock too much, the entire face of the rock will crumble.
It is easy for the viewer to get a slight understanding of what this climbing takes, but the main message is just how difficult it is, and the result is gripping.
The only feedback that isn’t positive regarding the film is its structure. Due to the nature of the story, it doesn’t always have the most even story development. The ending ironically lacks the punch that it could easily have created and quickly wraps up before the story even seems complete. Perhaps it is leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps, which isn’t too hard, but a little more natural of closure could have benefitted the story.
Regardless, its hard to deny just how breathtaking the film is to watch and how easy it is to get wrapped into the perilous climbing of Meru. Here is a film you cannot walk away from without feeling a rush of energy and admiration for these thrill seeking climbing masters that inspire the rest of us to get out of our comfort zones a little more often.
Meru opens in theaters this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvS6O9lVkkg