'My Octopus Teacher' Review: Chasing Our Lost Connection To Nature
For some of us, the dizziness of these times has us feeling disconnected from our natural world. Perhaps that's why, in a need to escape from life on land, audiences are diving into the new documentary My Octopus Teacher (now streaming on Netflix).
My Octopus Teacher follows South African documentarian Craig Foster. After spending a career photographing wildlife and seemingly losing touch with the modern world, he leaves it all behind and takes up a new hobby: diving off of the South African coast. In the process, he discovers the presence of a female octopus–who he pursues and documents each day. Over time, she encourages him to think of life's bigger questions and lessons.
Comprised of just one character (well, two, if you count a certain tentacled co-star), we follow Craig singularly, which makes for an incredibly personal, diary-like experience. His solemnly spoken interviews are intercut with footage of him swimming alongside an ever-growing octopus (footage that he shot himself). All things combined, it's a very soothing watch: his peaceful and easily meditative speech makes for a calming narration of his underwater adventures.
Through Craig's journey, I was certainly able to feel a reconnection to nature (and I work on computers all day long). Even though the experience is a second-hand one, seeing Craig's footage is really quite transporting. Although he dives with a snorkel (meaning he's without an air tank, and therefore is unable to explore the ocean's deepest depths), his coastal dives capture a brilliantly colorful aquatic world that is amazing to behold. You won't need a scuba suit or diving license in order to be taken away to a whole other world.
I find it quite funny that during the most technologically-advanced time in history, we're turning for answers from silent ocean-dwellers (although its intelligence may rival our own–octopi have a brain in each of its eight tentacles!). My Octopus Teacher rings so powerfully at a time when some of our highest elected officials reveal a remorseless hypocrisy in the human spirit, that we re-direct our efforts to find answers to life's questions with one of life's most prehistoric creatures. But, be warned: like any nature documentary, you should prepare to see nature showing its less heartwarming side, in which the circle of life should be experienced without attachment.
I'm actually not sure what My Octopus Teacher left behind, in terms of the greatest lesson that Craig–or I–learned. But perhaps that's something that can only be answered by each one of us that watches it, as long as we look to take the plunge for the chance at finding peace with an eight-legged friend.
85 min. 'My Octopus Teacher' is now streaming on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0LTDhqe5A&ab_channel=Netflix
This Delightfully Absurd Take on the Buddy Comedy is a Must-See
I didn't know what type of film I was getting myself into when queueing up The Climb, the newest release from Sony Pictures Classics. Judging by the key art, I thought it was going to be a buddy-comedy about cyclist friends who exchange witty, occasionally profound musings about life captured along lovely vistas.
In the best way possible, The Climb is not that film. It's arguably the funniest, and one of my very favorite, films of the year.
The title of the film doesn't exactly relay what this movie is about, although it is accurate in what happens: two buddies move through adult life in a Sisyphean manner. It's a deadpan buddy comedy that dips into the surreal and absurd, with real filmmaking finesse.
The Climb tells the story of these two friends–Kyle (Kyle Marvin) and Michael (Michael Angelo Covino)–whose relationship can at best be described as toxic. They undermine each other's lives in fully conscious ways. As the film opens, Kyle gets engaged and Michael confesses to having slept with his fianceé. Some time and another engagement later, the friends find themselves in similar territory.
More so than 'The Climb' being a hilarious film, and one of my favorite new releases of the year, it's also the arrival of a new comedic duo that I can't wait to see what they do next.
And yet what The Climb shows is that they have a bond so unquestioned, like toddlers, that their terrible behavior is seen as earnest and sorrowful. And it's exacted with meta-awareness, adding to their deadpan, dopey charisma, which makes their low-wattage reaction and reconciling of life events hilarious. To make matters funnier, this pares with moments where the film glides into the absurd, where impromptu musical sequences surprised me with such delight. As the film went on (it's broken up into chapters), I continued to enjoy this movie, and couldn't wait to recommend it to my friends.
And while The Climb stars two dim-witted dudes, it's also a movie made with real cinematic skills, pulled off behind the camera by the very dudes in front of it. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin also wrote and produced the film, with the former getting director credit.
While The Climb is my exact type of comedy–deadpan and dipping into the surreal–it's also a comedy that has real cinematic skills: most of the film is comprised of incredibly directed single-take sequences of slowly unfolding scenes (that give off a measured pace and sense of calm that runs counter to the unexpected comedy that arises).
More so than The Climb being just a hilarious film and one of my favorite releases of the year, it's also the arrival of a new comedic duo that I can't wait to see what they do next.
98 min. 'The Climb' is rated R for language, sexual content, some nudity, and brief drug use. Now playing in theaters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr4MKhV5QVw&ab_channel=SonyPicturesClassics
If Nothing Else, Bill Murray is Still Magical, in 'On the Rocks'
Laura (Rashida Jones) is a mother of two, struggling to keep a busy home together while balancing a stagnating writing career in bustling New York City. When Laura begins to suspect her husband (Marlon Wayans) of straying from their marriage, her playboy father (Bill Murray) whisks her away from her monotonous life to pursue her husband's whereabouts amidst the city, making for quirky bonding moments and chances to reconcile their own troubled past.
Directed by Sofia Coppola, On the Rocks (available to stream on Apple TV+ now) is familiar filmic ground: a dry, understated comedy about someone's woes that are presumably not so different from the writer-director's own (and yes, very much entrenched within upper/middle-class living). It's a lovely, lighthearted buddy-comedy of sorts, and hanging out with the ever-endearing Rashida Jones and Bill Murray–whose chemistry together is natural, fun, and intoxicating–makes for an effortlessly entertaining time.
The film deals with significant and adult themes, such as faithfulness in marriage, the questioning of monogamy, and self-acceptance, which Laura and her father ping-pong back and forth over in witty conversation. The back-and-forth here is dialed in by an incredibly charismatic Bill Murray as Felix, who makes the film the sophisticated and dry comedy that it chooses to be (it's the third time Murray and Coppola have worked together on a feature project after 2003's Lost in Translation and 2015's A Very Murray Christmas).
Sofia Coppola's previous work shows what a skilled eye she has for capturing beautiful images, making each of her movies a treat for the eyes. In On the Rocks, it's pleasurable to be swept up in every lush part of New York City's socialite scene. But luscious locations and cinematography are one thing, and meeting that with real character developments is another: since Coppola resigns Laura as a weak and submissive character from the very start, giving very little along the way to make for a full character realization, unfortunately, the characters end up being more like props in this beautiful-looking postcard of a film.
In further Coppola signature, On the Rocks (perhaps) also not so subtly mirrors the writer-director's personal life experiences, in which a daughter must reconcile with her ever-charismatic, towering legend of a father (whose own infamous infidelities have been well documented). Casting Rashida Jones as Laura (the Sofia-surrogate of sorts) is an earnest desire for Coppola to explore issues of her familial relationship. But it's also a film that keeps things at a sophisticated surface-level, making me wonder if a more stirring, substantial, and significant work was just one more shot away from experiencing.
If On the Rocks were a drink, it'd be served neat, and straight up. And while it's pleasantly fine, I'd like to see the version that allows itself to be a little more shaken. And ya know what? Make it a double.
Distributed by A24, On the Rocks is now streaming on Apple TV+.
'Robin’s Wish' Review: The Unknown Illness That Plagued the Actor
Robin’s Wish is certainly not another broad assemblage of Robin’s greatest hits (and there are many), but an intimate and sympathetic look at the late actor at the most painful moments of his life.
On August 11, 2014, news reports broke the tragic news that the beloved comedian and actor, Robin Williams, had died. Major media outlets had globbed on to the news that he had taken his own life, leading to an incredible amount of press that stunned the world.
It was unthinkable to feel why Robin Williams would have taken his life, and people soon started to ask questions. People wondered if a years-long battle with drug abuse contributed if deep depression played a part (and the media spun up endless more stories). But a new documentary, Robin’s Wish, looks to clarify the reason for Robin’s death.
Although Robin Williams had unmatchable performance energy–a tornado of improvisational comedy–offstage, and offscreen, he was incredibly private. His secrecy extended through the end of his life when the actor (as the documentary shows) began to suffer from debilitating bodily ailments, such as forgetfulness, paranoia, and emotional instability, which would be known as Lewy Body Dementia, but not by the actor.
It’s sad when we learn anyone experiences conditions of this kind; it’s collectively worse when that person was one of the most celebrated performers of all time. In Robin’s Wish, the harrowing, saddening experience is recounted firsthand by his widow, Susan Schneider, who illuminates and shares this all.
Robin’s Wish is certainly not another broad assemblage of Robin’s greatest hits (and there are many), but an intimate and sympathetic look at the late actor at the most painful moments of his life. With unseen footage of Robin from Marin County, including his home, as well as interviews with neighbors and friends. An additional moment includes Shawn Levy, who recounts for the first time the struggles that Robin endured on the final Night at the Museum movie, with great reverence and respect.
Robin’s Wish is a very rewarding watch, if only to learn about the disease that would overtake his body and see the pain that he had hidden away from the public. It’s tough to hear some of these moments, but it makes what he was able to accomplish all the more incredible.
Distributed by Vertical Entertainment, Robin’s Wish is now available On Demand and Digital.
Boys State
When Tom Hanks' Greyhound released on AppleTV+ a few weeks ago, I didn't feel the need to sign up for the streaming service in order to watch it. Yet after watching a screening link of the new documentary Boys State (available to stream this Friday on Apple TV+), I feel compelled to tell everyone I know that they should absolutely sign up for the streaming service, which is the film's exclusive distribution platform (and which I might have to do just to watch it again, and maybe check out Greyhound finally after).
The new release from AppleTV+ and A24, Boys State first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary. An annual event put on by the prestigious American Legion (a national institution that's included members such as Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh), Boys State shows a week-long camp of 1,200 teenage boys–all politically aspiring in their own ways– whose primary objective is to "run for office" of their respective Federalist and Nationalist parties and win the votes needed to secure desired positions. What ends up being captured is an incredible simulation of our very own American democracy, if it were run by children (I won't put too fine a point if I feel this is how politics are currently being run).
There are a few characters that Boys State follows–including Ben, the political junkie; Robert, the political "bro"; and the quiet, yet inspiring Steven–each of whom brings different ideologies and politics to their part of the camp. All bright and scholarly, the fun in the movie is watching them all jockey and campaign to win the votes of their respective campers, making for suspenseful, funny, and by the end, moving moments.
While it might be disheartening to assume that some of these young men will inevitably become corrupted on their road to politics, Boys State also brings the hope that we are truly witnessing new voices in the next generation that will lead us to a brighter future and better state.
Distributed by AppleTV+ and A24, 'Boys State' is available to stream on Apple TV+ this Friday.
'Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story' is Here–You Eeediot!
Quick Take: Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story reveals the layers of brilliance that were responsible for making one of the most artistically accomplished, and yet shockingly grotesque animated shows of all time, which makes for a fascinating watch–until its creator's demons that fueled it are revealed.
One of the most disgusting, vile, and demented shows–excuse me, children's shows–of all time, Ren & Stimpy also stands as one of the most singularly influential artistic achievements of the '90s. Beloved by the cult following who took to it, a new documentary (funded by Kickstarter) chronicles the creation of Ren & Stimpy and the team behind it, including its brilliant yet tyrannical creator John Kricfalusi. It's a time capsule that shows the brilliant animators who put the cartoon on paper at a time when animation was at a low point. Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story, directed by Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood, captures interviews from all of the people involved, including John Kricfalusi, who speaks to the infamous end when he was fired from the show's second season. As the doc continues to show with John's substantiation, we learn of a very problematic history with fans and aspiring animators, which makes the whole thing even more disturbing. It's fitting that, like John, it's Ren & Stimpy's avant-garde hideousness that makes the show unforgettable.
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures, 'Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story' is available on VOD this Friday.
'The Tax Collector' Wasn't Original Enough to Make Me Want to Settle Any Debts
Quick Take: There's a lot of heart and fire that I felt simmering in this movie–notably from its all-POC cast (and a menacing Shia LaBeouf in a supporting role)–but The Tax Collector suppresses it all under surface-level story and terrors, making this not compelling enough to recommend.
I'll admit it. The thing that drew me in to want to watch The Tax Collector was what I had learned about one of the stars–Shia LaBeouf–during the making of the movie. In the school of classic LaBeouf method-acting, the actor had shaved his head and gotten the entirety of his chest tattooed with his character's name "Creeper." After watching The Tax Collector, that decision struck me as head-scratching (although not entirely shocking). For one, LaBeouf isn't even the lead here, playing the muscle/driver to the real "tax collector" David, played by Bobby Soto (A Better Life).
More importantly, the film on the whole just isn't compelling enough to warrant that level of commitment, mostly re-treading already-familiar plots, down to its surface-level story of David, a gangster in the streets but a protective, loving family man back home. When he learns of the return of a crime lord Conejo (Jose Conejo Martin), David ends up needing to defend himself and loved ones from a new threatening regime. But amidst its bloody and intense shootouts, The Tax Collector isn't so much compelling as it is familiar with movies we've seen before, least of which is writer/director David Ayer's own Training Day, which still stands as the pinnacle of recent LA-gangster movies.
So while LaBeouf's new tattoo brings incredible intrigue (and is certainly the best publicity that The Tax Collector could have ever dreamed of receiving), it will also likely last longer than the memory of this film.
Distributed by RLJE Films, The Tax Collector is available to stream on VOD today.
'Palm Springs' Is a Hilarious Time-Bending Comedy
Now available to stream on Hulu, Palm Springs (theatrical distribution from Neon) is one of those movies that's better going into blind. Starting with Nyles (Andy Samberg) as he shuffles through a Palm Springs rental on the day of a friend's wedding with apathetic energy, you'll likely feel as if you might've missed something (don't worry, you haven't).
But soon enough, with the unexpected introduction of Sarah, who throws Nyles' day – and world – out of wack, you're now settled in for an all-out, joyous, and hilarious comedy from the wacky, deranged mind of The Lonely Island (Popstar).
The top-billed pairing of Andy Samberg as the beer-cracking Nyles and Cristin Milioti as manic and insecure Sarah make for a delightful onscreen duo, whose chemistry ranges from their having to navigate insane waters together to finding a real romantic connection as well.
And beyond the film's "every day's the same" gimmick – which is executed wonderfully and earns real laughs (with J.K. Simmons getting in on the fun too) – there's also a surprisingly thoughtful and unexpected heart that the film derives its energy from, that of each character's personal insecurities and existential dread that ranges from love, mortality and our place in the universe.
Brought to the screen with applause-worthy comedic chops as well as deft emotional hand by screenwriter Andy Siara and director Max Barkabow (his first feature!), check out this Sundance entry (and nominee for Grand Jury Prize) instantly before you'll want to watch it again.
'Palm Springs' is now available to stream on Hulu.