Review by Sean Boelman
Anyone who lives in Florida knows that the people who live in the state can sometimes be a little bit… quirky, to put it lightly. Lance Oppenheim’s feature debut Some Kind of Heaven, produced by Darren Aronofsky, documents one such unusual community in a way that is both hilarious and insightful.
In the film, Oppenheim follows some of the residents of The Villages, a retirement community in Florida, as they go about their daily routines and get into sometimes humorous antics. Those who aren’t local to the area will likely find themselves intrigued by the almost mythical status endowed to the community, but those with firsthand knowledge will be interested in how Oppenheim peers through the façade. The movie plays out in a way that seems almost like a commercial, the interviewees giving their sales pitches as to why living in The Villages has made their retirement into something idyllic. However, it is clear that Oppenheim is one hell of a director, because he is able to show the stark reality of how this life is not what it seems. That said, Oppenheim is by no means direct about his messaging, perhaps because it would have been difficult to get access to the subjects had he been upfront with some of his criticism. The residents of The Villages apparently see this as the best that retired life can get, but this is also one of the wealthiest retirement communities in Florida, hence why some of the claims being made in the interviews aren’t entirely true.
Oppenheim focuses on a few different residents of The Villages, and they all add their own bit to the story. Perhaps the most interesting is the outsider character, a drifter hoping to find his way into the “Villages” lifestyle by finding love with one of the pre-existing residents. This makes for a funny and unconventional real-life romantic comedy.
Some of the other stories depicted in the film are even more out-there. The one that is most bizarre follows one of the residents as he begins to experiment with psychedelic drugs, ultimately causing him to brush up with the law. For those interested in stories of crazy old people, this movie is sure to be satisfying. There is also a really unique visual style to the film. The cinematography is wonderful, with a dreamlike glow to it that reinforces the motif of this false paradise in which these people have decided to live the end of their lives. The score by Ali Balouzian is also excellent, having an almost hypnotic feel to it. Some Kind of Heaven treads the fine line between earnestly and uncomfortably funny quite well. Lance Oppenheim is an exciting new voice in documentary filmmaking and managed to tell this story in a way that is surprisingly cinematic. Some Kind of Heaven hits theaters on January 8 and VOD on January 15. Rating: 5/5
0 Comments
Review by Sean Boelman
In a genre that is so frequently defined by forgettable and repetitive fare, it’s not always a good thing for a film to be memorable. Even though Stars Fell on Alabama is mostly familiar in terms of its story beats, it features a few moments so random that one can’t help but be amused by the unintentional zaniness.
The movie follows a successful Hollywood agent who recruits one of his rising star clients to play his girlfriend when he has to return to his rural Alabama hometown for his high school reunion. It’s an “unlikely” love story like the ones we have seen hundreds of times before, making it entirely predictable. What is perhaps most disappointing about the film is that it is so shallow. Apart from a concluding monologue that paints out the moral of the story in a painfully direct manner, the movie largely ignores any of the manipulation and dishonesty of the characters’ actions, or even worse, makes a joke out of them. The character development of the film is also subpar. The backstory that is given to the love interest feels like an afterthought, as her solo storyline makes brief appearances throughout only to disappear for minutes at a time. The protagonist’s arc gets much more screen time but is also far less interesting.
James Maslow and Ciara Hanna have decent enough chemistry together, and they both manage to deliver their lines with some element of energy. They managed to take bland characters and mediocre lines and create something unexpectedly charming out of it thanks to their charisma.
That said, even though the movie is mostly conventional, there are some scenes which hint that there may have been a more tongue-in-cheek intention. Ultimately, the clichés and stereotypes undermine anything sharply satirical that the film might have had to say, causing this to feel like a missed opportunity more often than not. In other parts, it’s almost impossible to figure out who the movie is really serving. The film features a bizarre and confusing cameo from 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks singing a cover of an All-American Rejects song during a spontaneous square dancing musical number. It gets a laugh, but not in the right way. Stars Fell on Alabama isn’t a very original romantic comedy, nor is it a very good one, but it will catch viewers off their guard just enough to be worth a watch. It’s basically a Lifetime movie with slightly better production values, so it has a built-in audience who will enjoy it. Stars Fell on Alabama hits VOD on January 8. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Often films can have the best intentions but fail to make their intended impact because of less than impressive execution of their ideas. The drama If Not Now, When? has a good message and a solid ensemble, but the story and script are far too generic to be anything especially worthwhile.
The movie follows four former friends from high school who reunite after one of them faces a crisis all the while dealing with their own tumultuous personal lives, testing the bond between them. This is the type of story that works best when it tries to show the extraordinary in the ordinary, but Tamara Bass’s script treats these events in a way that is too big. As an ode to friendship, the film works well enough, even if it is something that has been done more effectively in the past. While the representation on screen is very good — ultimately the only thing that makes this movie particularly noteworthy — it doesn’t result to much because the script is so melodramatic. The pacing of the film is also very problematic. It’s nearly two hours in length, and a lot of it is wasted on filler. In a basic sense, this is an ensemble drama, but Bass tries to give all of the characters their due. Unfortunately, two of the characters are more compelling than the others, and their development is sometimes lessened in favor of the subplots.
Furthermore, the movie fails to establish an interesting dynamic between the four lead characters. Although the relationship is realistic to an extent, it feels like more of a focus was put on them individually as opposed to exploring their friendship, which is a disappointing choice. It’s sad to see something with so much potential turn into something so shallow and unoriginal.
Bass and Megan Good, who also directed the film, have the two meatiest roles, and as such, give the best performances. Megan Holder and Mekia Cox aren’t as memorable with their turns. However, the chemistry between the four actresses is arguably the biggest letdown, as it is average at best, and this is exactly what the movie would have needed to succeed. On a technical level, the film is less than stellar. It’s obvious that Bass and Good’s experience is mostly in the acting department because the aesthetic elements of the movie feel like the lowest common denominator. It feels like the film is entirely lacking in visual style, with a very straightforward, point-and-shoot approach. It is pretty clear that If Not Now, When? wants to be greater than the average melodrama, but it struggles to rise above its generic roots. Semi-decent performances and positive representation aside, there isn’t much to recommend this. If Not Now, When? hits VOD on January 8. Rating: 2/5
Review by Camden Ferrell
Gun and a Hotel Bible is the newest movie from directors Raja Gosnell and Alicia Joy LeBlanc. It is based on a play of the same name and is written by Bradley Gosnell and Daniel Floren. While the dialogue-heavy script is well-done, the other aspects of the film don’t do much to elevate the experience.
In this film, Pete is a man on the verge of committing an act of violence. He goes to a hotel room beforehand and encounters Gideon, a personified hotel bible. There, he has a thorough discussion with Gideon about morality, scripture, and their own shortcomings. It’s an interesting premise that may sound daft but is surprisingly written with adept maturity. The highlight of this film is its script. Written by co-stars, Gosnell and Floren, this film is heavy in dialogue and not much else. This is the be expected from an adaptation of a play, and it ultimately works in the film’s favor. It abandons gimmicks and flashiness in order to create an environment that facilitates the earnest discussion between the two characters. The script frequently waxes philosophically, and it manages to remain engaging throughout its brief runtime. The acting in the film is passable more than anything. Gosnell and Floren aren’t miraculous with their own script, but they definitely do not bring it down either. It’s about as adequate of a performance you can expect, and even though the performances are fairly unobjectionable, they don’t particularly contribute the final products quality. Their chemistry is decent, but there are moments where the acting can come off as somewhat bland.
The direction of the scenes is also very boilerplate. The movie doesn’t feel like it has its own unique character. The blocking of the actors maintains energy and motion on screen, but the rest of the execution plays it safely and predictably. It does a great job of cohesively capturing the action onscreen, but it lacks a distinct personality.
The film’s runtime is a double-edged sword. Running at fifty-eight minutes, the film never loses any steam or momentum, but it also suffers from a story that progresses far too quickly. I believe the film could have benefitted from an additional fifteen minutes to explore the character’s more and their own beliefs and motivations. More than anything, this film is a feat in conversational dialogue. Its religious discussions don’t break new ground, but it still has some great insights into scripture, its validity, and its contradictions. The dichotomy between the well-informed and skeptic Pete and Gideon, the literal word of the Lord, is interesting and it creates some great moments of moral conflict. Gun and a Hotel Bible probably works better as a play than a film. The script is very well-written, and it contains some great exchanges and interactions, but everything else in the film is mostly forgettable. The film shows great promise for Gosnell and Floren as a writing duo, and they may be worth keeping on your radar in the future. Gun and a Hotel Bible is available on VOD January 5. Rating: 3/5 |
Archives
May 2024
Authors
All
|