Review by Sean Boelman
Austin is known for its music scene, and so it’s only natural that SXSW would showcase some of the best music documentaries that the year has to offer. Filmmaker Alice Gu’s second documentary feature as a director, Really Good Rejects, is a burst of energy that is sure to be a blast for music lovers everywhere.
The film tells the story of luthier Reuben Cox, who builds custom guitars that have become some of the most sought-after instruments in the industry. But these guitars are more than just pieces of wood and metal (and in this case, rubber) — they are representative of the greater shifts happening in the music world. Reuben Cox is an interesting subject, and the perspective that Gu takes on his story is very effective. The movie presents him as a sort of lovable outsider, and while he is definitely more acclaimed and embraced than someone you would typically think of as an outsider, it still effectively endears us to him. For musicophiles, this documentary is sure to be a delight because it goes very in-depth into the way in which these rubber bridge guitars are made and affect the sound of the instrument. But even though it is very technical in nature, it’s not just a film for those who are fans — even casual music listeners should find themselves interested in this unique story. The main draw of the movie is undoubtedly going to be the interviews that it features with major musicians. Some recognizable faces, from Aaron Dressner of The National to Carrie Brownstein and more talk about Cox and the ways in which his guitars have shaped the sound of their music and music as a whole. But this is also an ode to the feeling of community and creativity that defines the music world. It’s really awesome to see how all of these people come together to support one another in whatever ways they can because they are all artists trying to encourage each other’s innovation and create a sound that is fresh. Stylistically, the film has a lot of energy, and so that gives the movie an overall feeling of fun that is quite nice. Given Gu’s previous film was very aesthetically-driven and energetic, it only makes sense that this would be the same way. And given the musical influences of the movie, this adds another layer of enjoyability. Really Good Rejects offers some great vibes and is a love song to creativity and innovation in music. It’s just an all-around lovable documentary, especially for those who are interested in learning about how some of their favorite indie and mainstream musicians make their sound. Really Good Rejects is screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
The Midnighters section at SXSW is definitely a bit on the unpredictable side, but there is usually one film that is a genuinely good horror movie in its own right. This year, that is Brendan Muldowney’s The Cellar, a simple but efficient horror-thriller that will certainly satisfy fans of the genre.
The film follows a family who, shortly after moving into a new house, discovers that it may have a connection to a powerful and malicious supernatural force after their daughter goes missing. It doesn’t deviate much from the established formula of haunted house chillers, but it’s effective at what it does. This is a slow burn horror movie, not one that is full of jump scares. It’s more about creating an atmosphere of dread, and it does so even though the mythology around which it isn’t particularly original. Even though it might go by a different name, this is the same evil presence that any demonic horror movie has. There isn’t anything especially scary in the film, but even if it isn’t scary, it’s very effective. By the end of the movie, audiences will be pretty unsettled. It’s not so much about what the film shows, but rather the things it implies, because these are the things that are actually going to be disturbing. The character development in the movie is also somewhat lacking. The issue with most stories that involve a character disappearing is that there isn’t enough time to become attached to them before they leave the story. As such, audiences have to connect with the story through their loved ones. Elisha Cuthbert does an excellent job of carrying the film, bringing a lot of emotion to a role that easily could have been phoned in. Rather than just reacting to the things happening around her, Cuthbert actually gets invested in the movie on an emotional level. Eoin Macken also does a solid job in his supporting role. The execution of the film is pretty impressive for a movie that is as obviously restrained as this. There are a few sequences with visual effects that aren’t the most polished, but they aren’t distracting. And the use of the central house set is excellent, doing a great job of creating the atmosphere. The Cellar may not be the most original or unique horror film, but it’s enjoyable and successful for what it is. Solid performances and a great atmosphere make this one that horror fans will want to catch. The Cellar is screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The world has a strange fascination with failure, turning many tragic falls from grace into circus-like comedies of errors. The new Apple TV+ series WeCrashed tells the messy story of coworking company WeWork in a way that is just as messy, although there’s no doubt it is an entertaining watch.
The film tells the story of Adam Neumann, the co-founder of WeWork, once considered to be one of the world’s most valuable startups before oversight issues caused it to become a laughing stock. It’s a story that is well documented — and even had another project about it debut at last year’s SXSW — and it’s a perfect fit for this type of white collar dramedy. That said, the approach that this film takes to its characters can be frustrating at times. Neumann is portrayed as a bit of a self-centered jerk, and that makes it difficult to connect with him. It definitely doesn’t help that Jared Leto’s performance goes all-in on the detached and selfish side of the story. Anne Hathaway also gives a shockingly bad performance as Neumann’s wife. She’s very talented, so it’s a bit baffling to see her give a turn that is so artificial. It’s clear that the filmmakers wanted to emphasize the character’s insincerity, but it feels even more fake than that. The accent she uses is horribly distracting.
Maybe the biggest sin committed by the show is that it doesn’t take a firm stance on the characters, nor does it thrive in the moral ambiguity. Are we supposed to hate Neumann because of his selfishness, or be angry at his opposers for not believing in him? In fact, most of the major players aren’t all that likable, except for Kyle Marvin’s Miguel McKelvey.
The series is eight episodes long, and it really has no reason to be that stretched out. This story easily could have been shortened into a tight six episodes if some of the stuff about the characters’ personal lives had been cut. Yet despite the fact that the series is frequently a mess, it’s consistently entertaining to watch. There are also some portions of the show which are much more ambitious than others. A lot of the show is boardroom scenes (albeit not in a traditional boardroom because that wouldn’t make sense for WeWork), but then there are montages which are much more stylistic. It would have been nice to see the show take this more stylized approach as a whole. Perhaps fittingly, the WeCrashed series is full of ups and downs. With lackluster performances, uneven scripting, and some occasionally interesting aesthetic choices, it nonetheless overcomes its flaws to be a pretty solid guilty pleasure. WeCrashed screened at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. All eight episodes reviewed. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The best indie cinema projects are those which are personal, but some are so strange that it develops a different type of allure. James Morosini’s I Love My Dad is one of those films that has both a lot of heart and a premise so bizarre that it’s hard not to appreciate it in all of its strange glory.
In the movie, Oswalt plays a well-meaning father who, estranged from his son, hatches a plan to reconnect with him by catfishing him. The script is inspired by a real-life experience of its writer/director/star, and that will leave the viewer to wonder… What the heck is wrong with this family? The comedy in James Morosini’s script leans all-in on the embarrassment factor. Many of the laughs in the film come more from how awkward and ridiculous the situation is rather than the dialogue. Even though a lot of the jokes are obvious and exactly what you would expect from the premise, they work nonetheless. The relationship between the father and son is the emotional core of this movie, and it works quite well. However, a lot of the other dynamics feel underdeveloped. Even the romance angle, which is an important aspect of the story, feels slightly off. Perhaps because we already know how one-sided the relationship is, it’s hard to feel anything more than basic pity. It’s a well-meaning film that has a good message about forgiveness and second chances, but it’s not as insightful as it seems to think it is. The movie also doesn’t explore any of the greater implications of the story with much depth, the lighthearted tone sometimes running counter to the darker implications of the film. Patton Oswalt proves here that he is able to carry a movie. Many of his film roles tend to be as comedic side characters, so it’s nice to see him take center stage here. His chemistry with Morosini is great, even though Morosini is much more effective behind the camera than in front of it. And in supporting roles, Claudia Sulewski, Lil Rel Howery, Rachel Dratch are all good. Morosini’s stylistic approach is what elevates this beyond traditional rom-com material. There is a surreal air to the movie that takes a bit of getting used to, but is charming once the film finds its rhythm. It also enables Morosini to set up some visual gags that are quite funny and impeccably timed. I Love My Dad is in that gray area where it isn’t entirely quaint, but also isn’t super substantial. Still, it’s very funny and features a great performance from Patton Oswalt, which is more than enough to recommend it. I Love My Dad is screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Rating: 4/5 Review by Adam Donato Big Mouth is known for its crudeness and in-depth sexual conversation. Human Resources makes Big Mouth look tame. This spinoff was pitched as Big Mouth meets The Office as we focus on the workplace happenings of all the fantastical monsters. Their job is to bring their talents to aid their clients through the human condition. It’s an ambitious concept, but is it too saturated for its own good? Cars 2 is widely regarded as the worst Pixar movie. A common pitfall of franchises is the spinoff about the comedic side character. Without the straight man, there is no balance for the comedy to work. If everybody is zany, then nobody is. The interesting part of Big Mouth is the monster’s impact on the children characters that we care about. The kids are much more relatable than the monsters, who are so abstract that it’s hard to care about them. Human Resources features a small collection of humans, but that’s also part of the problem. For the most part, the real people are separate and hard to latch on to. With all the things going on in the show, it takes a minute to find out who to focus on. It’s so fast paced that it’s hard to focus on anything. It’s an ensemble for sure, but even for the initiated, there’s a lot of things to establish about how this world works. While it can be interesting exploring how the monster world works, it’s too often confusing. Strides are made to make the monster characters relatable and carry the main plot lines of the story. That being said, viewers may find themselves asking way more questions than should be necessary. (L to R) Randall Park as Pete the Logic Rock, David Thewlis as Shame Wizard, Rosie Perez as Petra the Ambition Goblin, Maria Bamford as Tito the Anxiety Mosquito. Pamela Adlon as Sonya the Love Bug, Aidy Bryant as Emmy the Love Bug, and Maya Rudolph as Connie the Hormone Monstress in HUMAN RESOURCES. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022. As always in an ensemble, some characters get more to do than others. Big Mouth stalwarts, Maury and Connie, take a backseat in this series which allows the show to focus on lesser-known characters. They deal with issues in their intimate relationship, but their storylines hold little weight. The lead of the group is Emmy, a ditzy love bug who cares more about partying than being good at her job. When a pregnant woman’s love bug gets fired, Emmy is thrust into the position and is way out of her league. Emmy can be annoying from time to time, but her almost intoxicated personality can be funny when she rubs others the wrong way. Her arc in this season is solid and, without spoiling anything, it’s going to be interesting to see how she handles her situation going forward.
When it comes to the ancillary characters, their exaggerated personalities play well off each other. A standout is certainly Randall Park as Pete the Logic Rock. His dry sense of humor works well contrasting with the rest of the monsters who are always dialed to eleven. Rosie Perez plays Petra the Ambition Gremlin and is really funny because she’s always yelling at everyone and super intense all the time. The last of the standouts would have to be Keke Palmer. With all the projects she’s got lined up, she’s sure to cement herself as a breakout star this year. One of the more fun aspects of Big Mouth is the musical numbers. That tradition carries over into this show, but the numbers are too few and not memorable enough. The best of them being the song about being in love or being an asshole. That being said, the new theme song for the show slaps. It’s right up there with "Changes". Fans of Big Mouth might enjoy this saturated spinoff of the show, but this is certainly too much for the uninitiated. It’s certainly enjoyable and it’s the type of concept that doesn’t feel like an obligation. It’s a bold direction and that’s certainly respectable, but some fans might be eager to get back to Andrew, Nick, Jesse and the gang. It’s just a little too much. Not bad at all, but probably passable. Human Resources hits Netflix on March 18. Rating: 3/5 Review by Sean Boelman Vesela Kazakova and Mina Mileva’s Women Do Cry caused quite a stir upon its debut at Cannes in 2021, and it is now making its debut in the States at SXSW. It’s understandable why this film has been met with so much heat, because it’s so provocative, but the questions it poses are interesting and insightful enough for it to work. The movie is a kaleidoscopic portrait of a family of women in Romania as they are faced with tremendous challenges. Even though it is a slice-of-life film in terms of its style, it’s anything but laid back in its approach. This is a tremendously angry movie, and its virility is a big part of what makes it so affecting. With a film that is as ambitious as this and deals with so many themes, it’s not going to be able to pull off everything with an enormous amount of nuance. But the goal here isn’t to be particularly graceful — it is to get an emotional reaction out of the viewer, and it definitely pulls that off. Admittedly, there are some stories in the movie that are more effective than others. And even within the individual characters’ arcs, there are lots of ups and downs in terms of how effective it is. The AIDS portion of the film is especially uneven, as there are some portions which are resonant and others which are on the problematic side. The most interesting thing about the movie is how it explores the idea of stigmas. Although the film is specifically about Romanian culture and the biases and prejudices held in it, there are a lot of things about this that will resonate globally. And Kazakova and Mileva don’t pull any punches with what they are doing.
Maria Bakalova got an Academy Award nomination for her breakout role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and her leading role here couldn’t be more different. It’s a performance that is both very physical and very emotional, and Bakalova pulls it off in a way that packs a punch, even if it isn’t especially subtle. Kazakova and Mileva’s style is very rough around the edges, heightening the realism of the situation. And while it isn’t the most agreeable or pleasant to watch, it really accentuates the themes of the movie in a powerful way. We are getting a glimpse into the seediness of society, and so it is only fitting that it is unsettling. Women Do Cry is the type of film that is quite heated and frustrating, but its whole purpose is to stick with the audience, and it will certainly do that. Its lack of subtlety has and will continue to earn it detractors, but that just goes to show it’s working. Women Do Cry is screening at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 11-19. Rating: 4/5 Review by Sean Boelman When thinking of Latin American music legends, there are few as ubiquitous as Jose Feliciano. His life story gets the documentary treatment in Jose Feliciano — Behind This Guitar, a film that works well both as an exploration of his musical career and the obstacles that he overcame in his life. The movie chronicles the career of Jose Feliciano, as he became one of the most significant Latin crossover artists in all of music history. Feliciano is one of a select group of musicians whose work is so prominent in global pop culture that it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t know Feliciano, or at least a few of his songs. For music fans, this film is sure to be a delight because it explores Feliciano’s iconic sound in-depth. Interviews with Feliciano, his peers, and other experts in the music industry discuss how Feliciano is one of the rare artists who was truly able to break out into the global mainstream with an unmistakably Latin-inspired sound. But Feliciano’s music didn’t happen in a vacuum. The movie does a great job of placing his work in the context of the genres of both Latin music and rock and roll, but without doing so in an overly technical way. And furthermore, the film talks about Feliciano’s blindness and how it is a part of his identity. That said, the single best portion of the movie discusses the backlash that Feliciano received as a result of his rendition of the National Anthem. It’s an interesting exploration of the cultural identity we have as Americans, and the flaws and dangers of this excessively patriotic system that we have.
All of these things come together to create a portrait of Feliciano that feels much more intimate than most music documentaries. Typically, this genre of documentary is satisfied with being a fluffy biography, but that is not the case here. This is an in-depth, humanizing way of telling its subject’s life. The film is definitely very conventional in a technical sense, but it is effective nonetheless. The movie uses a combination of interviews, performance footage, and archive materials to convey its story. But the quality of the content in the interviews with Feliciano himself is what really makes this film something special. Jose Feliciano — Behind This Guitar is a must-see documentary for any fans of the genre. Although it may not be the flashiest movie in terms of form, the depth with which it explores Feliciano’s career and life makes it worth the watch. Jose Feliciano — Behind This Guitar is now screening at the 2022 Miami Film Festival, which runs March 4-13. Rating: 4/5 Review by Sean Boelman Recent years have seen actors who weren’t taken seriously upon bursting onto the scene in the 2000s try to establish themselves as legitimate performers. Zac Efron has already made several attempts at straight-faced, “substantial” roles, and the post-apocalyptic Gold isn’t going to be the one to do it for him. The film follows a drifter who finds himself in over his head when he must protect his discovery: the biggest gold nugget ever found. And while this may seem like a less action-packed version of a Mad Max wasteland, it’s really just quite dull and uneventful, which is the worst type of post-apocalyptic movie there can be. Thankfully, the film is mercifully short at around an hour and a half before credits, but it meanders through that runtime in a way that is unsatisfying. By the time that anything super exciting happens, it is so close to the end of the movie that the third act has to be rushed. The script by Anthony Hayes and Polly Smyth leaves a lot to be desired. The themes that the film explores about the depravity of humanity are about as basic and shallow as they come. The message basically boils down to the fact that greed corrupts people, and asking what wealth is truly worth. But it doesn’t have anything particularly substantial to say on the issue. It doesn’t help that the characters in the movie are underdeveloped. When making a film with so little dialogue, it can be a challenge to get the audience interested in the characters, and this movie fails in even making the protagonist compelling. Worse yet, the supporting characters are completely unmemorable.
Efron’s performance is one of the few redeeming factors of the film. He does a solid job as the gruff drifter worn out by the world, getting a lot of nuance out of a script that doesn’t give him much to work with. Had he played the character as it was on the page, it likely would have made the movie even more boring. Hayes makes some very deliberate decisions about the visual style with which he approaches this wasteland, but they are the wrong ones. The film looks overly muted and gray, and while it does utilize the scenery in which it is set relatively well, its style doesn’t feel distinctive within the genre. Gold has a solid performance by Zac Efron at its core, but it doesn’t have the script to support him. It seems like Efron just can’t catch a break, because he keeps giving solid turns in movies that don’t give him what he needs to thrive. Gold is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman Low-budget exorcism movies are a dime a dozen, and worse yet, they’re typically derivative of one another. With a name like The Exorcism of God, one would hope that Alejandro Hidalgo’s film would be over-the-top and wild, but in reality, it’s just another in a long line of dull movies that follow the same tropes. The movie follows a priest working in Mexico who, eighteen years after a tragic incident in which he was possessed during an exorcism, finds himself challenged again by the same supernatural presence. But rather than being an effective B-movie in its own right, it feels like a mere imitation of the classics of the genre, especially The Exorcist. There are a few interesting sequences throughout that show the potential this film could have had if it went all-in on the camp factor, but the movie gets so caught up in the dull drama that it can’t ever be scary. Instead, it’s a bunch of shock sequences that are meant to disturb and offend but will mostly be met with ambivalence. The execution of the film is incredibly hit-or-miss. There is one action scene in the movie that is shot in a way that is genuinely exciting and impressive, but then other parts fall back too heavily on the clichés of filming exorcism movies. And while there is some great make-up work, the CGI is undeniably terrible. This archetype of the sinful and repentant holy man is tried-and-true, but this one goes a bit too far. The sins committed by the protagonist of the film are a bit too repugnant for the audience to easily forgive and believe that he is an honest, good man. The movie tries to use the character’s friendships and relationships as further development, but it isn’t enough.
The film is very heavy-handed with its message about forgiveness. It’s the type of movie where its heart is obviously in the right place but the way in which it expands upon it is so misguided that it is embarrassing. It may not have been what the film was trying to say, but implying that people should be forgiven for rape is… troubling at best. Will Beinbrink plays the lead role in the movie, and his performance exists in the weird gray area where it isn’t big enough to be campy, but also isn’t subtle enough to have any real emotional heft to it. Like much of the rest of the film, Beinbrink is obviously trying, but misses the mark due to lackluster direction. The Exorcism of God has an interesting title that is sure to turn some heads, but the movie is nowhere near as impressive as that would imply. In fact, the only thing that will challenge audiences about this film is its problematic mindset. The Exorcism of God is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 2/5 Review by Camden Ferrell Kogonada and Justin Chon are two South Korean directors that have helmed such acclaimed films as Columbus and Blue Bayou respectively. For their next directorial efforts, both of them have directed four episodes each of a new television series for Apple TV+. Pachinko is a series that is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. As a whole, the series is a slow and meticulous examination of a Korean family and the unique struggles they face over generations. While it may occasionally get lost in its own meditation, the series often achieves both superficial and thematic beauty. This story can be described as an epic, detailing the journey of a Korean family as they immigrate to Japan to start a new life. It features a large cast of characters that are each connected and encounter the historical events and struggles that defined the Korean experience in 20th century Japan. This is an ambitious and sprawling story that benefits greatly from the extended length of a series as opposed to a single narrative feature film. Being adapted in the format of a television series allows the story to breathe and dive deep into the rich and informative themes that are featured throughout. Soo Hugh is the creator and writer for this series, and their work is quite impressive. Once you start the series, the scope of the story becomes evident very quickly, and there are a lot of moving parts that live and die by the writing and overall structure of the story. The script isn’t perfect, but it strikes a commendable balance between the different timelines and stories and is able to craft parallels that further emphasize the themes and connection of its characters. It’s an emotionally complex story that combines personal drama with social commentary and history, and it does it in a way that is accessible to most people. A thematically demanding story demands strong actors to convey these emotions effectively, and this cast has no weak links. Actors like Lee Minho and Jin Ha thrive in their respective roles, but there are two clear standouts among this talented cast. Oscar-winner Youn Yuh Jung (Minari) dominates her scenes with a subtle yet emotionally moving performance that never reveals its hand early. Minha Kim gives the single best performance of the show as she treks through the trials and tribulations of her time period with incredible empathy and sorrow. On a technical level, the series is above average. The cinematography is gorgeous from the start, and it uses its camera to meaningful establish characters and help tell its complex story. While it doesn’t make or break the show, it consistently elevates the entire experience. The set design and costumes help each time period feel distinct and give each period its own personality. The series has lots of superficial flourishes that make this a well-made series to view even if one isn’t compelled by its narrative.
Both Kogonada and Chon were excellent choices to direct this series. While their distinct styles can make the series feel a little inconsistent in tone and execution, these are experienced directors with clear cut visions that are executed well. Kogonada’s sections are slower and more reflective in nature, and while they might not be as entertaining as Chon’s episodes, they are essential in laying down the thematic foundation for the story later on. Fans of these directors will most definitely enjoy their work on this series, and it may even win over new fans for them. It’s clear that this series would not be the same without these two creative voices as their experience and heritage equip them with the necessary empathy and emotion to tell a uniquely Korean story. While the show has numerous commendable aspects that establish it as a series worth watching, there are still some shortcomings that plague the series. As mentioned before, its slow and meditative execution can make certain episodes drag a bit. Even though it’s quite beautiful even in its weakest episodes, the deliberately slow pacing may be what turns off viewers. The show rewards patience greatly with some memorable catharsis, but even as someone who thoroughly enjoyed the show, it can often become too invested in its own ruminations to maintain any momentum. Pachinko is a narratively thorough and rich series that tells a multifaceted story of a Korean family that tackles issues such as racism, prejudice, and the pursuit of power with impeccable empathy. It is propelled by a strong creative vision and supplemented by an impressive ensemble. It can fall victim to its own sluggish pace, but to those who persist, they will be treated with an impressive and thought-provoking story that speaks deeply about the Korean experience. The first three episodes of Pachinko premiere on Apple TV+ on March 25. New episodes debut every Friday. All eight episodes are reviewed. Rating: 4/5 |
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