Review by Sean Boelman
Set to debut after the penultimate episode of Homeland, Greg Barker’s new documentary The Longest War hopes to serve as a companion piece to the beloved show. However, the film doesn’t offer much in the way of substantial discussion of the international conflict at its core, instead feeling like a drab recollection of already well-known events.
The movie takes a look at the War on Terror, with a specific focus on the human impact that the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan has on people on both sides of the war. Thankfully, unlike most American films dealing with this war, the movie isn’t excessively jingoistic or Islamophobic, but it still doesn’t explore the other side with a whole lot of substance. Perhaps the biggest issue with the film is that it tries to cover more ground than it has the time to do so. As the title suggests, this conflict spans a stretch of many years. Because of this, the movie doesn’t go into the specific detail which it promises, instead only offering brief glimpses into the very real stories that are involved in the war. The film almost certainly would’ve been better off had it stuck with telling fewer stories. Although it is understandable why Barker wanted to give these people a greater voice, the interviews aren’t substantial enough for the viewer to form any real connection with them beyond the basic sympathy one feels for their situation.
That isn’t to say that there is no emotion in the documentary — some of the interviews are certainly very hard-hitting. But when there are already so many movies dealing with the conflict in the Middle East, and they ultimately do a better job of communicating the emotional turmoil that the unintended victims of the war face, this film ends up feeling disappointingly shallow.
Barker’s main point with the movie seems to be to say that there are two sides to every story, and the film is mostly successful at conveying this. There’s definitely a lot that audiences can learn about humanity and empathy from these stories, but after a certain point, the movie starts to feel like it is trying too hard to pull at the heartstrings. On a technical level, the film is certainly very accomplished. Barker is a great filmmaker, and he knows how to tell a story in a compelling way. The issue boils down to the fact that he has enough material to make an entire mini-series out of it, and yet he condenses it down to a movie less than an hour and a half in length, leading it to feel undercooked. The Longest War was clearly made with the best of intentions, but unfortunately, it only scratches the surface of the greater story being told. There are much better explorations of the consequences of war than this that were more worthy of this coveted airtime. The Longest War debuts on Showtime on April 19 at 10pm ET/PT. Rating: 2.5/5
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As a starring vehicle for young actor Noah Schnapp (of Stranger Things fame), Fernando Grostein Andrade’s film Abe works surprisingly well. Thanks to some great performances and a heartfelt script, this manages to be the uplifting and compassionate movie that we all need in this time of separation.
The film follows a young boy with a passion for cooking as he struggles to balance his identity with his mixed Israeli-Palestinian heritage. Although the identity crisis arc is nothing new for a coming-of-age movie, the way in which the movie ties the culture clash in with the culinary elements of the film works extremely well. Of course, there isn’t a whole lot of subtlety in the movie’s message — everyone should love one another — but in a time in which contempt and division is increasingly brewing within society, this seems more important to hear than ever. It isn’t often that films are successfully so hopeful without feeling maudlin, and as a result, the movie is a breezy watch. The protagonist, like the cuisine he so enjoys cooking, is a fusion of cultures. It is this element of the story that makes it very compelling. Yet despite the giant elephant in the room (the Israeli-Palestine conflict), the film doesn’t seem too concerned with politics. Instead, it hopes to offer a message of how we can treat each other with love and respect.
Perhaps the most shocking thing about the movie is that it has five credited writers (two screenwriters with three additional story by credits), and yet it feels entirely cohesive. Yes, the film is a bit predictable and conventional, but there’s a clear direction and narrative momentum that allows the movie to be consistently entertaining.
Schnapp does a very good job in his lead role, bringing a lot of humanity to the character. While his more emotionally-demanding scenes in the film aren’t totally convincing, his chemistry with the actors who play his parents, Dagmara Dominczyk and Arian Moayed, is able to recover the movie. Seu Jorge also gives a solid supporting turn. The film is also quite strong on a technical level. Given the fact that the movie is very heavily based in food, it makes sense that there would be some absolutely gorgeous sequences featuring cooking. The cinematography by Blasco Giurato does a wonderful job of making the film look appetizing. Abe is a movie that sounds like it should be a mess on paper, but in fact, it’s very charming and entertaining. It’s cheery and family-friendly entertainment that is so desperately needed while people are stuck at home from work and school. Abe hits VOD on April 17. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Co-written and directed by Scott Teems (Rectify), The Quarry is a starry new neo-Western based on the novel by Damon Galgut. Yet despite the fact that there is so much talent both in front of and behind the character, the film doesn’t quite work because it doesn’t fully explore its interesting ideas.
The film tells the story of a drifter who kills a traveling preacher and steals his identity, but when the parishioners of his small-town church take to his sermons, the sheriff begins to suspect something may be afoot. The setup is admittedly pretty common, but the promise of the movie lies not in the story itself, but what the story has to say. Teems and co-writer Andrew Brotzman take this story and morph it into a case study of morality, commenting on the burden of guilt and how it affects people. There are some very interesting sequences in this regard, exploring the dynamic that forms between the two leads and blurring the lines between who is the hero and who is the villain. However, once an additional subplot is thrown in, it prevents the film from having as much of an impact as it could. A storyline involving some immigrants who are accused of the drifter’s crimes seems intended to add more depth to the character’s emotional arc, but instead feels like an unnecessary aside to make the movie feel more topical.
This surface-level commentary on racism and xenophobia isn’t the reason why viewers will be watching this film, though. The true draw of the movie is its slow-burn pacing and mystery, but when there is no real mystery to be found in a plot that spells everything out for the audience early on, the film feels like an enormous waste of potential.
That isn’t to say there isn’t anything worthy of your time here. Shea Whigham and Michael Shannon both give wonderful performances in their roles, their turns being the main reason the audience will get invested in this game of cat-and-mouse. The former, mostly known for character work to this point, is particularly impressive with a nuanced and layered role. The movie also looks great. It is evident that Teems has a very good eye and a passion for filmmaking, the visual style feeling like a mixture of old-school Western and gritty crime drama. The result is a movie that looks fittingly dreary and desolate, with many frames that are immersively gorgeous. The Quarry doesn’t meet its full potential by any means, but as a moody and gritty neo-Western, it’s watchable. If nothing else, this serves as perfect proof that the world needs to see Shea Whigham in more leading roles. The Quarry hits VOD on April 17. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The feature debut of German filmmaker Halina Dyrschka, Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint offers a compelling biography of the revolutionary artist. A captivatingly-shot movie with an extraordinary subject, the film may be weighed down by an obligation to the conventions of the genre, but it is an interesting watch nevertheless.
The movie presents a look at the life and career of Hilma af Klint, who is considered by many to be the mother of abstract art. Influencing such iconic artists as Andy Warhol, it’s shocking that af Klint isn’t a household name, but rather, a legendary creator that is known primarily within the circles of the art world. However, Dyrschka’s film will undoubtedly do a very good job of fixing that. Dyrschka and her interviewees do a wonderful job of arguing as to why af Klint deserves to get greater recognition than she does for her contributions to a movement of art that has transitioned from being something against the grain to a more widely utilized form of self-expression. Part of what makes the movie so intriguing is that it questions what it means to be an artist. When af Klint was working in the early part of the twentieth century, her style challenged everything that people knew about art at the time. While society’s understanding of art has broadened since then, the film still offers a very compelling exploration of the definition of art.
One of the things that Dyrschka does very well is that she makes the movie very palatable for wide audiences. A lot of recent documentaries about abstract artists play into the more experimental nature of the artists’ work, and while that is fitting, Dyrschka takes a very different direction here, instead providing a more general survey of what she accomplished.
Dyrschka was able to assemble a wonderful group of interviewees for the film, from art critics who comment on the nature and importance of af Klint’s work to working artists who have been influenced by af Klint’s contributions. This is admittedly a safe way for the story to be told, but it works, especially since the movie’s main goal seems to be to increase the public’s awareness of af Klint. Of course, the film does feature plenty of af Klint’s artwork, which is likely going to be a significant draw for the movie’s target audience. However, even beyond that, Dyrschka’s film is very aesthetically-driven as all great art documentaries are. Nearly every frame is gorgeously composed. Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint is a well-made biography of an unsung figure in the art world. Even though abstract art isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, this documentary is accessible and informative enough that it has plenty to interest even those who wouldn’t consider themselves fans. Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint begins streaming online on April 17 in partnership with indie theaters. Participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The newest film from divisive filmmaker Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), Endings, Beginnings is a new indie romance that continues in the director’s trend of making movies that are as confused as their protagonists. Yet even though the film is a narrative mess, this manages to be some of Doremus’s most entertaining work because of strong performances.
The movie follows a woman in her thirties as she finds herself emotionally conflicted when she gets involved in complicated relationships with two men who are close friends. Ultimately, the arc is a pretty conventional love triangle, but Doremus chops it up so aggressively that it ends up feeling unique, for better or worse. Perhaps the most off-putting thing about the film is that it is little more than a series of scenes from the central relationships. Eventually, Doremus does find his rhythm, but it takes him a while to get there, the first thirty minutes feeling particularly uneven and hectic. As is the case with many movies with similarly episodic narratives, there are some segments that are clearly more effective than others. As always, Doremus uses the film to comment on the ways in which people can learn from love and heartbreak, but at this point, it feels like he has already made his point. Unfortunately, many of his movies have started to feel too similar to each other because they are all thematically related and offer so little expansion upon each other.
The character development in the film is also frustrating. A love triangle is a relatively common set-up in terms of character development, but seemingly in an attempt to make his movie feel different, Doremus doesn’t do a good job of making it feel balanced. As a result, viewers likely won’t care in one way or the other how this relationship turns out.
That said, the actors are very much able to keep this film afloat. It is worth watching if only to see the strong performances from Shailene Woodley, Jamie Dornan, and Sebastian Stan. Obviously, Woodley is the dominant force here, with a majority of the movie’s emotional substance, but Dornan and Stan both get their chances to shine. Doremus’s film is also somewhat intriguing stylistically. While there are some things that don’t work, like the hectic editing associated with the narrative structure, there is a lot of ambition on display that is worthy of note. The use of color in the movie to build mood is especially interesting and effective. Endings, Beginnings likely won’t win any new converts for a filmmaker whose work isn’t universally beloved, but for those who are able to get on his brainwave, it’s a passable watch. Sadly the great actors in the film are in danger of being buried by a mediocre script. Endings, Beginnings hits VOD on April 17. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
An adaptation of the book by Nancy Doyne, Bad Therapy is a new dark comedy exploring the troubles that couples can face in marriage. However, because of its unusual tone, the film isn’t able to take full advantage of its unique premise, playing out like an off-putting blend of earnest drama and wacky comedy.
The film follows a couple who seeks out help from a counselor for their failing marriage, only to discover that their therapist has some dark secrets of her own. There’s definitely something intriguing about a story in which someone who should be extraordinarily trustworthy people turns out to be even more problematic, yet it doesn’t pay off in this case. Instead, Doyne (adapting her own novel) plays too heavily on unsatisfying cliches. The first thirty or so minutes of the film will hook the viewer into the character elements of the story, but the film loses its momentum after the big twist at the end of the first act. The film then transitions from a character-driven dramedy to a straight-up comedy, and it is far less effective. One of the best things about Doyne adapting her own material is that the film feels surprisingly cohesive. There’s a clear vision as to what the film needs to be, but the unfortunate fact is that this vision doesn’t work. The film is far too exaggerated and over-the-top for it to be believable or have any real emotional impact.
The other thing about this film that is disappointing is its character development. For a film about a relationship in turmoil, one would think that the arc would be dominant, and that is the case for the first act. But when the film makes that change, these elements of the film are pushed to the back burner in favor of more direct comedy.
Regardless, the cast all do a solid job in their roles. Alicia Silverstone, Rob Coddry, and Michaela Watkins all have great comedic timing that lends itself to the film very well. Silverstone and Coddry have great chemistry together, which makes the relationship aspect of the film work, and Watkins gives an admirably hammy turn. On a technical level, the film is mostly straightforward. William Teitler is a competent filmmaker, and everything about the execution is well-done, if a little safe. That said, it would have been nice had Teitler added a bit of stylistic flair to the film. Doyne’s script obviously wants to lean into the darker elements of the story, so Teitler could have let those elements run free. Bad Therapy is certainly an interesting film, although its ambition doesn’t always work as well as one would hope. It would have been better with a more serious tone, but there are still some very funny moments. Bad Therapy hits VOD on April 17. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Written and directed by Tayarisha Poe, Selah and the Spades has set a precedent as the original and daring coming-of-age movie to beat this year. With a knack for world-building, this directorial debut allows Poe to explode onto the scene as one of the most exciting new voices in film.
The movie takes place in a prestigious boarding school in which the students are divided into five factions as the leader of the most powerful group searches to find a replacement who can maintain the group’s dominance once she graduates. Like a devilish cross between Divergent and Mean Girls, this film is both insightful and entertaining enough to cement it a spot among the modern classics of the high school genre. The introductory scene provides a brief exposition to the audience, explaining the roles of the five factions within the school and the pre-existing dynamic that rules them, before throwing the viewer right into the middle of the conflict. Part of the fun of the film is finding one’s footing in the world established by Poe that is equal parts astonishingly surreal and surprisingly honest. Once enough time passes for one to get acclimated to the ways of the factions, Poe turns the audience’s attention towards the main conflict. And while the movie is handling some themes that are common ground for the genre (finding one’s identity, coming to terms with change and the future), the way in which they are handled is far from conventional.
Part of what makes the film work so well is its character development. The movie offers a unique twist on the tropes by taking a character that would normally be the antagonist and humanizing her. Yes, Selah can be a bit of a bully at times, but everyone has had some of those moments in life that they aren’t as proud of (albeit likely to a lesser extent).
Lovie Simone gives a magnificent (and potentially star-making) performance in her lead role. The material she is given to work with is far from easy due to its multiple layers and unabashedly unconventional nature, yet she tackles it with grace and ease. She is perfectly cast in a role from which she becomes nearly inseparable. The most impressive part of this film, though, is its execution. In a just world, this would win awards for its excellent sound design. The soundscape built for the movie by the sound team, when combined with the score by ASKA, is breathtaking and immersive. The cinematography is a bit rough around the edges, but is fitting given the purposefully chaotic nature of the script. Selah and the Spades may divide audiences because it is far from your normal high school film, but it is one not to miss regardless. It’s an unmistakably bold debut, and Poe’s voice is the type that is so desperately needed in Hollywood right now. Selah and the Spades hits Amazon Prime on April 17. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Written and directed by Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon, Behind You doesn’t do much to deviate from the supernatural horror formula. However, since Mecham and Whedon don’t rely on generic jump scares to make their film scary, it manages to be an entertaining and satisfying B-movie.
The movie follows two young sisters seeking refuge with their estranged aunt in a house that they soon learn to be haunted when they uncover one of the hidden mirrors in the house. The film’s biggest flaw, without a doubt, is that its story is entirely predictable and conventional. Every beat of the script follows the traditional pattern of the haunted house thriller. Perhaps the easiest way in which the film could have recovered itself would have been to create a more detailed world within the movie. The best haunted house movies have clear rules and a memorable monster, and that simply isn’t the case here. The fiendish spirit that threatens the characters is hard to differentiate from any urban legend or old wives’ tale. That said, Mecham and Whedon do a very good job of creating a tense and eerie atmosphere. Even if viewers can’t fully buy into the idea of the film’s world, there are enough scares here for the movie to be passable entertainment. Thankfully, the use of gore is sparing and cheap scares few in number, the focus instead placed on mounting suspense.
The film is also very impressive and on a technical level. Arguably the strongest aspect of the movie is the way in which it takes advantage of its mansion setting. The cinematography is tight and the production design even tighter, helping mecham and Whedon to execute their scares in the most efficient way possible.
One of the more perplexing things about the film is its character development. There are some things in the script that work very well, while other portions fall flat. The relationship between the protagonist and her sister is very compelling, albeit a touch underdeveloped. On the other hand, the ambiguity of the aunt doesn’t pay off. Actresses Addy Miller and Elizabeth Birkner both do a very good job in their roles, bringing some great chemistry to the table that really sells the sisterhood aspect of the story. In the supporting cast, Jan Broberg goes a bit too big with her performance, and while it is almost fitting for the role, it’s still notably over-the-top. Philip Brodie gives a charming turn as one of the girls’ allies. Behind You is not a particularly original horror movie, but the filmmakers have enough talent and passion to make it worth watching. Some disappointing narrative choices aside, it’s a much better flick than most genre pictures. Behind You hits VOD on April 16. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The feature debut of Uruguayan filmmaker Lucía Garibaldi, The Sharks is a slick and stylish new coming-of-age drama. However, like so many coastal-set films of the genre, this offers disappointingly little in terms of new and insightful content despite the tremendous talent that Garibaldi shows behind the camera.
The movie follows a young woman as she comes of age and experiences her first love as the town around her begins to panic under the suspicion that the waters may be infested with sharks. A Jaws-style thriller this is not, with the focus instead on the protagonist and her emotional journey, the eponymous marine animals simply serving as a backdrop and a metaphor for the character. Garibaldi has an obvious message in the film about young love and how people can grow from it, but this message doesn’t contribute to the well-trodden canon of the genre. While this theme is certainly universal because it’s something that nearly everyone experiences in their youth, Garibaldi’s script doesn’t feel anywhere near personal enough to warrant an additional take on the genre. The good thing about the movie is that, at a mere one hour and twenty minutes, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome even if it fails to justify its existence on a storytelling level. Yes, the movie is treading shallow water at times, but there is enough conflict in the story to give the plot sufficient narrative momentum.
Additionally, the film’s breathtaking sense of visual rhythm makes it hard to look away from the screen. From the opening shots, it is clear that Garibaldi has an impressive level of control over the aesthetic aspects of her craft, with some gorgeous cinematography from Germán Nocella and a hypnotic score by Miguel Recalde and Fabrizio Rossi.
That said, the movie’s fatal sin is that the character development doesn’t work particularly well. Although viewers will likely empathize with aspects of the protagonist’s experiences, none of the characters are actively likable, and that does not seem to be the filmmaker’s intention. It is difficult to get behind a summer love when the object of the protagonist’s desire is unmistakably a jerk. Regardless, young actress Romina Bentancur does a very good job in her screen debut as the protagonist. She is able to infuse the character with a lot of honesty and believability, even when the script starts to take her arc in a more conventional and archetypal direction. Her chemistry with co-star Federico Morosini could have been improved, but this doesn’t detract from the film significantly. Lucía Garibaldi may not have burst onto the scene with The Sharks, but the visual greatness of the film is still enough to establish her as someone to watch. This was just missing a bit of a personal touch to elevate it to its potential greatness. The Sharks hits VOD on April 14. Rating: 3/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Sally Potter is a self-made filmmaker. She wrote and directed seven films before her latest, The Roads Not Taken. She takes a personal stance in many of her films, but this seems to be her most personal yet. A film about a man who needs constant care is not something you see every day. It's a topic that is difficult to talk about in a film, and The Roads Not Taken doesn't take a straightforward approach to it either. Leo (Javier Bardem) is a man that needs twenty-four-hour care for his dementia. His daughter, Molly (Elle Fanning) watches him sometimes, but she has a career of her own to consider. While taking Leo out to his appointments, she notices that he goes in and out of consciousness, causing her to become concerned about his well-being. While in his subconscious mind, he spends time with his former lover, Dolores (Selma Hayek). Molly asks her mother Rita (Laura Linney), Leo's ex-wife, for advice on his problems, but no one has any answers. Bardem has had a great career so far. He has had many iconic roles, including Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men (for which he won an Academy Award), fan-favorite villain Silva in Skyfall, and Juan Antonio from Vickie Christina Barcelona. His career is as varied as the many different roles he has portrayed. He is an actor that can choose any role he wants, allowing him to work with any filmmaker he chooses. This is a very different role for him. He gives it his all, but he is not the problem with this film. The story should have just focused on Leo and his dementia and not gone off in such a strange direction. The actors all turn in a noble effort with the dialogue and script, but even they can't save a film with no direction. If Potter had focused more on the relationship between Molly, Leo and his ex-wife Rita, it would have been more interesting.
Films about dementia should move the person watching them. Films like Still Alice and What They Had capture what family and friends are going through dealing with a person with dementia. The emotions they feel are palpable. It becomes a situation where they don't want to deal with this person anymore. The Roads Not Taken unfortunately didn't have that effect at all. Though the acting was really solid, this film is mostly disappointing. The Roads Not Taken is now streaming online as part of a virtual cinema initiative. Rating: 2.5/5 |
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