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Review by Sean Boelman
A follow-up to his divisive story about the French heroine’s childhood, Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc isn’t a musical unlike its predecessor, but it still takes a very unorthodox approach to this well-known story. While Dumont’s vision of history may not be agreeable, it’s certainly idiosyncratic and one to be heard.
The film follows the eponymous French heroine as she leads the French army against the King of England believing that she is God’s chosen one, only to be put on trial for heresy. It’s a tragic story that nearly everyone knows, and it has been committed to film more than once before, but Dumont really doubles down on the existential elements of the character’s arc. There’s an obvious connection to be had to the story if one already has familiarity with the historical events. Dumont’s movie is somewhat reliant on viewers appreciating Joan of Arc’s plight and sympathizing with her struggle, although the middle portion of the film will have a lot of impact regardless. Lise Leplat Prudhomme reprises her role (she played the younger version of Joan of Arc in Dumont’s Jeannette), and she does a great job. The amount of emotion she brings to the character, particularly during the climactic trial, will draw viewers into the character even if they are unconvinced to that point. 
The pacing of the film is certainly very unorthodox. Dumont jumps through time, showing the audience only the most impactful elements of her life rather than providing a completely comprehensive biography. Even at over two hours and fifteen minutes long, there’s a lot that Dumont omitted, and yet, it feels like he communicates his message.
Above everything else, the movie is about standing up for what one believes. This is a message that is universal and just as resonant now as it was in the 1400s. There’s a reason why Joan of Arc’s story has become such an iconic and important part of history, and Dumont manages to highlight that perfectly. On a technical level, the film is absolutely beautiful. While it isn’t a full-out musical like its predecessor, the sound design and soundtrack play a large role in the style. The cinematography and production design are also excellent, giving the movie a very sleek but still periodized feel. Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a highly unique period piece. It’s an undeniably unusual yet effective telling of a story that pretty much everyone knows. Joan of Arc is now streaming in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Photo Courtesy: Eduardo Mayén.
Co-written and directed by Asian-American filmmaker Sasie Sealy, Lucky Grandma is a new crime comedy with plenty of laughs. Thanks to a strong lead performance and a solid script, this is an entertaining indie comedy that may have gone under the radar if not for audiences needing something to watch.
The film follows an elderly woman who, following an optimistic reading from a fortune teller, has a wild day at the casino and finds herself stuck in the middle of a war between the two most powerful gangs in Chinatown. It’s a ridiculous premise, but it’s done subtly enough to be funny while still feeling grounded in some sort of reality. One of the film’s biggest successes is that it balances the comedy with the more suspenseful elements of the story quite well. Even though the stakes are never insanely high, this isn’t quite the “sweet granny” movie that the title implies it might be. There’s an undeniable and enjoyable bite and edge to this movie. Of course, the eponymous character is quite lovable, a fitting protagonist for a charming film. At times, the character’s arc leans a bit into cliches about the elderly, but there’s an obvious tongue-in-cheek nature to the way in which Sealy and co-writer Angela Cheng handle these elements of the movie. 
Photo Courtesy: Good Deed Entertainment.
On the other hand, the antagonistic characters of the film feel entirely underwritten. More often than not, they come across as over-the-top caricatures of gangsters. Admittedly, they’re still a ton of fun to watch, but it draws the viewer out of what is otherwise a surprisingly effective and emotional storyline.
Tsai Chin is absolutely wonderful in her leading role and is the clear highlight of the movie. She is subtly hilarious, giving a performance that has a lot of deadpan qualities about it. There aren’t any obvious standouts in the supporting cast, but everyone does a solid job of serving as a scene partner for Chin, who absolutely commands the spotlight. On a technical level, the film is very good. This is Sealy’s directorial debut, but the movie is beyond competent and feels very stylized. The cinematography and production design have a very neo-noir flavor to them that creates an interesting effect when paired with the witty and comedic dialogue of the script. Lucky Grandma has a couple areas that could have used improvement, but as Sasie Sealy’s feature debut, it shows she has a lot of talent. It’s a perfectly amusing movie, and a quick one at that, making it worth your time and support. Lucky Grandma is now streaming in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Photo Credit: Carolina Faruolo.
Although it almost doesn’t work because it treats the audience like they’re in the blind even when they aren’t, Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl is an expectedly fun rock doc. Thanks to the charm of the eponymous indie pop/punk musician, it will be an entertaining watch even for those who aren’t already fans.
The film follows Kate Nash as she tries to reinvent her public persona after her debut album goes very well but she feels called creatively to take a different path. For the most part, the film sticks pretty closely to standard rock doc conventions, a structure which is admittedly a tad underwhelming given how Nash’s story is all about breaking the mold. That said, the film does a very good job of delivering its message about being oneself and not conforming to unfair expectations from an unappreciative public. It’s a subtly empowering tale of how people (especially women) face adversity in the industry every day and yet persevere to find success despite the naysayers. Ultimately, the biggest issue with the film is that it doesn’t take into account those who are already familiar with Nash’s career. The film was shot over several years, which is obvious because a large portion of it occurs before Nash got her breakout role on the Netflix series GLOW. Since the target audience will already know how she will get back on her feet, some of the emotional impact is diminished. 
Photo Credit: Carolina Faruolo.
Regardless, the film does a very good job of making Nash’s story compelling. Apart from a few parts that feel slightly overdramatized (such as one exposing Nash’s financial exploitation by a former manager), it’s a very inspiring story of how one person can pursue their dreams while making a visible difference on the people that surround them.
As one would expect, Nash’s music plays a big role in the film, and it’s incorporated quite well. The film features both performance footage and up-close-and-personal insight into her songwriting process as she collaborates with others to realize her vision of her sound. The film also uses on-screen text to represent the lyrics, and while this is a common gimmick, it definitely works here. Like most other rock documentaries, this benefits from the filmmaker having unparalleled access to the subject. The crew follows Nash on tour and through her personal life, with a majority of the film taking the form of fly-on-the-wall footage. There are a few ambitious swings-and-misses, but the film is at its best when it takes this simple but approachable format. Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl is a fun music documentary. While it may not be the most revelatory or revolutionary film of the genre, it offers plenty for fans and casual moviegoers alike, and at less than an hour and a half in length, what’s not to love? Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl is now streaming exclusively On Alamo on Demand here. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
A biography of one of the most unconventional figures in culinary history, Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is a must-watch for any foodie cinephiles. A compelling and entertaining documentary thanks to the charming personality of its subject, this film may not break any new ground, but it’s satisfying nevertheless.
The movie tells the story of British chef Diana Kennedy who, at the age of ninety-seven, still presides as one of the foremost experts on Mexican cuisine. Although most who are fans of cooking will already know Kennedy’s name, some audiences may be surprised to learn that a British woman is one of the best chefs of the style. Yet this unexpected story plays out in an almost underdog-like way in that it shows that anyone can do anything if they set their minds to it. Although there’s obviously an element of natural talent and aptitude involved in Kennedy’s story, the film focuses on how she became a better chef by learning from the people of the culture she studied. Above anything else, audiences can learn from the movie the importance of being a citizen of the world. Like many celebrity chefs, Kennedy couldn’t have gotten to where she is without being open-minded to new experiences, and she also faced the challenge of her cooking being based on a tradition that is not her own. 
The film does a very good job of building Kennedy into a compassionate subject. It’s absolutely wonderful that she is telling her story through her own eyes and with her own words, giving the movie a much more personal feel than most biographical documentaries of this sort.
Of course, the film features plenty of absolutely scrumptious food shots. Even though Kennedy may not have published a book since 2016, she still very much has it, as is obvious in the scenes of the movie in which she is shown in action. Perhaps the single best part of the film features Kennedy as she prepares a traditional guacamole, with some energetic commentary thrown in. On a technical level, the movie is very solid, even if it doesn’t deviate much from expectations. Director Elizabeth Carroll tells the story in a straightforward but effective way, letting Kennedy be the focal point of the narrative. There are some interviews and archive footage throughout, but Carroll recognizes that her film’s biggest strength is how lovable Kennedy is, and she takes full advantage of that. Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is a delectable little documentary. While it can feel a bit slight at times, at a mere eighty-two minutes in length, it’s a ridiculously entertaining and certainly worthwhile watch. Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is now streaming online in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Craig Fairbrass as Eddie in the crime/thriller, “VILLAIN,” a Saban Films release.” Photo Courtesy of Saban Films.
Starring Craig Fairbrass, Villain is a new crime drama with precious little to excite audiences. Starting off with a bang but failing to keep up that momentum, this isn’t a poorly-made film, although it certainly could have benefitted from having a bit more action to make the story feel more cinematic.
The movie follows a recently released ex-convict as he is drawn back into a life of crime when he discovers that his brother owes a large debt to some ruthless mobsters, and he must find a way to pay it back, legal or not. The script by Greg Hall and George Russo is very bland and generic, adding very little to a worn out revenge genre. However, since the film is so by-the-book, the movie feels very stagnant. There is some conflict throughout, but not enough to make the film interesting. One of the problems here is that the movie fails to adequately establish stakes. Even though the characters repeatedly discuss how this is a matter of life and death, it fails to prove it in an impactful way. The reason why it is so disappointing that the film is so unoriginal is that the opening sequence is legitimately pretty great. However, this extremely high-intensity scene sets a precedent that the rest of the movie simply can’t meet, and as a result, audiences are certainly going to be bored by what the real plot has to offer. 
Craig Fairbrass as Eddie in the crime/thriller, “VILLAIN,” a Saban Films release.” Photo Courtesy of Saban Films.
Furthermore, the character development in the film doesn’t have much emotional impact at all. There are some beats of the movie that are made expressly for the purpose of eliciting a response from the audience, and while one or two of them work, a majority of them feel manipulative and unnatural.
Fairbrass does a good enough job in his leading role, but he isn’t given enough material to work with to be particularly memorable. It’s a role that he seems very well-fit for, if only there had been more substance to what he had to do. The supporting cast as a whole is very monotonous and unspectacular. The film isn’t bad on a technical level, but as expected, there’s nothing particularly phenomenal about it either. This is where the lack of exciting action in the movie really hurts it. Although it’s obvious that the film wants to be gritty and real, director Philip Barantini doesn’t bring enough style to it for it to be effective. More often than not, Villain falls flat. Unfortunately, the cast and crew just don’t have the ability to overcome a generic script that is almost completely devoid of thrills or any other interesting flourishes. Villain hits VOD on May 22. Rating: 2.5/5 |