Review by Sean Boelman
Regardless of what one feels about his opinions and actions, there’s no denying that Roger Ailes is one of the most influential figures in modern American politics, even after his death. Michael Barnes’s new documentary Man in the Arena takes an interesting approach to its subject, exploring more of his political musings than his effects on the media landscape.
The film tells the story of Fox News founder Roger Ailes with an emphasis on the way he and his media empire came to alter the course of history by influencing the public opinion of candidates in elections. This isn’t the first documentary about Ailes, nor will it be the last, but by focusing on the part of his career that is often swept under the rug, Barnes makes his movie stand out. At nearly two hours in length, the film is certainly overlong, and there are some elements that could have been cut out. Portions of the movie that detail how Ailes built the Fox News empire and how allegations that surfaced against him caused him to fall from grace add little to the narrative that wasn’t already known before. Instead, the film is at its most compelling when it focuses on the elections and how Ailes and Fox were pivotal forces in getting three Presidents elected. In the modern political landscape, there is increasing distrust in the media and their role in the American government, so these historical case studies are just as relevant now as they were then.
Barnes’s stance on Ailes himself is also quite intriguing. There is no such thing as a fully objective documentary, there is always a stance by which the filmmaker is approaching the subject, but Barnes makes the interesting decision of not villainizing Ailes. Of course, the movie frowns upon his manipulative and abusive actions, but recognizes how complicated everything else about Ailes is.
The documentary paints Ailes in an almost tragic light, as an ambitious man who brought about his own downfall with his arrogance and character flaws. Whether or not one actually likes Ailes will clearly depend on how their opinions align with Ailes’s, but Barnes does offer some interesting counterpoints for either side of the spectrum. Barnes tells his story with a combination of extensive archive materials and interviews with people who worked with or knew Ailes. And while this is a very traditional and by-the-book documentary technique, it’s very polished and professional, and Barnes does a good job of presenting the material in a cinematic way. Man in the Arena is an interesting documentary exploring the political side of journalism. Even though it could have been about thirty minutes shorter had it cut the parts of the story that are already well-documented, it adds some new insight to the conversation as a whole. Man in the Arena is now available on DVD and VOD. Rating: 3/5
0 Comments
[FANTASIA 2020] I WEIRDO -- A Cute and Original Romantic Comedy Perfect for the Circumstances8/23/2020
Review by Sean Boelman
Unintentionally relevant to the current circumstances, Ming-Yi Liao’s romantic comedy I WeirDo is a delightful watch, especially for anyone who has ever felt alone because of their quirks. Compellingly-written and impressively-shot, this intensely independent charmer is lovable in every way.
The story follows two loners suffering from OCD as they find love in each other, only for their relationship to be tested when one of them is suddenly cured of their obsessive tendencies. Part of what makes this film so interesting is that it effectively plays out the common romantic comedy tropes in reverse, giving the narrative a refreshing feeling as a result. Thankfully, despite the implications of the title, the depiction of the characters’ disorder is quite respectful. The jokes are never made at the expense of their disorder, but rather everyone else around them. Some of the best moments feature the characters as they venture out into the world and try new experiences in an attempt to loosen up, and as expected, they take a humorous turn. The message about staying true to oneself is a common one for the genre, but it comes from a place of authenticity. There is some overt commentary on manipulation in relationships, a topic which is often taboo in romantic comedies, as the genre tends to idealize the process of finding love.
By treating both of these characters with compassion and sympathy, the story is really compelling. Yes, the romance aspect of the movie is fun and cute, but the arguably more fascinating thing that it has to offer is an exploration of how the characters affect each other and their conditions.
The two stars, Austin Lin and Nikki Hsieh, have wonderful chemistry together. They’re both super charming, but they also handle their roles with a lot of subtlety. Even in the more traditional visual gags, they bring just as much emotion to the scene as they do a sense of humor. What makes this film even more impressive, though, is that it was shot on an iPhone. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, even making creative and effective use of an aspect ratio change. And fittingly, there is an extreme level of detail in the framing and production design, giving the movie a very clean and sharp look. I WeirDo is the rare romantic comedy that succeeds in reinventing the tropes of the genre without even trying to comment on them. It’s funny, original, and timely, making it exactly what audiences need right now. I WeirDo screened as a part of the virtual edition of the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival, which runs August 20-September 2. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The solo debut of French filmmaker Vincent Paronnaud (Persepolis), Hunted is an unexpected take on a familiar genre. Inspired in equal parts by fairy tales and classic revenge movies, this satire of toxic masculinity often works pretty well, but misses the mark in terms of characterization.
The movie follows a young woman who, after meeting who seems to be a charming guy at the bar, finds herself in a game of cat-and-mouse, although her psychotic pursuer doesn’t seem to realize who he’s up against. Blending a bunch of tropes from a few different horror genres, the film keeps the viewer on edge, for better or worse. In a lean hour-and-a-half, Parronaud and co-writer Léa Pernollet manage to pack in a surprising amount of thrills. However, these scenes, much like the story itself, don’t quite come together into a greater whole. There’s also a feeling of repetition that is frustrating. Although the tension and brutality of the sequences do escalate, the movie establishes a basic formula early on and sticks to it. Perhaps due to the obvious fairy tale connection (the wolf allegory is pretty clear), the characters feel rather shallow. There are really three main players: the hero, the villain, and the villain’s accomplice. And while it is admirable that the protagonist is written in a way that counters the damsel-in-distress archetype, it would have been nice if she had both strength and depth.
That said, the caricature-like nature of the antagonist does work quite well to explore the themes of misogyny and chauvinism. The reason that this movie is scary isn’t its gore, but rather the fact that the villain is just so menacing. And while there are a few over-the-top moments, some of his comments and actions ring terrifyingly true.
Arieh Worthalter gives what may be one of the most impressive villain performances in a horror movie in quite a while. It’s impressive how he is able to flip that switch from charming to threatening in an instant. Lucie Debay’s lead performance is also great, providing an excellent foil to Worthalter, and showing just as much range. Visually, the film is definitely very interesting thanks to Paronnaud’s highly-stylized approach. An animated sequence kicks the movie off, giving us the folklore context before throwing us into the modernized version of it. Without a doubt, Paronnaud knows how to build suspense, but he also brings a tongue-in-cheek sensibility to it, adding some dark humor to the equation. Hunted is an interesting watch because of how it spins some of the tropes of the genre on their head. It’s a complex take on a simple story, and even though that doesn’t always pay off, it’s pretty chilling nevertheless. Hunted screened as a part of the virtual edition of the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival, which runs August 20-September 2. An encore screening (geoblocked to Canada) occurs on August 26 at 5pm. Rating: 3/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen The One and Only Ivan is based on the true story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who was rescued from the jungles of Africa and brought to live in Tacoma, Washington. He performed for a big top that was located in a mall and learned how to paint while there. After protesters learned of him they forced the hand of the owner to release him back into a conducive environment for animals like him. He was moved to the Atlanta Zoo where he lives today. This story was adapted into a book of the same name by author Katherine Applegate, who also wrote the script for the movie with Mike White from Survivor fame. Ivan (Sam Rockwell) is living out his days in a small mall circus with some other animals: a couple of dogs named Bob and Snickers (Danny Devito and Helen Mirren), and two elephants named Stella and Ruby, (Angelina Jolie and Brooklyn Prince), as well as a parrot, a seal, a bunny and a chicken. Mack (Bryan Cranston) runs this little operation. He is struggling to keep it afloat. With the help of his trusty employee, George (Ramon Rodriguez) and his daughter, Julia (Ariana Greenblatt), they try to come up with different things to attract customers to their fledgling circus. Disney has cornered the market on feel-good old-school family films, adapting a lot of their own animated films in the process. Known for her 2016 film Me Before You, director Thea Sharrock definitely knows how to pull at the heartstrings. The One and Only Ivan has a lot going for it. The obvious is a bunch of talking animals, which, while not always entertaining, works well in this case. It's based on a true story. That is always a plus. The main thing this film has going for it is, though, it is a heartfelt tale with some funny one-liners that the whole family can enjoy.
This film was thoroughly enjoyable throughout. It had its twist and turns but came to a satisfying conclusion in the end. The voice cast and human cast all did a wonderful job. At times, it can be easy to forget that they weren't real animals because the CGI was so spot on. The script was well adapted by Mike White and Katherine Applegate. This film is a must-see for anybody looking for good family entertainment. People of all ages should enjoy this fun heartfelt film. It's the best movie with talking animals this year. The One and Only Ivan is now streaming on Disney+. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Hot off his Academy Award win for BlacKkKlansman (shared with Spike Lee et al.), Kevin Willmott has delivered another searing examination of the criminal justice system, this time in the context of an important historical event that one would have a hard time finding in history books. Affecting but occasionally dogmatic, The 24th is an important watch especially given that recent events have shown these problems to still exist over a hundred years later.
The film tells the story of the soldiers of the Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment, an all-African-American regiment assigned to Houston, TX, as they clash with local law enforcement, eventually leading up to the Houston Riot of 1917. It’s not an easy watch, particularly when it gets to the harrowingly-written riot scene, but Willmott uses these events in a way that conveys his message in an effective and eye-opening way. Some of the most impactful moments in the movie explore the idea of loyalty and how that principle breaks down. On one hand, these soldiers have a loyalty to their country as part of their service. But in this case (and many still), this comes in conflict with their loyalty to their military brethren, their fellow men and women, and their race. And it is this identity crisis that makes the story so heartbreaking. One of the things that Willmott does extremely well in his film (and has been a strength of his in the past) is developing the bond between the characters. Although it would be impossible to give every one of the fifty-odd soldiers a fleshed-out backstory, the way in which Willmott builds that sense of community more than makes up for it.
Trai Byers (who also co-wrote the script with Willmott) gives an excellent performance in his leading role. He captures the conflicted emotions of the character in a way that is subtle and thoroughly nuanced. Also a standout is Mykelti Williamson, whose powerful supporting turn offers layer upon layer.
The only real issue with the script is that the pacing is a tad on the scattershot side. Much of the movie is character-driven, but then a scene will come along that is pretty brutal. While these short bursts of intensity are definitely shocking, many of them tread the line of being emotionally redundant. There are also some issues with the film on a technical level. The Houston Riot scene in particular is problematic. Even though every moment of the sequence is powerful, the darkness in which it shot obscures a lot of the emotion on the characters’ faces, and as a result, the character arcs aren’t furthered by the scene in the intended way. The 24th has some flaws, but Kevin Willmott’s script is so strong that its power is undeniable. It’s a shame that this story isn’t more well-known, as these men stood up for what they believed in, something which is relevant now more than ever. The 24th is now available on VOD. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The Iran hostage crisis has been documented on film before, including in Ben Affleck’s Best Picture-winning thriller Argo, but never quite like it was in Barbara Kopple’s documentary Desert One. Focusing on the emotional impact of the United States’ foreign and domestic policy, it’s a profound watch, even if it is a tad too long.
The movie explores the rescue of the hostages held in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis in a covert rescue operation. What makes Kopple’s documentary stand out from other (arguably more thrilling) films telling this story is that it doesn’t get caught up in how these events happen, but rather the ways in which they affected the people they impacted. Perhaps the biggest issue with the movie is that Kopple can’t seem to settle on a perspective from which she wants the story to be told, so she uses all of them. In the film, the audience will hear from the survivors, their families, former President Jimmy Carter, and those who were involved in the rescue directly. It’s a much bigger story than a simple hostage situation. The portion of the movie that has the most impact is that which features the relatives of those who lost their lives in an attempt to carry out the rescue mission. Often, stories of heroism like this talk about the noble sacrifice made by those who gave their life, but rarely address the feelings of the people they left behind with this much depth.
On the other hand, Kopple’s attempt to incorporate the Iranian perspective on the events almost entirely falls flat. It’s nice to see a documentarian try to take a holistic approach to such an important historical event, overcoming a lot of the jingoism common to the military documentary genre, but these interviews feel so distant that they don’t work very well.
Additionally, the film pulls some of its political punches. Though the movie does comment on some of the limitations of U.S. policy, it doesn’t want to admit the fact that this crisis was almost entirely due to the government’s inability to handle a situation like this when it arose, something which we have found ourselves in again, albeit in a different sector. That said, Kopple does an excellent job of pulling together the available materials to produce a mostly cinematic documentary. Combining archive footage with extensive interviews and some animated recreations of the rescue attempt, Kopple is able to make the viewer feel as if they were a member of the American public in 1979 worried about their countrymen’s safety. Desert One offers a distinctive approach to an often ineffective genre, and although it has its own shortcomings, it’s mostly very compelling. It fills a lot of holes in the existing narrative of the Iran hostage crisis, despite creating a few more. Desert One is now playing in theaters and via virtual cinema offerings. A list of participating locations can be found here. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Written and directed by Peter Facinelli (who is best-known for playing Carlisle in the Twilight series), The Vanished is a slow-burn mystery-thriller benefitting from a talented cast. Perhaps a tad overlong, but still involving, the film is mostly compelling until a preposterous third-act twist causes the movie to fall apart.
The film tells the story of a couple whose daughter goes missing on a camping trip, sending them on a desperate quest to find her and causing them to take any means necessary when the police can’t find any leads. Blending elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and dysfunctional family drama, the movie mostly balances all of its threads until an attempt to tie them all together goes terribly awry. For much of the first act, the audience will be invested in the film because of the mystery aspect of trying to find the missing girl. However, as the focus shifts to the feelings of paranoia that the characters are feeling for each other, the tension begins to rise and the movie admittedly becomes pretty gripping. Strategically-placed twists keep the viewer on edge. The audience will immediately sympathize with the main characters because of their situation, and the development that goes into their relationship on top of that, but a lot of the conflict feels rather generic. It would have been nice to see some of the internal elements explored with a bit more depth.
More intriguing are the supporting characters, which unexpectedly have more layers than the protagonist. This is the case particularly with the group of players considered to be suspects, as Facinelli’s script does an excellent job of keeping the viewer guessing who might be the culprit and who is trying to help.
The single biggest strength of the film are its performances. Thomas Jane and Anne Heche bring a lot of humanity to their roles, underplaying some of the more drastic and over-the-top moments in a way that makes them still feel believable. The best scenes are those in which Jane and Heche get to act off of each other. On a technical level, the movie is admittedly a bit lacking. It’s shot in a competent but very conventional way. The cinematography and score are rather bland, doing little to assist the suspense, and even more disappointing, Facinelli doesn’t take advantage of the forest setting to create any particularly memorable scenes. The Vanished starts very strong and whimpers in the end, but minus the last fifteen minutes, it’s better than the average B-movie thriller. For those looking for edge-of-your-seat suspense, this one will mostly satisfy. The Vanished is now available on VOD. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Based on his own mother’s unpublished memoir, Jorge Xolalpa Jr.’s Your Iron Lady is an undeniably personal film, although it is also extremely self-indulgent. Like an amateurish version of Roma, there are some great moments here, but it too often has the low qualities of a telenovela to be particularly compelling.
The movie tells the story of an immigrant mother who leaves her husband after arriving in America, following her domestic troubles over the course of a year. While what Xolalpa has to say about the immigrant experience is interesting and comes from a place of sincerity, the dialogue is stilted in a way that it loses a much-needed feeling of authenticity. One of the biggest issues with Xolalpa’s script is that it’s full of gaps. It constantly feels like the film is moving from scene to scene rather than through an interconnected narrative. Although some of these scenes are excellent, they are relatively self-contained and are overshadowed within the greater context of the script. In trying to represent his (or more accurately, his mother’s) story through a year of her life, Xolalpa wants to say a lot about what he values, but this also results in the movie losing focus. Had Xolalpa emphasized just one of the themes — family, what it means to be an immigrant in America, or the value of hard work — rather than trying to give them all their due, it would have been much more effective.
Xolalpa’s directorial style is even more haphazard than his writing. The opening scene, while interestingly framed, is presented with black subtitles on a dark background, so it’s often difficult to read. And the sound design is frequently awful, particularly in that sequence, so even if one is fluent in Spanish, it’s difficult to follow the film.
The movie does a decent job of developing the lead character, but the rest of her family is very underwritten. Like a telenovela, every element of conflict is heightened and drawn out to the point that the characters become laughable. This is particularly the case with the protagonist’s daughters (inspired by the filmmaker’s sisters) who feel like total cliches. The only saving grace of this movie is Victoria del Rosal, who is excellent in the lead role. Of anyone in the cast, she’s the only one who delivers the often telegraphed lines with anything resembling subtlety. Child actor Yul Bürkle is also good, although that may be because he doesn’t have any lines. Your Iron Lady is definitely very rough. With a re-edit and some re-recorded sound, there’s enough interesting things here that Xolalpa may be able to salvage it into something passable, but unfortunately, the script is too lacking for it to make much of a splash. Your Iron Lady screened as a part of the Florida Film Festival, which runs August 7-21 at the Enzian Theater in Orlando, FL. Rating: 1.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
A quirky coming-of-age tale with a concept that is best described as “out there”, Christopher Winterbauer’s directorial debut Wyrm (adapted from his short of the same name) is also surprisingly authentic. A very creative entry in a well-worn genre, this may be a little too tongue-in-cheek for some, but it’s a fun and heartfelt watch.
Set in a retro world where kids wear a collar until they experience their first kiss, the film follows an awkward adolescent boy who is desperate to “pop his collar” all the while dealing with grief over the death of his popular brother. It’s a somewhat standard coming-of-age arc wrapped up in a satire that’s anything but average, giving the film an undeniable sense of originality, even when it leans on tropes. A lot of the jokes lean on the secondhand embarrassment factor, as the young characters talk about sex in a very frank way. Some of the euphemisms are obvious but hilarious (“popping your collar”), whereas others are a bit more symbolic. There’s a good balance between these more subtle and upfront styles of humor. The character development in the film is great. Although the sex comedy stuff is often riotous, arguably the more impactful portion of the film explores the sibling relationship between the protagonist and his older sister. It’s interesting to watch how the dynamic between them changes in often humorous ways.
There is also a portion of the film exploring the role of trauma in youth, and while this is largely relegated to a few subplots, these moments will definitely linger in viewers’ minds. The protagonist’s struggle to live within the shadow of his late brother provides some of the most effective emotional moments.
Theo Taplitz gives an absolutely amazing performance in the leading role. He is the very definition of a star in the making. He’s super charming, and while there is obviously a very tongue-in-cheek nature to the film as a whole, it never feels like he’s anything other than a normal teenager. Azure Brandi is also a standout as his sister. Winterbauer put a lot of effort into the world-building of his film, and it shows, it being a large part of the reason why it is so immersive. The world that he has created, mostly through excellent production design, is uncanny and eccentric, a lot of its charm coming across in many ways. Wyrm is a charming indie comedy thanks to its commitment to its wacky premise and the unexpected level of insight that it offers. And with how unabashedly weird it is, this has future cult classic status written all over it. Wyrm screened as a part of the Florida Film Festival, which runs August 7-21 at the Enzian Theater in Orlando, FL. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Filmmaker Aaron B. Koontz has been one to watch, having made two somewhat silly but also very fun B-movie horror flicks. However, in his attempt to do something more self-serious and ambitious, the horror-Western The Pale Door, he falls short in delivering sufficient scares or atmosphere to satisfy.
The movie tells the story of a gang of bandits who, after a botched robbery, take refuge in what initially seems to be a ghost town, only to realize that it is inhabited by a coven of witches. This setup of bad versus worse is nothing new for the Western genre, and the ritualistic elements of the narrative are lacking in any sense of originality or flair. Many of the film’s issues can be boiled down to the script. The pacing here is all over the place. For much of the first half of the movie, it’s an extremely slow burn, with very little suspense to be found. When the proverbial s**t hits the fan, the film starts to scramble to cram all of this action into such a short period of time, resulting in a feeling that nothing is truly of consequence. There are some messages in the movie about purity of heart and sacrifice, but ultimately, the film’s ideas are a blend of common themes from the Western and supernatural horror genres. Nothing that is said here hasn’t been said before, and much better. And the commentary on punishment and retribution is even more generic and underwhelming.
Perhaps most frustrating, though, is that the character development is sorely lacking. The group of bandits is too large in number for them to all be developed equally, but one can’t even describe them as archetypal — they’re just flat. There’s very little depth to any but one or two of the characters, causing them to become almost indistinguishable at times.
Apart from a solid but underused performance from Melora Walters, the cast isn’t particularly impressive. And given the list of rather talented character actors that make up the ensemble, like Pat Healy, Noah Segan, and Jeremy King, it’s disappointing that they aren’t given much to do other than run around helplessly. Visually, Koontz’s movie is way too dark, even difficult to see at times, but if it weren’t for the dimness, there are some interesting things happening. There are a few scenes with some disturbing imagery, and the creature effects look really solid. The periodization through the production design is effective as well. Unfortunately, The Pale Door simply isn’t an effective blend of its genres. With one portion that is grudgingly slow and another that is exhaustingly rushed, it’s hard to enjoy this straight-faced misfire from Aaron B. Koontz. The Pale Door hits VOD on August 21. Rating: 2/5 |
Archives
May 2024
Authors
All
|