Review by Jonathan Berk We have hit a weird moment with political biopics. There are tons of important historical figures that people should know about, and a movie seems like a great medium to deliver that information. The downside is that there are so many of these movies, and they're coming out more and more frequently, that the formulaic nature tends to have diminishing returns. Unfortunately, Shirley suffers from the familiar format, and then a few other issues bring it down a little further. Still, there is enough here to make it worth checking out. Regina King plays Shirley Chisholm from her first year joining Congress, which led to her unprecedented presidential campaign in 1972. Chisholm assembles a scrappy team to help build her campaign, but they are up against a lot. She has to navigate racism, sexism, and her relationships throughout the campaign. To no one's surprise, King is incredible. She brings gravitas to any role at this stage in her career. This lends itself well to Chisholm, who one must assume had a similar confidence given the things she did. It takes a special kind of actor to be able to step into any scene and own the room. King is more than qualified and, thus, perfect casting. The cast includes some incredible talent to support King: Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Andre Holland, Terrence Howard, and Michael Cherrie, among others. The pedigree of the cast is evident in director John Ridley's film, but the script doesn't do them any favors. For the most part, there are a lot of characters telling us things rather than the film showing us. Hedges is tasked with a lot of exposition in clunky scenes. The character's introduction is an interview with King, in which he praises her so that the audience knows their history. It feels so unnatural, and it's just one of many examples of moments like it sprinkled throughout the film. The overall look of the film works. It feels like something from '70s TV, which blends well with some of the archival footage used in it. There are some scenes, however, that are just far too dark. You can't make out any details in those moments and the reason for it is unclear. Low-light cinematography is a challenge for sure, but usually, there is an apparent reason for the lighting to be that dark. It's not something that detracts from the film, but it was noticeable.
This biopic at least breaks away from the birth-to-death format that is used too often. However, it still fails to capture the tension that Chisholm must have been feeling. The stakes are incredibly high, but the film never finds the angle to capture that intensity. It moves from one room of people talking to another. Even in the moments where Chisholm clearly would have been going through it, the film can't quite deliver that feeling to its audience. The good news is that Shirley is not a bad movie. Still, it does not feel essential, and it really should. The cast and the historical figure the film is about should make it a priority on your Netflix watchlist. It just fails to reach that level of excellence. Still, there is enough in the film to warrant its existence on the streaming platform. Shirley will be in select theaters on March 15 and streaming on Netflix on March 22. Rating: 3/5
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Review by Jonathan Berk Every time you invest time in a film festival, you hope to see something that blows you away. Sing Sing set the bar so high as an opening night film at SXSW. The story is inspiring. The performances are breathtaking. It's a powerful film showcasing the power of art and storytelling through incredible characters based on a true story. Divine G. (Colman Domingo) is imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit. While working to appeal his case, he finds purpose by acting in a theater group with other incarcerated men. After their recent performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, they recruit Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin), who joins with some reluctance. He proposes a change in tone for their next performance, and they start to prepare the troop's first comedy. Maclin gives an absolute example of a star-making performance. He is up against an incredible, Oscar-nominated actor and manages to outshine even him. To give full credit to Domingo, he not only gives an impressive performance but is willing to share the screen with his fellow actors. That space may be why Maclin stole the show, but it seems more likely that's an impressive raw talent. He delivers in so many ways that seeing what happens next will be exciting. The story being told in this film feels so essential. It is both about the redemptive qualities of storytelling and a great reminder that the people in jail are precisely that: people. Humanity is on full display in this film. Life is not always easy to look at, but you must. Many of the other actors in this movie are former inmates who were part of the theater program. They all get incredible moments, and every character can have a moment that feels organic.
As if the film wasn't impressive enough, the Q&A after the screening at SXSW elevated the content even more. Each member of the cast and crew that spoke somehow elevated off of the last. There was no denying the passion that each man put into this project. Their experience with the program and individual success stories add something to the film. Over the last decade, filmmakers like Sean Baker and Chloé Zhao have opted to use real people instead of professional actors in their stories, as this brings a level of authenticity to the performance. However, sometimes, that authenticity comes at a loss in performance quality. That is not the case for Kwedar's film, as this cast has experience acting, which is obvious given the subject. Sing Sing is a film that we need to discuss. Everyone involved delivers an incredible message with heart and passion. However, it's important to note that it is also really entertaining. The film got tons of laughs and probably just as many tears. It's an incredible experience all around. Sing Sing is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Vin Diesel said it best: Family. Love them or hate them, we ultimately need people. Fortunately, we aren't bound by blood to this idea. Writer and director Tracie Laymon, in her feature film debut, knocked this idea out of the park with Bob Trevino Likes It. The story is incredibly touching and clearly personal. The performances in the film only heighten the emotional journey it takes us on. It is crazy as there are moments that will make you laugh, only to make you cry later.
Barbie Ferreira plays Lily Trevino, the embodiment of a people-pleaser. Overly apologetic and unbelievably accommodating, Lily finds herself estranged from her selfish father (French Stewart). While searching through Facebook, she befriends a man with the same name as her father (John Leguizamo). The two had no idea just how much they needed each other. Ferreira continues to demonstrate why she is one of the best talents coming out of the hit show Euphoria. From her role in Unpregnant and now this movie, she deserves to be on the top of any audition list. She can literally do it all. There are several shots in this film where she looks down the barrel of the lens and conveys everything the audience needs to know about what she is going through. It's a look, a sniffle, a twitch of the eye, and Ferreira communicates all the exposition one needs. It truly is an incredibly vulnerable performance with every ounce of humanity one could imagine. Leguizamo is a favorite, and he rarely disappoints. It's been great to see him flex his range as he ages into more and more character parts. His performance here is also subtle and often quite charming. There is a scene where Lily takes Bob to play basketball, which is incredibly funny. The two have great chemistry and work off each other so well. The biggest surprise is Stewart, though. I don't mean to imply he doesn't do great work, but he is so strongly tied to his Third Rock from the Sun character that seeing him play this role was a bit jarring. He is a character that is so terrible, but he genuinely has no idea that he is. He isn't playing it as a villain but instead as the victim. This makes his behavior all the more upsetting because you want him to know how awful he is, and he just doesn't. Of all the subgenres in the drama category, found family always strikes a nerve in me. When it's well-developed and feels genuine, it resonates even more. This film did everything so perfectly. I had a blast watching it despite moments of sheer dread. Every tear shed felt earned, and I left with a smile on my wet face. Bob Trevino Likes It is a marvelous film. It's clearly a love letter to the idea of a chosen family and a beautiful tribute to the real-life man and relationship it's based on. There is no question that Laymon has a distinct voice in this film, and it leaves me excited to see what she does next. Bob Trevino Likes It is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs from March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk I Saw the TV Glow is the highly anticipated follow-up from Director Jane Schoenbrun after 2021’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Schoenbrun’s visual style is on full display in their follow-up using a more traditional camera set-up than the webcam display from World’s Fair. Bright colors highlight the drab suburbs the characters populate, and an element of the story allows Schoenbrun to create what essentially is an old CW TV show. All the pieces didn’t quite come together, but there is a lot to appreciate in their new film. Justice Smith plays Owen, who really just wants to watch his favorite TV show, The Pink Opaque. He was introduced to it as a young boy (this version of Owen is played by Ian Foreman) by a girl named Maddy (Bridgette Lundy-Paine), who is just two years older than him. Elements of the supernatural world of the TV show start to blend with his reality, making Owen start to question everything. Foreman does a pretty impressive version of Smith in his sequences. Smith has lowered the register of his voice a bit and speaks in a monotone throughout the film. Foreman captures this and makes you wonder if Schoenbrun just de-aged Smith for a moment, almost making the audience question their own reality. Smith has been an actor who walks the line between being very good and very bad in his performances. His choices for this film tend to lean towards the bad. However, it’s hard to tell if that’s just because of how much of a blank slate the character is. Owen does not seem to know who they are in any sense of the word. His whole personality is a show that he isn’t supposed to watch. His dad, apparently played by Fred Durst (making his second cinematic appearance at SXSW 2024), asks him passive-aggressively if that show is for girls. This distance the character feels is embedded in Smith’s performance, but it still doesn’t totally work. Lundy-Payne also gives a slightly muted performance with a similar monotone delivery. However, there is much more behind her eyes in the performance and a little more insight into her desire to break free of her home life. Her character, both in the story and the performance, has more interiority. In Maddy, there is a sense of agency that Owen lacks, which could be the reason Lundy-Payne’s performance feels better overall.
The real highlight of the film is Schoenbrun’s style. The production design and style have so many cool elements, especially when we see The Pink Opaque. It reminded me of a show called Ghost Writer from PBS, Supernatural, and Power Rangers, to name a few. Those elements of the film are grainy and purposefully cheesy, set in the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. Schoenbrun uses that ratio to good effect later in the movie in regard to how the narrative plays out. There is a lot to appreciate in I Saw The TV Glow. There is a clear allegory at the center of the story, and how the film explores it through the fantasy of the film is compelling. It is hard to be fully connected to the film primarily because of Owen; whether it is the performance or writing of the character is debatable. Still, there is no denying the high-caliber auteur filmmaker Schoenbrun is proving to be. I Saw the TV Glow is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4/5 Review by Jonathan Berk There are two big reasons to see Azrael: Samara Weaving and the visual effects. These two elements are undeniable. However, if you care about character motivation, story logic, or the rules of the world, Azrael will leave you wanting. It's frustrating to watch something that feels like style was chosen over substance time and time again. Some moments may wow the audience, but the next will leave you confused, frustrated, and unclear.
The apocalypse has happened, and years later, a cult of mute zealots captures Azrael (Samara Weaving) and her love. They appear to want to sacrifice her to something, but it's unclear exactly what. The ritual is performed, and a crispy-looking creature shambles towards her. She breaks free and pushes a zealot into the creature to escape. This sets the two forces on each other as she seeks to save her love, and they seek to kill her. The creatures in this film are the prime example of the lack of clear rules. Ignoring the issues of classification (is it a zombie, demon, monster, or something else entirely?), how they operate is completely unclear. It is shown that they are attracted to the scent of human blood. However, the first time we see this is when they slice Azrael's leg open with a razor to lure it to her. One arrives and moves with no real sense of urgency. Yet, later on, the creatures run towards her. They appear insatiable, but for the movie's sake, they pretend to leave in one moment only to pounce seconds later. While the "scare" effect is evident in moments like that, it undercuts any sense of world-building. These issues are not exclusive to the monsters. There is almost no dialogue because the majority of the characters are mute. Yet, multiple times, they seem unable to hear for the plot's sake. A creature basically tap dances its way toward a character who doesn't hear anything until it's almost too late. Don't worry, though; this creature appears to lose interest for no reason shown in the movie. So many moments like this are stitched together as part of the tapestry of the story, only to be undone later. After Azrael's initial escape, she stumbles upon a river. The movie then cuts to a camera shot that pushes through a waterfall up to Azrael in this very cool-looking moment. It feels like a POV of something approaching her, but then it cuts to the other shot, and she's just in the river. The shot looks cool but offers nothing. That's a great metaphor for this movie. All of the stuff seems cool, but ultimately, it amounts to nothing. Azrael is probably a little better than I am willing to give it credit for. The thing is, if you are creating the world of the film, you get to control the rules. So, if you want something to be a certain way, you can write it like that. However, if you want to keep your audience on the same wavelength, consistency in those rules usually helps. Azrael is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Kryptic tries to tell a weird and twisted story in the vein of a David Lynch film. However, just having a collection of weird things in a world that constantly changes for no apparent reason doesn’t make it Lynchian. Director Kourtney Roy’s film has many issues, and no amount of Croenenberg-style goop can salvage it.
The film starts with a group of women meeting to walk a trail in the Kryptic mountains. Over the course of a guided hike, Kay Hall (Chloe Pirrie) goes missing. She soon returns and everyone is mad because it ends the tour abruptly. Her temporary disappearance started as she was fixated on a location where another woman had previously gone missing while searching for a mythical creature. It becomes apparent, however, that this may not be Kay Hall at all. Pirrie is really good in this movie and appears to be game to do whatever Roy has in store for her. In that opening sequence, “mucus” excretes from her ears and pours down the side of her face. That’s just the beginning of the fluids appearing in large quantities in the film. Pirrie’s character shifts and changes multiple times, as does the story. Pirrie’s handling of the changes in her character is impressive, but that is not the case for the story. There are many scenes strung together that are actually just boring. Pirrie’s character has drinks with a woman, who then vanishes from the film. She leaves that location and goes to another further down the road. Then, she has drinks with a woman who then vanishes. This is repeated two more times, with basically nothing happening of any interest in these scenes. The conversations slightly allude to an idea of a theme, but it’s never really developed outside of these moments. That rings true time and time again. What is the deal with the creature? Who is our main character, really? Why does that guy have an ascot? Audience members will likely be baffled and probably frustrated by any attempt to answer the many questions the movie poses. There are definitely films that aren’t concerned with cohesive or causal storytelling. Those films can work or may offer some other reason to keep the audience engaged and watching. That just isn’t the case here. Kryptic tries many things and doesn’t do any of them well. It’s a disservice to the lead actress, who does give it her all. Her performance is the one thing that audiences will likely enjoy. The first twenty minutes or so are interesting. The film definitely thinks it is clever, especially what it decides to offer as the ending, but it’s just not. If you want unique or weird horror, check out David Lynch’s Eraserhead or Quentin Dupieux's Mandibles. Kryptic is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which is running from March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 1.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Documentary biographies can be pumped out pretty quickly in a paint-by-numbers fashion. Those can be entertaining and informative, even if they aren't looking to do anything new. Despite the possibility of those working, it's far more common for them to feel like a slog, as the filmmaker opts to deliver a checklist of accomplishments while never really delivering a sense of who that person's personality is. Fortunately, directors Julia Greenberg and Dianna Dilworth found a unique way to deliver their documentary, Dory Previn: On My Way to Where, providing what feels like true insight into the film's subject.
Combining archival footage, journals, animation, and just a few talking head interviews with tons of music and interesting sound design, the documentary gets to the heart of who Dory Previn was. As a singer and songwriter, Dory notoriously didn't shy away from exactly who she was, but the documentary provides incredible access via her journals to explore this idea even more. It seems her diary would appear on screen- sometimes stylized, often with animated doodles - and a voiceover actress would read the words that offered insight into various moments of Dory's life. By the end of the film, the audience is left feeling like they've been in a 70-minute conversation with the woman herself. Audiences can go into this documentary without knowledge of the subject and walk out feeling like they've known Dory all their lives. This isn't a comprehensive list of everything she did, which would feel impersonal. You probably don't know your best friend's full resume unless you have experienced it with them. Instead, you just know them, what kinds of choices they would make, and probably the rationale behind them. That's what this film manages to accomplish. It's not attempting to give you the full picture of her actions but rather why she did them. This feels far more important and will likely make the film linger in your mind for days, much like after the parting from a loved one; that feeling of absence lingers. The technical aspects of this documentary are also quite impressive. People often don't think of documentaries as a genre that allows for much creativity. Many, especially in the last several years, have pushed back against this idea. Film is a visual medium, despite the genre being displayed. As mentioned, the film's use of animation and text is impactful. They reduce the distraction and force us to focus on the words being said. The journals were primarily Dory's conversation with Mama, Max, and a lion. The context behind those three figures and their animated counterparts is further explained in the film. You'll not forget this stylistic choice. Dory Previn: On My Way to Where is a documentary that refuses to be forgotten. It's not loud or bombastic, but it is inviting and confident. The filmmakers are aware of what they have available, and they've found a great way to share it with the world. Much like the musical biopic has come under an abundance of critical disdain, a biographic documentary often brings a similar hesitation. However, this is NOT just another one. Dory Previn: On My Way to Where is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Dev Patel doesn't need to be James Bond because he is Monkey Man. The actor's directorial debut wears its influences on its sleeves in the best way imaginable. Fans of the action genre and martial arts films spanning back the last fifty years will see homage to many classics in Patel's new film. While he has been a star for almost twenty years since breaking out in Slumdog Millionaire, he shines just as bright behind the camera. There is room to adjust the pacing, but once the film is in the third act, it becomes undeniable. Patel plays Kid, an anonymous young man making a living in any way he can. Driven by a trauma from his past, Kid is working to infiltrate the corrupt rulers of the city. He is stymied at every turn until something inside snaps and turns his scarred hands into weapons of retribution. The influence of classic action cinema on Monkey Man is apparent. Audiences can catch a fair number of Bruce Lee movie references in some of the later fight sequences. For example, there is a clear nod to Enter the Dragon, and the general structure of the plot leans on Game of Death in some obvious ways. An incredible sequence with an axe and a shot later feels in Oldboy's vein. The John Wick comparisons will be there because of some of the cinematography and action style. Plenty of other references can be found, but they all add up to Patel's clear vision. Patel and his crew find some very innovative ways to use the camera. There will be shots in Kid's POV that cut on impact to a wide shot. The camera goes into or behind objects that then get used as a moment of impact. The earlier fights feature a lot more cutting from one shot to another, and the later fight goes with extended takes and much wider framing. All of these choices help to give a kinetic touch to the story. Anyone questioning if Patel was up to the task of directing will get their answer: a resounding YES.
Patel has done some action movies in recent years with Hotel Mumbai and The Wedding Guest, but those now seem like his real-life training montage. He showcases his charm, fighting ability, and muscles throughout the film. He has always been incredible at emoting, and that is no different here. The story has plenty of emotion, and Patel delivers so much on that front. When he lands punches, you can't help but cheer because there is righteous fury behind them. Monkey Man was an exhilarating experience. It is clear from both the film itself and the amount of talking Patel did at SXSW that this was a major passion project. There is so much love in the story and some crafty filmmaking. Some very cool production design elements only heighten the overall style. Monkey Man premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk It's 1999, and just a few short hours before the start of a New Year's Eve celebration to end all celebrations. That's not just a trite expression, as many people living in that moment feared the end of the world was upon us. Fortunately, the nu-metal was live on MTV that night, and all of us were ready to eat our bizkits as we left the '90s behind and entered the new millennium. Kyle Mooney chose to make his feature film directorial debut, Y2K, in a hypothetical version of that night asking the question, "What if the machines had revolted?"
Initially, the movie begins with Jaeden Martell (It and Knives Out) and his best friend, played by Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2 and Hunt for the Wilderpeople), deciding that this New Year's Eve would be the night they shed the shackles of nerdom and finally get laid. It's a familiar story structure that Mooney knows his audience will recognize. He utilizes that familiarity with films like Superbad or American Pie as a shorthand because that is where the story starts. Once the guys get to the party, the formula escalates to the point of midnight, and the Y2K bug actually strikes. It's here that the movie truly picks up, and the horror comedy that follows makes it a blast. Consider that the first part of the film at the climb up the rollercoaster — a fun musical interlude of a classic '90s song is the precipice — and the drop is the result of the bug. Much like a rollercoaster rider, you'll either be arms up, screaming with sheer joy, or unhappy that you chose to get on. Fortunately, I was in for the ride. The cast also includes Rachel Zegler (West Side Story and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), Mason Gooding (Scream and Scream VI), Lachlan Watson (The Unheard and The Kiss List), and Daniel Zolghadri (Ready Player One and Eighth Grade), to name a few. Once the ride gets going, these actors comprise the main group. Each represents a '90s archetype that will again mash that nostalgia button. Unlike many other content that uses nostalgia to help win over its audience, Mooney's film satirizes it. Sure, he is still using it to leverage the audience, but he's poking fun at both the '90s of it all and the blatant use of nostalgia in media. The self-awareness of the references only helps to make them more fun, as we laugh with it and at it simultaneously. It is easily one of the film's biggest triumphs. Y2K is a funny trip back to 1999 that explores the "what if" scenario so many people thought was the impending reality. Despite being over twenty years ago, it's odd how much of the fear still feels relevant. Maybe we didn't escape when the clock struck midnight, and the electronics were just playing the long game. After all, you only assume AI didn't write this. Y2K is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Jonathan Berk Director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes's film My Dead Friend Zoe manages to tell a story about PTSD that is funnier than it is sad without diminishing the seriousness of the topic. The relationship between the lead characters serves as both the story's center and its comedic tone. Hausmann-Stokes manages to bring awareness to a topic that hits close to home in a way that audiences can engage with on very relatable human terms.
Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) has served eight years in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2016. While there, she becomes best friends with Zoe (Natalie Morales). Now, back home, she is under court order to go to weekly group sessions to deal with PTSD, but Zoe just won't take it seriously — even though she is dead. It's not Zoe's ghost that haunts Merit, but rather a lively manifestation of her guilt. If the story only revolved around Morales and Martin-Green's relationship and past — which it cuts between the two in Afghanistan and modern-day memory form — the film would still be impactful, though tighter. Ed Harris plays Merit's grandfather, who is also an Army vet experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer's. There are parallels to be made, but it becomes one of three additional storylines… one involving Morgan Freeman and another Utkarsh Ambudkar, who are both good. However, Merit is ultimately at the center of these, which results in elements of the story feeling underdeveloped. Morales is the comedic mastermind in the film. She gets to be witty and sarcastic frequently for just us and Merit. It's a very natural comedic performance reminiscent of the banter best friends would have. Martin-Green has to carry the subject's weight and is more than up for the task. Her performance requires far more range, as her character juggles too much internally; however, she still feels obligated to project strength to anyone she interacts with. Both performances are a true triumph, and they make the movie work. Hausmann-Stokes is working in a genre that has many films. Movies about soldiers and their life after service are common. A personal touch really helps this film stand out amongst the others in the genre. It's unique enough while still feeling familiar, and that mix helps make it such an impressive debut. Based on a quote from the director in a Variety interview, the subject matter attracted Travis Kelce to be an executive producer. My Dead Friend Zoe has a unique tone, genuinely likable and relatable characters, and a powerful message. Hausmann-Stokes demonstrates a knack for visual storytelling — especially for a feature film debut. It's a film that will leave audiences with damp cheeks widened by smiles. My Dead Friend Zoe is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3.5/5 |
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