Review by Joseph Fayed 19 years after its premiere, Beautiful City has received a 2K restoration from the approval of its Academy Award-winning director Asghar Farhadi. The sophomore drama from Farhadi pits family and the fatigue over facing justice against each other. The result feels a bit drawn out, but nonetheless a successful exploration of the pitfalls of emotional attachment. After killing his girlfriend at age 16, Akbar has spent the last two years in juvenile detention. Upon turning 18, he is transferred to an adult facility where he faces the death penalty for his crime. On the outside, A’la, Akbar’s former cellmate, and Akbar’s sister Firoozeh (Taraneh Alidoosi) team up to convince the father of his girlfriend for forgiveness, so that Akbar’s sentence can potentially be reduced to life in prison. The film remains consistent in its tone of lost souls trying to make sense of Akbar and his actions. Our three main characters each come across as stubborn, initially slowly unpacking what the loss of the past two years has meant to them. The added layer of the difficulties of the Iranian justice system makes it feel that the legal system itself is a pivotal character in the film too. Farhadi’s best work includes characters whose motivations aren’t black and white. This is prevalent in the narrative of Abolqasem, the victim’s father. How his future — and that of his immediate family — hangs in the balance is made clear from the start. With two opposing sides in the battle over Akbar’s sentence, establishing a key element to the father’s role early on shows the importance of developing the three leads when it is clear how they all feel about Akbar, our catalyst.
The 2K restoration is a nice touch to the film. Its new lens is an improvement from the original, especially in close shots of each character. The clearer restoration is nothing groundbreaking, but it feels more like a present-day Farhadi film with its cinematography than anything else. Beautiful City is not a sophomore slump from Asghar Farhadi. It says — and certainly acts — like forgiveness is an uphill battle to achieve for all of those involved. None of the three leads feel under-utilized, nor does the story soften its stance on the difficulties of the justice system. Frequent Farhadi collaborator Alidoosi gives a performance that makes it obvious why she later starred in two more of his films. Resilience is conveyed beautifully here, and while some of its themes speak for a whole society, the three lead performers and their director elevate this story. 19 years isn’t too long to wait to watch this for the first time, as it will help you understand how it influenced Farhadi’s later work, and why you should check that out too. Beautiful City is now available on VOD. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Joseph Fayed The late 2000s pop culture zeitgeist is nothing without the trials and tribulations of the Bling Ring. As the case or the key figures involved were all over the tabloids and becoming the next true crime sensations, Hollywood took note with Sofia Coppola's 2013 film The Bling Ring. But as the story went mainstream, Rachel Lee — the supposed mastermind behind all of this — never gave an interview. In The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring, Rachel shares her side of the story that so many others have tried to capitalize off of. The Bling Ring were a group of teenagers living in Calabasas, California, who from 2008 to 2009 robbed the homes of several high profile celebrities. Many of them met at the same alternative school, where they bonded over their obsession with wealth and fame. Using social media or TMZ to track the locations of their targets, the group stole over 3 million dollars worth of valuables from their victims. When they finally got caught, they began to turn on each other. Rachel Lee was widely reported to be the mastermind behind it all — something she tries to dispute in this documentary, along with explaining how her life came to be what it was. The documentary is well-shot from a cinematography standpoint. It does fall into the classic documentary trope of using an absurd amount of archive news footage every other minute. To an extent, it's understandable, given how media narratives played a role in ensuring the legacy of this case, but every talking head who pointed this out was followed by said footage. Rachel Lee is interviewed in a way that explains the timeline of the events formally. Her answers to the questions asked of her are similar to those of other Bling Ring participants. The most surprising revelations actually came from her father David, who is also interviewed for the first time. His guilt and shame was buried deep for so long, so hearing him question whether his own daughter has really changed for the better is intriguing, since his arrest was the most emotional part by far. The conversation of attaining wealth and the lengths to which people will go to achieve fame is the primary focus here. Insecurity runs rampant within these circles, and that is how Rachel attributes her role within the Bling Ring. Fame was in their backyard, and they had the means to obtain it in an unorthodox way. At least, that is according to the critics or legal experts involved with the case. Rachel herself partly attributes her actions to the use of Xanax and similar drugs, something her fellow Bling Ring member Alexis Neiers has alluded to in the past. I don't think this is the most responsible take coming from a reformed burglar, and I wish it had been challenged more by those who prosecuted them and Rachel's own father.
Rachel and the rest of the Bling Ring didn't have the most traumatic childhoods, and thankfully this documentary doesn't try to milk that. Their teenage development and lack of understanding of how their actions can affect others are milked, though. It is up to the viewer if you feel sorry for Rachel. Since then, she's stayed out of trouble, but ultimately, it gives a voice to someone who was present for so many of these burglaries that fascinated Hollywood. Celebrity culture will forever be engaging for many, and that included the members of the Bling Ring. Rachel was still a key player in that based on the evidence presented — whether or not she was the mastermind behind it all. The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring debuts on HBO and Max at 9pm ET/PT on October 1. Rating: 4/5
Review by Joseph Fayed
The ultra wealthy tend to be portrayed out-of-touch individuals who don't understand life outside their own circle of the elite. The Origin of Evil has the same type of family, with the addition of an outsider in the form of an estranged family member. Tensions flare as the French drama directed by Sébastien Marnier leaves you questioning the motives of everyone during this abrupt family reunion.
Stéphane (Laure Calamy) is financially struggling. She is working a dead-end factory job and her lover is incarcerated. She reaches out to her estranged father to get to know the family she never had. No one is quick to embrace her into their mold as the family and Stéphane begin to wonder if she is truly one of them. Deplorable behavior is what draws the family together. The cast proved that with their performances to various degrees. Many of our characters are either enablers or abusive themselves so we are spared from having any sort of forced empathy try to overshadow their lifestyle. Our helpless protagonist Stéphane is the one hiding in plain sight, Calamy has a reserved approach to her character. Later scenes utilize her talent to expose the anxiety she has brought upon herself. But the script manages to do all of this without drawing too much pity for Stéphane, a smart choice as she tries to become what she never had.
The film intertwines elements of Knives Out and The Talented Mr. Ripley for the characterizations of its ensemble. Lavish wealth and having a safety net so secure they don't think twice about their actions remind you of the former. Meanwhile, Stéphane feels as if she is living in a facade and must lie her way out of like Tom Ripley always did. These films also deal with wealth management and what power over it does to individuals, as no one has a change of heart until their lifestyle has changed. That message is rooted in money, which consistently is the driving factor behind every decision made on screen in this film. The consequences seem far-fetched, and every character is guilty of embracing that mentality.
The Origin of Evil is more than just a blanket statement about generational wealth. Greed is embraced within this film as insecurity is an unknown concept to our characters. The flashy lifestyle on screen isn't what makes a family dysfunctional. Rather, it's the betrayal of each other every chance they have. Nothing is over the top ridiculous outside of a few set pieces and the score ripping off more classic mystery thrillers. Cinematography choices by Romain Carcanade were wise in certain scenes that framed a split screen to showcase everyone's own desires to fulfill their life. Ultimately, Marnier's thriller is a great example of wealth that does not cover how an empire was built, but how fragile it truly can be. The Origin of Evil arrives in theaters on September 22. Rating: 4/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Queer cinema doesn't have many mystery comedies under its belt. So, when director Sebastián Silva announced his latest film Rotting in the Sun, I was excited to discover how his take would heavily feature elements of satire. There are loads of laughs in its first half but falls short of living up to the same standards of parody in its second act. Sebastián (playing a fictionalized version of himself) is in a career slump. He becomes suicidal and to take his mind off everything he goes on a beach getaway. While there, he meets Jordan Firstman (also playing a fictionalized version of himself) and the two agree to collaborate on a screenplay. Soon after, Sebastian goes missing and Jordan begins to wonder if the cleaning lady (Catalina Saavedra) in Sebastián's building in Mexico City is involved. The tone of the film remains consistent throughout. Its dry sense of humor is always present, never backing out from the film with plenty of uncomfortable moments. Meta in nature, its humor knows exactly what audience it is trying to appeal to. Jordan, best known for his social media impressions, plays the role of the chronically online influencer very well, understanding what exactly it entails. Sex and sexual innuendos are all over the place, as Jordan and Sebastián's characters are mostly rooted in hyper-sexualized behavior. That behavior consumes them like the number of penises that consume the screen during the beach getaway scenes. None of the characters and their actions will be widely accepted as redeemable. Based on that alone, the film could have leaned into developing more toxic personalities for the main three characters. None of them had to serve as the catalyst when mischief is a plot device. Vero fades in and out of having a conscience over Sebastián's disappearance, when the film never allows itself to have a complex narrative to justify a range of emotions. Jordan's storyline is about nothing more than personal gain from Sebastián, so with him seemingly out of the picture he has nothing else to embrace. It ultimately felt that two key characters forgot they were supposed to be in the satire the first hour set up.
Rotting in the Sun, well, rots in the sun for a bit too long. Its meta commentary will bring laughs to the table as do the lead performances, even if they become a bit tiresome by the end. Sebastián Silva directs a satire that where everyone behaves badly, it really does not need more substance than that. At the end of the day, there are 32 penises on screen throughout this film so if that pleases you more than anything, ignore my critiques and get yourself a Mubi subscription if you haven't already. Rotting in the Sun will release in theaters on September 8, and will stream exclusively on Mubi starting September 15. Rating: 3/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank has a body of work that could be considered underwhelming given all the acclaim she has received throughout her career. The Good Mother is her latest film, a thriller that not only flatlines story-wise, but also fails to utilize Swank in the capacity of her role. Her acting skills are held back by an unimpressive script and direction by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte. Journalist Marissa Bennings (Swank) learns her estranged son has been murdered. To find out who killed her son, she must work with his pregnant girlfriend Paige (Olivia Cooke). As they enter a world surrounded by crime, they discover what they knew about their loved one only touched the surface. None of the characters, including our protagonist Marissa, are well-rounded. This is largely due to a sequence of events involving flat characters that ultimately lead to nothing. Marissa herself has a history with Paige that isn't established beyond their initial physical confrontation. Marissa also has an investigative journalistic career that doesn't become a crucial plot device. Many thrillers have taken the same character arc of a journalist trying to stop seedy drug underbelly in their town. However, since Marissa spends so little time prying others for information and searching for clues, her being a journalist feels underdeveloped. Our titular mother goes through the motions many parents with estranged children go through — deny everything they might have done wrong and blame others. Naturally, this is supposed to cause a conflict of interest given that her son was murdered for his part in the drug trade. That being said, there's little dedication to understanding Marissa's conflicting feelings about her son. A rare moment that serves as the exception to this takes place at a recovery meeting Marissa attend with Paige. Marissa hears another woman open up about loss, but her words of wisdom get sidetracked to go after one of the more obvious suspects in murder mystery thriller history. Marissa doesn't even get to have a moment of reflection once the dust has finally been settled, making it puzzling to see a journalist act as if a resolution to her son's murder can be brushed off.
The Good Mother isn't very good. Hilary Swank seemed bored in every scene and it's hard to blame her for looking that way. Weak film cliches on the drug trade and how it affects a family took over a script that has nothing interesting to say. Even the lead actors couldn't seem to emote at any of their losses into pain or the single twist into shock. I'm afraid Hilary Swank has been stuck in her flop era for a while, and perhaps she needs to work with better writer and directors if she wants a shot at a third Academy Award someday. The Good Mother hits theaters on September 1. Rating: 1/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Ellie Foumbi's directorial debut Our Father, The Devil will make you feel uneasy. The psychological thriller asks if trauma and redemption can both be possible. The answer is explored through emotionally charged performances that acknowledge how difficult it is to move on from our past. Marie is a chef at a retirement home in a quiet French village. Her life is going well. Her friendships are stronger than ever, she is given a remote cabin by a resident of the retirement home, and she is being pursued romantically. All of that is upended when she recognizes the new priest at the retirement home, Father Patrick. Marie is reminded of a brutal chapter of her life she has not told anyone else about, and to not disrupt her new life, Marie must figure out what to do with Father Patrick. Babetida Sadjo, who plays Marie, nails the personality traits of one experiencing trauma in phases. Trauma does not have a particular time span, but the events that unfold with Father Patrick trigger a sense of discomfort and dread back into her life. Her slow withdrawal from her everyday life and the guard she has put up are acted brilliantly by Sadjo. The rare cathartic release we see from her is devastating, especially after her chilling performance dominates most of the film. The film is well-paced, since little time is devoted to setting up what Marie will do to Father Patrick. Her choice of action is revealed quite early in the film, and from there we learn fragments about her past. Through this, we learn more about Father Patrick and the lines between who is the victim and perpetrator. The story also tries to establish a redemption arc between Marie and Father Patrick. With its complex narrative, what the film gets right is that nobody — particularly Marie — walks away unscathed. The bleak ending matches the tone of the entire film.
Our Father, The Devil has Michael Haneke undertones throughout it. The trauma on screen not only makes you wonder how the characters impacted will rethink their lives, but also asks what if it's not worth it. This is not your typical revenge tale per sé — it is also a story of fulfilling a personal redemption arc. Both are executed well and show a promising directing future for Elle Foumbi. Trauma doesn't just erupt inside of us overnight; it spills over to our daily routine. Pain is inflicted throughout. This is an unsettling watch, but one I would recommend if you wondered how can someone forgive themselves for the worst thing they ever did to another human being. Our Father, The Devil is now playing in theaters. Rating: 5/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Thrillers that involve deception through their main character don't often have that character be multi-layered enough to understand the depravity of their actions. Madeline Collins has Virginie Efira in a predicament, where she proves she is good at being bad. This Hitchcock style thriller directed by Antonie Barraud effectively lets you piece the puzzle together, while slowly taking you through the motions of a lie being uncovered. Judith has two picture perfect lives. In one, she lives in Switzerland with Abdel, where they raise their young daughter. In the second, she lives in France with Melvil and two older sons. Her weekly routine of going back and forth between these two lives begins to unravel, and soon she realizes that to preserve one of these lives, she must sacrifice everything she has come to love. The biggest distinction this film has is how the character of Judith is almost identical in her two lives. She shares similar traits in each lifestyle, despite living a facade. The truth of Judith is acknowledging that she is living a lie, but this also paints the picture that certain people around her are active participants in her far-fetched life. Judith is inherently messy this way because she fears losing half of what she has, but neglects to think of her other family. She is narcissistic, and the more she talks, the more Judith exposes her true self. I thought the decision to have her gradual breakdown caused by her longstanding actions was well done. It really rings true to how actual narcissists are uncovered. Virginie Efira is a force to be reckoned with. She carries the film with her performance, and while playing a narcissist from a clinical perspective must be daunting, she acts brilliantly when she's expected to maintain composure and when she's not. Efira bases her character around the sense of liberation from either of her lives. She acts nearly the same when she's with both families, but she is grounded in not accepting the boundaries of the men she's with. From one scene to the next, Judith is living quite a comfortable life, but she only feels free when she travels from one life to the next. Her painless re-entry into her other life is well acted throughout the film by Efira too.
Madeline Collins simply put is a story of how you can only hide your morals for so long until they catch up to you. With a brilliant performance at its center, you'll be enthralled by the double life of Judith and taken aback by her every move. I suppose we have a French Amy Dunne equivalent now. Madeleine Collins is now playing in theaters. Rating: 4/5 Review by Joseph Fayed Characters breaking free from the normalcy that plagues them serves as a basis for most indie road trip dramas that earn rave reviews at film festivals these days. Between the beautiful scenery lies an interesting character study. The Unknown Country draws you in through the former, but leaves you disappointed in how the latter was overlooked. The film follows Tana (Lily Gladstone) is invited to her cousin's wedding. After reconnecting with her family, Tana decides the best way to honor her late grandmother's legacy is to continue traveling and retrace her grandmother's steps. Along the way, she meets a variety of people from different walks of life who define her journey. A filmmaking technique that worked well in the films favor was the hybrid style narrative approach featuring non-professional actors in supporting roles. They are the backdrop of this film. Every time Tana departs somewhere, we learn their backstory. These moments serve their purpose in explaining their lives in the actual small towns parts of the film were shot in. The catalyst of this film is supposed to be Tana's grandmother's death, but her unorthodox journey takes its focus away from that. The shift in highlighting the people Tana meets along the way gives much more to anticipate than a single course of action like honoring her grandmother. Lily Gladstone is a bright light with her performance. Her desire to connect with others or reconnect with her family through times of isolation is what elevates her performance. While I appreciate this, there are definitely parts of the film that needed more of her character. The glimpses of humanity we see from this cast are just glimpses. The lack of dialogue Gladstone has in these scenes is upsetting because her on screen presence indicates she wants to engage more with who she encounters, but she instead becomes secondary to them, mainly listening to what they have to say, but rarely chiming in. Each supporting cast member is given their own monologue, so Tana's reduced dialogue seems counterproductive here.
The Unknown Country is part of the new wave of minimalist cinema. These types of films often explore a region overlooked by mainstream media, unless a tragedy of some sort happens. Like every place in the world, there are moments that remind us that the core of humanity still exists. Tana's road trip may not be particularly exciting to watch, but there is interest that makes up for it in the stories the characters she meets have to tell. There's no Frances McDormand using a bucket as a toilet, like in Nomadland, but what those two films do have in common is showing you how to approach living in the moment when what tomorrow holds is uncertain. The Unknown Country is now playing in theaters. Rating: 3/5 Review by Joseph Fayed One of my greatest fears is being trapped in quicksand. Another one of my fears is being trapped there with my soon to be ex. My biggest fear, though, would be if someone made a painfully boring film based on these fears, as is the case with Quicksand. The film follows Sofia and Josh, who are on the brink of divorce, as they travel to Colombia for a work conference. While on a hike through the rainforest, a storm causes them to become trapped in a pit of quicksand. Unable to move, it becomes a struggle for survival as they battle the elements of the jungle to escape. Their struggles — marital or caused by the quicksand — are simply underdeveloped. Suffering from unimaginable pain is not a plot device, but that is what we see for 85 minutes. This type of suffering exists to carry the film from one scene to the next. One particular example includes an invasive species that early on causes a severe injury to Sofia. In an effort to save Sofia, Josh unintentionally reveals a secret he had been keeping. There are hints at the secret previously, nor mention of it later. If it were better explained, this secret could provide a better look at why this couple is deciding to divorce. The physical threats Sofia and Josh face are nothing that hasn't been seen in a survival thriller before. It is frustrating that the characters' strengths don't present them with a new challenge. Their backgrounds as doctors reduce the stress and intensity that we normally associate with fighting for survival. The two of them have the knowledge to survive their surroundings, and despite their panic, crisis is averted. The cast does a good job acting fearful, but even watching them go full panic mode won't grasp your interest. Certain themes the film could have played into, such as isolation and regret, were largely ignored in favor of pain and suffering, which didn't intensify the plot at all.
Quicksand tells a sequence of events in a fight for survival. However, someone who has watched anything related to being lost in the woods could tell exactly what that sequence of events was going to be. Calling this a thriller, as any twists and turns it has to offer must have gotten lost in the Colombian rainforest. Two uninteresting protagonists bury the film deeper than this repetitive plot does. If the biggest takeaway is that Sofia and Josh always had each other, then I wonder how we got here. I didn't even shudder once while watching this Shudder original, how disappointing. Quicksand is now streaming on Shudder. Rating: 1/5 Review by Joseph Fayed I'll Show You Mine is a unique take on rehashing familial trauma and our relationships with family. Under the helm of Director Megan Griffiths and produced by the Duplass Brothers, is a film that, while worthy of praise for its honesty for discussing these topics openly, makes some confusing creative decisions that tamper with the film's integrity. The plot follows Nic, a former male model and current "porn cartoonist," as he meets with his Aunt Priya to discuss her latest novel about Nic's former modeling career. The conversation takes unexpected turns, and the two discover secrets about each other in their conversation, which range from sex to infidelity and the boundaries surrounding them. We see the brightest red flag immediately upon learning these two characters are aunt and nephew. While their relationship is written to lay the groundwork for their years-long appreciation for each other, in spite of how the rest of the family treats them. Nic and Priya are supposed to have a deep admiration considering the abuse both have suffered, but that curtails into kink fantasies real fast. Their relationship, even if it is by marriage, makes these cringeworthy remarks uncomfortable to hear. The film is confined to one setting, and its only characters are Nic and Priya. This intimate play-like atmosphere removes all third party distractions. Stripped from everything else, the two leads build off of such awkward tension quite well. I wouldn't consider their performances to be poor acting, with the perplex range of emotion their characters feel. Both disappear in their roles, and neither the pansexual ex-model nor feminist author feels like they aren't rubbing off each other.
Nic and his character's agency are the most troubling plot element that's left with a rapid conclusion. Nic's revelations about his abuse and the exploitation he felt during his modeling career are underdeveloped. Towards the end of his meeting with Priya, we learn the real reason he quit modeling. The film skips around his pansexuality and reclaiming himself on his own terms and his hypersexual nature. None of these get the focus they deserve, yet Priya only has one element of her past focused on, and it's focused on heavily from the start. Nic's character development is meant to be a work in progress, but his third act reveal feels like it was done purely for shock. I'll Show You Mine tries too much to say nothing at all. Intercut with animated title cards, it does nothing to elevate this story about an aunt and nephew from scattered ideas about sexual liberation in light of trauma. Unless you're Sam Levinson, I doubt you will be enticed by that. I'll Show You Mine is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 2/5 |
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