Review by Sean Boelman
Grand Theft Hamlet is the type of documentary with an insane, bizarre concept that seemed destined to divide audiences: either a bold work of idiosyncratic creativity or a failed formal experiment. Luckily, Sam Crane and Penny Grylls’s film falls firmly into the former category — a documentary that uses its unorthodox approach in a thoroughly entertaining and unexpectedly moving way.
The documentary tells the story of two struggling actors who, during the COVID-19 lockdown, decided to band together a group of gamers to put on a production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet within the world of Grand Theft Auto Online. It’s a crazy idea, but they make an incredibly interesting movie out of it. The main draw of Grand Theft Hamlet is the shooting technique, as the entire film is told through gameplay in the video game Grand Theft Auto. Although one might expect this to be annoying — or at least gimmicky — Crane and Grylls manage to infuse enough diversity in the presentation to keep things consistently engaging. However, what audiences will walk away from Grand Theft Hamlet most impressed with is the level of development Crane and Grylls give the movie’s subjects. This story is wisely told predominantly from the perspective of Crane and his co-organizer, Mark Oosterveen, giving the audience an angle into the story; however, the rest of the troupe also gets their chances in the spotlight. Thematically, Grand Theft Hamlet’s message is incredibly clear from the beginning. It’s an ode to connection — through both art and online gaming — particularly in a time that was defined by separation. While one might think that the time has passed for COVID films, Grand Theft Hamlet feels timeless because of its broader implications. There’s an inherent humor to much of Grand Theft Hamlet. It’s quite funny to watch the subjects reciting Shakespeare while shooting at police in video games. There are also some really funny moments originating from obstacles that arose amid the production. Just as you’d laugh at the misfortunes of the behind-the-scenes of a production, you can laugh at their virtual hijinks. However, there are also some very poignant moments throughout the movie. At a few points, the members of the troupe discuss their personal lives in ways that add another layer of depth to the story. It would have been nice to see these take more of the focus rather than being relegated to subplots, but there is a strong emotional core to the film. Grand Theft Hamlet will hook audiences with its unique, strange premise and sense of humor, but they will be more impressed by how genuinely moved they are by the time the credits roll. Although this might not be the “future” of documentary filmmaking, Sam Crane and Penny Grylls’s approach is incredibly effective in this specific instance. Grand Theft Hamlet screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which ran March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Nicolas Cage is a mainstay in B movies, and more often than not, they’re at least enjoyable — even if they’re not particularly good. As far as Nic Cage movies go, Arcadian is somewhat frustrating. It only goes off the wall in the final act and a few scenes throughout the film. The film’s attempts to be serious are underwhelming, resulting in an experience that’s more boring than it should be.
Arcadian tells the story of a father and his two teenage sons fighting for survival in their remote farmhouse in the wake of an apocalypse that pits them against a dangerous threat nightly. As far as post-apocalyptic films go, Arcadian feels very non-descript and reminiscent of other, better films. The first two-thirds of Arcadian are simply dull. This is a generic coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world. Although a few scenes stand out — particularly when the film leans into its horror aspects — much of it feels like it is belabored to go through the motions of a genre with such a clearly established formula. In its final act, Arcadian is allowed to go off the walls in a way that would best be described as A Quiet Place, but with the gonzo sensibilities of a filmmaker like Sam Raimi. The creatures somehow manage to look generic but are incredibly memorable due to the bizarre capabilities and characteristics they are given. Granted, many of these don’t make sense within the context of the film, but they are enjoyable to look at nevertheless.
The film's character development is as generic as the world in which it is set. Although the introduction introduces some interesting character dynamics between the father and his sons, they are never explored. More emphasis is put on the sibling relationship, but it’s about as paint-by-numbers as they come.
Nicolas Cage’s performance here is far more restrained than what one might expect from a Cage B-movie. His performance is actually the film’s emotional grounding, much more akin to his work in something like Pig than his usual approach to horror. Jaeden Martell’s performance is satisfactory — he just isn’t given much to do. Maxwell Jenkins, the least recognizable of the three leads, is surprisingly the best of the bunch. He infuses his character with a unique personality, which the other two actors struggle to do. From a technical standpoint, Brewer’s film is a bit of a mixed bag. A few sequences are incredibly executed in a way that will make them go down as some of the greatest horror moments of the year. Other parts, particularly the world-building, feel visually bland and uninspired. There are enough strengths that it makes you wish there was more consistency. Arcadian has a few awesome moments, but the world and characters are too generic, and the pacing is too slow for it to make much of an impact. There’s a lot of potential here for this to be the next great monster movie, but it only rarely lives up to its promise. Arcadian screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Brothers Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’s last documentary, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, received so much acclaim that it established them as filmmakers to watch. Their first narrative film, Gasoline Rainbow, debuted at last year’s Venice Film Festival to a warm reception, and it’s understandable why — it’s a very solid entry into the canon of teen cinema.
The movie follows a group of teenagers who set out on a road trip on their last summer together before going their separate ways, hoping to find the “Party at the End of the World.” Although this is hardly the first entry in the “one last hurrah” genre of teen cinema, and it doesn’t reinvent the wheel narratively or thematically, the film feels so grounded that it stands out nonetheless. The Ross Brothers’ background in documentary filmmaking is incredibly evident in their fiction debut. The pacing is very meandering, with the characters drifting through the hour and fifty-minute runtime. However, the characters' interactions with one another and the people they encounter along their journey are often moving or amusing. As with many “vibes” movies, Gasoline Rainbow is strongest in its technical aspects. Part of what makes this such an impressive movie is that the Ross Brothers also did the cinematography and editing. The film has a genuinely independent, almost guerilla sensibility that few movies benefit from these days. For people in their 40s, the Ross Brothers have an uncanny understanding of the zeitgeist of American youth. Gasoline Rainbow is refreshingly free of the stereotypes often accompanying the coming-of-age genre. Each character feels lived in, with a personality that feels richly developed and authentic. A lot of credit for the film’s success is owed to the strong ensemble that the Ross Brothers assembled. For all five of the leads — Tony Aburto, Micah Bunch, Nichole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia, and Makai Garza — Gasoline Rainbow is their cinematic debut. This lends the characters a sense of naturalism, as they are actually teenagers, and the quintet successfully creates a compelling friendship dynamic. The movie offers some very poignant observations about the anxieties that today’s teenagers face. However, unlike many films featuring teenagers being “insightful,” the dialogue doesn’t feel annoying. The dialogue feels like things that teenagers would actually say, not forcing them to be profound beyond their years. Gasoline Rainbow won’t appeal to everyone due to its lackadaisical pacing and thin plot. Still, Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross have made an effective fiction debut, banking on their documentary experience to create a coming-of-age movie that feels unexpectedly and beautifully real. Gasoline Rainbow screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Although Benson & Moorhead have seemingly started to work mainly in the MCU, it’s nice to see that the duo has remained in touch with their indie sci-fi roots by supporting and producing films from promising new voices. Michael Felker, who has worked as an editor on Benson & Moorhead’s films since Spring, makes his feature debut with Things Will Be Different, a mysterious, gnarly, and satisfying thriller that demands discussion.
Set in the aftermath of a botched bank robbery, the film follows two estranged siblings who take refuge in a farmhouse with time-traveling capabilities, only to get stuck in a dangerous limbo. Felker’s script toes the line between simple and complex, expanding on its high-concept premise in ambitious and exciting ways. The pacing of the film is incredibly patient and deliberate. After an opening 15 minutes that are exhilarating, Things Will Be Different slows down for the rest of the first hour. As things slowly fall out of place, Felker builds to an off-the-wall conclusion that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Although the film’s certainly not empty, it’s also not the most provocative in a thematic sense. Felker absolutely deserves to be showered with praise for creating a sci-fi movie that’s refreshingly light on exposition and doesn’t feel the need to spell out everything the audience is supposed to think or feel. How much a viewer gets out of Things Will Be Different will depend on how willing they are to peel back the layers of the characters. On the surface, they seem like archetypal siblings — with all the usual infighting but a clear familial love for one another. However, the final act ties things together in a way that, while perhaps difficult to understand fully, is intriguing and will stick with you. The leading duo — Adam David Thompson and Riley Dandy — are great. They have excellent chemistry together and perfectly sell the sibling dynamic. Thompson, frankly, tends to get the juicier dialogue and gives the more impressive of the two performances as a result, but Dandy is an excellent complement to him. That being said, Felker’s debut is perhaps most impressive on a technical level for the sheer immersion he is able to pull off at such a small scale. With the exception of a few scenes, the film is mostly set in and around a farmhouse, and Felker does a great job of using the space to put viewers alongside the characters in a purgatory-like state between isolation and entrapment. The special effects are also phenomenal, creating a few utterly haunting images. Things Will Be Different is, understandably, cut from the same cloth as the films that Michael Felker worked on as an editor before trying his hand at directing. Thankfully, he captures this style incredibly well, delivering an entertaining and intriguing entry into this subgenre of indie sci-fi. Things Will Be Different is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Sometimes, the subject of a documentary film is just so incredible that their story could be told in any way, and the result would still be compelling. This is the case with Clemente, a sports biography that is sometimes held back by its adherence to the conventions of the genre but is consistently engaging nonetheless.
The movie tells the story of Roberto Clemente Sr., the Puerto Rican baseball player who revolutionized the sport both on and off the field. Altrogge does a good job of balancing the different aspects of Clemente’s life — his athletic career, personal life, and advocacy — to deliver an engaging, respectful, and meaningful portrait of the legend. Clemente falls victim to the cardinal sin of many biographical documentaries: meaningless interviews with celebrities for clout. The connection of some of the interviewees — like Michael Keaton (included as a Pittsburgh native and lifelong Pirates fan) and Rita Moreno (seemingly used because she’s another Puerto Rican trailblazer) — is tenuous, and their inclusion merely out of seeking clout. Instead of these interviews, Altrogge should have spent more time with Clemente’s son, Roberto Clemente Jr., or with the slew of modern-day Latino MLB players Clemente paved the way for in the game. Also more interesting were the fan stories of everyday people who had once-in-a-lifetime interactions with Clemente — revealing a side of Clemente that feels like we didn’t know. Still, Altrogge’s documentary makes a strong case for its existence in how well it engages with Clemente’s role in breaking the color barrier of baseball. Of course, we’ve heard the story dozens of times about how the legendary Jackie Robinson integrated baseball, but the story continues with Clemente almost a decade later. The documentary has the polished, highly-produced style of editing that many documentaries about iconic figures boast. It features a ton of great archive footage, crisply shot talking head interviews, and some animated graphics thrown in for good measure. Overall, the pacing is quite strong. A few of the quirks of this type of nonfiction filmmaking have started to grow old, though. For example, the first five minutes are essentially a sizzle reel teasing the rest of what we will see in the documentary. It’s frustrating that filmmakers can’t think of a more natural way to hook audiences. Although some of director David Altrogge’s filmmaking decisions in telling the story of Roberto Clemente Sr. are frustrating, Clemente is such an incredible athlete, person, and role model that it's hard not to get swept up in this documentary. That alone is enough to make Clemente worth watching for any baseball fan. Clemente is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Jessica Hausner’s latest film, Club Zero, debuted at the 2023 Cannes Festival to a polarized reception, but that’s nothing new for the Austrian filmmaker. This dark comedy is very edgy and designed to disgust, which will either leave viewers with a foul taste in their mouths or perplexed by what the movie has to offer.
The film follows a teacher who takes a job at an elite private school teaching a class for “healthy eating habits” before forming a close bond with some of her students who form unhealthy obsessions. If you think you know where this story is heading, you don’t, but the result isn’t as satisfying as one might hope. How successful Hausner’s latest movie is for viewers will depend on how much they vibe with the extremely dry sense of humor. Many moments go for broke and attempt to do something incredibly weird that will either win viewers over or utterly disgust them. If nothing else, it’s undeniably provocative. If you look at Club Zero for commentary on the surface in relation to its central theme of eating disorders, it’s incredibly shallow — maybe even offensive in its satire. However, the film is much more effective in condemning indoctrination. Hausner and co-writer Géraldine Bajard simply use this extreme example to illustrate the absurdity of the issue they actually want to satirize. Sure, the approach is clumsy, but it’s at least intriguing.
Where Hausner and Bajard’s script begins to fall apart is its characterization. The movie too frequently switches between the teacher's and her students' perspectives. Hausner and Bajard are attempting to strike a balance where the characters aren’t villainized, but their actions are shown to be wrong, and it doesn’t quite work.
Still, Mia Wasikowska’s performance in the lead role is astounding. She is funny, endearing, and a little off-putting — all at once. The character is complicated to a fault, and Wasikowska makes the most out of it. The kids that play her students are all solid, too, but none of them stands out above the rest. From a technical standpoint, Club Zero is fine, if not all that impressive. There is some interesting production design and costume work that makes good use of color, and the cinematography’s use of centered shots is effectively disquieting. However, much of the filmmaking feels obvious and in service of the satire, which can sometimes be frustrating. Club Zero has many elements that work well and quite a few more where you see their potential to be something great. The film, understandably, will not work for everyone, but for those willing to meet it on its confrontationally awkward level, it’s a mostly entertaining, somewhat thought-provoking experience. Club Zero hits theaters on March 15. Rating: 3/5
Review by Sean Boelman
For a filmmaker as young as Freddy Macdonald to show as much control behind the camera as he does in Sew Torn is frankly astounding. Although the thriller’s script follows some very familiar threads, its presentation is much more fun than it has any right to be.
Adapted from the short of the same name, Sew Torn follows a seamstress who gets entangled in an increasingly complex web after getting caught up in a drug deal gone wrong. The film then plays out the consequences of all three of her choices: committing the perfect crime, calling the police, or driving away and doing nothing. With movies that follow this type of multi-track storyline, it can be easy for it to feel repetitive and predictable. Although the predictability is an issue here, Freddy and Fred Macdonald’s script gives us plenty enough over-the-top antics for it to stay consistently entertaining and refreshing. It avoids feeling gimmicky, instead being an all-around entertaining crime thriller. From a technical standpoint, Sew Torn is pretty incredible. Multiple sequences in the film are crafted with an astounding level of production design and editing that plays out in an entertaining fashion. Considering that the film’s protagonist is a seamstress, it’s only natural that there is such a high level of attention to detail. Granted, the movie’s script is somewhat shallow. The film delivers some commentary on how our choices have consequences, but this fable’s moral is incredibly obvious from both the story and the expositional narration. Although some intriguing themes in the subtext are mostly related to the characters’ backstories, these are largely left unexplored. The characters themselves are pretty archetypal. The protagonist struggles to step out of her late mother’s shadow — a motivation that is about as generic as it comes. The father-son drug dealer duo has an equally telegraphed dynamic. A few of the supporting characters are comedically creative, but the premise and set pieces do much of the heavy lifting regarding the movie’s creativity. Still, every cast member gives it their all with fully committed performances. Eve Connolly starts very reserved, but as the character begins to show her wits, Connolly’s performance becomes unexpectedly commanding. Calum Worthy also gives a turn that shows a lot of range. However, the biggest highlight of the cast is John Lynch, who is wonderfully hammy as the villain. Sew Torn is an extremely fun crime thriller that, while a little shallow in its themes and predictable due to its structure, is satisfying in how it is presented. Despite its narrative shortcomings, Freddy Macdonald’s feature debut has plenty of ambition in the directorial department and heralds him as a talent to watch. Sew Torn is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
When a documentary filmmaker makes a movie about their own story, there are generally two ways it can go: an ego trip or something incredibly revealing and humanistic. Alison Tavel’s Resynator falls mostly into the latter category, telling its intimate story in a way that feels quite moving, even if you don’t have any personal connection to the material.
Resynator follows the filmmaker as she discovers a prototype synthesizer created by her dad, who died when she was an infant, sending her on a quest to form a connection with the father she never knew. Although this starts as a very music-focused documentary, as Tavel uncovers her father’s overlooked role in music history, it becomes much more. The parts of the movie discussing the history and technology of synthesizers are interesting — especially if you are a fan of music and sound. However, it arguably works better as a sort of “road movie” that Tavel is sharing with the memory of her father. It hits many of that genre's sentimental beats in an emotionally satisfying way. One of the most intriguing things about Resynator is how unafraid Tavel is to go into the complexities of her father’s story. At a certain point, the movie takes a very dark turn, and Tavel leans into it. She begins to ask difficult questions about not only her father’s legacy but also his life, being willing to interrogate her presuppositions.
This is an incredibly personal film, and with that comes the risk that the filmmaker will spend too much time talking about themself. Thankfully, Tovel manages to avoid this for the majority of the runtime. After a brief introduction in which she discusses her own creative ventures, Tovel keeps the movie primarily focused on her father and his invention.
The film's most interesting moments are those in which she speaks with her father’s peers and relatives, unearthing the story of what happened to the invention — and, eventually, her father. To lend a bit of a bigger profile to the project, Tovel interviews famous musicians about her father’s synthesizer, including Peter Gabriel, Gotye, Fred Armisen, Grace Potter, and more. While these interviews don’t say much of anything, they feel like a natural part of the research process. In addition to the interviews, Tovel incorporates archive materials and animated sequences. The animated sequences, created by Danny Madden (who was in the animation department on Everything Everywhere All at Once), are cool and lend the movie a nice bit of personality — although they are a bit scant in number. Resynator impresses thanks to filmmaker Alison Tavel’s willingness to explore the darker, more complex aspects of her father’s legacy. It’s a fascinating, emotional investigation that — while not particularly challenging for the viewer — allows Tavel to be introspective in a way that is engaging and surprisingly egoless. Resynator is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5 [SXSW 2024] BLACK BOX DIARIES -- Journalist Shiori Ito Shares an Incredibly Personal Journey3/10/2024
Review by Sean Boelman
Shiori Ito’s documentary Black Box Diaries debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received a great deal of buzz. With a unique and personal approach to difficult subject matter, the film and its creator should be praised for their bravery, even if the presentation occasionally underwhelms.
Black Box Diaries tells the story of journalist Shiori Ito, who set out on an investigation of her own assault in the hopes of getting her high-profile assailant prosecuted after the Japanese justice system fails her like it has so many women in her shoes. The movie serves as an expansion of her book, Black Box, by exploring the developments that have happened since publishing. The first two-thirds — primarily focusing on the initial incident and the process of sharing her story in the book — are incredibly harrowing. It is in the final thirty or so minutes, when the film enters the courtroom, that it starts to feel overly familiar. Although the anticlimactic nature of the courtroom battle could be intentional to frustrate the audience with its inefficiency, it could also cause some to check out. Part of the reason why the movie drags is that its presentation is somewhat dry. Much of the film is fly-on-the-wall footage of Ito in her investigation, writing her book, and participating in her court case. However, some scenes go a bit more abstract — like nature shots accompanied by narration from Ito — and the result simply isn’t cinematic enough. Ito does an exceptional job of exploring some aspects of this issue that aren’t often discussed, such as the complicity of bystanders and people who could have stopped the events from escalating. In her investigation, Ito interrogates people like the cab driver and doorman who did not listen to her pleas for help, leaving her vulnerable in ways she should not have been. That being said, Ito does not explore some of the political aspects of the story as well as one might hope. Some interesting questions are asked about the Japanese justice system and how it makes reporting a sexual assault and having a case prosecuted so difficult. However, when the movie starts to point its finger at those who are obstructing this justice, its condemnation feels frustratingly indecisive. While Ito’s desire to guide rather than tell the audience is noble, it prevents some of the political aspects from being as impactful. Still, as the title implies, Black Box Diaries is a tremendously personal film for Ito, and this emotion pulsates through every moment. The vulnerability and courage Ito shows not only by standing up for herself but also by documenting her story in film is nothing short of awe-inspiring. This is what makes the movie feel truly meaningful. Black Box Diaries is undeniably urgent, exposing legal and political injustices that plague Japanese society and the world at large. Although inconsistent pacing holds the film back from making quite as much of an impact as it should have, Shiori Ito should be applauded for telling her story in a way that pulls back the curtain on an important issue. Black Box Diaries is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Not to be confused with the book that inspired last year’s GameStop stock movie Dumb Money, the documentary The Antisocial Network is being billed as an “elaboration” on Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini’s Feels Good Man. However, this feels much more like a broadening than an elaboration, with an overly broad scope that prevents the film from being as impactful as it should be.
The movie explores the development and use of the website 4Chan, which started as a relatively harmless website for a particular niche of nerdom but soon evolved into something much more sinister. Although it seems that Jones and Angelini want to pull back the curtain on the notorious forum, they only succeed in asking questions that go unanswered. There is a fascinating thesis at the core of The Antisocial Network, but the argument is frustratingly timid and unfocused. Although the film asks some interesting questions about the toxicity of online culture and the use of technology to indoctrinate young people, this is the type of documentary that skirts by on “there are no easy answers” instead of interrogating the culpable institutions. Part of the issue with The Antisocial Network is the inherent anonymity of 4Chan. Feels Good Man worked so well because it gave the audience an incredibly compelling central subject to empathize with. This is missing from The Antisocial Network. The closest we get is Christopher Poole (aka moot), but he’s not the central subject of the story. Jones and Angelini also paint with much broader strokes here than in Feels Good Man. The alt-right movement that was born out of 4Chan is a much larger counterculture than that which appropriated Pepe the Frog as a hate symbol. Yet the filmmakers seem unwilling to assign any blame here. The central question seems to be whether the technology is responsible or simply the bad people who misuse it, and the movie feels shockingly soft on both. Worse yet, with a runtime of less than 90 minutes, there simply isn’t enough time to explore this topic in depth. There are enough angles to this story that a miniseries could easily be made about technology's role in the proliferation of dangerous ideology. Condensing every perspective into the length of a single feature causes it to feel like a cursory introduction to these ideas. Still, the presentation of the film is certainly sleek. The success of Feels Good Man allowed this project to garner Netflix's interest, and the result is more animation, a more energetic soundtrack, and more polish as a whole. It’s certainly very entertaining and engaging, even if it doesn’t go as in-depth as one would hope. Compared to the excellent Feels Good Man, The Antisocial Network is incredibly disappointing. Although it’s a well-made, mostly engaging watch, one can’t help but see the potential this had if it had explored its themes with more depth. If anything, it makes you want to seek out more thorough sources. The Antisocial Network is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3/5 |
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