Review by Sean Boelman
With her past work, Crystal Moselle has shown a knack for discovering extraordinary voices. First, she found the boys of The Wolfpack; then, the girls of Skate Kitchen; now, she has discovered Derrick B. Harden, with whom she co-directed The Black Sea. A funny, subtly sharp satire, The Black Sea is a film that can be hard to wrap your head around but is incredibly ambitious and undeniably intriguing.
Based on Harden’s experiences traveling in Bulgaria, the movie is about a Black man stranded as the only person of color in a small town with no way to get back home. Although the story starts somewhat familiar, the level of lived-in authenticity that Harden brings to the film allows it to remain refreshing. The movie takes a very documentary-like approach, which seems to be where Moselle’s background comes in. Even her narrative work (Skate Kitchen, Betty) has a clear verisimilitude. There’s no denying how gorgeous The Black Sea is, though, with cinematographer Jackson Hunt excellently capturing the Bulgarian setting in a consistently picturesque, often poetic way. The Black Sea is certainly relaxed in its pacing, but viewers would be unwise to confuse that patience with lethargy. Harden and Moselle know precisely what they are building towards, and it’s a conclusion that pays off in unexpected ways. However, the filmmakers effectively keep the audience engaged — even through some of the moments that are lighter in conflict — with an odd sense of humor that almost creates a facade over the sinister undercurrents. It’s surprising how subtly the movie manages to work in its commentary. There’s a lot to be said here, not only about racism but also about the fetishization of other cultures. The film calls into question both the discriminatory actions the protagonist is subjected to and the objectification he faces and how these are equally harmful in the long run. Much of the movie’s success is owed to its co-director/star, who has such an incredible screen presence that it’s hard to believe this is his first role. Harden is charming, funny, and — most importantly — authentic. It genuinely feels like he’s a guy who could charm his way into a community of people who are reluctant to embrace him. That being said, the characters that comprise the community in which the protagonist nests himself are rather archetypal. Each person has a role to play in the protagonist’s journey and rarely strays outside of that prescribed formula. Regardless, the cast — mostly nonprofessional actors — is all quite effective at what they do. The Black Sea is a compelling, intimate, and often funny film. It’s not the type of movie to force-feed the audience, and while this does cause it to come across as aimless at times, it is always evocative. If nothing else, it introduces the world to the extraordinary talent that is Derrick B. Harden, and it will be exciting to see what he does next. The Black Sea is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Slice-of-life films require one thing to work: authenticity. There is no shortage of that in Natalia Santa’s Malta, a Colombian drama premiering at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival. A promising sophomore feature, the movie may not explore particularly novel themes, but it’s carried by a strong lead performance and a hefty dose of relatability.
Malta tells the story of a young woman who, having grown tired of the stagnation of her life in Colombia, dreams of starting anew abroad. Santa has created a film that captures what it means to grow older in a comfortable but not entirely satisfying world — something that many dreamers will find relatable. Malta will prove to be an incredibly poignant watch for anyone who has gone through — or is going through — a period in their life where they feel stuck. Although many movies have captured the mundanity of an unfulfilling life, Santa effectively captures the emotion of it: the depression and anxiety one feels when they don’t feel like they have accomplished enough. The protagonist is not always likable, often making decisions that feel self-centered. Although the character’s arc hits many familiar beats, Santa tells the story with a lot of earnestness. The struggle to decide between what one must do for oneself and what others want you to do is a conversation many have tried and failed to introspect within themselves.
Visually, Malta does a good job of capturing these emotions. Much of the first act is shot with a very plain lens with muted color, but as the protagonist grows and her perspective on life begins to shift, the film takes on a much more vibrant visual style. It’s not always a pretty movie, but it’s very deliberate in its stylistic approach.
Santa’s pacing is very slow yet effective. Given that the film is about capturing the protagonist’s disillusionment with her current life, it makes sense that there’s not a ton of excitement to be found in the runtime. However, the movie’s ability to avoid melodrama keeps it refreshingly quaint and engaging enough for its runtime of just over an hour and a half. The film works exceptionally well as a showcase for the talents of actress Estefania Piñeres. Although Piñeres hasn’t had roles in anything that broke out with American audiences, she has all the talent to become a star. She has a ton of natural charisma but in a way that feels quietly alluring, not conspicuous and flashy. Malta is a quaint movie that will hardly blow anyone away — not that it’s even intended to. However, Natalia Santa has perfectly captured the balance of hopefulness and resignation many of us struggle with in life, and it’s likely to strike a chord with audiences as a result. Malta is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 3.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Directed and shot by National Geographic photographer-turned-filmmaker Charlie Hamilton-James, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is an adorable film that you can’t help but love. Boasting great visuals and an engaging story, this movie is perfect for animal lovers but will warm even the most cynical hearts.
The documentary follows a man living in the remote Shetland Islands of Scotland as he forms an unexpected friendship with a wild otter who suddenly shows up on his doorstep. Although the story is slight, it has such a deeply rooted humanist undercurrent that it works as a crowd-pleaser. This is a gorgeous movie to behold, considering that Hamilton-James’s cinematography is done in 4K. It’s much more intimate than your average nature documentary, as it’s not the story of an entire ecosystem but a specific individual, so it doesn’t have as many of the sweepingly beautiful shots as you may expect. However, the chance to see something this up close and personal is refreshing in and of itself. Furthermore, with a runtime under 80 minutes, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story moves along at a nice pace. It’s light and buoyant, reminiscent in many ways of the Disneynature movies of the 2010s with how well it uses the breathtaking footage to tell a narrative story. Of course, it also has the cuteness factor working in its favor.
However, that short runtime does come at the expense of exploring some of the deeper conservationist themes. The subject’s wife often raises the question of whether it is ethical to continue this potentially disruptive relationship to the wild otter’s natural way of life. It would have been nice to see this explored with a bit more depth.
Using the subject’s wife as the story's narrator is also somewhat mixed in effect, as it introduces another player into the story. Although she is obviously an essential part of the subject’s life, her inclusion in the film adds another element of conflict to the story that’s not fully necessary — much less thoroughly explored. Still, when Billy & Molly focuses on why audiences will be seeing the movie — to see an adorable friendship between a man and an otter — it’s fantastic. It’s perfectly saccharine without ever feeling too forced, allowing it to be one of the most pleasant, ineffably lovable documentaries you will see all year. Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story has some incredible 4K footage and uses it to tell a charming, endearing story. Although the film doesn’t dive into some of the questions raised by this situation, it’s undoubtedly effective as a movie that’s just meant to warm your heart and make you smile. Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
We Strangers is the feature debut of writer-director Anu Valia, who has had a prolific career in the television industry (including on last year’s SXSW selection The Big Door Prize). Unlike a lot of directorial debuts, Valia’s is incredibly lean. Although it does have some flaws, it’s more than interesting enough to herald Valia as one to watch.
The film follows a commercial cleaner who takes a job as a housekeeper for one of her clients, at which point, she enters a web of lies that begins to spiral out of control. From the first few moments of We Strangers, it’s clear that this is another “eat the rich” satire, and the end is telegraphed, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable of a ride. Valia doesn’t add anything particularly new or insightful to the conversation around the exploitation of the working class by the wealthy and mostly avoids the more contentious implications of her script — like its racial politics. This definitely had all the makings to be a much more cutting satire. Still, We Strangers feels brisk and entertaining at every beat. It’s fun to watch as the protagonist slithers her way into the lives of her upper-class employers and wreaks havoc, resulting in a few truly hilarious moments. Although it all feels somewhat familiar, Valia does a great job of creating the atmosphere to keep the viewer engaged. However, the script unfortunately runs out of steam in its final act. Like the volcanoes that serve as a motif throughout the movie, you’re waiting for the film’s conflict to erupt. But when it finally does, it’s not quite the explosion you expect, but a slow trickle of lava. The parallelism is clear, and the social implications are obvious, but it doesn’t lend itself to the most satisfying ending. The character development in We Strangers is cut from the same cloth as Saltburn and Succession. Although the protagonist isn’t exactly a “good” person, the enjoyment comes from seeing the *worse* people get what they deserve. For most, rooting for the working-class woman exploited by the upper class will immediately be easy, even when her decisions aren’t likable. The performance by Kirby (the relatively recent mononym for actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste) is really intriguing. She plays it mostly reserved, only to strike with the force of a viper in a few shocking scenes throughout the movie. It’s the type of performance that’s not immediately flashy but will creep under your skin and stick with you for a while. We Strangers doesn’t reinvent the wheel narratively or thematically, but it’s well crafted and entertaining enough to be intriguing. Although one will wish she had stuck the landing a bit better, Anu Valia manages to avoid many of the most common trappings of the first-time feature director and should at least be praised for that. We Strangers is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Some shows are so epic that it’s easy to forgive many of their flaws. Created by Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, along with Alexander Woo, 3 Body Problem is perhaps one of the most ambitious series in recent memory. With incredibly memorable production values and provocative themes, this series will surely be one of the biggest new series in Netflix’s history.
Adapted from the novel initially published in Chinese but soon translated into a plethora of other languages, 3 Body Problem follows a group of scientists who must team up to fight one of the most mysterious, dangerous threats in humanity's history. Although it can be hard to keep up with the show’s many moving pieces, one thing is evident: every single piece of this show is unified under a clear artistic vision. The series deals with some surprisingly weighty themes, using its sci-fi premise to dive into a stunningly deep exploration of the ethics of warfare. These themes become particularly pronounced as the series goes on and the conflict escalates. While the writing is hardly subtle, it’s at least provocative and often uses the tool of shock effectively to challenge the viewer. In fact, the writers try to explore so many ideas that the series sometimes feels overstuffed. Thankfully, the book upon which the show is based is the first in a trilogy, so we can only hope that the show will get at least another season to expand upon these ideas. However, the mystery unfolds in ways that are constantly gripping.
The scale of the show is incredible, delivering one of the most exhilarating sci-fi experiences in recent memory. One scene in the middle of the season is so impressively constructed with expert pacing, CGI, and performances that you will not soon forget it. However, the visuals are pretty strong across the board.
Surprisingly, for a show with so many characters, 3 Body Problem manages to get us equally invested in all of its storylines. Some characters are, perhaps expectedly, more interesting than others; however, Although characters often drop out of the story for episodes at a time, each gets their due by the conclusion of the eight-episode arc. The cast is also nothing short of incredible. The A-list stars — Benedict Wong, Eiza González, and Jonathan Pryce — are all solid. That being said, they are outshone by others in the cast working on an entirely different level. Liam Cunningham is probably the biggest highlight of the ensemble, with an utterly gripping performance. Other strong players include Alex Sharp and John Bradley. The only person in the cast who feels underused is Jovan Adepo. 3 Body Problem is an incredibly ambitious series with a level of production value virtually unparalleled in the sci-fi genre of television. While it bites off more than it can chew at times, it’s consistently engaging, and there’s a lot of room to explore more of these themes and ideas in hopeful future seasons. 3 Body Problem is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Every year, an under-the-radar gem falls through the cracks of SXSW, overshadowed by the flashier premieres. This year that seems destined to be Marco Calvani’s High Tide. The romantic drama boasts an incredible cast, gorgeous views, and interesting themes, carrying it through a story that occasionally feels too familiar and overly rushed.
The film is set in Provincetown, Rhode Island, as an undocumented Brazilian immigrant finds unexpected love as the clock ticks down on him finding a way to stay in the United States. Although this story could have played out in quite a few ways, Calvani goes with a tender, restrained romantic drama, and it’s mostly quite effective. High Tide is at its best when it explores the complexities of the LGBTQIA+ community. Calvani brings a unique perspective to the intersectionality of racial and sexual identity, provoking some interesting questions that few have dared to ask. However, other themes — like immigration — are not explored with as much depth. The movie’s real highlight is Marco Pigossi, who is an astonishing discovery. His performance oozes empathy, even when the script treads more well-worn beats. There’s something almost deceiving about Pigossi's model-like features that allows the vulnerability of the character and his performance to shine through. Calvani’s big mistake was having the protagonist encounter too many supporting characters. On the one hand, this allowed the filmmaker to work with talented people like Marisa Tomei, Bill Irwin, and Bryan Batt — who each give strong performances. However, these characters don’t feel like they push forward the narrative meaningfully. This also leads to the script’s pacing feeling somewhat askew. While the first two acts are incredibly patient and measured, the final third feels like it was rushed to tie everything together. At a certain point, it just feels like things are happening to the protagonist, and any sense of naturalism that the rest of the movie has is replaced by melodrama. Still, the first two-thirds of High Tide is such an absolute knockout that it makes up for a conclusion that feels dissatisfying and strewn together. Although the film feels a bit similar to other queer romantic dramas, Marco Calvani has made his movie feel incredibly lived-in and authentic. High Tide is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 4/5 [SXSW 2024] NATATORIUM -- Strong Atmosphere and Visuals Carry Convoluted Psychological Thriller3/8/2024
Review by Sean Boelman
After having its world premiere at the IFFR, the Icelandic psychological thriller Natatorium is making its US premiere at SXSW. Helena Stefánsdóttir’s feature debut is an effective exercise in tension, performance, and visual design, but the narrative is too dense (yet also too ambiguous) for the film to be particularly satisfying.
The film follows a teenage girl who goes to stay with her grandparents while she awaits the results of an audition, only to find that there may be something more sinister going on in the house than she ever could have imagined. It’s a promising concept, but a few too many questions are asked, and far too many receive a satisfying answer. Part of the problem is that the film is not able to juggle its characters effectively. There are simply too many variables in this situation — the protagonist’s erratic grandmother, her debilitatingly ill uncle, her disapproving father, her naive love interest. Each of these people feels like a pawn in a game of chess, but it soon starts to feel as if Stefánsdóttir is playing an entirely different game. At the film’s center is the eponymous swimming pool, kept in the basement and supposedly vacant for years — although, to no one’s surprise, that’s just another falsehood. This is also where the film is at its most frustrating. Some clear horror influences are at play, but it never pays off satisfyingly.
Ultimately, this is the biggest sin of Natatorium. It’s a ticking time bomb sort of psychological thriller, where much of the intrigue comes from wondering how the mystery will unfold. Stefánsdóttir builds the atmosphere so effectively that you think you’re putting together the pieces of a puzzle. But when the anticlimactic ending comes, you realize that it was never a puzzle in the first place — just a shoddily constructed narrative.
That being said, the film is undeniably wonderful from a technical standpoint. The cinematography by Kerttu Hakkarainen is alluring, and the production design by Snorri Freyr Hilmarsson (who worked on the woefully underseen Woman at War) is incredible. While most films confined primarily to a single location — in this case, a mansion — seek to create a feeling of claustrophobia, Natatorium effectively captures a sense of massiveness and isolation, which is impressive considering the size of the cast. The performances are also solid, with much of the cast giving subdued, mysterious turns. Elin Petersdottir is the biggest highlight of the bunch, playing her role in a way that feels subtly sinister. Ilmur María Arnarsdóttir isn’t particularly flashy in her role as the protagonist, but it works for a character who is effectively the audience’s lens into this peculiarity. Some interesting ideas are swimming around in Natatorium, but they almost all feel underdeveloped. At a certain point, it becomes hard to care much about what is happening because you don’t know what’s a lie and what is not. Still, it’s consistently gorgeous to look at, and the atmosphere is alluring despite the narrative’s opaqueness. Natatorium is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Documentaries that take a gonzo journalism approach, where the filmmaker is the subject and becomes involved in their own investigation, can either be highly effective or very egotistical. Patricia Franquesa’s My Sextortion Diary mainly falls into the former category, although an often messy presentation keeps it from being as impactful as it had the potential to be.
The film follows the director as she is extorted after someone steals her computer and threatens to release her nude photographs unless she pays a ransom of thousands of dollars. As the title implies, My Sextortion Diary is a very personal story, but Franquesa struggles to form the connection between her own experience and the greater social implications of this issue. There is no denying that there needs to be a discussion about sextortion, and Franquesa’s documentary serves as a solid starting point. However, there are lots of questions that need further investigation. The movie only briefly touches on the flaws of the justice system, as well as the filmmaker’s decision to reclaim her sexuality and how her peers and family react to it. At a certain point, one does have to wonder how much of this is an authentic representation of the protagonist’s experience and how much of it is performative. It’s clear that Franquesa is taking some dramatic license — for example, instead of showing text messages, she often shows them as on-screen text. The film depends on the audience’s trust that the filmmaker is showing the whole story.
Many of the questions that My Sextortion Diary inspires regarding documentary ethics result from its presentation style. We see a lot of simulated desktops, phone footage, and the like. However, most of it is precisely that: simulated. Franquesa seems to be recreating these interactions rather than showing them as they happen, and while this makes the movie feel very cinematic, it also hurts its authenticity.
When you take out the credits, the film's runtime comes in under an hour. And while there is a (mostly) satisfying conclusion, the investigation is still ongoing. Why did Franquesa choose to release the movie now and not wait until the story ended? It feels rushed — like she was impatient for some selfish reason, perhaps wanting to get the film out there sooner to repair her reputation rather than waiting till it could make a genuine difference. Yet, even though the movie is incredibly short, it still feels like it takes a lot of tangents. For example, we see the director as she goes to the Locarno market trying to get financing for the film we are watching. Although a documentary about her making a movie following her experience could have been intriguing, this meta approach is not nearly developed enough to work. My Sextortion Diary can be frustrating because of how short it is and how underdeveloped this causes it to feel at times. However, Franquesa has created a mostly gripping and provocative documentary, even if it will leave viewers walking away with more questions than they entered with. My Sextortion Diary is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
Review by Sean Boelman
Historical drama series are a dime a dozen, especially ones set during the Civil War era. As such, it takes a lot for an entry into the genre to stand out. The new Apple TV+ miniseries Manhunt is incredibly entertaining, offering a unique, cinematic vision of a story that has been told dozens of times before.
Based on the nonfiction novel by James L. Swanson, Manhunt is set in the days and weeks following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln as the Union attempts to rebuild itself after the biggest tragedy in the country’s history to that point. Although it may not sound like the most exciting story on paper, sharp writing and skilled direction make it effective. Most of the show plays out like a thriller, following the US government as they attempt to track down John Wilkes Booth and Booth as he goes on the lam, hoping to become a “hero” for his actions. Although we know how the story will end, it unfolds in a way that is consistently gripping and refreshingly entertaining in a notoriously dry genre. Beyond the show’s main storyline, uncovering the conspiracy behind the assassination, it also explores Reconstruction. This subplot feels like an afterthought for the first few episodes, but as the show settles into its rhythm, the pieces fall nicely into place. The final episode weaves together this storyline with the main thriller aspects.
Tobias Menzies’s performance as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton is unexpectedly brilliant. He has a gripping screen presence, much like the leads of virtually every classic procedural thriller. And although he only has a handful of scenes, Hamish Linklater’s performance as the President has a deep, undeniable humanity.
On the antagonists’ side, Anthony Boyle gives a performance as Booth that strikes an effective balance between unhinged and calculated. To see a series told partially from the perspective of a massively racist murderer is a potentially concerning prospect; however, Boyle’s performance is so hateable, along with those of supporting cast members like Matt Walsh, that its message is never lost. From a technical standpoint, the show is mostly very strong. There are a few moments — most noticeably in the first episode — where the use of green screen is obvious and slightly distracting. However, the production design, costume design, and hair and make-up work are all on-point, capturing the period setting of the Civil War era. While exploring the story of Lincoln’s assassination as a crime procedural may be a glaringly obvious idea, there’s no denying how effective the approach is for Manhunt. Everyone — from the writers to the directors and the cast — is in peak form here, allowing this to be an early contender for one of the year's best new shows. Manhunt streams on Apple TV+ on March 15 with two episodes, with new episodes streaming on subsequent Fridays. All seven episodes reviewed. Rating: 5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Many modern-day Westerns tend to be bleak and dour, so seeing one that just wants to be fun to watch is refreshing. The latest film from writer/director/star Mario Van Peebles, Outlaw Posse, is a revisionist Western that adheres to most of the conventions of the genre but is consistently entertaining nonetheless.
Outlaw Posse follows a notorious outlaw who returns from hiding to find a hidden cache of gold, only for a dangerous man from his past to be on his tail, kicking off an explosive adventure. Although it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Mario Van Peebles has made an enjoyable throwback with enough action and quippy one-liners to keep you smiling through its sometimes quotidian story. The most interesting thing about Van Peebles’s latest film is what he does with it thematically. The Western is not a genre known for being particularly progressive — especially regarding race — but Van Peebles takes these cliches and uses them to reclaim the genre. It’s not exactly subtle, but there is some sharp dialogue where Van Peebles’s character satisfyingly lays it onto the racist white guy. Outlaw Posse is a little scrappy and rough around the edges when it comes to the visuals; it doesn't have the same level of polish that some of the studio-backed Westerns have today. But there’s so much passion and love for the genre in every frame that it’s easy to forgive some of its flaws.
The throwback nature of the film also reveals itself in its characters, who are all on the archetypal side. These arcs are all familiar: the straight-laced son of an outlaw who learns his estranged father may not be who he thought he was, the villain who’s seeking revenge against the antihero for a wrong committed against him long ago, and, of course, the band of misfits that makes up the posse.
Still, everyone in the cast seems to be having a blast, lending the film an infectiously fun vibe. William Mapother is the biggest standout, chewing the scenery as any good Western villain should. Even the A-listers, who one would typically expect to be phoning it in for a smaller production like this, give it their all for their few scenes — Whoopi Goldberg, Cam Gigandet, Cedric the Entertainer, and Edward James Olmos among them. There’s also something incredibly lovable about how much of a full-circle moment this film represents for Van Peebles. Though he’s since become prolific himself, Van Peebles got his start working with his father, Melvin Van Peebles. To see Mario sharing the screen with his son, Mandela, is a fun little moment for cinephiles. It also lends itself to the film nicely because they have a natural rapport. Outlaw Posse doesn’t have the most polish or originality, but it’s consistently entertaining nonetheless. A game cast and Mario Van Peebles’s obvious love for the Western genre allow this to overcome its familiar beats to deliver a memorable entry into the genre. Outlaw Posse hits theaters on March 1. Rating: 3/5 |
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