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By Sarah Williams  Cinessance is a new streaming service that intends to be the first US streamer exclusively for French film. As an alternative to arthouse streaming like Mubi or Criterion Channel, what Cinessance programs isn't bound as much by pedigree in critical circles or international precedent, but a subsection of French film that tends to stay within national borders. It is worth a wonder as to who tends to subscribe to specialty streaming services, whether it’s cinephiles committed to finding legal access to rarer classics, or a casual viewer who likes a particular formula. The selection favors a more traditional breed of cinema, steering clear of genre pictures, but that isn’t to say there’s no potential for the best of this populist simplicity to slip through. If you enjoyed Cédric Klapisch’s The Spanish Apartment, some deeper cuts like Russian Dolls and Family Resemblances are now streamable, and recommended. It’s also nice to see a small family section, particularly after recent online discourse as to whether non-English cinema precludes a ‘snobbish’ set of interests. The democratization of non-Anglo culture is of course commendable, especially as a selection of kid-friendly films is incredibly helpful for promoting early language learning, something harder to achieve with other, solely-adult specialty services.
Perhaps it is wrong of me to criticize a service for what is not. There is a solid start for a platform of largely '90s and '00s French film that isn’t easy to find overseas. While major arthouse features, and controversy-drivers, tend to make it across the ocean, the language of French comedy is largely lost on audiences that can access little of it. While it would be nice to see more from the era (I’m particularly partial to a lot of the '80s/'90s films by women that writer Françoise Audé championed), there is a skewed perception of popular French film in the US, and the platform does change that, by providing more of it, though near exclusively this palatable portion. In terms of the addition of more recent releases, Mélanie Laurent-starring Return of the Hero is under the coming soon subheader. It’s a lightly comedic, pleasant historical drama of small scale, and a good sample for the sort of content that Cinessance distributes. This week, the streaming platform added a hub to watch both the short and feature lineups of My French Film Festival. While the shorts are free in other places (personal highlights I’ve seen in the past from the lineup are Hold Me Tight and Little Bear), the feature film selection is more exclusive, often boasting premieres for films that do not have US distribution, this year, MFFF includes major festival titles of the past year such as Honey Cigar, All Hands On Deck, and Nadia Butterfly, as well as underseen Marguerite Duras adaptation The Lover. These films engage France, and its film culture, in a broader world context, and give a greater perspective than what the initial streaming lineup may show. This partnership shows a lot of potential for what the service can become, with events to connect a past and present of French film beyond Breathless or Amélie.
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The Criterion Voyages (Spine #1101): UNCUT GEMS -- The Safdies' Vision That Transcends Filmmaking1/12/2022
By Dan Skip Allen
Uncut Gems was like a whirlwind when it came out in 2019. It showed people Adam Sandler was more than the SNL goofy comedy guy. He was now considered a serious actor in a lot of people's minds, enough so that he was being tapped as an Oscar contender. This is with great respect. He wasn't nominated, but the role of Howard Ratner is such a realistic portrayal it's scary.
Adam Sandler plays the owner of a jewelry shop that deals in rare gems, watches, and other rare antiquities. He gets in over his head with a loan shark and it causes him problems with his family, mainly his wife (Idina Menzel), and his other business associates. A long-term deal that he had been working on could be the answer to all his problems. Adam Sandler has a skittish nature to his character. The slick nature of Howard Ratner plays into Sandler's sensibilities as an actor. Sandler is used to playing the everyman that people can relate to or quirky oddballs in his film career. This is totally different for him in his career. He played into the script perfectly. His style melded with the script like they were meant to be together. The Saftie Brothers (Good Time) have the reputation of guerilla filmmaking and quick cuts and fast-paced storytelling. This film has that. The story moves very fast and it's hard to keep up with at times. This world of these shady people keeps the film moving and it's not clear where or when it'll end. It is like a merry go round and they create a film like nothing I've seen in my entire life. This is a seminal film. 
The cast in this film is amazing besides Sandler and Menzel. Lakeith Stanfield, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Judas and the Black Messiah last year, plays a hustler and business associate of Sandler's character. Boston Celtics champion NBA legend Kevin Garnett plays himself and he is great in the film as an athlete acting even if he's playing himself. The revelation in the film is Julia Fox. She is incredible as a gumar of Sandler's character.
This transfer by Criterion is incredible. The colors pop so well in this version. Various shirts and items in the film shine and jump out in 4K. The framing sequences are gorgeous. Along with that goes the grain of the film. It has a gritty look to it that reminds me of '70s films. The cinematography by Darius Khondji is some of the best of 2019. I can't say enough how incredible this transfer is. The film has some good music choices as well, from the Weeknd playing himself singing a song to some techno music and various other forms of music from Daniel Lopatin. It has a sound that jumps out while watching the film. The score and music both play into the uneasy nature of the film's storyline and plot. At times it's very frantic, and other times it's very soothing and relaxing, all depending on what's going on in the film. Sanders's character is his own worst enemy. He does everything wrong until he finally does something right. This film shows how people can be a detriment to society. This entire world of jewelry and rare gems is explored very thoroughly by the Safdie Brothers. The look and feel of the film are so beautiful. This 4K Criterion is a nice addition to anybody's collection for sure.
By Dan Skip Allen
Sidney Poitier is one of the greatest Black actors of all time. His career is varied with great films such as Lilies of the Field, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, and Raisin in the Sun in his credits. His best film, though, is In the Heat of the Night, directed by Norman Jewison.
Philadelphia Detective Virgil Tibbs (Sydney Poitier) has to go down to tiny Sparta, Mississippi to investigate a murder but he gets arrested by hard-nosed police chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Stiger). Having to prove his innocence to the police chief, he eventually joins forces with him to try to figure out who actually was the murderer of the victim. They reluctantly get along with each other on this journey. Jewison creates an atmosphere of racism and prejudice throughout the film. Even though Poitier's character is a respected detective in Philadelphia, he is a third-class citizen in the South. He even has to defend his own name. "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs," is a very famous line from Poitier in the film. The investigation isn't about the murder, it's about how this Black man is daring to ask these southern white-privileged people questions about it. How dare he do this? It's pretty huge deal. 
This film crossed so many cultural barriers at the time, even with the Academy Awards. This film won Best Picture in 1968 along with three other awards, but Poitier didn't win anything that year. His co-stars in both In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? were nominated for Best Actor, and while Stiger won the award, Poitier wasn't even nominated. It's a travesty. Although he did win an Oscar for Lilies of the Field in 1963, it would have been great to see him get nominated for this film.
Poitier has to do all the heavy lifting opposite Stiger, even getting slapped in the face by old man Endicott (Larry Gates). Jewison puts Poitier through his paces throughout the film. It's in the script, though, because it's adapted from the book by John Ball. In the era of civil rights, this film touched on so many difficult topics and everybody involved was part of a powder keg. It showed in the end product. Tensions were at an all-time high and Poitier had an uphill battle trying to do his job under these circumstances. With everything going on around this film, Poitier gives the performance of a lifetime. Having to act opposite Stiger wasn't an easy task. Jewison had to be a soothing influence on this film. He was also the leader of this production that had other great aspects such as a score by Quincy Jones. The music was so good. The cinematography and editing worked very well as well. This film had everything going for it at a difficult time. Poitier was the glue that kept this film together. He was great in it as well. The Criterion Voyages (Spine #1104): CITIZEN KANE -- A Film That Deserves the Moniker of Masterpiece1/5/2022
By Dan Skip Allen
Citizen Kane is widely considered by many to be the best movie of all time. It's the magnum opus of legendary filmmaker Orson Welles. It is quite an achievement for Criterion to get this great film. Now it's available as Spine #1104, the first 4K Blu-ray in the Criterion Collection. The format lends itself to this great film quite nicely.
The film is about the life of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles). Newspaper reporters have found out that the last word from Kane before he died was "Rosebud", so they try to figure out what that word means. They go from person to person trying to get to the bottom of this mystery, from his ex-wives to his best friend, Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotton), with whom he built his newspaper empire. That famous word is part of what made this film an absolute masterpiece in the eyes of so many people. Welles's filmmaking style is also what helped make this film so great. He has some amazing camera shots in the film. One, in particular, is where he's looking into a stand-up mirror and it seems like it keeps going forever. Other tracking shots and camera movements throughout the film are done impeccably. Fade-ins and so forth are used perfectly to pass time throughout the film. Welles is a master with the camera and framing shots. 
Citizen Kane has various forms of music in it, from one of Kane's ex-wives singing opera to the score by Bernard Hermann, one of the greatest composers of all time. The film has amazing moments of music throughout using various forms of strings and the piano to create moments of joy and or depression. Even bands in the background create a sound for the film.
Kane spent a lot of his fortune on his property known as Xanadu in Florida, as well as expensive trinkets which he littered throughout the expansive property grounds. He built it for his second ex-wife Susan (Dorothy Comingore), an opera singer. It turns out it was just a giant place where he ended up all alone in his final days. Millions of dollars worth of property, art, statues, and everything under the sun that couldn't buy him happiness. Citizen Kane is often claimed to be a film about newspaper magnate William Randolf Hearst. Welles was ruined for years after the film came out in 1941. Hearst considered it an insult and kept Welles from ever becoming the great filmmaker he was destined to be because of Citizen Kane. He was in a few other films and directed a few as well, some of the most notable of which are The Third Man, Touch of Evil, and The Magnificent Ambersons. Even Netflix acquired a lost Wells film, The Other Side of the Wind, that was preserved. People have always devoured anything from Welles. He is such a magnanimous personality and a terrific director. |