By Sean Boelman
The Oscars are upon us, and speculation is running rampant as to what will take home the gold. This year, more so than usual, it feels like a majority of the awards have an obvious winner — most of them Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Here is what we think will win each award, along with a breakdown of our reasoning: Best Picture
This year might be the most predictable Best Picture race in Oscar history. The winner is Oppenheimer. It’s not even worth entertaining an upset at this point. Christopher Nolan’s biopic has been the clear favorite in all of the precursors and is on its way to absolutely dominating on Oscar night, including taking home the top prize.
Will Win: Oppenheimer Can Win: it’s unstoppable Should Win: Maestro Best Director
Best Director and Best Picture often (but not always) go together, so it should be no surprise that the Best Director race is just as clear-cut as the Best Picture race. Christopher Nolan will finally get his long-overdue statuette for his second director nomination.
Will Win: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Can Win: it’s unstoppable Should Win: Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things Best Actress
Best Actress is shaping to be one of the more exciting races this Oscar season. Heading into the fall, it seemed like Lily Gladstone’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon was the clear favorite, but Emma Stone has been gaining a lot of steam for her turn in Poor Things.
Many pundits have compared this race to the 2019 race, where the early frontrunner, Glenn Close, was defeated by late-breaking darling Olivia Colman (who earned many of the same precursors as Stone and, interestingly, was also the lead in a Lanthimos film). Will Win: Emma Stone, Poor Things Can Win: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon Should Win: Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall Best Supporting Actor
We’re starting to sound like a broken record, but Oppenheimer also has Best Supporting Actor on lock. Robert Downey Jr. will take home his first Oscar for his performance as Lewis Strauss.
Will Win: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer Can Win: it’s unstoppable Should Win: Ryan Gosling, Barbie Best Supporting Actress
Finally, a lock that won’t go to Oppenheimer! Da’Vine Joy Randolph has taken home virtually every precursor award for her performance in The Holdovers. And who can blame awards voters? It was an incredible performance. This will maybe be one of the most deserved wins of the night.
Will Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers Can Win: she’s got this in the bag Should Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers Original Screenplay
The screenplay categories are shaping up to be unexpectedly contentious. The current frontrunner for Original Screenplay is probably the script for The Holdovers, a film quite well-received by awards voters — particularly older ones.
However, there is also a strong case to be made for Anatomy of a Fall. The French courtroom drama overperformed with nominations, and it has (as a pleasant surprise) won several precursors. It could easily upset in this category. Will Win: The Holdovers Can Win: Anatomy of a Fall Should Win: May December Adapted Screenplay
The Adapted Screenplay category is almost as contentious as the Original category, although this one has a more clear frontrunner. American Fiction has picked up a majority of the precursor awards in this category, so we’re currently forecasting that it will win. However, there’s also a lot of support in this category for Barbie and Oppenheimer. It’s American Fiction’s to lose — but it could lose it.
Will Win: American Fiction Can Win: Oppenheimer Should Win: Barbie International Feature
The International Feature category probably would have been much more enjoyable had France submitted the Best Picture-nominated Anatomy of a Fall instead of The Taste of Things, but as it stands, The Zone of Interest is the only film in this category that is also nominated for Best Picture. Don’t expect an upset.
Will Win: The Zone of Interest Can Win: it’s a lock Should Win: The Teachers’ Lounge Documentary Feature
Documentary Feature is another race that seems pretty locked down, with the Ukrainian documentary 20 Days in Mariupol seeming like the apparent winner. However, it might not be surprising if the Academy goes with the more crowd-pleasing Bobi Wine: The People’s President. To Kill a Tiger has also picked up some significant steam recently, but it feels like too late of a breaker to take home the prize.
Will Win: 20 Days in Mariupol Can Win: Bobi Wine: The People’s President Should Win: 20 Days in Mariupol Animated Feature
For a minute, The Boy and the Heron was picking up a few awards, and it seemed like it could be a legitimate competitor to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, Spider-Verse currently holds all of the key precursors. Expect the franchise to go two-for-two in this category.
Will Win: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Can Win: The Boy and the Heron Should Win: Robot Dreams Cinematography
We’re back to Oppenheimer wins! Hoyte van Hoytema has a clear advantage to win for his work on Nolan’s film. If there is going to be an upset, it would be Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon, but Oppenheimer's dominance seems much more likely at this point.
Will Win: Oppenheimer Can Win: Killers of the Flower Moon Should Win: Oppenheimer Editing
This is another below-the-line category that Oppenheimer seems destined to win! Like Cinematography, Oppy’s biggest competition is Killers of the Flower Moon, but this is another one that will likely go to the bomb biopic.
Will Win: Oppenheimer Can Win: Killers of the Flower Moon Should Win: Oppenheimer Production Design
For Production Design, it seems like a two-way race between Barbie and Poor Things. It could go either way, but we’re leaning more toward the colorful world of Barbieland.
Will Win: Barbie Can Win: Poor Things Should Win: Barbie Costume Design
The Costume Design race also seems to be between Barbie and Poor Things. Again, we’re giving the edge to Barbie, but don’t be surprised if the period drama upsets. This branch does tend to award period pieces a lot.
Will Win: Barbie Can Win: Poor Things Should Win: Barbie Makeup and Hair Styling
Makeup and Hair Styling will likely go to Maestro for its prosthetics work. However, there is also a chance that it goes to Poor Things for its impressive hair styling work. It’s a slight chance, but a chance nevertheless.
Will Win: Maestro Can Win: Poor Things Should Win: Poor Things Visual Effects
Visual Effects is a race that could go any number of ways. Right now, we’re leaning towards the sci-fi film The Creator because it has the most “obvious” special effects. However, it could also feasibly go to Ridley Scott’s war movie Napoleon or the underdog — Godzilla Minus One. We’re rooting for the kaiju to upset here, but don’t think it will happen.
Will Win: The Creator Can Win: Napoleon Should Win: Godzilla Minus One Sound
Continuing its below-the-line dominance, Best Sound is another award that Oppenheimer seems likely to take home on Oscar night. There is a very good chance that the Academy rewards the exquisite work in either Maestro or The Zone of Interest, but we expect them to go with another Oppy win.
Will Win: Oppenheimer Can Win: Maestro Should Win: The Zone of Interest Score
Speaking of Oppenheimer, it’s also almost guaranteed to take home Best Score. If something is going to upset, it would be John Williams’s work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — the only other film in the nominees that was also nominated at the Grammys — but it’s Ludwig Göransson’s to lose.
Will Win: Oppenheimer Can Win: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Should Win: Poor Things Original Song
Your Best Original Song winner is… Barbie! Which Barbie song is a different question. Industry awards have mostly been going to the Billie Eilish tune “What Was I Made For?” so that’s the favorite, but “I’m Just Ken” did take home a lot of critics’ awards, so it could upset.
Will Win: “What Was I Made For?,” Barbie Can Win: “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie Should Win: “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie Documentary Short
The Documentary Short category seems to be led right now by The ABCs of Book Banning, if only because it covers important subject matter. However, the presentation of the film is somewhat low-quality, so it could be the much better The Last Repair Shop.
Will Win: The ABCs of Book Banning Can Win: The Last Repair Shop Should Win: The Last Repair Shop Animated Short
The Animated Short race seems to be between Letter to a Pig and Ninety-Five Senses. Ninety-Five Senses is the better and more crowd-pleasing film, but Letter to a Pig feels more timely and complex. We’re going to give the edge to Letter to a Pig.
Will Win: Letter to a Pig Can Win: Ninety-Five Senses Should Win: Ninety-Five Senses Live-Action Short
The Live-Action Short category also seems to be down to two major contenders. The first is the abortion drama Red, White and Blue, which could take home the award for its relevant subject matter. However, this could also go to Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, perhaps finally giving the beloved filmmaker his “overdue” Oscar.
Will Win: Red, White and Blue Can Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Should Win: Invincible
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By Sean Boelman
Although SXSW is known for its flashy world premieres of big-budget blockbusters (and don’t get us wrong—we’re just as excited about The Fall Guy as everyone else), the Austin-based film and television festival also showcases a ton of indie projects and smaller-scale studio films that festival-goers absolutely should not miss.
We at disappointment media want to recommend a few films we think you shouldn’t miss that are playing at this year’s SXSW: Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Admittedly, the inclusion of this documentary on this list might be clouded by the fact that otters are one of the few animals this writer actually finds cute. Putting that aside, though, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story has plenty of reasons to recommend it to festival-going audiences. The film tells the story of a man in the Shetland Islands who forms an unexpected friendship with a wild otter. It’s an adorable, sweet story, less than 80 minutes long, and shot in beautiful 4K cinematography by Charlie Hamilton-James — what’s not to love?
The Greatest Hits
Cinephiles are probably most familiar with filmmaker Ned Benson for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, his trilogy of films telling the same story from different perspectives. His long-awaited return to the directorial chair is the romantic drama The Greatest Hits, which feels like an American answer to the work of filmmakers like John Carney and writer Nick Hornby. The film stars Lucy Boynton as a woman with a strange condition — whenever she listens to certain songs, she is transported back in time to the last moment she heard them with her deceased boyfriend. It’s a lovely film, and it will be released by Searchlight next month in theaters and on Hulu, so don’t miss the chance to check this one out.
Resynator
Alison Tavel’s documentary Resynator starts out seeming like a standard music documentary as she investigates the synthesizer she discovers was invented by her father. However, as she interviews her father’s peers and family members, the film turns into something much more personal and profound. It’s nice to see a movie like this — telling the filmmaker’s personal story — that is so unafraid to explore the darker elements with such honesty and empathy.
Sew Torn
Sew Torn is the feature debut of filmmaker Freddy Macdonald, adapted from his short of the same name. The short picked up some significant buzz after its release, and canny festival-goers will check the feature out expecting the same. This bonkers crime thriller follows a seamstress who gets caught up in a drug deal gone wrong, leaving her three options: commit the “perfect” crime, call the police, or drive away. The film plays out each of the choices in a format that’s edge-of-your-seat thrilling.
Things Will Be Different
Michael Felker has worked with the filmmaking duo Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead as an editor since Spring, so it’s no surprise that his feature directorial debut, Things Will Be Different, is a mind-bending indie sci-fi thriller. You won’t soon forget this mysterious flick about two siblings who travel to a time-traveling farmhouse to lie low after committing a robbery, only to get stuck in a dangerous limbo. It might not be the type of movie you first think of when you think of a midnight movie, but it’s undoubtedly effective — and occasionally even super gnarly.
The 2024 SXSW Film Festival runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
By Sean Boelman
In recent years and months, the Criterion Collection has shown more of a commitment to including action films like the work of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, among others. The Heroic Trio / Executioners is a two-pack comprising some absolute gems of Hong Kong cinema, adding to the collection some incredible (and fun) cult classics.
The Heroic Trio and Executioners make up an interesting series because both films were made and released in the same year. Yet the two films are entirely different. Still, these two cult classics gave the world the incredible action filmmaker that is Johnnie To, which is a gift in and of itself. The first film in the duology, The Heroic Trio, follows a group of three superpowered women who are connected by a plot of an evil wizard to kidnap babies. It’s absolutely as crazy as it sounds — a superhero martial arts movie that knows exactly how campy it is. There are some pacing issues, especially toward the middle, but the film is so unabashedly ridiculous that it’s hard not to be charmed. That being said, if you thought the first one was off the rails, Executioners takes things even further. It’s a post-apocalyptic adventure featuring the characters from the first film as they seek to find a water source to restore peace to humanity. It’s ridiculous. It’s over the top. But it’s exactly what fans would want from an HK action flick.
The action sequences of both films are pretty incredible and fittingly ludicrous. Zany is the name of the game here. There’s a guy who decapitates people using a cage-like device, lots of people flying through the air, invisible fights. It’s the type of action movie where there’s a lot of creativity on display, and while not all of it works, you have to at least admire it for what it tries to do.
The main draw of this double feature is, of course, the performances from its lead trio: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love), and Anita Mui (Rumble in the Bronx). As three of the most iconic actresses in Hong Kong cinema history, Yeoh, Cheung, and Mui are a true dream team, and to see them share the screen like this is an absolute delight. As far as bonus features go, this two-pack is, unfortunately, very thin. The highlight is an interview with actor Anthony Wong, who plays the coolest character in The Heroic Trio. There’s also an interview with film critic Samm Deighan and an essay by Beatrice Loayza (on a wicked poster in lieu of Criterion’s typical booklets). Still, those looking for supplemental materials might be a bit disappointed. Although the lack of bonus features is admittedly a bit concerning given the higher price point of this edition than most, the quality of the restorations and the films themselves make The Heroic Trio / Executioners a must-get for anyone building up their Criterion Collection. It’s awesome to see the boutique label give more attention to genre cinema like this. The Criterion Collection edition of The Heroic Trio / Executioners is available February 20.
By Sean Boelman
Although most of the attention in awards season goes to awards like Best Picture and the performance categories, the Academy also gives out awards for achievement in short filmmaking in three categories: live-action, animation, and documentary.
Something unique about the Oscar-nominated short films is that ShortsTV screens them in theaters every year, giving cinephiles a rare opportunity to see these acclaimed shorts on the big screen. If you can only see one of the programs this year, we’d recommend the documentaries because they’re the most consistent grouping in terms of quality, but some of the animated shorts would create a wonderfully cinematic experience, too. We at disappointment media have watched all 15 of the Oscar-nominated shorts, and here are our rankings of the respective categories, along with our predictions of what will take home the statuette on Oscar night. Live Action
5. The After
Misan Harriman’s The After owes much of its high profile to its A-list leading man (and producer) David Oyelowo. He plays a grieving rideshare driver who is forced to confront his tragic past by an unexpected passenger. For what it’s worth, Oyelowo’s performance is strong, serving as the sole element of the film that is even moderately grounded. The film's opening scene is clearly intended to be shocking, but it ends up being laughable, and the second half crams an entire feature-length arc into 10 minutes. Frankly, the whole affair feels rushed and poorly thought out. It’s the weakest of the nominees by far. 4. Knight of Fortune The Danish drama-comedy Knight of Fortune is the type of short that feels like something was lost in translation. The film follows a man who, having to confront the loss of his beloved, finds unexpected friendship in the mortuary. Although the core story is unbelievably sympathetic, the short’s dry sense of humor is in that middle ground where it is too pronounced to ignore but not strong enough to be funny. The result is a tonally confused 25 minutes, where you can’t tell if you’re supposed to laugh or cry. Although the final few moments are pretty effective, much of the runtime is frustratingly circular. 3. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Is this the year that Wes Anderson will finally get his Oscar? If so, it’ll be terribly disappointing, not only because The Wonderful Henry Sugar is the weakest of the filmmaker’s output this year but because he will get the spotlight in one of the few categories at the Academy Awards that frequently honors up-and-coming filmmakers. This star-studded quirky tale, adapted from a story by Roald Dahl, is the very definition of hyperactive. It’s the longest but least satisfying of Anderson’s Dahl shorts. The performances and visuals are characteristically strong, but the film feels too monotonous to be entertaining. 2. Red, White and Blue This year’s crop of live-action shorts has far more celebrity stars than usual, as Red, White and Blue is driven by a very strong performance as a waitress struggling to save up for an interstate trip for an abortion. Nazrin Choudhury’s film is a classic example of the “it’s heart is in the right place” type of short film. In our current political landscape, voters will undeniably connect with and support this message. However, the film is derailed by a twist meant to elicit a visceral emotional reaction from the viewer — and, to an extent, it does — but it feels manipulative to the point of being in poor taste. 1. Invincible Thankfully, there is one really strong live-action short this year; unfortunately, it feels like the one most likely to go under the radar. The Canadian short Invincible tells the story of a teenage boy on a desperate quest for freedom from his unfortunate life. In a year where this category is filled with established actors, young Léokim Beaumier-Lépine might give the best turn in any of the films. With short films, it can be difficult to achieve subtlety, as filmmakers often feel the need to spoon-feed the audience due to the constricted runtime. Vincent René-Lortie lets his film breathe, allowing it to stand out. What Will Win: Red, White and Blue Potential Upset: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Animation
5. War Is Over!
War Is Over! It carries with it the distinction of being “inspired by the music of John and Yoko,” but in reality, it just features one of the most incredibly bad needle drops of “Happy Xmas” you have ever seen. Although the computer-animated WWI battlefield the filmmakers create is visually impressive, the narrative of two soldiers on opposite sides playing a game of chess before battle is — quite frankly — silly. It’s the type of animated short where you can all but see the filmmakers trying to tug at the viewers’ heartstrings, and the result feels cringe-worthy, even if it has good intentions. 4. Pachyderm There’s not really anything *wrong* with Pachyderm, per sé — it’s just that there’s not anything particularly interesting about it either. This French coming-of-age short follows a young girl holidaying with her grandparents. It’s a story you’ve seen dozens of times before with a competent art style, if not particularly innovative. Although some might be able to connect with the story better on an emotional level, it’s too simplistic and tropey to be moving. In simpler words, it’s safe. It’s the type of by-the-book debut that serves as the foundation for an animator’s much more illustrious career in features. 3. Letter to a Pig To give credit where it’s due, Letter to a Pig is an audacious film — thematically, narratively, and most of all formally. And while filmmaker Tal Kantor’s visual ambition often pays off, her swings tend to miss in the other two departments. The film shows a Holocaust survivor as he reads to a class a letter he had written to the pig that saved his life. However, this is less his story and more that of one of the students who goes through her own existential crisis upon hearing this tale. The narrative can sometimes be hard to follow, and even when it’s not, it feels frustratingly unfocused. 2. Our Uniform Yegane Moghaddam’s animated short Our Uniform would probably be excellent if it were only a touch longer. The film follows an Iranian girl who explores the mores of her strict Islamic community, and Moghaddam uses an innovative animation technique of fabric animation. From a standpoint of pure innovation, Our Uniform is unparalleled in this category. However, at a mere seven minutes long, it feels like the film is just starting to explore its themes and story when it ends. Still, of all of the filmmakers to come out of this year’s batch of fifteen shorts, Moghaddam is arguably the one who shows the most promise. 1. Ninety-Five Senses Although it’s always hard to root for the established filmmakers in these shorts categories, Jared and Jerusha Hess’s Ninety-Five Senses is on a different level from the other four animated shorts. The animation is creative and gorgeous, the story is compelling, and the voice performance by Tim Blake Nelson is incredible. There is a bit of emotional manipulation — the way the film asks for the audience’s pity is a bit questionable for reasons that can’t be explained without spoiling it — but there’s no denying how effective this is at what it sets out to do. What Will Win: Letter to a Pig Potential Upset: Ninety-Five Senses Documentary
5. The ABCs of Book Banning
The ABCs of Book Banning is probably the most frustrating of this year’s nominees, and it’s because it’s not a good film despite having all the elements it needs to be incredible on paper. The message of this short is undeniably incredibly vital, but the filmmakers go about conveying it in the entirely wrong way. For one, the visuals are amateurish, with the graphics and cinematography having the quality of a school project. It might be possible to get past that, though, if it weren’t for the fact that the runtime is spent interviewing the wrong people. Although the intentions of talking to the people affected the most — the kids — are noble, there’s one thing wrong with that… they’re kids. As a result, everything said feels unnatural, uninformed, rehearsed, or some combination thereof. 4. Island In Between S. Leo Chiang’s documentary Island In Between tells a story that few in the Western world are probably familiar with — the Taiwanese outer islands of Kinmen, which sit a mere two miles away from mainland China and have become the frontline for the tension between China and Taiwan. For such tiny islands, this is a tremendously big story, and therein lies the film’s flaw. At 20 minutes long, it feels like the short bites off more than it can chew thematically. Still, even if it cannot serve as a definitive exploration of this topic, Island In Between does work as a much-needed conversation starter. 3. Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó is a documentary short from filmmaker Sean Wang, whose feature debut Dídi recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim. This is undoubtedly the most personal of the documentary shorts, telling the story of Wang’s two grandmothers. It’s endearing, heartwarming, and often funny, offering the type of wisdom you’d expect to hear from two elders such as these subjects. It’s the slightest of the documentaries this year in terms of subject matter, but seeing something less political and more wholesome in this category is refreshing. 2. The Barber of Little Rock The Barber of Little Rock manages to blend its uplifting story perfectly with timely themes, making it feel both thought-provoking and satisfying. The film tells the story of a barber who, seeing the effects of generational poverty on his community, decides to form a nonprofit community bank to help those in need who cannot get fair financial assistance. While this is, at its heart, a feel-good story about someone doing something good for his community, it is also eye-opening about one of the biggest problems we face in America today. 1. The Last Repair Shop The Last Repair Shop reunites previous Oscar nominees Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot (A Concerto Is a Conversation), and this film is even more incredible than their last. The film follows four craftspeople who work in an instrument repair shop servicing the students of Los Angeles County. It’s truly an astonishing film because of how it connects the challenges that these individuals faced in their own lives with the challenges the students live through and the music that unites them. It’s an incredibly rousing documentary that will leave few viewers uninspired; a crowd-pleaser that doesn’t feel pandering — something that is exceedingly rare to find. What Will Win: The ABCs of Book Banning Potential Upset: The Last Repair Shop
The 2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films open in theaters on February 16.
By Daniel Lima and Sean Boelman
Slamdance has long been known as the “indie-r cousin” of Sundance, as it happens at the same time as the higher-profile festival in its mountain home of Park City, Utah. However, Slamdance has made a name for itself as a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world to showcase their edgy, experimental, and — most of all — independent visions.
We at disappointment media covered the 2024 edition of Slamdance remotely. Here are a few of the films we saw in the festival lineup and our thoughts on them:
Reviews by Daniel Lima
Anna's Feelings
Whoever thought there was enough here to sustain one hundred and thirty minutes of screentime should be criminally prosecuted. Anna’s Feelings is about a factory worker in a small Russian town who begins to hear aliens speaking to her, disrupting the lives of her entire family. This is a formulaic indie dramedy, predictable to the point of parody, shuffling along at such a laborious pace that one is fooled into expecting some subversion or deeper meaning. There is none. It's a shame to see Anna Mikhalkova’s great performance so wasted.
Darla in Space
There are two ways a film about a woman who discovers a kombucha mother that grants transcendental orgasms can go: absolutely bonkers in embracing a premise so strange or disappointingly milquetoast as it slowly reveals that the filmmakers only thought as far as that premise. Darla in Space, unfortunately, is the latter, content with coasting on the charms of the lead actress and the voice performance of the mother without ever actually coalescing into being actually about anything. That lack of vision is perfectly exemplified by the lazy AI-generated images meant to capture how those orgasms feel.
Hell of SE
I would be lying if I said I knew, at any point, what the hell was going on in Hell of SE. As far as I can tell, it is a meandering, opaque portrait of youthful angst and ennui. Yet it’s hard to find fault in director Sawa Kawakami’s deliberately experimental style, actively challenging not only the audience but also her own capabilities. The disaffected performances, shooting the film on formats including MiniDV and the Nintendo 3DS, it’s genuinely exciting to see a filmmaker who actively tries to make such an abrasive feature debut — even if it is impossible to decipher.
Reviews by Sean Boelman
Invisible Nation
Slamdance’s documentaries tend to be much more polished than the festival’s narrative features, and the closing night selection of the festival, Vanessa Hope’s Invisible Nation, is a very sleekly directed film. Although the documentary is primarily about the election and term of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, it uses this as a starting point to ask many big questions. In many ways, the film almost works better as an exploration of the overall merits of democratic government than a biography of this particular political figure, but Hope mostly does a great job of tying together the story with its historical background and broader implications.
Petro
The interesting thing about Petro is that there’s another documentary about the same election, from the side of another candidate, playing at the *other* Park City festival. Of course, it’s hard not to compare the two, but they’re on surprisingly equal ground. This portrait of Colombian President Gustavo Petro (spoiler alert, he was the victor) is a mostly straightforward biographical documentary. With a strong mix of archive footage, talking head interviews, and fly-on-the-wall footage — with an astounding level of access to Petro himself — the documentary offers a mostly compelling look at the political landscape of Colombia. Unfortunately, it fails to connect this to the big picture in a way that makes it feel like essential viewing.
The 2024 Slamdance Film Festival ran January 19-25 in-person in Park City, UT and online from January 22-28.
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