Another Day in America (2024) Cinequest 2024

This is a bleak black episodic look at life in an office on the verge of a merger. As everyone tries to get through their day, various people try to exert their will to get their way.

Beginning with decade old tweets getting an employee fired this film spins out into increasingly darker territory. The film at first seems like foul mouthed version of the TV show but it quickly shows its true colors it’s morphed into a dark meditation on office culture and survival. We clearly are being shown how much like a jungle offices have become and it is frightening.  I’ve lived through situations similar to this and reliving them was not a pleasant experience. By the end I felt beaten up.

To be perfectly honest because the film is a bit too truthful (if amped up) I did not enjoy the film and the place it put me in. On the other hand I completely admire that the film is so well made that it made me feel. If you don’t mind being in a dark office space then I recommend ANOTHER DAY IN AMERICA.

THE ISLAND BETWEEN TIDES (2024) Cinequest 2024

Alfred Hitchcock had been trying to make a film version of JM Barries Mary Rose for decades. Announced as his next project numerous times, no studio wanted to fund the project.  Now at long last comes THE ISLAND BETWEEN THE TIDES and the story finally makes it to the big screen.

The story is that of a young woman who disappears twice, once as a child she disappears for several days and returns again unaware that the time spent on a small island was anytime at all. Fifteen years later she disappears again, however decades have passed in the world, while none has passed for her.

Beautifully made and hauntingly shot film is either going to grab you not. This is a film where things progress at their own pace and moods are created. There is an intriguing mystery going on for a good portion of the film. The question that everyone is going to have to answer for themselves is, does the film  pull it all together in the end.  Without going into details, whether you like the film or not is going to be the make or break point for everyone who sees it.

Not being familiar with the source material except by after the fact, I completely understand why studios balked at letting Hitchcock make a film of the material. This is not to say their is anything wrong with it, more that this dream like or ethereal musings and if you don't click with it you'll not care for it. This is the sort of thing that Neil Gaiman is very good at doing but few others are these days. I'm not certain the filmmakers nail the ending. I was left going "yes, and...?" instead of "oh WOW".

As much as I balk at the film it is gorgeous and has some real mood  so if you like cinematic lyric poems this is worth a shot.