Divinity (2023) Fantasia 2023

DIVINITY maybe coming out 50 years too late. This is a film that should have come out in the early 1970s when it could have played the midnight circuit and did a late night double feature with ERASERHEAD and broken everyone who saw it.

Then again maybe it's a good thing it waited until now to be released because this film is a trip.

The minimal plot has two bald brothers kidnapping a pharmaceutical mogul who sells Divinity. Divinity is a drug that stops aging and makes 97% of women who use it infertile. They want to put a stop to the madness. Meanwhile, a group of women in a bright void make their own plans to rescue humanity.

The plot and characters are a mere pretense for a series of stark black and white sequences that hook us draw us in. This is  a trip across a nightmarish landscape to the center of our souls. And while the film is trying to say something about society and the way we favor the young, the beautiful and are becoming more and more centered on ourselves, the reality is the film is more interested in creating a head space that alters our sense of reality.

It's this last bit - the head trip aspects of the film - that makes the film feel like a blood relative to David Lynch's first feature. Director Eddie Alcazar wants to make us feel that we are not only not in Kansas any more, but that we aren't even in Oz. We are somewhere darker. I know the film is getting noticed because Steven Soderbergh is connected to it, but the truth is this is Alcazar's baby and he should be getting all the credit. I can't see Soderburgh doing anything but making sure the film got made.

Is this a good or bad film? Honestly good or bad doesn't enter into it. This is an experience. It is something you experience to go somewhere else. It's a film that you see in the hope of changing how you see the world. This is not a film that is operating on an intellectual level but a visceral one. You can't objectively react to it because it's so primal and because to do so will result in picking the plot and details apart. This is all emotion and the film is having at you with hammer and tongs leaving to broken and bruised. It's a film that emotionally hits all the right buttons and leaves you staring at the screen at the end wondering what in the holy hell just happened while completely accepting that what just happened made absolute perfect sense.

This is a film that demands to be seen in a darkened theater with no distractions. More than any recent film this is not a film to watch on your phone because you need this twisted vision of the future to be larger than life and six times more ugly.

Highly recommended. This is a must see for anyone who loves the movies and wants to see what they can do.

Little RIchard I Am Everything (2023) Oxford Film Festival 2023 SXSW 2023

Magnificent portrait of Richard Wayne Penniman, aka Little Richard. This is a film that covers Richard's entire life and being with an openness and honesty that I've never seen before.

I have seen a lot of biographies of Little Richard over the years but this is the first one to seemingly tell it all. Nothing is left out to the point that more than once I was murmuring that I didn't know that to no one in particular.

Yes we get the music. Yes we get to see him perform and be the wonderful entertainer. I love that we get some amazing talking heads to explain how Richard changed the universe for the better, but there is so much more here that it kind of boggles the mind.

I love that we get a sense of the man beyond the performer. Yes Richard was always open, but there is something about the way director Lisa Cortes brings it all together that we feel like we are touching the man inside the persona. In all the years I've watched interviews or read on Little Richard there was always a sense of a wall between us. Richard was himself some where beyond us. That isn't the case here. Richard is sitting with us, across the table at a diner telling us his story and we are so much better for it. The shields are down so I was deeply moved when late in the film Richard talked about wanting to find love. Yes he knew he was loved but there was a special kind of love he wanted that he never found..

I wanted to give him a huge hug.

Biographical documentaries do not get better than this.

Absolutely one of the best films of 2023 - you must see this film.

Mutt (2023) Berlin 2023

Fena, a trans man living in New York City has a trying 24 hour period. His ex-boyfriend from before his transition reappears, his half sister wants to spend time with him and his father is coming in from out of town.

I really like MUTT a great deal. Its a solid drama with good cast. Lio Mehiel is great as Fena. They are on screen for the entire film and they carry the film on their back. While the rest of the cast is just as good, Mehiel is the one doing the heavy lifting and is the reason that we remain fixed at what is transpiring on the screen.

If there is any weakness in the film it is the single day construction. While setting the film in a single 24 hour period drives the film, X,Y and Z have to happen so Fena can pick up his dad, it creates a sense of artificiality. We know everything will be resolved by the fade out because the structure that the script is using requires things to end in closure. 

Reservation about the structure aside the film still moved me. Yes it's artificial at times, but Mehiel is so damn good that they carry the film and your emotions to a misty conclusion.

Recommended.

Bringing Back Our Wetland (2023) Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2023

 

This is the story of the -Devereaux Slough near Santa Barbara which was filled in and turned into Ocen Meadows Golf Course, which flooded because the builders didn't take into account the drainage problem that is built into a wetland. When residents nearby heard the property was going up for sale they took steps to buy the land and restore it as close to it's original state as possible.

This is a really good film about how it is possible to reverse the damage we are doing to the world around us. To be certain with the Slough there was a certain amount of luck in that the land wasn't built on, however with in the film there is the possibility that other places can be changed back for the better. The fact that the film shows that things can be reclaimed is what is going to make this film have a long life.

I have to say that this is a gorgeous looking film, it should be seen as big as possible. All hail director Michael Love and DP Elliot Lowdnes who have fashioned a film that puts us into the land it is showcasing. It's a trip to the estuary without ever leaving the theater.

If you love films where nature wins this is for you.

A must see, especially when projected on a huge screen.

Austin Belzer of Austin B Media is interviewing every on from Slamdance (and someone from Sundance) Part 3 MASOCT, CISCO KID, SWEETHEART DEAL and from Sundance MURDER IN BIGHORN

 Austin Belzer of Austin B Media is still at it. He's still cranking out interviews from Slamdance (and Sundance)

AND FROM SUNDANCE

For more from Austin go to his regular home at Austin B Media

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023) Sundance 2023

This is a gorgeously shot documentary simply records a group of women in a sauna as they talk about their lives and the world. 

This is a deliberately paced film that is exactly like hanging out with the women. Shot in such a way that we never see the faces of any of them, the women seem to open up in ways that women only open up to  other women. Being a guy I felt like I was intruding on a private conversation.

This is a super film that should be getting a lot of appearances on the festival circuit so make an effort and see it.

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on Fantastic Machine (2023) Sundance 2023

 

Memory preservation, emotional resonance, exploration, and exposure of truth, FANTASTIC MACHINE explores the history of capturing the first image to the deliberate curation of media content through the ages.

The swiftness of the manipulation of images shocked me. From the beginning, the film is ruthless in its takedown of perceived truth. It is what we don’t see changes everything. Fantastic Machine has outtakes from a 2017 ISIS propaganda video, Eurovision’s use of the green screen in their scoring reports, how-to YouTube videos, and viral video reactions. At one point, I exclaimed, “What The Fuck,” louder than I intended.

The power of curated messaging in politics is something we know well. The film features a breathtaking 1993 interview with a filmmaker that changed the face of WW2 and modern-day filmmakers. In 1934, The Nazi Party hired Leni Reifenstahl to show the movement as powerful and attractive. She speaks about the entertainment factor, how a two-hour speech must be compressed to five minutes with a beginning, middle, and thrilling middle, despite the subject. As I witnessed the pride in her technical work, my mouth was agape. Juxtapose those images with the Sidney Bernstein footage from the final day of the war in 1945. Charged with proving the atrocities of war ever existed, Bernstein brings humanity, suffering, and truth. In the end, it is a product. In most cases, it is void of morality.

Maximilien Van Aertryck narrates with a profound statement: “A lack of perspective can distort what the world looks like.” There is such a fine line between propaganda and truth. We are all too familiar with this tactic. The results of media manipulation are monumentally dangerous but immensely lucrative. Instagram is rewiring young brains in a similar manner fashion magazines impacted our self-esteem in the 90s. It, quite literally, changes brain chemistry. The editing from Mikel Cee Karlsson and writer-directors Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck is award-worthy. As the saying goes, they understood the assignment.

FANTASTIC MACHINE is ceaselessly fascinating and undeniably disturbing to experience. As a commentary on entertainment, it is both a celebration and a condemnation. Sundance 2023 audiences are in for something absolutely brilliant.

For more from Liz check out her regular home at Reel News Daily

Baba (2023) Sundance 2023

An Iranian man tries to keep his apartment as things unravel one afternoon.

Movingly acted and beautifully shot BABA is a stunningly looking short film. It’s as good as a film can get on a technical level. Additionally Amir Zavosh rattles the pillars of heaven as a man under incredible stress. This is performance that should be up for an Oscar next year, except that Oscar acting awards doesn’t do short films.

The problem for me is that this really should have been a feature film.  Feeling more like the climax of a story than something complete. Threads are crashing in as the landlord comes knocking, a son tries to  translate w for his dad and a scammer tries to run off with a painting. There are way too many plot threads here, and while intellectually  things are resolved, emotionally we don’t have any connection. Who are these people? What is so special about the painting? We simply don’t know. I would be curious to try this again if it were turned into a feature.

Despite my reservations I’m recommending this because Zavosh is so damn good, you have to see the performance.

We Were Meant To (2023) Sundance 2023

The official synopsis of the film from the Sundance website is as follows:

“In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood.”

I am quoting it because my efforts to briefly explain the plot end up with me getting tongue tied as my love for the film gets crossed up with simply saying what the film is.

This film is something magical.

This is a film has a great deal to say about growing up for both men and women. I say this because women also go through something similar. 

This is perfect filmmaking. Writer director Tari Wariebi has assembled a magnificent cast and crew that sell the premise of men with wings. I also love the effects used to make us believe since they never look less then perfect. You will wonder how it was done even if you know how it was done.

How good is the film?

It moved me to tears with it’s perfect final image. Yes I suspected what it was going to be but it  didn’t matter because it was so perfectly realized.

A must see.

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (2023) Sundance 2023

 

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily  loves SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD

The ancient Estonian ritual of sauna building is a physical and spiritual cleansing. Women gather to share everything from funny childhood stories to earthly, almost guttural chants to intimate confessions with unfiltered honesty. Anna Hints‘ Sundance 2023 documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a visceral and profoundly deep film.

Mesmerizing closeups of body parts beading with sweat captured with static and handheld camerawork beautifully complement the conversations and place the audience inside the room. Haunting vocals during transition moments captivate the audience. Images of south Estonian matriarchs are projected on the sauna smoke as their voices recall tales from their lives. It is another stunning addition to an already visually sumptuous film.

The ancient Estonian ritual of sauna building is a physical and spiritual cleansing. Women gather to share everything from funny childhood stories to earthly, almost guttural chants to intimate confessions with unfiltered honesty. Anna Hints‘ Sundance 2023 documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood iTopics like cancer, women’s rights, body shaming, unresolved trauma, sex, and sexuality swirl freely. It is a safe space I envy. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood brings a contagious joy. There is a raw elegance I think Sundance 2023 audiences, specifically female viewers, will welcome. This film is a celebration of our complexities, highlighting the tender care we take with one another. It is revelatory to rediscover the interconnectedness of women and our shared experiences, good and bad. It is an astonishingly rewarding emotional catharsis.

For more from Liz go to her regular home, Reel News Daily

And the king said what a FANTASTIC MACHINE (2023) Sundance 2023

Destined to play many festivals after its premiere at Sundance And the king said what a FANTASTIC MACHINE  (or simply FANTASTIC MACHINE) is a look at how we view ourselves via the cameras that are everywhere, particularly in today’s world where we are posting things to the internet at an alarming rate.

I have been wrestling with this film for a while now. I’ve seen the film a couple of times now. I keep looking at the film trying to not so much get a handle on the film rather to work out how to really explain the film to you. While I can simply explain what the film is film (see above) I can’t really explain everything that it throws at us. This is the best sort of heady film, one that hangs with you whether you want it to or not.  In an age where everything is being dumbed down and handed to us FANTASTIC MACHINE assumes we are adults and can handle a lot of ideas and sort out the meaning for ourselves.  Yes some of this is  obvious, but at the same time when was the last time you stopped to think about any of this stuff.

This film is a trip and is recommended.

Iron Butterflies (2023) Sundance 2023

This  is a look at the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which was shot down by Russian forces over eastern Ukraine in 2014 threw news video, reconstructions, trial footage and intercepted recordings.

This is going to be the most low key film you will see on the never ending Ukraine conflict. There is no narration only text that gives us context. Director Roman Liubyi is letting the words and images speak for themselves. Yes this is almost a decade before the current mess, but it is one of the key events in run up to now.

Full disclosure while I liked this film a great deal, seeing the film in the middle of a festival crush resulted in it not having the effect it should have. The film's low key nature is what I remember not the the emotional nature of the story of lives lost through stupidity, lack of caring and the evil nature of some parts of humanity.

If you want to understand the roots of the current conflict this film is a must see.

Liz Whittemore on Troy (2022) Sundance 2023

The one and only Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily continues her Sundance film festival coverage with a look at TROY

Living in New York has its ups and downs. No matter how expensive your apartments are, the walls are always paper thin. You come to know your neighbors for better or for worse. Director Mike Donahue and writer Jen Silverman give Sundance 2023 audiences so much in their 15-minute short film TROY.

Thea and Charlie share a wall with Troy. He has very loud sex 24/7. When the moans turn to arguments and tears, Thea and Charlie’s emotional investment in their mysterious neighbor’s life takes on a life of its own.

Adina Verson, Michael Braun, and Florian Klein dazzle. Klein’s physicality speaks volumes. It could have easily wandered into a goofy territory but remained wholeheartedly sincere. Verson and Braun have a grounded chemistry that I bought instantly. I found myself in their delightful shenanigans again and again. The film also includes recognizable faces from television.

There is a visual gag with bleach that is perfection. Turning up the music and elevator run-ins become an all too familiar activity. Couples’ internet snooping is also an indulgent pastime. It’s funny because it is so relatable. In this city of over 8 million, most of us never meet. But we still protect our own with small gestures of kindness every once in a while. TROY is one of those stories you tell your friends back home during the holidays and a stellar proof of concept for an entire series of building-wide encounters.

For more from Liz go to her regular home at Reel News Daily

When It Melts (2023) Sundance 2023

Bleak tale of a troubled life begins as a young woman gets notification that there is to be a memorial service of the brother of a friend. This then starts her thinking back over her life and a horrible event that altered the lives of everyone.

A word of warning right at the start, this is an incredibly tough film. This is the story of a less  than happy life which is tough enough to  handle, however there is sexual violence here which is not for the squeamish and not for those who are triggered by the subject. I mention this up front because this is an excellent film that deserves to be found  by the audience who can appreciate it.

First time director Veerle Baetens hits it out of the park with a stunning tale of the scars left by childhood trauma. Stunning on every level this film is a punch in the face with brass knuckles. Its a film that shows the darkness many people face when growing up. It makes clear that some people don't grow up and get over it, they are scarred for life.

I was rocked by this film. This is a film that gets under you skin and wrecks your soul. I got to the end and stared into space. I can only imagine how crushed I would have been had I seen this in a theater where I couldn't look away.

Make no mistake this film is a masterpiece. Baetens is a director we all will need to watch. 

At the same time this film is so dark and bleak I never want to go there ever again.

Recommended for those who want to go there.

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on AirHostess 737 (2022) Sundance 2023

Liz Whiitemore of Reel News Daily checks in with a look at AIRHOSTESS 737

In  AirHostess- 737, we meet Vanina, a 39-year-old flight attendant trying to hold it together. Self-conscious over her new braces, her anxiety rises as the film progresses, exacerbated by a passenger, the pilots, and strong turbulence. But there is far more on Vanina’s mind than her newfound hardware.

The choreography of the scenes is spectacular. The audience serves as pov, and Vanina speaks just over the shoulder of the camera lens the entire film. It takes your average walk-and-talk to another level as she juggles casual conversation with her duties down the aisle. Writer-director Thanasis Neofotistos and co-writer Grigoris Skarakis implement a subtle and perfectly placed visual gag in Vanina’s makeup. It is a physical manifestation of her turmoil.

As a frequent flyer, I instantly grinned at actress Lena Papaligoura‘s deadpan demonstration of safety protocols. Her performance hits every note. She is funny, manic, dedicated, and pitch-perfect.

AirHostess- 737 is a descent into the depths of unresolved trauma hidden inside a sharp comedy. I laughed, gasped, and marveled at this short film’s ability to surprise me in fifteen minutes. It is undeniably impressive work from everyone involved. Sundance 2023 audiences will love it.

For more from Liz go to her regular home REEL NEWS DAILY

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on Bad Press (2023) Sundance 2023

 

Imagine a scenario, if you will, where the federal government controlled the entirety of the media. Ask North Korea and China’s citizens how well that works for them. Native American tribes are sovereign nations. They do not have freedom of the press. In the Sundance 2023 documentary from Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, BAD PRESS exposes the crushing actions of tribe leaders to remain in power. MVSKOKE MEDIA journalists are under attack while the Chief manipulates the Muscogee community with misinformation. Who will protect the truth?

Bad Press describes the hierarchy of tribal media. Money and politics rule, making a constitutional Free Press amendment vital to every nation. The film follows the journey to change, from new candidates for a new chief to election fraud allegations, and boy does it mirror national shenanigans. MVSKOKE MEDIA journalist Angel Ellis and her colleagues report everything in real-time, fighting against fear, false claims, threats, and connected politicians who wish to silence them.

The biggest question becomes, “What do you have to hide?” BAD PRESS is the perfect Sundance 2023 companion to watch with Fantastic Machine. It’s a heart-pounding, sweaty palm viewing experience. The emotional gravity of this story is shocking. BAD PRESS is a microcosm of tribal oppression and global journalistic reality. Those in the film are brave as hell for speaking out. National news, take note. Transparency is key.

FOr more from Liz check out her regular home Reel News Daily

La Pecera (The Fishbowl)(2023) Sundance 2023

 

Isel Rodriguez gives a staggering performance In THE FISHBOWL a film about a young woman trying to decide how to deal with the cancer that has reoccurred.

The plot of the film had Noelia (Rodriguez) running out on her partner and back home to her mother when it's clear her cancer is no longer in remission. There she reconnects with friends and family and ponders the damage done to the small island by the American military which left the landscape littered with unexploded bombs and poison.

While the script juggles way too many plot threads for a 90 minute film, we continue to watch and stay focused on what's happening because we fall in love with Rodriguez's performance. She lets it all hang out and we feel her pain, both physical and emotional. She brings us in and holds us close and as a result we are there for the duration. As a character study this film can't be beat.

This is one of my favorite films from this years Sundance

Recommended

A very short note on WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY (2023) Sundance 2023

I saw an unfinished version of  WILLIE NELSON &FAMILY in December and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I thought it was a super portrait of the man, his family and his career.  However because it was unfinished I can't write a review, and because it is five hours long I do not have the time to go back to rewatch it while covering the festival.  As a result I'm simply going to say if you love the man  the film is a must see. (Personally I can't wait to see the finished version)

I HAVE NO TEARS, AND I MUST CRY (2023) Sundance 2023

I am not certain what to say about I HAVE NO TEARS… This story of a man and a woman who go into meet with an  immigration official about the woman staying in the United States. It is a capsule of what happens during the brief meeting and what happens on either side of it.

As it stand it s a beautifully acted, great looking film that perfectly captures a moment.

And that is the problem with the film, this Is a moment in time. While we are moved by what happens, there is clearly more to the story. The lives of everyone on screen bleed off the screen since the film is very much alive. However the film leaves us wanting to know more. What happens next? What happened going into this? We can make assumptions but I liked the characters enough I want to know what happened.

As good as the film is it left me unsatisfied.

Quibble aside this is worth a look

Twice Colonized (2023) Sundance 2023

There is a moment in TWICE COLONIZED when the film won me over completely. In the scene the film’s subject Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter is seen in a hotel room dancing on her bed. There was something so quietly screamed "she's just a person!"  in the shot that it removed any and all distance between me and the subject and made think of her as my best friend.

This is a quietly great film. The film is the story  of  Ms Peter who, in the wake of her son, begins to move toward reconnecting with her Inuit heritage and working toward breaking with Denmark who still control Greenland. It’s the rare recent film that manages to balance the portrait of its subject so that we not only feel like we know her both personally and professionally.  We get to know about her and her fight for autonomy in courts, and of her coolness and as a result we walk out of the film feeling we know the whole woman.

What I really like about the film is that in addition to getting to know Peter we get a good look at not only the fight for indigenous rights but also life in Greenland. That may not sound like much but for most people the country is simply this large island in the Atlantic about which we know nothing. I was talking to a friend about the film and I mentioned that the films was about the Inuit in country and they said they had no idea who lived there.

This is a great film. It delighted me because it made me think and feel and taught me a great deal about things I didn’t know.  I was so happy with the film that I was emailing friends to tell them to watch the film at Sundance.

Recommended