Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) SXSW 2022 (spoilers)

My feeling toward Cooper Raiff's CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH is summed up by the warning one learns very early when going to or following news out of film festivals which is beware anything anyone tells you because it is invariably wrong. More times than not writer, myself included, are caught up in the moment and something you see produces a reaction that over sells the film. Such is the case with CHA CHA, a film many of my friends over sold when it played at Sundance.

Director Cooper Raiff plays a young man, just out of college who is stuck working at Meat Stick and acting as a guy who can get people to have a good time at various parties. He meets Dakota Johnson and her daughter at one and is smitten. They bond despite her having a fiance in Barcelona. What will happen?

How you feel about the film will be determined by how you feel about Raiff as a leading man and his technique behind the camera. Looking like a younger David Tennant but with 50% less charm and zero weight, Raiff wanders through the film in a part that makes him seem like a gee whiz sweet guy that everyone likes. Gosh darn it why can't he get his life together. Its a saccharine part of the sort that only exists in "you can't be serious" romantic comedies. This results in moments that had they been played by any other actor or written by any other writer might have seemed remotely real instead of artificial.

And it's a shame be because Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt as her daughter are magnificent. They take roles that shouldn't work as written and turn them into something special. They are what make the film work as well as it does.

Yes, despite my bitching the film works as disposable romance. But is should have been better. It also should have had a different ending which seems to be there just to give the proceedings weight. Forgive me, while it may be slightly logical, Johnson is engaged after all, it feels out of place. Yes I know it's the result of the film being from Raiff's character's POV, but it seems wrong and out of left field like many serious works of literature that go serious in the final pages/minutes. But what annoys me is the whole thing outside of Johnson and Burghardt are not far removed from a sitcom so it didn't have to end real. (Yes know it's foreshadowed in conversations but it still seems wrong to me) 

Worth a look for Dakota Johnson fans or those want to have their socks knocked off by new comer Vanessa Burghhardt. Everyone else you're on your own.

Steve on Jethica (2022) SXSW 2022

 

While staying in the desert home of her grandmother Elena runs into high school friend Jessica who is fleeing from her stalker. When the stalker shows up things get complicated.

This is nominally a horror film. I mean it involves horror tropes, a stalker, the supernatural and a few other things, but it’s not really a horror film. The press material calls it a dark comedy, but it’s not really funny (even if the stalker’s speech pattern is kind of played for laughs). This is really a solid drama with twists and turns. And I can’t discuss the turns because the turns are what propel the film forward. That isn’t to say the turns are everything, rather they provide “oh that’s what that is” moments that keep us hooked. And I need to point out that almost all of the turns aren’t really turns but things that are always on screen. Frankly I haven’t seen a film that is this scrupulously honest in a very long time.

The only real problem I have with the film is that it has a couple too many endings. I kept thinking “and that’s the end” only to have it keep going. I would say trim things back, except that this film is barely feature length as it is (it runs 68 minutes with credits).The endings are all fine, just, some are better than others.

Quibble aside this is a one of the best films at SXSW and recommended.

Dio Dreamers Never Die (2022) SXSW 2022

 

DIO DREAMERS NEVER DIE was not one of the films I picked for the SXSW dance card. It was so low on my must watch list as not to be on it. Frankly I had no idea the film was playing at all. Then somehow I noticed it when I was putting things on and off my must see list and added it simply because it fit a slot.

As with most of the films I loved out of SXSW which I just added because it fit, it turned out to be one of the best films at the festival. Actually it may be a top three or four film of the fest for me, and possibly one of the best films of 2022.

The film is a portrait of Ronnie James Dio who was born as Ronald James Padavona in 1942. He began playing the trumpet before starting in the sort of bands you'd expect in the 1950's.  Then influenced by Deep Purple he changed the sort of music he was playing before shaking the pillars of heaven in groups like Raonbow, Black Sabbath and Dio.

This film transcends the notion of what a music documentary is supposed to be. This is a portrait of the man from birth to death with everything in between. All his music is represented, yea even the early stuff is here with the result  we truly realize what the man was doing musically. It also is a lovely portrait of the man who is seen to be a guy who stuck to his guns, helped anyone on the way up where he could, even if it was a kind word, and he was a man who loved his fans. The story is told of Dio going on tour and meeting fans and blowing them away by remembering, after years, who they were and what they talked about in prior encounters. He loved his fans and they loved him.

Yes the film is primarily full of heavy metal music, but don't let that worry you, it's never there just to be there. Dio's music is not used just to play it but for effect and to illustrate what he was doing musically. They pull his lyrics apart and you realize just how stupid the religious nuts who tried to claim his work was Satanic were. Yea it was driving music but he was telling people they mattered.

This film stunned me from the first frames. I expected to like it but I never expected to fall madly in love with the film and the man. Its so good that I want to know more.  Honestly I am not more in love with his music, he was never one of my favorites, but I am in utter awe of the man. 

This is truly one of the best music docs I've seen.

I can't recommend this film enough. One of the highlights of SXSW

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on SERIOUSLY RED (2022) at SXSW 2022

Liz Whittemore keeps the SXSW reports going with a look at SERIOUSLY RED

This infectious homage to tribute performers focuses on a quirky redheaded young woman whose passion in life has been the songs and personality of Miss Dolly Parton. While she’s has a patterned history of screwing up, Red is a bold, kind-hearted spirit determined to make it as a Dolly impersonator. As her star rises, so does her self-esteem, affecting her personal life, for better or worse. 

Flashy sequins and blonde wings aside, deep down, the film is about self-actualization. The things we try and disguise from others and ourselves. When I was younger, someone asked me why I performed. “Is it because you’re hiding behind those characters?” First, I was offended. Then I thought about it. It was the perfect opportunity to try on someone new. But, Seriously Red is also about having the bravery to do what you love. 

Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Celeste Barber, Daniel Webber, and Thomas Campbell give superb performances. Seriously Red lives and breathes in screenwriter and star Krew Boylan. She brings unbridled nuance to Red. Comedy timing from the gods, slapstick chops, and a voice for days, Boylan owns every scene. You can’t take your eyes off of her.

The energy never fades, with glorious musical numbers (live and choreographed fantasy sequences.) This film will resonate with an audience wider than Dolly fans. While we revel in the legend’s words throughout the script, the themes stand undoubtedly on their own. Seriously Red will make you smile from ear to ear.

For more of Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

Liz Whittemore on Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets (2022)

Still at it, Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily returns with a financial tale of our times

It was the perfect storm. A global pandemic. An app aspiring to democratize trading. A group of Reddit users stuck at home with stimulus dollars to burn. And a video game company on its last legs. DIAMOND HANDS is the incredible true story of how an army of retail traders rallied around GameStop to rock our financial system. This is the legend of r/WallStreetBets.

SXSW22 documentary Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets finally puts faces (and screennames) to the Reddit users that toppled the system. Sitdown interviews, media footage, and quirky transitions come together to shatter the narrative of the rise and fall of GameStop stock. Even if this was a small sampling of the millions of group members, they had people from all walks of life, all levels of understanding. Trust me when I say it’s not who you think. It was fascinating to discover their motivations. Covid was a huge factor, so some had stimulus checks to spend. Each featured Reddit user had different lifestyles, varying amounts of money, and knowledge. I felt connected to these people. They explained their literal highs and lows along this wild journey. 

What it needed was a breakdown of the basic elements of the market, in the way The Big Short did. I watched the doc with my husband. He happens to be a Wall Street investment banker. He’s read about the GameStop movement, listened to podcasts, and is familiar with how all of this works. I read all the articles as it was exploding in real-time. Back then, I saw it as the little guy taking down the banks (and yes, I own the irony inside my marriage.) I could not help but cheer on a group of people who created a legitimate movement that stunned the financial world. Also, I’m an old-school GameStop dork. I’m no self-proclaimed gamer girl, but I frequented the store in the early 2000s. As I watched the doc, I was admittedly confused by the jargon, even as someone who tracks the market on her phone, alerts included. I felt like I needed more information, even with the tsunami already coming at me.

While some of the cartoonish elements of the transitions were a touch distracting, Diamondhands filled in a lot of blanks for me. I felt like I was no longer on the outside of this story. You’re going to fall in love with the Reddit mastermind. There’s no doubt about it. Am I secretly hoping he figures out another way to rally the little guy? Damn right, I am.

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here

SXSW 2022 short takes PRETTY PROBLEMS, WOMEN DO CRY and IT IS IN US ALL US ALL

PRETTY PROBLEMS
A couple goes to spend the weekend with a rich billionaire and things happen that upsets their relationship.

Well made but narratively unremarkable  film full of overly quirky characters that we get in numerous other similar films lensed in California. While not bad there was nothing here that stood out for me (I see too many similar films each year) which makes it hard to write on.

WOMEN DO CRY
This look at the life in Bulgaria through the eyes of the women in a family who have to deal with misogyny and homophobia.

This film disappointed me. While extremely heartfelt, the film doesn't really work. Part of the problem is that the film never feels like life. It feels like  a series of disconnected scenes that were just set up moments before action was called. And part of it is that some of this feels like it's only there just to move the film along. While the the pieces work, it never feels as a fully formed.

A miss.

IT IS IN US ALL
Hammish returns to his mother's home in Ireland, ends up in car accident and becomes involved with a young man from the accident.

There is a chance I missed something,I don't think so, but I honestly don't know what I was supposed to get out of the film. The film is so low key and so smoldering that it's hard to connect to it. Much seems to not to have been said. I always felt like I was on the outside of a glass box looking in. I kept wanting to know why things were the way they were beyond the reasons the film gave. Frankly I'm not certain the reasons the film gives work.

A miss.

(Addendum-  I know a couple of writers who liked the film, however everyone of them read the press notes before seeing the film. The notes apparently fill in details that are not in the film. I am on record as feeling that all films must stand on their own feet, ie. you shouldn't need notes, and as far as I am concerned this one doesn't)

Liz Whittemore on JETHICA (2022) SXSW 2022

The one and only Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily returns with a review of JETHICA

Hiding out in New Mexico after a freak accident, Elena runs into Jessica, an old friend from high school. When Jessica’s stalker suddenly shows up at their door, they must seek help from beyond the grave to get rid of him, for good.

JETHICA contains a unique screenplay structure. After the twist comes to light, we slowly realize certain aspects were in our faces from the very beginning. And while we’re dealing with the legit issue of stalking- viewers who’ve experienced any of this behavior will shudder- you’ll simultaneously find your moral compass in knots. This feeling is 100 percent due to the relentless energy of Will Madden. His longwinded, manic dialogue is like watching a tweaker come down from bath salts, sans the eating people’s faces. 

I love how badass Callie Hernandez and Ashley Denise Robinson are together. Their teamwork is all lady power. The relationship between Elena and Jessica is breezy and genuine. Not an ounce of judgy fuckery. As for Andy Faulkner, you’ll fall in love with him. The nonchalance from the entire cast made me guffaw. Writer-director Peter Ohs‘ decision to fully collaborate with his actors makes me love it even more, going so far as giving them writing credit. It speaks volumes to Ohs’ instincts. 

Jethica is difficult to describe in the sense that what I want to say is, “Just shut your stupid mouth and watch this brilliant piece of genre obliterating magic.” (*Insert Futurama Meme “Shut Up and Take My Money”) It’s a film that speaks for itself as it progresses. It’s weird and wonderful and has “cult classic” written all over it. So yeah, I liked it a lot.

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here

THE BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL runs 3/23-27

The excellent Boston Underground Film Festival starts this week. For those who don’t know it’s a wonderful off Hollywood film festival which screens a lot of films that become the talk of the rest of the year.

Normally I will wade into the festival and catch up on films, but this year I’ve somehow managed to see most of the selections. To that end I am presenting you with links to the films I previously saw.

YOU WON'T BE ALONE

HATCHING
NEPTUNE FROST

HONEYCOMB

HYPOCHONDRIAC

WATCHER

For more details on the festival go here.

The OXFORD FILM FEST runs 3/23 to 27

I am a huge fan of the Oxford Film Festival. Ever since film director John Wildman put it on my radar I have been covering it as best as I can because they program some kick ass films . It’s a festival that has resulted in several friendships as well. Its also the first fest outside of the North East that I seriously considered going to.

Because of the crush of life and other festivals I’m not going to be able to cover this years fest. However I will not leave you to go into the festival blind and as such I give you a short list of films we previously covered.

A LOVE SONG
18 1/2
AMERICANISH
POSER
BEING BEBE
KRIMES
THREE MINUTES A LENGTHENING

For more details on the fest go here.

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (2022) SXSW 2022

 

A celebration and history of the New Orleans Jazz Festival

I am really mixed on this film. While I love the stories and the music, the linking material, the history of the fest and other sequences kind of fall flat. Its not that they are bad, more that it feels incomplete. There is so much we don't know, we get a bit about the founding, we get bits about various aspects, but we don't get any sense of the festival as a whole. We get nothing that ties it all together it just bits and it's less than satisfying.

What is satisfying are the stories the various artist tell about going to the fest. I love the Marsalis brothers talking about playing with their dad and many others. 

Equally good is the music. The various performances from Jimmy Buffett, Al Green, Earth Wind And Fire are wonderful.On the other hand the performance of Katy Perry of Oh Happy Day is magnificent, even if seeing her in her space queen outfit is a bit odd.

While not bad the film kind of disappoints. On the other hand I will recommend it for the music, especially if you have a killer sound system

SXSW 2022 short takes: SELF-PORTRAIT , KIDS IN THE HALL, and SANTOS

SELF-PORTRAIT
A look at the world through unlocked surveillance cams.
This is a love it or hate it film made up f nothing more than shots from the cams. If you are up for shots from around the world go for it. If not move on to something else.

KIDS IN THE HALL COMEDY PUNKS
Everything you ever wanted to know about the comedy group the Kids In The Hall.  If you  are a fan of the group this is a magnificent look at the group which changed the face of comedy. If you aren't a fan this is a good look at a group which changed the face of comedy. Either way it's worth a look.

SANTOS – Skin to Skin
Portrait of John Santos, band leader, historian and activist  who has spent the last five plus decades making music and bringing together various groups via the shared use of th conga drum. This is a sweet little film that tells the story of Santos and his music. 

Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily on SXSW's THE PRANK (2022)

The ever joking Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily ponders THE PRANK

We all had that teacher in high school that we loathed, either because they were a terrible teacher or just plain evil. In The Prank, two students sick of an AP Physics teacher terrorizing the school come up with a scheme to frame her for murder. Can Ben and Tanner shift the power dynamic? More importantly, how will Mrs. Wheeler react?

Ben is your typical overachiever, while his best friend Tanner is a slacker. Funny thing, neither is what they appear to be. Tanner is a hacker genius. When the infamous teacher from our nightmares, Mrs. Wheeler, discovers someone has cheated on her Physics midterm, she threatens to fail everyone. Fed up with the power she holds, Ben and Tanner make a plan to take her down. A handful of ridiculous memes and embarrassingly fake “evidence” spirals out of control. But that’s just the beginning of The Prank.

Connor Kalopsis plays Ben with visceral anxiety in his attempt at a scholarship. His quiet confidence is a solid foil for co-star Ramona Young. I would be remiss to mention Meredith Salinger as his Mom. She’s quickwitted and down-to-earth and would have loved to see more of here. She’s a charmer.

Ramona Young as Tanner is a spitfire. With excitable energy, she bounces off of Kalopsis without ever getting campy. Their chemistry is akin to any series regulars on The Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. Kate Flannery plays the lunch lady with a sass that deserves a standing ovation. The scenes between her and Young, while short, are undeniably memorable.

Rita Moreno brings this Goosebumps-friendly film to life with her iconic character-building abilities. Her comic timing is legendary. Her presence onscreen and onstage is massive. She nails every beat of Mrs. Wheeler. Playing against Kalopsis and Young, her ability to outwit her scene partners is unmatched. Moreno captures the familiar sternness that made us shake in our boots when we were younger. Her acid-tongued delivery of screenwriters Becca Flinn-White & Zak White’s dialogue is chef’s kiss. You’ll love to hate her.

The Prank takes advantage of the classic rumor mill, updating it through social media. Without spoiling the film, the fallout that makes this film special. It was a surprising selection for SXSW22 but in a good way. The Prank is the most fun teen-centric comedy at this year’s festival. Stick around for the credits.

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

Split at the Root (2022) SXSW 2022

 

A look at the US policy under Donald Trump to separate illegal immigrant parents from their children. It focuses on the plight of several women who had their children taken away as well as the mothers turned activists  who fought to reunite the family. The film focuses on how mothers from across America came together to create Immigrant Families Together (IFT)which was aimed at working to get the separated families together anyway they could. In the case of Yeni Gonzalez the women drove her across the country in stages in order to get her and her kids back together

This is a good but not quite quite my cup of tea film that kind of disappointed. While the film tells an important story, I never really connected to the story, the problem, for me, being that I never warmed to the women in IFT.  I also completely understand that it was impossible to really follow many of the turns in person owing to the inability to film in various official facilities., but I kept wanting to see more. 

Frankly the problems come from seeing a steady diet of similar films and as a result I unintentionally have compared it to other films while not taking it entirely on it's own terms. On the other hand if you are not an insane film watcher like me you may want to give the film a try 

FIRST TIME and A MAN AND A CAMERA First Look Fest 2022

First Time [The Time for All but Sunset (Violet)
Largely wordless film that is mostly a static shot of people sitting on a train during a journey.

This film is a toss up. You are either going to love this film of a train journey or you’re going to wonder why we are seeing this. Personally I’m not sure what the point of all of this is. I say this as someone who watches You Tube Train videos this film didn’t click with me. Perhaps if we didn’t have to look past four non- moving people on a train this might have played better.

A MAN AND A CAMERA
The director wanders around a village shooting whatever he sees. Eventually he goes up to people’s doors, knocks and sees what happen.

I’m not sure what I think of this. This is a  blurring of the line between clever examination and dumb home movie as we look at all sorts of things and before starting to invade the privacy of various people. Toward the end it becomes more interesting as we go inside the homes and conversations happen.

It’s a sketch or an experiment the likes of which you’re going to watch once and never look at again.

Liz WHittemore of Reel News Daily on DEADSTREAM (2022) SXSW2022

After a public controversy left him disgraced and demonetized, a washed up internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself spending one night alone in an abandoned haunted house. When he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life (and social relevance) as he faces off with the sinister spirit of the house and her own powerful following.

Joseph Winter plays Shawn, a delightful douchebag. Or, as we regularly refer to this type of personality, a YouTube star. He promises his audience he’ll spend the night in an infamously haunted location. As the evening unfolds, Shawn’s backstory slowly comes to light. Is this stunt an act of redemption or a money grab? Whichever it is, we win with Deadstream.

Shawn interacts with the livestream comments ranging from rude to fangirl, skeptical to genuinely helpful. Some of those comments come with videos making the narrative feel immersive for the audience. The Host was a huge indie hit in 2020. The plot occurs over a Zoom seance, where the audience is also a participant on that call. Dreadstream benefits from this similar format because it will feel like you’re part of the action. It’s only the second film I would recommend watching on a laptop.

The cinematography is a collection of Go Pro and infrared cameras, giving Deadstream a first-person gamer experience. While Shawn performs promised acts of silliness, he also tells the history of each room and its associated ghost. The majority of the set is lit from Shawn’s headlamp, enhancing the scares. I constantly anticipated a jump scare. But, it’s the brilliantly written buildup of tension that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Joseph Winter abandons every ounce of his dignity in Shawn. He’s fearless in his slapstick and could not care less how absurd he looks. The way he screams is comedy gold. Winter nails that manic energy and the over-the-top vocal nuance of any YouTube star or influencer. I cannot imagine anyone but Winters doing Shawn justice. 

Deadstream is an ode to horror fans. It is a film Sam Raimi would be proud of. As for us genre nerds, don’t act like you didn’t watch Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters, or Ghost Adventures whenever Evil Dead wasn’t available to rent, again. Deadstream takes all the elements of those staples and melds them together with modern-day social media and cancel culture. If you’re not laughing out loud, check your pulse. Writing and directing team Vanessa Winter & Joseph Winter let SXSW22 audiences in on the joke. Deadstream gets me to hit “Like & Subscribe.” These filmmakers just earned a new fan. 

For more from Liz and Reel News Daily go here.

SHADOW (2022) SXSW 2022

 

I don't know how to describe SHADOW. The film is a film about a meeting of disability activists who come together and argue about how best to get the respect that they deserve. It's an meta exercise with it clear that this a film and that there are people with disabilities before and behind the camera. It is also very formal much like a stage play.

Most assuredly a one of a kind film I find it impossible to really parse out my feelings for it. Part of it is that the performances would be considered all over the place owing entirely to the ability of the people on screen. Additionally the script is not natural, it is a polemic that is very much trying to present an argument.  As a result some of it is absolutely brilliant while other bits are noble misses.

Honestly it's wrong  to even try and critique the film simply because of so many issues. That isn't to say it's bad, it isn't, rather it's something that may not work for everyone.

Personally I like the film but I admire what it is trying to do more. I think the film and it's giving voice to the people it wants to empower is important. While some of this will move you, most of this is going to work best in your head where the ideas and debates can play out .

Definitely worth a look, this film is vital and alive in ways the vast majority of films can never hope to match.

Thief Collector (2022) SXSW 2022

Thief Collector is a film that is not what you expect. The film is nominally about the theft of  de Kooning’s painting Woman Ochre from the University of Arizona in 198-. The painting was cut from the frame and carried off by a couple not long after the museum opened on the day after Thanksgiving. Where it went or who took it remained a mystery for decades…until it was rediscovered in the effects of d Rita and Jerry Alter.  

While that is a part of the story, the film actually is a look at the Alters and their obsessions. This is not a look at the crime but at the way people feed their obsessions and how seemingly normal people almost always seem to have another side to them.

I should point out that this is not saying that the Alters were bad in that they were secretly murdering people, rather they simply had a side where they went against the fine upstanding citizens they seemed to be to the rest of the world. As a result the film has become a more complicated and richer film than it would have been if it had just been about the crime.

I really liked this film a great deal. It’s a film that stayed with me through an evening in which I watched three other films after it. Yes I saw an other documentary and two edge of your seat thrillers, but when it was all done I found I was still thinking about Thief Collector even as the other films were fading from my mind. Hell I wanted to know more and I reached out to the PR person to get the press notes because I knew that they would give me even more details.

You have to love any film that takes it’s basic premise to hook you and then drags you into another direction and makes you think about things in a new way. It had my mind going so much that I wish I could have gone back and rewatched several other SXSW films that dealt with obsessions because it put those films into a new light.

This is a neat little film and is highly recommended.

Listen To The Beat Of Our Images (2021) First Look

 

The death of the town of Korou is told by someone who used to live there. The small town in French Guiana was razed by the French government to build a new spaceport after they lost their Algerian complex in that country’s independence.

Made up entirely of archival images the film is a bittersweet affair  about how the world was irrevocably changed by an uncaring government who then tried to fashion a piece of Europe in the jungle. I am haunted by the image of women doing calisthenics in the courtyard of the apartments they built. Its one of the most surreal and out of place images I’ve seen in a long time and even if LISTEN TO THE BEAT weren’t as good as it is I would recommend the film just so you could see it in the context of this tale.

This is a sad story that will haunt your dreams and is recommended

SPAZ (2022) SXSW 2022

Portrait of Steve 'Spaz' Williams who is one of the forces in computer animation animation. His work on films like the ABYSS, TERMINATOR 2 and JURASSIC PARK changed movies and the world forever.

This is a good but rather by the numbers tale for a guy who never was by the numbers. A man who loved life and loved doing things his own way he chaffed in the studio system and his antics, such as crashing George Lucas' office often made the suits want to fire him, but his abilities kept him out of trouble.

The problem with the film is that much of this is standard issue bio, but focused on Williams. It's only when we get to Williams chaffing at the suits getting credit and awards for the work of his and other animators that the film comes to life. Legendary filmmaker Dennis Muren comes off looking like an ass since its clear the people like Williams were the real geniuses at work (Muren apparently told Williams not to do the T-rex animation that proved computers could do all the effects on JURASSIC PARK.) 

While never bad it is is probably going to be best for animation junkies.

Feathers (2021) First Look 2022

Bleak black comedy about a woman  dealing with her family and her patriarchal husband who has to contend with a new set of circumstances when the husband is turned into a chicken.

I know I used the term bleak at the top but this film really is. As absurd as it is I never laghed finding the woman's plight crushing beyond words. Set some where beyond Eygpt in a town that is a sytopian as they come our heroine silent puts up with the stupidity of her husband and the uncaring nature of the rest of the world. 

Writer/director Omar El Zohairy has made a film that is  one of the most tactile that I've ever  run cross. It feels like a real place and real family. If you need me to explain consider that there were times when I wasn't sure if this was a documentary or a narrative.

Forgive me for not saying a great deal about the film but I really don't like how this film made me feel.

If you love your comedies and films blacker than a black hole this film is for you