Deep Into The Forest (2024) Tribeca 2024

A promising athlete is pressured to compete even though he is severely injured.

This is a good drama about the pressures we face in one way or another. Why do we choose to do the things we do? Should we be doing some of them even if they are going to injure us?

One of the best shorts playing at Tribeca, it shines brighter because it's one of the few films that feels like it was made to tell the story not for some other reason. It was one of the few films playing that left me satisfied at the end.

Recommended

White Rabbit (2024) Tribeca 2024

A family moves into a new home and next to a mob guy. Certain she she sees a murder, the mother takes steps to protect her family.

I can not say more than that. I can tell you it's good but because the film builds to a revelation I can't really discuss the film because everything hinges on the end.

Worth a look

When Everything Burns (2024) Tribeca 2024

A female firefighting volunteer gets in trouble for attacking the people she feels are responsible for the wild fires. 

This is a thoughtful look at the dangers of corporate greed and climate change. It's film with no real answers but lots of questions.,

It also feels like something that needs to become a feature. This film has a great deal to un pack and 12 minutes is nowhere near enough. 

That said this is worth a look.

Ariela Rubin has some brief thoughts on GRIFFIN IN SUMMER (2024) Tribeca 2024

Griffin in Summer is a coming of age movie about a 14 year old theater kid who wants to become a playwright. His mom hires an handyman/pool boy who Griffin winds up having a crush on (likely his first crush).

While Griffin isn’t the most likable character, I thought this movie was so cute and had several laugh out loud moments, and the ending was the sweetest! Recommended!

MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESBERGER (2024) Tribeca 2024

 

I am not a fan of Powell and Pressberger. Their films never fully worked for me. I admire them technically but I really don't put them on except when I need to reference something.  As such this was not a film I wanted to see but watched as an obligation. It was a film I was going to watch an hour of then jump to something else playing at the P&Is.

However once Martin Scorsese started to talk and I realized it was just going to be Marty talking for the better part of two and a half hours I was in for the duration. 

This is one of the great cinematic biographies. It not only tells you about a pair of filmmakers lives, but it explains why they matter and how they changed everything that followed. I was so entranced that I wanted to go out and rewatch their films.

This film is a glorious celebration you need to see

¡CASA BONITA MI AMOR! (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is the audience award winner for best documentary at Tribeca. While I would be lying if I said I agreed, I do think it's a really good film.

The film is the story of how Matt Stone and Trey Parker took some of the money they made with South Park and Book of Mormon and used it to buy their favorite childhood restaurant Casa Bonita, which is like a Mexican themed indoor theme park masquerading as a place to dine. They thought it would take around six million to buy it and fix it. They are now well over 40 million in the hole and it's still not full open.

This is a wild ride that goes in unexpected places and shows us unexpected things (They use the theme to the Alain Delon Zorro film as a music cue for reasons that elude me even if it delights me). Its a film that will make your mouth hang open as you try to figure out why. It's a film that will make you gasp at the insanity and smile at the delight Matt and Trey find in the whole thing. 

While I want to tell you everything that happens- I won't, because like the actual Casa Bonita, you just need to see it for yourself.

Recommended

MARS (2024) Tribceca 2024

 

Final project from The Whitest Kids You Know is a crowd funded animated film that ended up stalled for several years when Trevor Moore, the driving force to do the film, died not long after they recorded a radio show version of the story.  The film was to be the group's final project and a tribute to their fallen friend. 

The film is the story of a Richard Branson like billionaire who runs a Willie Wonka like contest to pick the people who are to go with him to Mars. Things don't go as planned and the group ends up trapped on the red planet.

This is a mixed bag film. While the basic plot is excellent the film frequently rambles into low brow humor that while funny, distracts from the main story. Not that the Whitest Kids care, they don't, this was a gift for their fans and they aren't looking to do more than please them. At the press screening I attended some of the audience was convulsed with laughter all the way through, while the rest of us smiled and wished it was tighter.

While it doesn't work completely there is still enough here that non-fans who aren't easily offended  may want to try the film.

I COULD DOM (2024) PALM SPRINGS SHORTS FEST

This is a sweet and lovely film that you need to see. It's the story of a non-assertive young woman who decides, after talking to her friends, to try to be dominatrix. Of course it goes sideways.

I really don't know what to say. This is a note perfect little film that sucks you in and carries you to the unexpected conclusion.  And I do think it's largely unexpected, because despite seeing a few similar films over the year I COULD DOM very much charts its own course.

That the film works is due entirely to the cast. Everyone is likable thanks to a group of actors who in no way phone in their performances.

Made with love and a wicked sense of humor and romance I COULD DOM is an absolute delight.

Highly recommended.

Tribeca 2024 Short Takes: SATISFIED, THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER, COLOR BOOK

SATISFIED 

Portrait of Renée Elise Goldsberry, who starred as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. It follows her as she prepares for her role as well as the struggles to have the family she always wanted.   This is a very good look at the actress and her life. It's a nice look at what it takes to be a mother and an actress.  If there is anything really bothersome about the film it's that things feel as if the filmmakers assume you know who she is and that she is someone on the order of Liza Minnelli or Luther Vandross or one of the other big names that are the subject of docs at Tribeca.  While I enjoyed the film, I'm not certain I needed to see this story

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer

One of my favorite films at Tribeca is the story of a writer who gets hooked up with a retired serial killer. It's a glorious black comedy that results in some truly twisted and very funny moments.  It's an absolute delight of the highest order. I had so many wonderful discussions concerning the film.

I don't want to ruin it. Just see it.

COLOR BOOK

I'm not going say a great deal but this is a lovely small film that unfortunately has gotten lost at Tribeca. It's a stunning small jewel of a film about a father learning to connect to his son with Down's Syndrome.  It will move you. In the best way.

Because I want to revisit this down the road away from the 90 plus films I saw at Tribeca

Highly recommended.

BLACK TABLE (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is the excellent tale of the African American students, nominally the class of 1997, who tended to all sit together in the Yale dinning hall for meals. They came together for no other reason than their own company, you did not have to be black to sit there, but it was a safe place where they could just be.

This is one of the great films at Tribeca. It's a look at race and higher education that speaks volumes about how people of color are viewed and view each other and the rest of the society. It is a film whose quiet power comes from the very personal tales told as if to friends.

Its a stunner and a must see.

SKYWALKERS A LOVE STORY (2024) Tribeca 2024

Portrait of skywalkers (people who climb high objects and film themselves doing it) Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus as they fall in love and make plans to climb the Merdeka 118 and take picture at the top of the spire.

The film is a mixture of footage shot by the subjects of their climbs coupled with footage shot on the ground and of their preparation for the Merdeka climb. The climbing footage is stunning. Seeing it on an IMAX screen it was somewhere beyond over whelming. Sure you've seen it on You Tube but odds are you have never seen it like this. You will get vertigo.

As over powering as the climbing footage is, the rest of the film is kind of bland. We never really learn much about either Angela or Vanya other than their love of climbing. The pair comes off as kind of vapid and looking simply to make a financial killing. The dash for cash is revealed by the fact that Merdeka climb has to happen so they can make needed money selling NFTs of the images. There is too many conversations about their business interests and as such no sense of doing it for any reason other than the cash. Worse their is no sense to the people at the center of the tale. There is no sense of friends or life or other interests other than Angela's grandmother (who got a standing ovation at the Tribeca IMAX screening)

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the film but I didn't love it.

Worth a look for the images.

the skywalkers on the ground at the Tribeca IMAX screening

Thinking Game (2024) tribeca 2024

Portrait of Demis Hassabis who is head of the AI firm Deep Mind. Hassabis is working to make artificial intelligence a part of all our lives which he is certain will make things better.

Insanely myopic portrait of a very intelligent man who is selling his services and wants this film to assure us that AI i safe and will never be used for bad things. He says this because he said he has been told by people in authority that they have no intention of turning AI to the dark side.

Watching the film my jaw hung open in utter disbelief. It's such a sweet and saccharine portrait of its subject that it is impossible to buy his bullshit. While I admire Hassabis' enthusiasm, his myopia is troubling. He reminded me of all the truly brilliant genius track kids I knew in school who would chase these grand projects (some sort of exploding do dad) or to improve this or that in some weird way, completely unaware of the problems they were creating - sort of like the people referenced in Dr Ian Malcolms line in JURASSIC PARK to the effect they were so into the fact that they could recreate dinosaurs they never stopped to think if they should. Hassabis seems to be unaware that anything bad will ever happen with AI. If he is lying through his teeth and down playing the dangers he is not to be trusted. If he genuinely believes it then he is a fool and should be removed from the project. This is especially true since more and more we are getting reports of errors in AI generated materials.

While I know the genie is out of the bottle and AI is here to stay, I think having a blind portrait of a mad genius who loves AI that doesn't consider the dangers is a mistake. We need clear eyed discussions not a sales pitch for new toy that maybe blow up in our faces.

Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (2024) Tribeca 2024

HBO documentary about Steve Van Zandt a partner in crime to Bruce Springsteen, a solo artist, actor, composer, producer and many other things.

This film is everything you ever wanted to know about Van Zandt and then some. Full of great muic and greater stories it's a film that will make you fall in love with Van Zandt and his body of work. Odds are even if you Van Zandt this film is going to tell you something new.

The problem with it is that it is wildly over long. Yes, there is a lot to tell, but making this film two and a half hours long works against it (I ran into several people who walked out of one of the public screenings because it was simply too much). This should have been shorter or what would have been better several hour long episodes. On the other hand since the film is premiering this weekend on HBO and MAX you can watch this in pieces.

Over length or no- this is a lot of fun and is recommended.

Bang Bang (2024) Tribeca 2024

Tim Blake Nelson plays a cranky ex-boxer who has to consider changing his ways when his grandson steps back into his life.

The reason to see this film is Nelson who gives a scene chewing performance. Big and loud and brash it is a hypnotic performance that is like a punch in the face. It is by far the best thing in this film which suffers from following the paths we have many times before.

At the same time that Nelson is the best thing in the film, he is also the reason the film doesn't work. He is so big and loud and above everything else he feels as though he is in another film. All the flaws of the film are revealed in his light. Worse he wobbles things so badly he breaks the film and nothing is believable. You don't care about anything other than him and the film collapses.

What a major disappointment.

Power of The Dream (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is a look at how the WNBA has stepped forward to speak out on social issues including women's rights, LGBT issues and Black Lives Matter.

This is a very good examination of how the women of the WNBA stepped up to speak their minds about the issues that affect their lives. Since the league is all women most of which are women of color and many of whom are queer they are simply speaking about the issues that directly impact their lives.

Told by the women who helped lead the discussions this is a film you fall into. It's a film that makes the heavy discussions more like talking to friends rather than being lectured. As such it's a film that wins your heart and makes you love the ladies more.

Recommended.

(Note: the run time at Tribeca was listed as 133 minutes. The actual run time was about 95 minutes)

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) opens Friday

Sasha is a young vampire who gets squeamish at the thought of killing anyone. When her family cuts her off and tells her to fend for herself she struggles to find a way to cope. Then she meets Paul who agrees to let her feast on him, but she has to help him do a couple of things first. Complications are of course heading their way.

I absolutely love this film. It is a glorious film full of great characters. You absolutely love everyone on screen.

In some ways we’ve seen variations of this story, but in other ways this is entirely new. There are some twists and turns here that are wonderful.  Actually what is even more wonderful is the characters and performances which create an entirely believable world where vampires for exist.

I can’t say enough good things about this film easily one of my most favorite films of 2023, HUMANISTIC VAMPIRE made me smile from ear to ear. I just sat there falling in love with the film in ways that I haven’t experienced in a long time. Finding a film like this is why I love the movies. The point I fell hopelessly in love with the film with the film was the scene with a Brenda Lee song. Watching the Paul and Sacha (I won’t suggest they are actors but simply the characters) was so magnificent I was getting misty. There was no real reason for it other than this marvelous moment between the two people on screen. I was lost for ever.

How good is this film? When I was done I was sending emails to all the writers covering Venice and Toronto to tell them to cover the film. I was sending emails to film directors to tell them to cover the film.

Yes it really is that good.

You need to see this film. This is the sort film that takes a story we might have seen before, adds some seasoning and makes it something new. It’s a film that is so full of humanity and truth it makes us reconnect with life.

Highly recommended

brief thoughts on MEMES AND NIGHTMARES (2024) Tribeca 2024

A filmmaker takes up with the best tweeter on the NBA Twitter ro track down where a certain meme disappeared to.

Goofy comedy  is amusing at times but is going to play best who live and breath twitter interaction and in particular NBA twitter interaction. Since I don't live on twitter and not well versed in anything NBA I was lost as the references flew by like deadlines.

The real problem with the film is that it's much too long. While I understand the film needed to be a feature for sales, the truth is that the film doesn't have enough here to support 90 minutes.  Yes there are laughs but this would have been better as a short.

SOLDIERS OF SONG (2024) Tribeca 2024

I enjoyed being at the World Premiere of SOLDIERS OF SONG. Being in the room with people fighting for their country, listening to them sing and play music after the film was a deeply moving experience. It was something that made the war in Ukraine very real- and I got chills when the audience erupted in cheer for Ukraine. It was one of the most special evenings I've ever had at the movies.

Unfortunately the film itself is mess and desperately needs to be recut. 

The film is a nominally a look at the men and women who are keeping morale up by playing music for the people of Ukraine on the front line and at home. We get to see lots of people playing music and we hear how some have fallen in battle.

The problem is the editing of the film is a mess. Cut like a thirty second music video/recruiting commercial the film is the wrong sort of propaganda. Forgive me for phrasing it like that, but it's true.  It's big and flashy and it wants to hook us and drag us along.  The problem is that the film never really gives us any sense of anyone on screen. The living are too busy either performing or trying to tell us something. The dead are eulogized as a fallen warrior but we get no real sense of the terrible loss. Everything is a montage of music and image but no details or anything that would give us a sense of the person we are seeing.

I've seen a couple of documentaries on people performing for the soldiers of Ukraine and we got a sense of the performers and the soldiers we meet, we never get that here.

Forgive me. While I am 100% for Ukraine (my family has roots there) the fighters and musicians on the front lines deserve better.

THE CRANES CALL (2024) Tribeca 2024

A look at Anya Neistat and Solomiia Stasiv as they investigate war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in real time in Ukraine. The pair wade into the war zone to build a case against the invaders, many of whom they had been tracking from other conflicts.

This is a good if weirdly bloodless look at how war crimes cases are put together. The pair, working for the Clooney Foundation, go about their work with zeal, interviewing victims, going to locations and most amazingly finding damning documents left behind by the Russians. 

The problem with the film is that it is rather matter of fact. We are mostly kept at a distance from anything disturbing. Having seen dozens of films on the conflict over the last two years this film is so lacking in a sense of war as to be an outlier. There is nothing wrong with it, except that it removes the sense of urgency that should be there.

Still the film is informative and a must see  if you want to know how war crimes are being investigated.

CROSSING (2024) Tribeca 2024

A woman leaves Georgia (the country) and goes to Turkey with the intention of finding her trans niece. With a young man who knew her niece in tow, she explores Istanbul.

CROSSING is a delightful bittersweet tale about the things we do for love and the times we find there. Its a film that doesn't move like a movie but more like real life.  Its a film where you can't see where it's going because things don't seem plotted but lived.

This was one of the films that I really wanted to see going into the festival. I have no idea why, but there was something about the write up that intrigued me. The film itself is did not disappoint. Its a look into places about which I know nothing. It introduced us to a group of people who won our hearts and we wanted to travel with.

If there is anything amiss in the film it's a late in the game turn, a flight of fantasy, that seems like a cheat in an otherwise very real film. It was out of place, not remotely fatal, just momentarily disappointing. (I can't tell you what it is for reasons you'll know when you see this film)

That minor moment aside CROSSING is a great film and highly recommended.