Diversity of genres, characters, issues and themes take center stage for the 34th Annual New York Jewish Film Festival (NYJFF) and co-presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) and The Jewish Museum. Going on now through January 29th, the festival which is known for being one of the oldest and best of its kind the focuses on a presenting a combination of carefully curated documentary, narrative, and short films from around the world that explore the Jewish experience. Although there are over 20 selections for the festival, as is traditional for FLC, there are three especially prestigious positions that make up the Opening, Centerpiece and Closing film selections.
Opening Film: “Midas Man,” a biopic on Brian Epstein and directed by Joe Stephenson and written by Brigit Grant serves as the festival Opening film. Epstein is the Jewish and gay music lover and visionary man who discovered and then managed the Beatles in the 1960s before his tragic death at age 32. The impact of the Beatles on the music industry and pop culture is still felt today and launched after the band’s legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show by storm in 1964. That appearance came to be all because of Epstein. Centerpiece Film: This year’s Centerpiece Film, “Of Dogs and Men” dives right into the current tragic series of events taking place in Israel and Gaza. Director Dani Rosenberg examines the horrors of it all through an experiential account of a teenager who returns home to her kibbutz searching for her missing dog in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel. The film does not stop there, but rather takes a humanist approach to the ongoing conflict, including both the tragic losses for Israel and the horrific violence of retribution toward Gaza. Closing Film: Closing things out is the eagerly anticipated documentary, “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round.” Filmmaker Ilana Trachtman’s recalls a crucial 1960 part of the Civil Rights Movement when protesting Black students were joined by Jewish locals as they together took to a merry-go-round in a segregated park in Maryland. The film’s objective is to highlight the importance of allyship in the face of social injustice. Other noteworthy titles included in the festive are “Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire”, “Full Support, “The Zweiflers.” And "The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival” by filmmaker Julie Rubio. Tamara de Lempicka was the preeminent Art Deco painter. She was misunderstood and marginalized because of her bi-sexual lifestyle and her need to hide her Jewish background. This is, of course, a visually captivating film experience due to footage of De Lempicka’s art, but it is also rich content and access. Based on the film line up, it is impressive that during these polarizing times within the Jewish community specifically, and society overall, that the NYJFF is making a bold commitment to highlighting sensitive issues and hard themes, as well as including diversity of filmmakers. If you live in or near New York, take advantage of these screenings, most of which will include a Q & A session afterward’s with the film’s director. If you are outside of the area, look for these films to come to a theater near you or accessible to various streaming platforms. Soon, look for me to post full reviews of a couple of the screenings from this festival. For festival details and to purchase tickets, access the link below: https://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/new-york-jewish-film-festival/#films
0 Comments
![]() “Blitz” - If the New York Film Festival (NYFF) opened up with quiet poignancy in the form of “The Nickel Boys,” it went out with a bit of a bang with its closing film, “Blitz” by Steve McQueen. A commonality amongst the film and television projects by McQueen is that he explores stories and aspects of history not usually seen. Keeping in that tradition is his latest, taking viewers to characters and situations not often portrayed in wartime London during its blitzkrieg by the Germans. Taken from the point of view of a young single mother (Saoirse Ronan) who works in a war-related factory, and her 9-year-old bi-racial son, George (Elliott Heffernan).
After George is sent away with other children as a safety precaution from potential bombings, he escapes the train to make his way back to his mom and grandfather. Along the journey back home, he encounters characters that highlight the impact of war on everyday residents of an urban area, as well as the marginalization of people of color and those that choose to align with them. In addition to the unique points of view and themes for this period drama, what stands out are the cinematography, sets and sound editing. “Emilia Perez” - This undoubtedly will prove to be one of the most unique and exhilarating films of the year, if not ever, and the most audacious from director Jacques Audiard’. “Emilia Perez” defies categorization and genre while encompassing the best of several- drama, musical, dark comedy and crime mystery. It’s campy. It’s sexy. It’s not to be missed. From the opening sequence featuring a whip smart, under appreciated attorney (Zoe Saldana -did we know she can sing?!), whose expertise is enlisted by a high profile Mexican drug lord desirous of gender reassignment surgery, the viewers are taken on an enthralling cinematic ride full of twists and turns that will have you thinking and talking about it for days after. The film’s creative concept and stellar execution are only rivaled by outstanding, unexpected performances by each lead, including Saldana in the role of her career, Karla Sofia Gascon in the title role, and Selena Gomez as the heart broken and beleaguered widow of the drug lord (okay, we knew she could sing, but did we know she had drama acting chops?!). Try to see it in theaters before it’s too-soon-to-streaming platform release. It's a fantastic movie to experience on the big screen and with a collective audience. “Hard Truths” - If it’s been a long time since seeing a Mike Leigh film, now is the time to get reacquainted. True to form, Leigh delivers a character driven drama, laced with humor and imbued with pivotal social themes. “Hard Truths” proves that at 81-years-old, Leigh is still at the top of his game. For this project he is reunited with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, one of the stars from “Secrets & Lies” (1996). Jean-Baptiste gives a tour-de-force performance (Oscar nod, please!) as Pansy, a middle-aged woman whose mental health issues, not immediately realized by the audience are evidenced in the form relentless anger that’s become toxic for everyone around her, most notably her working-class husband and her depressed adult son. “I’m Still Here” - This wholly drawn political drama by Walter Salles (“Motorcycle Diaries,” “Central Station”) focusing on Brazil’s dark period of a military dictatorship. Depicted through the true life situation in 1971 when Rubens Paiva, a former congressman and outspoken critic of Brazil’s newly formed, questionable government, was taken from his home in Rio de Janeiro by officials. Although he and his wife, Eunice (Fernanda Torres), were told it was just a routine deposition to authorities, he never returned, forever changing the lives of his wife and their five young children. A shattered Eunice spent the rest of her life seeking the truth as to her husband’s disappearance, demanding answers and accountability from authorities. This film is both heartbreaking and harrowing. “Maria” - If you’ve seen Pablo Larrain’s two other films about real life tragic, rich white women - “Jackie” and “Spencer”- then “Maria” will feel like more of the same. Like those others, it is a snapshot portrayal, quasi bio pic of an iconic female character. For “Maria,” featuring Angelina Jolie, it is quick dive into the life of legendary opera star, Maria Callas. The film takes place a week before her untimely death as she is retired from performing and grappling with life away from the stage, something that clearly was her whole life. Unlike those earlier character studies, with “Maria” most don’t know much about Callas, as in her personal life and how her career got launched. Unfortunately, we don’t learn any of that from the film. Where the three are similar however is in Lorraine’s casting lead roles. Jolie, like Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy and Kristen Steward as Lady Diana, gives a captivating performance. Also noted is the alluring cinematography despite the innumerable annoying close ups, and unique editing style. Sadly though, all that cannot save the anemic script and story and overall lackluster execution. In other words, it’s beautiful but boring. “The Room Next Door” - It’s nothing but the best of casting for legendary Spanish auteur, Pedro Almodovar’s first English language feature length film. Starring Tilda Swinton as Martha, a retired war journalist who is in the throes of cancer treatment, and Julianne Moore as her long lost friend, Ingrid a best selling writer. The film is adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel, “What Are You Going Through” about the friend’s reuniting under the unfortunate circumstances of Martha’s terminal illness. For “The Room Next Door” Almodóvar continues with his tradition of exploring the lives of women, but this time with a very distinct and welcome American sensibility while still being unmistakably Almadovar. Instead of Madrid that often serves as a central character, this time it’s Manhattan and Upstate New York, with sumptuous interior and exterior locales. This is as much a story about the power of female friendships as it is about the choices about life, death and dying. Although there are a few moments of awkward dialogue writing and tonal issues, along with an odd dual role of one of the primary actors, overall it’s an engaging and touching story. The performances by and pairing of Swinton and Moore that make it worth the price of admission. “Rumors” - Here too is another delightful and unexpected selection by NYFF 2024. Basically, this is a whip smart, sometimes silly political- Sci Fi romp portraying a fictional G-7 Summit meeting, with Germany as the host and Cate Blanchett as the German chancellor. While the summit members are having a private lunch out in the woods away from the press discussing vague political and odd personal ones, it appears after a while, that all their security and staff are oddly no where to be found. The summit members as well as the audience find themselves at the onset of a major international crisis, potentially a human apocalypse. Even for the wide range talent and project selections of Blanchett, “Rumors” seems a far departure. I don’t know how she ended up in this mix of comedy, politics and science fiction, but I’m glad she did. “The Shrouds” - While director David Cronenberg has consistently been wildly inventive over the years with some creative gems like “The Fly,” “Dead Ringers,” “Spider,” just to name a few, for many he has also been hit or miss as far as quality or success. We give him credit though for always swinging for the fences. For this his latest, he remains true to his odd and creative roots, but sadly, it is a miss as far as writing, tone and execution. In the wake of tech entrepreneur, Karsh (Vincent Cassel) losing his wife (Diane Kruger)to cancer, he has developed a new software that will allow the bereaved to bear witness to the gradual decay of loved ones dead and buried in the earth. Things go awry and the mystery unfolds when some of the graves are tampered with and the technology is stolen. While many, especially die-hard Cronenberg fans, may find “The Shrouds” eerie and thought provoking, many others (myself included) will just find it odd, uneven and unsatisfying. “Universal Language” - Think Wes Anderson film, but in some ways, better in a raw and unpretentious way. “Universal Language” puts less emphasis on bold and flashy set designs and affected speech patterns that mask over any semblance of an actual storyline, instead it presents all the fun and absurdity while possessing more substance over style. Canadian writer- director, Matthew Rankin cleverly intersects three sets of characters and scenarios with the backdrop of a wintry Winnipeg and within an Iranian community. Two kids discover and try to retrieve money frozen in a block of ice with the intention of buying their classmates a new pair of prescription glasses; a tour guide brings befuddled visitors on a walking tour of the city’s most obscure landmarks; and a melancholy man (Rankin in an autobiographical role) returns home from Montreal to reunite with his ailing mother. Rankin seamlessly and wonderfully weaves a distinct deadpan sense of humor throughout each situation and every character. Rankin admittedly was inspired by Iranian films of the 1970s, humanistic children’s fables, and we’re all better off for it. This adorable, inventive and wildly absurd little movie manages to be both real and surreal, and humorous and poignant. Photo credit: Stephen Lam/The SF Chronicle
Like always, the Mill Valley Film Festival hailing from Northern California every autumn, has a robust documentary showcase section. For the 2024 festival this includes 21 real story films. Not least among them is an impressive entry from American director and producer, Julie Rubio. She is best known for producing the award-winning independent film “East Side Sushi” but premiering at MVFF is her feature length documentary debut, “The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival”. This is the story of the greatly admired, yet little known about female artist, Tamar De Lempicka. From her rise to stardom in 1920s Paris to her move to the United States in 1940, fleeing the rise of fascism, and her revival in the current art market. A working mother, feminist, style icon, and bisexual libertine, De Lempicka embodied Art Deco’s spirit and portrayed high society women in boldly erotic terms that broke the male gaze. Encouraged by her grandmother, young Tamara emerged as a prodigious talent who combined cubism, classicism, and surrealism to reinvent the female figure, not as object but as protagonist. In this riveting documentary, Rubio fills in the surprising contours of a remarkable life with never-seen-before home movies and other artifacts, and including never-before-publicized information from descendants, curators, and art historians who cite reinvention as the survival strategy. De Lempicka is a misunderstood but courageous figure who fled the war and authoritarianism, while supporting herself and her daughter and determined to stay true to her artistic vision. Although the specific project is four years in the making for Rubio, the idea for it and its initial plans for it as a feature film started nearly 20 years ago. Recently, I got the opportunity to speak to her about the project’s concept and journey. PF: The documentary is a departure from your other projects. How did it come about? JR: When I first met the de Lempickas about 20 years ago at the Weinstein Art Gallery while working on another artists-related screenplay. A common acquaintance through the gallery knew the de Lempicka’s (daughter and granddaughter) were looking for writer-director to do something about Tamara, so he facilitated a meeting between them and myself. We hit it off right away, and I began to research Tamara to create a narrative screenplay. Unfortunately, early on in that process things got a bit complicated regarding rights, etc. Given the issues, I decided to file away the project. Fast forward many years later during early days of the pandemic during a conversation between my creative producer, Amy Harris and I, we brought up the idea of re-visiting a project about Tamara. This time though, it felt like doing it as a documentary, not a narrative, was the better, more authentic approach. PF: At that point, did you reconnect with the de Lempicka family and get their blessing on this new iteration of the project? JR: We had remained in touch and friends, so they had no hesitation about it. I took advantage of having time on my hands during the pandemic to dive into the research and begin the project in earnest. PF: Through research you acquired, you made some interesting discoveries about Tamara’s identity. Please explain about that. JR: Yes, we found groundbreaking documents and publications confirming Tamara’s true name and birthdate, and her family’s conversion from Judaism to Calvinism. PF: Once you started uncovering these things, it became a big guiding force for the direction of the film, correct? JR: Absolutely. So many modern researchers and writers got it wrong. They over simplified Tamara and her unique situation, marginalizing her and claiming she was a weak person and just vain. They vilified her for calling her daughter her sister. But she was raising a daughter on her own and coming into her talent and stardom when there were very few women in the art world, and during the rise of Hitler. She was covering because she was a single mother, Jewish and bi-sexual. ___________________________________________________________ For years, the world believed Tamara de Lempicka’s name was Tamara Rosalie Goragorscoc, and that she was born on May 16, 1898. Rubio’s researched uncovered that her name was actually Tamara Rose Hurowitz, and she was born June 16, 1894. The whole family converted religion and changed their name. ____________________________________________________________ JR: It sheds that light on the courage, the measures it took in order to survive as a family. Her concealment of her Jewish heritage wasn’t an act of deceit, as many made it out to be., it was necessary against the ever present persecution. Others have overlooked these aspects of her life that reveal the challenges and her resilience. PF: The heart of the documentary because answering the questions about why and how she felt compelled to hide so much of her identity, in addition to what she is known for… her art. JR: Yes, in addition to all her life challenges and having to hide in order to survive, she was a brilliant talent that left such a legacy of art. If you look at each of her paintings, they tell a story. If you look at the year, you know exactly what was going on in her life and what was going on politically. PF: Through the filmmaking process what ended up being the most challenging for you? Was it balancing with the family, or maybe research or funding? JR: Fundraising for sure. Women are still not getting the same support for films. We’re living in a man’s world but have lots of female stories. And although we make up 51 per cent of the population, we’re navigating a system, especially in the film industry, that skews to men and their projects. Thank goodness for a festival like MVFF that started the Mind the Gap program, specifically designed to give women filmmakers more access in their programming. _______________________________________________________________ Mind the Gap champions the bold female and nonbinary filmmakers telling these stories. For the 2024 festival the program features a wave of exceptional emerging talent shaping the future of film and collective imaginations. This gender equity initiative began several years ago when festival organizers set a goal to achieve a 50/50 balance of women and men directors at the festival. To their delight, they reached their goal earlier than expected. _______________________________________________________________ “The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival” is wonderfully imbued with the renowned artist’s stunning paintings, along with equally enlightening never-before-revealed information about the painter. A big part of what makes certain documentaries work more so than others is access and revelation. Ms. Rubio’s homage to De Lempicka delivers on both aspects and is well worth seeking out. I you are in the San Francisco Bay Area you can see the film at the MVFF on October 13th. The U.S. premiere of the documentary at MVFF coincides with the first major U.S. retrospective of the artist’s works at the de Young Arts Museum of San Francisco going on now through February 9, 2025. Upcoming screenings: - Roxie Theater San Francisco, October 26 @ 1pm Julie Rubio is also the founder of East Meets West Productions. When she's not working on her films, she's helping other women realize their movie making goals as the Director of Business for Women in Film SF Bay Area. At 62-years-old there are a lot of familiar aspects to the prestigious New York Film Festival (NYFF), like heavily auteur driven entries and gleaning the best from the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, yet ensuring all their selections will be U.S. premieres. As to the changes, NYFF has clearly been influenced by changing social tides it’s not surprising there are some welcome new elements such as a bit more women filmmakers and directors of color represented in the lineup, and going paperless on the press/film notes. NYFF has always had a relatively modest size amount of films in their repertoire in comparison to the likes of other festivals like Cannes, Mill Valley and Toronto. The boutique nature of the festival confirms their commitment to being carefully curated, aka, the cream of the film crop. Most of the films here will go onto art houses and Oscar contention.
The festival is divided into five categories: Main Slate, which includes the opening, center piece and closing films is considered the core of the program. “It is a selection of the most exceptional new films from around the world.” (Films at Lincoln Center/FLC) Spotlight “expands the vision of the Main Slate, showcasing a selection of the season’s most anticipated and significant films.” Currents "complements the Main Slate, tracing a more complete picture of contemporary cinema with an emphasis on new and innovative forms and voices.” (FLC) Revivals “showcases important works from renowned filmmakers that have been digitally remastered, restored, and preserved with the assistance of generous partners.” (FLC) Talks, which are free to the public, “features in-depth conversations with filmmakers, critics, curators, and more” (FLC). Videos of these interviews are available for free on YouTube. While the festival’s official opening is at the end of September, the press screenings have already been underway. As such, below are a few previewed thus far. “All We Imagine As Light” - This is a richly observed inter-generational story of female empowerment in modern day Mumbai; an impressive debut by Payal Kapadia, who won this year’s Grand Prize at the Cannes festival. Focusing on Prabha, the head nurse at a local hospital and her relationship with her younger roommate, Anu, a student nurse, and her older friend, Parvaty, who also works at the hospital. The three women are at various states of their careers and personal relationships. Prabha seems to have been abandoned by her husband through an arranged marriage, while Parvaty is dealing with the aftermath of her husbands death, and Anu is pursuing a forbidden romance with a young man despite her parents’ attempts to marry her off. Seek this film out when it comes to an art house in your neighborhood. “Anora”- Riding the wave of being the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, this film by Sean Baker has a lot of buzz around it and rightfully so. It is undeniably fun, funny and a creative raucous modern romp in the tradition of an Ernst Lubitsch comedy from the 1940s and Night Shift from 1982.The movie follows a young exotic dancer, Anora (Mikey Madison), who works at a club in Brighton Beach. Because of her Russian background, she is one night paired up with a young Russian customer, Ivan, who as it turns out is the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. Being on his own in the States, the reckless, spoiled youth ends up becoming enamored with Anora, buying her time and affection. Claiming to be in love with her one night while partying in Las Vegas, Ivan proposes, and the two get married in a quickie wedding. When they return to New York and the family’s personal manager and body guards learn of the marriage, chaos ensues and the fun begins over a 24-hour period. This is already a festival audience favorite that will probably be readily available soon in theaters or on a streaming platform. “The Brutalist”- Coming in at 3.5 hours, with a built in 15 minute intermission, this movie is a long cinematic commitment, but a masterful achievement by director Brady Corbet, and oh so worth it. At the center of the story is Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian Jewish World War II survivor and talented architect who has made his way to America in 1947 After initially staying with and working for his cousin, the owner of a modest furniture store outside Philadelphia.Toth eventually ends up on his own, taking on manual labor odd jobs. Through a series of events, he gets connected with Harrison Lee Van Buren, a wealthy industry tycoon played by Guy Pearce. Van Buren recognizes Toth’s unique talent in design and gives him a monumental project to work on while awaiting the arrival of Toth’s wife from Europe. What starts off as a friendship and opportunity of a lifetime, turns into volatile relationship leading to the rise and fall of Toth professionally and personally. “Nickel Boys” - It’s not hard to understand why this was selected for the most prestigious slot of the festival’s Opening Film. It is equal parts a magnificent work of art, a fantastic adaptation for the prize winning 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, and creatively and beautifully shot. It is more common for readers to be skeptical of an adaptation of a beloved book, but with “Nickel Boys” director RaMell Ross has managed to not only maintain the strong messaging of the source material based on true and horrifically racist events from a boys reform school in Florida, but in some ways enhance it. This through unique visual techniques including shooting it entirely through the point of view of the two leads played by Ethan Herisse as Elwood, and Brandon Wilson as Turner. The two form a close bond that serves to sustain their hope during their time at the Nickel Academy. “No Other Land” - This is a verity-style documentary by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian journalist Basel Ada who collaborated on this project from 2019 through October 2023. The two filmmakers provide a harrowing account of the systematic destruction experienced by Masafer Yatta, a group of Palestinian villages in the southern West Bank, at the hands of the Israeli military. The two, who also take up activism, commit to filming and protesting, along with other village residents, the demolitions of homes and schools and the resulting displacement of their inhabitants, which were carried out to make way for Israeli military training ground. “No Other Land” might prove challenging to watch, but its messaging and timeliness make it worth whatever heartache to endure or political assumption to overcome in experiencing this documentary. Hopefully that will prove true too for a perspective distributor because as of the time of this review, the documentary had no distributor. Interested viewers may need to make an effort to seek out this important film through independent art house theaters. “Youth (Hard Times)” - Unlike the aforementioned “No Other Land,” this verite style documentary that is part of a series, is not worth navigating. While it is undeniable that the subject matter of sweatshops in China, their conditions, and complicit parties are undeniably significant, the film’s execution of conveying this is sorely lacking and depressing. That, along with the nearly 4 hour running time commitment makes it more of an endurance test than a worthwhile film experience. Although documentary filmmaker Wang Bing is a bit of a festival darling, in this, his lack of substantive information is glaring. It would be preferable that “Youth (Hard Times)” either be a narrative film, with a story line and character development, or be a traditional formatted documentary, with engaging interviews and information. “Poor Things” and “The Favourite” director Yorgos Lanthimos is known for being one of the most unique and creative filmmakers in Hollywood. His directing career, which began in his home country of Greece in 2001, has garnered attention as well as criticism and praise… but mostly praise. Over the years, his reputation of cleverly combining a quirky sensibility with equally strong themes and unusual content and characters has endeared him some of the best acting talent in Europe and America. And since 2018 between the release of “The Favourite” and “Poor Things,” Lanthimos’ films have racked up quite a few Oscar nominations and awards, confirming his unique talent and appeal.
Given that “Poor Things” was the darling of this latest award season (2024), including star Emma Stone winning for Best Actress in a Leading Role, one might expect Lanthimos to rest on his laurels… or at least rest. Instead he is riding on the heels of the acclaim and awards and has released “Kinds of Kindness.” The single movie is made up of a collection of three short-ish films (about an hour each) and done in the tone of fables and using the same ensemble of actors, headed up by the seamlessly talented Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone who also is the film’s producer. Initially the three stories seem disparate, but the more you get immersed in each one, the more themes and commonalities merge. The first follows Robert who tries to take back control of his own life after his boss and sometimes lover dictated every aspect of it. As such, the boss, played by Willem Dafoe, has gone as far as selecting Robert’s wife, house and determined that he should not have children. After ten years of such control, the boss insists on an especially odd and dangerous task of Robert. When he declines, the boss rejects Robert, leaving him to second guess himself and spiral. In the next story, Robert is a policeman who is devastated by the loss of his wife who is missing at sea while on a work excursion. When she returns, Robert is convinced it is actually not his wife. Soon the accusations and paranoia ensue. For the last installment, a couple/colleagues (Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) are on a mission to find a specific candidate with special abilities to raise the dead and destined to become a spiritual leader for a cult-like following. While “Kinds of Kindness” is in keeping with Lanthimos’ quirky characters and creativity, it is not, however, in the same ilk has his latter works. “Kindness” is more so harkening to the filmmakers earlier projects, like “Dogtooth” or “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” where sophistication in style and presentation takes a backseat to darker sensibilities, and downright weird story lines and themes. This is not necessarily a bad thing, more of a warning to viewers more accustomed to and inclined towards the Lanthimos films of recent years. For some, it may be less delightful and more daunting, but conversely, “Kindness” might serve well to entreat fans who are unfamiliar with the first half of is repertoire to go back and experience the director’s entire cannon. I’m sure that is the hope, but the reality is that the majority of latter film fans probably will not crossover to his very dark comedy form. “Kindness” is definitely an acquired taste, with it more likely that many will find it outright weird and maybe even offensive or problematic regarding the portrayal of abuse and kink. What could have made it more palatable and engaging would have been if the characters spoke in normal patterns. Instead, the dialogue is delivered in stilted affectations throughout. What is the standout for the triptych is the talent, especially Plemons. True to form as a chameleon, he is a consummate character actor and “Kindness” solidifies him as the Phillip Seymour Hoffman of his time and one of the best around (I sense early Oscar buzz). Likewise, Dafoe and Stone are strong second leads to Plemons’ as the principal actor throughout. Other supporting actors and welcome new additions to the Lanthimos lineup are Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie and Margaret Qualley. Love it or hate it; engaged or disdained, there are plenty aspects to appreciate about “Kinds of Kindness”- the mysterious elements of how the stories are conjoined, and the use of the same actors for varying roles, and each performances. “Kinds of Kindness” is the messy, but not necessarily tragic accident on the highway. You are the passenger-turned-gawker who can’t not look away. Director Tran Anh Hung and his latest film are a match made in culinary and cinematic heaven. The opening scene, of "The Taste of Things," which doesn’t seem as long as it actually is - nearly 40 minutes long - is a luminously attractive parade of culinary delights. It is a period piece showing a couple/man and woman and two young females assisting with the gathering of vegetables, preparing various dishes, and carefully crafting and cooking each of several courses one at a time. Think of the opening of Ang Lee’s 1994 “Eat Drink Man Woman” but 25 minutes longer, more items and infinitely more tantalizing close up shots. Then it all gets served, lovingly consumed and painstakingly described.
All is set in an equally beautiful setting of a French countryside house and garden in 1889, with most of the movie taking place in a rustic, yet grand and charming kitchen brimming with copper pots and pans, a large wood-burning fireplace, a chunky wood table sitting on a stone floor and flanked by generous stoves, baskets with food and fresh cut flowers, and utensils on every surface. The tones throughout are dark and cozy. Director Ahn Hung has created a world of culinary delights. A feast for the eyes. Initially, the relationship between this gastronomic couple, Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and Dodin (Benoît Magimel) is not known. Are they in a romantic relationship or just a professional one executing exemplary meals? Not too far into the story, it is realized that their’s is a special relationship that balances both- a passion for the culinary arts as well as a personal affection resulting from two decades of working together. It is their shared love of food and cooking that led to a deep romance usually only subtly portrayed. Eugenie is a humble, yet esteemed cook, and Dodin, a revered gourmand. Although Binoche and Magimel are the stars, and wonderfully so, the themes of gastronomy and love is at the center of this romantic drama. In true Ann Hung minimal style (“Scent of Green Papaya,” “Vertical Ray of the Sun”), aesthetics and ambiance are more prominent than words and dialogue. “The Taste of Things,” based on the French novel “The Passionate Epicure” (1920 by Marcel Rouff), is a unique love story about love itself and the love of food. I recently had a chance to interview the director about his latest film. Here is our discussion: Q: Your films display a strong visual sensibility where aesthetics and overall tone are seemingly more important than traditional scripts heavy with dialogue. Would you agree with that observation and if so, was that something you learned or did it come naturally? A: It did come naturally to me, probably because I’m attracted to visual arts. In movies I don’t try to get something that looks real, something in everyday life. I prefer to give an expression of it. By doing so, the beauty came naturally. I always want audiences to come out of the theater with a feeling of beauty. Q: You’ve always been okay with using dialogue sparingly? A: In talking about words, I think it’s good to balance dialogue with a lot of silence. That way when you hear words, it’s more precious. This combined with the visual aspect, make it more vivid. Q: How did food and cooking come to be one of the main aspects of the film, along with a longterm relationship? Was part of it inspired by your wife, actor, Tran Nu Yen Khe’s (“Vertical Ray of the Sun”) love of food and overall design? A: In one way or another, my wife and I have worked together with my film projects for almost 30 years, so we know each other and how to collaborate very well. She has done the costumes for some films, the production design for others as well as the art direction for everything, including Taste of Things. The look and beauty of it is in large part thanks to her. When I wanted to make a movie about food, I found a particular book, but the story wasn’t good. Given that, I decided to tell a different story. This story is inspired by my relationship with my wife. Because of my age I wanted to make a movie about marital, that kind of love that lasts a long time. The challenge was how to make a movie about love, with a sense of harmony that would not be boring, Q: How exactly is gastronomy central to the story and the featured relationship? A: Food in general is one source of centrality in our lives, along with love, so it was important to have a film that combined that to find a balance. I knew the audience needed to actually see people making the craft of gastronomy with real vegetables and real meat, etc. Anh Hung relayed that because of the complexity of the cooking scenes he had hoped to have adequate training time for the actors with a chef. He specifically planned for one week of training, but due to both Binoche’s and Magimel’s work schedules, they were only available for half a day of training. That could have been daunting, but it actually ended up being enough because the perform at such high levels no matter what the roles or tasks. Q: With the art and craft of gastronomy being so central to the film, with the actors actually prepping, creating and plating, was it particularly challenging to cast and direct actors who had no prior culinary experience, per se, and then end up with little time to train? A: Well, firstly, although they have no professional experience with food, like all of us they do still cook in their everyday lives. This is especially true for Benoit because he has a particular passion for cooking. The other thing is that they are great professionals with a lot of experience in varying roles. Case in point, Benoît had played a surgeon once and realized he could draw upon his skills he learned from that role to this one. Anh Hung explained that the incredibly gorgeous and historically accurate food created was born of a collaboration with a food historian during the script writing process. Once they settled on items and tested them out, everything was run by the production’s food advisor who made minor adjustments to the menu. Afterwards and throughout the entirety of the shoot, Binoche executed the menu to perfection. Tran confirmed that there were no cut aways to someone else slicing and dicing or cooking. Q: You are no stranger to working with talented actors, food and lush aesthetics, but I’m especially impressed how you write and direct projects of different countries and languages, including Vietnamese, Japanese and French. Given your background, does Vietnamese come most naturally and easily as far as language and culture? Is French more of a challenge? A: Actually, my French is better than my Vietnamese. Switching languages for a script and directing comes very natural to me, and when I come to France to direct, I have no problem getting a sense of the culture and conveying it. I like French culture. Also France, unlike some other European languages and cultures has a subtlety to it that coincides with my Vietnamese nature. The downplayed expressions of love between Eugénie and Dodin is something I can relate to and is very French. There is great love there, but they often do keep their distance to focus on the tasks at hand. And sometimes I mix cultures in my mind and writing. When the two characters in this film discuss the seasons as it connects to their personal preferences and their relationship, that is actually very Japanese, but put in this context, it sounds very French and it works. Q: Speaking of very French, how did you come to the casting? Not that Binoche wouldn’t be the top of any director’s wish list. A: Although Juliette and I have never worked together until now, we have known one another for a long time, over 20 years. We’ve always wanted to collaborate and when I started writing this script, I knew this would be a great opportunity. She was there from the beginning and she stayed event when we hit some difficulties. Everything with her was quite amazing because when you frame her, everything becomes strong. Likewise, Benoit is amazing too and I’m grateful to have both of them for this project. When you see the movie, it’s obvious that there was a special connection between not only Binoche and Magimel, who in the late 90s were a couple in real life and share a daughter, but also between the lead actors and their writer/director. If ever there was a passion project, this is it. “Taste of Things” was born out of love, made from love and dedicated to the love between Tran and his wife. While some couples are scrambling for last minute tokens of their affection for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day, for director Ann Hung can lovingly point his wife to this deliciously gorgeous film now and forever. For the rest of us, we can watch “The Taste of Things” together and experience the food and feel the love. Born in Vietnam and living in France for many years since 1975, Tran Anh Hung studied filmmaking in Paris at l’École Nationale Louis Lumière. His directorial debut, “The Scent of Green Papaya” (1992) won him a reputation internationally by winning Camera d’Or and the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 46th Cannes Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Director/Writer: Tran Anh Hung Stars: Juliette Binoche, Benoit Magimel, Emmanuel Salinger Country: France Language: French Run Time: 2 hours 15 min MPAA Rating: PG-13 Production Company: IFC Films Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKKCGtoIOVY “The Teachers’ Lounge” is Germany’s submission for Best International Feature Film to the 2024 Academy Awards, and just a few minutes into it, it’s easy to understand why. The film uses a public school as a microcosm for society, with grade school teacher Carla Novak (Leonie Benesche) at the center. Although she is new-ish to teaching, she is confident and idealistic and seemingly well-liked by her middle grade students as well as her colleagues. That all changes when students in her classroom are suspected of theft by other teachers, and she suspects a colleague of stealing money from her coat pocket.
During the initial scene of her students being unofficially investigated for a theft, Carla is clearly uncomfortable with the accusations, probing and profiling taking place. She questions the ethical and legal nature of the investigation. She sympathizes with the students’ feelings of being violated and a couple of them maybe even unfairly profiled. Despite her unease, she is instructed by the principal and teacher involved to accept their decision to investigate and their methods. Not long afterwards, she realizes she has been the victim of a theft in the teachers’ lounge. In an attempt to catch them in action, Carla purposefully puts money in her jacket pocket, leaves it at her seat, then sets up her computer camera. The thief takes the bait, but only his or hers torso is captured on camera wearing a distinctive and colorful blouse. With evidence in hand, she approaches who she believes is the culprit, one of the support staff in the school office. The secretary vehemently denies the accusation. Soon after, a series of heated debates and unfortunate events are unleashed, with the secretary’s son, a student at the school who is often the subject of bullying, is swept up in the drama. He lashes out at the teacher in defense of himself and his mother. Others question if the mother and son are not being singled out because of their ethnicity and economic status. This is the very thing that Carla questioned when certain students were targeted in her classroom. Now she herself is accused of what she had earlier suspected. Carla, once appreciated and admired; cool and calm, is getting it from all sides. There is no place in the school- her classroom, the teachers’ lounge, common areas- where she is not either the victim of accusations or brought into decisive matters between others. Not surprisingly, she begins to second guess herself, the choices she made and the allegations she made. Because the movie is done entirely from Carla’s point of view and she is well-meaning and likable, the audience is sympathetic to her and what becomes her plight of digging a deeper hole as she tries to navigate what’s right and wrong. She is the teacher you would want for your children or would have wanted for yourself. You feel the chaos swirling around and want to defend and protect her. Benesch is magnificent as the protagonist. She morphs into the role, believable and captivating. She makes us believe that Carla is us in our everyday battles no matter how small or large; it’s individuals grappling with when to engage in political or community issues, and when to retreat. Through it all, filmmaker İlker Çatak (“White Ribbon”) impressively navigates themes of power, racism, social justice and student’s rights. There is something both very reflective of German society while also intensely universal. Director: İlker Çatak Writers: İlker Çatak and Johannes Duncker Stars: Leonie Benesche, Eva Lobau, Leonard Stettnisch Language: German MPAA Rating: PG-13 Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes After nearly two years of a global pandemic that deeply impacted our lives, we have collectively dug ourselves out, for the most part while also knowing on some level we will never be the same. The signs of the time, pre and post-pandemic were reflected in the movies and throughout the movie industry. All that to say, movies are back, baby! And some movies in 2023 actually got audience off of the couch and into theaters- thank you- Barbenheimer- although on some level it's clear that sooner-than-normal or straight-to -treaming may for a very long time, if not forever, be embedded in the system... especially for smaller films.
2023 will also be synonymous with the WGA and SAG strikes going well over 100 days. While it was debilitating for the industry, especially the members, a few significant releases got out just before the strikes, and even more once an agreement was reached. The fierce union negotiators managed to strike a deal with the studios, just in time release and promote the end-of-the-year Oscar contending movies. Here is my annual "Top Ten" Movies of 2023. These are in order of and a loving blending of my fav/best from #1 to #10. Hooray for Hollywood and go support in-theater movies when you can. 'Past Lives'- This is a great example of a pitch perfect film and of a debut filmmaker not over-reaching. This film is a wonderful blend of drama and little bit of romance while navigating themes of identity and culture. Go here for my full review - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/past-lives-film-review 'Monster'- This movie about perspective and context will have you pondering the themes and question for quite awhile after experiencing it. For my full review, go here - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/monster-movie-review 'Poor Things'- This is as quirky, creative and wild, yet substantive as any of the director Yorgos Lanthimos' earlier works ('The Favourite,' 'The Lobster'), if not more so. 'The Holdovers'- Although this is not necessarily one of Alexander Payne's masterpieces, like 'Sideways' and 'About Schmidt,' it is a quintessential Payne movie hitting all the hallmarks he is known for, like attention to detail, subtlety, perfect balance of drama and humor. It is both moving and delightful, and a must see for any fan of the filmmaker. The three main actors, Paul Giamatti, D'avine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa, give outstanding and believable performances. 'American Fiction' - Go to my full review here - https://www.paulafarmer.com/film-blog/american-fiction-review Who is the monster in any highly-charged random scenario? In the case of Kore-eda Hirokazu's latest film, 'Monster,' it could be any one of us or none of us. Is it the bully at school or the new teacher who disciplines him? Maybe it’s the stoic school principal or an abusive single parent. Who can judge and who gets to exact revenge? 'Monster' ask these questions and more after tempers flare in a grade school class setting and an irrevocable series of events are unleashed. He explores how one incident can impact so many people’s lives, the power of perspective and the importance of context.
When a common classroom clash between two students- Yori and Minato- breaks out at a school in a small lakeside town, Minato is physically and emotionally impacted. By whom, why and how is not necessarily clear. Minato’s mother is convinced her son was hit by the disciplining teacher and vehemently takes the matter up with the principal, the teacher and other officials. She is dissatisfied with their initial offer of an official apology, and accuses the principal of being cold hearted and inhumane. To her, more must be done despite the revelation that the students, along with the teacher have differing claims about what exactly happened. Similar situations of classroom eruptions is probably replicated throughout schools everywhere everyday. This particular seemingly benign incident gradually mushrooms into so much more. Soon, the school board, the community and the media are involved, armed with opinions, criticisms and judgements. So sets the film’s premise which launches into a cascade of brilliantly executed points of view. As a viewer, you are guided into each character’s world outside of the specific incident, as well as getting a glimpse inside their personal trauma, drama and sometimes closely held beliefs and secrets. As such, you too make assumptions and think you’ve worked things out as far as who’s right and wrong; who is the victim and who are the perpetrators. But then a twist, a turn presenting an ever so slightly shift in perspective… although the characters remain the same. Every actor, every performance is utterly moving and effective, especially the two young leads, but the film’s stars are the editing by director, Kore-eda and the writing by Yuki Sakamoto. To take the viewers almost seamlessly from one point of view to the next without announcing the change and without confusing or losing us, is no small feat, and in the hands of a lesser talent, could have been a mind boggling disaster. Instead, “Monster,” which is drawing comparisons to Kurwosawa's "Rashomon," is tender and complex; smart and nuanced without being pretentious. As it unfolds, it gently nudges audience active participation by mentally putting together the cinematic puzzle laid out before them and navigate social constructs. “Monster” is not only one of the best movies of this year, but one of the best movies period. Director Kore-eda Hirokazu, known for previously critically acclaimed films “Shoplifters” and “The Brokers,” has just delivered his masterpiece. “American Fiction” is a hilarious must-see movie that delivers as many laughs as it does moments of poignancy. Jeffery Wright, most known as a prolific actor usually in supporting roles, is refreshingly the lead here. He stars as Monk, a California-based frustrated novelists-turned even more frustrated English professor. His books are good, not popular or profitable. While attending a writing conference in his hometown of Boston, he is painfully reminded of what he sees as the marginalized position of Black authors within literary circles. He is equal parts fed up with the publishing industry’s promotion of and its profits from books that perpetrate negative stereotypes. Monk is plagued with the nagging feeling that in order for him to achieve any financial success or professional notoriety, he must submit to the pervasive expectations- Black authors can only write Black stories full of trauma and drama.
All this angst leads to what he thought would be exacting revenge on the publishing industry. As such, he submits to Arthur, his agent (John Ortiz) a bogus, quickly thrown together mediocre novel brimming with what he considers blood curdling tropes- deadbeat dads, rappers and crack. Initially, Arthur was mortified and quick to discourage Monk from trying to make a social statement in the form of what could only be a failed experiment that could hurt his already lackluster writing career. But Monk is determined to go all in at rubbing their noses in their unfair system. He and Arthur agree to disagree and compromise by creating a pseudonym and fugitive, bad ass persona. To both their surprise and his agents delight, the manuscript illicit swift responses from the publishing world: Instead of outrage, a bidding war ensues. The white establishment not only does not register Monk’s intended point, but the winning publisher loves the book, fast tracks it to print and secures a movie deal. For better or worse, Monk and his alter ego- Stagg R. Leigh- is finally poised for success. All the while, Monk must maintain his new found literary persona and keep the publishing windfall a secret from everyone. Normally, Monk is known to maintain physical and emotional distance from his family, but while in town and his secret professional windfall is quickly unfolding, he is thrust into major family issues he cannot avoid. He finds himself in the caregiving role to his mother ( Leslie Uggams) that in times past was undertaken by his sister (Tracee Ellis Ross). Complicated by is mother’s declining health is the lack of support from his brother (Sterling K. Brown) in the matter, and a seemingly false start to a new romance. The family aspect of the movie wonderfully offer additional humor to the already hilarious take on the book world and society’s obsessions with stereotypes. Refreshingly and commendably Monk’s family and romance woes usher in a layer of complexity and humanity that is unexpected. Jeffrey Wright, long known for heavy-hitting dramatic roles like “Basquiat,” “Angels in America,” “The Ides of March,” just to name a very few, has of late been showcasing his comedic chops in movies such as “Game Night” and Wes Anderson films, like “French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” and we’re all better off for it. With “American Fiction” he wonderfully heads up this ensemble cast that includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz and Erika Alexander. Wright does multiple one-on-one scenes with each of these actors, and you would be hard pressed to pick a favorite with each landing pitch perfect comedic and sometimes tender exchanges. “American Fiction” would work as a solidly good comedy, If there were only the one story/plot of Monk’s reluctant turn of events in his career and the circumstances leading up to it. The script-writing and cast are strong enough to deliver on the comedy front alone. This includes Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) as Monk’s author nemesis who is seemingly pandering to or victim of the narrow-minded establishment. The fact that debut writer-director Cord Jefferson, along with co-writer Percival Everett layered in a tender subplot of familial relations, love, loss and identity, is a bonus that takes the movie from just entertaining to exceptional. |
AuthorPaula Farmer. Archives
January 2025
Film |