 If you are looking for a sweeping, over-the-top romantic movie, this is not for you. Likewise, if you are looking for a predictable, jovial rom-com, again, this film is not for you. But if you are open to a quiet, intelligent, pitch-perfect romantic drama, then run, do not walk to see “Past Lives” by new director, Celine Song. This unconventional love story starts 24 years ago when then twelve-year-olds Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) spark a friendship and puppy love while at school in Seoul, South Korea. Not long after Nora admits her crush on Hae Sung to her mother, she informs him that she and her family will be immigrating to Canada. His sadness at the news is palpable, and any future prospects he had for them are seemingly lost to her future abroad. But fate steps in when twelve years later as post-graduate students embarking on their careers, the two reconnect, via online.
Their initial brief Facebook messaging spark an interest to truly get to know their now adult selves, leading to frequent Skype (pre-Zoom) video conversations. Since by then, Nora is living as an aspiring playwright in New York and Have Sung a student/intern still in Korea, they have to navigate their video meetups across major time zone differences. Although no particular romance or love is declared through these calls, a strong bond of friendship is secured and they both clearly relish these moments together. So much so that the career driven Nora realizes that since they would not be able to connect in-person anytime soon because of their schedules, she questions the practicality of maintaining a long distance romance of sorts. She begins to see it as more of a distraction from her goals than emotionally fulfilling. To both their anguish, she puts their connection on indefinite pause. The love story becomes a love triangle of sorts when Nora and Hae Sung are in their mid-thirties, still living on different continents and have not been in contact since that last call about ten years earlier. Hae Sung who is grappling with a recent break up from his fiancé and a lackluster job in his field, decides to navigate his old feelings for Nora by means of a trip to New York. She tries to explain her friend’s pending visit to Arthur, her Jewish-American husband of several years (John Magaro). While she assumes the trip is purely coincidental, her husband suspects otherwise of Hae Sung. Being the open minded and supportive husband, he encourages their reconnection, declaring an aversion to being thought of as “the evil white American husband standing in the way of destiny.” From a writing perspective and cinematically, everything and every scene leading up to their 20 plus-year reunion has been wholly engaging and fulfilling. This includes the childhood sweetheart scenes in Korea, the family’s immigration to Canada, Nora’s first encounter with her now husband when they met at a writers’ retreat soon after she cut communication with Hae Sung, and most notably the sequence depicting Hae Sung and Nora’s reconnection, via Skype. This particular sequence is lengthy but never feels too long or labored. It is pivotal to both characters’ sense of place, identity, culture and development. It is a window into their personalities, for each other and the audience. Here one gets a true sense of Nora’s confident, creative, ambitious, yet fun personality, and Hae Sung as an undeniably shy, reserved and tentative old soul. To be sure, this would be a tricky sequence for the most seasoned of directors, but wildly impressive for Song in her directorial debut in collaboration with her editor, Keith Fraase. All those scenes anticipate their in-real-life connection. It is here they meet up at the intersection of the past and present while confronting their futures. All those “what if” questions get extracted from their hearts and minds and are laid out before each other. What if you/Nora had stayed or moved back to South Korea? What if we had gotten together twelve years earlier and maintained a relationship? What if you didn’t need a green card and married Arthur? What if we had gotten married and had children? Not only are Hae Sung and Nora thinking and asking the questions, but Arthur too ponders his place in Nora’s life and culture. Speaking of which, if those thoughts of love, love loss and one’s past and present life weren’t enough to explore, there is an additional theme of culture and history that adds an incredible layer of interest to the story. After so many years in North America, Nora is perplexed by her lack of “Korean-ness” by comparison to her childhood friend. This a great example of double consciousness as coined by W.E.B Dubois and often attributed to Black people in America and immigrants as well. "Past Lives" is a full and layered film posing as minimal. For that, coupled with other noteworthy elements, like keen and rich photography, and great acting- most notably by Greta Lee in her first leading role- it is quite simply, one of this year’s best films. It is everything a small, independent film should be and what any new director should aspire for. It is poignant without being sappy; authentic but not raw; it is complex, yet accessible and relatable. “Past Lives” is breathtaking, leaving you speechless in the most wonderful way.
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 Just as it was looking like there was nothing to look forward to for summer movie releases other than Disney animation remakes and more Marvel madness, we get a delightful delivery from France. “Rise” (“En Corps”) by filmmaker Cedric Kaplisch (“L'Auberge Espagnole,” “Paris,” “Back to Burgundy”) is a heartfelt and entertaining drama intertwined with just the right amount of humor and imbued with themes of second chances, the life affirming nature of art. Although dance is at its core and a prima ballerina-turned contemporary dancer drives the story, you do not have to particularly like dance to appreciate the story and enjoy this movie.
After 26-year-old ballet dancer Élise witnesses her boyfriend cheating on her just prior to going on stage, she sustains an injury during the performance and is told she will probably never be able to dance again. Between her heartache and the devastating medical news, she loses her purpose. With the help of friends, she finds other temporary work with a caterer that takes her to an artists retreat and rehearsal facility in Brittany. While there, she meets a company of modern dancers. Watching the company’s rehearsal, initially triggers sadness over the seemingly loss of her career and passion, but through the encouragement of these new friends, Elise realizes she can pivot to a new, more forgiving and inclusive form of dance. As a result, the new experiences and friendships rekindle the fire in her. The differences between the dance forms- classical ballet and modern dance- serve not only as an aesthetically engaging film element, but also as metaphor for life and cliches such as ‘When life gives you lemons…’ and ‘When one door closes, a window opens,’ but probably most apt is this actual line from the movie when Elise is given wise counsel from a new friend: “Make the most of all the lives that life offers.” This message, of course, is specific to Elise, but is a universal theme that people/viewers of all ages can relate to. Although there is not a lot of dialogue throughout Rise, what is there is very well placed and enriched with dance sequences that give the movie an undeniable beauty and energy. Kaplisch has long been known as an actors director, assembling an eclectic cast of characters and casting pitch perfectly for each part. In that, “Rise” is in keeping with his trademark, delivering a talented cast, many of whom are more professional dancers than actors. While Rise is an ensemble project, most noteworthy is the luminous performance of the film’s protagonist, Marion Barbeau as Elise. She is Première Danseuse from the famous Paris Opera Ballet company. “Rise” is her debut as an actress. She joins the ranks of Marilou Berry, a young opera singer who turned in an impressive debut for “Look at Me” (“Comme Une Image”) in 2004, and ballet star Leslie Browne in “The Turning Point” from 1977. Unlike the latter two, hopefully we will see more of Miss Barbeau on the big screen. But this is not to take anything away from the supporting cast of talented dancers and actors. This includes Hofesh Shechter, dancer, choreograph and composer, plays his own role in the movie. Most of the music comes from one of his shows; Francois Civil who plays the love struck masseuse; Denis Podalydes, Elise’s emotionally detached lawyer father who through much of the movie bemoans his daughter’s artistic career path. Other significant contributors to the film’s elevation, no pun intended, is the wholly engaging dance sequences, impeccable soundtrack, and often dazzling cinematography. Where many directors have their best work behind them, Kaplisch is actually getting better with age and every subsequent film. This feel good dance movie, with a message may be his best movie yet, and most definitely his best looking. Director: Cédric Klapisch Writers: Santiago Amigorena, Cédric Klapisch Stars: Marion Barbeau, Hofesh Shechter, Denis Podalydès, Muriel Robin, Pio Marmai Running Time:1h 57m Rating: Not rated Language: French, with English subtitles Production Company: Studio Canal and Blue Fox Entertainment Trailer: https://www.studiocanal.com/title/rise-2022/  Photo Credit - Netflix
In the vast vortex of TV series and movies of all genres that is Netflix, it can be challenging at times to glean out a gem. It never ceases to amaze me that despite all the content out there, how often there can be seemingly nothing to watch. If you’re anything like I am there have been plenty of nights of scrolling through rows and rows of options only to repeat the mantra, “How is it possible I can’t find anything?!” I was prepared for more of the same recently, but the algorithm gods were in my favor and a new release from Italy was discovered. Still Time (Era Ora) by Writer/Director Alessandro Aronadio is a time-jumping (not traveling) dramedy that gets poignant messaging across while deftly interjecting humor throughout. The movie starts at a New Year’s Eve party with the protagonist, Dante (Edoardo Leo) encountering what will be the new love of his life, Alice (Barbara Ronchi), under unusual and funny circumstances. Not long after, Alice has clearly moved in with Dante and it is his birthday. As such, Alice begins what will be an annual ritual of a pancake birthday breakfast, and then she asks him to commit to returning home at a normal time. Dante ridiculously rushes through his breakfast, claiming to have a work deadline, but promises an early return. Unbeknownst to him, Alice has a surprise party lying in wait. Unbeknownst to her, Dante will return much later than sooner after a rigorous work schedule at the office and running a few errands. This sequence not only gives insight into their very different personalities- she is an adorable, fun-loving creative woman, and he is a workaholic with no sense of work/life balance or prioritizing the things that should matter most- but also into their new love and relationship. The viewers are hooked on them as individuals and as a couple.This also sets up the reoccurring theme of time loops. Shortly before a scene’s conclusion, Dante and the audience think a normal few hours has passed, like sleeping overnight and waking up the next morning, but in fact another year or two has gone by. It is his birthday as demarkation of time. Instead of Dante thinking he will be waking up to the day after his surprise party, he is instead faced with a very pregnant Alice. The next scene/day their baby is a year older and it's another birthday. Making things more frustrating to him, is he is the only one seemingly experiencing this. These type of jumps occur many times signifying Dante’s loss of time and lack of participation in his life and the lives of those he loves most, including a health crisis for one of his best friends, changes in his aging father. One of the most moving, yet funny examples of this is the ongoing growth of his daughter, whose first few years he has obviously participated little in. This is evidenced by the ongoing joke of him forgetting her unusual name (in honor of a Lord of the Rings movie character) and not understanding why Alice selected it. Despite the movie’s familiar premise of time loops and the reflection of life on what matters most, it is done so in a truly unique way that keeps the audience surprised, laughing and wholly engaged. And kudos to director Aronadio for usurping expectations at the end. Although Dante is a workaholic and a clearly flawed character, he is also authentically charming and undeniably delightful. He is not set up as a cliched arrogant suit just trying to climb the corporate ladder. He seems to genuinely think this is what he has to do to maintain. That said, he is missing out, literally, on life and learns a hefty lesson. The fact that it takes maybe a few too many time jumps is unfortunate for Dante, and the only minor flaw of the film. It came very close to being too repetitious and overselling the life lesson. Fortunately, with clever writing and execution, along with delightful performances by Leo and Ronchi as well as the small supporting cast, Still Time delivers as being one of the best movies you didn’t know you wanted to see and an expected best of the year. Click Here for Movie Trailer  The third time is the charm applies to my latest revision of my Best Of/Fav List of 2022 films. As I write this, it's just a few hours away from the Oscar Awards ceremony. While this is not reflective of what I think will necessarily win, I do believe my #1 and #2 selections are close contenders for the big prize, with Everything Everywhere All at Once coming out on top for probably all the "top categories," including Best Picture.
Not surprising, there are several on my list that are not in the running, and even some that most people haven't seen and/or haven't had opportunity to see yet. That includes The Grab, a riveting and important documentary that has yet to get a distributor and is only on the film festival circuit. I viewed it, like Decision to Leave, Argentina 1985 and Boy From Heaven, at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Despite their lack of awards contention or even distribution, I think they are worthy of my list and stand as the best I had the opportunity to see in 2022. I also strongly urge you to seek these films out, along with Triangle of Sadness (one of the best dark comedies ever!), which is now available on one or two streaming platforms, at first opportunity. In the meantime, enjoy what should be a relatively uneventful Oscars show, especially compared to last year's program, and with what I predict will be few surprises.  Every year I post what I think are the best films of 2022, based on what I viewed. This year is no different- I watched a lot and liked (not necessarily loved) a lot. Some of these picks are popular, maybe among audiences and/or critics, some little known, and some made it to Oscar nods. Either way, for this blog, it's my professional (critic) and personal opinion.
The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion, is a film I saw during the Mill Valley Film Festival last fall. I knew even thought it was early in the high brow movie season, it would be a strong contender and quite possibly the one to beat. While other solidly good films started filing in, Power of the Dog has remained my favorite, and I think, the best. It's a slow burn psychological drama/ a dark Western period. Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role as a cowboy and co-owner of a ranch, along with his brother played by Jesse Plemons. Cumberbatch's character is exudes toxic masculinity that threatens Jesse's character's new wife, played by Kirsten Dunst and her delicate teen son. The acting by the four leads is impeccable. The photography is enticing, and the story adapted by Campion and overall direction are stellar. A Hero (go to full review HERE). Drive My Car (go to full review HERE) C'mon C'mon - Because director Mike Mills never disappoints and always delivers equal parts tenderness, intensity and delight, it's hard to say if this is his best yet. Maybe so with Joaquin Phoenix in the lead as Johnny, portraying an estranged brother his sister, Viv who's a single mom (Gaby Hoffman), and a neglectful uncle to his sister's young, quirky nephew Jesse (Woody Norman). When Johnny, who is a documentary filmmaker based in New York, visits his sister and nephew in Los Angeles, he ends up staying longer than planned to free up his sister to fly to Oakland in order to help her son's dad who is plagued with mental health issues. As a result of the uncle and son's quality time together, they develop a bond and Joaquin offers to bring him back to New York with him while his sister needs more time away. Their time in New York is equally parts fun and frustrating for them both, but the journey of reconnection and relationship building for all parties involved is an utter delight for the audience to experience. Passing - Taking place in the late 1920s, light skinned childhood friends reunite as middle class adults- one, Irene, living as a Black woman in Harlem with her husband and two children, the other, Clare, living downtown passing as a white woman married to an established white man. In establishing a renewed friendship, the two become increasingly involved in each other's lives and insecurities. While Irene identifies, with Clare's "passes" as white becoming problematic for them both. The film is the directorial debut for actor, Rebecca Hall who is also impressively adapted the script from the novel by Nella Larsen. It is shot beautifully and starkly in black and white, has a deliberate slow pace, with a nuanced story line, with equally nuance dialogue and plot. For some, all that slowness and nuance will serve to either intrigue or attract, while many more, I suspect, will probably less engaged. Either way, there is no denying that the casting. of actors Tessa Thompson and Ruth Nega in the lead roles is perfection. They both physically present as you would expect Irene and Clare to, and they are both immensely talented, embracing the complexity of their situations. The Tragedy of Macbeth - What is there to say? It's two of the best actors of our time - Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand - robustly taking on two of the most iconic roles as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and under the direction of one of the prolific and talented directors, Joel Cohen. The only thing possibly better than their performances and Cohen's direction, is the cinematography and set designs. I do suggest before watching this film that you familiarize or re-familarize yourself with the original play by the Bard- Shakespeare- or at least availing yourself to the Cliff Notes. Otherwise, it will be like watching a foreign film without subtitles. Parallel Mothers by the cinematic institution that is Pedro Almadovar, is not close to as good as his masterpieces, All About My Mother or Talk to Her, but not as disappointing as his more recent films. Parallel Mothers, with Penelope Cruz in the lead is as good as his 2019 film, Pain and Glory, starring Antonio Banderas. In Parallel Mothers, two women, Janis (Cruz) and Ana, meet in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. While they are both single and became pregnant by accident, the older, Janis is looking forward to what could be her last opportunity at motherhood. The other, Ana, who is a teenager, is scared and regretful. Janis is a source of encouragement and support, and later will continue to be so when their lives intersect, post pregnancy. If Pedro had focused on that one story line, with maybe one subplot, this could have been an exceptional offering from the maestro. Instead, he bordered, per usual, on melodrama, and introduced one too many subplots that went unexplored. In fact, it was not until the film's end that he touches on historical and political issues, that seem much more interesting, but sadly only touched on. With that critique you are. probably asking why did Parallel Mothers make my list. It did mostly due to the strong performance by Cruz. This is not dissimilar to Banderas in Pain and Glory. If nothing else, it is always a pleasure to see Pedro bring out stunning performances from exceptional actors. Woman is Loser (Go to full review HERE) Summer of Soul (Go to full review HERE) Don't Look Up - This might not be Adam McKay at his best, but his "not best" is better than most. This is a fun and thought provoking in a way that only McKay can deliver, and with a fantastic all-star ensemble cast. Two scientists, played against type, but pitch perfectly and delightfully by Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, warn the president of the United States (Meryl Streep) that the end of the world is at hand as a planet from a different stratosphere is headed earth's way. What ensues, in addition to a lot of laughs, is a reflection of modern day society, with no meeting of the political divide.  There are so many interesting and intriguing aspects to the Iranian film, “A Hero” by writer/director Asghar Farhadi. Not least of which is its creative premise, which is full of social angst and moral dilemmas, and the lead actor, Amir Jadidi. His performance is seamless, pure and utterly compelling. The movie and the performance hearken to the likes of masterpieces of the Italian Neo-realism era, such as “Umberto D” and “Bicycle Thieves.” Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay.
Taking place in Shiraz, Iran and during a two-day leave, Rahim tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum, but things don’t go as planned. Between the time he began his leave and inquired about the complaint against him, he found gold coins in a bag near the bus stop. Instead of using the found coins, he searched for the rightful owner and returned them. Initially his act of kindness was applauded in the community, with many supporting him in his request to have the complaint withdrawn. Just as quickly as people were on his side and championing his cause, they turned against him and things spiraled out of control. What should have been a simple request and seemingly simple right thing to do, becomes anything but simple. Initially, the audience believes there is just this one side to the story and they sympathize. But we quickly learn there is definitely many sides to the story, and right and wrong is not black and white. It is all the nuanced, messy in betweens where director Asghar Farhadi clearly excels. Farhadi is best known for his 2011 stunning film, “A Separation,” which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. With “A Hero” he shows even more growth and greatness. He conveys his universal themes and issues more straight forwardly, with less metaphors. Characters are neither bad nor good; they are flawed and human. Situations are not right or wrong; they are complex and challenging. But as unique as the story is, and as interesting as the characters are, one cannot understate the pitch perfect performance by Jadidi who is in almost every frame driving the plot and stealing your heart. While “A Hero” is a strong contender, if not a lock, for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Language film, it should actually be nominated in the Best Film category. Available in theaters and on Amazon Prime. Director/Writer: Asghar Farhadi Stars: Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldust Countries of Origin: France, Iran Language: Persian MPAA Rating: ? Run Time: 2h 7min Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAJ6_lmr_HQ Studios.amazon.com  Don’t let the title fool you. “Women is Losers” is a winner - one of the best films of 2021 that you never heard of. It is a unique testament to the strength and resilience of women of color. Flying under the streaming radar, it is an indie gem that made some of the film festival circuit, including the Mill Valley Film Festival. Debut writer/director Lissette Feliciano creates a world in 1960s San Francisco in which her protagonist, Celina (Lorenza Izzo), a once dutiful Catholic high school girl, becomes inspired to make more of her life than her social limitations dictate. Her plans initially get derailed when both she and her best friend become pregnant. When her friend becomes the tragic victim of an unsafe abortion, Celine decides to move forward with her pregnancy, with little to no support from her parents or the young father who has recently returned from Vietnam and found himself in another relationship. Not surprisingly, being a single Latina mother, makes obtaining higher education and financial success seem all but impossible. Despite these educational and emotional setbacks, Celina remains determined to get away from her abusive father’s household, break her family’s cycle of poverty, and make a better life for herself and her son. It would seem that her new bank teller job could be the launch pad to better things, especially when Gilbert (Simu Liu), the bank manager seemingly takes an interest in her professionally and offers free financial advice and career advancement. Ultimately, his motives become suspect and he proves more of a hindrance than a help, with his sexual advances and professional threats, but Celina finds a way to make use of the wisdom he has already imparted. On the surface, the premise of “Women is Losers” could seem a downer, but such is not the case. This is largely due to the presentation and execution which is uplifting, creative and wholly engaging. More than all that, it is unexpected. Feliciano knows when to turn up the drama, without being depressing, but she also knows when to be poignant without being sappy or melodramatic. Likewise, she unabashedly weaves in politics and social issues, using the opportunity to educate the audience as well as entertain. All the while she seems self aware that this is a small film, with a small budget that can take creative chances. Shot entirely in San Francisco, she also wonderfully enlists cinematic and editing techniques similar to Adam McKay, a la “The Big Short.” This includes fast takes, talking to the camera, and asides with graphics and information about politics and history. The little-known to unknown cast are solidly good, with a notable performance by Izzo in the lead. She’s in almost every frame holding her own with gusto and a wry sense of humor that’s a sheer delight! Although she has other roles under her belt, this should serve as a fantastic “calling card” project for her, with hopes of seeing her in much, much more. Also impressive, is her co-star, Chrissy Fit, who plays her best friend, Marty. Chrissy is best known for her small comic relief role in “Pitch Perfect.” For “Women is Losers,” she makes the most of her brief screen time, and really shows her acting range. While this film touches, sometimes explores, sensitive topics, like domestic violence, racism and sexism, it manages to be interesting and life-affirming. It’s well-worth seeking out and spreading the word about. Available through HBO Max. Writer/Director: Lissette Feliciano Stars: Lorenza Izzo, Chrissie Fit, Liza Weil, Simu Liu Country: U.S. Language: English and Spanish Production Company: Bowery Hills Entertainment MPAA Rating: ? Run Time: 1:24 min https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3567108889/?ref_=tt_vi_i_1  Jumping off of critical acclaim and into arthouse theaters around the country, is one of the audience favorites from the Mill Valley Film Festival’s World Cinema category in 2021- “Drive My Car” by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. This deeply felt, observant film is adapted from a short story in Murakami Haruki’s “Men Without Women” collection. Two years after the sudden death of his wife, actor-director, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) who has been understandably inactive, lonely and depressed, is requested to direct a production of “Uncle Vanya” for an annual theater festival in Hiroshima. After driving there in his vintage Saab, he is told that it is mandatory he be chauffeured in his car. Although he is initially resistant to turn over his keys of his beloved car to Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), the young female driver assigned to him, he eventually relents after acknowledging that she is undeniably an excellent driver and a kind and respectful companion.
Throughout the play’s audition process and rehearsals, Yusuke and the film’s audience, get to know the play’s unusual ensemble, which includes Koji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada), a young, handsome TV star, with limited experience and range that Yusuke oddly cast in the lead role usually reserved for middle-aged actors like himself. No one is more surprised and daunted by the casting than the young actor who was selected. Was this a set-up for failure? Given that it is revealed (to the audience) that the director recognizes Koji as having had some sort of romantic connection to Yusuke’s late wife, his motivations are suspect. Over the course of the several weeks production, tensions rise among cast, director and producers. While relations in the rehearsal studio are sometimes fraught, conversely, a friendly, almost father-daughter type bond develops between Yusuke and his shy and quiet driver. She has become a bit of a respite to Yusuke’s theatrical challenges and emotional hauntings from the loss of his wife. During a spontaneous road trip the two take to Koji’s home village she left several years ago while also fleeing her own set of emotional demons, Yusuke is forced to reckon with painful truths about he and his wife’s relationship, and his future emotional well being. His accepting the director’s position, along with the unlikely pairing of Yusuke with Koji as friend and driver, proves to be exactly what he needed to launch him on a path of actual recovery. “Drive My Car” is a slow moving and wonderful story, beautifully observed and executed, with love, loss and life at its core. The two lead performances are pitch perfect, along with a commendable and entertaining supporting cast. While the movie is about 30 to 40 minutes longer than necessary, it is wholly engaging and worth experiencing in your local arthouse theater or on streaming platforms. Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi Writer (s): Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Haruki Murakami (short story) Stars: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Masaki Okada Official Site: https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2040 Trailer: https://vimeo.com/641986389 Country: Japan Language: Japanese with subtitles Run Time: 179 minutes  Racism and a pervasive broken prison system is explored through the lens of history in “Attica,” an unnerving documentary about the 1971 uprising at the maximum-security prison in Upstate New York. In the lead-up to the takeover, tensions were soaring between inmates and guards as prison conditions worsened. Such conditions included being relegated to up to sixteen hours a day in their cells, their mail being tampered with, almost non-existent medical, an inequitable parole system and overcrowding. Additionally, all of the guards were white to a predominately black and brown prison population who were relegated to the lowest paid jobs, and frequently harassed by the guards. On that fateful day on September 9th, the tables were turned as those same guards were taken hostage by the inmates, unharmed, but used as negotiation with state politicians.
Director, Stanley Nelson successfully presents the core grievances, the revolt, community emotions and national reaction through never-before-seen archival footage and fascinating interviews with former inmates sharing first-hand accounts and family members of the guards/hostages. While most of the documentary is very insular, focusing on living former prisoners recounting their angst and other emotions prior to and after the revolt, Nelson uses broader perspectives occasionally as well. In the early 70s, there was a burgeoning push for prison reforms, and activists such as Angela Davis and Stokley Carmichael were outspoken and relentless in equating the U.S. justice system and prison conditions to slavery. George Jackson who himself was sentenced to life over a ten dollar gas station robbery, soon became an prison advocate and a leader for his fellow inmates, extolling the harsh realities of life behind bars and the need for political reform around the issues. Nelson’s film puts such activists and philosophies of the time in context of the uprising, as well as the state and national politics involved, with quotes from the then New York governor, Nelson Rockefeller, and President Richard Nixon. In some ways this is literally a hard film to watch, but an important part of recent history to know and witness. Most startling, but significant is the unflinching camera on the mostly black and brown dead bodies in the wake of the bloody massacre- 39 inmates gunned down by state troopers at the command of the governor and the approval of the president. No member of law enforcement was prosecuted for the killings during the retaking of Attica. It is to this day the bloodiest prison riot in history. 50 years later, the prison problems persist. “Attica” the documentary, coupled with current social justice activism and countless contemporary books chronicling the ongoing cycle of police brutality and need for prison reform, serve as reminders of how little has changed and how precious is the accountability of justice. “Attica” premieres at the San Francisco Doc Stories Festival on Nov. 4; Airing on Showtime on January 6. Director: Stanley Nelson and Traci Curry Writer: Stanley Nelson Stars: Clarence B. Jones Rating: TVMA Production page & trailer: https://www.sho.com/titles/3472216/attica  Pivoting is still the name of the game for the film industry in general and film festivals specifically. The Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) is no exception or stranger to that. While last year they were able to successfully pivot to drive-in theaters and streaming platforms for its audience where many other festivals had to cancel altogether, this year they find themselves still adjusting to not a completely, post-Covid world. It is worth noting that Marin County in Northern California, where the MVFF hails from, has an extremely high vaccination rate. Zoe Elton has been with MVFF since its inception, and is the Director of Programming for much of that period. She is also the Founder of the festival's Mind the Gap, gender equality initiative. The MVFF, going into its 44 year and a division of the CA Film Institute, has an impressive track record of launching new films and new filmmakers, and has earned a reputation as a filmmakers’ festival by celebrating the best in American independent and foreign films, along side high-profile and prestigious award contenders. Each year the festival usually welcomes more than 200 filmmakers, representing more than 50 countries. Screening sections include World Cinema; US Cinema; Valley of the Docs; Children’s FilmFest; a daily shorts program; and Active Cinema. Last year, MVFF, unlike many film festivals did take place, but they had to pivot to drive-in and streaming only. Once again, for this year, they are gearing up for adapting to county health department guidelines while balancing the audience’s desires and expectations. I talked to Ms. Elton about the changes and expectations for this year’s festival. PF: “MVFF 2020 was able to take place albeit in a different way due to Covid. How is it different, yet again, for this year?” ZE: “It’s different this year because this year is actually different. It’ not like 2020, but it’s not 2019 either. Last year there was Covid, without vaccinations, plus the area was dealing with a lot of fires. It was crazy! Last year we had a limited offerings divided between online and even more limited drive-in screens. This year is a whole different thing again.” For the organizers and staff, our muscle memory is that of last year, but yet we’re working with more. We’re doing in-theater and some online. On top of that, we’re all still working from home, so that frenetic energy of everyone working together in a busy office, is just not happening. And then what will next year bring? Probably a whole new set of unknowns. It’s all very weird, but yet we are excited about the films available this year and that the audiences are seemingly wanting to get back to the theaters.” PF: “With limited independent, foreign and studio offerings, how many of your usual 200 films are you able to present?” ZE: We have about 75 films this year. Of those, the movie studios were really pushing for screening in-theaters as much as possible this year, but because other festivals were delayed and our staff wasn’t traveling as much, we ended up with new layers of I-don’t-knows. PF: “As a moviegoer and a film journalist who’s covered several festivals, I’ve always appreciated the unique feel of MVFF. It’s both big, yet community oriented and easy to navigate.” ZE: “Wherever you go in Marin County, you see the mountains, Mt. Tamalpais, and there are Redwoods. The fact that we’re not in an urban metropolis and that the weather is great and you can be outdoors a lot, really makes a difference in the experience for patrons, festival staff and journalists. We are also unique in that we do not have film competitions. We have audience awards and we pay tribute to certain actors or filmmakers every year, but we don’t set up competitions, and I think that sets a more relaxed tone to the festival. We’re there to celebrate the art.” While most of the festival is taking place in several Marin County venues, organizer’s are partnering for the second time with BAMPFA in Berkeley. ZE: “Yeah, it’s kind of great to partner with a venue that is associated with the arts- the art museum, the University of Berkeley- so to select film titles that are most fitting for that specific venue is special. The flagship theater for the festival is the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, with the Sequoia Theater in Mill Valley as secondary. This is mostly due to the fact that The Rafael is bigger, with three screens and stages, and it’s the most secure for navigating Covid protocols.” Mind the Gap is an initiative that launched in 2015. It’s dedicated to achieving gender equity in the film industry. The same year, the California Film Institute (CFI) began expanding the Mind the Gap initiative across the entire organization in order to provide an inclusive platform to showcase female-forward contributions in all aspects of the film industry, celebrate the dynamic achievements of women in film, and empower future filmmakers. Since its inception, Mind the Gap has embraced the intersectionality of its filmmakers and conversations within the fight for gender equity and the importance of intersectional perspectives and gender’s indisociable connections to other identity traits has become a cornerstone of the platform’s focus. (California Film Institute) PF: “I’ve covered several festivals personally I’m impressed with the programming of the festival beyond films, that very involved not only in film community, but local Bay Area community. Things related to music, Bay Area films and filmmakers, and of course, there is Mind the Gap, a gender equity initiative with an initial goal of 50/50 by 2020. What was the inspiration for this lofty festival goal?” ZE: “We started this initiative in 2015 when we realized that the needle in Hollywood in terms of the percentage of women that they hire as directors, and by extension, writers, producers, etc., was not moving at all. That put us in a soul searching moment, asking ourselves, what could we do? As a result, we committed to getting to 50-50 by 2020. While the pandemic upstaged us, nonetheless, we got to 57% women directors across all the MVFF programs in 2020. We proved that it can be done!” PF: “This initiative goes beyond just gender gaps but am I right in that there is also a commitment to diversity?” ZE: “As we program for the festival, we look out for filmmakers of color. While 50-50 is a great benchmark. It’s a great thing to maintain, but we want to take this concept and initiative to another level. We want to offer things that can be more palpable. To that end, we will be releasing information about the Mind the Gap Creation Prize, which is $10,000 grant going to a female filmmaker. This year’s recipient is a Black director.” Mind the Gap this year embraces the topical theme of reconnecting with community. 2021Mind the Gap Award recipients are Nina Yang Bongiovi, “Producer of the Year” for Passing, and Jane Campion, “Innovative Artist of the Year.” Her film is The Power of the Dog. MVFF 44 starts October 7 and goes through October 17. Some of this year’s most anticipated selected films include Belfast, Bergman Island, The Lost Daughter, Queen of Glory, and Parallel Mothers. The prestigious opening night film is Cyrano by Joe Wright; the Centerpiece film is C’mon, C’mon by Mike Mills, and closing out the festival is The French Dispatch, the latest colorful and wildly creative installment from Wes Anderson. Go to mvff.com for programming and ticketing information. |
AuthorPaula Farmer. Archives
August 2023
Film |
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