Tag: Telluride Film Festival

Review: ‘Zurawski v Texas,’ starring Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, Austin Dennard and Molly Duane

November 5, 2024

by Carla Hay

Amanda Zurawski in “Zurawski v Texas” (Photo courtesy of HiddenLight Productions, Story Force Entertainment and Out of Nowhere)

“Zurawski v Texas”

Directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault

Culture Representation: Taking place in Texas and in Indiana in 2023, the documentary film “Zurawski v Texas” features a predominantly white group of people (and some Latin people) who are connected in some way in the lawsuit Zurawski v. Texas about abortion and reproductive rights in the state of Texas.

Culture Clash: The lawsuit’s plaintiffs, including lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski, want to repeal Texas’ strict abortion laws to include the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy that puts the mother’s life in danger or where the pregnancy is ending through a miscarriage.

Culture Audience: “Zurawski v Texas” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in documentaries about abortion that examine personal stories about abortion as it pertains to health care and reproductive rights.

Luis Villasana, Samantha Casiano and Molly Duane in “Zurawski v Texas” (Photo courtesy of HiddenLight Productions, Story Force Entertainment and Out of Nowhere)

Although the candid documentary “Zurawski v Texas” is focused on three plaintiffs and their attorney in their battle for reproductive rights in Texas, the movie sounds the alarm about how restricting abortion is a crisis-level health care issue in the U.S. The movie also serves as a predictor of what could happen if more states pass abortion laws that are similar to the abortion laws in Texas. The plaintiffs (who are all women from Texas) want their lawsuit to be a warning of how reproductive rights that are at risk can be harmful to health care and family planning.

Directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, “Zurawski v Texas” had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. The documentary revolves around one particular case, but the tone of the movie is that this case has reverberations and implications for untold numbers of people who are affected by abortion in the United States. The anti-abortion laws in Texas became stricter after 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Curt overturned the landmark 1973 case Roe vs. Wade that guaranteed federal protections for the right to choose to have an abortion.

There were several plaintiffs in the 2023 Zurawski v. Texas lawsuit, but the three plaintiffs featured in the documentary are the plaintiffs who testified in the case and whose courtroom testimonies are featured in the documentary. The featured three plaintiffs are:

  • Amanda Zurawski was pregnant with her first child—a daughter named Willow—who was dying during a miscarriage during the 18th week of the pregnancy. Under Texas state law, Zurawski could not immediately terminate the miscarriage pregnancy. She went into septic shock, which is the only reason why the pregnancy was eventually terminated. This medical emergency has had long-term consequences for Zurawski’s reproductive health. The documentary shows how Zurawsk finds out more traumatic news about her ability to get pregnant again.
  • Samantha Casiano was 20 weeks pregnant with a daughter named Halo when she was told that Halo had anencephaly, a fatal fetal diagnosis that meant Halo would either be born dead or not have long to live after birth. Casiano was also not allowed to terminate the pregnancy under Texas law, and she could not afford to travel to a state where she could get this medical procedure. Knowing that Halo would die, Casiano had to give birth to Halo, who lived for just four hours after being born. “Zurawski v Texas” shows the funeral of Halo and the devastating effects on Casiano and her family.
  • Dr. Austin Dennard, an obstetrician/gynecologist, was 11 weeks pregnant when she found out that the pregnancy would not result in the child being born alive. Dennard was prevented from terminating the pregnancy due to Texas law. However, she had the resources to travel to another state where the procedure was legal. Dennard became a plaintiff in the Zurawski v Texas case to advocate for people in Texas who cannot afford to travel to other states to get legal and safe abortions. “Zurawski v Texas” has footage of what happened with another pregnancy that Dennard had during the filming of the documentary.

The lead attorney in the case is Molly Duane, a senior staff attorney from the Center for Reproductive Rights. Duane says of Zurawski and why the Center for Reproductive Rights wanted to take on this case: “What happened to her was so shocking. We connected with her and instantly clicked.” Duane adds that Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has been “exceptionally cruel” in his prosecution of abortion cases.

After the lawsuit was filed in March 2023, more people came forward with their horror stories about being denied the abortion care that they medically needed, and they wanted to be added as plaintiffs to the lawsuit. Duane’s preparations for the case are chronicled in the documentary, including her nervously rehearsing her opening arguments. Duane comes across as compassionate, principled and deeply committed to the fighting for the rights of her clients.

However, the documentary makes it looks like Duane is a crusading lawyer who did almost all of the work herself, which is definitely not realistic for a legal case of this size. Duane had a lot of behind-the-scenes help that is not adequately shown in the documentary. Autumn Katz, an associate director of U.S. litigation at the Center for Reproductive Rights, is seen briefly in the documentary, which could have been more informative about who else helped out in this high-profile case.

“Zurawski v Texas” has a TV procedural style to its editing that makes the documentary look a bit formulaic. However, the documentary is at its best when it takes an intimate look at how these abortion stories affect not only the plaintiffs but also people in the plaintiffs’ families. Dennard’s family is not interviewed. However, Amanda’s husband Josh Zurawski, Josh’s brother Sam Zurawski, and Amanda’s parents Mike Eid and Cheri Eid (who both live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Amanda grew up) are all interviewed. Luis Villasana, the partner of Casiano and the father of Halo, is also interviewed in the documentary.

Cheri Eid comments on Amanda’s traumatic abortion experience: “I’m a changed person because of it.” Cheri adds that she’s been a lifelong Republican but will vote differently in the next election because of the abortion issues that she has seen affect families. In the documentary, Amanda confesses that she was in recovery for an eating disorder before she got pregnant. However, Amanda says that the eating disorder has come back because of the trauma she went through over how Texas law made her pregnancy result in her having long-term reproductive damage that was preventable.

Some of what’s in this documentary might be triggering or upsetting to some viewers. A warning to sensitive viewers: Halo’s body is shown in the documentary’s funeral scene. And it might be hard to watch the scenes with Casiano’s other children coping with the devastating loss of their baby sister Halo. Casiano’s testimony is especially heart-wrenching, as she vomits in the witness stand when she has to tell what happened when she saw Halo suffer before Halo died.

“Zurawski v Texas” might not change the minds of people on either side of the abortion debate. However, the documentary gives an effective up-close look at how abortion laws in Texas affect decisions that have long-term effects on families and on the health of individuals. Amanda Zurawski’s April 2023 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is partially shown in the documentary, sums up the message that “Zurawski v Texas” has for lawmakers: “Being pregnant is difficult enough. We don’t need you to make it more terrifying and, frankly, downright dangerous to create life in this country.”

HiddenLight Productions, Story Force Entertainment and Out of Nowhere released “Zurawski v Texas” in select U.S. cinemas on October 25, 2024.

Review: ‘Conclave’ (2024), starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini

October 25, 2024

by Carla Hay

Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci in “Conclave” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features)

“Conclave” (2024)

Directed by Edward Berger

Some language in Italian and Spanish with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Vatican City, the dramatic film “Conclave” (based on the novel of the same name) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few black people and Latin people) who are Catholic Church clergy people of various titles and rankings.

Culture Clash: A cardinal from the United Kingdom gets caught up in turmoil and scheming during a sequestered conclave to elect a new pope of the Catholic Church.

Culture Audience: “Conclave” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and well-made dramas about behind-the-scenes politics in the Catholic Church.

John Lithgow in “Conclave” (Photo by Philippe Antonello/Focus Features)

“Conclave” offers a gripping and well-acted portrayal of cutthroat scheming and betrayals that can go into choosing a new pope for the Catholic Church. It’s a fictional drama but entirely plausible. Twists and turns make it a unique and suspenseful movie that will surprise many viewers with its final outcome.

Directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, “Conclave” is based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name. “Conclave” had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival and its Canadian premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Stellar cast performances and skillful filmmaking are the reasons why “Conclave” is a better-than-average movie, with very little flaws.

“Conclave” takes place entirely in Vatican City, the Italian city-nation ruled over by the pope of the Catholic Church. (“Conclave” was actually filmed in Rome and in Caserta, Italy.) The story is told from the perspective of a Catholic cardinal from the United Kingdom named Thomas Lawrence (played by Ralph Fiennes), who gets caught up in a maelstrom of secrets and potential scandals that affect his decisions throughout the movie. Cardinal Lawrence, the dean of the College of Cardinals, is a well-respected and popular leader who is a reluctant candidate to be the new pope because he is having doubts about his Catholic faith.

The movie, which takes place over the course of about one month, begins by showing Cardinal Lawrence arriving in Vatican City because an unnamed elderly pope (played by Bruno Novelli) has suddenly died, reportedly of a heart attack. As is the custom/policy of the Catholic Church, the College of Cardinals members from around the world gather in person in Vatican City to have a sequestered conclave to choose a new pope. The elected pope must receive a majority (more than 50%) of the votes.

“Conclave” makes it clear that the decision-making process is very much influenced by the individual cardinals’ personal political beliefs, as well as other factors such as race and nationality. Several characters play crucial roles in the sometimes-ruthless actions that take place over the course of the story. These characters are:

  • Cardinal Thomas Lawerence, who considers himself to be politically liberal and believes that the Catholic Church should be held more accountable for crimes such as sexual abuse committed by and enabled by Catholic clergy.
  • Cardinal Aldo Bellini (played by Stanley Tucci) from the United States is the candidate with the most progressive political views, such as his belief that the Catholic Church should no longer condemn homosexuality.
  • Cardinal Tremblay (played by John Lithgow) from Canada is the candidate who is the most transparently ambitious and is very skilled at getting people to be on his side.
  • Cardinal Tedesco (played by Sergio Castellitto) from Italy is the candidate who has the most conservative political views, such as his belief that homosexuality, abortion and artificial birth control should be outlawed.
  • Cardinal Adeyemi (played by Lucian Msamati) from Nigeria is another politically conservative candidate, who would be the first African/black pope of the Catholic Church if elected.
  • Cardinal Vincent Benitez (played by Carlos Diehz)—originally from Venezuela but assigned to live in Kabul, Afghanistan—is a mysterious candidate who arrives on short notice and reveals that he was secretly appointed to be a cardinal by the pope who is now deceased.
  • Cardinal O’Malley (played by Brían F. O’Byrne) from Ireland is a trusted ally of Cardinal Lawrence.
  • Cardinal Wozniak (played by Jacek Koman) from Poland is a trusted confidant of the pope who is now deceased.
  • Sister Agnes (played by Isabella Rossellini) is a mostly quiet observer of what happens during the conclave.

Three weeks after the pope’s death, the conclave is set to convene. Tensions are running high because it’s very probable that a majority vote will be difficult to reach. On the day before the conclave begins and becomes sequestered, three things happen that alter the course of the story’s events.

First, Cardinal Benitez shows up with a letter that Cardinal Benitez says is proof that the pope had secretly appointed Cardinal Benitez to this position. There is no time to verify this letter, which looks like an authentic document. Cardinal Lawrence lets Cardinal Benitez join the conclave.

Second, Cardinal Lawrence and Cardinal Bellini confirm their private alliance to prevent Cardinal Tedesco or any other politically conservative cardinals from winning the election. Cardinal Lawrence promises not to actively campaign for himself, so that votes can go to Cardinal Bellini instead of Cardinal Lawrence. Publicly, Cardinal Lawrence must appear outwardly neutral. Privately, he and Cardinal Bellini and a few other allies have decided that the new pope must be politically liberal so that the Catholic Church won’t go back to oppressive policies.

Third, a nervous and sweaty Cardinal Wozniak tells Cardinal Lawrence that Cardinal Tremblay was the last person to see the pope alive, and the pope had decided to fire Cardinal Tremblay. Cardinal Wozniak says that shortly before the pope died, the pope told Cardinal Wozniak that the pope had a meeting with Cardinal Tremblay to demand Cardinal Tremblay’s resignation, which was supposed to be announced. Cardinal Mendoza (played by Rony Kramer), who is not part of the conclave, was also in this meeting, according to what Cardinal Wozniak says the pope told Cardinal Wozniak.

Cardinal Wozniak says that the pope would not give details of why Cardinal Tremblay was being fired, but the pope said the reasons would soon become clear enough. The pope died soon after having a separate private meeting with Cardinal Tremblay when Cardinal Tremblay and the pope were the only ones in the room. No one has accused Cardinal Tremblay of harming the pope, but there’s room for suspicion that Cardinal Tremblay could have done something that caused the pope’s death.

On the first day of the conclave, Cardinal Lawrence delivers a speech to the College of Cardinals members who are assembled. He says in the speech: “Certainty is the deadly enemy of unity.” Cardinal Lawrence adds, “If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no doubt, and therefore no need for faith.”

The speech is a reflection of Cardinal Lawrence’s inner turmoil about his current crisis of faith. Cardinal Lawrence later confides in Cardinal Benitez that after the new pope is elected, Cardinal Lawrence plans to resign from his position as dean of the College of Cardinals because Cardinal Lawrence is having doubts about his faith in the Catholic Church.

During the first day of the conclave, Cardinal Lawrence asks Cardinal Tremblay if it’s true that the pope had demanded that Cardinal Tremblay resign or get fired, based on what Cardinal Wozniak reported. Cardinal Tremblay completely denies what Cardinal Wozniak is claiming. Cardinal Tremblay adds that Cardinal Wozniak can’t be trusted because Cardinal Wozniak has a drinking problem.

Cardinal Mendoza, the only other person in that meeting where the pope allegedly fired Cardinal Tremblay, cannot be questioned by Cardinal Lawrence while Cardinal Lawrence is sequestered. However, while everyone is sequestered, Cardinal Lawrence sends Cardinal O’Malley (who is not sequestered) to interview Cardinal Mendoza about this meeting and get a message relayed back to Cardinal Lawrence with information on what Cardinal Mendoza said in the interview. The movie shows the outcome and who was telling the truth.

During the election process, the votes fail to reach a majority at least four times. The person who gets the most votes isn’t always the same person during this process. Meanwhile, scandalous secrets emerge for a few of the candidates. And these exposés alter the course of the election. Through it all, Sister Agnes sees a lot of what is going on and then makes a move that is also impactful.

Fiennes, Tucci, Lithgow, Diehz and Msamati give standout performances as five of the cardinals who are involved in this battle for papal power. Cardinal Tedesco is supposed to be very charismatic and persuasive, but his role as the presumed leading conservative candidate is surprisingly not as prominent in the movie as it could have been. Castellitto is quite good in the role, but he is overshadowed by performances that get more screen time.

Issues of race and gender are overtly and subtly mentioned in the story. In a semi-private conversation in a group dining hall, Cardinal Tedesco tells another cardinal that certain candidates have no chance of winning because of certain characteristics that they have. He then makes a nodding gesture toward Cardinal Adeyemi, in an obvious reference to Cardinal Adeyemi being black.

Except for Sister Agnes and another nun named Sister Shanumi (played by Balkissa Maiga), women are mostly background characters. And all of the women who are in these conclave quarters are there to serve the men. As “progressive” as Cardinal Lawrence and Cardinal Bellini think they are about women’s issues—for example, Cardinal Lawrence and Cardinal Bellini believe that Catholic women should be allowed to use artificial birth control and undergo IVF treatments—Cardinal Lawrence and Cardinal Bellini still cling to the belief that women cannot hold the most powerful positions in the Catholic Church.

“Conclave” is a tension-filled depiction of power moves among Catholic Church officials that show how choosing a new pope is more about politics than about religion. The cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine is artfully filmed (there’s a stunning-looking top-down aerial scene of the conclave members holding umbrellas in the rain), while the movie’s editing and production design are also superb. “Conclave” ultimately succeeds in reminding viewers that those who have been given holy and religious titles are still flawed human beings who can do things that are anything but holy.

Focus Features released “Conclave” in U.S. cinemas on October 25, 2024.

Review: ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics,’ starring Silas Malafaia Filho, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro

October 17, 2024

by Carla Hay

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (center) in “Apocalypse in the Tropics” (Photo by Francisco Proner)

“Apocalypse in the Tropics” (2024)

Directed by Petra Costa

Portuguese with subtitles

Culture Representation: The documentary film “Apocalypse in the Tropics” features Brazilian people talking about evangelicalism and politics in Brazil in the 21st century.

Culture Clash: Right-wing political leaders have increased their use of evangelical leaders and religious preachings to further their political causes, while left-wing political leaders fight to keep the church and state separate.

Culture Audience: “Apocalypse in the Tropics” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in 21st century Brazilian politics and how these politics are eerily similar to 21st century politics in other countries, such as the United States.

Jair Bolsonaro (seated) in “Apocalypse in the Tropics” (Photo by Francisco Proner)

“Apocalypse in the Tropics” won’t do much to change political opinions that are on the extreme right or extreme left. However, it’s an insightful documentary about how evangelicalism has affected Brazilian politics in the 21st century. “Apocalypse in the Tropics” had its world premiere at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. It then made the rounds at other film festivals in 2024, including the Telluride Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.

“Apocalypse in the Tropics” director Petra Costa, who is the documentary’s narrator, admits up front that she has a very secular point of view in believing in the separation of church and state. However, Costa said that in the course of making the documentary, she did extensive research on the blending of evangelicalism and politics to further understand why numerous Brazilian voters believe that religion should play more (not less) of a role in governmental policies.

Costa was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for directing 2018’s “The Edge of Democracy,” which chronicled the rise and fall of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the impeachment of his successor, President Dilma Rousseff in 2014. “Apocalypse in the Tropics” is a sequel of sorts to “The Edge of Democracy,” because it chronicles the rise of Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing politician who was elected president of Brazil in 2018. Bolsonaro was then was voted out and replaced by President Lula in 2022.

Brazil has often been compared to the United States in how both countries seem to be on parallel tracks in political history in the 2010s and 2020s. Bolsonaro’s rise in politics used similar tactics used by Donald Trump, whose core base consists of many who live in rural areas and are working-class or poor and those who live in more urban areas who are wealthy. Middle-class people who support Bolsonaro tend to be frustrated by the changes happening in the nation, where immigrants, non-Christians, non-heterosexuals and political liberals are often blamed for any decline.

And just like Trump, Bolsonaro was voted out of office and replaced by a veteran politician whose politics have been liberal, but Bolsonaro and his most ardent supporters have not conceded defeat. Just like in the United States, this political divisiveness has erupted in violence on the nation’s Capitol building. It happened in the U.S. on January 6, 2021. It happened in Brazil on January 8, 2023.

“Apocalypse in the Tropics” features interviews with several politicians and regular Brazilian citizens on both sides of the political spectrum. Pastor Silas Malafaia Filho, a powerful and influential support of Bolsonaro, also gets a lot of screen time. What they all have to say is almost identical to the concerns of people on the opposite sides of the political spectrum in the United States.

Costa’s voiceover narration is measured and calm, but the words in her narration (which she co-wrote with Alessandra Orofino, David Barker, Nels Bangerter and Tina Baz) have an unmistakable tone of sounding an alarm. Unlike a political documentarian such as Michael Moore, Costa does not make herself the star of her documentaries and is only seen on screen intermittently when she is interviewing people. However, her interviews tend to be a bit on the tame side and offer no groundbreaking revelations. The most insightful aspects of Costa’s documentary filmmaking are cinéma vérité, when the camera just shows how people really act and what they say when they let their guards down.

Overall, “Apocalypse in the Tropics” has solid direction and focused editing in chronicle the story presented in the movie. The documentary’s cinematography is above-average. The most impactful footage in “Apocalypse in the Tropics” is shown in the last 20 minutes. It’s a significant reminder that far-way countries that could be considered “foreign” from each other can actually be a lot more alike than many of their citizens would like to admit.

Review: ‘Anora’ (2024), starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Yura Borisov, Darya Ekamasova and Aleksey Serebryakov

October 6, 2024

by Carla Hay

Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in “Anora” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“Anora” (2024)

Directed by Sean Baker

Some language in Russian and Armenian with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in 2018 in New York City and in Las Vegas, the comedy/drama film “Anora” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few Latin people and African Americans) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A 23-year-old sex worker/stripper thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she marries a 21-year-old customer, who is the son of a billionaire Russian mogul, but her dream turns into a nightmare when her new husband’s family pressures her to annul the marriage.

Culture Audience: “Anora” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of filmmaker Sean Baker, star Mikey Madison, and movies that tell sordid stories from a sex worker’s perspective.

Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in “Anora” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“Anora” takes viewers on a frenetic and wild ride that goes on for a little too long as it zig zags to an inevitable outcome in this story about a sex worker and a Russian heir who have a quickie marriage. This foul-mouthed movie’s best asset is the acting. There’s really not much to the comedy/drama plot, which is stretched nearly to the breaking point during the movie’s 138-minute runtime.

Written and directed by Sean Baker, “Anora” is another movie in Baker’s filmography about people (usually sex workers) who live in the margins of society and are financially struggling or struggling to make a lot more money than they are now. Baker’s movies are filled with people shouting, cursing, getting naked, hustling, lying, and doing drugs. The characters in his movies are presented in a way that is not judgmental or exploitative but as a way to show how people like this live with a combination of self-absorbed survival skills and a yearning for some type of human connection underneath their “tough” exteriors.

“Anora” had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or (the festival’s top prize), the equivalent of Best Picture for the festival. “Anora” has also made the rounds at other major festivals, including the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Unlike other movies that have previously won the Palme d’Or, “Anora” isn’t particularly innovative, and the movie’s story is quite predictable. But for viewers who can tolerate some of the repetitive nature of the story, “Anora” is worth watching for the principal cast members’ captivating performances, particularly from Mikey Madison, who portrays the movie’s title character.

The movie (which takes place over a few weeks in 2018) begins with a scene in New York City, where much of “Anora” was filmed on location. A 23-year-old Russian American named Anora (played by Madison), who prefers to be called Ani (pronounced Annie), is shown working at her job at a dark and seedy strip club that tries to look more upscale than it really is. Ani, who does topless dancing, is a pro at flirting with customers and is very skilled at convincing many of them to spend more money on her by going in the back room for lap dances. Most of her customers are men who are in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

But one night, a 21-year-old Russian immigrant named Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (played by Mark Eydelshteyn) goes to the club with his best friend Tom (played by Anton Bitter), who is also Russian and about the same age. Ani immediately catches the eye of Vanya, who doesn’t speak English very well. Ani happens to be fluent in Russian because, as she tells Vanya, she had a Russian grandmother who never learned English.

It doesn’t take long for Vanya to invite Ani to party with him the next day at the Brooklyn waterfront home where he lives by himself. She eagerly accepts his invitation. When Ani goes to this home, she is in awe when she sees that Vanya must be very affluent to live in this sleek and luxurious house.

At first, Vanya plays games with Ani when she asks him how he could afford this place. He lies to her and says he’s a drug dealer. And then he says he’s an arms dealer. Finally, he tells her the truth: His father is a famous Russian billionaire named Nikolai Zakharov (played by Aleksey Serebryakov), and Vanya has been in the United States as a university student.

Vanya has recently dropped out of school, so he is under orders by his father to return soon to Russia to start working in the family business. Ani knows exactly why she was invited to party with Vanya. He tells her he wants to have sex with her. They negotiate the price that he will pay her. They smoke some marijuana and get down to business.

Vanya is 21 years old, but he’s immature and acts more like someone who’s about 16 or 17 years old. He has a teenager’s fascination with playing video games. He’s impulsive and irresponsible. He’s also very sexually inexperienced. (Ani sometimes tries not to laugh at how quickly Vanya finishes during sex.) But Vanya becomes immediately infatuated with Ani, who teaches him how to improve his sexual performance.

Vanya invites Ani back to his place for a big party the following night. Ani brings along her best friend from work: another sex worker named Lulu (played by Luna Sofia Miranda), who’s about the same age as Ani. Vanya introduces Ani and Lulu to some more of his partier friends, who have already heard that Ani is a paid escort.

Vanya and Ani continue to have sex with each other, get drunk and stoned (on marijuana and cocaine), and hang out and goof around together with their friends on Coney Island. By the time Vanya and Ani have had a few sexual encounters, he tells her that he will pay her to be his “horny girlfriend” for a week. After they negotiate on a price ($15,000), Vanya admits he would’ve paid up to $35,000 if Ani had asked.

And so begins a binge of sex and partying, fueled by alcohol and drugs, that leads Vanya and Ani to go to Las Vegas and live like visiting high rollers. Vanya surprises Ani by proposing marriage to her. She thinks he’s joking at first, but he’s not. She gleefully accepts his proposal. Ani and Vanya then quickly elope (without a prenuptial agreement) at a small wedding chapel in Las Vegas.

Now that she’s married to the heir of a billionaire fortune, Ani quits her job at the strip club, where her co-worker rival Diamond (played by Lindsey Normington) is very jealous and declares that the marriage won’t last long. Ani doesn’t want to listen and essentially struts out of the club like someone who has won the lottery. Ani also makes plans to move out of her rented apartment as she envisions a life of being a pampered and jetsetting wife of a billionaire.

You know where all of this is going, of course. When Vanya’s family members in Russia find out that he has married an American sex worker, they immediately set out to get the marriage annulled. An aggressive Armenian thug named Garnik (played by Vache Tovmasyan) and his more mild-mannered sidekick Igor (played by Yura Borisov) have been dispatched to track down Ani and Vanya and end the marriage.

Garnik and Igor report to a “fixer” named Toros (played by Karren Karagulian), who reports directly to Vanya’s father Nikolai. Vanya seems to be afraid of Nikolai. But when Vanya’s mother Galina Zakharov (played by Darya Ekamasova) gets involved, it’s easy to see who is the more ruthless parent.

“Anora” has a lot of expected hijinks and mishaps, as Ani and Vanya (who gets intoxicated to the point of being incoherent and barely conscious) encounter the people who want to end the marriage. The marketing materials for “Anora” have described this movie as a “love story.” But make no mistake: This is a gold digger story. “Anora” fails to convince any viewer with enough life experience that what Ani and Vanya have is more than drug-fueled lust. And in Ani’s case, that lust includes lust for money.

“Anora” gets a little bit ridiculous with some of the sitcom-like scenarios in the last third of the movie. However contrived these scenarios are, the talented cast members make their characters’ personalities convincing enough to maintain viewer interest. “Anora” invites viewers to question if Ani really is capable of having lasting love if there isn’t some transactional financial benefit for her and if she isn’t offering herself for sale as a sexual plaything. The impact of the movie is when Ani begins to understand that she herself doesn’t know the answer to that question.

Neon will release “Anora” in select U.S. cinemas on October 18, 2024.

Review: ‘Nickel Boys,’ starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

September 27, 2024

by Carla Hay

Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse in “Nickel Boys” (Photo by L. Kasimu Harris/Amazon Content Services)

“Nickel Boys”

Directed by RaMell Ross

Culture Representation: Taking place in Florida and in New York City, from the late 1950s to 2003, the dramatic film “Nickel Boys” (based on the novel “The Nickel Boys”) features a predominantly African American cast of characters (with some white people and a few Latinos) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: Two teenage boys become friends while they live at at a reform school and endure an oppressive, abusive and racist environment.

Culture Audience: “Nickel Boys” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of filmmaker RaMell Ross, the book and which the movie is based, and well-acted movies about how people process childhood trauma.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in “Nickel Boys” (Photo courtesy of Orion Pictures)

Artfully made and absorbing to watch, “Nickel Boys” is a risk-taking drama that makes unorthodox choices about memories and perspectives. Inspired by real events about a reform school that abused teenage boys, this movie also has compelling acting. It’s the type of movie that will test the patience of viewers who might be expecting a more traditional narrative structure. But for open-minded movie fans who appreciate bold, artistic moves in cinema, “Nickel Boys” is like watching an unpredictable formation of a mosaic. “Nickel Boys” had its world premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival and later screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival.

Directed by RaMell Ross (who co-wrote the “Nickel Boys” screenplay with Joslyn Barnes), “Nickel Boys” is adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2019 novel “The Nickel Boys.” The book is loosely based on the real-life story of the Florida School for Boys, also known as the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, which was a state-operated reform school in Marianna, Florida, from 1900 to 2011. The school was permanently shut down after numerous lawsuits and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation uncovered decades of torture and other abuse against children who were at the reform school.

“Nickel Boys” (which takes place from the late 1950s to 2003) tells the non-chronological story of Elwood Curtis, whose life changes forever due to an unfortunate series of circumstances. In 1962, Elwood (played by Ethan Herisse) is a bright, empathetic and socially conscious 16-year-old, who will soon turn 17. Elwood’s parents are deceased.

Elwood lives with his widowed grandmother Hattie (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) in the racially segregated community of Frenchtown, Florida. Hattie (who works as a hotel maid) and Elwood have hope for and enthusiastic interest in the burgeoning U.S. civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., even though Hattie and her co-workers have been ordered not to talk about politics when they’re on the job. Elwood excels in academics and has a promising future.

Elwood has a teacher/mentor named Mr. Hill (played by Jimmie Fails), who recommends Elwood for an advanced-placement academy program called the Melvin Griggs Technical School, which has college-level courses but accepts intellectually gifted high school students for enrollment. Mr. Hill is also involved in the civil rights movement. When a student asks Mr. Hill if he’s a Freedom Rider and how he got a scar on his head, Mr. Hill replies: “Nashville. A white man slugged me with a tire iron.”

One day, Elwood accepts a car ride from a man driving an emerald turquoise Impala. Elwood doesn’t know this man, who appears to be friendly and helpful. Elwood isn’t in the car for very long when the car is pulled over by a racist cop, who pulls the driver by the ear and tells him the car has been reported stolen and “only spooks” steal this type of car. Elwood is in the wrong place at the wrong time, so he is arrested and charged with being a theft accomplice.

“Nickel Boys” doesn’t show Elwood’s courtroom proceedings because the movie makes a point that Elwood was going to be found guilty no matter what, in a system that is racially biased and stacked against people who can’t afford good legal representation. Elwood gets sentenced to Nickel Academy, a reform school for boys. It becomes a terrible experience where he is desperate to escape.

On the surface, Nickel Academy tries to give the impression that this institution truly cares about making these boys into better people. When new enrollees first arrive, they are told about the four levels of existence at Nickel Academy, where reaching the highest level will supposedly get an enrollee released from Nickel Academy. The lowest level is being a Grub, which is the level that all new enrollees are automatically assigned. From there, an enrollee can work his way up to being an Explorer, then a Pioneer, and then the highest level: Ace.

But the reality is that Nickel Academy is an institution that regularly abuses boys who are imprisoned there. In addition to getting vicious beatings and whippings, boys are often locked in solitary confinement in unsanitary conditions and sweltering temperatures. It’s also a racially charged environment because the people on the receiving end of this abuse are mostly black, while the people in authority positions are white. The people in power at this school include a sadistic administrator named Spencer (played by Hamish Linklater) and a bullying school employee in his 20s named Harper (played by Fred Hechinger), who is essentially a henchman who eagerly inflicts abuse and punishment.

Elwood starts off as an introverted loner at Nickel Academy. But he strikes up a tentative acquaintance with Jack Turner (played by Brandon Wilson), who likes to be called by his last name and appears to be more street-smart and tougher that Elwood. As the two teens get to know each other better and become close friends, it becomes apparent to both of them that Elwood has more bravery when it comes to fighting against injustice. Elwood is also the one who is more likely to meticulously plan an escape.

Meanwhile, Elwood’s separation from his protective and worried grandmother Hattie takes a toll on her mental health. There’s a heartbreaking scene where she’s alone at her kitchen and begins talking out loud to herself while cutting slices of frosted cake. Ellis-Taylor isn’t a main character in “Nickel Boys,” but her performance has an indelible impact on the emotional core of the movie.

Because the story of “Nickel Boys” is mainly about the friendship between Elwood and Turner, other enrollees at Nickel Academy don’t get much character depth. Two of the teenage side characters who get some screen time are (1) physically large Griff (played by Luke Tennie), a student boxer who is exploited for money by academy officials and (2) Jaime (played by Bryan Gael Guzman), a friendly and somewhat bashful Latino who is often shunned or excluded by other students because he isn’t black or white.

The movie’s scenes with middle-aged Elwood (played by Daveed Diggs) unfold gradually to reveal what he did with his life after he left Nickel Academy. Without giving away too much information, it’s enough to say that he moved to New York City not long after his hellish experience at Nickel Academy and has been living in New York City ever since. In the early 2000s, Elwood’s bad memories about Nickel Academy are triggered when he finds out that Nickel Academy has been in the news for horrific discoveries that were made about the academy.

“Nickel Boys” (which has cinematography by Jomo Fray) often has extreme close-ups of people or objects that could be somewhat jarring to viewers who want to see everything in that scene. But these extreme close-ups force viewers to pay more attention to the dialogue rather than get distracted by what’s in the background. The lighting and hues in the movie range from vibrant when Elwood’s life is bursting with optimism to bleak when Elwood’s life reaches depressing low points.

There’s one particular flashback scene early on in the movie that is example of how these extreme close-ups make the movie look more artistic: In a scene taking place in the late 1950s, when Elwood (played by Ethan Cole Sharp) is about 11 or 12 years old. His grandmother Hattie is ironing something, and as her iron slides back and forth, Elwood can be seen reflected in the iron.

The camera’s point of view often switches back and forth from a first-person angle to an observational angle. When the middle-aged Elwood is on screen, his face isn’t fully shown until much later in the movie. “Nickel Boys” also has interludes of real-world archival footage as context and comparison.

Clips from the 1958 dramatic film “The Defiant Ones” (starring Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis as prison escapees) are shown when Elwood is in a situation where he and someone else are entangled with law enforcement. For example, when Elwood is in the back of a police car with someone, there’s also a similar clip of Poitier and Curtis in the back of a police vehicle. “The Defiant Ones” is an interesting choice because it’s a movie that was controversial in its time because of its observations of race relations and the criminal justice system.

Beyond the unconventional camera angles and somewhat abstract editing, “Nickel Boys” has a very talented principal cast authentically conveying the complex experiences of their characters. Herisse and Wilson are a dynamic duo together and separately in their portrayals of two teens fighting to keep their sanity and dignity when trapped in a cruel institution that wants to do permanent harm to them. Diggs also shines in his role as middle-aged Elwood, who is an example of survivor resilience.

“Nickel Boys” might get some criticism from people who think the world has more than enough movies about racism, child abuse and other struggles experienced by people who are often oppressed and exploited. However, even though “Nickel Boys” is a story that takes place in the past, the movie also serves as a reminder that these injustices are still going on today. And with children in institutions often being the targets of these crimes, “Nickel Boys” is also an urgent wake-up call to hold institutions accountable when they do more harm than good.

Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures will release “Nickel Boys” in select U.S. cinemas on December 13, 2024.

Review: ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig,’ starring Misagh Zareh, Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki and Niousha Akhshi

September 23, 2024

by Carla Hay

Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami and Setareh Maleki in “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

Persian with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Iran, the dramatic film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” features an all-Middle Eastern cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A newly promoted investigating judge has conflicts over political unrest in Iranian society and dissension in his own household with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Culture Audience: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” will appeal mainly to people who are fans of filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof and movies that show how societal changes can affect an individual family.

Misagh Zareh and Soheila Golestani in “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is a little long-winded in showing how political unrest can have profound effects on a family. However, this well-acted drama has a very suspenseful last 30 minutes that make it worth the wait. With a total running time of 167 minutes, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” might test the patience of some viewers with some of the movie’s repetitive scenarios. Fortunately, the plot isn’t overstuffed, and there’s a small number of people in the movie’s cast, which gives the movie an intimate urgency that it deserves.

Written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize. The movie made the rounds at other film festivals in 2024, including the Telluride Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” takes place in Iran, mostly in the capital city of Tehran. It’s the city where a family of four live during a tumultous time of political unrest in Iran, where activists (many of them young people) protest on the street against government oppressions.

The family of four who are at the center of the story are:

  • Iman (played by Missagh Zareh), the family religious patriarch, who has recently been promoted to being an investigating judge for the Iranian government.
  • Najmeh (played by Soheila Golestani), Iman’s wife, the family matriarch who is very pro-government and in favor of strict traditional values until certain events give her a different perspective.
  • Rezvan (played by Mahsa Rostami), the older daughter of Iman and Najmeh, who’s about 17 or 18 years old.
  • Sana (played by Setareh Maleki), the younger daughter Iman and Najmeh, who’s about 15 or 16 years old.

Rezvan is more outspoken than Sana, who is quieter and more obedient. Iman’s promotion comes with some problems. A colleague named Ghaderi (played by Reza Akhlaghi) tells Iman that Iman’s promotion was somewhat controversial because a colleague wanted his own man to get the job. Iman is also getting pressured to give a death indictment to a political prisoner when Iman hasn’t even looked at this prisoner’s file yet.

As part of Iman’s job, he has been given a service gun, which he tells Najmeh to hide in their home. Around the same time, Rezvan pleads with Najmeh to give a teenage friend named Sadaf (played by Niousha Akhshi) a place to stay for a few nights because Sadaf’s college dorm room isn’t available yet. Rezvan reluctantly agrees.

What happens next is a series of events causing increasing turmoil within this family. The catalyst for the most tension-filled aspects of the story have to do with Iman’s reactions when he finds out that his gun has gone missing. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” has solid acting performances and gripping cinematography that make this movie compelling enough for viewers who want to see how it will end.

Neon will release “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” in select U.S. cinemas on November 27, 2024.

Review: ‘Fly’ (2024), starring Jimmy Pouchert, Marta Empinotti, Scotty Bob Morgan, Julia Botelho Morgan, Espen Fadnes and Amber Forte

September 3, 2024

by Carla Hay

Espen Fadnes and Julia Botelho in “Fly” (Photo courtesy of Reel Peak Films/National Geographic Documentary Films)

“Fly” (2024)

Directed by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau

Culture Representation: Taking place in the United States and in Europe, from 2019 to 2022, the documentary film “Fly” features a group of predominantly white people (and a few people of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage) who are connected in some way to the sport of BASE jumping, which is jumping off of very high, stationary places with usually only a parachute and/or wing suit for support equipment.

Culture Clash: Professional BASE jumpers experience personal rewards and refuse to have conventional lives, but the risk is very high that they will die or get seriously injured while BASE jumping.

Culture Audience: “Fly” will appeal mainly to people who are interested in watching documentaries about people whose lives revolve around extreme sports.

Scotty Bob Morgan and Espen Fadnes in “Fly” (Photo courtesy of Reel Peak Films/National Geographic Documentary Films)

With breathtaking cinematography and even more poignant human stories, “Fly” is an unforgettable documentary about the dangerous sport of BASE jumping. The documentary shows in unflinching ways how the sport can be as fulfilling as it is addicting. BASE is an acronym for the four possible types of stationary jumping-off points in BASE jumping: buildings, antennas, spans and earth. In “Fly,” the BASE jumpers are all seen jumping off from earth areas, usually cliffs.

“Fly” should be seen on the biggest screen possible. However, viewers who get vertigo from watching things filmed from extreme heights should be warned that “Fly” might induce dizziness and nausea in several scenes that show human flight at vertiginous heights and breakneck speeds. (The sound design for “Fly” is excellent in giving viewers a sense of the high-velocity speed involved in BASE jumping.) Beyond these scenes that will thrill many viewers and will make others feel a little sick, “Fly” has moments that are truly tearjerking because of what happens to some of the people featured in the movie.

Directed by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau (who are also “Fly’s” main cinematographers), “Fly” was filmed from 2019 to 2022, in various parts of the United States and Europe, such as Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Switzerland, France, and Norway. The movie had its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival before screening at 2024 edition Hot Docs and the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. Six BASE jumping people (three couples) are the focus of “Fly,” which explores the physical aspects of BASE jumping, along with the emotional toll that the sport takes on the lives of participants who devote most of their time to BASE jumping.

“Fly” might get some comparisons to “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” a 2024 documentary about a Russian couple engaging in rooftopping: a dangerous and usually illegal sport of climbing extremely high structures without ropes, nets or other safety measures. Unlike rooftopping, which almost always involves trespassing, BASE jumping is considered a legitimate sport, but not any less dangerous than rooftopping. Professional BASE jumpers can compete in international competitions and often get sponsors.

In “Fly,” the six BASE jumping people (three couples) who get the spotlight are:

  • Jimmy Pouchert and Marta Empinotti, a married couple who co-founded Apex BASE, a California-based company that sells BASE jumping equipment and gear, teaches BASE jumping classes, and hosts BASE jumping events. Pouchert and Empinotti—who were a childless couple in their 50s and living in Moab, Utah, when this documentary was filmed—started BASE jumping in their late teens or 20s. Pouchert (an American) is jovial and has a daredevil personality. Empinotti (originally from Brazil) is more pragmatic and cautious than Pouchert. They co-founded an annual get-together in Las Vegas for BASE jumpers (many of them current and former Apex BASE trainees) to let loose and party.
  • Scotty Bob Morgan and Julia Botelho Morgan (both in their 30s)—the biggest risk-taking couple in the documentary—were dating and got married during the course of making this documentary. Morgan (an American) is a former U.S. Marine who served in the Iraq War and overcame a troubled past to devote himself to professional BASE jumping. Botelho Morgan (originally from Brazil) was an attorney who quit the law profession to become a skydiver in the Brazilian Army and then became a professional BASE jumper. The spouses operate a California-based training course called Bob’s BASE Academy, although Apex BASE is the main focus of the BASE jumping training that is shown in “Fly.”
  • Espen Fadnes (in his 40s) and Amber Forte (in her 30s) are a married couple living in Norway, which is Fadnes’ native country. Forte is originally from the United Kingdom. Fadnes, who is considered a pioneer in wingsuit BASE jumping, is a former World Cup champ for the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)/World Air Sports Federation. He has been featured in the Netflix documentary “Wingmen.” Just like the other couples featured in this documentary, this European BASE jumping couple say that they are lucky to have found each other because it’s rare to find a romantic partner who shares the same passion for BASE jumping. Fadnes is very open about how nothing is more important to him than BASE jumping, and he won’t stop BASE jumping, even if people close to him die from it. Forte says she’s less of a risk-taker than Fadnes and she gets more thrills from feeling like flying than feeling like she’s risking her life.

“Fly” begins wth a captioned quote from Leonardo da Vinci: “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.” It certainly describes how die-hard BASE jumpers feel about this sport that they say they can’t live without. Unlike many other sports where professional athletes are expected to retire by the time they’re in their 50s, the “Fly” BASE jumpers say that there really is no age limit for adults to continue BASE jumping.

Fadnes comments on what people get out of BASE jumping: “We feel enormous joy … We are dreamers. There is value in that.” Fadnes also express deep admiration for Morgan, whom Fadnes considers to be one of the best BASE jumpers in the world. Pouchert adds, “A lot of people have said that base jumping has saved their life. It’s a form of absolute bliss.”

On the flip side, Morgan and Fadnes are among the BASE jumpers who say more than once in the documentary that being a professional BASE jumper requires a lot of selfishness. Because of the sport’s high-risk demands, most professional BASE jumpers are obsessed with the sport and make BASE jumping more important than most relationships in their lives. Professional BASE jumpers also have to brush aside concerns from loved ones who are worried that the BASE jumpers will die from this sport.

Morgan says in a separate interview about why he became hooked on BASE jumping: “It was love at first jump.” Morgan adds that he BASE jumps every week. “It’s been good for me,” he states. “It’s therapeutic.” Morgan explains that BASE jumping has helped him with his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and got him through some rough patches in his life, such as when he had drug abuse issues and “ran into some legal trouble.”

Pouchert jokes, “I could be the only person in the world who was taught to jump by his wife.” Remarkably, Empinotti says she has never had a serious injury while BASE jumping. She later opens up about how she dealt with the trauma of a having a boyfriend who died from BASE jumping when she was in her late teens. She also confesses that Pouchert’s tendency to be a jokester in serious situations used to bother her but she grew to accept that was part of his personality.

In addition to putting their lives in danger, the BASE jumpers featured in “Fly” are candid in showing how people who make a commitment to this unconventional lifestyle usually have to lead nomadic existences without a steady income. Professional BASE jumpers often choose not to have children. They also have to accept the reality that many of their friends and/or family members who are BASE jumpers could most likely die from BASE jumping.

Issues of life and death are never far from the focus of the documentary. By the end of the documentary, one of the younger couples in this documentary will bring new life into world when they become parents. (The woman in the couple even BASE jumps when she’s at least six months pregnant.) Someone in another couple experiences near-fatal injuries while BASE jumping. And another couple has the worst possible outcome to the couple’s love story.

It’s impossible not to notice that most people involved in BASE jumping are of a certain demographic. The documentary doesn’t really offer an explanation for why BASE jumping is not a racially diverse or socioeconomically diverse sport, although the clues are there. It’s similar to why race car driving, tennis, golf and skiing are not racially diverse or socioeconomically diverse sports: Getting lessons and traveling in these sports have financial expenses that many people cannot afford. Participants who are not affluent have to make a lot of financial sacrifices to stay in the sport.

Most “daredevil” sports also tend to be dominated by men. “Fly” makes it clear that the women who co-star in the documentary were skilled BASE jumpers long before they met their male romantic partners. Forte explains her perspective of being a female in a sport where the majority of participants are male: “I never wanted to be a boy. I just wanted to be able to do what the boys could do.”

If there’s any shortcoming in “Fly,” it’s that the documentary could have had a little more variety by giving more screen time to professional BASE jumpers who aren’t in a committed relationship with a romantic partner. There’s a glimpse of how lonely this life can be, early in the documentary when Morgan says that he’s essentially homeless and sleeping on friends’ couches because he doesn’t see the point of paying rent for a place where he won’t be living for most of the year. Later, after Morgan and Botelho Morgan are married, he says that being married has changed his mind about putting down roots somewhere.

Morgan’s mother Julie Maxwell Morgan says she often gets asked if she’s worried about her son dying while BASE jumping. She says yes, but his happiness is more important to her. “I don’t think Scotty can be happy unless he can fly,” Maxwell Morgan comments. She also says she feels slightly envious that he’s found a passion for something in his life and has accomplished a lot with this passion, which is something that she was never able to do in her own life.

Also featured in the documentary are two scruffy BASE jumpers who are close friends of Pouchert and Marta Empinotti: Jason “Jay Mo” Moledzki is a native Canadian who is a co-founder and creative director of Flight-1, a Florida-based company that teaches canopy flight skills. Ben “Dicko” Dixon is a long-haired Australian native/Utah resident who looks like he could also be a bohemian surfer. Other BASE jumpers in the documentary are shown in fleeting moments, with nothing about their personal lives revealed. The movie has good use of its soundtrack songs, which includes Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and Avicii’s “The Lights.”

“Fly” is the type of documentary that is as effective as it is because it was filmed over several years. There are moments of exhilaration and moments of agony that will stay with viewers after the movie is over. Regardless of how viewers feel about BASE jumping, “Fly” serves as an example of what it means to take bold and non-traditional risks. These risks in BASE jumping aren’t for everyone, but the risks are ultimately about living life to the fullest and being fortunate to have the privileged freedom to do so.

National Geographic Documentary Films released “Fly” in select U.S. IMAX cinemas for a limited engagement on September 2 and September 3, 2024. The movie will premiere on the National Geographic Channel on September 24, 2024.

Review: ‘Hollywoodgate,’ starring Mawlawi Mansour and M. Javid Mukhtar

August 10, 2024

by Carla Hay

Ibrahim Nash’at (pictured at far left) and Mawlawi Mansour (pictured at far right) in “Hollywoodgate” (Photo courtesy of Rolling Narratives)

“Hollywoodgate”

Directed by Ibrahim Nash’at

Pashto and Dari with subtitles

Culture Representation: Filmed from 2021 to 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan, the documentary film “Hollywoodgate” features a predominantly Arab group of people (with a few white people) who are involved in some way with the Taliban.

Culture Clash: After the United States withdrew military forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban took possession of weapons, aircraft and other resources that were left behind by the CIA and the U.S. military.

Culture Audience: “Hollywoodgate” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in seeing an inside (but admittedly restricted) account of what the Taliban did and plans to do with discarded war items in Afghanistan.

A scene from “Hollywoodgate” (Photo courtesy of Rolling Narratives)

Is the documentary “Hollywoodgate” propaganda for the Taliban in Afghanistan, or is it a warning to people who oppose the Taliban? “Hollywoodgate” has elements of both because it’s a raw chronicle that came with filming restrictions. “Hollywoodgate” is compelling to watch, even though it states from the beginning that “Hollywoodgate” director Ibrahim Nash’at was allowed filming access under certain limiting conditions.

Egyptian filmmaker Nash’at (who makes his feature-film directorial debut with “Hollywoodgate”) filmed “Hollywoodgate” from August 2021 to most of 2022, after the United States had withdrawn U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. Nash’at was given permission by the Taliban to film Taliban activities in Afghanistan, on the conditions that (1) he only focus on two Afghan military officials and (2) Nash’at had to be under constant surveillance by the Taliban. “Hollywoodgate” had its world premiere at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival and its U.S. premiere at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival.

“Hollywoodgate” was filmed cinéma vérité-style. The documentary begins with a brief captioned introduction that states: “In 1996, after a generation of war and more than 1 million casualties, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. After 9/11, the U.S. and NATO forces invaded Afghanistan, hoping to overthrow the Taliban for their role in harboring Al Qaeda. On August 3, 2021, the Taliban reclaimed Kabul.”

Nash’at is an intermittent narrator for the documentary, mostly in the beginning of the film and at the end. He occasionally appears on camera. In the beginning of the film, Nash’at says in voiceover narration: “Just days after the last American soldier left Afghanistan, I arrive in Kabul with only an Afghan translator and my camera. I came to see whose hands this country was left.”

Using his connections as an investigative journalist, Nash’at says he made arrangements to document the Taliban’s transition from being an insurgent militia to a military regime. The two Taliban officials whom Nash’at was required to focus on for this documentary are Air Force commander Mawlawi Mansour and Air Force lieutenant M. Javid Mukhtar, also known as M.J. Mukhtar.

“Hollywoodgate” gets its title from the numerous warehouse-styled bases with doors marked Hollywood Gate 1, Hollywood Gate 2, Hollywood Gate 3, etc. that are shown in the documentary. It’s repeatedly mentioned in the documentary that the CIA used these bases during the U.S. war in Afghanistan. There are several scenes of Taliban soldiers, usually led by Mansour, who are on these bases to take possession of the many weapons, aircraft, technology equipment and other resources used in war.

These abandoned bases are usually in extreme disarray, with broken doors, damaged and overturned furniture, garbage-strewn rooms and graffiti with pro-U.S. messages. It gives the distinct impression that the Americans who used to work in these bases had to leave in a hurry but made sure that they left their mark behind, by destroying as much as they could before they could leave. Despite the messy conditions, the Taliban soldiers scavenge through the remains with a certain amount of glee. One unidentified soldier says, “The Americans left us an enormous treasure.”

Even though Nash’at was given permission to film Mansour and Mukhtar, the higher-ranking Mansour is the one who gets most of the documentary’s screen time. And it’s easy to see why. Mukhtar isn’t very talkative and seems to be have a very guarded personality. He reveals very little about himself. The documentary footage of Mukhtar is essentially just “ride along” footage.

By contrast, Mansour has a “larger than life” personality, for better or worse. Mansour, who has an authoritarian swagger, strides confidently through the throngs of military soldiers who are at his beck and call. Mansour gives the impression that he expects to be the center of attention wherever he goes. He’s treated like a military rock star and has a demeanor that suggests he can be a loyal ally and a ruthless enemy. He also tries to project an image of being a very patriotic family man.

Even though Mansour at times appears friendly and smiling with certain people, he has a leadership style that is about instilling fear. One minute, he could be laughing and casually joking with some people. The next minute, he could be assaulting someone or ordering an assault of anyone whom he thinks is being disobedient or disloyal. You get the feeling that the worst punishments were never filmed by Nash’at because he was never allowed to have that type of access.

Mansour is the type of leader who can be both inspiring and demeaning to his subordinates. There’s a scene where he gives a rousing speech to a group of dozens of cheering soldiers and proudly tells them: “You are the heroes of a generation because you defeated the U.S. and Taliban.” But there’s also a separate scene where Mansour tosses aside an empty plastic water bottle while he’s walking somewhere, only to immediately order a minion soldier to pick up the bottle.

When people in the documentary are surprised to see Nash’at filming them, Mansour tells them firmly that Nash’at was given permission to film. In one such scene, Mansour adds in a cold tone when he speaks about Nash’at, who can be seen filming the scene in a nearby mirror: “If his intentions are bad, he will die soon.” It’s a chilling warning to Nash’at that he should not feel safe when filming this documentary.

The chameleon-like sides of Mansour’s personality can be seen throughout the documentary. He plays the role of charismatic host to political officials in a scene where he enthusiastically greets ambassadors from Russia, Iran and Pakistan on a recently repaired aircraft that had been abandoned. Only the Russian official’s first name (Nikoli) is mentioned.

But there are also scenes where Mansour icily asserts his authority and reminds Nash’at that Nash’at can be prevented from filming certain things. Later, Mansour is a deferential subordinate when Afghanistan minister of defense General Yaqoob Mohammad and Afghanistan prime minister Mullah Akhund speak at a rally attended by Taliban officials and soldiers.

Because “Hollywoodgate” was filmed cinéma vérité-style, there are no interviews that were filmed for the documentary. Nash’at seems to have an unassuming presence when filming (he doesn’t talk much and is clearly not doing this documentary to be the star of the movie), but there are scenes where there’s obvious and continuing mistrust of Nash’at. For example, when some unidentified Taliban officials look over a ledge and describe seeing a barrel of weapons, one of the officials can be heard saying about this cache of weapons: “Don’t show it to the filmmaker.”

“Hollywoodgate” viewers might also notice that in this very patriarchal military society, women are barely seen and are certainly never in any leadership positions. Women and children in the documentary are only briefly seen as bystanders in places where the Taliban soldiers are passing through. And if it isn’t clear enough how oppressively sexist the culture is, Mansour says matter-of-factly in a conversation that his wife is a medical doctor but he refused to marry her until she gave up her medical practice.

The access that Nash’at was given for this documentary can certainly be commended for its uniqueness. However, to its detriment, “Hollywoodgate” can never shake the tone that Nash’at and the other “Hollywoodgate” filmmakers are just being used by the Taliban for Taliban image-making public relations instead of being a truly independent documentary. Scene after repetitive scene in the documentary is about showing Taliban soldiers amassing the abandoned weapons, equipment and other items.

“Hollywoodgate” has multiple of scenes of Mansour consulting with technicians on the abandoned bases, as the technicians give him briefings on how they can repair the aircraft or equipment that was found damaged. The intention is obvious: The Taliban plans to use whatever was abandoned by the U.S. and add it to the Taliban’s military arsenal. The Taliban’s message is very clear: “We’re now more armed than ever. Enemies beware.”

Some viewers of “Hollywoodgate” might be shocked by the statistic mentioned at the end of the documentary and in the movie’s trailer: According to the U.S. Pentagon, the U.S. left behind an estimate $7.12 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan. “Hollywoodgate” might not be able to change the Talban’s intended uses of this military equipment, but the documentary offers a glimpse into how and why this military equipment was accumulated in the first place.

Rolling Narratives released “Hollywoodgate” in select U.S. cinemas on July 19, 2024.

Review: ‘Janet Planet,’ starring Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Elias Koteas, Will Patton and Sophie Okonedo

July 2, 2024

by Carla Hay

Zoe Ziegler and Julianne Nicholson in “Janet Planet” (Photo courtesy of A24)

“Janet Planet”

Directed by Annie Baker

Culture Representation: Taking place in 1991, in western Massachusetts, the dramatic film “Janet Planet” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few black people) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: An 11-year-old girl and her single mother have various uncomfortable adjustments as the girl learns to be more independent and not as tolerant of the people who come in and out of her mother’s life.

Culture Audience: “Janet Planet” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of star Julianne Nicholson and don’t mind watching a slow-paced but well-acted movie about mother-daughter relationships.

Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Ziegler in “Janet Planet” (Photo courtesy of A24)

Thoughtful and with nuanced performances, “Janet Planet” can be recommended to people who don’t mind watching slow-paced “slice of life” movies. This realistic drama shows the gradual shift in a mother-daughter relationship. Usually movies with this sort of topic has a lot of melodrama or plot developments that are often seen in soap operas. “Janet Planet” isn’t that type of movie. Rather, it shows how relationships can change during when life is mundane and uneventful.

“Janet Planet” is the feature-film debut of writer/director Annie Baker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. The movie had its world premiere at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival and screened at other festivals, including the 2023 New York Film Festival and the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. “Janet Planet” takes place during the summer of 1991, in rural western Massachusetts.

The movie’s opening scene shows 11-year-old Lacy (played by Zoe Ziegler) calling her single mother on a pay phone while Lacy is at summer camp. Lacy wants to go home and makes an alarming statement when she tells her mother: “I’m going to kill myself if you don’t get me.” By the time that Lucy’s mother Janet (played by Julianne Nicholson) arrives to pick up Lacy, Lacy has changed her mind and wants to stay at the camp.

However, Janet has another reason for Lacy to come home: Janet’s live-in boyfriend Wayne (played by Will Patton), who’s about 15 to 20 years older than Janet, has had a motorcycle accident and is recovering at home. Lacy actually doesn’t need to be at home, but because Janet insists that Lacy come home, it’s an indication that Janet wants Lacy there for emotional support. Lacy’s father is not seen or mentioned in the movie.

Lacy doesn’t want to introduce Janet to the other people at camp, which is the first sign that things are somewhat tense between Lacy and Janet. Lacy tells Janet that she wants to stay at camp. But Janet says, “I already convinced them to give me part of the deposit back.”

Lacy, by her own admission, is an introverted loner who has a hard time making friends with people. She likes to read and draw in her spare time. Lacy also takes piano lessons from a an elderly woman named Davina (played by Mary Shultz), who is kind and patient. Lacy is not rude but she doesn’t have a “cute and cuddly” personality either. “Janet Planet” is about how Lacy stops blindly worshipping her mother and sees Janet for the flawed human being that she is.

Janet is a self-employed licensed acupuncturist who has a home office. The name of her business is Janet Planet. Unlike Lacy, who has a very independent personality, Janet constantly craves approval and companionship. It’s one of the reasons why Janet lets people into her life who might not be good for her. At one point in the movie, Janet makes a comment that she’s not beautiful but she can get people to fall in love with her.

Janet and Lacy have the type of household where when they have meals at the same table as other people, there is little or no conversation. When Janet and Lacy (who often sleep in the same bed together) have any heart-to-heart talks, Janet gets uncomfortable if Lacy says things that Janet doesn’t want to hear. Janet gives the impression that she’d rather not hear about any angst that Lacy might be feeling.

Here’s an example of one of their conversations: Lacy tells Janet, “You know what’s funny? Every moment in my life is hell.” Janet replies, “I don’t like it when you say things like that. You seem pretty happy.” Lacy says, “It’s hell. I don’t think it will last though.” Janet admits, “I’m actually pretty unhappy too.”

“Janet Planet” is divided into three chapters, with each chapter focusing on how a different person enters the lives of Janet and Lacy and how each person’s presence affects Janet and Lacy. The first chapter is about Wayne’s effect on this small family. The second chapter is about Janet reconnecting with a long-lost friend named Regina (played by Sophie Okonedo), an actress in a puppet theater collective that has a hippie lifestyle. The third chapter is about Janet spending time with Avi (played by Elias Koteas), the cult-like leader of the puppet theater collective.

Wayne is sullen and keeps mostly to himself, but he has a nasty temper that affects his relationship with Janet. Wayne also seems to have mental health issues because he is seen wandering around aimlessly on the front lawn at night. Regina is friendly and quirky and doesn’t talk down Lacy. Regina needs a place to stay, so Janet lets Regina temporarily live in the household. Avi, who is Regina’s ex-lover, thinks of himself as an intellectual philosopher, but everything about him seems like he’s a con artist. It isn’t long before Avi makes it known to Janet that he’s interested in getting romantically involved with her.

“Janet Planet” doesn’t always have clear resolutions for the dilemmas and conflicts presented in the story because people tend to drift in and out of Janet’s life without necessarily having closure. Lacy is not shown bonding with anyone her age except for a day when Wayne’s daughter Sequoia (played by Edie Moon Kearns) spends time with Wayne, Janet and Lacy at a shopping mall. Wayne has a visitation rights arrangement with Sequoia’s mother, who is briefly heard but not seen in the movie when Sequoia leaves for this visit and her mother says some words of greeting in a friendly tone. Lacy and Sequoia get along with each other almost immediately and have some fun inventing their own language.

After this get-together, Lacy asks Wayne why Sequoia doesn’t live part-time with him. Wayne refuses to answer the question and gets upset, which obviously means that it’s a sore subject for him. Very little is mentioned about Wayne’s family history except that Wayne has grandchildren and he has a 20-year-old son named Eric, who “lives in California and Iraq,” according to Wayne. Wayne’s grandchildren and Eric are not seen in the movie. It can be presumed by Wayne’s statement that Eric is in the military and is stationed in Iraq.

One of the best things about “Janet Planet” is the talented performance by Ziegler, who makes her feature-film debut in “Janet Planet.” This movie is named after Janet, but it’s through Lacy’s perspective that the story has its heart and soul. Ziegler’s performance is very natural and never once looks like she’s trying too hard to be a good actress. “Janet Planet” doesn’t have any grand, sweeping statements about life but it does offer some pointed observations about the time in everyone’s life when a child begins to see parenthood in less idealistic ways.

A24 released “Janet Planet” in select U.S. cinemas on June 21, 2024, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on June 28, 2024.

Review: ‘Tuesday’ (2024), starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Leah Harvey and Arinzé Kene

June 29, 2024

by Carla Hay

Lola Petticrew and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in “Tuesday” (Photo by Kevin Baker/A24)

“Tuesday” (2024)

Directed by Daina O. Pusić

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed city in England, the dramatic film “Tuesday” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few black people) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A 15-year-old girl (who has an unnamed terminal illness) and her worried mother have interactions with death, which manifests itself as a talking macaw that can willingly change the size of its body. 

Culture Audience: “Tuesday” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of star Julia Louis-Dreyfus and offbeat movies about confronting mortality.

Lola Petticrew and Death (voiced by Arinzé Kene) in “Tuesday” (Photo by Kevin Baker/A24)

The morbid drama “Tuesday” is best appreciated by viewers who can tolerate surrealistic movies about death. It’s a unique story about a mother and daughter interacting with death, which is embodied as a talking macaw. The concept is creative but alienating. The people who will dislike this movie will really hate it, while others will either like or love this movie. It’s a flawed but interesting film. The cast members’ performances might keep viewer interest if people still want to watch the movie after seeing how death is portrayed in the story.

“Tuesday” is the feature-film directorial debut of writer/director Daina O. Pusić, also known as Daina Oniunas-Pusić. The movie had its world premiere at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival and then made the rounds at other film festivals, such as the 2023 BFI London Film Festival and the 2024 Miami Film Festival. Before writing and directing “Tuesday,” Pusić wrote and directed short films.

The opening sequence in “Tuesday” shows Death (an orange macaw) taking the lives of several people in various locations. (“Tuesday” takes place in an unnamed city in England, where the movie was filmed on location.) Death can change its size by choice. In the movie, Death’s sizes range from being as small as a thimble to as large as a tall building. The character of Death is a combination of computer-generated imagery and visual effects for a live actor performance. In the scenes where Death is human-sized or larger, Death is portrayed by actor Arinzé Kene.

Death has a deep, gravelly voice that can be off-putting to some viewers. When Death is ready to take someone’s life, Death gives that someone a very tight embrace. Some of the dying people welcome death, while others don’t want death anywhere near them. Some are shocked and frightened by seeing Death, while others are not surprised and are much more accepting.

These contrasting attitudes toward Death can be seen in the mother and daughter who are the people at the center of the story. Zora (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is an American single mother, who lives with her 15-year-old daughter Tuesday (played by Lola Petticrew), who has an unnamed terminal illness. Tuesday’s father is not seen or mentioned in the movie. It’s also never explained why Zora is living in England, but it can be presumed she’s lived in England for several years because Tuesday has an English accent.

Tuesday uses an oxygen tank and a wheelchair. She also has a compassionate home care nurse named Billie (played by Leah Harvey), who visits the household on a regular basis. An early scene in the movie takes place in a taxidermy shop, where Zora is selling some unusual taxidermy figures: rats dressed as Catholic bishops. Zora says these items are her daughter’s but Zora is selling them without her daughter’s knowledge. It’s later revealed that Zora has been secretly selling things in the household because she lost her job and doesn’t want to tell Tuesday.

Tuesday is the first person in the household to see Death. Instead of being alarmed, Tuesday tells Death a story. Death laughs and shrinks to the size of a thimble. It’s the beginning of an unusual acquaintance that develops between Tuesday and Death. Tuesday is lonely (at one point, she mentions later that her friends abandoned her because of her illness), so she enjoys talking to Death.

When it comes to Tuesday’s terminal illness, Zora is much less accepting of it than Tuesday. Whereas Tuesday seems to be quietly peparing to die, Zora is angrily defiant and doesn’t want to consider that Tuesday is running out of time to be alive. The movie does not mention how long Tuesday has had this terminal illness or the medical diagnosis for Tuesday’s life expectancy. Zora believes that she and Tuesday can successfully fight this disease together.

Needless to say, Zora’s first encounters with Death are very hostile. It leads to some disturbing scenes where Zora tries to get rid of Death. (Sensitive viewers, be warned: These scenes show some animal cruelty.) And then, Zora does something truly bizarre that will either further alienate viewers of this movie or will make viewers curious to see what will result from Zora’s extreme actions.

“Tuesday” might have been better as a short film, since much of the movie gets repetitive, with pacing that drags. The movie’s marketing is somewhat misleading because Zora is not in the film as much as the movie’s trailer and poster suggests. There’s a huge chunk of the movie where Zora is not seen at all. Most of the conversations that Death has are with Tuesday.

Billie is an underdeveloped character. Don’t expect to learn much about her or anyone else in the movie who isn’t Zora, Tuesday or Death. Billie is the supporting character who gets the most screen time. All the other supporting characters pass through the story in cameo roles.

“Tuesday” has flashes of droll comedy, but the movie’s overall tone is gloomy and weird. Tuesday is an intelligent teenager who’s a little eccentric. Her personality is at the heart of the film. There are times that Tuesday wants to die, which is very unsettling to Zora, who says out loud that it’s unnatural for a parent to outlive a child.

“Tuesday” takes a bold risk of not following the usual movie stereotype of making Zora a saintly mother of an ailing child. Zora is often impatient and rude. As the story goes on, it becomes clearer that Zora’s bad attitude has a lot to do with being under financial pressure to take care of Tuesday while Zora is unemployed and dreading a future without Tuesday.

What saves “Tuesday” from being too abstract and too enamored with its fantastical elements is the fact that the film’s story is grounded in an authentic depiction of a mother-daughter relationship. The movie is a unique portrayal of stages of grief when it comes to death. “Tuesday” is memorable for its talking bird, but what will stay with viewers the most is what the movie has to say about humanity.

A24 released “Tuesday” in select U.S. cinemas on June 7, 2024, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on July 14, 2024.

Copyright 2017-2024 Culture Mix
CULTURE MIX