Recommended – Page 5

I Am Not Your Negro is the Present

The review:

Raoul Peck’s I am Not Your Negro is the type of documentary that grabbed me from the preview, because who wouldn’t want to watch James Baldwin talk about stuff? The movie does an excellent job juxtaposing Baldwin’s words (read by Samuel L. Jackson) about the history of race in America with images from the past that spin a different tale of our history. It also pairs his observations about his own contemporary society with our contemporary society and the film’s many quotes that hit you right in the gut.*

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free via Kanopy, the library’s streaming service.
Where watched: at home

Further sentences:

*This movie does not mention that James Baldwin was a gay man at a time when uncloseted gay men were few and far between. People have criticized the film for this reason.

Questions:

Does not having the context of Baldwin’s sexuality detract from the film?
How do you see the history of race in America play out in your life?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The film is based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript of 30 pages for a novel which has never before been released to the public. The film, in a way, finishes this work by incorporating other interviews and writings by Baldwin and expanding on the themes through archival footage

Other reviews:

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is Incendiary

The review:

Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is* a movie singularly focused on women in a way that few films are.** There is so much to see in this film, from the way the artist studies her subject surreptitiously, to the way the portrait evolves. It’s also a movie where class barriers are removed, and one that depicts a common issue most movies don’t address; by the end I felt fully immersed in these characters*** and their world.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $9.00
Where watched: Living Room Theaters

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It is at this point that I want to insert my original take, texted to my friend: I have now seen Portrait of a Lady on Fire and deem it a slow burn, but very good. There I am, being punny without meaning to. This movie is not concerned about speed, but it earns its viewers’ attention with every deliberate scene.
**Where are the men in this film? I found their absence to be not at all realistic, but also a refreshing tonic. It was like my early undergraduate days, spent at a women’s college. I suspect the lack of men in this film has something to do with the fact that I first heard about this from the Online Female Film Critics 2019 awards shortlist, and heard almost nothing about it for the rest of awards season. Movies without women? Fine. Movies without men? Just not interesting to most of the people who review movies.
***I am also now curious to look up all the previous directorial efforts of Céline Sciamma, and previous movies with Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel and Luàna Bajrami

Question:

Do you think she was actually on fire, or was it a manifestation?
Did you see the page number thing coming?
Are movies that remove standard things (men, for instance) to tell their story distracting for the lack of such things, or captivating because of the removal?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The literal translation of the original title is Portrait of the Young Girl on Fire. One suspects that “the young girl” was changed to “a lady” for the English title of the film in order to evoke the Henry James novel, The Portrait of a Lady.

Other reviews:

Stop Making Sense is Phenomenal

The review:

For most of my life, the Talking Heads have been ever present* and so I never prioritized Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense. This was a mistake, because from the first time David Byrne walks on stage this concert documentary is riveting. It’s fun to watch the set be built through the concert, it’s fun to watch the band slowly trickle in, it’s fun to watch the choreography,** and it breathed life into some very well-worn songs and made me hear them in a new way.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Homecoming
20 Feet From Stardom
The Wrecking Crew
Some Kind of Monster
The Last Waltz
(As in the Miss Americana review this is an aspirational list here. I’ve not seen any of them.)

Further sentences:

*I wouldn’t be surprised if the magic of the internet overlords told me I’d heard some part of “Once in a Lifetime” at least weekly since 1984.
**Which seemed very Jazzercise-esque at times.
***That said, I would have preferred a few more long shots and fewer closeups, because that choreography gets lost, though I have read that the closeups were very innovative at the time. I also love how the crew all came on stage to take a bow at the end. And! No encores in 1984!

Questions:

What’s your favorite concert documentary?
Could you like a concert doc of a band/musician/genre you didn’t like?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

David Byrne’s staggering during the latter part of “Psycho Killer” was directly inspired by Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951) during the song “I Left My Hat In Haiti.”

(I have just watched the clip of this and did not find anything that looked like David Byrne’s staggering.)

Other reviews:

Roger Ebert
Rolling Stone “Talking Heads on ‘Stop Making Sense’: ‘We didn’t want any bulls-t” (An article rather than a review, but a good one)

Miss Americana: It’s Always Harder if You’re a Woman

The review:

Lana Wilson shows different facets* of Taylor Swift in Miss Americana from her early days as a teenage country singer to her most current reinvention as a pop superstar.** I’m always a little leery of how accurate the portrayal of the subject is in documentaries of high-profile people—I’m cynical enough to suspect there is some give to get access—regardless, there’s a lot to chew on here.*** Also interesting was seeing how the kids today make music which seems to involve voice recorders on phones and not very many instruments.****

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Amy
The Wrecking Crew
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
20 Feet from Stardom

(Note: I’m terrible at watching documentaries. This is a list of films I want to see!)

Further sentences:

*From awards show ready in a dress that didn’t let her lift her arms higher than her waist to writing songs without makeup and in lounge wear.
**Swift points out that women artists have to reinvent themselves 20 times more often then men do and that is on full display in this documentary.
***I loved that she discussed how seeing images of herself on a daily basis isn’t good for her and lead to disordered eating. It was interesting to see her weigh speaking out about a particular political candidate with potential fan reaction. The isolation was also interesting, and every scene with her cat was a winner.
****I’m always up for music creation sequences and it’s fun to watch the energy grow as the song comes into being.

Questions:

Has a documentary about a musician ever changed the way you thought about that person’s music?
What profile of a musician would you like see?

Other reviews:

Also good: I want to work really hard while society is still tolerating me being successful.

2020 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts

Overall:

The Live Action Shorts had a whiplash of emotions (woah, what?, ugh!, hmm, yes!) that left me feeling good.

A Sister (16 minutes)

The film opens with a couple driving in a car with the woman asking permission to call her sister to arrange for care for her daughter. From that point the film jumps back and forth from the claustrophobic and hard-to-see car interior to a different location. I found this film hopeful and clever and also the kind of film that wasn’t going to get a lot of votes.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “A Sister” here.

Brotherhood (25 minutes)

This takes place in Tunisia and the three young men who play the brothers are fascinatingly red-headed and freckled.* It’s about a family where the oldest brother has been absent for returns home with a Syrian wife. Has he been working for ISIS?

*Googling got me to an article hidden behind a paywall, but apparently Meryam Joobeur, the director, came across two of them in 2016 tending sheep in northern Tunisia, asked to take their picture and was denied. Then she came back with script for a short film, asked around, found the brothers and they agreed to be in the film.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Brotherhood” on Viemo.

Saria (22 minutes)

This film is based on a true story about an incident in an orphanage in Guatemala. The film focuses on two sisters who are determined to escape from the grim and terrible place. It’s a short film that manages to be hopeful, despite its depressing topic.

The verdict: Good

Watch a trailer for “Saria” here.

The Neighbors’ Window (20 minutes)

A very tired couple with three children who live in an apartment watch the antics of a younger couple who move in across the street. This was the weakest of the bunch. I saw the twist coming in the first five minutes, which would have been okay, but the actor playing the husband was Not A Good Actor.

The verdict: Skip

Watch “The Neighbors’ Window” here.

Nefta Football Club (17 minutes)

What starts with two men looking for a donkey in the desert and expands to encompass two boys on a motorbike headed back to their Tunisian village. This was the funniest of the nominated short films (there was clapping). It was also my favorite.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch Nefta Football Club here.

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theatre with S. North.

My ranking: (winner in bold)

Nefta Football Club
Brotherhood
A Sister
Saria
The Neighbors’ Window

2020 Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts

Overall:

Like last year, the documentary shorts were my favorite. I love these short slices of life, all of which inspired a lot of feelings. I felt wrung out after watching these, but in a better way than the animated shorts.

Note that not all of these individual reviews will have three sentences.

Life Overtakes Me (39 minutes)

This movie starts with a fairy tale-like shot of snow coating branches of trees. It continues by explaining about an illness that is affecting refugee children in Sweden. This was fascinating and a bit horrifying.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Life Overtakes Me” on Netflix.

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) (39 minutes)

I’m always going to go for the stories about the girls. And girls in cultures where girls don’t matter are a big win for me. And movies about skateboarding also are a thing I love.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Learning to Skateboard” on A&E.

In the Absence (29 minutes)

In 2014, the Korean ferry Sewol sank and 300 people (many of them children) drowned. This film follows the disaster from the moment the Coast Guard arrives on scene through years of protest and trials. It was painful and horrible and I highly recommend you watch just to see how many everyday people were affected and to hear the stories of those who tried to make a terrible situation better.

The verdict: Recommended.

Watch “In the Absence” on Vimeo.

Walk, Run, Cha-Cha (20 minutes)

After three heavy subjects, this story of a later-in-life couple who love ballroom dance was a crowd pleaser. Paul and Millie Cao met in Vietnam, and were separated when Paul came to the US as a refugee; Millie joined about five years later. In 20 minutes we get a sense of their life together, their friends and family, and their love for Cha Cha.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Walk, Run, Cha-Cha” on Vimeo.

St. Louis Superman (28 minutes)

Bruce Franks ran for a seat in the Missouri State Legislature after what happened in Ferguson and this film follows him as he goes about his duties. It’s a great depiction of the difficult realities of political office and shows off Franks’s talents speaking to people and inspiring them.

The verdict: Good

Watch a trailer for “St. Louis Superman” on YouTube.

Cost: $10.00
Where watched: Kiggens Theater

My ranking: (winner in bold)

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl)
In the Absence
Life Overtakes Me
Walk, Run, Cha Cha
St. Louis Superman

Brittany Runs a Marathon is 26.2 Miles of Good Film

The review:

Paul Downs Colaizzo’s Brittany Runs a Marathon captures that oh-so-familiar post-college floundering, and layers in female body issues and shaky friendships. It does all of these things very well and stars Jillian Bell, who is usually a bit player who steals scenes,* but as Brittany, she gets to flex all her acting muscles. This is an excellent movie about subjects seldom addressed.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Free via Amazon Prime 30-day trial***
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Bend it Like Beckham
Whip It
A League of Their Own
Bring it On
Girlfight

Further sentences:

*My first moment of “who IS that?” was in 22 Jump Street.
**The medium of film seems a good one especially to address women and body issues. Perhaps as more women are in positions of movie making power will we see more of this subject.
***The boyfriend signed up for other reasons, but I made sure to see the two movies Amazon has been sitting on: this and Beautiful Boy.

Questions:

What aspect of female life would you like to see more movies made about?
Who is your favorite underrated female comic?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The cast and crew actually got to film at the New York City Marathon, making this the first time a non-documentary film crew has been allowed to shoot there.

Other reviews:

Pain & Glory Captures Old Age

The review:

Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory reminded me how few movies there are about the realities of aging. Antonio Banderas captures a director hamstrung by pain* and flashbacks give insight into different areas of his life. It’s a wish fulfillment movie,** and when carried out with Almodóvar’s excellent use of color and interesting settings past and present*** made for an excellent film.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $5.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching

Further sentences:

*Both physical and mental. Banderas’s stiff movements—watch how he carefully eases himself into a cab—hint at how difficult basic functions are; his eyes capture the loss that comes with a long life.
**There were a few too many conincidences to be believable.
***I loved the cave, the director’s apartment, and even Alberto Crespo’s backyard was beautiful to look at.

Questions:

Do you think Salvador Mallo’s (Antonio Banderas) response to pain was reasonable
Would you ever live in a cave?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

As usual, Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro’s brother and producer of the movie, makes a cameo. In this case, as a teacher and priest in a flashback, when Antonio Banderas’ character is a small boy.

Other reviews:

Red Rock West is the Best Noir Western

The review:

John Dahl’s Red Rock West was a film I watched in the mid-90s* and remember enjoying, but wasn’t sure how it had aged. I’m here to tell you that this film still retains all that was good in the 90s, is the best Noir/Western you will ever watch and has a Cage performance that is the perfect amount of Cage, plus Dennis Hopper being creepy in a fun way, not in a Blue Velvet way.** If you can find your way to this little gem, do partake.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $15.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theatre, with a Q&A by director John Dahl as part of the Hollywood’s “Cage Uncaged” series.

Consider also watching other peak Cage:

Face/Off
The Rock
Leaving Las Vegas
Gone in 60 Seconds
Matchstick Men
Wild at Heart
Adaptation

The lack of links is an indication that this movie blog and Peak Cage have not overlapped. I’ve seen all of those films, but prior to 2008. Here’s Roger Ebert’s review of Matchstick Men

Further sentences:

*It was recommended by my then-roommate, with whom I had almost nothing in common. Her father, however, watched a lot of good movies which meant some of those good movie trickled down to her.
**Props also to J.T. Walsh who is excellent as bar owner Wayne. Or “Wayner” as Hopper calls him.

Questions:

Have you seen Red Rock West?
What is your favorite Nicolas Cage role?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Dwight Yoakam brought his own pistol for his role as the truck driver. His hit single, “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” is used during the film’s closing credits. The version used is a studio demo recording, not the one from the album This Time.

(According to the Q&A I attended, Yoakam asked if Dahl needed an end-credits song, Dahl said yes, and 15 minutes later Yoakam called and played the song.)

Uncut Gems Never Stops

The review:

Benny and Josh Safdie’s Uncut Gems had me so amped up that by the end, I don’t think a restorative yoga class combined with a massage could have calmed me down.* While not a movie to unwind with, this is a crazy good movie you should watch for the acting,** and the overly oppressive environment depicted. Prepare yourself for uncertainty; there were several times that I asked myself, “How in the world is this film ever going to end?”

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $9.75
Where watched: Living Room Theater (Part II of New Year’s Eve Double Feature!)

Consider also watching:

Hanna
Requiem for a Dream (though Danger Will Robinson!, this movie is rough)
Point Break
Training Day
The Departed

Further sentences:

*This movie never stops. Adam Sandler never stops talking. He never stops scheming. He doesn’t stop working every angle he can. And the people coming after him are similarly persistent.
**Will Adam Sandler win an Oscar for this? I could see it. Julia Fox as Sandler’s girlfriend also hits all the notes of the twinkie in the city. LaKeith Stanfield is always reliable, in this case as a guy who brings the rich black guys to Sandler’s store. Idina Menzel was super interesting as Sandler’s wife. She savvy, which feels like a departure from what the wife character tends to default to. Oh! And Judd Hirsch has a small role too.

Questions:

If you had to spend time with one of the characters in this movie, who would you choose?
What other comedians do you like in dramatic roles?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The first draft of the script was written in 2009. In 2012, the Safdie Brothers gave Adam Sandler the screenplay, which he declined. After that, they considered Harvey Keitel and Sacha Baron Cohen for the role of Howard before the Safdie Brothers decided the part needed a younger actor like first intended. When the movie got financed after the success of Good Time in 2017, the role went to Jonah Hill, then back to Sandler in 2018.

(I often marvel that any movie ever gets made)