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Reviews
Hesperia (2019)
Hesperia as a state of mind
Located North-East of Los Angeles, Hesperia is a fractured desert town that is definitely not a tourist destination or welcome respite from the road if you're heading to Vegas. Hesperia is a pretty depressing place, and the events of this film convey that clearly.,
The central dramatic event is a home invasion, and from this incident springs the scripts many dramas and confrontations. Not surprisingly, the characters are mostly desperate times with very little to lose and much to gain by committing crimes. The hopelessness of such a set-up carries a scary resonance, and comments on the folly of economic policies that favor the rich, and the devastation "progress" causes.
HESPERIA is as much a state of mind as a city, and there's no denying that such cities are becoming more common as the American Dream continues to collapse.
Perfect Feet (2019)
Fascinating feet
Thoroughly entertaining exploration of feet, the purpose of feet, the virtues of feet, the multi-verse of feet-related practitioners (podiatrists, nail salons, shoe and sock makers), and those whose careers are dependent on feet.
Some of us have a love/hate relationship with feet and find them unseemly (even those work in the feet business), and I think these folks will be most educated by this fascinating feature. Statistics on feet are extremely thought-provoking -- for example, our feet contain more bones than any other section of our body.
The producers have taken a potentially banal subject and made it super-interesting, which goes to show that, as the late Roger Ebert used to say, it's not WHAT it's about, it's HOW it's about.
Step forward now and watch this doc.
Foot fetishists should enjoy it also.
Carving a Life (2017)
Highly effective and believable love story
From a genre that has given us THE LONG WEEKEND, LEAVING LAS VEGAS, BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY, and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES comes CARVING A LIFE, an intimate, sincere essay on love and the externals that can capsize it.
It's a film about a relationship, about love, but the disease of alcoholism becomes a third cog in this wheel, and brutalizes the deepening bond between our two lovers, well played by Tyler Bruhn and Karenssa Legear.
Love stories are universal, and the emotions possess familiar aspects we all tap into. This works effectively because the foundation of the relationship feels real, and we buy the bond that grows between them.
The film has some confronting scenes, but it's a story of contrasts, and, ultimately, resolves its primary issue believably.
See it!
The Painted Warrior (2019)
Quite a warrior, quite a film
Obstacle Racing, or, more appropriately, Extreme Endurance!, is what Stephen Sinek subjects himself to on a fairly regular basis. Apart from the blisters, twisted ankles, sunburn, flesh burns, and cracked skin, this is a mental contest where the greatest challenger is yourself. Sinek, assisted by his artist wife, who paints his skin (therefore the film's title), is in a mental contest with himself, and, because the filmmakers know it, they make the focus internal rather than external.
It's a visually striking poem to what's possible, shot in beautiful countryside and desert, and skillfully cut and scored. There's very little time or space given to Sinek's other competition (outside of himself), and it avoids cliched declarations of heroism. Frequently, Sinek comes across as a pragmatic, not terribly egotistical guy, but someone driven by his own angels and demons.
He's quite a warrior, and this is quite a film.
Ab Negative (2019)
Unique post-apocalyptic drama
AB Negative comes with a timely message about the way we treat our planet, the unpredictability of biology, the irrelevance of contemporary currency, and the ineffectiveness of politics. Recalling, for me, the type of premise used in the X-Rated CAFE FLESH (those not impacted by radiation (sex positives) must participate in sex shows for the heavily impacted (sex negatives), this very effective science fiction drama, shot in Belgium, focuses on two brothers fighting to endure in a world where the rarest blood type has become the most valuable currency.
Recalling post-apocalyptic sojourns such 28 DAYS LATER, BLACK MOON, and THE OMEGA MAN (aka I AM LEGEND), this is an action-packed, genuinely emotional tale of two brothers, and the cost of surviving in a world decimated by a contagion.
Highly recommended.
She Walks the Woods (2019)
Doco Meets Shock-Oh!
The term "found footage" isn't exactly accurate here because it's more a laid back first person doco that builds to some creepiness -- and by "builds" I mean it gradually goes there, and doesn't blow its load too early. A bunch of friends head to a house in the woods and encounter the "She" of the title. "She" is not overexposed or described or explained too clearly, so the mystery is maintained. Style is very casual, as if someone not too technical is recording the character interplay and action. Exposure jumps about, focus isn't always there, so they're chasing a relaxed vibe that they then inject some horror into (you're not quite sure when, though, so that's a plus). The footage we're watching is definitely not lost! Give it a go!
Breathe Breana (2019)
Her life a metaphor for perseverance
Beating the odds barely describes the journey of Breana Schroeder, a young woman living with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that clogs the lungs with mucus and also impact the digestive system. Blending beautifully shot and scored sporting footage with intimate windows on Breana's growth from an infant to a champion tandem surfer, this perfectly measured doco is so inspiring it can only humble us. Highly recommended.
Long Lost (2018)
Unnerving drama with erotic underbelly
Eric Bloomquist's LONG LOST begins deceptively as a few snowflakes fluttering to the ground and ends in an emotional S-storm. Essentially, it's about a game of manipulation between half-brothers and a woman. The film's "hero," Seth, who hasn't ever met his brother, is greeted with a strange familiarity and then plunged into a world without limits or boundaries. The location is Greenwich, Connecticut, an upper class 'burb that resembles the setting of The Stepford Wives (I believe the town of Wilton, also in CT, WAS the setting of that film), and its glassy, finely manicured demeanor does make for the perfect backdrop for these emotional shenanigans. There is an interesting development towards the end, Bloomquist keeps the tone of the drama consistent, and the erotic underbelly provides some welcome steam.
Earthrise (2014)
Solid drama in a sci-fi vein
This is a science fiction drama in the vein of the Russian SOLARIS and MOON. Not focused on hardware, it depicts the emotional journey of a tight knit group making their way back from Mars to Earth. Like an extended episode of The Outer Limits or even a 70's Dr. Who, the group are visited by a strange supernatural force that exposes both internal and external vulnerabilities. Made on a limited budget, its focus on jellyware (people) problems rather than hardware problems is a wise and effective one.
Hello & Goodbye (2018)
Painfully realistic portrait of a union
A really well acted rumination on the excruciating manipulations of love. The set-up is two ex's coming together to explore a possible reboot of their relationship. The fireworks launch from there.
This is unnervingly realistic in the way it conveys the Mars/Venus dynamics of the male/female relationship here, and also focuses on how unions are compromised by the compromises people make to please the other. It's especially tragic when the other you're pleasing doesn't really know what they want, anyway.
HELLO AND GOODBYE is certainly a solid argument for seeing traditional relationships as an option, not a given. Beyond temporary romantic euphoria, what does each partner actually bring to a relationship? Is it worthwhile, is it valid? What IS a relationship TODAY?
Mark Hampson's film remains focused on its issues, and is as raw as a fresh scab. Love as possible delusion made murky by sex and attraction is a fine, sticky, complex subject. Some good cracked egg imagery and Eiffel Tower, referencing great French cinema that has explored these themes, is a welcome touch.
A final credit coda thanking the cast for leaving pieces of themselves (on the film) is apt. Score is aces.
Unlawful Justice (2018)
Dramatic winner
This potent drama makes a good case for removing the word "justice" from the justice system by conveying how that system is mostly about quotas and turning poor, disadvantaged people into crime statistics.
Despite the horrible reality above, the film takes pains to present a police officer as a three-dimensional player in the game, and like those he arrests and criminalises, he's also struggling to make ends meet himself and faces a plethora of internal pressures.
Solid performances and taut writing make this film a dramatic winner.
Before the Dawn (2019)
Realistic, non-hysterical look at human nature
Although the subject is "ripped from today's headlines," the treatment of the subject is sensitive, substantial, and nuanced. An isolated, lonely teacher, played with quiet authority by Alana de Freitas, forms a bond with one of her students (Jared Scott). The relationship that develops is what separates the film from the usual sensationalistic approach to such subject matter in films like MY TUTOR, PRIVATE LESSONS, etc.
It's refreshing when filmmakers take a realistic view of love, but still focus on its inevitable complications. A third cog in this wheel is another teacher, played by Houston Rhines, whose unreciprocated attraction to de Freitas married to his discovery of the teacher/student union definitely makes life complicated for all of them.
BEFORE THE DAWN pulls its title from a poem, and though it suggests that there is darkness before light, the darkness here is filled with gray, a gray most films seem happy avoiding. This doesn't avoid truths, and benefits enormously from that approach.
Huckleberry (2018)
Utterly authentic
Roger Hill's HUCKLEBERRY focuses on teenagers in a small American town that is not quite ready to embrace reality. Daniel Fisher-Gold is the title character, whose devotion to the complex Jolene (Sarah Ulstrup), triggers retribution from her dodgy boyfriend Clint (Justin Rose). That retribution triggers a series of unexpected turns.
The unexpected aspect of the film's narrative is its greatest virtue. Huckleberry, who is a trans man, faces the predictable prejudices of wearing his true nature on his sleeve, but the filmmakers don't make the film ABOUT this -- it's threaded into a broader picture of narrow-minded views andreactions where very little is absolute.
The film, for me, has echoes of Tim Hunter's classic RIVER'S EDGE, another small town study of small minds, but it develops its own unique personality. More than anything, it pushes to depict everybody as gray, and no situation as truly black and white. It doesn't succumb to the usual dramatic box-tickers such as clearly defined morality, streamlined resolutions, traditionally "likable" characters, and rote, BS messages. It feels and smells very authentic, very honest.
It's a concentrated, intense achievement.
8 Remains (2018)
Psychodrama with a difference
8 REMAINS qualifies for inclusion in the "fantastique" or "cinefantastique" genre. It is a murder mystery/thriller centered on a young woman who is attempting to prevent or, at least, stall her own death. She attempts to accomplish this by leaping between time and space, which gives her helpful altering perspectives on her own demise.
Director Juliane Block focuses on the more personal aspects of her heroine's life -- in particular, she examines a relationship that starts well (don't they all?) and fairly quickly turns ugly, abusive, and, ultimately, murderous.
The film's setting is mostly rural, the imagery is engaging, and the non-linear structure works well. I applaud Ms. Block for taking a confident swing at a mix of genres that results in a very engaging psychodrama with a difference.
Love Is Not Enough (2019)
Is love worth the effort? You decide.
The unpredictable shifts and changes within evolving relationships are given plenty of screen time in LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH. The film, shot in Detroit, my old stomping ground, is PG-rated romantic-themed drama that is definitely aimed at female audiences.
This has a casual, easy pace, features no cussing, next to no nudity or sex, and has solid production values. Couples may find the sexual politics an interesting case for discussion, although potential lady viewers will be happy to know that all ends with a pro-relationship viewpoint where the woman is mostly right.
Personally, the film not only convinced me that love is not enough, but it also convinced me that the compromises the male characters made in this movie (for the women) would, ultimately just make them resentful -- a lot of questionable "simping"/White Knighting going on here.
There is definitely an audience for these more PC-sensitive dramas, and this should meet your criteria if you err towards such subject matter.
Return to Horror Hotel (2019)
Seriously enjoyable cinematic fun
This is an American portmanteau featuring four tales connected by the titular hotel. The tone is slightly elevated, not realistic, and the characters are not unlike those found in a John Waters film, a Jerry Springer episode, or a documentary by Ulrich Seidl. I warmed to the focus on the grotesque, and appreciated the moody, gel-happy lighting.
The hotel of the title is of the Bates Motel school (not flashy or 5-star), but it serves as a solid launching pad for the various tales. This is not a horror film to be taken terribly seriously; it revels in its own excesses, and ludicrous concepts, and pitches its performances at a level in concert with its tone.
For me, my favorite story was the third one, which involved a bunch of lost submariners, although the first tale, which focuses on decay and bugs, arrested my attention. Well worth catching.
Nothing Really Happens (2018)
What happens is neither definite nor indefinite
NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS is not entirely true, and not entirely false, either, because the film examines a character's perceptions of reality, and we're not ultimately given definite answers to the questions the film poses.
Unlike traditional Hollywood narrative where the three acts are clear and the plot points are very visible, the narrative here tends to mimic the psyche of the protagonist. A sequence involving a phone queue where our hero finds himself shunted even further down the queue has an absurdist tone you might find in a Terry Gilliam film, and places our hero in what appears to be a hopeless, almost surreal dilemma.
Stick with it, though, because everything starts locking and humming by the second half, and the journey to that is a fascinating one as long as you go in expecting the unexpected.
Ekaj (2015)
The many shades of masculinity
Shot and cut in a fragmented, choppy style that mirrors the life of Ekaj, the protagonist, it's an unsentimental study of street hustlers that finds humanity in small details.
For me, it has a Paul Morrisey/Warhol vibe, and reminded me of NYC-set films I saw in the 70's and early 80's. It's refreshing that it doesn't build to a Brady Bunch-style resolution where all is well, but instead suggests that life goes on and we change constantly as human beings.
The film is also a raw rumination on masculinity and what it means, and explores the many different shares of that. Liked it a lot.
Purdah (2018)
A salute to strength!
Although the cricket-loving daughter is the film's central focus,. this is a salute to the strength of many women in an India-based Muslim family. As I'm a cricket lover (and ex-amateur player) myself, the film resonated in so many ways, and I felt like I was accompanying these brave, pragmatic women through their many ups and downs.
A superb score is married to unforced, solid visuals, and director Jeremy Guy gets great "performances" out of the subjects of the story. The social and religious obligations (and traditions) that often chain these women are contrasted with individual ambitions and attachment to family.
Ultimately, this is a raw, emotional portrait of resilience, and there's not a frame of fakery in it. Certainly recommended.
In cricket parlance, this scores a "Six!"
The Evil Down the Street (2019)
Creeping unease
This indie pic finds creepy unease in a generic suburban setting. After a family moves into a new house, the personality of one member begins to change. Is the house itself haunted? Has the restless spirit of a previous owner been transferred?
Although most haunted house stories take the OLD DARK HOUSE route, this focuses on a very Californian setting outside San Diego, and includes the tried and true tropes of the genre such as a Ouija board, a grizzled exorcist, and a basement where something bad is festering.
THE EVIL DOWN THE STREET mostly explores transference of evil, and is notable for its atmosphere and increasing dread rather than body count or gore score. I would have liked to see the evil vanquished with a little more difficulty, but, overall, this contained little thriller/horror knows its audience and delivers the goods.