Mid-May Post

First, as a follow up to the Oscar best picture win by Nomadland, this may be of interest: https://variety.com/2021/film/directors/chloe-zhao-oscars-nomadland-marvel-eternals-dracula-1234961719/amp/. Nomadland has become the most awarded feature in modern film history, and Zhao is clearly a director to watch. If you do not have the Disney+ streaming service and have not yet seen Nomadland it would be worth signing up for a free trial period just in order to do so.  I might add that Zhao’s previous film The Rider is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Also, don’t forget about the number of documentaries (and much else) streaming for free on CBC Gem (https://gem.cbc.ca/).   In particular I can recommend the three-episode series Climate Change: Ade on the Frontlines which explores the effects of climate change around the world and what can be done about it.

            The big new release, on May 14 on Amazon Prime Video, is the 10-episode series The Underground Railroad (A+), a dramatization of the Colson Whitehead novel.  It’s helmed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning director of Moonlight.  Based on the first episodes viewed it is a remarkable achievement.  A warning that it contains racist language and scenes of graphic violence; historically accurate considering how slavery in the American south was an abomination. (For more comment see: https://www.indiewire.com/2021/05/the-underground-railroad-review-amazon-barry-jenkins-masterpiece-1234636227/.)

            Earlier in May HBO presented a nearly four-hour two-part documentary The Crime of the Century (A) helmed by prolific documentarian Alex Gibney.  Drawing on work by an investigative team at The Washington Post and Patrick Keefe’s book Empire of Pain, it is a detailed examination of the origins and evolution of the opioid addiction crisis in America that has taken over a half million lives.  That includes the role of Purdue Pharma owned by the billionaire Sackler family (for a review of the book see: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/13/empire-of-pain-review-by-patrick-radden-keefe-the-dynasty-behind-an-opioid-crisis.) It is a story of corruption, deceit, and deadly consequences on an epidemic scale. (For more comment see: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-crime-of-the-century-tv-review-2021.)

            Netflix has added another docuseries Money, Explained (B), with five breezy episodes under 25 minutes on: get rich scams, credit cards, student-loan debt, gambling, and retirement savings. It’s worth a look even if the analysis is neither broad nor deep and addresses only the U.S. experience.

            Also on the documentary front, the annual HotDocs festival (https://www.hotdocs.ca/) has been taking place online and I was able to view some selections as below.

The Colonel’s Stray Dogs (South Africa/Libya/Qatar 2021) A-

The colonel is Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi who met a rather gruesome end in the revolutionary ferment that seized Libya in the wake of the “Aran spring” a decade ago.  The “stray dogs” are opponents of the Gaddafi regime targeted by him for elimination, to the point of sending death squads against those in exile.  One of the prominent “strays”, Ashur Shamis, is the father of filmmaker Khalid Shamis in this brisk 73-minute documentary that probes his involvement.  While living quietly in a London suburb, Ashur was associated with the “National Front for the Salvation of Libya” which sought to overthrow the regime.   When visiting Libya after the revolution Ashur was dejected by the chaotic violence that ensued among the contending militant factions.  Gaddafi was gone but there was no happy outcome to celebrate.  The son’s discoveries about his father’s clandestine activities provides a very personal family lens through which to view the events of a violent regime and its violent downfall.   It makes for a remarkable story indeed.

Courage (Germany/Belarus 2021) A

Director Aliaksei Paluyan profiles the popular protest movement against the autocratic Lukashenko regime in Belarus which thanks to stolen elections has kept a hold on power since 1994.  He is sometimes described as “Europe’s last dictator”.  A particular focus is on several members of a theatre group who at personal risk use artistic expression as an instrument of protest and take it to the street.  The film is a testament to that struggle.  (For more comment see:

https://www.moderntimes.review/courage/.)

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (U.S. 2021) A

Several excellent recent docs have explored children’s programming on television.  There was I am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014) about the performer behind a main character on “Sesame Street” (who also performed Oscar the Grouch), and Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018) about the PBS show hosted by Fred Rogers (subsequently played by Tom Hanks in the 2019 dramatic version A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).  This wonderful film, an HBO production, directed by Marilyn Agrelo and based on the book by Michael Davis, provides a engaging backstory of how “Sesame Street” emerged at the end of the 1960s as a creation of the Children’s Television Workshop.   It represented a revolution in television programming that targeted inner-city kids through a diverse and socially progressive approach as educational as it was entertaining.  A wealth of archival and backstage footage, including of the puppeteers, covers the foundational roles of the late Jim Henson’s muppets and of other creators like Frank Oz.  The show was groundbreaking in not shying away from confronting difficult issues (such as the death of Mr. Hooper).  It combined the intelligence of teachable moments with being a joy to watch.  Indeed I confess to having enjoyed it on occasion as an a adult viewer (my favorite characters were “Cookie Monster” and, of course, Kermit the frog because “it’s not easy being green”).  Not every aspect of the show worked out, but “Sesame Street” has earned the recognition it deserves and, as importantly, is still going strong. Innovative and inspirational, it is the rare multi-generational broadcast phenomenon with a legitimate claim to being a force for social good.  The film tells a truly wonderful and impactful story, with a rousing closing song from Paul Simon, one of many artists to appear on the show.

The Story Won’t Die (Denmark/Germany/U.S. 2021) A

Directed by David Henry Gerson, the film profiles four artists who have been forced to flee their native Syria since the start of civil war a decade ago and the savage repression of the Al-Assad regime that holds on to power despite the destruction and mass exodus.  Before escaping, some of these refugees endured imprisonment and torture.  But they remain resilient in exile, finding ways to use their artistic gifts to express themselves and their experiences.  This is their story of persistence and resistance through art.

Bangla Surf Girls (Canada 2021) B+

One doesn’t associate Bangladesh with the sport of surfing. But as part of the “Persister” program of “women speaking up and being heard”, and presented in partnership with Oxfam Canada, director Elizabeth D. Costa’s film profiles a trio of teenage girl surfers who challenge gendered stereotypes.  Situated in the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar, they join clubs and competitions.  Their skill in riding the waves achieves a freedom that speaks to their desire to overcome society’s obstacles.  Yes she can.

Ostrov-Lost Island (Switzerland 2021, https://www.ostrov.ch/main) A-

Not to be confused with the acclaimed 2006 Russian film “The Island” set in a Russian Orthodox monastery, this documentary, directed by Svetlana Rodina and Laurent Stoop, is a striking verité observation of a multi-generational clan inhabiting a forsaken desert island located in the Caspian sea.  They manage to subsist mainly through illegal fishing.  Although long effectively abandoned by a corrupt Russian state system, they continue to consume the Kremlin’s propaganda.  At one point the family decides to compose and send a letter of appeal to Vladimir Putin; surely the benevolent strongman will answer and provide.  The plight of these marginal characters sheds light on that larger story.  For more see this review: https://www.moderntimes.review/ostrov-lost-island/.

Apart (U.S. 2020, https://www.apartthemovie.com/) A

Directed by Jennifer Redfearn, the film profiles several women prisoners in Ohio.  The statistics are startling.  The “war on drugs” has resulted in an 800% increase in the number of female inmates in U.S. prisons; some 2.8 million women enter the prison system each year.  And 80% of female inmates are mothers, often of young children.  We see how three such mothers struggle to manage the separation, and how they work through their issues as they prepare for release.  So many lives have been scarred by cycles of addiction leading to incarceration. This compelling intimate portrait offers hope for a way out.

Nothing But the Sun (Switzerland/Paraguay/Argentina 2020, https://www.apenaselsol.com/) A

The subject is the indigenous Ayoreo people whose communities were displaced from their traditional forest territory in the 1960s by missionary and colonial incursions.  Writer-director Arami Ullón documents the effort to record the culture and memories of the Ayoreo before it’s too late.  (For more comment see: http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/nothing-but-the-sun-review-recorded-history.)

His Name is Ray (Canada 2021)  A

As a HotDocs member I was able to watch this fine new film directed by Michael Del Monte.  At busy intersections I sometimes see disheveled men seeking spare change from passing drivers.  This documentary puts a name to one of them, following a homeless man Ray on the streets of Toronto.  A former sailor, he suffers from drug addiction and has lost touch with family.  This is a remarkable intimate and raw observation of his life on the street. 

Now on to some other titles.

Stowaway (U.S./Germany 2021, Amazon Prime Video)  B

Weirdly the reviews all refer to this as a Netflix release when in Canada at least it is only available on Amazon Prime.  Anyway, director and co-writer Joe Penna’s future space drama concerns a two-year mission en route to Mars which apparently already has a human colony.  The three unlikely astronauts on board are commander Marian Barnett (Toni Collette), doctor Zoe Lenson (Anna Kendrick), and biologist David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim) If three’s a crowd, four must be really too much.  Existential angst looms when an injured engineer Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson), is discovered to have been trapped unconscious inside before takeoff and is now along for the ride.  He’s also damaged the carbon dioxide scrubber—part of the life support system—beyond repair despite “Hyperion” mission central being apprised of the situation.  Too little oxygen and too much CO2 spell disaster. Biologist Kim sacrifices his algae cultures to try to produce more extra oxygen for the six-month flight time.  While most of the action is confined to inside the spaceship, there are also some risky exterior attempts at liquid oxygen extraction.  It doesn’t work out with the risk that all will perish before getting to Mars.  Someone has to go or its curtains for all.  After doc Zoe talks Michael out of taking the suicidal route she emerges as the most empathetic sacrificial type.  Except for the space-walk heroics, the scenes are claustrophobic, more chilling than thrilling.  Mars hardly seems worth it.    

Wander (U.S./Canada 2020, Amazon Prime Video)  C

Directed by April Mullen, Wander—a tiny town somewhere in the American southwest—makes one wonder what fine actors Aaron Eckhart and Tommy Lee Jones are doing in this wacky misfire.  Eckhart plays the main role of Arthur Bretnik, a private investigator and paranoid conspiracy theorist who investigates an apparent homicide outside the town.  Jones as Jimmy Cleats appears to be a sympathetic if less nutty acquaintance.  I could never figure out quite what his role is supposed to add beyond a radio broadcast he hosts with Arthur, who also has a friend in a lawyer Shelly played by Heather Graham.  Arthur’s conspiratorial ravings link back to the death of his daughter and then the perils seem to come to life with shootings and deadly results.  Whatever happens, real or imagined, gets increasingly unhinged until I wondered if I had not wandered into a delusional bad dreamscape never intended to make any sense.

Monster (U.S. 2018, released 2021 on Netflix) A-

This promising first feature by Anthony Mandler premiered several years ago at the Sundance festival but is just now available for streaming.  The central character is a 17-year old African American from Harlem, Steve Harmon (an excellent Kelvin Harrison Jr.) who, like so many young Black men, gets caught up in the criminal justice and prison system.  He’s implicated in the robbery of a small store that resulted in the murder of its owner.  Harmon, a good student with an interest in film, seems an unfortunate innocent who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. While his public defender (played by Jennifer Ehle) argues that case, the prosecutor makes him out to be another “monster”, a complicit lookout for the perpetrators of the crime.  But it isn’t so simple; neither the outcome nor what really happened follow a predictable storyline.  Effective use is also made of voiceover and other cinematic techniques, befitting Harmon’s filmmaking ambitions. Mandler is an emerging talent to watch.

The Disciple (India 2020, Netflix)  B+

At over two hours runtime this drama from writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane is slow cinema with a meditative pace that rewards patience in telling the engaging story of a young man Sharad (Aditya Modak) with musical dreams.   These are steeped in the tradition of North Indian Hindustani classical music with its vocal melodies know as ‘raga’ accompanied by the distinctive rhythmic chords of the sitar.   Set in Mumbai, the movie follows Sharad’s struggles as he pursues this musical and spiritual path. He’s both a devoted disciple of raga gurus and an unfulfilled loner who is, as the Eric Kohn’s Indiewire review aptly puts it, “trapped somewhere between ambition and arrested development”. 

The Woman in the Window (U.S. 2021, Netflix)  C

No worries that this Joe Wright directorial misfire will be any competition for the Hitchcock classic Rear Window. Several years were spent in development hell before being released on the streamer.  The woman of the title is Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams), a child psychologist who is agoraphobic and a pill-popping mental case with her own shrink (played by Tracy Letts who also wrote the screenplay).  Pity the children.  Separated from family, she lives with a white cat called “punch” and has an angry male tenant David (Wyatt Russell) in the basement.  Anxious Anna becomes obsessed with the seemingly dire goings on in the residence across the street—big windows, no drapes.  This would be the fighting Russells, Alistair (a white-haired Gary Oldman) and Jane, or rather two Janes, with teenage son Ethan (Fred Hechinger).  The first Jane who visits Anna is played by Julianne Moore but when “Jane” comes a second time with Alistair following Anna’s perturbed 911 call, she’s played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.  The days pass, getting more overwrought and demented.  There’s a snowy fatal accident flashback, a recording of a suicide video, Ethan turning into a homicidal maniac.  You’ve been warned not to look..

The Mosquito Coast (U.S. 2021, 7-episode series, Apple TV+) B+

This new series, created by Tom Bissell and Neil Cross, is based on the 1981 novel by Paul Theroux which led to a 1986 film.  It follows the misadventures of the Fox family of four—inventor dad Allie (played by Justin Theroux who happens to be a nephew of Paul), mom Margot (Melissa George) and young teens Charlie (Gabriel Bateman) and Dina (Logan Polish).  They live a radical-marginal kind of existence and already in the first episode are forced to flee from Stockton, California, pursued by the authorities including the National Security Agency, for unexplained reasons.  Dina rebels against dad but also finds a smashing way to rescue him from police custody.  On the lam south, next for the family is a dangerous illegal crossing of the border into Mexico. A lethal shootout leaves the family fortunately unscathed.  From the first episodes there’s an anti-establishment, anti-capitalist, up yours America vibe to the narrative; somewhat ironic given Apple’s status as a megacorporation.  Subsequent episodes have been released weekly.  For a critical perspective on the full season see: https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/apple-tv-mosquito-coast-tv-review-2021. 

Tehran (Israel 2020, 8-episode series, season one, Apple TV+) A

Thank you to Andrew Cohen for recommending this excellent espionage thriller which he rightly describes as riveting.  Niv Sultan stars as Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad agent who grew up in Iran and who successfully enters the Iranian capital and teams up with a dissident hacker codenamed “sick boy”.  A parallel storyline follows an Iranian counter-intelligence officer Faraz whose wife is being treated abroad for a medical condition.  Against the backdrop of the conflict between the Islamic regime and the “Zionist entity”, the aim of Tamar’s mission is to infiltrate Iranian defensive systems to allow for a successful Israeli aerial attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.  Intense personal dramas play out in a high-stakes game.  Season two is eagerly awaited.

*Storm Lake (U.S. 2021, https://stormlakemovie.com/)

I received an advance look at this documentary which will have its world premiere at the Full Frame festival later in June.  The subject is the struggle of a family-run local newspaper in a small Iowa community to carry on.  More in a next post.