News
2012 Maryland Film Festival | Preview
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012Maryland Film Festival (MFF) is an annual four-day event that takes place in downtown Baltimore during the first weekend of May, presenting top-notch film and video work from all over the world. Each year the festival screens approximately 50 feature films and 75 short films of all varieties — narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, and hybrid — to tens of thousands of audience members. This year your loyal Smells Like Screen Spirit scribes bring you a preview of some of the fantastic films that are in store for you at MFF 2012. Attenberg is certainly not as fantastically absurd as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth, which Tsangari produced, but the two Greek films do share a certain cinematic kinship in farcically discussing the effects of overly restrictive parenting, specifically related to the social and sexual repression of the offspring. One might say that Attenberg is like the mellow chaser used to calm the crazy rush after experiencing the sheer frenzy of Dogtooth, but it is certainly no less meaningful and pervasive. The Comedy is the case study of Swanson (Tim Heidecker); a privileged thirty-something slacker hipster from the affluent Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. With his father withering away in hospice care, Swanson faces the inevitable inheritance of the family’s estate. Due to his complete lack of responsibilities as well as unlimited free time, Swanson has a desensitized perception of the world around him. He pushes social buttons and boundaries with the same abrasive curiosity of a child poking a dead animal with a stick, and plods through life with a drag on those around him. Sandra (Ann Dowd) is the manager of an Ohio ChickWich franchise and she’s having a bad day. It seems the freezer was left open the night before and a lot of food spoiled, leaving the restaurant low on bacon and pickles supplies. To make matters worse, a mystery shopper is expected to arrive unannounced any day now… Other than the increased stress, it’s business as usual. At least until the phone rings. It seems there’s a police officer (Pat Healy) on the line and he needs to talk to Sandra about a very important and sensitive matter. A customer has gone to the police and accused cute 19-year old cashier Becky (Dreama Walker) of stealing some cash from her purse. While it’s a bit out of the ordinary, he insists that he’ll need Sandra to assist with the investigation until officers can arrive. Apparently they’re in the middle of a larger investigation involving Becky and her brother but need Becky to be held until they can arrive. Sandra is hesitant at first but in no time at all is under the spell of the authoritative and manipulative voice on the line and is enjoying the thrill of playing police officer by proxy. Francine begins with Francine’s last day in prison. It seems she has been locked away for a long time, though the crime she committed is left unspoken. Francine moves into a small cottage near the water and finds a series of jobs — at a pet store, in the stables of a polo club, at a veterinarian’s office… As Francine tepidly integrates herself back into society, she begins to develop friendships. This is the crux of Francine, a cinema verite portrayal of a woman struggling to become a member of the free world. As awesome as Leo’s performance is, Francine’s strength is in its uncanny sense of realism — the real people, the real places, the real events. This is essentially a documentary from the perspective of a fictional character. Jonathan Lisecki’s Gayby is a film with many admirable qualities; it intelligently discusses sexuality (including issues of gay identity), aging, friendship, loneliness, and the definition of family. Gayby is not a “gay film”; it is a film about people and relationships, whether they be L-G-B-T-Q or A…and everything in between. (I also love the way race is handled.) Sure, Lisecki includes a lot of gay-oriented humor but his goal is not to segregate his audience, instead he hopes to create a better understanding of sexuality and gender. As offensive as some audiences may find a narrative about an unmarried straight woman and gay man having intercourse to make a baby, the purpose of Gayby is not to shock or offend people. When it comes down to it, Gayby is a well-written (and acted) and undeniably silly romantic comedy; I would love to watch any staunch religious conservative try to watch it with a straight (mind the pun) face! Writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait is certainly not afraid of pissing people off, and his cinematic output thus far plays as a testament to him not giving a flying fuck about what his haters think. World’s Greatest Dad, Sleeping Dogs Lie and Shakes the Clown are darker and more demented than most comedies would ever be willing to go, and God Bless America is certainly no different. Sure the film is a flagrant fuck you to the conservative agenda in the United States, but God Bless America also functions as an extremely critical analysis of popular culture. ADHD and Coprolalia tend to run amok in Goldthwait’s screenplays (I do not mean that in a bad way); his dialogue seems to represent an exact regurgitation of his wildest thoughts and opinions, rather than allowing his ideas and words to be processed through a “political correctness” filter first. God Bless America is sure to offend everyone, some more frequently and aggressively than others; but we should all be thankful that Goldthwait utilizes filmmaking as a vehicle to express his anger and frustrations, because otherwise the plot of God Bless America could have very easily been yet another real life example of an entertainer gone bat-shit crazy. Chris James Thompson’s Jeff is nothing at all like I expected it to be. For one, it’s more of an experimental narrative than a documentary film. You might say that Jeff is constructed like Frankenstein’s monster, a haphazard creation of ill-fitting parts that seem to work against each other… As far as I can tell, Jeff has been deemed “experimental” because it is constructed of footage that most filmmakers would have left in the cutting room floor. If anything, I guess I totally missed whatever point Thompson was trying to make with Jeff. Kid-Thing is a dream-like fable about Annie (Sydney Aguirre), a young tom-boy growing up devoid of parental guidance or societal integration, allowed to run wild and uninhibited in the woods on the outskirts of Austin, her activity only limited by her stamina and imagination. Told through Annie’s eyes, the story fittingly veers between the realistic and the fantastical, told primarily visually… The Zellner’s combination of oddball moments with quirky humor and visually striking aesthetics struck a chord with me but it is Annie’s character and Aguirre’s striking performance that truly carry the film. Her mix of uninhibited childish enthusiasm, youthful angst and occasional slight menace are a joy to behold. Eduardo Sánchez’s film is a heavy-handed diatribe about the long-lasting (and unshakable) effects of child abuse and drug addiction; and Lovely Molly utilizes many of the traditional (read: tired) tropes of the haunted house genre to convey this story. The ever-startling sound design is just as blatant and bombastic — but without it, there would be no scares. The best part of Lovely Molly is the titular Molly, Gretchen Lodge who gives a creepily transcendent performance. Pilgrim Song tells the story of James (Timothy Morton), a public middle school music teacher, who finds himself adrift in life after his job becomes a victim of budget cuts and his relationship with long-term girlfriend Joan (Karrie Crouse) stalls. In keeping with the character of a guy who has checked out of life and is trying to figure out his next steps, he decides to take a couple of months to hike down Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace Trail by himself over the meek protests of Joan, who is trying to play the responsible half of the pair by working her job at a local distillery and at least halfheartedly fanning the flames of the relationship. The two actors perfectly convey the emotions (or lack thereof) of a couple going through the motions in a relationship that is clearly running on fumes. Sun Don’t Shine There’s no doubt that Amy Seimetz and crew perfectly capture the claustrophobic and deadly world of Crystal and Leo, it’s just a matter of whether the viewer is interested in entering therein. While the poster for the film says “Good Hearts Can Do Bad Things,” how much “good” is in either character’s heart is up for debate. Viewing the film is an intense experience, and to be honest I walked out of the theater going back and forth about how I felt but never doubting that I’d just witnessed some masterful storytelling. Bill and Turner Ross‘ Tchoupitoulas does a tremendous job of defying classification. It functions as both a surreal documentary that borrows from narrative storytelling techniques and a narrative film that paints a realistic portrait of its protagonists by utilizing documentary devices. The narrative unfolds like an improvised jazz album with various tangents that flow seamlessly away from and towards the forward-moving primary thread. The tempo continuously alternates as well; as the sublime, impressionistic cinematography alternates between running, walking and pausing. We are fully immersed into the surrounding environment from the perspective of three young brothers as they embark upon an adventure deep into the heart of New Orleans. V/H/S is an anthology horror film with segments directed by David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, and Adam Wingard. The premise is that a group of guys are sent on a job to steal a VHS tape from an old man’s house. It sounds like an easy enough gig. An old man living alone in the country; he will most likely be asleep, but if worse comes to worst the young guys can certainly handle an old man. When they arrive at the house they find the old man stone cold dead, sitting in front of a haphazard stack of television monitors. Then, down in the basement, they discover a treasure trove of VHS tapes. Uncertain of which tape is the tape, they alternate watching the footage to see what is on each one. Surely they’ll know the correct tape when they see it. Oh, and lucky for us, they have brought a few low quality video cameras to record the entire endeavor. (Check out our True/False 2012 review of V/H/S.)
Los Angeles Film Festival Announces 2012 Line-Up
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of nearly 200 feature films, short films, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, music events and more. Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love will be Opening Night, and Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild were selected for the Galas section. LAFF 2012 will close its festivities with the World Premiere of Magic Mike, directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Reid Carolin and starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias. Returning to downtown Los Angeles and headquartered at L.A. LIVE for a third year, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 24. Now in its eighteenth year, the Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema, and is produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards. To Rome With Love – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Woody Allen PRODUCERS Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum CAST Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page) – Written and directed by Woody Allen, To Rome With Love is a story about a number of people in Italy — some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors — and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. Magic Mike – (DIRECTOR Steven Soderbergh PRODUCERS Reid Carolin, Gregory Jacobs, Channing Tatum, Nick Wechsler WRITER Reid Carolin CAST Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias) – Set in the world of male strippers, the dramatic comedy follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. Beasts of the Southern Wild – (DIRECTOR Benh Zeitlin WRITERS Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin PRODUCERS Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn CAST Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry) – This stunningly imaginative, boldly original film follows six-year-old Hushpuppy as she fights to protect her father and their unique way of life in a remote, dreamlike area of the Delta threatened by apocalyptic floods. Middle of Nowhere – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ava DuVernay PRODUCERS Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes CAST Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint, Edwina Findley, Sharon Lawrence) – How do you maintain a marriage — and your own identity — when your husband has been sentenced to eight years in prison? Writer/director Ava DuVernay’s elegant and powerful portrait of a strong woman contending with conflicting feelings of love, guilt and desire marks the arrival of a bold new voice in independent cinema. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lorene Scafaria PRODUCERS Steve Golin, Joy Gorman, Steven M. Rales, Mark Roybal CAST Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Connie Britton, Rob Corddry, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, Melanie Lynskey, T.J. Miller, Mark Moses, Patton Oswalt, William Petersen) – Taking audiences on a humorous, moving and intimate journey against an epic backdrop of Earth’s final days, the film is Lorene’s feature directorial debut (she previously adapted Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist). Set in a too-near future where time at once stands still and is slipping away forever, the film explores what people will do and how they will feel when humanity’s end is near.
Natural Selection | Review
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012Director: Robbie Pickering Writer: Robbie Pickering Starring: Rachael Harris, Jon Gries, Matt O’Leary, John Diehl, Vanessa Vander Pluym, Billy Blair, Berna Roberts, Michael Hyland, Sam Eidson, Melinda DeKay, Hallie Martin, Gayland Williams Linda (Rachael Harris) and Abe (John Diehl) are good middle-aged Christian fundamentalists residing in Houston who have been married for 25 years. They are so righteous and pure that they have not had sex in 24 years. Why? Well, Linda is barren and they have not wanted to waste any of Abe’s semen, because that right there would be a sin. But unbeknownst to Linda (who has lacked an outlet for her carnal needs for the longest time), no-so-honest Abe has been tirelessly donating his seed to the local sperm bank for decades. On one such visit, Abe has a stroke while stroking off to nun porn. (“It’s time for the meek to inherit the girth!”) Knowing that Abe has most likely fathered at least one offspring, Linda decides that it is her Christian duty to find a spawn of Abe’s sperm. With Abe in a coma, Linda heads to Tampa where she tracks down a 23-year-old named Raymond (Matt O’ Leary). Raymond lets Linda know from the get-go that he does not want to listen to no “Jesus shit”; heck, Raymond has a difficult time making it through a sentence without cursing. Oh, and Raymond recently escaped from prison (in the magnificent opening scene), so now he is on the run from the law. With the fuzz hot on his trail, Raymond agrees to drive with Linda back to Texas. As the Christian and the blasphemer hop in the hatchback together, Robbie Pickering’s Natural Selection quickly evolves into a quirky, odd couple road movie that takes a few somewhat unexpected turns. Pickering avoids condescension in his thoughtful and open-minded observation of religious fundamentalism. If Pickering is critical of anything, it is the gender inequality inherent within certain Christian sects. The men make the rules — and bend them to fit their whims — while women must obey them; just like in politics, men control women with laws regarding sexual conduct. Humans are sexual beings, so to instruct them to ignore their natural desires is just asking for trouble. Abstinence is merely a means of manipulation and control, it is certainly not the answer for any of society’s woes. Natural Selection nearly swept the awards at SXSW 2011, winning both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature, as well as the SXSW Competition Awards for Best Screenplay (Robbie Pickering), Best Score/Music (Curt Schneider, iZLER), Best Editing (Michelle Tesoro), Breakthrough Performance (Rachael Harris), and Breakthrough Performance (Matt O’Leary). Rating: 7/10
Mosquita y Mari | Review
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012Director: Aurora Guerrero Writer: Aurora Guerrero Starring: Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano, Dulce Maria Solis, Marisela Uscanga, Melissa Uscanga, Omar Leyva, Armando Cosio, Tonita Castro, Paul Alayo Yolanda (Fenessa Pineda) is a smart high school kid whose next logical step in life is college. Her parents (Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano) take full credit for Yolanda’s academic success because they feel like they have made all of the appropriate sacrifices in their lives to help promote an environment for Yolanda to succeed in — in other words, they keep Yolanda on a very short leash to keep her out of trouble. Then, Yolanda meets Mari (Venecia Troncoso), a new student who is struggling academically. Yolanda takes it upon herself to befriend Mari and tutor her; but it turns out that Mari has a lot of personal baggage, such as being the sole bread winner of her broken family. Education is not nearly as important for Mari as keeping her family from getting evicted from their apartment. Writer-director Aurora Guerrero develops Yolanda and Mari’s friendship with utmost care and tenderness. Nothing is done purposefully to tug at our heartstrings. There are no stirringly emotional climaxes or ridiculously happy endings. It is as if the narrative lives and breathes organically on its own, without the involvement of a directorial hand, and this is due in no small part to the unbridled realism of Fenessa Pineda and Venecia Troncoso’s performances. Rating: 8/10
Hombre y tierra (Man and Earth) | Review
Monday, April 30th, 2012Director: Christian Cisneros Writers: Christian Cisneros, Richard L. Watson Starring: Maurice Ripke, Julian Guevara, Robert Stewart We are a society filled with reality television shows, documenting everything from hoarding to eating seemingly unpalatable cuisines. There is also the fascination of watching other people survive in the wilderness whilst glued to the couch and the T.V. Why hike when you can watch someone else do it? Writer and director Christian Cisneros draws on reality television culture with his mockumentary, Hombre y tierra. Mauro Bosque (Maurice Ripke) is an egotistical adventurer who loves to say his name as well as the name of his show, Hombre y tierra, as often as possible in front of a camera. His latest episode brings him to the bosques (forests) of Belize (a.k.a. Lockhart, Texas) where Mauro hopes to explore the Maya caves of stories and legends. Chucho (Julian Guevara), Bosque’s friend and producer, instructs Mauro to stay on the path around the forest, but he believes this will not give his viewers an authentic experience. After Chucho leaves, Mauro, armed with his pack and camera, begins to leave the path and walk into the forest. Hombre y tierra is based on the idea of found footage of a lost explorer. Much of the film is actually shot by Ripke, who was sent out to shoot for hours at a time using only a handheld camera, giving the film a Blair Witch Project feel. The film has moments of suspense and Ripke is convincing as a terrified adventurer fearing for his life. Rating: 6/10
America’s Parking Lot | Review
Monday, April 30th, 2012Director: Jonny Mars A long-time Dallas Cowboys fan, director Jonny Mars surprisingly did not make his first trip to a game at Texas Stadium until 2006. That is when he met Cy Ditmore, Stan “Tiger” Shults and the rest of the Gate 6 tailgaters. Mesmerized by Cy’s culinary skills and Tiger’s motivational pep rallies, Mars got the sudden urge to commence work on his first documentary film. But rather than just interview and document the Gate 6 tailgaters, Mars immediately understood that a much bigger story was about to unfold before his camera’s lens. Before he even started rolling tape, Mars knew that Texas Stadium was going to be imploded and the Cowboys would be moving 20 miles west to a brand spanking new stadium. Mars did not know, however, that he would be heading headfirst into the modern economic black hole of major league sports. America’s Parking Lot (yes, the title is a wink and a nod to Heavy Metal Parking Lot) is about the loyalty of sports fans and the major league franchises who bend them over and fuck them up their collective ass. First and foremost, Mars cares about the fans; Cy and Tiger being two of the most rabidly dedicated fans in the history of football, it only makes sense that Mars’ directorial debut focuses on them. That leaves Jerry Jones and the Cowboys franchise to play the role of the greedy monster that we know is always lurking somewhere off screen but only rears its ugly head every so often. Admittedly, I am not a football fan; even if I was, the Cowboys would be the very last team in the world I would root for (originally hailing from Philadelphia, I was born and raised to hate the Cowboys). As a non-fan, I truly cannot comprehend Cy and Tiger’s unwavering support of a football franchise that cares about only one thing — taking their money. Cy and Tiger’s tendency to place a professional football team on a pedestal above everything else in their life is totally mind-boggling to me. It is a mindset that is impossible for me to fathom; in fact, it is a lifestyle that I adamantly oppose. Approaching America’s Parking Lot from my perspective, it is undeniably frustrating to watch the events unfold. As a non-fan, I am also more interested in the economic aspects of the documentary than the development of Cy and Tiger’s characters (though it is utterly impossible to resist their quirky personalities and not be completely enthralled by their lives). Mars reveals the inherent class warfare of modern professional sports, but he also shows us why the working class fans are losing battle after battle. The fans continue to feed plutocratic pigs such as Jerry Jones with money — money that the fans do not actually have, thus sending them deeper and deeper into debt. The franchise owners grow wealthier and powerful as their team’s fan base becomes more and more economically disenfranchised. The owners have their team’s fans by the balls, knowing that they can screw their team’s fans every which way to Sunday and the fans will still continue to support their team. It is a ridiculous situation and something needs to be done about it. Of course the most logical solution — at least from an outsider’s perspective — is for the fans to stop encouraging the beast, to say no to PSL’s, and to demand financial transparency (especially when it comes to public funding); unfortunately, I do not think that will happen any time soon, but maybe Mars’ film will help educate more people about the situation. As far as documentaries are concerned, America’s Parking Lot is damn near perfect. Mars’ astute understanding of narrative arc and development of conflict astounds me. His confidence in being able to convey such a strong and entertaining story in a purely observational format without directorial manipulation is quite commendable. Most directors would have tried to insert their own persona or voice into the narrative, to steer it or enhance the humor; but Mars opts for a vérité approach, keeping the camera far away from his subjects as to not disturb or intimidate them, capturing something very close to the truth of Cy and Tiger’s natural behaviors. If I didn’t know any better, I would have assumed America’s Parking Lot was directed by a seasoned veteran, not a first-time director. Rating: 8/10
Parents, The (Los viejos) | Review
Monday, April 30th, 2012Director: Martín Boulocq Writers: Martín Boulocq, Rodrigo Hasbun Starring: Andrea Camponovo, Fabricio Camponovo, Roberto Guilhon, Julio Iglesias Writer-director Martín Boulocq’s The Parents begins with harrowing black-and-white footage of an execution in the Bolivian desert in the 1970s. We might never realize it, but this is meant to place The Parents into a political and historical context. We are also led to assume that Tono’s (Roberto Guilhon) parents were included in this political execution — an trauma that still haunts Tono to this day. That is essentially what The Parents is about — the long-lasting repercussions of a tyrannical military regime, specifically the mental aftershocks suffered by second-generation victims of oppression. Avoiding dialog, for the most part, Boulocq conveys the meaning of his oblique film in feeling alone. (It seems to be an eternity before any dialogue appears.) The narrative is all but stagnant, taking the notion of “slow cinema” to a nearly incomprehensible extreme. The most “action” occurs when the characters are in transitional moments — both literally (they drive from point A to point B) and figuratively (their lives change as their surrounding environment changes). For example, there are long scenes of Tono traveling to the home of his aunt Lucia (Charo Penarrieta) and uncle Mario (Julio Iglesias); soon thereafter, Tono’s cousin Ana (Andrea Camponovo) makes a similar journey. Tono and Ana are much different people when they are around each other — in a rare moment of expository dialogue, we are informed that Ana and Tono may have been lovers. (Ana has a son [Fabrizzio Camponovo] who might be Tono’s.) Though a beautiful and transcendentally cinematic experience, The Parents relies on its meditative qualities to confounding levels. I admire and respect Boulocq’s approach to filmmaking, but he pushes the meaning of his images beyond the point of recognition — maybe the film will make more sense to Latin American (especially Bolivian) audiences? Rating: 6/10
Baby Shower | Review
Sunday, April 29th, 2012Director: Pablo Illanes Writer: Pablo Illanes Starring: Ingrid Isensee, Patricia López, Claudia Burr, Kiki Rojo, Francisca Merino, Sofía García, Álvaro Gómez, Pablo Krögh, Nicolás Alonso, María José Illanes, Berta Lasala, Renato Illanes, Jesús Porres, Isidora Cabezón Hopefully the sweet, unassuming title of this film will not lure any unsuspecting rom-com fans into its violent clutches; because while Baby Shower is set up like a cheesy telenovela, it is at its heart a slasher pic. Ángela (Ingrid Isensee) has invited her best friends to her secluded country home for a low key baby shower. Despite the beauty and tranquility of her new home, Ángela’s friends do not understand why she abandoned her vibrant and convenient life in the city; for example, there are no hospitals or pharmacies around and of course there is no cell phone reception. Ángela has befriended a local spiritual group and plans to birth her twins naturally with the guidance of a doula. Of course this leads her friends to wonder: Why has Ángela turned into a peaceful, new age, yoga freak? Well, Ángela has just discovered that her husband is packing his bags to run away with one of her best friends. The baby shower is essentially just a ploy to uncover which of these four ladies is the horny bitch who stole Ángela’s husband. Somewhere along the way, the baby shower turns into a blood bath of nonsensically astronomic proportions. The justification for the murders is to dispel the world of hate. In other words, Ángela’s friends are being punished for the poor choices that they have made. It also seems as though the local new age cult believes that Ángela’s twins are the prophets for their religion. None of this logic actually works though. Let’s just say the strength of Pablo Illanes’ Baby Shower is definitely not in its plot, character development or acting — it is in the creatively gruesome ways that the characters die. Rating: 6/10
Every Emotion Costs | Review
Sunday, April 29th, 2012Director: Darlene Naponse Writer: Darlene Naponse Starring: Roseanne Supernault, Tantoo Cardinal, Adam Garcia, Nathaniel Arcand, Michelle St. John, Sage Petahtegoose Quilla (Roseanne Supernault) journeys back to her childhood reservation home after learning about the death of her mother. As she gets out of the car at her aunt Marcy’s (Tantoo Cardinal) home, she coldly greets her sister June (Michelle St. John) and June’s boyfriend, Wade (Adam Garcia). It’s evident from the warm greetings she receives (and returns) from her aunt and cousin that Quilla has been away for quite some time. Sugar, the mother of June, Quilla and Ella (Sage Petahtegoose) was mentally ill. This along with their abusive father is the cause of much anguish for June and Quilla, straining their relationship. Ella, the youngest sister, was raised by aunt Marcy when June and Quilla left the reservation. Over the period of several days, June and Quilla must confront their pasts as well as each other in order to move on with their lives. This includes Quilla’s reconnection with an old flame, Niingwauk (Nathaniel Arcand). Every Emotion Costs – written, directed and produced by Darlene Naponse – gives insight into modern Native American rituals as well as how to cope with returning home. Naponse certainly does bring quite a bit of emotion to this story, but most of the scenes are overacted. Supernault’s performance as Quilla gives her the feel of a teenager rather than a successful twenty-something artist returning home after years away. Rating: 5/10
Supporting Characters | Review
Sunday, April 29th, 2012Director: Daniel Schechter Writers: Daniel Schechter, Tarik Lowe Starring: Alex Karpovsky, Tarik Lowe, Arielle Kebbel, Melonie Diaz, Kevin Corrigan, Sophia Takal, Mike Landry, Lena Dunham, Michael Rivera, Sebastian Sozzi, Josh Alexander, Ryan O’Nan It goes without saying that editors are an integral part of every film production, yet they rarely receive the recognition (or thanks) that they deserve; so, with Supporting Characters, writer-director-editor Daniel Schechter gives us a glimpse into the everyday lives of two fictional editors — Darryl (Tarik Lowe) and Nick (Alex Karpovsky). Darryl and Nick work as a team, accenting the fact that editing is a multifaceted process — Darryl handles the dirty work (basically keeping everything organized) while Nick focuses on the creative side of editing. They are currently working on a film by Adrian (Kevin Corrigan); but, for whatever reason, the director provides them with very little guidance. Darryl and Nick are forced to make some very difficult decisions on their own — they strongly disagree with each other over the possible deletion of one specific character. Nick trumps Darryl and his decision causes them to butt heads with each other, as well as with Adrian. (Adrian also butts heads with the cinematographer and everyone seems to butt heads with the producer — with all of this headbutting going on it is amazing that any work gets done.) The power dynamic between the editing duo grows increasingly frictional as the situations with their respective lovers also becomes rocky. In Nick’s case, it is more than just work related stress that causes the rift between him and his fiance, Amy (Sophia Takal); it is mainly due to Nick’s flirty new friendship with Jamie (Arielle Kebbel), the lead actor of Adrian’s indie comedy. Meanwhile, Darryl is desperately trying to hold onto Liana (Melonie Diaz), but he seems unable to get the upper hand at work or at home. In other words, “being a guy isn’t always easy.” Supporting Characters is about not getting the respect that you are due; but Schechter’s film is also about the human desire for security — whether it be financial, romantic, career — especially in the uncertain world of freelancing. Because of their career, Daryl and Nick are forced to exist day by day, project to project. No matter how much they love working in film production, it is a lifestyle that makes long-term relationships quite difficult to maintain. Rating: 8/10
« Previous Entries | Next Entries »