In the 1970’s, Hurley Haywood was the dominant force in motor racing, but his personal life remained a mystery. Hurley chronicles a remarkable life, revealing a greater insight into the tightrope walk between career and personal life.
DIRECTED BY Derek Dodge
FEATURING Hurley Haywood, Patrick Dempsey
Directed by: Olivier Assayas
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Guillaume Canet, Vincent Macaigne, Christa Théret, Nora Hamzawi, Pascal Greggory
Juliette Binoche and Guillame Canet reunite with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Carlos) for this wry, slyly seductive tale of sex, lies, and literature. Set amidst the bohemian intelligentsia of the Parisian publishing world, Non-Fiction traces the romantic and emotional fallout that results when a controversial writer (Vincent Macaigne) begins blurring the line between fact and fiction, using his real-life love affairs—including a passionate fling with an actress (Binoche) who happens to be married to his editor (Canet)—as fodder for his explosive new novel. Balancing dry wit with keen observations on the tensions between art, commerce, and technology, Non-Fiction is a buoyant, breezy delight from a master director at his most effortlessly brilliant.
Yes...it's that time of the year: BFI:Flare has returned!!!
Sadly, regrettably and unavoidably...we are unable to be there in person...but, the good folks @BFIFlare have given us access to many a fine film...and, practically all of the shorts!
So...without further ado...let's get this [remote] party started...!
The opening night...and, by all accounts, everyone had a blisteringly good time!
Here's a film that defines the whole concept of the 'safe space' for LGBT folk. Why they were established, why they are [still] needed...and, why - seriously - are they being eroded!?!
This is a journey - often heartbreaking - from before the dawn of AIDS, through that maelstrom and into - what can be now considered - a brighter future. But, for those [of a certain age] the memories and pain [will always] linger. They share their stories...of brief histories and of a community that rallied...West Hollywood, we love you. You took care of your own when everyone else turned their backs...in a not-so quiet and barbaric disgust.
Indeed, times have changed...as Light in the Water so amply reveals...but, it's a bitter/sweet sort of change...some of it good, some of it not so. Every generation needs to make its mark...but, not at the expense of muffling the preceding generation! Older voices are being silenced, old ways are being dismantled...
The uber-sensitive politically-correct-inclined 'elite' scream and shout and stamp their feet whenever there is an instance of 'cultural appropriation' - many artist(e)s have felt their vehement wrath!
But...what about LGBT appropriation? Let's face it, in these connected and concocted times: It's chic to be LGBT - whether you are LGBT or not?!? Everyone's gonna be fluid! There goes the 'community', there goes all of those safe spaces!
Lis Bartlett's [mighty fine] film tells a history and asks some rather fiesty questions concerning the current buzz-word: Inclusivity. What was [once] a gay man's swimming club, became a gay & lesbian swim-club...which became, you see where we going with this...and now, a [very] significant percentage of its members identify as straight! There goes the neighbourhood!
If we keep on adding to the ridiculously contrived alphabet of...LGBTQQIP2SAA+*...why not just add an extra 'S' [for straight] and be done with the whole caboodle!?! Give us an 'I', give us an 'N', give us a 'C', 'L', 'U' - you see where we're going with this...!
Jings...never thought a film about a 'once upon a time there was a gay man's swimming club' would be so far reaching, would pack such mighty punches...and, most importantly...it certainly leaves you thinking [and, perhaps, reminiscing]...about the states of affairs, both then & now!
A rather brilliant, beautifully constructed film.
Be still my breaking heart...
There has been a recent uproar - by [those] anonymous, gobby, armchair activists [who scream and shout at everything streaming on Netflix] - demanding a boycot of this film. Listen to them not! A trans*character does not need to be played by a trans*actor...the best 'actor' for the job should play the role. And, Lukas Dhont found the perfect actor in Victor Polster to play Lara.
Breathtaking is not a word we use regulary...but, breathtaking is what Victor Polster is! Lara says little throughout the film, she has so much on her young mind...the transition, the secret...and, the ballet. All punishing on the body, the mind and soul Can she keep it all together? Or, will she break? The entire film leads up to that question...the answer is...well, you will have to watch it to find out.
At times, there's a real sense of this being a fly-on-the-wall documentary...Lukas Dhont observes...and, it so immersive that at no time do you disbelieve anything that is shown. Gleaned from his short film, Girl is one mighty fine debut feature. Let us hope he has more [quality] projects up his sleeve!
To be overwhelmed by a film is a remarkable achievement...be overwhelmed!
Pre-sexual revolution of the 60s, setting: small-town Scotland...and, some Sapphic stirrings in the undergrowth. Oooh the scandal of it all!!!
Tell it to the Bees is a mixed bag of youthful loveliness and domestic trauma...with one major [and inexplicable] problem: The ending! Why change the perfectly good ending [of the book] into something so unsatisfactory and implausible?!? Or, perhaps, this man's mind is completely at a loss when it comes to the woman's psyche...and, the swarming instinct of bees!
Seriously, this is a lovely film that [sadly] asks [just a little] too much from its audience...when belief flies out of the window [and bees, literally, fly in]. Up until this point, the gentleness of the story is a delight, young Gregor Selkirk is a joy to watch as he confronts and computes the harsh realities of life. Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger, they do the story proud. There is so much to commend this film...however, when the 'fantasy' hits the fan...aaargh! It's so frustrating, tripping before the last hurdle...it all boils down to...the bees had one scene too many!
The enduring tale of Lizzie Borden...gets overhauled, yet again! How many times can this tale be told? Countless, it would seem.
For those unacquainted with Lizzie...well, over a hundred years ago, Lizzie was put on trial for the murders of her [rather wealthy] father and step-mother. She was acquitted!
This Lizzie is a total and mindless fabrication of the facts...making out that Lizzie - unequivocally - did do the murders due to being 'discovered' - en flagrante - in a lesbian tryst with her maid...who was her incompetent accomplice in the crime...but, a competent witness in aiding and abetting her actual acquittal.
The question has to be asked: Why is the Lizzie Borden story so enduring? Legally, it highlights the 'irregularities' within the judicial system. It also gives an insight into the inadmissibility of evidence and the competence to testify...as well as highlighting the well-defined route of probate...and, the oldest of legal chestnuts, the jury's [and the public's] ability to subjectively pre-judge. Where's that good old-fashioned objectivity when you [legally] need it!?! Many an accused has been 'saved' due to the lack of it! Legally, it's a fascinating case.
Sadly, this film is not...for it does not concern itself wholly with the trial. Instead, it relies on strings of sapphic invention that get [all] knotted up within an inexplicably muddled time-line. Craig William Macneill's cinematic pace is too slow to start and too quick too finish...and, with a middle that stumbles all over the place.
Now, the whole Lizzie-was-a-lezzie theory is not new...Ed McBain dreamt up this little peach way back in 1984...so, Bryce Kass' screenplay is a shining example of brazen plagiarism. Or, to be politely euphemistic, he borrowed the idea...but, failed to make his script as brazen as it had the potential to be...even with those [eccentric] lines infused with some neo-feminist chic!
Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart and Fiona Shaw all convince. Even the cinematographer convinces. Such a shame that neither director nor writer could do a similar [good] job.
Obviously, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson realised that there was more to the story than their 2017 short film - Lady Eva - told.
Thank goodness they did...because, these stories need to be heard...as the scourge of christian fundamentalism [an imported religion] has systematically tried and [thankfully] failed to eradicate a people, a way of life...because, that 'way' and these 'people' do not 'fit' into their bashed-bible idyll of sanctimonious, discriminatory, hate-fuelled piety. When will this religious arrogance end?!? Not until the day when [global] religious denouncement arrives!!!
Whatever happened to: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself?!? These evangelicals hold onto to their rule-book with vice-like grips...but, subjectively ignore quite a few of the 'rules' found therein! Live and let live...you shower of idiots!
Oooh there's nothing quite like a good rant...
Thankfully, Leitis in Waiting is not all 'fire and brimstone' - it's also about support and camaraderie...in the face of toxic masculinity and religious adversity...with a twist! Leitis provide service to the wider community...and, to the Royal Court...members of the Royal family even participate [most supportively] in the film! If Leitis are good enough for Royalty, they are good enough for everyone...stick that in your gripped bibles!
There is sadness...and, there is joy. The film culminates with a beauty pageant like no other...this is a pageant that allows each and all to let off steam, a safe place where everyone can be who they are...rather than it [just] being a beauty pageant...it is a beautiful pageant that emboldens and embraces all that we should all hold dear...individualism and diversity!
This is exhibition. This is exposure. This is exposition. This is as intimate as any portrait could possibly be. Is this the point where we all have come to in this time of mass information...watching the train-wreck of a [mightily] fine-looking man's life...as it agonisingly happens?
Tomer Heymann's film is not only voyeurism...this is a deafening cry for help. Filmed over 8 years, documenting the peaks and troughs of a porn-star's life...interesting to know if this is the expected film he set out to make? Quite possibly, not!
Anyone who 'documents' has to address the permanent elephant-in-the-room: Ethics. Mr Heymann does come precariously close to the drawn line...but, as in natural history documentaries, the filmmaker cannot/must not intervene with the wildlife..but, hey, this is not a baby gazelle about to be guzzled by a lion. This is a man falling apart. This is a wild life...out-of-control...with a fairly predictable conclusion. Stop, wait a minute, as the penny drops...this film may actually be the [much-needed] intervention that could, perhaps, save a valuable and vulnerable life.
Yes, this is one seriously powerful film...
The sex industy does not produce 'stars' - it produces casualties...and, too often, fatalities. So, as personal as this film is...let's get personal...
Jonathan, life can't always be lived on a high...and, as sad and true as it is, beauty fades. Take a step back, or sideways, or [even] outside of yourself, just as long as it is out of that damned spotlight...now, breathe. Take stock. Take [back] control...because that's what's slipping away from you. So what if the reality didn't meet your ambitions...hey, you didn't do too badly! You did get to the top of your profession. But...nothing lasts forever...find your strengths, you have many. It's not true when they say...only the strong survive...those who adapt, evolve into something stronger. Become strong, dear sweet man. Adapt...and, grow.
And the next film will be: How Jonathan Agassi Saved His Own Life...we look forward to watching it. Take care of yourself.
Challenge Accepted - Short films
When a documentary filmmaker ties themselves up into artsy knots...the subject matter suffers!
When you have to question [too] many of the filmmakers decisions...the subject matter suffers!
All that fake noise - the scratches and dust - it all just gets in the way of the story. Why pretend the film is older than it is? It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever! Cassandro is in the here-&-now...facing the end of his incredibly agile career. He is a born entertainer...let him entertain, let him tell his story...that's what he's there for! But, no...Ms Losier has to meddle and spoil.
The editing is savage, all those eye-jarring jump-cuts. And, there are [too] many editorial decisions that should not have made it to the final cut...especially that telephone call when the filmmaker just wants to give Cassandro a kiss...because, he's having a bad day. C'mon!?! What's the first rule of documentary filmmaking? Do not get involved!!! Yes, we all know [artistic] 'rules' are there to be broken...but that is only applicable when a true visionary breaks them! If you ain't got the vision, don't break the rules!
Back in 2010, Cassandro was the subject of Michael Ramos Araizaga's 23 minute short film: Cassandro, el exótico - 8 years later, armed with the same title and no visible improvement, Ms Losier has delivered a film that celebrates her own [visionary] filmmaking prowess rather than adhering to the documentarist's job description...tell the story...without all the faux and frills.
Cassandro deserves [much] better than what he has been given.
This really is an agonising heartbreak...on so many levels.
An elderly lesbian couple are separated by a prison term, crippling debt and a love that may have seen better days. They say opposites attract, Chela and Chiquita are opposites and their contentment has just been turned upside down. Will they ever get back to what/where they were? Do they want to?
Ana Brun's careful portrayal of the pernickety Chela is like watching a fragile flower bloom. She's a snob, she's cold, she's pedantic...but, when faced with a desperate situation, she slowly strips off her protective layers to reveal the warmth and desire that has been dormant for so long...but, there's a hint that it might be too late to seize her day!
Marcelo Matinessi's film is a contemplative, gentle, delicately detailed, tour-de-force of emotion...a low-lit resonance mumbles throughout loaded with wasted opportunities and regrettable regrets. It's a sad, sad, beautiful film...it will leave you with goosebumps and a tear.
A remarkable debut.
When a single edit in a film - especially a documentary - takes - quite literally - your breath away, you realise you are watching something very special indeed.
Special...for so many reasons. The artistry shown by the filmmakers, too rare in documentaries. The composition...it glides from the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous and is punctuated with tearful testimony, torrid theatre and the downright absurd...how can it not be absurd?!? Eureka, the town of...overseen by a giant, white-washed statue of Christ and overrun with bible-bashers, drag queens and bikers. And yet, they all get along just fine...who would have 'thunk' it!
Modernity and social media have so much to answer for...the decline of christian extravagance, the moratorium on gay bars...both [big] businesses, both struggling with faith and profit.
An oceanic amphitheatre...with a mere puddle for an audience. A drag queen performing - heart and soul - to a disinterested few...times, in Eureka, have changed and are still a-changin' - from its homophobic, anti-semitic, hateful past...into a town of tolerance and acceptance.
The witch that is - Anita Bryant - even tried to make a comeback in this here town...doomed. Christ [just like the town's statute] turned his back on this unholy woman. There's comedy and there's emotion...the devoted trans*woman, sitting in the rain with her husband, a little tipsy on the religious fervour spewing from the stage...poignancy in the rain!
Lee Keating and Walter Burrell talk of their [joint] histories and faith...then, there's that edit!
Silence. A pin could drop and it would sound like thunder. Time to take stock, gather those emotions. To Hell with it...let the flood-gates open...tears flow like there's no tomorrow.
The Gospel of Eureka...inspired and inspiring. Thank you for this film.
Parents should do absolutely everything to keep their children safe and happy. But...where do you draw the line...when it comes to two trans*kids, brother and sister...one wants to transition, the other wants to start puberty blockers? Both being under the legal age for [medical] consent, it's the parents who have to make those mighty decisions. The stage is [duly] set for a complex storm of emotions and difficult questions...and, even more difficult decisions.
Well...the storm didn't happen. It all boils down to: What the child wants, the child gets! Whether you agree or disagree with puberty blockers, it's immaterial. The crux of the matter is...there have been no long-term [medical] studies as to the possible permanent effects puberty blockers have on the body [and mind] of the child who takes them. Should that not have the alarm bells ringing in your ears before any decision is made?!?
Puberty blockers may not be a permanent solution...but, taking hormones as part of the transition process is irreversible. Decisions made now have consquences later...and, to make those decisions so young should be a cause for concern. Kids change their minds, quickly and often!
Little Miss Westie does not dig deep...and that's its problem. Anything controversial is quickly side-stepped...or, avoided. To be completely reductive, this film is about a kid who wants to take part in a beauty pageant and a moody teen being moody...both just happens to be trans*kids...but that doesn't seem to be too big a deal for either them or their parents...hence, it ain't no big deal for the audience...which kind of renders the film rather redundant!
Beauty pageants: Do they have a place in today's ultra-PC society? Just another question the film completely avoided. Just another cause for concern.
As a film about a crime...it tells the story adequately, from one perspective.
As an analysis of that crime...it falls short. And, somehow and for some unknown reason, amid all the news footage, talking heads and a whirlwind history lesson...the bare bones [of the case] get lost.
Jennifer Laude was killed. Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton was charged, tried, found guilty and duly incarcerated. She was 26, he was 19.
By all accounts, the case caused a media frenzy and became a political battleground for Transgender rights and anti-American sentiment...and, still, the bare bones of the case got lost.
This film serves a purpose...as secondhand reportage for a [potentially] wider, hand-picked audience. It's neither investigative nor revelatory. It neither approaches nor even addresses the defence...nor, most importantly, the mitigation.
Yes...it has to be addressed, as horrendous [and avoidable] as this case was, there were mitigating circumstances that reduced Pemberton's charge from murder to manslaughter. It was not premeditated. He did not possess the mens rea - required for murder.
Yes...it has to be said, now...loud and clear. Trans*sex workers [just like any other worker] have to have a duty of care...clients must know what they are paying for up front, no surprises...and, perhaps, armed with this trans*transparency the violence will end. Neither of these young lives deserved their fate...if this film helps in any way...good. But...in reality, if anything is ever going to change [for the better], all sides, all opinions have to be brought into the fray!
A film that skirts around the big issue without ever addressing it...that's called negligence. And...negligence is dangerous.
Carmen & LolaHere's a first...a lesbian love story set in the gypsy community...with a gypsy cast of non-professional actors!
Due credit must be given to the director - Arantxa Echevarria - for (1) getting this film made in the first place...and, (2) getting such credible performances out of these non-pros! Definitely, an actor's director!
It would be interesting to find out the how the gypsy community reacts to this film...they are a minority who are under-represented in cinema...and, when they are, it's not exactly positive. And, no surprises, Carmen & Lola doesn't exactly paint a brighter picture.
Same-sex love is not what this religion-dominated minority is well-versed in...so, for a film, to address the subject - with actual members of the community - is ground-breaking. You know how it's going to end, the in-grained homophobia is not going to change overnight - indeed, it may never change.
What this film does...is to face the difficult choices that men and women have to be make. Living in denial seems like the 'easier' option. Life in the 'closet' is another. There are also the 'fight-or-flee' options...fighting?!? One against many! Flee..leaving all that you love...behind...to walk into an unfamiliar world, a world that is - quite franky - racist towards the gypsy community!
What will Carmen and Lola do? Watch to find out! You won't be disappointed. This is an important film...it educates and enlightens...for those within and those outside the gypsy community.
Well done!
Life in Transit
The category is: Post-modern [sub-cultural] appropriation!
To hell with all that appropriation stuff...this is all about creating safe spaces and having a good old [creative] time doing so!
So what if it is derivative of the New York Ballrooms...there is no bigger compliment than mimicry, impersonation...or, a fuzzy photocopy of the original. Ballroom and everything that goes with it...is having a [second] global renaissance...there's the Paris scene, the Berlin scene, the London scene...there's even a Sydney scene...and now, the powerhouse of the North [of England], Manchester, is setting their houses on fire!
Jennie Livingstone's Paris is Burning...paved the way.
Madonna took it into the stratosphere.
And, Ryan Murphy's Pose has opened the floodgates for new generations to find, appreciate and participate in a sub-culture that has much to say and more to show...good grief, even the BBC has climbed on-board...buying the series and broadcasting it on BBC2!
So, forget the critics...ignore the academics...slip on your fake Manolos...and, V-O-G-U-E!
A fine wee film.
False accusation and the fallout. Be assured, it's grim...watching a young man dissolve in front of your eyes is...as unpleasant as it gets. But...what a film, an agonising white-knuckle ride into despair. Without a doubt, the best first feature of the year! Kudos to Darko Stante and his cast.
These young, relatively inexperienced actors give their self-identified, alpha-male thugs the conviction they need...you wouldn't want to be meeting any these lads on a dark, lonely street. Timon Sturbej does psychopathic scarily well...with a thread of sensitivity that he switches on and off like a light-switch as he also does with his sexual preferences. He has a diminutive side-kick who is rotten to the core...not exactly the best friends a young man can have. That's exactly what the become...Andrej's 'friend' - he won't be needing any enemies with chums like these!
Andrej is 'comfortable' with his sexuality, it's what got him into trouble in the first place. But...unrequited love for a psychopath is always going to end in tears. Darko Stante stretches his characters to breaking point, they all break...in different ways. Matej Zemljic does a remarkable job in bringing Andrej to life...you really do feel for this kid, all his stupid decisions...knowing, in there somewhere, there's a good kid screaming to get out. He doesn't stand a chance!
Consquences is a tough watch...especially in these super-sensitive days when an accusation becomes an automatic indictment. Innocent until proven guilty is - seemingly - a thing of the past! This film certainly looks at responsibility...with a scathing attack on parental responsibility - when should it end? Sould it ever end?
Slovenia is not known for its cinematic output, this mighty fine debut from Mr Stante has put his country on the cinematic map. It really is a remarkable piece of work.
Sparrow by Ali Kurr
What a surprise...from the ecosexual stable comes forth an educational and entertaining film! Who would have 'thunked' it!?!
Mad as a box of frogs and deeply in love, Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens are the perfect blend of hilarious hutzpah and Gaia-loving-demi-goddesses-of-a-certain-age...if they took themselves too seriously, this dippy-earth-loving-hippiness could have been a step too far into Sprinkle-land.
But...when Annie likens the eating of a great big, greasy, quarterpounder more embarrassing than making porn...any trace of seriousness plops - like a dollop of mayonaisse - straight right onto the floor. Thank Gaia for that!
This is a road-trip, quite like no other...it really is all about water...and, travels between watersheds and autobiography...meeting space-cadets and affable activists, mothers and memories. There is emotion. There is hilarity. There is drama...and lots and lots of water. What more could you ask for?
It was nothing less than an absolute delight to have spent these 79 minutes in their company...full of warmth, full of silliness, full of love...these are - most definitely and more refreshingly - glass-half-full-kinda-gals. Cheers...it was a pleasure.
An innocuous foray into the worlds of polyamory, BDSM and bisexuality...it does suffer - a little - from this light-hearted approach. But, hey, it's a rom-com!
So...if you are looking for a meatier approach, look elsewhere. Even the BDSM - which [usually] is no laughing matter...becomes the butt of a few - misjudged - jokes. Aficionados may be a little disgruntled at 'their' portrayal. But, hey, it's still a rom-com!
This could have been - quite easily - a far grittier film about alternative lifestyles...but, it's not...it's safe...perhaps, too safe. Even the sex scenes [of which there are quite a few] wouldn't nudge a PG rating! The use of a few 'safe-words' might have spiced things up a little! It kind of needed it!
Too vanilla for most tastes, Two in the Bush is an entertaining wee film that may raise a few conservative eyebrows...but, the hardcore will find it way too flaccid.
The middle-ground is not always the best place to pitch a film...family-friendly bisexuality and polyamory is - perhaps - a little too ambitious at this moment in time! But...well done for trying!
Quite possibly...the most intelligent and moving film about being born intersex.
Imagine...you have absolutely no choice as to the direction of your life...and, after that choice has been made [irreversibly, on your behalf], your life becomes a hushed secret, a secret that is kept from you and everyone around you...it is unimaginable.
Doctors and surgeons have made and are still making these choices. Parents, call them [what you will] naive, gullible, misinformed, uninformed, stuck in the binary...have and are still allowing the medical profession to dictate their [preferable] steadfast [binary] road. This binary has caused and is still causing untold suffering...until now.
Floriane Devigne's film shines a light...the bravest of voices speak out...and, a surgeon apologises. Grappling with your sexuality is hard enough. Wrestling with your gender is monumental...not knowing your gender must be catastrophic...these women have taken their secret and shared it...
This film is an education and a warning...no-one should be allowed to make life-changing decisions for anyone...your body, your choice. Accept that [all] binaries are mere fictional constructions...wrought from narrow minds and religious hypocrisies.
When these mindsets are abolished, just as the flat earth was...then, we will all be truly enlightened, enjoying life on the spectrum. Because...that's what life is a colourful, glorious spectrum. Enjoy.
Thank you for this film...both emboldening and enlightening.
Not the usual run-of-the-mill, rites-of-passage, coming-of-age, coming-out...this is one special little film.
First off...Keith Behrman does what many directors don't [or, can't]...he actually manages to capture that elusive essence of 'youth' - helped [enormously] by a blisteringly good soundtrack. The joie-de-vivre is amplified by the immaculate beauty of the two boys...to be young and beautiful, the idyll...that is, until it snaps!
Giant Little Ones becomes 'ugly' in next-to-no-time...but, what sets this story apart [and makes it soar] boils down to one giant humdinger...that crazy little thing called: Presumption!
Once upon a time, teenage sexuality was a [predictable] harem for hysterical hormones...now, in these days of mass information and social media...[teen] sexuality seems to ebb and flow...leaving many [temporarily] high and dry on the tidal plain...or, [permantently] stuck in the mudflats...that is, until the next wave comes along and sweeps them off in a completely different direction...or, drown. You either sink or swim...that's sexual fluidity for y'all!
But...do young adults have the whereabouts/thereabouts to really/fully understand their burgeoning sexuality? Not in a million years! Keith Behrman, most decisively, asks that question. And...the answer is as vague as fog! And, quite rightly...Mr Behrman takes it a little further by proclaiming that this fluidity is not - solely - the realm for the young!
Quite brilliant...this is a script that has been - painstakingly - fleshed out. There are no right or wrong answers...but, there are consequences. It would be wonderful to see where these two boys end up in - say - 10 years time. That's the power of this film...you feel totally invested in these young [and beautiful and painfully familiar] lives.
With some 'packing' comic relief, a beautifully composed reconciliation, toxic masculinity and violence...and, with perfect music, faces and performances...Giant Little Ones is a titantic...of emotion. Will Franky and Ballas drown or swim? And...what of Mouse? We are left wondering and supposing and presuming...what a lovely way to be left!
Truly...this is one very special film...a coming-of-age Titan. Thank you, Mr Behrman.
Bitter/sweet bisexuality...with an eye-popping tattoo!
Active bisexuals can never be faithful...well, that's that [old] cat out of the box! Cue: Audible meows, caterwauling and screeches!
Splinters is a stereotypical tale of a stereotypical bisexual woman...with a little twist. Belle has done the big coming out as a lesbian...now, she's a closeted bisexual...in a heterosexual relationship...which kind of negates that whole bisexuality-is-just-a-stepping-stone-to-full-blown-homo kind of thing! Well, at least, the filmmaker has brought - not only - something new to the table...but, has swiveled it around completely!
The problem with Splinters is Belle herself...although performed perfectly, she's just not very likeable! Me, me, me, me-ow. Make her loathesome, make her lovable...all this sitting on-the-fence gets the story nowhere. Even her boyfriend, he's a rather flaccid foil to her sword...in other words, a well-trodden door-mat...with little in the way of conflict. Fight back man!
The conflict comes between the lesbian-loathing, bisexual-doubting, heterosexual-loving mother and her I'll-do-anyone-who-comes-along daughter...yes, it is that old bisexual cliché yet again! Cue: Meows, caterwauling and screeches!
By no stretch of the imagination is it a bad film...with the comedy set-pieces [and that tattoo], it's definitely an entertaining wee ride...it just needed a bit more rambunctious conflict! The result being...wait for it...as indecisive as a bisexual.
Cue: Deafening meows, caterwauling and screeches!
She wants to be left alone! You heard the lady! No doubt, she'll change her mind!
This is a difficult film...if you can stomach [and swallow] a medicine-stealing, patient-abusing nurse who - even though he wants to be left alone - takes in and shacks up with a [much younger] on-the-run murderer...then, this here film is for you. Clinical ethics don't get a look in!
It's a big ask...not helped by Armando Praça's tendency to over-stretch - practically - every scene. More focus would have helped...especially in the stronger [and less-explored] storyline - between Pedro and Daniela - a palliative friendship...that should have brought a tear to the every eye. Alas, Mr Praça favours the more controversial route...ablaze with [unnecessary] explicit sex.
Intergenerational relationships seem to furrow quite a few brows...is it love? How can it be?!? Or, is it just a meal-ticket? Of course it is! If Jean [the murderer] hadn't been a murderer-on-the-run...then, these questions might not have been answered with such ease. It's a simple case of sex in exchange for sanctuary. It's all too easy...although a couple of spanners are thrown into the works...remember, she want to be left alone...and, then there's a bit of blackmail to spice things up...in truth, it all becomes a bit of mess...which is a shame.
Marco Nanini delivers a solid and revealing performance...this could have been an absolute tear-jerker...about two friends running out of things to say, running out of time together...their vulnerabilities could have/would have/should have gripped any audience.
All this film needed was a damn good script editor...and, a box of tissues.
This will definitely ruffle the feathers of all Monty's [many] biographers...charlatans, each and all. Newsflash: He was not a self-hating, miserable homo...with his finger permanently hovering over the self-destruct button!
According to this film: The 'longest suicide' of the 'beautiful loser' was a fiction...created by those [parasites] who wanted to sell their books. Let's face it...who wants to read about a happy, handsome homo?!? Tragedy sells!
This is a rather loving portrait of the Uncle by his nephew, although they never met. Still, the affection is clear to see...and, hear. Montgomery and his brother, taped everything...telephone conversations, you name...they taped it. That's just plain old weird. The other weird thing is...there's not a mention of Ethel Clift McGinnis, Monty's twin sister...she died in 2014, aged 94. If anyone ever 'knew' Monty, it was her. Not even mentioned...such a screaming omission as this...well, it kind of throws a whole lot of shade on this entire project.
Robert Anderson Clift has done exactly what Monty's biographers did...re-invented the man to suit his audience. And, what a pleasant re-invention it is...but, is it true?
Who knows what is hidden in all those tapes? Well, Robert Anderson Clift knows...and he has chosen what to release and what not to release. Perhaps, Ethel would have something to say about that!?! We'll never know.
Still, a refreshingly, positive portrait...perhaps, not as authentic as it purports to be!
Hasn't this little film caused quite a stir...in Kenya. Banned, ban temporarily lifted...so that it could qualify for Mr Oscar [it needed a theatrical release]...and then, presumably, banned again! At the time of writing, Rafiki is Kenya's second most successful film. Any guesses as to what is the most successful?!?
A mighty congratulations must go to Wanuri Kahiu [& team]...for getting this made [in Kenya] in the first place. And, a thank you...it is an absolute delight of a film...with some particularly unpleasant moments. Rafiki is a plain-and-simple, run-of-the-mill love-story...between two young women in a religiously-littered, narrow-minded Kenya. So, the plain-and-simple ain't too plain and it - most definitely - ain't so simple.
Samantha Mugatsia & Sheila Munyiva are adorable as the young-in-love couple, their acting is both free and natural...oooh, you just want everything to work out for them. Wanuri Kahiu amplifies the depth of their feelings with very tight framing, the [many] close-ups really do invite you into their affection. So, when a film as affectionate as this is ruffles the feathers of the Kenyan Government...surely, the Kenyan Government should look inwards and ask itself some very serious questions!
A look at migration...through very different eyes. Not a film made with the audience in mind.
It's mind-numbing. Rather than hearing Pepsi's story in-depth, Enrico Masi has favoured a more abstract route...he films - ceaselessly - the mundane. By cutting these - wholly unnecessary - scenes out, the film would have been reduced to a less-monotonous 20 minutes or so.
Less monotonous, yes...but, more unpalatable. So, rather wisely, Mr Masi has diluted Pepsi's story. She does not show her face...after listening to what she has to say, she would be wise to conceal her identity forever!
She wants war - especially in Libya - so that she can work as an untrained nurse. Lives lost, lives in turmoil...so, that she can have a job! Some things may be thought...however, not everything 'thought' should be said out loud! Some people should learn to button their lips...
Not Pepsi...after what she has to say about immigration, not one country in the world would accept her! Quite right too! Her anger over colonialism may be justified in some circles...but, her solution is...absolutely terrifying.
Pepsi is an economic migrant from the Philippines...war has not torn her life apart. She does not come from a country where being trans is intolerable and/or criminal...she is an economic migrant who wants more, more and even more.
Immigration is not a 'right' afforded to everyone who wants to emigrate...and, neither should it be. Immigration should be about welcoming people in dire need. If Pepsi wants to progress in this world...she should deny all knowledge of this film and learn when to button it!
When a film is this anonymous...the credibility has to be questioned and challenged. Believing everything the filmmaker presents is akin to devouring every word printed in a tabloid newspaper.
Heartbroken that your favourite TV show got cancelled? Write a letter!!!
Most people would just say...well, it ran its course...moving on.
But...there are quite a few who will not take 'the end' for an answer. They bombard the TV stations...with [outraged] letters! Haven't they got better things to do with their lives?
Fandom is a queer phenomenon. It would have been so [perhaps, too] easy for Michael Sparaga to make all of these TV-armchair-activists the butt of the joke...however, he treats the subject [and the subjects] with utmost seriousness. He almost makes you fell guilty for laughing!
Look...we're not talking about high-brow or educational TV, programming that could change lives...we're talking about the likes of Star Trek [original series], Cagney & Lacey, Person of interest et al...not exactly high-brow!
Still...people have made [weird and successful] careers out of fandom, some have even risen to positions of influence! For example...the nonsense that was 'Viewers for Quality Television' [VQT] - bored, suburban, TV-watching housewives...rallied and became a force to be reckoned with. Then, after 16 years, it was dissolved due to apathy...no letter-writing campaign to save it?!?
Now...in these days of 'followers' and 'likes' - the letters have dried-up, replaced by alternative methodologies...and, still you ask: Haven't they got better things to do with their lives?
There's Kaily Russell who is not too-pleased with TV shows that 'queer-bait' - and, still you ask: Haven't they got better things to do with their lives?
As ridiculous as it is, this is a serious film about a silly subject. As 'entertaining' as it is, it would be prudent, when watching, to remember: One person's meat is another person's poison.
Touché!
Casting is everything...and, John Butler got it spot on with Matt Bomer & Alejandro Patiño...the unlikeliest of [lovable] duos!
Kudos to a writer/director who can lull their audience into a false sense of [comfortable albeit oddball] security...Mr Butler does just that. Messieurs Bomer & Patiño are the quintessential odd couple...the comedy is mostly derived from the reaction to a given line, to a given situation...it is a delicious thing to witness, actors reacting to each other and a director who is able to capture it all. Crowd-pleasing, heart-warming stuff.
And then, just when you least expect it...one short line changes absolutely everything. There's an audible gasp...as the reality sinks in. From where it starts to where it ends up, Papi Chulo is a finely crafted travelogue of the human coping mechanism. It veers [seamlessly] from the downright ridiculous to a heartfelt humanity...again, one line changes the perspective...empathy...and all that that remarkable word encompasses. Another audible gasp!
It really is just a beautiful, enriching and rewarding film...laugh, cry, empathise.
Sometimes...a film presents itself...and leaves you wondering: Why?
Yao goes back home...with a filmmaker in tow. Is this going to be his [filmed] 'big' coming out to his family? No.
So...what is Jordan Schiele's film trying to do? To be truthful, not quite sure...an outsider's look at the domestic hardship endured in rural China. [Tick]. A poor family's history...warts and all. [Tick]. The return of the not-so-prodigal [closeted gay] son - who goes to great lengths to hide his sexuality, he actually introduces his fake girlfriend - via facetime - to his family. [Tick].
Why would anyone want to watch such a charade? Why would anyone want to be filmed - blatantly - performing - what can only be described as - a rehearsed lie? It - truly - is baffling...and, uncomfortable. Why go to such lengths, giving false hope!?! Either, tell them the truth...or, don't! The word 'disrespectful' comes to mind.
The grainy black-and-white makes this film look better than it is...at the end, as the filmmaker and subject jump into their car and drive off, away from the hardship, back to the comfortable city...they leave in their wake...[false] hope and an unnecessary lie.
Surely...the family will want to see the completed film...will they be served with carefully edited highlights!?! One more lie!
A film...too difficult to digest.
Clutter and clarity...obligatory ingredients for a successful psychodrama!
Marie Kreutzer does not disappoint, she doles each one out by the bucket-load. Mental mayhem and corporate control are incongruous [and surprising] partners...yet, they walk hand-in-hand, self-harming and back-stabbing, leaving in their wake a visceral trail of casualities.
Control and chaos...madness and mayhem...big business and doomed lives. Marie Kreutzer does not make it easy...the ground may - indeed - be beneath her assured directorial feet...but, the audience hasn't a clue where to stand, there's nothing concrete here, nothing to cling onto. Indeed, a complex cocktail of collision...two worlds, two lives...how detached can you [and they] really be?
Lines are blurred...but, never crossed. This is playful filmmaking, the questions keep coming, the answers duck and dive...and, the tension becomes more and more palpable. It's exhausting, it's exciting...it's involving.
This is a slow-burning, stylish piece of work...with a story that keeps you guessing right up to the end...and, beyond!
Take the old worn out cliché: Over-protective mother + distant father = gay kid...turn it on its head, rip it to shreds, smash it up until it becomes unrecognisable, add a distinctive filmmaking talent and one of the most beautiful-looking kids you will ever see...and, you have: We the Animals - a stunningly original feature debut from Jeremiah Zagar.
This film is soaked in artistry...yes, it is arthouse...but, with such an all-embracing narrative, it pulls you in and never lets go. Not only can you can see the turmoil this kid is going through, you can feel it. It's both heartbreaking and joyful. Mr Zagar's direction is as inventive as it is imaginative, he really does get the best out of all of the kids...but, it is his skill at weilding a double-bladed sword, everything/everyone has an ambiguous edge...the father, the basement-dwelling 'friend', the mother...but, the scene that nails it is when the boy sits on his father's knee and snuggles into his protection...I got myself a pretty one...killer line, killer scene, killer film.
Ever heard about the film that ends exactly where it should have started?
3 men, 1 woman...friends, with one thing in common...they all have had some sort of relationship with never-to-be-seen, only-to-be-heard, David. After 10 absent years, they await his impending arrival. It's a bit like a sun-soaked Waiting for Godot...without the existentialism!
Despite the sunshine, it's a bit of a dull affair and as anticlimactic as a story can ever be! David is set-up to be God's gift to human-kind, as an irresistable Adonis...oooh, you'll be champing at the bit, drooling and dribbling in anticipation...until your eyes feast upon the demi-god himself! Champ, drool and dribble away, David's arrival is - fiendishly - delayed by forest fires and other lame excuses.
So...the friends carouse and quarrel...re-live, re-examine their personal histories with each other and with David...and, it all ends up going absolutely nowhere. A series of minor conflicts in no way compensates for missing the major showdown...perhaps, there will be a part 2!?!
It's a waiting game! And, waiting, for most people is a chore, rather avoided.
Nothing quite like mixing up the genres to get the critics sizzling and scribbling...
Yann Gonzalez has thrown just about everything at the screen...and, depending on your taste and/or sense-of-humour...and, with a very large pinch of salt...most of it sticks! You are either going to love or loathe this film. We loved it!
If ever Hammer House of Horror, the House of Giallo and the Carry On team teamed up...then, Knife+Heart is what could have been produced. Well, Mr Gonzalez has done the improbable. With a(n) unique vision and the frequent nods to many a fine flick...this is a camp and twisted, dark and chaotic, [soft-ish] porn-infused melange of style and substance.
Vanessa Paradis holds it all together with her portayal of an alcoholic, recently dumped, broken-hearted, lesbian-gay-porn-director...fighting, tooth-and-nail, many a battle...against the bottle, for her lost love, her dissolving business...and, against the madly bewigged, masked murderer who is murdering all of her cast!
At no point can any of this be taken seriously...though, thankfully, nothing is played for a cheap laugh...and that's what makes it screamingly funny. With a fluffer known as the Mouth [of Gold]...who could take this seriously!?! What a job!!!
The story does go off-the-rails in places - but, finds its way back...and - dare we say it - it could have been a little more explicit, all the porn scenes were very vanilla - perhaps, Mr Gonzalez is holding out for the Director's Cut!
For horror aficionados, it has all the required ingredients. There's blood [lots of it], gay sex [lots of it], alcohol [lots of it], murders galore...and, a deadly dildo! What's not to like?!?
Total escapism...bizarre and borderline brilliant - depending on your taste and/or sense-of-humour!
What Makes a Man, a Man?
It's a well-know story/scam...yet, this biopic - flatly - refuses to name names!
Eva = Asia Argento...and, if you want to know the names of all the celebs who jumped on the LeRoy bandwagon...watch the 2016, mightily funny, jaw-dropping documentary: Author: The JT Leroy Story - with this [more] truthful account, there's no hiding behind the [obvious] gagging order...put in place by God-knows-who!?!
Eva = Asia Argento...her vehicle - The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - to plaudits and awards...despite a Cannes premiere...crashed and burned.
So...the scam continues...or, more's the case, squeezing every last penny [possible] out of a thoroughly decomposed story. Hopefully, this is the last re-hash...by the vicarious [in so many ways] Savannah Knoop.
Good grief...she does come across [via Kirsten Stewart's characterisation] as the epitome of moody and miserable...you would think that pulling off a scam [such as this] would bring a certain joie-de-vivre [she's been living off of it for years]...being flown around the world, entertained by the glitterati...but, no...she moans and whines ceaselessly...sucking the 'joy' straight right out of the story.
But, hey...when you take it too far and fall in love with someone - who falls in love with you - who thinks you are someone else entirely...well, that ain't no laughing matter...but, when you think about it...it's absolutely hysterical. Savannah/Kirsten does not laugh...jeezus, she barely breaks a smile throughout the entire film. But...when the 'serious' take themselves too seriously, they crash and burn.
Thank goodness for Laura Dern [she steals the show]...aka Laura Albert [LeRoy's creator], aka Speedy [LeRoy's effusive fake manager]...she's having an absolute hoot...and why wouldn't she!?! What a different film this would have been...if penned by Laura Albert!
As inventive and creative as the story is...the story-telling is anything but inventive. Justin Kelly tells it with the minimum of artistic/creative flair...what this fictionally factual film needed was a bit of pomp...the circumstances were crying out for it...the literati, the glitterati...all standing there...with egg...smeared across each and every face.
It should have been a hoot! Despite Laura Dern's best efforts...the hoot was - sadly - reduced to a dullish toot!
A single mother Lydia (Holliday Grainger) who is abandoned by her husband, meets the small village's Doctor Jean Markham (Anna Paquin) who has recently returned to her hometown when Lydia's son Charlie is taken under the doctor after being bullied in school. When Lydia and Charlie are unhoused because of Lydia's earnings from her work are not adequate to pay the rent, Jean invites them to stay in her home and she and Lydia soon develop a friendship and maybe something more.
Leo is 22 and sells his body on the street for a bit of cash. The men come and go, and he stays right here — longing for love. He doesn’t know what the future will bring. He hits the road. His heart is pounding.
In theaters June 14...
New Line Cinema’s action comedy “Shaft” is the next chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block.
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.
“Roma” and “The Favourite” lead the nominations for the 91st Oscars, scoring 10 nods each. Both films were nominated for best picture, alongside “Black Panther,” seriously!?! It really does show how ridiculous these awards have become!
The biggest snub has got to be "If Beale Street Could Talk", with only 3 [less major] nominations! "Roma" is destined to win big...this beautiful [but terminally boring] film has been over-hyped and over-praised and spends too much time on dog pooh! Why has it been nominated in 2 'Best Film' categories!?!
LGBT representation is all over the nominations...but, we're rooting for Richard E. Grant. And, of course, Rami Malek. Between Olivia Colman & Melissa McCarthy, we just can't decide...
Nominations were announced on Tuesday morning by Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross. The Academy Awards will air live Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Here is the full list of 2019 Oscar nominations:
Best Picture:
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”
“Vice”
Lead Actor:
Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”
Lead Actress:
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”
Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”
Director:
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”
Adam McKay, “Vice”
Animated Feature:
“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird
“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson
“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Animated Short:
“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine
“Bao,” Domee Shi
“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall
“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez
Adapted Screenplay:
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins
“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters
Original Screenplay:
“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader
“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice,” Adam McKay
Cinematography:
“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal
“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan
“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique
Best Documentary Feature:
“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross
“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu
“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki
“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen
Best Documentary Short Subject:
“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins
“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald
“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry
“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi
Best Live Action Short Film:
“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe
“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte
“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley
“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen
“Skin,” Guy Nattiv
Best Foreign Language Film:
“Capernaum” (Lebanon)
“Cold War” (Poland)
“Never Look Away” (Germany)
“Roma” (Mexico)
“Shoplifters” (Japan)
Film Editing:
“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman
“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
“Vice,” Hank Corwin
Sound Editing:
“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst
“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay
Sound Mixing:
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”
Production Design:
“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler
“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim
“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez
Original Score:
“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard
“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell
“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
Original Song:
“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Makeup and Hair:
“Border”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Vice”
Costume Design:
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter
“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne
Visual Effects:
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
It's that time of the year...when we all head North, anticipating what the weather will throw at us! Seemingly, there's going to be a heatwave...in Scotland, in February...that will be a first!
No matter what Mother Nature has in store, the Glasgow Film Festival will keep us cosy and entertained for the next 12 days...with a scrumptious selection of films.
Here are all the films on our menu:
Mid90sDidn't love it, didn't hate it, didn't believe a word of it!
Jonah Hill's directorial debut is a watered-down version of Larry Clarke's Kids and, presumably, an homage to skateboarding culture. Yes, there are heaps of drugs, buckets of alcohol and too many words beginning with 'N' and 'F' - it really does become more of a critique on toxic [youthful] masculinity than an homage to a vibrant counter-culture.
If you can by-pass the chronic miscasting, the unnecessary [let's-do-it-for-authenticity] 4:3 aspect and strange song choices...Mid90s offers little more than a tissue of a story, delivered via episodic vignettes...they range from the plausible de-railing of a likeable kid to the totally implausible de-railing of this unlikeable kid. The seduction scene is nothing but absolute baloney. As for the mother, she 'cares' for one scene - shouting the odds - then, releasing her son back into the grips of extreme hedonism. A tiny, pre-pubescent body could not take this amount of abuse!
In truth, if Jonah Hill had not been the [famed] director...this film would have appeared briefly and disappeared quickly...without trace.
The Hole in the GroundMany a fine film falls and fails in the final third...this is a classic example.
WTF happened!?! Everything was skipping around rather spookily...a good build of atmosphere, replete with madness and mystery...and, a massive hole in the ground [aka: A crater]. Fine performances, good writing...then, boom...WTF happened!?! Imagination malfunction and/or budget over-spend!?! Whatever it was...[film festival] audiences are far too sophisticated to accept this kind of belief suspension...
In the blink of an eye, an inescapable predicament goes all-out Houdini...and, the film - quite literally - goes tits up! Such a shame...this really could have been a wholly chilling tale...if only the ending had been re-thought...then, re-written...and, optimally, re-worked for the desired/best effect...the potential was there!
The Sisters BrothersHooray...for a French take on an old, worn-out Hollywood staple: The Western.
Not a trace of the John-Homophobic-Wayne-Big-Ham-Style-of-Acting, no designer-damsels in distress, none of that 'there'll be injuns in dem hills' nonsense...instead, a story of brotherly love, idealism, greed and duty. Most definitely, not your usual kind of Western...this has intelligence, blooming bromances and a golden stream of rich subtext.
The 'Goodie' [there really is only one, although there is a convert to the good-side] is - perhaps - too good to be true...and, the 'Baddies' [there are many] are as savage and uncouth as you would expect...with the odd twist...with the oddest couples. John C. Reilly & Joaquin Phoenix - seriously - do do odd [assassin] brothers well...unlike [yet, like] oil and water, they mix their psychopathies with humour and violence towards a mesmerising conclusion. Simply, one of the best double acts of recent memory...and, most definitely, one of the best Westerns ever made!
Good to see Rebecca Root in a small but significant role...although the armchair activists will probably wail & moan about her on-screen treatment!
Here's a film that will challenge those who like to be challenged!
The message this film delivers is loud...but, not so clear! From the off...violence. Incomprehensible violence...in the opening minutes, two men are killed for poaching a deer. There are consequences...when you don't follow the rules, when you step out of line, when you dare to be who you are! At times, you would be forgiven into thinking that this is a Russian propaganda film...warning the radicals, the free thinkers, the individual against any kind of reaction against the machine! Putin's Russia is synonymous with homophobia...Putin, himself, is the poster-boy for toxic masculinity. Here, in this film, that toxicity is play-out in full...for all the world to see. It is not pleasant.
This is a trans*film like no other...the acquiescence of the character is as startling as it is muted. She does not say a word, accepts her lot without indignation...but, with a steadfast resilience. Complex characters do not come more complex than this...this transition is - for the audience - sensory. Perhaps, quite possibly...the best cinematic explanation of the force behind transition...breath-taking.
A bewildering, bleak, bizarrely beautiful film.
Papi ChuloCasting is everything...and, John Butler got it spot on with Matt Bomer & Alejandro Patiño...the unlikeliest of [lovable] duos!
Kudos to a writer/director who can lull their audience into a false sense of [comfortable albeit oddball] security...Mr Butler does just that. Messieurs Bomer & Patiño are the quintessential odd couple...the comedy is mostly derived from the reaction to a given line, to a given situation...it is a delicious thing to witness, actors reacting to each other and a director who is able to capture it all. Crowd-pleasing, heart-warming stuff.
And then, just when you least expect it...one short line changes absolutely everything. There's an audible gasp...as the reality sinks in. From where it starts to where it ends up, Papi Chulo is a finely crafted travelogue of the human coping mechanism. It veers [seamlessly] from the downright ridiculous to a heartfelt humanity...again, one line changes the perspective...empathy...and all that that remarkable word encompasses. Another audible gasp!
It really is just a beautiful, enriching and rewarding film...laugh, cry, empathise.
Mothers’ Instinct [Duelles]Oooh there's nothing quite like a psychological suburban thriller to get the brain-cells a-sparking.
Sweet domesticity, the perfect life...is shattered by a tragic accident. Mothers’ Instinct is all about style and substance. True to its obvious influence, this Hitchcockian homage will keep you guessing from the moment the [parental] paranoia set in. Even more...there's a little boy who could challenge the most patient of Saints. He is the angel and demon combined! And that's the power of the film, you never quite know what you're dealing with...until it becomes [perhaps, a little too prematurely] apparent.
No faulting the production values, the period is captured with a stylised eye and the cinematography is a joy to behold. Performance wise, everyone delivers...our only quibble is, the neatly-packaged ending...not every story needs to be tied up with string and bows...keep them guessing, that's the thrill of the thriller! But...a damn decent thriller nonetheless.
The Third WifeIf ever a film had the potential to be something special...this was it.
Great premise, a young bride brought into a polygamous marriage, set in the breath-taking scenery of a distant Vietnam...the romance of it all...but, alas, there was absolutley no romance...and, despite the on-screen beauty, the constant battle with sleep was near-overwhelming and uncomfortably tortuous throughout. Why, oh why, did this happen!?! All the ingredients for a great film were there...except for a fully fleshed-out script!
It would seem that Ash Mayfair's cinematic punctuation is...when in doubt, film [interminably] a leaf, or a silk worm, or water...or, anything that fills the gap. Stick with the story!!! Yes, indeed, the sensitive souls will argue in favour of the mood, atmosphere and tone creation...but, when the effect is as soporific as this, a gross misjudgment has been made. Wake up!!! Why? For the lesbian scene...it comes out of nowhere, ends in a flash and is forgotten! Yes...all this film needed was a fully fleshed-out script and a brutal editor who has a particular distaste for leaves, silk worms and water. And then...it could have been a marvel.
Border [Gräns]The less you know about this film...the better!
Watch with an open mind...as a tale of incredible cruelty, depravity and love-in-the-unlikeliest-of-places between an unlikely couple uniquely unfolds. They are not what they seem!
Ali Abbasi - basically - draws a very fuzzy line between man and monster. He mulls it over and presents a jaw-dropping treatise on humanity and plays with the whole concept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and real beauty is within!
This is bold, challenging and daring cinema...in the wrong hands it could have disintegrated right before your very eyes...but, Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff deliver remarkable, grizzly performances.
It does have moments of extreme tenderness...but, on the whole, it's as unpleasant as can be...human depravity is an assault to the senses.
Here's a film that will touch all of your senses and make you think long and hard!
An un-missable achievement!
Pre-sexual revolution of the 60s, setting: small-town Scotland...and, some Sapphic stirrings in the undergrowth. Oooh the scandal of it all!!!
Tell it to the Bees is a mixed bag of youthful loveliness and domestic trauma...with one major [and inexplicable] problem: The ending! Why change the perfectly good ending [of the book] into something so unsatisfactory and implausible?!? Or, perhaps, this man's mind is completely at a loss when it comes to the woman's psyche...and, the swarming instinct of bees!
Seriously, this is a lovely film that [sadly] asks [just a little] too much from its audience...when belief flies out of the window [and bees, literally, fly in]. Up until this point, the gentleness of the story is a delight, young Gregor Selkirk is a joy to watch as he confronts and computes the harsh realities of life. Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger, they do the story proud. There is so much to commend this film...however, when the 'fantasy' hits the fan...aaargh! It's so frustrating, tripping before the last hurdle...it all boils down to...the bees had one scene too many!
Quite unlike the usual bio-pic...thank the lord-of-the-dance...and, Paul Laverty's script!
The film is punctuated [beautifully] with dance [the male pas-de-deux is a sensation not to be missed], reflection and invention. Having the man himself in his own film was a blatant and questionable risk...and, even Señor Acosta said he didn't want to ruin his own film. Well, he didn't and it was a risk that paid out dividends by the score. Sharing his story, on such a personal level, took guts...the lengthy applause he received...well-deserved.
Those lucky enough to have seen Señor Acosta dance...those who have not, well you are just denying yourself of something truly special...and, after watching this film...inspirational. Talent is given...but, success has to be earned...well-earned.
Yuli is a credit to the collaboration between subject, writer and director. This is a film that has been choreographed with precision and finesse...infused with reluctance and politics...and, a tough love between father and son. If that love had not been so tough, the world may not have gotten the intense pleasure [and release] of experiencing Carlos Acosta dance.
A bio-pic quite like no other. Thank you.
Day 5...
Coincoin and the Extra-Humans [Coincoin et les z'inhumains]200 minutes of WTF!!! Is this a case of 'absurdism' being taken too far? Definitely, 100 minutes too far!
Because...the first 50 minutes are an explosion to the senses. This is mayhem...with some of the best visual gags in recent memory. The next 50 minutes, the gags start to repeat, over and over again. As for the final 100 minutes...well, let's just say they were unnecessary. Talk about stretching something out until the breaking point is well and truly reached...Bruno Dumont certainly reached that point and went over it. He even writes how repetition becomes monotonous...pity he didn't take his own words and applied them to this sprawling project.
It is actually a shame...because, Coincoin could have been something truly special...casting people with learning disabilities is something that more directors should do...but, everyone on-screen [still] needs to be directed. And, every director should know when they have taken it [all] too far!
Let Me Fall [Lof mér að falla]This is the bleakest of the bleak.
Well, drug addiction is no laughing matter...unless you're off your face and don't give a month-of-sundays about those around you. Those unfortunates, the family, those friends, the collateral...caught in the cross-fire...until they have no choice other than to walk away.
From the opening scene, these lethal lesbians [together with their toxic love] care for absolutely no-one but themselves and their habit...and, only for each other, when it suits! It would be crazy to say Let Me Fall is an enjoyable film, it's almost unimaginable to even 'like' this film...not because it's a bad film - it most certainly is not bad...it's just so unflinchingly desolate.
Baldvin Zophoníasson takes no prisoners and pulls no punches whatsoever...the critique he delivers upon State and Church and Rehab and addicts and their chain of supply are damning and absolute. This is 'sensational' filmmaking...and, as sure as Hell, it is not pretty.
Her Smell10 minutes in the company of Becky Something is quite enough thank you.
She is exhausting, unpalatable and really rather talentless. Ironically, Elizabeth Moss is a damn fine actor and this may sound like an [unintended] insult...but, she does do 'talentlessness' very well indeed! It's just a shame that she is so damned irritating to watch...what's more is Alex Ross Perry's decision to have a perpetual [background] drone-like noise playing throughout the entire film...it just adds insult to injury.
As for the songs...of which there are [thankfully] few...it's difficult to find the appropriate word...but, 'dreadful' will do for now.
With a runtime of [an agonising] 134 minutes, this is - indeed - an unrelenting torture. This ain't Rock'n'Roll, this was as authentic as a Courtney Love tribute act.
GirlBe still my breaking heart...
There has been a recent uproar - by [those] anonymous, gobby, armchair activists [who scream and shout at everything streaming on Netflix] - demanding a boycot of this film. Listen to them not! A trans*character does not need to be played by a trans*actor...the best 'actor' for the job should play the role. And, Lukas Dhont found the perfect actor in Victor Polster to play Lara.
Breathtaking is not a word we use regulary...but, breathtaking is what Victor Polster is! Lara says little throughout the film, she has so much on her young mind...the transition, the secret...and, the ballet. All punishing on the body, the mind and soul Can she keep it all together? Or, will she break? The entire film leads up to that question...the answer is...well, you will have to watch it to find out.
At times, there's a real sense of this being a fly-on-the-wall documentary...Lukas Dhont observes...and, it so immersive that at no time do you disbelieve anything that is shown. Gleaned from his short film, Girl is one mighty fine debut feature. Let us hope he has more [quality] projects up his sleeve!
To be overwhelmed by a film is a remarkable achievement...be overwhelmed!
Everybody Knows [Todos lo saben]Secrets don't have much mileage in small towns...and, with Asghar Farhadi in the driver's seat, low mileage is the least of his concerns - especially when his script runs out of fuel before he gets to the final destination!
Everybody Knows oozes quality - how can it not with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem...they bring Farhadi's script alive. But, alas, despite their best efforts, it all leads to what only can be described as anticlimactic as a good film should not be.
The whole film is geared towards an unavoidable and obvious [but, with whom] confrontation...the only problem is...that confrontation never takes place! What a disappointment...it's akin to sitting in an Aston Martin that has two flat tyres and an empty tank!
The MergerPlayed almost entirely for laughs...with the odd dollop of cheesy sentimentality thrown in to crowd-please the crowd. What The Merger needed was a bit more gravitas...considering, at its core, this is a film about racism!
When the writer is the star of the film, the director has to take the bull by the horns and claim control over his film. Well, that just didn't happen. This is Damian Callinan's film...his writing needed a bite and a punch and a kick to the...well, you know where. It's all just too lightweight [and, weirdly, polite]. When tackling big, important issues [racism and immigration] a certain aggression is needed [with some killer put-downs] rather than what's on offer here, the spoonful-of-sugar approach accompanied by some gentle preaching!
Small-town, Australian-football-loving Australians will - no doubt - love it. It's not a film that travels particularly well.
Maria By CallasThere was Maria and there was La Callas...two people in one person. And then there was the voice. Tom Volf's film is a celebration of that voice...accompanied by some previously unseen footage of the woman herself. For a fan, it is an utter joy.
Much has been written and said about Maria Callas...here, she speaks for herself...mostly as La Callas...but, snippets of Maria do creep in. Feminists will cringe as she talks about love and marriage and the Prince Charming who never materialised. It is amazing to [think and] hear this remarkable talent would have given it all up...for love. It seems to be true what they say: It's lonely at the top!
Seriously, you have to admire the staggering amount of work that went into the making of this fine film. Finding the 'lost' footage is an unenviable and admirable task. Maria by Callas is a labour-of-love...thank you Mr Volf for your labour. Sublime.
BenjaminWell, well, well...Benjamin turned out to be an unexpected, awkward delight...with some surprisingly scathing swipes at 'creatives' and their [often questionable] 'produce' - performance artists and [read: experimental] filmmakers get it in the neck - all done in the best possible way...with wit.
Add to the mix a [frustrating] love-story: Boy woos boy, boy gets boy, boy dumps boy [TBC]...boy oh boy does this boy need a stiff glass of Red...and - quite possibly - a big juicy steak!
Yes, Benjamin is a duff filmmaker, a tea-totalitarian, an over-thinking meditating vegan. The archetypal fun-guy [ha ha]...yet [amazingly], he meets his 'yang' and he's adorable! Together, they are adorable. Due credit must go to Colin Morgan and Phénix Brossard [and, Mr Amstell's writing] for bringing alive - what would seem - two of the - quite possibly - most boring characters ever to appear on a page! On-screen...oooh you just want to tweak their cheeks...and then - gently, of course - smack them about their other cheeks!
And...the goodness doesn't stop there...there are some seriously immersive, original songs...to boot! The opening 'gag' is - really - rather brilliant. The audience member battling against sleep is - hysterically - familiar. The ending...well, no spoilers here!. But...the film does leave you asking one question...and, perhaps, it's a question that no-one should ask...especially in polite company, to Hell with it, we'll [royally] ask it anyway: Do gay [male, since everyone is-and-are calling themselves 'gay' nowadays] vegans spit or swallow!?! How uncouth! But...glad we got that one off our collective chests!
A damn fine wee film.
The White CrowRudolph Nureyev was given 45 minutes alone in a room...to contemplate his future - to defect or not to defect. The enormity of that decision is completely lost in this mismanaged film. And, it all boils down to the writing...which is all over the place with a scrambled timeline that simply confuses...one minute Nureyev has a broken leg in plaster, the next...he's bouncing around like a March bunny! Apart from the black & white flashbacks, there is no visible differentiation between the different stages of Nureyev's [earlier] life.
His homosexuality is [increduously] down-played, there's a brief bedroom scene with him in bed with a naked male 'friend' - however, the emphasis seems to be misplaced upon a clandestine relationship he had with his mentor's wife - the dynamics of this relationship are not explored, it was a very complex situation - the couple moved him into their home...alas, Mr Hare's writing only shows the surface of the story without digging deeper...rather than using Julie Kavanagh's biography, perhaps he ought to have spoken to more people [outwith the Ballet] who knew Mr Nureyev personally. A whole different story would have emerged.
If only Paul Laverty had written the script, if only Icíar Bollaín had directed it...if only Carlos Acosta had been the choreographer...too many 'if onlys'.
ProphecyUtterly fascinating...to see an artist-at-work...still, breaking the rules. Peter Howson may have put his wild days behind him...thankfully, his art is still as striking [and recognisable] as ever...perhaps, even more so! If Prophecy is anything to go by!
This is a gentle film. There are no great revelations [regarding the art world], no artistic tantrams or traumas...just a portrait of a down-to-earth artist at the top of his game. It really is a rather spellbinding experience...especially with the animations of Mr Howson's art...from where they start to where they end up.
There is a great sadness to this film...Prophecy - quite possibly - will never be seen by the public-at-large. It is destined to remain hidden in a corporate collection, lost in an executive boardroom...where executives may glance and nod and say: Ah, a Howson...but, ultimately, pay-it-no-mind. The true tragedy of Art: Ownership!
A film that will force you to question your national pride! Not what you would expect from a quintessential, period love story.
Martin Compston - who is rapidly becoming one of the best character actors we have - dishes it out...without reserve. His Burnham is a skin-crawling savage, devoid of compassion...and, a total stranger to the dignity of humility-in-victory. He is not alone...wars create deep-rooted and long-lasting hate. When such characters are pitted against humility-in-defeat and those unable to accept that defeat...tempers explode and tensions snap. And, with the hindsight that we all pocess, James Kent's film makes us squirm against something we hold dear: Pride.
Love and loss, guilt and grief are additional characters that play their part in the clean-up after war. Here, in this aftermath, souls are bared, straws are grasped, realities are confronted. Indeed, the emotion displayed is touching to the core. The actors with their set monologues...deliver some noteworthy and impeccable performances. Ms Knightly - wow - does she deliver!
Stunningly photographed, The Aftermath is a romance with a twist and a sting...and, perhaps, a happy ending. It's about perspective and hindsight. A clever, rewarding and beautiful film.
Out of BlueWhen Schrödinger's cat pops up in a murder investigation, you take notice! Indeed, mesmerising stuff!
David Lynch also pops into mind...in this subtext-laden, not-your-average whodunit. That subtext is shattered with one killer line...involving a bar with some exotic dancers! With as many red herrings you could squash into a tin, Out of Blue doesn't take itself as seriously as you would expect...and, does become a little fantastical and - dare we say - fanciful in places. But, that's it's joy...Patricia Clarkson plays her defective detective [almost] tongue-in-cheek. And, when a film kills off Mamie Gummer in the first few minutes, expect the unexpected. Because, that's what Carol Morely delivers...a labyrinth of ideas with some philosophical existentialism thrown in just to bamboozle and bewilder. It's right up there with all the other bamboozlers and bewilderers! How we love those off-the-dial filmmakers!
JoséWinner of the Queer Lion award [@ Venice, beating The Favourite] and one of our most anticipated films in the festival...the word 'disappointing' doesn't even come close to describing it!
Nothing much happens...and, when something does happen [e.g. the earthquake] it's over in a flash with absolutely no dramatic consequences whatsoever...why bother!?! Li Cheng seems to favour filming [his actor] from behind...too too many shots of the back of José's head.
José is a closeted, duty-bound young man who likes to get his kit off whenever he can...yes, there is [needless] abundant nudity [& sex scenes]. However, the crux of the story is the relationship between mother and son...she, a God-fearing, emotional blackmailer...he, a closeted Lothario who can't see a gift-horse even when it smacks him across the face. Everything is ripe and set for the expected [coming out] showdown...the only problem is...it doesn't happen! What?!?
José is screaming out for conflict and confrontation...and, resolution. Nada. We get it, the conflict was inward, with himself...but, it all makes for some very dull viewing and duller story-telling. As for that ridiculous ending...Li Cheng obviously got bored with the telling of his dull story and - out-of-the-blue - just when you least expect it...ended it! Talk about an anti-climax! What a [frustrating] disappointment.
Under the Silver LakeA prime example of throwing just about everything at the screen...hoping that something will stick! Ooops...what a mess of a film! Nothing stuck!
Andrew Garfield is - practically - never off-screen...and, he does a decent job at being the hapless layabout with too much time on his hands. And that's the problem...this writer/director - unwisely - decided to fill in the gaping gaps with 'classic' film references [they are - literally - all over the place]. So, if you love playing name-that-film...this film is for you!
It's not all bad...the suicidal squirrel is inspired stupidity, What's the Frequency Kenneth? - makes you want to dance in your seat...but, once it goes all 'cult' the derailing is terminal. Shame...because, it is a mighty fine looking [and sounding] film. Think: Hitchock on magic mushrooms. Many will probably think it's genius...those who do not partake in 'Shrooms' will not.
Are You Proud?The question is: Does this film answer its own question? Not quite.
This is a documentary for milennials...made by a milennial. Apart from the [fantastic] opening scene, where an elderly gentleman recounts his life led within a lie...Are You Proud? descends into a rather sweeping précis of LGBT history [with one glaring omission: The Age of Consent debacle] done via archive footage [most, if not all, all available on YouTube]...and, the obligatory, talking heads. Nowadays...everyone is seems to be an activist and Ashley Joiner reels them out, the old and the new. There are the usual suspects: Peter Tatchell, Michael Cashman & Co. Then, there are the new...moaning about how Pride has become overly commercial and underly political. Bless their cotton socks...they know not what they are fighting for! Commerce made Pride what it is today! Politics...well, it certainly looks like politics has bent to the will of the [LGBT] people. Boom Boom!
Are You Proud? is not a bad film...it's just a little under-researched and one-sided. Not everyone is [or was] a card-carrying activist...and, not everyone wants to hear from the activists alone. Give the non-activists a voice! It's called balance.
Once upon a time, many years ago...there lived a wicked witch, Margaret was her name. She ruled her land with tyranny...Y'know, the 80s were not as glum as many make out...yes, many of us [gay men] were 'illegal' [being under 21 years of age]...but, we danced and partied like there was no tomorrow. Bars, like The Bell in Kings Cross was a hub for the more politically-savvy...yet when the 'gay-unwashed' [as they were rather offensively known as then] came a-rattling their buckets for donations to this cause or that cause, most would run in the opposite direction...usually to the dance-floor, where we danced until tomorrow came! Pride is what Pride is now because...we just wanna f*&king dance!
Are You Proud? Yes...because I danced until the cows came home and was dragged - by the police - from the steps of Parliament...because, my boyfriend - at the time - was committing a crime for loving me. He was 22 and I was 18. Then, the age of consent was 21...Proud? Damn bet I am...we, all of us, helped to change that. Pride? I remember when it was free...I remember when it was cancelled because of the idiots running it. Pride, now...should be free, paid for by the corporates. Pride has evolved from being a political statement into a cause-for-celebration...stop the moaning...and...dance! That's what we call: A Party Protest!
Real Love [C'est ça l'amour]A slow burner...but, definitely worth the wait!
Teenagers...difficult things at the best of times...but, when you are in the middle of a mid-life meltdown...they [can and usually do] become unbearable and exasperating. Not the case for this malfunctioning father. Despite his wife upping sticks and buggering off, he hunkers down and deals with the situation the best way he can.
All dads can [and usually do] do the most embarrassing things...Claire Burger gives her 'dad' a free reign...as he travails the perilous slopes of his teenage daughter's sexuality. After all, what does he know about being a woman? Yet, his tenderness and care [and his shoulder] are never far away...no matter how flummoxed he gets. He might be boring...but, when it comes to his kids, he's rock solid.
This is a deft wee film, its simplicity belies its complexity...all families are complex, we just learn [as a family, as a team] to work around all the follies and foibles...and, how to ignite and extinguish the flames of fury.
The last scene manages to encapsulate everything that a family should be...it's beautiful, full of warmth and deep paternal love.
Quite simply...lovely.
Wild Rose
If it's a crowd-pleaser you're after...then, this is just about as good as it gets. A homegrown tale about a lass who was born on the wrong side of...the Atlantic!
She's 'Country' [not Western] through-and-through with flaws and fringes aplenty...recently released fae tha Big Hoose, she sets out to follow her dream. Nashville beckons...but, the lack of money and her wee daughter are hurdles...will they or won't they get in her way?
This is grit and spit with strong accents...and, Jessie Buckley grabs the bull by the horns and delivers a powerhouse performance. This ain't no rags-to-riches, dream-like drivel. This is the hard slog of playing the cut-throat, teeth-cutting dives and dens that [may] pave the way to fame and fortune...or, at least, pay a living wage! Some get lucky, some fail, some persist...and, some just accept that the dives and dens is exactly where they should be!
This is all about when ambition clashes with the reality...as Rose is so often reminded...courtesy of her [semi-supportive, sure-footed] mother [Julie Walters doing what she does best...character]. The humour is brash, the sentiments are lush and the whole thing will make you want to enroll in your local line-dancing class. Kerchiefs at the ready!
Happy as Lazzaro [Lazzaro felice]Every now and then a film comes around that will affect you deeply. This is one such film. And, quite possibly, the best film in the festival.
Alice Rohrwacher's scathing parody is a remarkable, deeply moving, cerebral achievement. This is a film of two halves: The ordinary and the extraordinary. The less said about it, the better. Because...in places, it simply takes your breath away as you realise and think...what the Hell is going on? Once you get your head around it all, it all starts to make perfect, brutal sense...in the most gentle way imaginable...so surprising, since this is a tale about greed pitted against innocence, criminal exploitation by mean-spirited manipulation.
Adriano Tardiolo is prefect as Lazzaro, beautiful, innocent and adorable - he carries the film from the humble beginning to the bewildering end. If ever a character could bring out the 'protector' in all who bears witness to this tale...then, Lazzaro is it! You would - without hesitation - take a bullet for this young man.
This is nothing short of a masterwork. Alice Rohrwacher should be extremely proud. Do whatever you can to experience this film...you will not - by no stretch of the imagination although your imagination will be stretched - be disappointed. It really is that good!
Making Montgomery CliftThis will definitely ruffle the feathers of all Monty's [many] biographers...charlatans, each and all. Newsflash: He was not a self-hating, miserable homo...with his finger permanently hovering over the self-destruct button!
According to this film: The 'longest suicide' of the 'beautiful loser' was a fiction...created by those [parasites] who wanted to sell their books. Let's face it...who wants to read about a happy, handsome homo?!? Tragedy sells!
This is a rather loving portrait of the Uncle by his nephew, although they never met. Still, the affection is clear to see...and, hear. Montgomery and his brother, taped everything...telephone conversations, you name...they taped it. That's just plain old weird. The other weird thing is...there's not a mention of Ethel Clift McGinnis, Monty's twin sister...she died in 2014, aged 94. If anyone ever 'knew' Monty, it was her. Not even mentioned...such a screaming omission as this...well, it kind of throws a whole lot of shade on this entire project.
Robert Anderson Clift has done exactly what Monty's biographers did...re-invented the man to suit his audience. And, what a pleasant re-invention it is...but, is it true?
Who knows what is hidden in all those tapes? Well, Robert Anderson Clift knows...and he has chosen what to release and what not to release. Perhaps, Ethel would have something to say about that!?! We'll never know.
Still, a refreshingly, positive portrait...perhaps, not as authentic as it purports to be!
The Third Marriage [Troisièmes noces]The plight of economic émigrés is a difficult subject at the best of times. Add duplicity and deceit...with these two [extra] ingredients, every case instantly becomes a minefield for heated debate and furious argument...and, a terrifying resurgence of a right-wing politic! The question that the 'angry' never ask themselves is: What would you do for a better life? If they answer truthfully...all that rage should evaporate.
Indeed, a massive and contentious subject...not exactly the required material for a comedy!
These oh-so disparate lives - they don't come any more disparate - gay/straight, white/black, man/woman, European/African, oil/water...nor do they come any more desperate. Money matters, money talks...money can make [some of the] problems go away. Money and desperation make people do crazy things...like marrying your complete opposite...not out of love...but, for a little bit of security.
This is a film that shifts form in the blink of an eye...from being an endearing, gentle comedy [of manners] to scorching social comment to something that cannot be mentioned...as it will ruin the film! Expect a few surprises...the biggest one being how perfectly matched this oddest of odd couples actually are!
It's a wee delight...and, the chemistry is electric!
Buy Me A Gun [Cómprame un revolver]Buy Me a Gun is a little bit too much of everything and not enough being itself. Being littered with so many literary and cinematic references, it simply loses its own voice...which is a shame...because, Julio Hernández Cordón certainly has something to say about Mexico's current predicament [and its future] because of the drug cartels.
Take a slice of Mad Max, a bit of Peter Pan, a splash of Lord of the Flies...and, a great big dollop of Huckleberry Finn...and, hey presto, you have this Dystopian tale that - initially - revolves around the devastating cycle of drug addiction.
A drug-addled father tries to protect his daughter [from those cartels] by disguising her as a boy and chaining her up. That's what's called tough love...her mother and sister fell prey and disappeared. Being a woman - in this place - comes with a very hefty price tag!
This is when the film works best, that interaction between father and daughter...unfortunately, the whole thing goes too far off-piste...with neither the budget nor the time to fully develop what the director had in his mind's eye.
It's not a bad film in any shape or form...just - perhaps - a little too ambitious for the available resources.
200 minutes of mind-numbing monotony? Or, a 200-minute [feminist] masterpiece?
Well, that all depends on which side of the academic fence you find yourself on. The bulk of Chantal Akerman's work is for an acquired taste, for those who like to wiggle their toes in the various pools of cinematic pretension...Jeanne Dielman is no exception.
Call it what you will...an art film, experimental, avant-garde, the original Dogme [that should ruffle a few feathers]...to some, it's all of these. To Joe Public, it's the quintessential film festival film...in other words, it's the one you want to avoid at all costs...because, time and money are precious!
Many have tied themselves in knots explaining why this is a masterpiece and, in so doing, have earned themselves a Masters Degree or even a PhD [in Film Studies or some feminist branch of Sociology]. C'mon, preaching to the converted isn't exactly an achievement...
Sitting through these 200 'masterful' minutes is an achievement...akin to torture.
Genesis [Genèse]Special...very special indeed. And so very chilling.
Be warned...this is not an easy film to watch. Philippe Lesage challenges his audience by creating challenging characters and situations. This is the shambles that 'first loves' can create...the emotions herein range from sheer devastation to utter confusion...from happiness to incredulity.
Those giant steps we all must take from childhood into the big wide world, obeying those rules that bind us to conformity...but, when you are a gay kid, those rules blur.
This is a brother and a sister...he, the irrational...she, a voice of reason. Together they contrast and compare...until a defining events change absolutely everything. Then, they are separate, bound only by their bloodline. Their lives will - undoubtedly - veer off, far from where they started. But...that's life, it just such a painful thing to learn, that startling realisation of the reality: We ain't kids anymore!
And then...Philippe Lesage throws all caution to the wind and takes us to a place where life is sweet and love so gentle...it's a little bamboozling at first...this in-your-face comparison, this contradiction with what has already been shown before.
Is this optimism...or, plain old pessimism? Let's root for the optimistic...not all stories of first love end the same way! Or, do they?
A truly hypnotic and difficult film.
Vox LuxHere endeth the directorial [and writing] career[s] of Brady Corbet. What a load of absolute drivel!
Vox Lux is a cross between the Columbine shooting and the Eurovision Song Contest [yes, you read that correctly]...with a Madonna-cum-Gaga crossbreed...singing Sia-penned songs that [even] the record company rejected.
So...with Natalie Portman & Jude Law onboard, what went wrong? Well...this film is the cinematic equivalent of the Titanic [the ship, not the movie]...it's launched and everything seems to be well and dandy...then, it hits that creative ice-berg and sinks like a boulder.
Call it a satire, a parody, allegorical...but, whatever Brady Corbet was trying to say he went about it in such a roundabout way and ended up being a bit of a laughing stock...selling your soul to the devil in return for fame and fortune...[that old dead-in-the-water chestnut] you have got to be joking Brady? Right? Please say you were joking!?!
Day 12...
Float Like a ButterflyThis wee film certainly packs a few impactful punches...with a knockout performance by Hazel Doupe.
Toxic masculinity, domestic abuse, tradition...and, putrid discrimination [that can also be read as: Racism]...it's all here...plus Mohammad Ali!
Now...you could be forgiven in thinking that this is an intense tale, it is and it isn't. There is a lightness of touch by the director and a mischievousness by the star...however, that lightness is sacrificed when it comes to the 'villain' [aka the police/guarda]...this is police corruption and brutality delivered with a sledgehammer. Carmel Winters captures the 'light' pretty well...as for the shade...more, a whole gamut of hues, darker, bluer, greyer...something to sink your teeth into, rather than just a one-dimensional caricature of bad.
What this Butterfly needed was a few more risks, a bit more danger, more surprises. It's all just a little too safe. The potential to raise more than just eyebrows was there...it really just needed that jab below the belt, right in the goolies...to be a memorable pain!
Patrick Wang has a habit of letting his camera roll on and on...his previous film, In the Family has a runtime of 219 minutes.
A Bread Factory [parts 1 & 2] runs for 242 minutes...4 hours long...that really is a big ask! The big question is: Is it worth spending that amount of time [and money] in company of these characters?
Put it it this way...if Mr Wang had entered the editing suite, hellbent on cutting his film down to 2 [and, possibly, a wee bit] hours...then, there would be smiles all round. Because...there is so much goodness in these two films...but, unfortunately and infuriatingly, - the good bits are surrounded by too much dough!
Mr Wang certainly has something to say about all kinds of artistic endeavours, practitoners and institutions...with 'perfromance art' [seriously] getting it in the neck. Hey...everyone has the right to their opinion, everyone has the right to compliment or criticise [especially if they had to pay for the pleasure/displeasure]...and, let's be truthful here, the world would be a thoroughly drab place if everyone thought the same. So...let Mr Wang speak...even if he does so at length!
The 'absurd' and the 'mundane' are not usual bed partners, they are in this here tale. The little 'peculiarities' are [mostly] charming and serve as a foil to the financial crisis that has beset this arts centre...however, in part 2, they really become a little too much. And, with the overly-lengthy performance of Hecuba...this second instalment really does become a bit of a chore.
There is some much to like and there's too much that will [simply] drive you up the wall. No faulting the performances, Tyne Daly delivers a solid, stalwart character...hellbent against change...well, everything changes - especially art. The only thing that needed changing with A Bread Factory Parts 1 & 2 was...the runtime!
Beats
Yes…we will probably be accused of reading subtext into everything…but, this is loaded with the stuff, it whizzes off the screen and slaps you bang on the forehead.
Two lads…born, raised and living on different sides of the tracks are best mates…with subtext! Their love of music is equalled by their [mutually unrequited] love for each other…it’s both joyous and agonising to watch.
There are moments when you think that those [sexual] barriers will come crashing down…remember, this is 1994…coming out and expressing your feelings wasn’t as easy as it is now… the internet was still in its infancy…and, the only mobile phone were those great big, bulky boxes that weighed a ton, cost a fortune and [usually] died mid-call! Kids were isolated in their own communities…pirate radio stations [remember Kiss?], disparaging TV [rave] reports, word-of-mouth and [to a certain extent] Section 28 of the Local Government Act all helped whet the appetites…for change.
In 1988, rave culture was born [I was a member of Shoom…gloriously sweating in the fitness centre]…really, that second summer of love was a revolution, dancing on Clapham Common, finding yourself in the middle of nowhere, lost…until you heard the music, found the byre and threw yourself into those uplifting, high-as-a-kite beats. Glorious. It was l-o-v-e…fuelled by Ecstasy. And, it was.
Slowly [but surely]…rave spread up and down the land. The kids were having fun, the establishment didn’t like it one iota. They reacted…and then came: The Criminal Justice and the Public Order Act 1994…basically, banning raves. Whatever/whoever beats me…makes me grow stronger!
This is when Beats is set…in the dying days of the ‘illegal’ rave. Capturing all the madness, the music and camaraderie…of the time. The [mostly] inexperienced cast rise to the occasion, they give it absolutely everything. But…Lorn Macdonald and Cristian Ortega steal the show, they are polar opposites who bond-like-superglue…together, to the inevitability of the last days of rave and the last days of being together. This is the bitterest/sweetest sweet to swallow.
Brian Welsh has delivered a chiming story and a damn fine film. For those who attended those ‘illegal’ raves…let this wave of nostalgia wash over and submerge us back into the good old days.
As usual a great big thank you to Galsgow Film Festival, to all the volunteers, to Ruth [Press office] and her team...simply, a great festival. Glasgow...you never let us down!
From Joanna Hogg and starring Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, and Tilda Swinton
POMS is an uplifting comedy about a woman (played by Keaton) who moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents, including Pam Grier and Jacki Weaver.
Zara Hayes directed the script by Shane Atkinson. Alisha Boe, Phyllis Somerville, Charlie Tahan, Bruce McGill, Rhea Perlman and Celia Weston also star. Producing are Kelly McCormick (Atomic Blonde); Alex Saks (Book Club); Mad as Birds Films’ Andy Evans, Ade Shannon, Celyn Jones, and Sean Marley; and Rose Pictures’ Rose Ganguzza. Keaton, Sierra/Affinity’s Nick Meyer and Marc Schaberg, and Will Greenfield are executive producing.
Taron Egerton and the team behind Rocketman discuss bringing the music of Elton John to the big screen.
Experience Rocketman in theatres May 31.
#Rocketman is an epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years, starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Best Feature FilmBreve historia del planeta verde (Brief Story from the Green Planet) by Santiago Loza
Lemebel by Joanna Reposi Garibaldi
Entropia by Flóra Anna Buda
A Dog Barking at the Moon by Xiang Zi
Breve historia del planeta verde (Brief Story from the Green Planet) by Santiago Loza
The Sepcial TEDDY Award this year goes to Falk Richter. A strange award...considering he has very little to do with film. He's a theatre director and playwright.
Ironically, the two major Berlinale awards [Golden Bear & Silver Bear] went to two LGBT films...
Here's hoping that Synonymes is a a more deserving winner [and better film] than last year's nonsense - Touch Me Not - quite easily the worst film ever to have won any kind of award!
#KillingEve Season 2 premieres on BBC America April 7 at 8/7c.
From the Academy Award®-winning team—directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and producer Peter Del Vecho—and featuring the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad, and the music of Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2019.
TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the renowned author’s life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien’s tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.
Directed by: Dome Karukoski
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris and Derek Jacobi
A remake of the 1988 comedy, 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', in which two down-and-out con artists engage in a "loser leaves town" contest.
Starring Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway.
Bulbul,a young girl living in a village in Assam - fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who really she is!
Directed by: Rima Das
Beautiful...
Porcelain - Eyes on You (Official Video) from Adam Kiers on Vimeo.
A teenage boy growing up in violent neighbourhood has a beautiful fantasy
Porcelain is a Sydney Based Experimental Pop band consisting of Neil Beadie, Alex Kiers, Maeve Parker
& Dominic Byrne.
Cast:
Lead Boy: Jackson Jansen
Lead Opponent: Jordan Anthony
Back up dancers:
Lukas Rose
Thuba Ndibali
Robert Mejica
Elijah Shipp
Andii Huynh
Crew:
Directors: Adam & Alex Kiers
Producer: Emily Morrison
Cinematographer: Chris Miles
Choreographer: Kate MacDonald
Steadicam: Damien King
Wardrobe: Harry Pickering
Grip: Paul Mcaellef
Gaffer: Russell Fewtrell
1st AC: Jeff Truong
2nd AC: Zenshi
Edit: Adam Kiers, byron, Chris Miles
Colourist: Matt Fezz
Best film
BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Outstanding British film
Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
McQueen
Stan & Ollie
You Were Never Really Here
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer
Apostasy – Daniel Kokotajlo (writer/director)
Beast – Michael Pearce (writer/director), Lauren Dark (producer)
A Cambodian Spring – Chris Kelly (writer/director/producer),
Pili – Leanne Welham (writer/director), Sophie Harman (producer)
Ray & Liz – Richard Billingham (writer/director), Jacqui Davies (producer)
Best film not in the English language
Capernaum
Cold War
Dogman
Roma
Shoplifters
Best documentary
Free Solo
McQueen
RBG
They Shall Not Grow Old
Three Identical Strangers
Best animated film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best director
BlacKkKlansman – Spike Lee
Cold War – Paweł Pawlikowski
The Favourite – Yorgos Lanthimos
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
A Star Is Born – Bradley Cooper
Best original screenplay
Cold War – Janusz Głowacki, Paweł Pawlikowski
The Favourite – Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
Green Book – Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Vice – Adam McKay
Best adapted screenplay
BlacKkKlansman – Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott
Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
First Man – Josh Singer
If Beale Street Could Talk – Barry Jenkins
A Star Is Born – Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters, Eric Roth
Best actress
Glenn Close – The Wife
Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Olivia Colman – The Favourite
Viola Davis – Widows
Best actor
Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
Christian Bale – Vice
Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
Steve Coogan – Stan & Ollie
Viggo Mortensen – Green Book
Best supporting actress
Amy Adams – Vice
Claire Foy – First Man
Emma Stone – The Favourite
Margot Robbie – Mary Queen of Scots
Rachel Weisz – The Favourite
Best supporting actor
Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman
Mahershala Ali – Green Book
Richard E Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell – Vice
Timothée Chalamet – Beautiful Boy
Best original music
BlacKkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Star Is Born
Best cinematography
Bohemian Rhapsody
Cold War
The Favourite
First Man
Roma
Best editing
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
First Man
Roma
Vice
Best production design
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma
Best costume design
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots
Best make up & hair
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Queen of Scots
Stan & Ollie
Vice
Best sound
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born
Best special visual effects
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
Ready Player One
Best British short animation
I’m OK
Marfa
Roughhouse
Best British short film
73 Cows
Bachelor, 38
The Blue Door
The Field
Wale
EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)
Barry Keoghan
Cynthia Erivo
Jessie Buckley
Lakeith Stanfield
Letitia Wright
The debut feature from the comedian, actor, writer and director Simon Amstell.
About to premiere his difficult second film 'No Self', Benjamin (Colin Morgan), a rising star filmmaker, has been too long in the edit. Unable to see the wood from the trees, he finds solace alone in his flat with tubs of ice cream and a cat for company.
On the eve of its premiere at the London Film Festival, encouraged by his friend Stephen (Joel Fry) and hard-partying publicist (Jessica Raine), Benjamin is introduced to a mesmeric French singer called Noah. As they journey through their version of the city, filled with vegan restaurants, comedy clubs and avant-garde dance performances, the pair slowly manoeuvre themselves and each other towards love. Boasting original music from James Righton (of the Klaxons), and great performances from its young cast, Simon Amstell's Benjamin is a bittersweet comedy about feeling isolated and struggling for connection.
In cinemas 15 March
Gabriel rents a room in Juan’s House. They work together in a Woodwork place. Gabriel is a very quiet guy and has a little daughter. Juan is a party boy who has a lots of girls around. Inadvertently the sexual tensión starts to grow between them. It opens a new hidden forbidden world they have to deal with.
Childhood best friends, Franky and Ballas, are now handsome high school royalty, living the perfect teenage life - until an unexpected event changes everything.
Starring Josh Wiggins, Kyle MacLachlan and Maria Bello.
The 34th Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is pleased to present the official competitive selection of the 8th edition of Premio Maguey, which recognizes the best of LGBTQ cinema in the world.
A renowned international jury will select the awards for Best Performance, Honorable Mention and Best Film, from 16 films representing 21 countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Estonia, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom and United States.
|
Title |
Director |
Year |
Country |
|
Até que o porno nos separe / Until Porn Do Us Part |
Jorge Pelicano |
2018 |
Portugal |
|
Carmen & Lola |
Arantxa Echevarria |
2018 |
Spain |
|
Der Boden unter den Füssen / The Ground Beneath My Feet |
Marie Kreutzer |
2019 |
Austria |
|
Giant Little Ones |
Keith Behrman |
2018 |
Canada |
|
Greta |
Armando Praça |
2019 |
Brazil |
|
Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku / Memories of My Body |
Garin Nugroho |
2018 |
Indonesia |
|
Lemebel |
Joanna Reposi Garibaldi |
2019 |
Chile/Colombia |
|
Mamma + Mamma / Mom + Mom |
Karole Di Tommaso |
2018 |
Italy |
|
Man Made |
T Cooper |
2018 |
United States |
|
One Taxi Ride/ Un viaje en taxi |
Mak CK |
2019 |
Mexico/Singapore |
|
Papi Chulo |
John Butler |
2018 |
Ireland |
|
Posledice / Consequences |
Darko Stante |
2018 |
Slovenia/Austria |
|
Tchelovek kotorij udivil vseh / The Man Who Surprised Everyone |
Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov |
2018 |
Russia/Estonia/France |
|
Tell It To The Bees |
Annabel Jankel |
2018 |
United Kingdom |
|
Temblores / Tremors |
Jayro Bustamante |
2019 |
Guatemala/France/Luxembourg |
|
Un rubio / The Blonde One |
Marco Berger |
2019 |
Argentina |
Songwriters: Saara Aalto, David Sneddon, Tom Fuller
Music Video Director: Adam Pitts / Pittstop Films
Video Commissioner: Kalvin Ryder
Styling: Team No Fear, white dress designed by Anne-Mari Pahkala
Hair & Make Up: Elin Reynis & Fai Archer
If you need to talk to somebody after watching this video please visit http://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk or call Mermaids Helpline 0808 801 0400
2019 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS:
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Chinonye Chukwu, for Clemency (Director & Screenwriter: Chinonye Chukwu, Producers: Bronwyn Cornelius, Julian Cautherley, Peter Wong, Timur Bekbosunov) — Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill. Cast: Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff, Wendell Pierce, Richard Gunn, Danielle Brooks.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, for One Child Nation / China, U.S.A. (Directors: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Producers: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Julie Goldman, Christoph Jörg, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn) — After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China’s one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Joanna Hogg, for The Souvenir / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Joanna Hogg, Producers: Luke Schiller, Joanna Hogg) — A shy film student begins finding her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man. She defies her protective mother and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship which comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams. Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, for Honeyland / Macedonia (Directors: Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska, Producer: Atanas Georgiev) — When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland's basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Joe Talbot, for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Director: Joe Talbot, Screenwriters: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert, Producers: Khaliah Neal, Joe Talbot, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to: Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, for American Factory (Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Jeff Reichert, Julie Parker Benello) — In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Lucía Garibaldi, for The Sharks / Uruguay, Argentina, Spain (Director & Screenwriter: Lucía Garibaldi, Producers: Pancho Magnou Arnábal, Isabel García) — While a rumor about the presence of sharks in a small beach town distracts residents, 15-year-old Rosina begins to feel an instinct to shorten the distance between her body and Joselo's. Cast: Romina Bentancur, Federico Morosini, Fabián Arenillas, Valeria Lois, Antonella Aquistapache.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Mads Brügger, for Cold Case Hammarskjöld / Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium (Director: Mads Brügger, Producers: Peter Engel, Andreas Rocksén, Bjarte M. Tveit) — Danish director Mads Brügger and Swedish private investigator Göran Bjorkdahl are trying to solve the mysterious death of Dag Hammarskjold. As their investigation closes in, they discover a crime far worse than killing the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Pippa Bianco, for Share (Director and screenwriter: Pippa Bianco, Producers: Carly Hugo, Tyler Byrne, Matt Parker) — After discovering a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember, sixteen-year-old Mandy must try to figure out what happened and how to navigate the escalating fallout. Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, J.C. MacKenzie, Nick Galitzine, Lovie Simone.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Vision and Craft was presented to: Alma Har'el for her film Honey Boy (Director: Alma Har'el, Screenwriter: Shia LaBeouf, Producers: Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Anita Gou, Christopher Leggett, Alma Har'el) — A child TV star and his ex-rodeo clown father face their stormy past through time and cinema. Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Collaboration was presented to: Director Joe Talbot for his film The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Director: Joe Talbot, Screenwriters: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert, Producers: Khaliah Neal, Joe Talbot, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. Cast: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Danny Glover.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting was presented to: Rhianne Barreto, for Share (Director & Screenwriter: Pippa Bianco, Producers: Carly Hugo, Tyler Byrne, Matt Parker) — After discovering a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember, sixteen-year-old Mandy must try to figure out what happened and how to navigate the escalating fallout. Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, J.C. MacKenzie, Nick Galitzine, Lovie Simone.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency was presented to: Jacqueline Olive, for the film Always in Season (Director: Jacqueline Olive, Producers: Jacqueline Olive, Jessica Devaney) — When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins as the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Emerging Filmmaker was presented to: Liza Mandelup, for the film Jawline (Director: Liza Mandelup, Producers: Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Hannah Reyer) — The film follows 16-year-old Austyn Tester, a rising star in the live-broadcast ecosystem who built his following on wide-eyed optimism and teen girl lust, as he tries to escape a dead-end life in rural Tennessee.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Todd Douglas Miller, for the film Apollo 11 (Director: Todd Douglas Miller, Producers: Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Petersen, Evan Krauss) — A purely archival reconstruction of humanity’s first trip to another world, featuring never-before-seen 70mm footage and never-before-heard audio from the mission.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented to: Luke Lorentzen, for the film Midnight Family (Director: Luke Lorentzen, Producers: Kellen Quinn, Daniela Alatorre, Elena Fortes, Luke Lorentzen) — In Mexico City’s wealthiest neighborhoods, the Ochoa family runs a private ambulance, competing with other for-profit EMTs for patients in need of urgent help. As they try to make a living in this cutthroat industry, they struggle to keep their financial needs from compromising the people in their care.
The NEXT Innovator Prize was presented to: Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, for The Infiltrators (Directors: Alex Rivera, Cristina Ibarra, Screenwriters: Alex Rivera, Aldo Velasco, Producers: Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera, Darren Dean) — A rag-tag group of undocumented youth – Dreamers – deliberately get detained by Border Patrol in order to infiltrate a shadowy, for-profit detention center. Cast: Maynor Alvarado, Manuel Uriza, Chelsea Rendon, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Vik Sahay.
2019 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AUDIENCE AWARDS:
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented to: Brittany Runs a Marathon (Director & Screenwriter: Paul Downs Colaizzo, Producers: Matthew Plouffe, Tobey Maguire, Margot Hand) — A woman living in New York takes control of her life – one city block at a time. Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock, Alice Lee.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented to: Knock Down the House (Director: Rachel Lears, Producers: Sarah Olson, Robin Blotnick, Rachel Lears) — A young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada and a registered nurse in Missouri build a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. One of their races will become the most shocking political upset in recent American history. Cast: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Queen of Hearts / Denmark (Director: May el-Toukhy, Screenwriters: Maren Louise Käehne, May el-Toukhy, Producers: Caroline Blanco, René Ezra) — A woman jeopardizes both her career and her family when she seduces her teenage stepson and is forced to make an irreversible decision with fatal consequences. Cast: Trine Dyrholm, Gustav Lindh, Magnus Krepper.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Sea of Shadows / Austria (Director: Richard Ladkani, Producers: Walter Koehler, Wolfgang Knoepfler) —The vaquita, the world’s smallest whale, is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican cartels and Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, Mexican navy and undercover investigators are fighting back against this illegal multimillion-dollar business.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented to: The Infiltrators (Directors: Alex Rivera, Cristina Ibarra, Screenwriters: Alex Rivera, Aldo Velasco, Producers: Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera, Darren Dean) — A rag-tag group of undocumented youth – Dreamers – deliberately get detained by Border Patrol in order to infiltrate a shadowy, for-profit detention center. Cast: Maynor Alvarado, Manuel Uriza, Chelsea Rendon, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Vik Sahay.
by Armando Praça
Brazil 2019, 97'
Stirred up by the loss of his friend and a new relationship, an elderly gay man finally starts to embrace who he is.
Pedro, a 70-year-old gay nurse is taking care of Daniela, his ailing transgender friend. In order to find her a vacant hospital bed, he decides to help an arrested and wounded criminal to escape. While he is hiding Jean from the police, they find themselves in a power struggle that turns into affection. Their relationship does not only help Pedro to overcome his solitude, but also leads him to accept his true self.
In the psychodrama, a film director looks back on the choices he’s made in life as his past catches up with him to upend the present.
Antonio Banderas leads a cast that includes Asier Etxeandía, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, César Vicente, and Asier Flores, with a special appearance by Penélope Cruz.
In cinemas: March 22
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
A Star Is Born
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
Crazy Rich Asians
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Glenn Close, The Wife
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
The Americans
Better Call Saul
The Handmaid’s Tale
Ozark
This Is Us
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Julia Garner, Ozark
Laura Linney, Ozark
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Robin Wright, House of Cards
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid’s Tale
John Krasinski, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Emma Stone, Maniac
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
Anthony Hopkins, King Lear
Bill Pullman, The Sinner
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, Vice
Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place
Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
Atlanta
Barry
GLOW
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Alison Brie, GLOW
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Henry Winkler, Barry
OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
Glow
Marvel’s Daredevil
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
The Walking Dead
Westworld
OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Avengers: Infinity War
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
1969. Ted (Zac Efron) is crazy-handsome, smart, charismatic, affectionate. And cautious single mother Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins) ultimately cannot resist his charms. For her, Ted is a match made in heaven, and she soon falls head over heels in love with the dashing young man. A picture of domestic bliss, the happy couple seems to have it all figured out … until, out of nowhere, their perfect life is shattered. Ted is arrested and charged with a series of increasingly grisly murders. Concern soon turns to paranoia—and, as evidence piles up, Liz is forced to consider that the man with whom she shares her life could actually be a psychopath.
This is the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Collins shines as Liz, while Zac Efron gives a performance that could redefine his career. Renowned filmmaker Joe Berlinger, best known for his true-crime documentaries, proves to be the perfect match to bring this Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile true story to the screen.
Director: Joe Berlinger
Stars: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich
Maiden is the story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook in charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World in 1989. Tracy’s inspirational dream was opposed on all sides: her male competitors thought an all-women crew would never make it, the chauvinistic yachting press took bets on her failure, and potential sponsors rejected her, fearing they would die at sea and generate bad publicity.
But Tracy refused to give up: she remortgaged her home and bought a secondhand boat, putting everything on the line to ensure the team made it to the start line. Although blessed with tremendous self-belief Tracy was also beset by crippling doubts and was only able to make it through with the support of her remarkable crew. With their help she went on to shock the sport world and prove that women are very much the equal of men.
In a statement to Variety, the organization said it had dropped Bohemian Rhapsody from the Best Picture category.
‘In light of the latest allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the difficult decision to remove ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Film – Wide Release category this year.
‘This week’s story in The Atlantic documenting unspeakable harms endured by young men and teenage boys brought to light a reality that cannot be ignored or even tacitly rewarded.
‘Singer’s response to The Atlantic story wrongfully used ‘homophobia’ to deflect from sexual assault allegations and GLAAD urges the media and the industry at large to not gloss over the fact that survivors of sexual assault should be put first.’
Whatever happened to INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT or GUILTY?!?
You [GLAAD] cannot make these decisions!
We're not big fans of this self-serving, incredibly ineffective, totally redundant organisation...but adding 'Judge' and 'Jury' to their list of activities is certainly a step too far...they may be considered a force to be reckoned with [as lobbyists] but they should not be deluded into thinking that they can take the law into their own hands. No organisation is above the law.
From its admirable and necessary beginnings, it has evolved into this monster of self-importance. Vito Russo must be reeling and spinning!
Their annual LGBT-inclusive audit of Hollywood movies [the Studio Responsibility Index] is a nonsense in itself...
The 'GLAAD Media Awards' is more ridiculous than the Oscars [and that's saying something]...in 2017, they [GLAAD] only nominated two films for Best Picture [wide-release]: Moonlight & Star Trek! Guess which one won?
Bohemian Rhapsody should be honoured out of respect for Freddie Mercury and not denigrated because of ALLEGATIONS against one of its directors. Bohemian Rhapsody has become the biggest grossing 'GAY' film of all-time...earning in excess of [a staggering] $200,000,000 at the Box Office...and, in the process, earning itself a few Golden Globes and Oscar nominations. The public has spoken...alas, not good enough for GLAAD, grossly lacking and arrogantly divisive.
Sarah Kate Ellis and the rest of the board...it's time to step down. You are [all] out-of-touch, politically insane, malignantly mercenary...and, dangerously judgmental.
John F. Donovan (Kit Harington), heartthrob star of film and TV, died alone and unexpectedly following a series of scandals. One fan in particular, 11-year-old Rupert Turner (Room's Jacob Tremblay), has some singular insight into John's soul. For five years John and Rupert were secret pen pals. Fast-forward to the present. Rupert (Ben Schnetzer), now a successful actor in his own right, has written a memoir about his correspondence with John. In an interview with reporter Audrey Newhouse (Thandie Newton), Rupert will reveal all he knows about John's troubled life, what compromises John made for fame — and how John's tenderness and generosity inspired that little boy who was desperate to connect with the man he idolized (via TIFF). The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is directed by Quebecois filmmaker Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan, of the films I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats, Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm, Mommy, and It's Only the End of the World previously. The screenplay is written by Xavier Dolan, with Jacob Tierney. This premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall. The film opens in France starting this March.
When homicide detective Mike Hoolihan (Patricia Clarkson) is called to investigate the murder of a leading astrophysicist in New Orleans, she is confronted by a mystery that begins to affect her in ways she had never expected.
As the investigation deepens, a darker world is slowly revealed and she must use all of her skills and experience to piece together fragments of a wider conspiracy that lies behind the murder.
Out of Blue is both written and directed by BAFTA nominated English filmmaker Carol Morley, director of the feature films Edge and The Falling previously, as well as two documentaries The Alcohol Years and Dreams of a Life. Adapted by Morley, the screenplay is based on the novel of the same name written by Martin Amis.
Official description (via Sundance): "Benedetta wants to disappear. An iconic fashion model in the 1960s, she became a muse to Warhol, Dali, Penn and Avedon. As a radical feminist in the 1970s, she fought for the rights and emancipation of women. But at the age of 75, she becomes fed up with all the roles that life has imposed upon her and decides to leave everything and everybody behind, to disappear to a place as far as possible from the world she knows. Hiding behind the camera, her son Beniamino witnesses her journey. Having filmed her since he was a child in spite of all her resistance, he now wants to make a film about her, to keep her close for as long as possible – or, at least, as long as his camera keeps running.The making of the film turns into a battle between mother and son, a stubborn fight to capture the ultimate image of Benedetta – the image of her liberation." The Disappearance of My Mother, also known as Storia di B. - La scomparsa di mia madre, is directed by Italian filmmaker Beniamino Barrese, making his first feature doc film after numerous short films. This doc is premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival this month. A NANOF and RYOT Films production. The film is still seeking distribution for a US release.
In this modern epic, Kim Nguyen exposes the ruthless edge of our increasingly digital world. Cousins from New York, Vincent (Eisenberg) and Anton (Skarsgård) are players in the high-stakes game of High Frequency Trading, where winning is measured in milliseconds. Their dream? To build a fiber-optic cable straight between Kansas and New Jersey, making them millions. But nothing is straightforward for this flawed pair. Anton is the brains, Vincent is the hustler, and together they push each other and everyone around them to breaking point on their quixotic adventure. Constantly breathing down their necks is their old boss Eva Torres (Hayek) a powerful, intoxicating and manipulative trader who will stop at nothing to come between them and beat them at their own game. No matter what the cost, Vincent and Anton are determined to cut through America, only to find redemption at the end of their line, not through money, but through family and reconnecting to the land.
Director: Kim Nguyen
Sixteen-year-old Vivien is trapped in The Vestalis Academy, a prison-like boarding school, keeping to herself and sticking her neck out for no one. Until she is reunited with Sophia -- the former friend who betrayed her. Together the girls embark on a dangerous search to uncover the horrifying truth behind their imprisonment. Soon running for their lives, the girls must save themselves or die trying.
US Release Date: March 1, 2019
Starring: Katie Douglas, Celina Martin, Sara Canning
Directed By: Danishka Esterhazy
In the midst of a pro basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players. His career is on the line, but Ray is playing for higher stakes. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever. The outcome raises questions of who owns the game – and who ought to.
“Now Apocalypse” is a half-hour comedy series created and executive produced by Gregg Araki (Kaboom, Mysterious Skin). Steven Soderbergh (“The Girlfriend Experience,” Logan Lucky) and Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL, “Red Oaks”) also serve as executive producers. This surreal, coming-of-age comedy series centers on Ulysses (Avan Jogia, “Tut,” “Twisted”) and his friends Carly (Kelli Berglund, “Lab Rats,” Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors), Ford (Beau Mirchoff, “Awkward,” “The Fosters”) and Severine (Roxane Mesquida, Kaboom, “Gossip Girl”), who are on various quests pursuing love, sex and fame.
“Now Apocalypse” explores identity, sexuality and artistry while navigating the strange and oftentimes bewildering city of Los Angeles. Between sexual and romantic dating app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding premonitory dreams make him wonder if some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy is going on, or if he is just smoking too much weed. Araki co-wrote and directed all 10 half-hour episodes of the sexy, vibrant and fast-moving series that has a flipside of mythic, dreamlike creepiness. Karley Sciortino — author, Vogue.com sex columnist, and creator and host of “Slutever” on Viceland — co-wrote the series with Araki and serves as a consulting producer.
Now Apocalypse premieres Sunday, March 10 on STARZ.
DIRECTOR: Claire Denis
CAST: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Andre Benjamin, and Mia Goth
Takes place beyond the solar system in a future that seems like the present. About a group of criminals who accept a mission in space to become the subjects of a human reproduction experiment. They find themselves in the most unimaginable situation after a storm of cosmic rays hit the ship.
"Mr. Leather" - Daniel Nolasco TRAILER from theopenreel on Vimeo.
In 2018 the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition happens. The title is being disputed by Dom PC, Kake, Deh Leather, Maoriguy. The winner receives the ribbon by the hands of Dom Barbudo, the first Mr. Leather in the country, and has as task to promote the culture of leather during the next year. The contest is stirring the spirits of the gay fetish community of São Paulo.
All art is dangerous. Watch #VelvetBuzzsaw on #Netflix 1 February, 2019.
Velvet Buzzsaw is a thriller set in the contemporary art world scene of Los Angeles where big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Zawe Ashton, Tom Sturridge, Natalia Dyer, Daveed Diggs, Billy Magnussen, and John Malkovich star in the new mind-bending film written and directed by Dan Gilroy.
