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CategoryFilm Reviews

Posted Film Festivals

Sundance: John and the Hole

John (Charlie Shotwell) has his family trapped in a hole. Why? Because he’s tired of being a kid and craves the freedom adults have. And his family simply gets in the way. So one by one he drugs his dad Brad (Michael C. Hall), his mom Anna (Jennifer Ehle) and his sister Laurie (Taissa Farmiga) and drags them to an abandoned cement foundation on the property. The hole is deep enough to prevent the family members from climbing out and secluded enough that no one will hear their screams for help. John occasionally visits them to leave them food, water and some other items. Otherwise he’s content with having the family mansion, car and bank account all to himself. Just how long will John be able to keep this up before something happens?

DIrected by Pascual Sisto and written by Nicolás Giacobone, John and the Hole is an enthralling thriller that offers plenty of suspense. The biggest disconnect for me was feeling sympathy for the characters. This is clearly a rich white family who enjoys a lot of privilege. I might have felt more connected had the story been about relatable characters. However, maybe that was the intent. Maybe the audience was meant to enjoy seeing these characters tormented.

John and the Hole is a captivating feature debut by director Pascual Sisto and I would recommend it for its slow build and unique concept.

John and the Hole premiered at the virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival as part of their U.S. Dramatic Competition.

Update: John and the Hole releases in theaters and  on digital on August 6th.

Posted Film Festivals

Sundance: Mass

Years after their tragic loss, Jay (Jason Isaacs) and Gail (Martha Plimpton) are ready to confront the parents of their young son’s killer. Richard (Reed Birney) and Linda (Ann Dowd) agree to meet the two in a private room at an Episcopalian church. Everything has been set up so they can have a safe space to confront the situation head on. What Jay and Gail want is to learn more about the villain they have come to paint as true evil in their minds. They’re frustrated when Richard and Linda don’t have ready answers for their probing questions. As their conversation unfolds, we learn more about the circumstances of the tragedy, the history of the troubled boy turned killer and how both couples have handled their very different types of mourning.

Mass is Fran Kranz’ writing and directorial debut. It’s a gripping drama that takes on the difficult job of exploring both sides of this kind of tragedy which unfortunately is now a regular part of American society. The film locks its audience in a confined space so they can fully experience the tension as it builds. The majority of the action happens in the one room. And while the dialogue driven drama works to some extent I wish flashback scenes were incorporated. Mass would make for a great stage play but it underutilized film as a visual medium. With that said, I believe  we’ll see more films like this in the future as quarantine, lockdowns and social distancing will put pressure on filmmakers to tell stories with small casts.

Mass premiered at the virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

UPDATE: Mass hits theaters October 2021.

Posted BIPOC

Sundance: Passing

In her directorial debut, Rebecca Hall adapts Nella Larsen’s novel about race relations in 1920s New York with her film Passing. The film stars Tessa Thompson as Irene, a light-skinned black woman who ventures into the city, passing as white as she runs errands and enjoys tea time at a fancy hotel. At home she lives a comfortable life with her black husband Brian (Andre Holland) and two children. One day she reunites with an old friend Clare (Ruth Negga), who is also passing for white however lives more boldly and is married to a racist white man (Alexander Skarsgård) who has no clue about Clare’s background. Clare is intrigued by Irene’s life in the black community and ventures into the world she left behind. As Clare spends less time passing, she and Irene develop an intense queer connection that threatens to destroy their marriages and possibly their relationship.

Passing is devastatingly beautiful. The film was shot in black-and-white which speaks to the binary set by culture but also makes us think about these constructs are arbitrary. The cinematography is stunning. For those who love the era, there are plenty of visual splendors to take in. The actresses wear gorgeous period appropriate costumes. (I secretly wanted to steal all of Tessa Thompson’s cloche hats).

Thompson and Negga are brilliant as Irene and Clare. Their movements are gentle and methodical; almost like a choreographed dance. Andre Holland delivers a powerful performance as the troubled Brian. The movie is less about passing as it is about the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, queer identity and the segregation of white and black communities. Rebecca Hall, who is mixed race  and has some African-American heritage on her mother’s side, offers viewers a stunning film with plenty of food for thought.

Passing premiered at the virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival as part of their U.S. Dramatic Competition.

Update: Passing will screen in select theaters starting October 27th and will stream on Netflix November 10th.

Posted Female Filmmakers

Sundance: The Blazing World

Loosely inspired by  Margaret Cavendish’s novel, The Blazing World examines the long-term effects of trauma through a psychedelic lens. Margaret (Carlson Young), her mother Alice (Vinessa Shaw) and father Tom (Dermot Mulroney), are haunted by the early death of Margaret’s twin sister Elizabeth. Each deals with the trauma in their own self-destructive way. Margaret is suicidal and enters a dark place in her mind where she is followed by a mysterious man, Lained (Udo Kier), who lures her into an alternate world, a visualization of her trauma, where she must face multiple challenges in order to survive.

The Blazing World is an impressive directorial debut by actress Carlson Young who stars in the film and co-wrote the script with Pierce Brown. It’s a visual masterpiece and even if you are not sure what’s going on in the plot you’ll be dazzled by the intense and colorful imagery. The set design, color schemes and costumes are pure eye candy.  I particularly enjoyed Udo Kier’s performance as the creepy Lained. 

Some have criticized the film because how it approaches female trauma and its many film references. Trauma is unique to each individual and will not fill a mold based off of societal expectations. Also I really loved how this film seemed to be inspired by cinema. According to Young the film is heavily inspired by German Horror. I found references to Fritz Lang’s Destiny which really piqued my interest.

The Blazing World premiered at the virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival as part of their Next series.

Posted Documentaries

Sundance: Bring Your Own Brigade

Wildfires have long ravaged California but 2018 was a particularly bad year. That was when the deadly Camp Fire spread quickly through Paradise, California, causing many residents to flee for their lives. The wildfire engulfed houses, burned vehicles, and killed 85 residents. Those who survived endured the trauma that came with escaping the rapidly encroaching flames. Other fires, including one in Malibu, destroyed homes leaving devastation in their wake. While fingers might point to climate change and gender reveal parties as the root cause, there are many factors involved both natural and man-made. 

British director Lucy Walker offers a harrowing look at the 2018 California wildfires by examining the events of that year and the people affected by the disasters in her new documentary Bring Your Own Brigade. Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect of the documentary was how it uncovers the history of the wildfires and how they’ve progressively gotten worse over time. It’s not quite what you expect. The film  features interviews with residents of Paradise and Malibu, first responders, and various experts. It unfolds in an organic way which at times can feel disjointed. Essentially we’re following  the director as her curiosity about the California wildfires takes her on a journey of discovery.

In comparing this film with the Netflix documentary Fire in Paradise (2019), Bring Your Own Brigade offers much more in the way of context and background information to both enlighten and terrify its audience.

Bring Your Own Brigade premiered at the virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

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