2019, Top Lists

Best Films of 2019

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With large-scale lockdowns and “shelter-in-place” orders in effect, there has never been a better time to check out the best of last year’s films (now available for streaming). Note that only the number one film is ranked.

1. Parasite

For once, the Academy got it right. Not only is Parasite this year’s Best Picture winner, it actually deserves the award. Bong Joon-ho crafted an intricate thriller that works on so many levels. He deftly balances the film’s tone as it moves from comedic heist movie to thriller while imbuing it with unclear morality. The class divide between the rich and poor families is always present, but neither side becomes a hero or a villain and, in its closing moments, the film leaves the audience with complex, uncomfortable thoughts on the outcomes of its characters and their culpability in creating their own fates.

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Pain and Glory

Director Pedro Almodóvar is no stranger to semi-autobiographical films, but Pain and Glory represents one of his most intimate works. Antonio Banderas stars as an aging director reminiscing on his life and loves. Banderas is stunning in a quiet, complex performance as he reconnects with an old partner and thinks back to his upbringing in a small Spanish village. The film is nostalgic, romantic, and vulnerable in a way few films this year have been. Despite its specificity, Almodóvar relates this personal tale to universal feelings of anxiety over the decisions we have made and the lives we have chosen.

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One Cut of the Dead

Zombie movies, as a genre, are far past their expiration date, but One Cut of the Dead uses genre tropes for a comedy ultimately about resource-strapped filmmaking. The movie-within-a-movie setup works on its own, but is revisited with additional hilarious context as the story of a low-rate director making a zombie movie gone wrong is flipped on its head with the physical humor of a great screwball comedy and the anxious anticipation of a sports movie all wrapped up into one surprising treat.

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino has made his warmest, most mature movie yet. Reveling in his deep love of classic TV and cinema, but refraining from the worst of his fanboy tendencies, he has made lovable characters caught in a time of change. The story is unique in his catalog in that it has almost no action. It’s essentially a hangout film where we follow the daily lives of two Hollywood insiders as they appear to be at the end of their careers. Tarantino gets us invested in these soon-to-be has-beens using his signature dialogue and the unbeatable ensemble cast led by Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio to hold the audience until the film’s cathartic finale.

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Little Women

It may have been adapted several times before, but Greta Gerwig’s Little Women stands on its own . She uses a unique structure to not only adapt the classic novel, but to also pay tribute to its author’s life. Each of the March sisters is rendered in full detail with their own distinct personalities and desires and Gerwig creates the natural chemistry of siblings that love each other even as they squabble. Each is presented with compassion and their goals are equally respected as Gerwig provides a warm refresh to this beloved story.

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The Art of Self-Defense

Part bone-dry satire and part commentary on masculine ideals, The Art of Self-Defense has an offbeat tone that will confuse some. Jesse Eisenberg turns in his best role in years as a timid accountant who grows under the direction of a Sensei karate teacher with warped ideas. The film goes to some disturbing places as it explores the extremes of gender standards but also points out their farcical nature with the Sensei’s borderline moronic teachings. It’s a strange package, but one that is supported by a tightly-constructed script and satisfying plotting.

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Booksmart

The shorthand of ”Superbad, but with girls” is both accurate and misleading. The premise is similar as two best friends decide to cap off their high school experience by attending a raging party the night before graduation, but debut director Olivia Wilde adds extra dimension to the characters. The kids that party also have good grades and were accepted into top schools and seemingly shallow roles have unexpected depth to them. The film is also filled with hilarious diversions en route to the final destination, but its success stems from the genuine affection between two lifelong friends.

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Honeyland

A documentary following a solitary bee-keeper in a remote part of Northern Macedonia is not exactly an easy sell, but directors Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov have mined a plethora of topics from this obscure premise. The film uses the life of Hatidže, its humble lead, to tackle a wide variety of topics ranging from natural resource usage to the brutal effect of capitalism to life regrets. Her modest existence carries unexpected emotional resonance in this empathetic study.

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In the Aisles

In the Aisles is another movie that would be difficult to pitch to financiers. The story follows a man who gets a job stocking shelves at a warehouse store on the night shift. Franz Rogowski plays the lead in this gentle tale. He is a man looking for stability in his life. Both he and the film find the comfort and beauty in what many would consider mundane. The expansive store and the community of workers within it lead to comradery and potential romance. Director Thomas Stuber approaches the story with tender respect for the humble lives and their modest desires. It’s a sensitive, affecting film that, in its romantic moments, is almost like a German In the Mood for Love.

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Ad Astra

Ad Astra is sci-fi film that focuses on inner emotions. Brad Pitt plays an astronaut heralded for his ability to stay calm under pressure that is asked to take a secret voyage to find the source of dangerous solar flares affecting life on Earth. Director James Gray creates an uniquely mundane vision of space travel. In his world, interplanetary flight has become routine, like the coach class ticket of future. Space stations on the moon are closer to subway stations than anything else and this approach grounds the film, allowing it to focus on its lead’s thoughts rather than the technology at hand. The reliance on voiceover and slower pacing may be off-putting to some, but Gray has used the outer space setting to explore the inner self and the conflict caused by the ideals of heroism, while still sprinkling in a few exhilarating set pieces.

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The Nightingale

This film is not an easy watch due to the objectionable content on display. It is a revenge story of a female convict in Tasmania that enlists an aboriginal man to help her track down the men who acted against her. The film takes an unflinching look at injustices faced by its characters, forcing the viewer to not only sympathize, but to even experience the atrocities from their perspectives.

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The Farewell

The Farewell  is a stranger-than-fiction, but apparently not uncommon, story of a family that refuses to tell their grandmother that she is dying of cancer. Director Lulu Wang uses her personal experiences to base this story in difficult emotions. The film touches on the differences between Eastern and Western mentalities, the obligations we have to our loved ones, and is surprisingly funny with a subdued, but sarcastic performance from Awkwafina.

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2020, Top Lists

Most Anticipated Films of 2020

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With 2019 coming to a close, here are my most anticipated films of the upcoming year. Note that titles from last year’s list that were delayed to 2020 have been excluded here (like I’m Thinking of Ending Things which would otherwise be near the top).

12. Underwater (1/10/2020)

William Eubank is one of the most promising young sci-fi directors working today. He brings big ideas and grounded emotions with incredible special effects and visual flair. His two films to date (The Signal and Love) were not complete successes but they showed a filmmaker with potential to do something special if given the right canvas. Underwater is his first studio film and while the January release date and multiple delays are worrying, I’m still hopeful for a thriller with a unique vision.

11. Another Round (TBD 2020)

Rejoining many of his team from The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg has another impressive project in the works. Starring Mads Mikkelson and co-written by Tobias Lindholm, the film follows a group of high school teachers that experiment with being intoxicated throughout the day after learning of a theory that claims it is beneficial. The precarious plot and the combination of Vinterberg, Mikkelson, and Lindholm mean we can expect plenty of taut drama.

10. Color Out of Space (1/24/2020)

The producers of Mandy have re-teamed with Nicolas Cage for an adaptation of a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The premise is strange, but that’s to be expected given the pedigree. Festival reviews have been positive and it looks like another great opportunity to see the great actor at his craziest and at his Cage-iest. The film is also the return of director Richard Stanley (The Island of Dr. Moreau) and is a welcome entry in the growing number of fun B-movies made with A-grade talent.

9. Next Goal Wins (TBD 2020)

Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is directing a live-action remake of the acclaimed documentary about the football team of American Samoa going from being a terrible team to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. The sports underdog story should allow Waititi plenty of situations to craft his signature brand of goofy humor and the casting of Michael Fassbender (Shame) in the lead role is an interesting twist. Fassbender is an incredibly talented actor, but he hasn’t starred in a comedy before. His inclusion is an exciting wildcard in what I hope will be a sports comedy to rival the likes of Shaolin Soccer.

8. Tenet (7/17/2020)

Using in theaters only trailers and previews, the hype machine for Tenet has already begun and with good reason. Christopher Nolan is one of few filmmakers that is as critically acclaimed as he is commercially successful granting him the chance to make original ideas with budgets usually reserved for established franchises. Nolan has called Tenet his most ambitious film yet and it appears to involve time travel elements that will create Nolan’s favorite puzzle-like structure for the narrative and will likely have film fans discussing what happened and in what order for months after release.

7. Mank (TBD 2020)

David Fincher (The Social Network) hasn’t directed a film in half a decade so his next feature is long overdue. Based on a screenplay by Fincher’s late father, the film follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he writes the script for Citizen Kane. Fincher has shown his mastery of period details in Zodiac and Mindhunter and with Gary Oldman in the lead role, this will be much more than the typical biopic about a Hollywood insider.

6. The Lodge (2/7/2020)

The only film on this list I have already seen, The Lodge is a psychological thriller from Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy). Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) plays a future stepmom with a traumatic past left alone at a remote cabin with her two future stepchildren. What follows is a tense and troubling series of inexplicable events that cast doubt over all the characters. Franz and Fiala are unrelenting in their commitment to unnerving horror and the end product is satisfyingly ruthless.

5. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (TBD 2020)

Aardman Animations (Chicken Run) is still the best stop-motion animation studio working today. They are masters of slapstick humor and use expressive puppets and fluid movements to bring their stories to life. The original Shaun the Sheep Movie was an absolute delight that showed how much humor can be mined from characters that don’t even speak. Farmageddon released in the UK recently and the feedback has been just as positive as for the original.

4. Dune (12/18/2020)

His last film (Blade Runner 2049) may have flopped at the box office, but Denis Villeneuve demonstrated that he was more than capable of bringing a complex science-fiction world to life. Villeneuve is being given something the previous adaptations have not had, at least not concurrently. He has a blockbuster movie budget and his film will only cover the first half of the book, reducing the risk that the film will suffer from a condensed plot. A sequel based on the remaining half of the novel as well as a television series spinoff, also directed by Villeneuve, have already been announced placing significant confidence in this new adaptation of a beloved novel.

3. Annette (TBD 2020)

Leos Carax is definitely an oddball. His last film (Holy Motors) featured everything from motion capture suits to chimpanzees to talking cars, but somehow worked. He has the manic energy and absurd plots to make films that seem like the work of a mad genius. His newest film is his English-language debut and sadly the first to not include the great Denis Lavant as the lead, but it does have Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard to compensate. The story is supposedly a musical about a girl with a special gift. There is no telling what any of this could mean, but the unpredictability is the most exciting aspect of any Carax project.

2. Memoria (TBD 2020)

Another English-language debut, Memoria is the newest film from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives). Starring Tilda Swinton and set in a mountain village in Columbia, the beauty of the area will provide ample opportunity for his contemplative style and his focus on nature.

1. About Endlessness (TBD 2020)

After finishing his trilogy “about being a human being”, Roy Andersson (You, the Living) returned to the Venice Film Festival this year with About Endlessness. Like his previous work, the film uses the same stark artifice for ironic humor, but initial reviews have noted a more emotional tone. Andersson is one of the most distinct filmmakers alive and it is entirely fitting that he release a 70 minute film titled About Endlessness. I can’t wait.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Little Women (2019): Sisterhood and Adulthood

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The seventh adaptation of the beloved book, Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), is the story of the four daughters of the March household, Jo (Saoirse Ronan; Brooklyn), Meg (Emma Watson; Harry Potter), Amy (Florence Pugh; Lady Macbeth), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen; Sharp Objects). Set during the civil war, each of the girls has their own ambitions, lives, and loves as they learn to become adults together.

Gerwig is able to create the warmth and care of a loving family. The young women are close in age and know each other incredibly well. The argue, tease, and tussle, but the depth of their genuine affection is clear. Even when they are petty, it’s impossible to overlook how much they love each other. They have all the inside jokes and goofy banter of people who have spent their lives together. Their closeness is also shown in their physicality. They walk arm-in-arm and seem to always be on top of each other. When they gather to hear a letter from their father, they sit closely together, locked in a familiar mutual embrace. The ease and comfort they feel around each other is palpable and it makes their bonds of sisterhood immediately believable.

The affection shown between the March sisters is incredibly endearing.

The film repeatedly points out the gender inequality of the time. The girls, Jo in particular, all seem limited by the opportunities available and the expectations of social norms. They want to be independent, but there are precious few ways for women to support themselves. Furthermore, the idea of an independent women is itself controversial. While Gerwig is direct with this message, it isn’t excessive or detrimental to the narrative. The limitations are encountered naturally and, sadly, often feel more relevant to the modern world than we would like. Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) appears as the unmarried elderly aunt that attempts to conform their behaviors to society. Her acting feels artificial, as usual, but she serves to demonstrate how different the leads are from most women of their time. All the March girls are strong female characters, but Gerwig deserves special praise for allowing each to be strong in their own way. Too often media will prescribe a single notion of what a Strong Female CharacterTM­ means to the exclusion of many. The girls here have different desires from fame to companionship to motherhood and each is presented with equal care and respect.

In her second outing as director, Gerwig has once again proven herself a formidable talent. She deftly controls the large cast of characters, often in scenes featuring dozens of performers, and does so while still giving each lead their own personality and enough opportunity to develop. She is a sensitive and empathetic director with affection towards all her characters. They are all imperfect, but flaws are not judged, only accepted as part of being human. Even when characters act impulsively or selfishly, they are still eminently lovable. Gerwig has created a warm, empathetic adaption of a classic story with themes and messages that still resonate today.

4/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

The Two Popes (2019): Lively Conversation

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At his summer residence in the Palace of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins; The Silence of the Lambs), previously known Joseph Ratzinger before his papacy, and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce; Brazil) discuss the future of the Catholic church and, most importantly, each other.

For a movie that is mostly old men talking, The Two Popes can be remarkably engaging. The initial meeting of Ratzinger and Bergoglio is an extended repartee where neither appears to be on the same wavelength. Bergoglio is trying to get the Pope’s signature to allow his retirement, but Ratzinger seems intent on changing the topic. Instead he grills Bergoglio on his positions and past actions, pressing on his reasoning and how it compares to the Catholic church’s official stances. These are the film’s strongest sections because the writing allows each person to be seen as a flawed individual, rather than being limited to their position.

The more they interact, the more the actors are able to add to their personalities. Both Hopkins and Pryce are seasoned professionals and while neither is able to fully hide that they are English rather than German or Argentinian, they easily bring out the unique traits of the two men. Pryce makes Bergoglio an impassioned but humble humanitarian who cares more about helping others than upholding dogma. Hopkins shows Ratzinger to be ambitious, but practical. While he wants to keep his position, he is more interested in the continuation and growth of the church and is willing to make personal sacrifices for its sake. Both are more than their titles indicate and the script gives them each personality quirks like favorite hobbies or television shows that add some levity to their characterizations. The roles are rich opportunities for the leads to make the holy leaders human and relatable.

Seeing the men interact like regular people is the most entertaining aspect of the film.

Director Fernando Meirelles (City of God) opts to shoot The Two Popes in a documentary style. As the men converse, Meirelles uses handheld cameras that follow the leads as if trailing a live event. There are zooms, wide shots around corners, and scenes where the camera appears to be behind a bush following the conversation. The visuals are similar to the fly-on-the-wall style in Armando Iannucci’s work (Veep), but without the farce. This creative choice prevents the film from feeling like prestige Oscar-bait and instead makes it a more humble and honest affair.

While the film does portray its subjects positively, it doesn’t make them saints. They are shown having doubts and regrets about themselves and their past actions. They even address major issues like the church’s knowledge and concealment of sexual abuse and the responsibility they have to the victims and their other followers. Several of these scenes involve flashbacks with other actors playing younger versions of the leads but these are the least compelling sections, despite providing additional background on how the men became who they are today. They also occupy a significant portion of the film’s runtime and carry nowhere near the heart and humor of the simple discussions. The significant use of flashbacks undermine the chemistry of the two fantastic leads, but The Two Popes is still a lively, welcome surprise.

3/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Marriage Story (2019): The Messiness of Divorce

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Inspired in part by his own divorce, Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) writes and directs the story of an artist couple at the end of their marriage. Charlie (Adam Driver; Paterson) is a play director and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson; Jojo Rabbit) is an actress in New York. They have a young son together, but, due to differences in long-term goals, have decided to divorce. There was no inciting incident, just a gradual diverging that has led to their current situation with no visible hostilities from either party.

While Baumbach gives both parents plenty of attention, he isn’t completely even-handed. It may be due to personal biases or due to Charlie being partly based on Baumbach himself, but the film places more blame on Nicole. Neither lead is a villain here as both husband and wife make mistakes, but Nicole escalates the situation by hiring a vicious divorce attorney named Nora (Laura Dern; Blue Velvet). They had initially agreed to using a mediator to keep lawyers out of the picture, but when Nicole violates that agreement it makes her initially appear like the aggressor. Charlie is served with divorce papers and, without representation of his own, is put in a vulnerable position as Nora threatens to take everything.

Nora is an utterly reprehensible character.

If nothing else, the film will make every viewer hate divorce attorneys. Charlie’s initial lawyer is an older man that gives him circular contradictory advice and seems partially defeated before even starting. When Charlie switches to a high-end option (Ray Liotta; Goodfellas), he is stuck with an effective but overly aggressive lawyer that curses with every breath about how Charlie is damaging his own position. As bad as Liotta’s character is, he is at least upfront with his hostility. Nora is an absolute abomination. Dern, who is normally immensely likable in all her roles, plays Nora as a slimy, two-faced villain that will politely screw you over while brandishing a fake smile. In both cases the lawyers end up costing tens of thousands of dollars to the detriment of the family. One character notes that they’re taking from their son’s college money to pay for legal fees.

After the lawyers become involved, Marriage Story is able to effectively show the emotional strain caused by the divorce. Charlie and Nicole’s divorce is initially completely amicable. They know they need to separate, but there is no bad blood until attorneys start making demands. Both threaten to claim spousal support, something neither originally wanted, and slander each other using inconsequential facts to portray the other as an irresponsible parent. This creates resentment between Charlie and Nicole and results in hurtful screaming matches where long buried thoughts surface as devastating insults. Every part of their arguing feels raw and unfiltered, like pent up frustration rather than dramatic dialogue. The legal maneuvering and the following emotional harm warps their priorities and causes them to fight for minor wins instead of creating the best situation for their family. By showing how Charlie and Nicole’s relationship is upended by the legal process, Baumbach succeeds in making Marriage Story a sensitive and realistic examination of the messiness of divorce.

4/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Dark Waters (2019): Corporate Cruelty

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A newly promoted partner at a law firm for chemical companies, Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo; The Kids Are All Right), is asked by a friend of his grandmother to look into the cows that have died on his farm. Robert, a lawyer that defends chemical companies, has no interest until he visits the site and sees that over a hundred of the livestock have died. The farmer blames the local DuPont plant and as Robert starts to probe further he finds a growing pile of evidence that the company is knowingly dumping a hazardous chemical into the area, risking the health of the town and its people.

Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) is a strange choice for a director of this material, but he delivers strong results. He is known for anything from biopics featuring Barbie dolls or several actors (of both genders) playing the same character to throwbacks to 50s melodramas. A legal drama is yet another unexpected entry in a filmography that seems to only consist of surprises. As always he gets strong performances from his cast and is able to capture the trust and dependence a small town has on its main employer. DuPont provides jobs to many of the city’s residents and is a central part of their community with buildings and parks named after them. Even when the allegations arise against the company, the people are reluctant to doubt the hand that feeds them.

The numerous loopholes and roadblocks DuPont uses to defend their illicit actions are horrendous and demoralizing.

In many ways, Dark Waters is a more deliberate Erin Brockovich. Like in that film, Robert is fighting against a company for polluting drinking water, but Haynes take a more subtle approach. He focuses on the data gathering, as Robert combs through an entire room full of documents, and the convoluted steps it takes to hold a major corporation accountable. The case spans 20 years and Haynes does an excellent job depicting how draining the constant hurdles and setbacks can be. Ruffalo shows Robert to be increasingly frustrated and almost desperate. He sacrifices other clients, takes pay cuts, ignores his family, and develops health issues due to the stress of case. There is a period of waiting in the trial that is the only point where the drawn out engagement affects the pacing of the film, but even this slowdown appears reflective of the true events.

The film’s main theme is trust. In a frustrated retort, Robert explains that the people in control, governments and corporations, don’t protect people, the people have to protect themselves. The lawyers point out that when the environmental protection agency was first established, it relied on companies to self-report chemicals as hazardous, something they have little incentive to do. They joke about “self-regulation” because they know that companies will prioritize profits over people and even when DuPont is forced to appear in trial, they are able to work with local officials to place regulations that are favorable to them, even though they put people at risk. At its core, Haynes has created an in-depth warning about the dangers of minimal oversight and how corporate cruelty and greed will choose commerce over community if left unchecked.

4/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

The Report (2019): As Diligent and Thorough As Its Protagonist

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The Report is a procedural about the writing of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture led by Daniel Jones (Adam Driver; Paterson), a member of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (Annette Bening; The Kids Are All Right) staff. Directed and written by Scott Z. Burns, the writer of Contagion, the film uses a similarly methodical pace and approach to the material. Like Steven Soderbergh, who is also a producer on this film, Burns invests time in the minutiae of bureaucracy and is able to depict the gargantuan effort required to review millions of documents, create a 6,700 page report, and get it released without exhausting the audience’s patience.

Driver is perfect for the role of Jones. He has a cool demeanor and the commitment of a focused, tireless worker. He comments on how he used to be in a relationship, but the writing of the report didn’t allow enough time to maintain it. In his interactions with the CIA and senate staff, Driver emphasizes Jones’s persistence and later his emotional investment. As he faces more scrutiny, Driver’s responses become faster and more forceful and make it obvious the opposition’s arguments are fallacious. His immediate retorts show the depth of his knowledge and the passion he has for publishing the truth.

Driver shows Jones’s extreme attention to detail and commitment.

The depiction of torture is likely to cause some controversy. Burns does not sugarcoat any of the grisly aspects of how prisoners were treated. The chief antagonists are the self-proclaimed interrogation experts that developed the enhanced interrogation techniques (EIT). These two come from military backgrounds but are revealed to have never participated in any type of interrogation. They act as contractors, instructing others to undress, beat, sleep deprive, and waterboard their detainees until they talk. Alongside them are several CIA staff that support their methods. The prevailing notion is to extract info and prevent future attacks “by any means necessary”. Burns shows how the fear created by 9/11 and the desire for some sense of justice morph into cruelty and how unchecked support of the CIA led to unspeakable acts, made easier by the fact that the detainees were foreigners.

The film places significant blame on those that cover up their mistakes. The CIA is shown going to great lengths to sell enhanced interrogation to the public. They have agents do interviews claiming that EIT directly led to the killing of Bin Laden, using their major success to justify their wrongdoings despite the fact that internal reviews showed that the techniques did not produce any unique information. As sick as the torture is, the degree to which an organization will protect its reputation above any moral responsibilty is perhaps the most loathsome aspect of the story.

Burns’s ultimate goal is not just an indictment of torture, but a reaffirmation of what are United States government is supposed to represent. Committing torture is a terrible mistake, but hiding its use from the public is an act of deception. Using rousing speeches from Benning and real life clips from Senator John McCain, Burns reinforces the importance of accountability, admitting to mistakes, and improving over time. He as created a detailed film about a difficult part of American history that is as diligent and through as its protagonist.

4/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019): Well-meaning, but Unnecessary

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A hotshot journalist equally praised and reviled for his writing, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys; The Americans), is forced to do a fluff piece on a hero. Against his wishes, he is assigned to interview and profile Mr. Rogers (Tom Hanks; Forrest Gump), but soon realizes that Fred Rogers is no ordinary interview subject.

The most important question the film has to address is “Why does this need to exist?”. Last year Won’t You Be My Neighbor? released to incredible reviews and became the highest gross documentary biopic in the US. That film covered Rogers’s beliefs, motivations, methods, and featured many interviews with him and his closest collaborators. It was a profound look at the man and the ideas he lived by and communicated that didn’t ask for a continuation or rehash. The first instinct would be to label this new film as a quick cash-in on the affection towards Rogers shown by the documentary’s success. In some ways, this may be true, but director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster have taken an alternative route.

This is not a biopic of Mr. Rogers. It is about Lloyd’s deeply held hatred of his father, the effects it has had on his life, and how his viewpoints are changed by Mr. Rogers’s beliefs. Rhys plays Lloyd as an unfavorable stereotype of a reporter, overworked, somewhat sensationalist, and always bitter. He overacts occasionally with his crooked expressions, but Rhys does well in showing Lloyd to be a man frustrated and angry with life itself.

This is the main expression that Hanks inexplicably uses throughout the film.

Hanks, as Rogers, is an adequate but imperfect fit. There is no denying that Hanks simply does not look anything like Mr. Rogers. To compensate, Hanks uses the same strange expression throughout the film. He is permanently squinting, despite the fact the Rogers doesn’t appear that way in interviews or on his show. It can be distracting but Hanks does his best. He speaks with a more folksy delivery, like an elderly person talking to their grandchildren, than Rogers did which can make him appear almost out of touch than rather than deliberate in his method of communication. Yet, his values are clear and his obliviousness to Lloyd’s reporting needs show how his presence could change someone, even someone as hardened as Lloyd. Hanks doesn’t have the needed physicality but he works as a vehicle for Rogers’s message.

The film is most subversive in how it compares Lloyd to Rogers. Heller doesn’t just contrast their personalities, she emphasizes how similar they may actually be. Rogers gives Lloyd advice on coping with his emotional problems, but through his actions it becomes apparent that Rogers himself is likely dealing with his own issues as he seems to be following the same advice. This a striking assertion and prevents Rogers from becoming a saint-like figure. That his kindness is an achievable goal is the film’s true, and most important, message. It still feels unnecessary given the existence of the documentary, but A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood offers a different perspective on the philosophy and impact of Mr. Rogers.

3/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

American Factory (2019): A Glimpse into the Future of Blue-collar Jobs in America

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For decades American businesses have been investing in China to manufacture goods at a significantly reduced cost compared to their domestic counterparts, cutting thousands of American jobs but improving profit margins. American Factory explores the inverse scenario. With China’s growing economy and surplus capital available, a Chinese company named Fuyao decides to open up a US-based manufacturing site in Dayton, Ohio, taking over a closed GM plant. The impact of new jobs on the hurting local economy is exciting for everyone involved, but the blessing has its own complications. Filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert filmed the entire process of opening the plant under Fuyao’s banner and the following results. They had previously documented this same area in The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, so the team was deeply familiar with the subject.

As expected, there is a major culture shock. The large number of Chinese staff brought to help manage the plant and train the new employees don’t all speak English and many have never been to the US before. They have a completely different standard for employee performance and a different way of communicating. Watching the cultural training sessions is an insightful look at how another culture perceives Americans and the causes of their general behaviors. Similarly, the American staff, many of whom came from union backgrounds, have their own expectations for how they will work and be treated. There are moments of prejudice on both sides, but the companionships that form are touching. The Chinese team is away from home, without increased pay, in a foreign land and some of the American workers offer to introduce them to local pastimes. The cases of mutual appreciation and shared knowledge between the Chinese and American staff present a bright view of a global workforce and are the film’s warmest moments.

The bonds that overcome cultural differences are a joy to watch.

But the film doesn’t shy away from difficult truths about American manufacturing. While thousands of new jobs in the plant is an unquestionably wonderful boon to the city, the new jobs are not the same as their predecessors. One employee notes that she used to make $29 an hour at GM but now makes only $13 an hour. As a mother, she can no longer afford to buy immediate needs for her kids and has to budget extremely carefully to scrape by. Another worker laments that after losing her job at GM she has fallen out of middle class. The new jobs don’t offer the same pay or benefits and it leaves her trapped in a lower financial stratum.

As the management team continues to push for profitability, it also becomes clear that human workers in the US are not the future. Management notes that workers in China are able to produce more for less, so automation, using robotic arms to manipulate the product, is planned to replace many of the new jobs. It may sound callous, but a manager speaking to the chairman points to a section and states that the Americans are too slow so his goal is to replace workers with machines to improve profits.

Bognar and Reichert deserve enormous credit for the unjudgmental view they present. Cold capitalism, political rhetoric, and individual livelihoods are all treated with equal care. Their goal is show the realities, positive and negative, of foreign investment in US manufacturing and they do so with keen observations and empathy for all involved.

4/5 stars.

2019, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Earthquake Bird (2019): Subdued Thriller

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Based on a best-selling novel, Earthquake Bird is the story of a translator living in Japan and the series of relationships she forms. Lucy Fly (Alicia Vikander; The Light Between Oceans) is a Swedish woman who translates English films that begins a romance with Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi; Tatara Samurai) after he takes a photo of her walking by. Their relationship progresses naturally, but is changed when Lucy is asked to help an American that has recently moved to Tokyo, Lily (Riley Keough; Mad Max: Fury Road). Lily begins to tag along on their outings leading to jealousy and potentially worse when Lily goes missing.

Foreign films set in Japan often focus on its eccentricities, but director Wash Westmoreland (Colette) is interested in the escape it provides. Lucy and Lily talk about how, as foreigners, they receive extra attention that can be addicting in comparison with their home countries. With Lucy we see that she views Japan as a sanctuary. A place where no one knows her and, since the film is set in the 80s, a place where she can remain cutoff if she wants to. Lily approaches Japan from a similar angle. She wants a fresh start in a place with different customs, different rules, and hopefully a different life. This view of life as a migrant is a unique portrayal of Japan and sheds light on Lucy and Lily’s personalities.

The love triangle never reaches its potential.

Vikander is excellent as the reserved Lucy Fly. Lucy is a victim of trauma and has faced personal tragedy that she blames herself for and has led a restricted life. She left her homeland to distance herself from her past, but also uses the enormity of Tokyo to distance herself from others. She is emotionally closed-off and reluctant to form new bonds which Vikander conveys through subtle hesitation and controlled expressions. She rarely emotes and it serves to show afraid she is to reveal herself, even if it is just a simple smile. This makes her strange courtship with Teiji, which begins with an awkward ramen meal, uncommon because she rarely expresses herself in the time they spend together. Instead, we see longing form in her eyes and witness her insecurities grow as she develops feelings for him. Lucy is not a typical protagonist, but Vikander’s nuanced performance makes her a compelling one.

Despite the strength of the lead actress, the film struggles to create its mystery. Westmoreland uses the same cold exterior that Lucy displays for the tone of the film to limited success. The plot progression is slow and there is a noticeable emptiness to the film. Even the busy streets of Tokyo often seem sparsely populated and it gives the impression that the direction is missing some much needed energy. Lily, as the more outgoing American, initially appears like she will be this spark, but even her role is muted. Keough gives a much more carefree performance that contrasts well with Vikander but she is still fairly subdued. Even in the film’s climactic moments, it does not break its placid exterior. The lack of energy behind Earthquake Bird’s central mystery makes it a mostly subdued thriller and weakens the impact of the intriguing love-triangle and Vikander’s refined performance.

3/5 stars.