Tag: Friendship

“Eileen” (2023) starring Thomasin McKenzie & Anne Hathaway

EmmaLeave a comment

The stagnant waters of Eileen’s dull, stifled life as a solitary worker at a juvenile detention center in 1960s Boston, are unexpectedly disrupted when the institution brings in a new psychologist, the vibrant Rebecca. The fervent enthusiasm that blossoms between the two women almost immediately gives way to a closer relationship, until their fragile connection takes a dramatic turn. -Synopsis

You have to hand it to Anne Hathaway- she’s trying new things! Now, these roles aren’t all going to fit her right. As Rebecca, she wears a platinum wig (like a femme fatale from the days of noir). However, the real dangerous lady here is played by Thomasin McKenzie, a young/20ish Aussie actress w/ a LOT of talent. So far, I’ve seen McKenzie in Jojo Rabbit, The Power of the Dog, and Old. Eileen has a difficult home life, dead-end job, and “girl next door” looks (which helps the audience empathize w/ her plight). Elieen lives w/ her alcoholic/retired cop father, played by prolific character actor Shea Wigham.

The director, William Oldroyd, is a Brit who we can thank for “discovering” the FAB Florence Pugh (who was the lead in his debut/indie Lady Macbeth). This movie is inspired (in part) by Todd Fields’ critically-acclaimed drama Carol (which starred Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara). The 1st hour is intriguing, BUT that sense of anticipation is let down in the last half hour; the story is undercooked. I kept thinking that something was missing. What was the point here? FYI: There is a plot twist (involving another character) which could be difficult for sensitive viewers. Overall, I was disappointed, as I had high hopes for this movie!

“Leave the World Behind” (2023) starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, & Ethan Hawke

EmmaLeave a comment

There’s No Going Back to Normal. -Tagline for the movie

Amanda (Julia Roberts) and Clay (Ethan Hawke) Sandford leave the hustle of NYC (Brooklyn) for a quiet/ Long Island vacay w/ their 2 teen kids: 17 y.o. Archie (Charlie Evans- a 19 y.o. Aussie actor/musician) and 13 y.o. Rose (Farrah Mackenzie- now 19 y.o.) Their trip is interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged man, G.H Scott (Mahershala Ali), and his 20-ish daughter, Ruth (Myaha’la), who own this luxury rental house. The Scotts (dressed to the nines for the Bronx Symphony) decided to leave the city when a blackout occurred. When the internet, TV, and radio stop working, as well as the landline, there is no way of finding out what is exactly happening! Loud sonic booms shatter the peace, animals start to migrate to weird places, and the physical/mental health of both families begins to disintegrate. As the renters are white and the owners are Black, issues of race clash and become distractions to the more disturbing events happening around them.

Amanda: Well, when I couldn’t fall back asleep this morning, I came over here. To watch the sunrise. And I saw all these people starting their day with such tenacity. Such verve. All in an effort to… make something of themselves. Make something of our world. I felt so lucky to be a part of that. But then, I remembered… what the world is actually like. And I came to a more accurate realization. I f*****g hate people.

My parents really valued assimilation. They were leaving a political system that had failed, and there was no desire on the part of either of my parents to look back with any rose-colored perspective. We were there to be American. They were extremely clear about that. I was raised like any other white kid in any other nice house in any other fancy American suburb. -Rumaan Alam (author of the source novel Leave the World Behind) in Vulture: September 15, 2020.

With Amanda, we get to dissect white entitlement, and I thought, What a fascinating challenge for America’s sweetheart [Julia Roberts] to examine that privilege. -Sam Esmail (director/screenwriter) in Vulture: September 15, 2020.

Yup, you heard right- former prez Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are producers on this movie! Netflix won a bidding war for the rights to the novel by Rumaan Alam (a queer/Bangladeshi-American writer) in July 2020. Alam and his husband (photographer David Land) are raising two Black sons in Brooklyn; he has written re: adoptive fatherhood in NYT. Sam Esmail (best known for Mr. Robot) was attached to write/direct the movie; he is Egyptian-American. This is the 3rd collab btwn. Esmail and Roberts after Gaslit (2022) and S1 of Homecoming (2018). Leave the World Behind had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on October 25, 2023. It was released (select theaters) on November 22nd, then hit Netflix on December 8th.

G. H. Scott: A conspiracy theory about a shadowy group of people running the world is far too lazy of an explanation… especially when the truth is much scarier.

Amanda: What is the truth?

G. H. Scott: No one is in control. No one is pulling the strings.

The central Q posed here: What has modern life made of us? We are focused on tech and ourselves, so perhaps are losing what makes us human. There is plenty of meta commentary in this movie; for EX: Roberts’ character’s daughter, Rose, is obsessed w/ Friends (1994). The girl becomes V anxious when unable to stream the series finale. Many viewers (esp. near by age) will recall that Roberts was a guest star in one ep of the hit comedy series; she also dated Matthew Perry. Rose doesn’t get much empathy from Archie, who is the typical down-beat/self-concerned boy. Some viewers commented on his resemblance to a young Adam Driver: tall, pale, slim, w/ long-ish dark hair. I had somewhat high hopes for this movie, as the cast is good and the premise is intriguing. Several viewers noted that Hawke is playing a version of himself, which I felt also. This movie is TOO long (2 hrs. 18 mins) and lacks pacing (momentum); there are a few scenes w/ good tension.

[1] I think the movie was timely. COVID accelerated our isolation with everyone living in their own realities of happiness. I recommend watching this movie and thinking about how our world is rapidly changing. How many of us would be perfectly happy living in our bunkers of our own making with our own devices watching our own shows not needing to pay attention to the outside world? The movie takes it to the extreme with bombs dropping right outside, but I thought the point was powerful.

[2] It’s supposed to be a deep, political exploration of what would happen to the average citizen if America were to be destabilized. And the answer is: they’d sit around and wander around and generally mope around. That’s very boring. Nothing about this movie hits. Nothing about this movie hits any of the right notes. I want my time back!

[3] And if 2023 has shown us anything, it’s revealed to more and more people that maybe we’re just cogs turning in a vast machine that we can’t possibly understand. There are forces shaping the world that are bigger than our individual capacities, and maybe too complex for us to collectively confront. We lack a common cause. Because we often can’t even agree on what the problem is. And where we can and do see problems we only see the surface problems. We band-aid things, and we swat flies. But we’re not building the solutions that we need to build a better future.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Two Films of Emma Seligman: “Shiva Baby” (2020) & “Bottoms” (2023)

EmmaLeave a comment

Shiva Baby (2020)

Debbie: I thought you were done experimenting.
Danielle: You think everyone that’s bi is experimenting. You don’t know anything. You have zero gaydar.
Debbie: Excuse me, kid! I lived through New York in the 80s! My gaydar is strong as a bull!

What are the “kids” doing these days, do y’all sometimes wonder? Well, some of them are subverting audience expectations and creating fresh/genre-defying work. This movie (which I saw on Max earlier in the pandemic) was adapted from writer/director Emma Seligman’s short film, Shiva Baby (2018), also starring her former NYU classmate/close friend Rachel Sennott (who was raised Catholic). “Shiva” is Hebrew and means “seven;” the film’s run time is 77 mins. Except for some producers, all essential crew here are women. Unfortunately for Sennott, she had a supporting role in the (hot mess) Max series The Idol. Then she swung back w/ the teen comedy Bottoms (streaming on Amazon Prime).

Danielle (Sennott) is a petite/curly-haired 23 y.o. student who also works as a “sugar baby”; this is unknown to her friends/family. In the 1st scene, she’s getting dressed in the (modern/spacious) NYC apt. of a cute/30-something man. Danielle needs to get her payment from this man (her client), BUT he grabs her for a hug and starts asking about her life. She is in a BIT of a rush, as she has a social obligation in her neighborhood (on Long Island)- a shiva for a deceased/older woman. In a podcast interview, Seligman (a bisexual/Jewish woman) commented that several classmates/friends had worked IRL as sugar babies in college; she tried it briefly herself.

Max: [to Danielle] You’re studying business?
Joel: [laughs] No, not business.
Debbie: No, no, she’s studying gender.
Danielle: The business of gender. It’s like gender business.
Joel: She does this fantastic program where you kind of design your own major. It’s a little complex when it comes to finding employment, but she’s doing terrifically.

Danielle’s mom, Debbie, is played by Polly Draper (who some mature viewers may recognize from thirtysomething); her dad is played by character actor Fred Melamed. Danielle’s ex-gf, Maya (Molly Gordon), soon arrives at this event; Maya is in law school (so held in high regard by their elders). When Max (Danny Defarrari), Kim (Diana Agron from Glee), and their baby arrive, many gather around them to admire the cute baby. Maya comments on Kim’s looks (blonde/conventionally attractive); she is also known as a successful businesswoman. From across the room, Danielle is shocked- Max is her “sugar daddy” (who we saw in the opener)! The tension (and humor) comes from the social situations which Danielle must navigate; ppl are curious re: her education, future career, and love life. The acting in the movie is quite good, incl. from the bit players.

[1] With its claustrophobic atmosphere, creepy soundtrack and uncomfortably relatable cringe, the picture basically feels like a panic attack on screen. In many ways, it actually tells its tales using tropes of the horror genre. 

[2] We need Emma Seligman to direct a thriller/horror movie…like tomorrow.

[3] She faithfully delivers just the sort of fun ethnic romp which, only a few short years ago, would have been the exclusive territory of a “name” writer or director.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Bottoms (2023)

Principal Meyers: [over intercom] Could the ugly, untalented gays please report to the principal’s office?

Two unpopular/queer HS seniors, RJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri: seen in The Bear on Hulu), start a “fight club” to spend time w/ the “hot girls” they have crushes on before graduation. RJ and Josie have been friends for many yrs, though they have different personalities. Their friend Hazel (Ruby Cruz) is the 3rd wheel; she’s actually excited to learn self-defense/have a “safe space.” Some of you will recognize Kaia Gerber (looks V similar to her former supermodel mom- Cindy Crawford); she plays a cheerleader named Brittany (RJ’s crush). Havana Rose Liu plays Isabel (the most popular cheerleader); she’s Josie’s crush/gf to the star quarterback, Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine). A real NFL player, Marshawn Lynch, plays Mr. G (a history teacher); he does a good job for a non-actor. Lynch wanted to take on this role; he has a queer sister IRL.

Isabel [to Josie]: I really value when people use violence for me, it’s actually one of my love languages.

Do you like (or like making fun of) teen movies? If so, then check out this wacky comedy/satire! You’ll have to keep an open mind here; it’s quite different from Shiva Baby. Edebiri (whose parents are immigrants from Jamaica and Nigeria) is also close friends/former classmates w/ Sennott and Seligman. While attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, they ALL discovered their preference for the comedy genre. They started to create their own work, rather than focusing on “classics” (which was common at Tisch). Edebiri (now 27 y.o.) has gotten many awards these past 2 yrs for The Bear. I’d file this under movies that I can appreciate, though it wasn’t specifically tailored to me. High school is a tough time for most ppl I’ve met; perhaps it’s natural to make fun of it!

[1] Every single person here seems to be having the time of their lives. It reminded me a bit of the energy in Barbie, only this one is — in the best possible sense — a lot more unhinged.

Its influences are many, as I said (one of its more “early 2000s” elements is the Avril Lavigne needle drop, which is up there with the Bonnie Tyler sequence as one of the most glorious and hilarious moments in the movie), but this is a film that does something truly special with its homages and love letters.

[2] It’s over-the-top satire, sure, I get that, and I even get what this movie tries to poke fun at, but I just found myself being unable to enjoy or even connect with this particular style of annoying teenage humour. I don’t know if this is a generational thing or a cultural thing… it could be both. All I know is that it just wasn’t for me.

[3] The film is done in quite a bizarre way. It’s set in the present but everyone dresses like the ’70s and there are no smart phones. Also, there are almost no adults in the film, and the few that there are are absolute monsters. If there’s a school assembly the students are just running it, for example. You get used to it after a while but I can’t remember another film like it in that sense.

The film is at its best when it is just trying to be wacky and funny. There’s a period in the middle where some conflict arises and the film gets bogged down briefly.

[4] This movie is an acquired taste. At first, I thought it was just silly. Then I thought it was extremely silly. Eventually I laughed my butt off. There is no scene that they don’t take over the top. Whether they are mocking teen movies or parodying David Fincher or using Marshawn Lynch to comment on feminism, the entire cast completely goes for it.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Spoiler-Free Review: “Society of the Snow” (2023)

EmmaLeave a comment

In 1972, the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered to fly a rugby team to Chile, catastrophically crashes on a glacier in the heart of the Andes. Only 16 of the 40 passengers survived the crash and finding themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments, they are forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive. -Synopsis

This movie (streaming on Netflix) is Spain’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Oscars; it is in Spanish w/ English subtitles. At the Goya Awards on February 10th, it became in the 3rd most awarded movie in Spain’s history by winning 12 prizes. The director (and one of several co-writers) is from Spain; J.A. Bayona recently worked on eps of The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime) and the movie Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom. Pablo Vierci, the author of the book La Sociedad de la Nieve is a friend of some of the young men in the crash; he also served as a consultant on this movie. Some of you may be familiar w/ Alive (1993) starring Ethan Hawke.

I checked out this movie after noting a LOT of Twitter posts re: its lead- 30 y.o. Uruguayan actor Enzo Vogrincic. He plays Numa Turcatti, a college grad/photography enthusiast who is best pals w/ one of the rugby players. Many viewers have pointed out his physical resemblance to Adam Driver in this film. Others noted that in Vogrincic’s modeling photos (incl. for the Spanish fashion brand Loewe), the similarity isn’t as strong. Yes, the South American actor (who does a fine job) is indeed a fan of Driver’s work. Vogrincic (working on becoming fluent in English) was recently seen at BAFTA; you can follow him on IG (vogrincicenzo).

I have searched within my family tree, I cannot find actors, writers, poets. I think I did it (deciding to be an actor) to go against them, but it is very personal, I am creative in everything I do, it is part of my be, I can’t help it. -Enzo Vogrincic (actor)

The film was mostly shot in the Andes in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic; the cinematography is stunning (the snow is real)! The haircuts, clothing, and accessories are pulled directly from photos of those involved in the crash. Filming was done in chronological order (which is rare) to allow the young actors to lose lbs. (to add to the realism). The story is NOT too bleak (dark); the focus is on the resilience of the human spirit. Much is revealed w/o a LOT of words in some tense/emotional scenes. The run time is a BIT long and I’d have liked more character development.

“The Holdovers” (2023) starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, & Dominic Sessa

Emma3 Comments

SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from The Holdovers (now available for streaming).

Discomfort and Joy. -Tagline for the movie

At Barton Academy in a small town of New England, nobody likes the history teacher, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti). The staff and students find his pomposity and rigidity exasperating. With nowhere to go over Christmas break of 1970, Paul remains to supervise a few boys unable to travel home. After a few days, only one student remains- Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa)- a V smart senior w/ a bad attitude. Joining these men is the school’s head cook, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), a Black woman whose son was recently killed in the Vietnam War. These three lonely people form an unlikely/family-like bond for 2 snowy wks.

Paul Hunham [remembering her son]: He was a great kid. I had him one semester. Very insightful.

Mary Lamb: Mm-hmm. He hated you. He said you were a real asshole.

Paul Hunham: Well, uh, like I said… sharp kid, insightful.

A star is born! And how lucky are we to discover his talent from this early stage? Sessa (then 17 y.o.) was encouraged by his theater teacher at Deerfield Academy (a private HS) to audition for this indie (directed by Alexander Payne). A team was scouting locations at several high schools; the casting agent also met w/ boys for possible roles. Sessa assumed that it wasn’t a big movie; after all, they were considering his school. As Giamatti noted, Sessa has the kind of face out of the ’70s; he is also tall, V slim, w/ naturally curly hair. The respected/veteran character actor (lead in Sideways, directed by Payne) commented that the newbie actor “reminded me of my own son.”

He was a pretty grounded, level-headed person. And I also think his generation is comfortable around cameras, which is a big sort of leg up they have. I felt an affection for him that mimicked the movie in a way. I came to really like him even more, and more, and more, as we went on. -Paul Giamatti (actor) when asked about working w/ his young/newcomer co-star Dominic Sessa

It’s a bit weird in some ways. Maybe it gets easier as you keep coming back. For me, I have no expectations about it. There’s something a little wrong with you if this feels normal! -Dominic Sessa (actor, age 21) when asked re: his opinion of award shows on the EE BAFTA red carpet

Authenticity is the word that 1st comes to mind here (the snow is real); the film looks and sounds like it was made in the ’70s. Issues of class, race, privilege, loneliness/disconnection, and grief are explored, though NOT in a heavy-handed manner. As we’d expect from an actor at Giamatti’s level, the acting is seamless (as he becomes the character). Giamatti said he attended an all-boys school IRL, though didn’t live in the dorms (as his family lived in town). Both he and Randolph (who has won many supporting actress awards this season) are graduates of Yale. Sessa (nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the EE BAFTAs) said that his co-stars were V helpful, as they’d had formal acting education and a LOT of experience.

Randolph (who loves to research her roles) modeled Mary’s look on her aunts and grandmother. She studied the Boston accent historically accurate for a woman of Mary’s generation/background. Mary is the character who grounds the story; she has the lived experience of someone outside the privileged bubble of these (mostly white) students and teachers. We learn that her son joined the military hoping that it’d help pay for college, BUT he didn’t even make it past age 20! One of the holdovers is rude/disrespectful to Mary, BUT Angus and Paul don’t let him get away w/ it. Though she is plagued by grief, she still has to do her job of feeding the school community. Notice that her son is the only one killed in this current war, as otherwise “Barton men don’t go to Vietnam” (Paul and Angus discuss after they leave the local diner).

Paul Hunham: I guess I thought I could make a difference. I mean, I used to think I could prepare them for the world even a little. Provide standards and grounding like Dr. Greene always drilled into us. But, uh, the world doesn’t make sense anymore. I mean, it’s on fire. The rich don’t give a shit. Poor kids are cannon fodder. Integrity is a punch line. Trust is just a name on a bank.

Paul Giamatti is our real-life Brad Pitt. We can’t all be Brad Pitt, and I mean that in the most positive way. Paul is a man of a certain age that men can relate to. That’s why I think Paul is our real-life Brad Pitt- [he’s] a champion of reality. What is real? An everyday man. -Da’Vine Joy Randolph (actress) in Variety magazine

I have to admit that this film made me cry (yup, even more than Past Lives and American Fiction). It’s a unique blend of drama and comedy w/ well-developed characters. The themes in this movie are universal, though we get a slice of life story. At the center of the story is empathy, as Payne and the lead actors all noted. I esp. enjoyed the 2 scenes where Paul and Angus convince others they’re family– father-son (at the hospital) and uncle-nephew (in Boston upon running into a Barton alumnus). The revelation re: Angus’ father was a BIT of a shock; when they meet, Sessa is transformed into a vulnerable boy desperate for approval!