Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal. © 2024 NEON and ARRAY Filmworks.
Directed by Ava DuVernay. VFA Nominee - "Best Adapted Screenplay"
For Your Consideration (FYC) Screener
The Link of American Racism Is Beyond Through A Caste System After Ava DuVernay's documentary film 13th, audiences have been eager to see what powerful story DuVernay will make next. Origin is her next film and she brings momentum and ambitious scale to the project in a thesis-type film. It is a narrative film but with a mix of documentary filmmaking and cinematic narrative structure that only this project has the guts to do. DuVernay takes long risks for this project and the majority paid off with an important message that speaks to our current issues today. Let's explore the history of the caste system in the USA, Germany, and India. Story: Author Isabel Wilkerson writes her seminal book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, while coping with personal tragedy. There is a lot to digest with this film's themes, messages, and ideas that DuVernay wants to get across. Especially for a narrative structure film, it is hard to tackle this type of thesis story since this story is based on the novel written by Isabel Wilkerson. In this case, DuVernay's vision of the story on the big screen works in ambitious ways that make the experience emotional and thought-provoking. As I said earlier, this film is a mixture of documentary and narrative with its subject matter, the material that the screenplay is adapting, and the structure of the film. From what I heard and read about the adaptation of the book, they say it was impossible or very difficult to adapt in a narrative feature film rather than a documentary or even a television series. However, DuVernay wrote the adaptation by mixing narrative and documentary into one film and it works. There are creative avenues within the screenplay and the story that DuVernay is tackling which gives the certain events being portrayed in the film have depth within the protagonist's journey and the thesis she is creating which adds importance to the film's themes. The story goes international by exploring the issues of racism that are connected to a caste system in Germany, India, and ultimately, the United States. The way we get to see her journey through each country is very depth and we get enough time in each country to see their issues and how it all comes back to racism in America. There are a lot of risky story elements. Some of them worked while some did not. Yet, with those great risky story elements, it adds nuance to Isabel Wilkerson's thesis and also adds more drama to her personal life. The one thing that audiences should know is that this film is half research and half narrative. The structure of the narrative was challenging but it was smooth for the most part and it didn't ruin the overall pacing of the film. Isabel's narrative story worked because the thesis was integral to her personal struggles which made her story more emotional and impactful when her literature journey concludes. The history sequences are ambitious and gripping. You can feel the sense of scale with those historical sequences and it can be quite emotional when you see the intense imagery. With Isabel traveling around the world, it is also quite ambitious and authentic to go to the important places that Isabel is researching for her book. When the film switches back to Isabel's personal story, it is smaller scale but there is still some big scope within the performances and the way it was directed and shot. By combining her personal story and her literary journey, it creates a huge ambitious film that has personal heart throughout in a smaller-scale story that is directed in a rich cinematic spectacle. Overall, the execution and direction of Isabel's literary story, the themes that DuVernay is tackling, and the personal story of Isabel are all fantastic and they worked very great for this type of film. For its characters, they are also great with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor leading the cast. Ellis-Taylor's performance was amazing and she adds more emotional layers to her portrayal of Isabel than I anticipated. Her tragedy in the beginning comes to full fruition throughout her story arc and it adds clarity to her character story in which it connects to her thesis. Sometimes, I think that the way the film was shot, it felt like she was in a documentary because of her performance communication with the real-life literature authors and researchers in Germany and India. It makes her performance real and alive. The supporting cast is great and there are huge names that are part of the film. Jon Bernthal has minimal screen time but he adds that charm to the film and his chemistry with Ellis-Taylor's character is very great. I am surprised that Nick Offerman is in the film but he's only there for one scene. Fresh Emmy winner Niecy Nash as Marion, Isabel's cousin also gives a great performance and a heartful one as well. Her scenes were great and it adds to Isabel's personal even more than I anticipated. I really loved the dynamic between Marion and Isabel throughout and it was consistent. There are other big names like Blair Underwood, Connie Nielsen, and Vera Farmiga who had a very small role but have importance in Isabel's literary journey. Her journey with everyone throughout the countries she visited adds ambition to her thesis and DuVernay's vision. For a film that is focused on a book thesis, this was intriguing to see this literature journey through a narrative form but in a huge scope. Yet Altogether, it creates a personal journey for Isabel and for the audience to experience her ups and downs as a writer, wife, and sister. It looks like a mess on paper, but through its execution, DuVernay manages to juggle Isabel's personal and literary journey in eccentric ways that work well with the pacing and material that the film is handling. It is a lot but it works through my eyes. Even with its story execution, the ambitious narrative story worked because of the technical filmmaking elements behind the film.
With a budget of 38 million dollars, this is a great-looking film with some ambitious sequences in the period and modern settings. The cinematography looks crispy and very aesthetic like an early 2000s film with a documentary look to it. Yet, with the handheld technique being used constantly, it adds a bit of realism to the film and it is purposeful. I dig it a lot since I love the handheld cinematography style. The period production design and costumes are solid and you can tell with the behind-the-scenes of the film that there were a lot of hidden production elements to keep the image look real. The score is nice but nothing special. Overall, it is a great technical film with a lot of creativity in its cinematography and production design. If we go back to its story, there are some issues that made some scenes a bit messy with its pacing and the material that the film is juggling with.
The structure of the plot can be a bit scattered but it didn't ruin the overall pacing which could have been way more messier if it did. I see many critics saying that it's messy with the themes and ideas that DuVernay is trying to get across. I can say that it avoids that when it starts to be a bit messy. The flow slows down which gives a breather to the literature journey but there were at some points where the flow of a scene can be quite unexpected and it fails. There is one scene earlier in the film where Isabel experiences a tragedy and the flow of that scene was too quick and while it did happen in real life, it felt too quick. There were even some scenes that were mostly in the first half of the film, that wanted me to feel something and I did, but it felt jaded. Luckily, it started to fix those issues in the second half in which I started crying and that's where the film succeeded. It's not an easy film to watch for anyone who experienced racism, antisemitism, or any racial or even religious discrimination. However, it can be quite controversial with some of its political issues and risks that DuVernay is connecting to its core thesis. Especially in the first ten minutes of the film which raised questions about the idea of the caste system. For me, it doesn't ruin anything as long as it connects to the ideas that the filmmaker is trying to communicate and the execution of those ideas works through its story and characters. Even with those risky elements, alongside the critiques of the pacing, it is still a strong ambitious film that takes guts to pull off and it worked in the end. Quite a journey with this review, including this film. I used the word "ambitious" a lot in this review and I stand by it because it is ambitious for the story is trying to tell and it could have been a smaller film. Yet, DuVernay takes the adaptation to its limits and experiments with its structure, characters, and themes it is tackling. These issues and ideas are still relevant not just in the United States, but in the entire world. It's not an easy film but it will build your curiosity to research more about the Caste system and it did for me. This was such a bold film that I can only see DuVernay take the book material and thesis and explore it through the film medium. Already an underrated film of 2024 and a must-watch for indie filmmakers and literary writers as well.
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Vizeit Score: "A"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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Sandra Hüller. © 2023 A24, Film4, Access, Polish Film Institute, JW Films, and Extreme Emotions. Directed by Jonathan Glazer. VFA Nominee - 6 VFAs Including "Best Motion Picture"
Watched it at 59th The Chicago International Film Festival @ AMC Theaters (CIFF #3)
Everything Seems Normal Until You Look Out of The Picture... The sounds of dread, death, and peace are through the house of a Nazi-oriented family. A manipulative view of peace and quiet is seen through the eyes of this family. Director Jonathan Glazer shows us a different perspective of a Nazi family who are living their lives like any other family, but secretly hear the violence playing in the background. It is a deeply rooted film through its psychological and philosophical presence. A film that may be uncomfortable to watch, but it will immerse you, keep you thinking throughout, and leave you in a complete state of mind when the credits roll. It is a film that represents the horror that we may be living in today, but Glazer lets us soak into this time when war was at its peak and fall during this critical point in human history. Let's go back to 1943 and take a peek at this family living next to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Story: A Nazi commandant tries to build a dream life for his family near the Auschwitz concentration camp. However, with leadership and international changes, he must find ways to keep his family stable while keeping his job and the future of the family. In the first few minutes of the film, it is totally pitch black. However, the film slowly brings up the dreaded and daunting music and sounds that seem unpleasant and unconformable. Yet, it is fitted with the theme and story of the film which showcases the first shot of the film where the family is enjoying a nice summer day like any other family would. Yet, when closely hearing the sounds through the speaker channels in the theater, I hear a small yet distinctive sound of work and possible gunshots in the distance. This is just the beginning of a film that utilizes sound as a character which elevates not only the experience but deeply connects to the family and the environment surrounding them. The sound design and mixing are flawless with the rich and unnerving sounds of the environment and the conversations of each family member. From the silent sounds to the loud chaos within the Auschwitz camp, it stresses and destresses your listening experience from scene to scene. There are moments where sound can be given as a breather moment but once those dreading sounds come back, the film pulls you in like an instant shock. The brilliant sound design of the camp sounds, the nature and home environment, and even each room tone gave a sense of nervousness and sometimes fear. Fear is the message with the sound design and mixing of the film which gives the entire experience a memorable experience but in a unpleasant way. If there was no dialogue and just pure sound, this film still would be a masterpiece due to the sheer amount of haunting dreaded audio from the camp and the calm noises from the home environment. It is like two worlds smashing into one which creates some of the most haunting sounds I have heard in film and by the end, I left shocked. I felt like I was watching this film in a museum with its presentation and this should absolutely be in museums around the world. It is a work of art. I didn't even get to the score of the film yet in this review and it is also very memorable and disturbing. Within the music, it gets distorted through the instrumental score with hushed piano music mixing in the entire score. There isn't a lot of music in the film but when it is present, it hits you silently. It is atmospheric through and through which steps up the cinematic experience. If I were an Academy member, this would easily win best sound at the Oscars without a doubt including a nomination for music as well! Yet, as a critic, I love the amount of detail and expression within the sound design in every second. Before I lose myself in the fantastic sound work, the story and characters drive the film forward which accompanies interesting philosophical themes that are being challenged throughout the film for audiences. Ever since I finished taking that "Philosophical Issues in Film" class during the fall semester, I have been more deeply into philosophy than ever before which leads me to this film filled with philosophical interpretations. Before I dive into the philosophical themes, let's take a look at the story of this film which is based on a book based on the same name. Even though it is based on a true story, many of the story plot points are based on the novel with some dramatic storytelling being added for dramatic effect. There isn't much dialogue within the story but the relationship between the mother and father of the family we follow is apparent and focused. Throughout the film, the film quickly shifts to the father's point of view while it switches back to the mother. There is a balance between those characters which gives a fresh view of their family actions and the life they are living. It gives us empathy for these characters in their lives and while we know that they are a Nazi family, that is mostly landed on the father. The father is pretty much the protagonist or even the antagonist of the film. Yet, Glazer lets us into the family's home and live into the moment of their lives from their morning routine until they go to bed. That is the most crucial part of the film because it deals with this family. If it was just focused on the father, it wouldn't be a strong story, let alone, the whole point of the film. Glazer uses the occasional character development for all characters but there is little for each family member until the Nazis are starting to lose or where there is conflict in the family. For some, it will feel late, but for me, it fits well into the structure of the story and it feels natural within the context of the situation. This is not a typical family drama. It is more experimental within its technical filmmaking and its directing style of Glazer. Yet, with the storytelling narrative being also the focus, Glazer allows his interpretation of the characters to feel real and write them in interesting ways like the way they react to the slow defeat of Nazi Germany and the fall of the Auschwitz camp. Even from their kids, they are raising them to think that they are going to be future Nazi soldiers and have nice families in the Nazi regime. When watching it through, it is very sad to see how these children were raised in this environment which makes it devastating and you feel a bit of sympathy for them, but you quickly remember that they are still part of the Nazis. It can be emotionally complex based on your relationship with the history of WWII and the Nazis, but it also manipulates your feelings about the family alone. There is so much depth within the storytelling of the film but by the third act of the film, the plot takes into a whole new direction that exceeds the first two acts and makes the ending devasting and real. There is so much to praise with this film but the one thing I would like to explore is its philosophical themes about the family, war, and the Holocaust. Even though this film is focused on a Nazi family, you can't ignore the fact that this is one of the many tragic stories of the Holocaust. It is devasting to witness a family living near the Auschwitz concentration camp where you hear gunshots, screaming, mining sounds, and death. It is heartbreaking and it feels like your breath is out for two hours due to the sheer experience throughout the film that you are being sucked into. The way the Holocaust is being viewed here is interesting because you don't see the camp inside. You only hear sounds from outside. However, the film lets you briefly enter the camp but with no actual sight of the camp. Only the father monitoring the camp while you hear the loud gunshots, mining, and crying in close proximity. That is one of the few moments in the film that brought a true horror aspect and it has stuck with me ever since. There are moments in the film where they talk about the killing of the Jews which made me sick to my stomach and I was very uncomfortable witnessing that. Yet, it was necessary and it is not an easy film to watch. Even though there are not any real disturbing scenes, it is still disturbing with the context behind it including the way these characters talked and treated the Jews. The final ten minutes of the film is where the Holocaust takes its importance over the family with a silent memorial of the Jews in which the father doesn't know what his future holds. It is a brilliant yet sad ending that I will not forget.
With its philosophical themes that Glazer is tackling like the problem of evil, ethics, and morality, it makes the psychological part of the characters a bit more complex. Evil is depicted in the film through the family actions with the Jews and the father working near the camp. There aren't a lot of on-screen evil actions but through the tone and atmosphere of the film, you can sense the evil and fear within the walls of the house and the camp walls as well. A sense of horror and dread is blocked off from the outside walls of the camp which questions the true evil within the family. Who is the problem of evil in the family? What is the problem of evil in the family? So many interpretations can be expanded but one thing to note is that evil is being hidden from the family except the father. He's the true evil person in the family and when he realizes that the Nazis are losing, his evil starts to die and he will be forgotten. He also has no morality in the Jews unfortunately except the mother but maybe not the kids. Morality is also being juggled here but their ethics within the family are very centered and we get to see it play out in the family. Some morality is developed between the family and their Jew workers but no morality is developed by the father which makes his character a bit soulless to have empathy. Yet, from a philosophical point of view, that makes his character a bit more sinister. The philosophical elements can be seen through its visual presentation than its character storytelling but it allows more interoperations of evil and morality within the characters and ethics running through the family. Through all of this storytelling, Glazer ultimately uses the technical part of filmmaking to bring this story in a thoughtful yet immersive dark experience of this tragic and haunting story.
The way this film was shot is quite simple. Yet, it is beautiful and the framing is exquisite and intentional. There are no handheld or gimble shots being used. It is purely static and tripod shots in every shot of the film. There are a quite few dolly shots but there are no pure moving shots which helps the film to not break the illusion that the film is intended for. Plus, the way the cameras are being positioned in the house feels like a camera watching them at all times. It gives a Big Brother feel to the experience of the film and with its slow pacing, it feels like it was playing in real time. The editing is brilliant with its sound mixing and editing. There are interesting editing choices that made the experience a bit more real. There is also a sense of rhythm through each scene with its pacing in each pivotal sequence and when it hits nighttime in the film, the editing keeps that rhythm momentum going like a CCTV camera. Even during the scenes with the mother and father, it only cuts up close to the person who is feeling a sense of uncomfortable or taking control of the conversation. The editing is better described when you watch the film. The production design is also fantastic and while the film is just in the house with some great VFX being placed with the wall and the camp, it takes a step further into the house. Even way beyond the house with its underground system and in the final act, it goes beyond the house. There is one aspect that may be overlooked but it is the costume design of the film. With the context of the story, it is scary to think that some of the costumes being worn could have been dead Jews and there is one scene where Sandra Hüller's character is trying out a nice winter coat. However, that winter coat belonged to a Jew, and seeing a Nazi mother wearing that was honestly shocking. The colors on certain characters' costumes including the father give a sense of authority, system, and emotional state. Even if we go back to the cinematography, the colors are mudded yet vivid with some standout colors like white, green, and gray. It feels like a documentary at certain moments but at the same time, it feels like you are actually being there. That feeling of if it is a documentary or a narrative feature. That blur is present throughout because of the fantastic production of the film and it is one of the best technical films of 2023. As I look back on the film, I don't see any major flaws besides that this film could be very slow for some people, despite being a 105-minute film. I didn't feel that at all throughout. However, I feel like I wish there was more family drama but I don't think that was the point of the film. It can be mixed for some people who had family members who experienced the Holocaust or had relations with the war in Germany. I know it can be emotionally complex for folks out there so I have nothing against that. This is not an easy film to watch. It will destroy your mood for the entire day or night. Yet, it is an important film that everyone should watch. Jonathan Glazer takes this important story and unfolds it into a daunting experience that will leave you numb or speechless. It is an important film that interestingly explores the Holocaust through a Nazi family but without seeing the Jews in the camp. It blocks you from seeing the horrors within the camp by keeping the "beauty" of the family right in front of your eyes. It can be manipulative but the film gets its point across with its dark themes about humanity, morality, and history. The ending is what made me say this film is a work of modern art. This should be shown in schools and show both sides of the events of the Holocaust. This film even made me join a course about the history of the Holocaust. Film can really impact you in so many ways and this film successfully did that. Even though I know the Holocaust in general, I still wanted to learn the many stories that aren't being told through the eyes of the Jews and Germans during this crucial event in human history. A true work of cinematic film art.
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Vizeit Score: "A+"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Jeffrey Wright. © 2023/2024 Amazon MGM Studios, Orion Pictures, MRC Film, T-Street Productions, Almost Infinite, 3 Arts Entertainment.
Directed by Cord Jefferson. VFA Nominee - 4 VFAs Including "Best Motion Picture"
For Your Consideration (FYC) Screener
Create The Message By Being The Message Itself People praise a generational piece that not only speaks to them personally but it has a meaningful impact that will be looked upon for generations. Well, Monk has a problem with that. The problem is that those generational pieces are being converted into stereotypes with no meaningful message behind them. It is just absurdity, lazy, and potentially offensive. However, it is not all about that. In Cord Jefferson's directorial debut film, he explores how the media has changed the interpretation of black culture but also criticizes the modern entertainment today that the general public is consuming. It is a mix of comedy and drama that not only gets its point across but opens it up for interpretation. Let's follow Monk's literary adventure of the hypocrisy of Black entertainment. Story: Monk is a frustrated novelist who's fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. One of the few films this year including American Fiction has not only critiqued the media system and made fun of it, but also gives possible answers to fix those issues. Whether it is politics, culture, or race, there is a solution to every problem but you will need to find the root of the problem in order to fix it and critique it to arrive at that solution. Jefferson does that by letting the audience be in the shoes of Monk (Jeffrey Wright) and see how today's media has shifted towards stereotypical issues that we see portrayed in the media instead of smart and thoughtful media literature in film, books, news, music, and more. By making his themes work through the eyes of Monk, Jefferson uses comedy and satire to critique the modern media while using family drama as the possible solution to his point. The mixture of those elements in its screenplay and direction works very well alongside its cast. The satirical comedy of the stereotypes being used was hilarious and smartly written. The dark comedy in certain scenes with drama was placed intentionally to get the point across but the scene still allows that heavy drama to be at the main forefront. For the comedic scenes alone, they were funny and well-executed. There were a lot of memorable scenes from this film and I laughed constantly throughout this film which made me appreciate the comedy being used with the issues that the film is tackling. There are interesting ambitious sequences that take the comedy in a whole new direction and it works for this type of story. Especially for the protagonist who is a book writer. With Jefferson's screenplay, he balances out the drama and comedy by giving depth to his characters while still keeping the story engaging and funny. While the tone may be inconsistent, the screenplay manages to bring new ideas that can elevate the comedy and lay out the drama in a smart way. Monk's situation with his new book and his family issues raises the stakes and it allows Monk to make difficult decisions for his career and his family. Monk has an interesting relationship with his family and friends which creates more problems with Monk. Jefferson allows some breather between the comedy with the family drama that Monk is dealing with while creating his new book. Plus, the screenplay makes Monk's journey a bit more difficult when he finds a new relationship which can halt his book development. The characters from Monk's family and friends are hilarious and they add to the satire and family drama that Jefferson is aiming for. Every person in Monk's personal family adds more stress to his work but it allows Monk's character to find that spark for his main book that he's creating. Yet, the subplot with his family gets more complex by the third act and it changes the behavior of Monk. From the supporting cast of characters, Cliff, played by Sterling K. Brown, gives a hilarious and human performance which gives more depth to the subplot of the family drama. The chemistry between Monk and Cliff is wonderful and there are flaws within their sibling relationship that add weight to the drama and comedy as well. Even though Issa Rae's character Sintara is barely in the film, her character symbolizes modern young artists in a good and bad way which helps Jefferson's social commentary of the film. Yet, her character allows her to criticize Monk's first thought of her work which later reveals to be a completely different book than he expected. The film not only allows Monk to re-evaluate if his new book is worthy or not but also criticizes his own work and looks at the outer bubble. It brings many questions to the table but Monk still needs to finish his initial journey that he started with his new book. After all, he wants to prove that today's audience doesn't want to read complex stories anymore. They just want to read easy books that have stereotypes that prevent real critical thinking. By the end of the film, I started to realize that this film is a bit of a wake-up call to this new "media" we are consuming and how this type of media is being slipped into the air without any second looks. That is where the main social commentary of the film comes into play.
Through the social commentary of American Fiction, it is ultimately a critique of the modern "media" that audiences have been consuming for the past two decades or so. Hollywood is turning to ideas that they think are relatable to the world and the people they are targeting. Plus, the representation they are aiming at is not clicking there yet for audiences. Jefferson clearly criticizes and satirizes the book and film companies for marketing stereotypical "black" books and films. We get to see this through Sintara's book called "We's Lives In Da Ghetto" which from the title, uses stereotypes of black American culture. We get to see this multiple times in how Jefferson thinks that today's media is portraying the Black community with racial stereotypes through books and thinking it is smart and authentic. In reality, it is not in certain degrees. Even by the ultimate climax of the film which has a weird ending that makes his social commentary come all together. From the portrayal of the media, to how not just Black Americans are being portrayed, but also other ethnicities and races are being portrayed now in the media is just a satirization for Jefferson to point out. Even with the satire being a major part, it is also another way to point out the issues in America and how Americans are thinking differently about politics and the media today. Jefferson wants to point out that there are not many complex, academic, or smart books and films out there that criticize or bring light to important subjects. By explaining this issue, he uses his film by not just satirizing it and making it easier to understand, but add complexity and depth to the satirization itself. There is so much to explain about the social commentary and satire of this film but to wrap this section off, Jefferson's satire of the publishing industry is, unfortunately, a reality where executives think audiences want this or that. But the creators really want their audiences to delve into authentic stories and start real conversations about the many ongoing issues in people's personal lives, in America, or the world.
On the technical side of the film, it is a well-produced film based on the cast, locations, and filmmaking behind it. The cinematography is solid, the production design is good, and the music is surprisingly relaxing for the most part. Nothing too crazy in terms of production scale until the final ten minutes of the film which was the most shocking part of the film. Plus, those ten minutes sell on the satire that Jefferson was commentating on throughout this story. Even with its brilliant satire and smart script, the film falls short on certain subplots within the family drama and the pacing of the film itself. While I love the family drama that helps bring depth to Monk's character, the structure and pacing of that subplot were a bit messy. There were certain beats that didn't quite work in the right moments and with the editing of the film, it makes the subplot a bit harder to grasp emotionally. A certain writing decision that happened in the first thirty minutes of the film did not work for me and it should have been waited right in the second act. It felt melodramatic sometimes within certain scenes of the family drama and there were more subplots in the film where it barely had any development or it was too quick. The editing could have been tighter while still having those slow and thoughtful moments that Jefferson is communicating. There were not any weird editing decisions but the pacing overall felt off in certain bits which ruined the overall flow of the film. Finally, the ending can be a bit divisive for some audiences but it worked for me in what Jefferson was communicating with its satire. Yet, by the end of the film, I was still profound about the complexity of the story and depth of Jefferson's film with its characters and drama that Monk faced throughout his literary journey. Cord Jefferson made a film that not only speaks to today's media representation and how publishers are aiming for the wrong message, but also gives us a deeper look into the author's journey and the blockade of issues that many authors are facing within each media field from books to films. Even beyond its satire, it is a personal journey on how we face our many issues while we create art for others. It is a smart and bold screenplay with fantastic performances including Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown. Honestly, one of the smartest films of this year and it should be analyzed more in what it is critiquing while looking for the answers that Jefferson is providing us through his film. It is a fantastic directorial debut from Cord Jefferson.
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Vizeit Score: "A-"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri. © 2023 MGM, Orion Pictures, and Brownstone Productions.
Directed by Emma Seligman.
For Your Consideration (FYC) Screener
Creating a Fight Club Can Help You Get To Your Crush. Fight Club but for lesbians? Well, that is a twist for sure and it does its job well. Director Emma Seligman is back with her sophomore feature Bottoms, after directing and collaborating with Rachel Sennott on her debut film Shiva Baby. A film that not only has laughs, blood, and fighting, but a film that has heart and a sense of awkwardness and love that aren't present in recent high school films. It is a film that caters to Gen Z audiences but it hits the right moments, story elements, and even some nostalgia factor that works in total as a high school film. Yet, it also embraces queer cinema with many risks that pulled off in the end. Let's take a look at the Rockbridge Falls High School yearbook and read about this so-called, "fight club", that everyone is talking about. Wait, I can't talk about Fight Club. Story: Unpopular best friends PJ and Josie start a high school fight club to meet girls and lose their virginity. They soon find themselves in over their heads when the most popular students start beating each other up in the name of self-defense. I had no expectations going into this film and I was surprised with the amount of edgy humor and heart from this film. It is totally bonkers with the comedy and direction Seligman was aiming for. Some of the more recent high school movies don't hit that well-rounded comedy edge or even the aggressiveness that this generation usually finds funny. In my personal experience, the comedy that I grew up on was mostly dark humor throughout high school and there was a lot of mature humor instead of safe humor. Seligman figures it out right from the first scene and keeps the jokes fresh and hilarious throughout while still giving it a meaningful context that makes the joke impactful. Even with some of the unintentional humor, it still naturally works. The amount of references from Fight Club and other high school films like Mean Girls really worked within each scene context and punch-line. From the queer humor to the absurdity of high school drama, the film makes fun of our high school experience and the typical tropes and clichés we see in real-life high school and high school films as well. Even with the bombastic comedy, the story and characters are the strongest core elements that make the comedy funny and even natural.
It is a breeze of a film but the story is engaging throughout with a lot of interesting aspects that keep the story flowing while keeping the energy as high as possible. The friendship between PJ and Josie was strong and their conflicts of the club made their friendship feel like a sinking ship in a good way. Josie being the introverted yet the real leader of the club made me appreciate her character. There were points where I cared more about her rather than PJ. However, I still cared about PJ's journey on her crush but there was more of a focus with Josie in this story. Yet, there is a balance between these characters and everyone has a happy ending by the third act. I was surprised that Rachel Sennott's character PJ, was more of a douchebag and their troubling friendship started to crack in the second act. I thought that relationship was necessary and it worked well with their personal goals they had. Even though PJ was a jerk in the film, her character arc redemption was good and Sennott's performance was hilarious. Of the supporting characters, Hazel (Ruby Cruz) was the most hilarious character from the club group. Her personality is through the roof and she makes the comedy funnier but her dramatic scenes are effective to her character flaws. The smartly written screenplay makes these characters feel real with personal and story stakes that keep the energy of the story still high. Some unexpected moments made the comedy even more funnier and it doesn't waste its time with the awkwardness of certain situations. It is fast and it allows the story to focus on the troubling goals and friendship of PJ and Josie. Even if the story is short, it doesn't waste its time and gets right into the comedy tone and conflicts that create this high energy that Seligman is aiming for and it worked very well. With this film being a much bigger budget compared to her last film, there are a lot of interesting technical elements that she pulled off well.
With this film carrying an 11.3 million dollar budget, it looks more higher with some of its bigger sequences, especially the final act. The cinematography is solid with a lot of well-shot sequences and the coloring is vibrant with its story tone. The production design of the high school and its home game design is nostalgic and the music choices are not that bad. There is some VFX in the film and it looks very clean which I am surprised. Overall, it is a solid well-made film with the budget being used to the max. With all the positives I encountered, I also encountered the flaws that I noticed throughout. There are certain characters that needed to be more developed and some could have been more interesting. Brittany (Kaia Gerber) was the typical popular high school girl that some people didn't like. Her character didn't work for me in the end but I liked her performance. Some of the other characters were okay but PJ's goal to hook up with Brittany wasn't as strong as Josie's journey. It felt like Josie was more of the main character which made PJ's journey a bit underwhelming but it picked up more during the final act. As for the comedy, some jokes didn't land or were a bit cringe. Luckily, it wasn't a lot. Some of the plot elements didn't click for certain scenes like the football team scenes. Those scenes were not good and I didn't care for them by the end. Even with those critiques, Seligman's direction of this story was fresh and fun from beginning to end. From the humor to the typical high school romance, Bottoms takes its spin on the high school sub-genre and makes it hilarious and fun. The comedy hits well, the characters are well-written, and the absurdity of the high school environment is well thought out. It's a simple high school comedy film but Seligman's direction of the story makes this film more engaging and fun. Definitely a surprise film and I can't wait to see what Seligman would do next.
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Vizeit Score: "A-"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
© 2024 Chicago Indie Critics.
Special Blog Announcement
Yesterday on January 7th, the Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) announced their official nominations for this year's Windie Awards! As a member of CIC, we completed our ballots for this year's awards and the nominations are out in the wild! Films from Anatomy of a Fall to Oppenheimer, are nominated in certain categories including Best Independent Film and Best Studio Film. The winners will be announced on January 20th at Chicago Filmmakers. Overall, 37 films were represented across all categories. The most nominated film being Barbie, carrying 13 nominations. Stay tuned for the announcements of the winners through the CIC social channels.
For the full nominations list, scroll down to check out the full list of nominees for this year's Windie Awards.
Full Nominations List:
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM
All of Us Strangers Anatomy of a Fall The Iron Claw Past Lives The Zone of Interest BEST STUDIO FILM Barbie The Holdovers Oppenheimer Poor Things Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse BEST FOREIGN FILM Anatomy of a Fall The Boy and the Heron Godzilla Minus One When Evil Lurks The Zone of Interest BEST DOCUMENTARY American Symphony The Disappearance of Shere Hite Silver Dollar Road Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie 20 Days in Mariupol BEST ANIMATED FILM The Boy and the Heron Elemental Nimona Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem BEST DIRECTOR Greta Gerwig - Barbie Alexander Payne - The Holdovers Bradley Cooper - Maestro Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer Celine Song - Past Lives BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari Barbie – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach The Holdovers – David Hemingson The Iron Claw – Sean Durkin Past Lives – Celine Song BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY American Fiction – Cord Jefferson Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. – Kelly Fremon Craig Killers of the Flower Moon – Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan Poor Things – Tony McNamara BEST ACTOR Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers Bradley Cooper - Maestro Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer Teo Yoo - Past Lives BEST ACTRESS Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon Carey Mulligan - Maestro Greta Lee - Past Lives Emma Stone - Poor Things BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ryan Gosling - Barbie Glenn Howerton - BlackBerry Dominic Sessa - The Holdovers Charles Melton - May December Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer America Ferrera - Barbie Rachel McAdams - Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. Julianne Moore - May December Da’Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers BEST ENSEMBLE American Fiction Asteroid City The Holdovers Oppenheimer Poor Things
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Barbie – Rodrigo Prieto Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema Poor Things – Robbie Ryan The Zone of Interest – Łukasz Żal BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Barbie – Susan Greenwood and Katie Spencer The Color Purple – Paul Denham Austerberry and Larry Dias Killers of the Flower Moon – Jack Fisk Oppenheimer – Ruth De Jong Poor Things – Shona Heath and James Price BEST COSTUMES Barbie – Jacqueline Durran The Color Purple – Francine Jamison-Tanchuck Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West Poor Things – Holly Waddington Priscilla – Stacey Battat Wonka – Lindy Hemming BEST MAKEUP Barbie – Ivana Primorac The Iron Claw – Natalie Shea Rose and Elle Favorule Maestro – Kazu Hiro, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Lori McCoy-Bell Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Couler, and Josh Weston Priscilla – Jo-Ann MacNeil and Cliona Furey BEST EDITING The Holdovers – Kevin Tent The Iron Claw – Matthew Hannam Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Michael Andrews BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Barbie – Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton BEST ORIGINAL SONG “I’m Just Ken” – Barbie “What Was I Made For?” – Barbie “Keep It Movin’” – The Color Purple “Peaches” – The Super Mario Bros. Movie “A World of Your Own” – Wonka BEST VISUAL EFFECTS The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould Godzilla Minus One – Kiyoko Shibuya and Takashi Yamazaki Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Dan Sudick Oppenheimer – Andrew Jackson, Giacomo Mineo, Scott Fisher, and Dave Drzewiecki Poor Things – Simon Hughes BEST STUNTS The Iron Claw – Hiro Koda and Chavo Guerrero Jr. John Wick: Chapter 4 – Stephen Dunleavy, Scott Rogers, and Jeremy Marinas Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Wade Eastwood and Rudolf Vrba Polite Society – Crispin Layfield and Rob Lock Sisu – Oula Kitti BREAKOUT ARTIST Charles Melton Dominic Sessa Cailee Spaeny Celine Song Sophie Wilde SIGHT UNSEEN PERFORMANCE Helen Mirren - Barbie Bradley Cooper - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Oscar Isaac - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Hailee Steinfeld - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Jack Black - The Super Mario Bros. Movie IMPACT AWARD Local award given to individuals who have made a positive impact on Chicago cinema Rebecca Fons – Gene Siskel Film Center Dann Gire and Raymond Benson – “Dan and Raymond Movie Club” Morgan Harris – Acacia Media Group Katie Rife, Will Morris, and Ryan Oestreich – Music Box Theatre programming Dennis Scott – Music Box Theatre organist
(Share this special blog post with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.)
Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Blog Post Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC]) |
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