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 and Swann Arlaud. © 2023 NEON, Les Films Pelléas, and Les Films de Pierre. Directed by Justine Triet.
Vizeit Reviews is in solidarity with SAG, however, SAG will allow film critics to continue their normal movie critiques as usual but with certain restrictions. [WGA has reached their deal with the AMPTP.]
Watched it at 59th The Chicago International Film Festival @ AMC Theaters (CIFF #1)
Did She Do It? The mysterious fall that everyone keeps talking about but we have the same question in our minds? Did Sandra kill her husband or was it just an accident? This film deeply explores a lot of themes of marriage but also trust, love, and identity. Anatomy of a Fall is a film that has a lot to unpack from but with the stellar performances and direction, you will find yourself glued to the screen. Let's visit the courtroom and listen to the unraveling truth of this "fall" while listening to 50 Cent. Story: A woman is suspected of her husband's murder after a mysterious fall. However, during trial, her only witness is her blind son which leaves the mother and the son in a moral dilemma. Suspense fills the air throughout this film and director Justine Triet captures it very effectively. The atmosphere and tone of the film are dreading and every second leads to something very important that the audience will miss in the background. Triet uses interesting yet beautiful and insane shots to make some of the most vital "evidence" in the film surprising. Simon Beaufils's beautiful camera work with Triet's great direction brings up certain moments that elevate each character's view of the murder. Even with the slick editing from Laurent Sénéchal, it allows the audience to become one of the jury members to witness the evidence presented during court. All of that is accompanied by Sandra Hüller's amazing performance which she lets her character bring her judgment into the picture and unravel who she is which answers the question of her husband's mysterious death. Even with the supporting cast of the film, Swann Arlaud was one of the highlights of the film which brought the tension higher and engaging. The writing of Hüller's character is so depth and nuanced that you already connect to her character in the opening of the film. A lot of well-put-together writing pieces make the prediction a bit more difficult in a good way to allow the audience to engage more with the story. Plus, the writing of the film doesn't overstuff certain character backgrounds and traits which allows the fluid of the film to be more thrilling and certain around the protagonist. The dialogue feels so natural and also the comedy here is intentionally and unintentionally funny which makes the dialogue and acting feel natural in its presence. Yet, some overlooked filmmaking elements should be highlighted in this review. The sound design here is interesting because it takes silent and loud moments which adds to the mystery of each scene. Even the opening sequence alone with the loud PIMP song by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band can make the scene feel more tense and annoying in a good way. The distractions that Triet applies in each scene will force the audience to look beyond the picture through sound and interesting directing cues. When this is also applied through the courtroom scenes, it will make you think of what evidence is presented through each sequence. The courtroom sequences are well executed with a lot of intense drama and well-paced scenes that will leave you hooked. That piece of drama included in the film is its themes which capsulates the protagonist's story and the whole case surrounding this mysterious death.
Anatomy of a Fall has interesting themes about identity, marriage, and trust in and out of the courtroom. Since Sandra's accusation of her husband's death, she begins looking back on the decisions she made with her husband. The mother-father relationship is heavily discussed with the relationship of their child. Sandra's only child who can help her and himself to get out of this trial. However, Sandra's past was being discussed with her bisexual relationship with other women and we see her flirting actions right in the opening scene. It opens up on how Sarah really is at the point of her marriage and the matter the fact is that she's not happy with her relationship. Without any spoilers, the ending answers Sandra's marriage and identity problems in the opening scene. However, Sandra's struggle with trust makes the courtroom scenes more tense due to her blind son's lack of trust in her mother. All of those themes combined bring up a question, is Sandra really a trustworthy mother and wife? The answer speaks for itself in the film. Through all the narrative elements, the technical filmmaking here once again is sleek and amazing. The coloring of this film is very beautiful and saturated yet realistic. The production design of the house is unique and cozy as well. Technically, it's a well-made film but with its narrative, it is a strong foot. However, I have some criticisms that could've made the film much faster.
The film's pacing can be very slow in the second act of the film. There is tension to the scenes but sometimes, the tension can drag a bit which almost kills the suspense in the room. The film feels a bit long so that's why I felt like the film's pacing was slow right in the middle. There are easily some scenes that could've been shortened but not cut out because all of them were very essential. However, the one thing that I wished the film had was more energetic moments in the courtroom. There for sure were energetic moments outside of the courtroom scenes but during the trial, the energy felt mixed yet, the energy was still heated. Still, even by the final shot of the film, I was surprised at how this film hooked me till the end. Chilling, tense, and sophisticated, Anatomy of a Fall delivers a well-executed court drama that will leave you questioning the justification of the murders and Sarah's personal life. A lot of great thematic elements that add depth to Sandra's relationship with her son and husband. With the unique direction from Justine Triet, it elevates the courtroom sub-genre into a new direction in which other films will follow suit. Also, this is the right time for Sandra Hüller to get the Tár treatment during awards season.
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Vizeit Score: "A-"
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Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth. © 2023 NEON, Topic Studios, and Elevation Pictures. Directed by Brandon Cronenberg.
Let Your Darkest-Self Be Free.
I don't know if the Cronenberg family is insane but this is the most insane film I have seen from them. Full on horror, thriller, and weirdness. This is exactly what I miss from thriller/horror films and it's finally time to go back to the craziness of thriller/horror films. Full of bloody performances and insane direction. Join me in the world of Infinity Pool and become a clone to see ourselves killed by a kid who works for Apple but in a sweatshop. Story: Guided by a seductive and mysterious woman, a couple on vacation venture outside the resort grounds and find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism, and untold horror. A tragic accident soon leaves them facing a zero-tolerance policy for a crime: either you'll be executed, or, if you're rich enough to afford it, you can watch yourself die instead. This film was very wacky just in the first 10 minutes of the film. The cinematography alone sold me on what kind of film I'm going to watch and just as expected, it was definitely crazy yet entertaining. I really loved the tone of the film with being so cold while being hot. It's a mixture of both and it's pretty great. It sets up the fictionalized country very well and I loved it. The idea of clones in this world is not new but with Cronenberg's style, it's very haunting yet bloody entertaining. The characters in this film are very great and the obvious standouts are Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård. Their performances as these characters are fantastic. Mia Goth's character Gabi was so interesting and compelling. She's so dark but she knows the secrets around the hotel and the country. Plus she's rich, like Alexander's character James. He just wants to have a good time but shit happens and the only thing he can do is watch the chaos unfold and he gets crazy. I love how the film's writing explores the most broken yet normal people turn into chaotic people. Nature of humanity with drinks, blood, and of course, money. All of that can change a person but it won't turn into a crazy chaotic person. They know their limits and how the plot unfolds itself is very smart.
The story structure of this film is very easy to follow by knowing what's going in. It's pretty straight forward and I'll be honest, I was lost for a bit since I couldn't understand the audio from the theater. But when the film shows it much clearer during the dark moments, you will finally be clicked on what's happening around you. I love how it's more of visual storytelling rather than dialogue. For sure the dialogue is pretty great based on the screenplay but the way it was directed was so compelling. The other supporting characters are very good as well and I love how their nature of behaving is chaotic yet reasonable. Your rich and you can do whatever the fuck you want. This is an interesting view of the rich but with a darkly twisted story. The cinematography of the film is absolutely fantastic. I really loved the framing of each scene and the colors behind it. There are normal colors that are presented but one color stands out revealing a lot about a specific scene. It's very well done and the editing of this film is wild. There are three moments of crazy wild editing with insane visuals and it's pretty fucking epic or it will make you dizzy. The erotic moments are interesting because it connects to the whole theme of this film which is immoral class and how far will you go for fun. There are interesting questions being presented in this film and by the end, you will be left with an answer depending on if you liked the movie. This film was wild but it has its own critiques.
There are some moments in the film that made me uncomfortable which is good but the erotic scene was a little too much. It kind of stayed over a lot in the film but I think it was still important in the film to reach its message and themes. I wanted more backstory of these other characters who were part of this "fun" but that's my personal opinion. Some people will not like the ending but for me, the ending really landed very well, however, I felt mixed in weird moments throughout the film but it's still a fantastic film nonetheless. This film was very strange yet fantastic in presenting a compelling story with great performances, fantastic cinematography, and amazing directing from David Cronenberg. It was unique and fresh while being straightforward and easy to follow. Some people won't enjoy it because it's too weird or too experimental but how the story was delivered was very great. Even the unweird moments make the film more personal and feel for the character's feelings. It was definitely an experience. If I hadn't watched this film in theaters, I wouldn't have had the same experience at home. Definitely a home winner! Now Playing in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "A" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2023. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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