Author: BRWC

Freshman Year: Review

Freshman Year: Review. By Scott Gilliland.

Cooper Raiff does so well in his feature film directorial debut that everything in Freshman Year feels real; either you have encountered such moments or know people who have. Characters are full of faults, but that is all about growing up, especially in the opening months of college or University. Its relatability allows you in and excuses the odd clunky dialogue that comes its way. This is an excellent film that hits all the right notes.

Alex (Cooper Raiff) is a college freshman struggling with the new environment that college has brought his way to the point that he talks to his only true companion, his childhood soft toy dog. That is until, at one fraternity party, he meets Maggie (Dylan Gelula), with who he has crackling chemistry as they enjoy a night together. When his dreams of finally finding a connection with another person at college come true, the harsh realities of not having everything figured out comes shuttling his way.

Freshman Year gets so much right about that first year at University, especially for those who move far enough away from home into the great unknown. Instead of a carefree life, anxiety is the order of the day. Alex is wholly unprepared for the step up, and so not only does his mental health suffer a great deal but he struggles academically too. Refreshingly while Raiff has given us a film that includes romance and college parties, he has kept the focus of it all around the doubts and panic that resides within new students. With Freshman Year Cooper Raiff allows us to see that not every university film needs to be a Van Wilder tale, that focusing on the reality can be a whole lot more interesting.

The honesty that he provides is quite remarkable for such a small film, and shows how much confidence has within himself and his story. Every moment truly feels as if it has happened, and certainly, there are moments that I could relate to from my first year. The awkwardness and clumsiness of every interaction, the fears, finding someone who gets you and that you can pour your innermost thoughts too. It is all there, and the fact that it has been done so and succinctly needs quite an amount of applause.

As said, Alex is unprepared and worst of all for him, he is without that support structure of family, he has become helpless. So, when he finds someone like Maggie, he unknowingly latches onto the hope that she is his life jacket in the rough tides of college to keep him alive. So as this poor lost boy tries to stay afloat, he quickly (as any young person does when they think they have met a truly special person) falls for the idea of who she is and who she could be to him. Yet, life has other plans for him and instead, he must realise that life is a lot more complicated than he could have imagined.

Taking on the responsibility of the lead as well as writer, editor and director, Raiff does very well as Alex. You buy into him with ease, and when he becomes even higher strung and, yes, even a little creepy in the latter half, you understand why he has turned this way due to the foundations that have already been built earlier on. Equally, Dylan Gelula is just as compelling as Maggie, a young woman who is just as lost as Alex but is handling the situation entirely differently. When Alex tries to confront her later in the film, just as you understand why he has lost the plot, you see it from her side too.

She warned him of what she was like, and he took no heeding to her. He saw the perfect girl, and Maggie self-admittedly is far from that. Seeing her struggles allows us as an audience to feel for the duo for different reasons. We see the two grow as people as they wander around campus in long takes, and with their wonderful chemistry, you are never distracted as their flirting becomes something heavier. At times you wonder if something akin to this actually happened to Raiff and that he is using his film as a therapeutic endeavour to show himself the things he did that were wrong. However, he got to those points; it works, and you find yourself either all in on the journey the two take or infuriated by it, and that could purely be based on whether you experienced something like what is on the screen.

Raiff almost gives his film a truly great ending; however, he decided to continue for another 5 minutes with an epilogue. While that epilogue is a nice enough inclusion, it never feels all that necessary. The story was already told and done very well, so yes, it is nice to have more time with these characters, but ending Freshman Year at that earlier point would have been the stronger choice. Nevertheless, it is a minor gripe to such a strong feature and not one to derail the entire film, for this is such a solid film that you forgive it with ease.

Without a doubt, at such a young age, Raiff has made himself a talent to watch out for, the earnestness of Freshman Year carries you through, and for those who love a low-key indie film, then this one is right up the alley. A wonderful and needed portrait of what life at University is like for some people. Not everyone hits the ground running, and it takes a moment or, in Alex’s case, one person to help guide you through those rough times to see what you can get from experience. We are left with a film that strikes the right chords and at times has you wondering how Raiff stole memories from your college or university experience.

14th November 2021
Jean Seberg: Actress Activist – Raindance 21 Review

Jean Seberg: Actress Activist – Raindance 21 Review. By Alif Majeed.

An interesting choice that Jean Seberg: Actress Activist Icon, the latest documentary about the iconic actress, makes is Breathless is not given any more attention than required. Almost as if the makers recognized that her life was more than just one movie. To many, Jean Seberg is an actress defined by that one film, Breathless, and it easily looms large over her life. Very little information is still not widely known about the actress, apart from the fact that she was in that iconic movie.

It’s just been a couple of years since Seberg, where Kristen Stewart did a fairly commendable job to honor the actress and her ‘relationship’ with the FBI in the Black Panther era. Even though it was not seen by many and got critically drubbed, that movie is still pretty fresh in the memory.

So when the new documentary comes out honoring her life and career, you get curious. It wisely covers all aspects of her life by primarily dividing it into three parts, her personal life and early life. Then, they move on to her career before focusing on her activist years and her association with the Black Panther organization.

One highlight here, from a documentary perspective, is that they got some pretty integral people to Seberg’s life to take part. People like her sister Mary Ann Seberg and her former husband François Moreuil taking part as talking heads bring a very personal perspective to peek into her life.

It was lovely to hear about her early life and formative years, especially from her sister. As far as her movie career is concerned, yes, Breathless still is the epicenter of her career here. But they have given a fair focus on her filmography. Some surprising facts also came up for me, like her near-death experience from her movie Saint John.

I wish there were more information and discussion about the impact of the Black Panthers in her life. Also, her strange relationship with the FBI and the “witch-hunt” conducted against her could have been given more prominence. Maybe it’s because Seberg already dealt with those aspects in a middling political thriller format. So I was curious about how this would play out as a documentary. Sadly, though, the directors touched upon it in fairly well. It still feels short on details about that part of her life.

Was the witch-hunt linked to her subsequent breakdown? We can never know for sure, but you imagine the mental and emotional toll such a concentrated effort to destroy one’s sanity would have taken on one’s life.

It would have done better if more information about that significant part of her life was available. But I suppose it would be enough if you are not aware of her as anything apart from the girl with the pixie cut in Breathless who captivated Jean-Paul Belmondo and, by default, the audience too. It is an admirable take on a remarkable woman whose life was tragically cut short.

31st October 2021
The Green Knight And No Time To Die: The Value Of A Legend With An Ending

The Green Knight and No Time to Die, the value of a legend with an ending. By Neil Merrett.

Queen: Look around you, young Gawain. What do you see?
Gawain: I see Legends
Queen: Do not take your place amongst them idly
The Green Knight (2021) directed by David Lowery

Warning, there are major spoilers ahead for No Time to Die and a 14^th century Arthurian text.

The respective quality or ‘importance’ of any given movie is often dependent on the angle or perspective from which you come at it.

Take for example, the latest James Bond movie that has been filling out what remains of British multiplexes and independent cinema over the last month. It is effectively the 24th sequel of a series sometimes sexy, trendsetting, taboo breaking, camp or just plainly absurd spy movies that date back to 1962. The cinematic adventures of Bond have effectively earned box office takings equal to that of a modest nation’s GDP at this point, while also embellishing a certain sense of Britishness around the world for better or worse.

At the same time of Bond’s latest outing hitting cinemas, a critically lauded and more modestly budgeted take on the 14th century chivalric romance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, was also playing in the UK on a select few screens and streaming services.

The Green Knight, despite also having a highly regarded American director and a stellar cast of largely British acting talent, theoretically has little in common with the ongoing adventures of James Bond.

Yet from a certain perspective, they are both stories of a man and indeed manhood in tumult, as well as a nation struggling with itself and its heroes. Granted, these stories are set millennia apart, but they are not ultimately too different thematically.

Dev Patel’s would be knight is desperate to prove himself and define his worth as an honourable man and hero against any kind of external force. For what is a man’s purpose if not to be a hero or legend? He is a character that is uncertain if he is worthy of sitting among the larger-than-life heroes among whom he has been raised. Perhaps a more fitting question is how much is he willing to give to sit among them?

The burden of a legend

Much like ‘Sir’ Gawain, Daniel Craig’s five movie tenure as James Bond has been spent largely telling the story of a soldier trying to live up to the concept of an almost mythical national legend that his character is never fully comfortable with. Killing in the name of his country is Bond’s speciality, yet Craig’s portrayal wears the resulting burden and psychological toll of being 007 as if it were ill-fitting suit, even while being immaculately or not so immaculately dressed.

The latest Bond has been played since 2006 as a man haunted by living up to his own expectations of what a super spy and ‘International Man of Mystery’ should be. While No Time to Die shows there is always another 007 ready to take over from him, apparently there is and has only ever been one James Bond.

On a meta level however, Craig plays Bond as someone encumbered by the complex and often impossible legacy of trying to be like the legendary supermen that may or may not have existed before him. These were men that ensured Britain was ultimately always on the side of right, while always walking away from any danger with the girl and a good drink never far away. Needless to say, the character of Bond was starting to look hopelessly dated in the post 9/11 world before Craig took over the role.

Walking away with the girl and ensuring Britain is on the side of right are not guaranteed for Bond since Daniel Craig took over the role – no matter how valiantly or convincingly he tries to punch, shoot or strangle his way through his internal and external demons.

He is the perhaps the perfect portrayal of James Bond therefore for multiple generations of people raised on the decade’s worth of movies starring Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan as the indestructible hero. His Bond, by direct comparison, seems to speak for anyone who has dreamt of achieving some form of greatness or legendary status, yet finding themselves as the years go by falling short of living life with unflappable style, an unshakable sense of right and wrong and general fearlessness.

Breaking the final rule

No Time to Die, Craig’s final Bond movie, goes one further by breaking the last unspoken rule of the series that the secret agent should never be fell by any man, woman or evil organisation.

Despite the title’s boast, James Bond doesn’t make it out alive of No Time to Die. Ultimately, after struggling with the modern complexities of espionage, empire and who deserves a second chance or a bullet in their brain, the final act of Craig’s Bond ends on a satisfying, simple high.

After 15 years of struggling to do something resembling the right thing in a world where good and bad is often opaquely defined, James Bond gets something of a happy ending – even if he isn’t around to see it.

After years of watching the toll of espionage and professional murder conveyed through Craig’s wounded, yet piercingly blue and soulful eyes, his final mission involves nothing else but saving the world from a British-wrought viral Armageddon. This is less about the greater good as it is to ensure a young girl – one with absurdly blue, soulful eyes – can see some form of tomorrow – even if James Bond isn’t around to save it from then on.

Bond and Gawain’s stories both end with the characters reaching a similar form of acceptance about their purpose and how the world may not ultimately be theirs to save.

Few, if any of us, will ultimately end up as superheroes. Yet in the sometimes underwhelming, compromised, difficult or even flawed choices we take in our lives, we might just hope to dare to occasionally do something right for those that follow or are left behind – whether just keeping our word or looking after a child.

As a cinematic adaptation of an already metaphorical story, The Green Knight has something of an open ending with regards to Gawain’s fate. Bond is very less open to interpretation with a literally poetic ending for the character and a hopeful elegy about the people who will tell our stories for better or worse when we are gone.

So it’s perhaps a little cynical and eye rolling to be told at the very end of No Time to Die that ‘James Bond will Return’ amidst the media frenzy of who will or won’t be playing the super spy next.

Surely every audience member is aware in the world of global franchises that even death cannot bring down James Bond forever.

Like Sir Gawain, The Green Knight, King Arthur or Morgana Le Fey, Bond is now embedded in the national and global psyche in the ongoing saga of who we are and hope to be. Bond isn’t any one man, woman or person, but a collective legend about the type of heroes we look to define ourselves against.

As Gawain and Bond show, even amidst the doubt, existential struggles and frankly poor choices they we may find ourselves making in one form or another, there are always chances to do right in someone’s eyes.

Not a bad message to take from a mid-week movie night.

18th October 2021
No Time To Die: The BRWC Review

No Time To Die: The BRWC Review. By Alif Majeed.

SPOILERS!

“Welcome, Mr. Bond. We were expecting you.” That may be a line that many a Bond villain has used, but it somehow takes greater significance here as we finally get to see No Time to Die after several delays.

Cary Fukunaga thankfully makes a movie that completes the story and takes it to a fitting end, which leaves you emotional and like saying adios to an old friend even though the ride might get pretty bumpy.

The Bond movies were always known for their escapism, as it is not that hard to get caught in the spy fantasy that the James Bond universe presents. Hell, the movie even predates the Jaws blockbuster era, and THE definitive big-screen blockbuster waited for with eager anticipation.

So when No Time to Die comes a full six years after Spectre, it somehow feels more… real. It’s not like it is avoiding its escapist roots. Bond here can still pull some suave moves even between the intense action. (in a move that made me want to hoot, he smoothly pours himself a drink and between shooting down a bunch of bad guys.) But the whole movie somehow has a sense of foreboding inevitability running through the course of the film.

That this is the end is written all over right from the beginning. But there is this constant dilemma here to create a full-blown Bond movie while throwing as much as possible at him. He has too much at stake this time around that he almost gets buried under all that gravitas and it gets tiring on occasions. A terrific flashback opening scene marks all this while looks like it is coming straight out of a slasher movie while involves Madeleine Swann and Safin (Rami Malek). We then have Bond with Madeline, in Italy, to get some closure with Vesper. It escalates into an exhilarating scene with Spectre agents chasing them, before the credits begin.

It is a crucial scene as it reaffirms Bond’s inability to trust people and how easy it is for him to be taken in by what he sees in front of him. The movie then comes dangerously close to being a routine spy thriller story with a typical bionic weapon plot to take down the world (even the infamous smart blood makes a return). But there is enough action and bonafide thrills to satisfy the Bond fans as he is ably supported by many returning friends and foes.

The cast of the movie is also a very decisive factor here. Jeffrey Wright makes a welcome return as Felix Leiter, and the sense of brotherhood between the Bond and him feels earned. Lea Seydoux, as Madeline, is another character who gets an arc as the movie begins with her story. Despite her character’s journey from Spectre, she still hasn’t forgotten to use a gun, which often happens with the Bond girls, and gets to shine well. I had a problem with Lashana Lynch’s Nomi, or the portrayal of the character. She is a 00 in the movie, and it is a welcome change and she clearly is having fun with the role. But despite all the nods and acknowledgment, she still comes across as another Bond girl in the Wai Lin and Jinx mode. There are a couple of instances where she also comes across as not so competent. In typical movie cop mode, she even arrives in an important scene after the action and drama are over. We can make no such complaint for Ana de Armas, who portrays Paloma, a spy Bond meets up in Cuba. She is a brilliant highlight of the movie in full Quicksilver from X-Men mode that you wish they had expanded her role.

But the biggest failing of the movie is also the one that arguably matters the most, its villain. Rami Malek is terrifying in that opening scene, where he comes across as a true monster. But none of that horror ever comes out later as he becomes a man with some scars with a megalomaniac plot to destroy the world. A missed opportunity to give a fitting adversary on Craig’s last outing as Bond.

There would be many with a lump in their throat as the movie ends as 15 years and five films later, it is sad saying goodbye. (My friend was raving and ranting for a full 20 minutes after the movie). But what we can be sure of is that No Time to Die is a fitting and epic conclusion to the Craig era. He is a guy who more or less made the role his own and deserved a chance to finish his arc.

There might be many inevitable changes and shifts for the James Bond movies in the future, but Daniel Craig got to go out with a bang, just as he deserved, right up there on the big screen.

8th October 2021
World Animal Day: The Best Movies To Help You Appreciate Earth’s Amazing Creatures

World Animal Day: The Best Movies To Help You Appreciate Earth’s Amazing Creatures

Humans are not alone on this planet. Never have been. We share Earth with an incredible plethora of animals, some as tall as houses and some as small as a fingernail.

World Animal Day is an international event founded in 1925 by Heinrich Zimmerman. The day is supposed to raise awareness for the wellbeing of animals and how it is our duty to protect them from abuse, poaching and illegal killing.

On this day of appreciation for all creatures in all corners of the world, here is the essential movie list to appreciate these animals. Some animals are appreciated every day around the world but these movies highlight the ones often forgotten and how we should never take them for granted.

Finding Nemo

Believe it or not but this classic children’s film is a remarkable representation of marine life. The film is a story of heart and family that audiences of all ages can relate and sympathise with.

But during the runtime, Pixar expertly handled the topic of sustainable fishing and the pain and loss that marine life can experience. Finding Nemo is perfect for adults and children alike and is a brilliant way of focussing on the welfare of animals.

Okja

Okja is the collaboration between South Korea and the USA about animal rights that no-one expected. Directed by the Oscar winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, the movie presents the meat industry at its worst.

After a genetically engineered super-pig makes an emotional connection with a young girl, it pits the unlikely duo against the world. Its a beautiful story of friendship between humans and animals but also opens your eyes to the brutal methods of the meat industry.

Rise of The Planet of the Apes

A redo that no-one asked for but everyone loved was the Planet of the Apes revival back in 2011. It was the origin story that truly showed the complexity and intelligence of monkeys and apes. Andy Serkis played Caesar, a chimpanzee trialling a new drug designed to improve brain function.

As the long runtime plays out, you see Caesar connect with his owners and rebel against abusive keepers. His passion and love is predominant and it is an intricate story about family, abuse and nature vs. nurture.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

When asked what is the best dog tale portrayed in cinema, many people forget the incredible Hachi. Inspired by a true story, it follows a stray who is adopted by a new family. However, once his new owner dies, Hachi the Akita waits everyday at the train station, for an owner who will never return.

The fact that it is a true story makes this movie even more remarkable. It explores the love, devotion and faith that a dog can have in their owners and will leave you wanting to buy an Akita the second that the credits roll.

War Horse

Not many animal based films are set against the backdrop of a World War, however, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse works in every way. At the outbreak of World War 1, a young man, Albert, and his pet horse, Joey, are seperated, the former joining the infantry and the latter sold to the cavalry.

The story unfolds and shows just how precious and important horses were in the early 20th century. The connections that Joey makes along his journey are truly remarkable and the love and devotion seen between owner and pet is truly heart-warming.

Free Willy

A classic animal movie that lives in the minds of any 90’s child, Free Willy is an incredible appreciation of one of Earth’s most fearsome creatures. When a boy learns that a beloved orca is to be killed by aquarium owners, he sets out on a daring adventure to free the beast.

A beautiful story that shows the connection and intelligence that whales can possess, this film brought marine living conditions to the world’s attention. Not only does this film make you want to change the world, but it already has.

Duma

Usually a coming of age flick features some acne or a prom, not a cheetah. Set in South Africa, a young boy adopts an orphaned cheetah he calls Duma. The two make a firm connection and after the boy is bullied at school, the pair decide to run away into the mountains.

What follows is a perilous and dangerous adventure that only their connection and Duma’s instincts overcome. It truly shows that even the fastest and most vicious animals on Earth are remarkable and loving creatures.

Ratatouille

Another classic Pixar movie, Ratatouille was a smash hit that warmed the heart and wet the appetite. Following a rat separated from his family in Paris, Remy teams up with a young inexperienced chef to take the culinary world by storm.

Pixar are renowned for making their audiences appreciate a less than loved element of society and Ratatouille is the perfect example. The formerly ‘disgusting’ rat was now the star of the big screen and was an incredible chef. The movie is full of heart and mouth watering food and is the best homage to our little scurrying friends.

Charlotte’s Web

Who would have thought that a movie about a pig and a spider could have been one of the most heartwarming children’s films of the early 2000’s? Charlotte’s Web follows the story of Wilbur, a pig destined to be slaughtered, who teams up a spider named Charlotte to stop that from happening.

The remarkable thing about this movie? It softened the typical image of a spider. Not only was the connection between Wilbur and Charlotte a perfect example of heart-warming cinema but it dealt with many issues of animal welfare in a healthy way for children. It is a much overlooked film in the animal welfare genre and a must see.

4th October 2021