The Marijuana ConspiracySynopsis: In 1972, five young women (Brittany Bristow, Morgan Kohan, Julia Sarah Stone, Tymika Tafari, and Kyla Avril Young) become part of a radical experiment that studies the effects of marijuana on females. Despite the agendas of the government, they use their unique strengths and friendship to overcome adversity.
The Marijuana Conspiracy attempts to unearth a fascinating dissection of 70’s culture, a period where inequitable parties began voicing their spirited independence from the US’ oppressive conformity. Writer/director Craig Pryce certainly has his hands on fascinating subject matter, but most audiences won’t be able to pick that up from the cookie-cutter execution. For a film vying towards substantive goals, The Marijuana Conspiracy plays out like a tired after-school special.
The young cast deserves much of the praise for holding the material together. A luminous quintet of young actors gives each wistful participant much-needed agency and emotionality. Tafari and Sarah Stone are standouts as two of the group’s most vulnerable members while the other supporting players do an able job propping up their roles as smarmy advisors.
Pryce, who’s known as a director-for-hire fixture on the Hallmark scene, imbues the noblest of intentions in his adaptation. His screenplay gives each of the quintet time to breathe onscreen, intelligently connecting their well-versed backgrounds into a myriad of zeitgeist quandaries (racism, sexism, and homophobia play a crucial role in the character’s involvement). One could see how these sentiments connect into our modern times considering the inequity and overt drug criminalization lingering today
Good intentions don’t exactly generate a good movie, with The Marijuana Conspiracy standing as a familiar example of ambitions outstretching a filmmaker’s reach. Pryce seems over his head with the material’s weightier conceits, relying upon overworked dialogue exchanges and saccharine score choices to summarize his central points. The lack of general artistry minimizes what Pryce is trying to say with his characters and their burdens. Hokey, sitcom-esque visuals never allow audiences to invest too deeply into the film’s melody of intimate frames.
I don’t know if The Marijuana Conspiracy knows exactly what it wants to be. Pryce centers on the story’s female camaraderie over the nefarious backstory behind the experiment’s origins, a decision that robs the narrative of its unique perspective and edge. The film’s favoring of coming-of-age contrivances doesn’t help the ensemble approach either. Pryce’s heavy-handed character building never matches the cast’s bright talents.
Stoners are sure to search for engaging content on 4/20, but The Marijuana Conspiracy‘s so-so delivery lands like a haze of foreboding familiarity.
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release THE MARIJUANA CONSPIRACY On Demand and Digital on April 20, 2021.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me: The BRWC Review – This drama film centers on the inhabitants of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, mainly Johnny Winters (John Reddy) and his family. Johnny spends his days breaking horses and boxing, while caring for his sister Jashaun Winters (Jashaun St. John) and his mother Lisa Winters (Irene Bedard), the latter of whom struggles with alcoholism.
Johnny hopes to one day leave the reservation and move to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Aurelia Clifford (Taysha Fuller). In order to secure enough money, Johnny has resorted to illegally selling alcohol on the reservation. However, Johnny feels conflicted about leaving his home, family and friends, especially his sister. The remainder of the film follows Johnny as he wrestles with the tension between his desire to explore life beyond the reservation, and his fear of abandoning those closest to them, while also looking at the hardships, joys, and bonds of the people on the reservation.
Director/writer/co-editor Chloé Zhao has been lauded for her naturalistic filmmaking style that blurs the line between documentary and fiction. Many of the actors featured here are either playing themselves or fictionalized versions of themselves inspired by real people, places, and events. Even in the case where established actors like Irene Bedard appear in the film, the naturalistic approach carries through. This deliberate use of largely non-actors and real places and experiences allows viewers to truly connect to the world and people of the film, and lends the film a level of authenticity not often afforded to other fictional films. The relationship and chemistry between St. John and Reddy is particularly poignant and moving.
Zhao also shows her complete commitment to authenticity not only in terms of acting, but in terms of the story that is told. While the narrative is scripted, as stated above the use of real people and places largely removes feelings of manipulation. The film unflinchingly tackles hard topics like the pervasiveness of alcoholism and economic strife on the reservation, and the lasting impact of U.S. policies on the Native-American community. At the same time, the film never feels like an exploitation piece. Though Zhao focuses on the struggles many of these inhabitants face, in equal measure she celebrates these people and their culture. This is done in a variety of ways, whether it is through the showcase of song, chants and artwork, or allowing viewers to hear honest conversations between people about their communal bond and strength due to their shared experiences.
People in the film talk about shared heartbreak over the generational pain their people have experienced, their hopes for the future and so on. Zhao’s determination to almost live in and show the lives of these people in all their facets, in order to bring the audience into their world in a naturalistic way goes a long way in generating empathy in viewers for the people featured. That being said, the lack of conventional plotting or character arcs may lead to a feeling of a slower pace than some are used to when it comes to fictional films.
Another aspect of the film that helps accomplish this naturalistic and poetic feel is the cinematography by Joshua James Richards. For the most part, Richards opts for a handheld camera which solidifies the feeling that the camera and audience are invited visitors into this very rich and defined world. Richards and Zhao collaborate in such a way that every frame feels perfectly composed in terms of light, depth and composition in order to achieve its maximum effect and potential. This is particularly true of scenes taking place outdoors which take advantage of the natural beauty of the landscapes around the reservation which highlight the people’s connection to the land and the animals that inhabit it. These moving images are accompanied beautifully by Peter Golub’s gentle piano and string score which also lends to the poetic nature of the film.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me is a beautifully shot film that honestly portrays the realities of the lives of a group of people in all of its hardship and also its beauty. Featuring engrossing performances from both established actors and non-performers alike, stunning cinematography and nuanced direction, this film is not to be missed.
Israel ‘Reefa’ Hernandez (Tyler Dean Flores) lived with his father, Israel Sr. (José Zúñiga), mother, Jackeline (Margarita Rosa de Francisco) and little sister, Offir (Cinthya Carmona) in Miami on a visa while waiting to go to school in New York to study art. Israel had a passion for art and life and in particular graffiti art which would help him make his mark in the world.
He was a good-looking young man with charm, wit and the whole world ahead of him. Then one day while working on a photoshoot he met a young model named Frankie (Clara McGregor) and thanks to his smooth talking, they hit it off and started dating.
However, Reefa’s parents are concerned about their son because although he has a lot of potential, they know that they should keep their heads down in fear of being deported back to Colombia.
Reefa is a bittersweet coming of age drama and true story about the young life of Israel ‘Reefa’ Hernandez, written and directed by Jessica Kavana Dornbusch. It tells the story of a young man taken too soon in his prime by a police officer who was meant to be keeping the peace and upholding the law.
Reefa himself comes across as a young man who not only had a whole life waiting for him, but had everything every young man would want in spades. Flores’ performance is likeable and charming and with Dornbusch’s script, Reefa becomes a driven young man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. Not to mention that he had a talent for saying just the right things to Frankie when it counted.
Reefa not only shows the small, close knit family, but also the community and environment of Miami and captures it perfectly so that it’s not just a place where Reefa lived, but a part of his identity.
Many immigrants come to the US hoping to have a better life and nobody expected Reefa to be a victim of police brutality. Hopefully Reefa’s story will be seen far and wide and serve as yet another reminder that to bring peace, there has to be change.
The Misadventures Of Mistress Maneater: Review – Ava Moriarty (Lorrisa Julianus) is a dominatrix known as Mistress Maneater and she’s tired of her day job. The problem is that her boyfriend is a Russian gangster and when he dumps her, she has to pay back everything he owes her – to the tune of five hundred thousand dollars. Ava tries to think of ways that she can pay him back, although she knows that she could get the money if only she had enough time.
Then she gets involved with the wrong man, Mayor Kupsik (Dave Lichty) who tells her to seduce an Episcopalian priest in order to start a scandal and he’ll give her the money she wants. The trouble is that when Ava starts to get to know Radovan (Mickey O’Sullivan), she starts to fall for him.
Not only that, but she finds a priceless painting in his house which may do just as well to get the money that she owes.
The Misadventures of Mistress Maneater is a romantic comedy written by Lorrisa Julianus and directed by C.J. Julianus. As filmmakers their ethos is to make unique, smart and inspiring films that audiences haven’t seen before.
However as far as the script goes, there may be smart characters in there and the plot is certainly subversive, but it feels like two movies working alongside each other and often not cooperating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUGm1CEAh34
The character of Ava Moriarty is well written and at first the character seems like a surface level idea of what a screenwriter thinks is feminism, but further exploration shows that the character is more complex. Lorrisa Julianus does do a great job in the role as well, but it seems that the tone of the movie is too confused.
What’s billed as a romantic comedy takes a while to get going and often feels like a crime thriller as Ava tries to escape her ex-boyfriend and earn her freedom. O’Sullivan’s choice of accent is a little misjudged too and it sometimes creates a barrier between him and Ava as they’re supposed to be forming a bond. Ava Moriarty is a great character in the wrong movie, it may have been better if one genre was picked.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Happy Cleanersstar Yeena Sung. Born in Seoul and raised in Cheonahn and Bundang South Korea, Yeena has been working in theatre and film for the past nine years, having graduated from both New York University and Columbia University. Her theatre credits include Twelfth Night, Hi-Fi Wi-Fi Sci-Fi, Campfire, and To Pieces. In addition to her leading role in Happy Cleaners, Yeena has been in many films and will soon appear on the seventh season of Darren Starr’s Younger. Over the course of our interview, Yeena and I touched upon many different areas such as the differences between performing on stage instead of film, and the portrayal and conversation surrounding Asian/Asian-American performers and characters. Read our full conversation below.
What are some of the differences you noticed between growing up in South Korea compared to when you came to the U.S.?
Yeena Sung – One of the main differences I’ve noticed is that Korea is much more focused on the collective ideals, whereas there’s more attention to the individuals in the U.S.
What are some things you look for in a role or project before signing on?
Yeena Sung – I like to be in projects where the narrative is in-line with my core values and ones that I truly believe are important to be told. In terms of roles, I am drawn to play characters that are either very close to me or the extreme opposite of me – interestingly enough, they are both equally challenging and enlightening.
When it comes to theatre, you have done Shakespere, musicals, multimedia pieces etc. What are your favorite aspects of performing on stage compared to film and TV?
Yeena Sung – I love theater productions because, unlike film and tv, you as the actor get to experience the full journey as the character without having interruptions or cuts. It’s an amazing feeling to go through the full arc and every time you perform, it’s an opportunity to understand and get closer to the character and the story. I also enjoy the energy you get from the audience members. Every night is different and you can never fully anticipate how, where, or when the audience members will respond. And no matter what, unless it’s life-threatening, “the show must go on”. This means you can’t stop midway and it’s up to the performer to navigate any unexpected things that may come up. It’s a fun and scary challenge, and it keeps you on your toes!
I enjoy the filmmaking process just as much. I love the aspects of having to be highly concentrated and to not be distracted by the cuts in-between. You also have to have a huge imagination and inner-life that is just as driven and strong as when you’re performing on stage. People often say, “be natural” or to “tone it down”, but nothing about the film sets’ environment is natural. I actually think the fun challenge of on-screen acting comes from embodying and channeling that big inner life without being theatrical, and expressing it in a way that is in the style of naturalism.
The experience of acting in both stage and film/tv are distinctly different but I believe the core of acting stems from the same place. Thus, I enjoy doing both!
You have done a few projects centered on young teenage characters such as Clique Bait and Let’s Play Dead Girl. How does Asian/Asian-American culture and values impact (if at all) how adolescence is portrayed compared to how it is portrayed in American film and television?
Yeena Sung – This is a difficult question to answer because both of these films weren’t centered around the Asian/Asian-American experiences. It just so happened that the characters I played were Asian/Asian-American. There are narratives that actively hold space for how the characters were impacted by the Asian/Asian-American culture and values. But in the case of Let’s Play Dead Girl, the director just wanted to have a diverse cast to realistically represent his upbringing from Queens. However, the story wasn’t about my character being uniquely Asian-American. As for Clique Bait, it is a short film specifically about teenagers who go to an international highschool in Hong Kong. But that was just the setting and the actual story touches upon the complex relationship between two friends who grew apart. I think these characters might have been portrayed differently if the purpose of the film was to concentrate on how the characters were affected by their respective cultures.
I think we’re at a stage where we are curious and eager to learn more about the specific cultures and how that affects the story telling. And that’s fine. But I ultimately hope that, even in films that are culturally specific, audience members can learn to celebrate the differences but also relate to the characters as fellow human-beings experiencing the complexities of life.
How did you come to be involved with Happy Cleaners and what drew you to the role of Hyunny in particular? What aspects of Hyunny if any could you identify with?
Yeena Sung – I found out about Happy Cleaners through a casting call on Backstage. I read the description of the piece and was immediately drawn to it. However, I was at a low point in my journey as an actor at the time from facing multiple rejections and wasn’t going to audition for it. But on the day of the audition, I decided to show up anyway. It’s funny because the directors were struggling to find the right actor to play Hyunny and I happened to be the last person to show up to the audition!
I was initially drawn to Hyunny because I felt that we were very similar. Hyunny and I are both resilient and we don’t give up on things easily. We continue to look at the positives despite the hardships. Our vulnerabilities are often overshadowed by our grit but it’s the softness in our hearts that allows us to move forward.
What facets of Asian/Asian American life does Happy Cleaners capture really well?
Yeena Sung – I would say everything about Happy Cleaners portrays what it means to be a Korean family who immigrated to Flushing, New York. The intergenerational struggles and friction between the younger and older generation is spot on. I also love that there are a lot of scenes involving food, because it is a huge part of how Koreans communicate to one another- even if there are no words involved. The common Korean greeting to check in with someone is, “have you eaten rice”. Just from this, you can tell how important food is for Koreans and I love that this film was able to portray that.
With films like Happy Cleaners, The Farwell, and Parasite receiving critical acclaim, have you noticed changes in the cultural conversation surrounding types of roles and stories available to Asian and Asian-American artists? How would you like to see the cultural conversation continue to evolve?
Yeena Sung – I think an important change is that Asian and Asian-American artists are finally starting to be included in these conversations. Asian/Asian-Americans have been invisible to the public eye and were not attended to for a very long time; Asians were often seen as obedient and easily silenced. My hope is that more conversations and platforms will open up to bring more agency for all actors of color. Actors, especially those who are marginalized, are susceptible to working in environments that inhibit their ability to perform their rights. Due to the lack of opportunities, BIPOC actors often partake in productions that they don’t feel comfortable being in, play roles that perpetuate stereotypes, or do work for less or no pay. We need to have more conversations to change this cultural norm and actively create space for all artists.
I also hope to see more conversations that focus on what the actual story of the film is, rather than just on the aspect of asian-ness. I think it’s a great start that Asian/Asian-American performers and stories are gaining more popularity. However, I hope that the attention doesn’t come from a place of “othering” but from a genuine interest in the intention of the story.
What are some cliches and stereotypes surrounding Asian stories and performances you try to avoid or hope to see less of in projects?
Yeena Sung – We’ve all heard about the stereotypes around an Asian character with an accent, a nerd, an asian guy who is de-sexualized or an asian woman who is highly fetishized. Even if it’s not that big of a cliche as the ones mentioned above, oftentimes Asian/Asian-American characters are written from a person with some type of prejudice and therefore the roles aren’t fully dimensional and only serve as foils to highlight the other white characters. Unless there is a specific purpose to have these characters present, I try to avoid these types of roles because I do not want to perpetuate negative stereotypes. I simply want to be an actor who can be a vessel for portraying characters truthfully and fully!
In your opinion, what are some under-represented aspects of Asian/Asian-American life and culture you hope get more representation in the future?
Yeena Sung – I think we concentrate a lot on the differences of being an Asian/Asian-American and the narratives we see are very specific to a certain race or background. It’s definitely stories that we need more of because we haven’t seen enough of them and they deserve to be celebrated. However, we are all human beings at the end of the day. As much as I am happy to be in narratives that are centered around the experience of being Asian, I’m just as interested to be a part of stories that are intercultural – where different people from varying backgrounds coexist – which is how America is.
Have you noticed any differences in how American writers and directors approached storytelling compared to Asian or Asian-american artists?
Yeena Sung – It’s difficult and a bit unfair to generalize, but I’ve noticed that in the case of Minari, Happy Cleaners, and The Farewell, these specific Asian- American writers wrote stories that are very much centered around the characters. The characters are what move the story forward, as opposed to the plot. I’ve also noticed that the edits for these particular films are slower than other Hollywood films as they focus more on the emotional journeys that these characters go through. I admire them for making these bold choices and I can’t wait to see more projects that are written and directed by, as well as starring Asian/ Asian American artists.
How important is it to you to not only play roles that directly address Asian/Asian American stories, but also simply feature Asian/Asian-American actors playing roles as simply part of a cast and is a compelling character regardless of race?
Yeena Sung – It’s just as important for me to play roles that address Asian/Asian American stories as well as roles that don’t really address those narratives.
I think Asian/Asian American actors often struggle to get cast in stories that aren’t Asian/Asian-American narratives because some argue that it doesn’t “make sense” for them to be in them. I’ve had an experience where I made it to the final round of auditions to play the role of a daughter, and evidently I didn’t get the part because I wasn’t the “right fit for the story”. Truth be told, I knew I wasn’t cast, not because I wasn’t fit for the role, but because the rest of the family members that had already been cast were white. You get the story.
There’s nothing wrong with Asian/Asian-American actors being a part of Asian/Asian-American specific stories. It’s actually amazing to get the opportunity to celebrate a story that is mine. But it becomes a problem when Asian actors are just limited to that. Especially if it’s due to one’s lack of open-ness and inability to see beyond the actor’s asian-ness. I’m not saying this to stress that we should all be color blind. Never! For one, that’s not possible and two, that’d be erasure of one’s culture and race.
I just hope that we could collectively grow to appreciate and embrace the race of the actors and also be able to see beyond it, so that we don’t pigeonhole Asian/Asian-American actors to play only one character or one story. We are all people at the end of the day and all human-beings are so complex. I just want to be an actor who is in service of playing these different characters as well as be a part of stories that portray the full human experience- whether it be through a narrative that is centered around the Asian/Asian-American experience or not.
Is there anything advice you would give to Asians/Asian Americans looking to be actors,writers,etc?
Yeena Sung – Be true to who you are! Don’t lose a sense of who you are just because you want to prove to others that you can fulfill what they want from you. At the end of the day, you know yourself best. Being flexible and being open is a very important trait to have as an actor, but that wouldn’t serve you in the long run if you lose yourself along the way.
Furthermore, I hope you find a way to be generous with others without yielding the power you hold as an actor. I think it takes years of practice to achieve this sense of confidence (I’m still working on it myself!) but I truly believe that an actors’ voice can have a huge impact on others.
You are about to guest star on the next season of Darren Starr’s series Younger, is there anything you can tease about your role?
Yeena Sung – I can’t give too much away but I’ll be playing Dylan Park, an emerging writer from Queens!
Is there anything else you would like to add for our readers?
Yeena Sung – With the success of films like Happy Cleaners, The Farewell, Minari, and Parasite, I feel excited for the progress that’s been made in this industry. But I also can’t help but feel deeply saddened by the Anti-Asian hate crimes that’s been surging this past year. There is a divide between what we see in the industry and reality. I believe this is why we need more stories of varying Asian and Asian-American experiences. My hope is that when more stories are made, audience members will have more opportunities to empathize with these specific stories; to digest these different cultures, race, and identities as complex but equally connectable human experiences.
Thanks for having me and I hope this interview will create room for thought and curiosity!
Those looking to follow Yeena’s upcoming projects be sure to check out her website,Instagram, and Youtube accounts. Yenna is represented by Brillstein and A3 Artists Agency.
