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  • The Social Dilemma: Review

    The Social Dilemma: Review

    Debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Netflix’s The Social Dilemma is the latest documentary to set its sights on our social media-obsessed culture. Combining its factual ruminations with a docu-narrative hybrid approach, director Jeff Orlowski’s unique angle to the genre fails to pack a pertinent punch.

    Mixing testimonies from social media executives and internet theorists, The Social Dilemma analyzes our daily relationship with these controversial platforms. What many see as a means of connecting presents wholly unknown dangers to the real world, depicting the increased misinformation and emotional apathy generated from frequent interactions. The film shows these dynamics through an interwoven subplot, which follows an ordinary family grappling with their own obsessive tendencies with media outlets.

    Considering our persistent relationship with smartphones, The Social Dilemma does have some relevant information to relay. Orlowski’s film works when it dives deeply into the nuances behind social media’s uncontrollable nature, particularly how platforms operate as destructive forces against democracy. The increase in polarization and ill-advised propaganda are harmful symptoms of our new reality, showcasing toxic issues that could become fatal if not recognized. I do think people utilize social media without recognizing the consequences behind their behaviors, with this film offering a vital roadmap for those who aren’t as informed.

    The Social Dilemma will give audiences a serviceable roadmap of these problems, but it lacks the nuance to convey their full extent. Orlowski’s approach spreads itself thin, dancing around different facets without rendering each with proper thought and insights. It’s clear this film could’ve benefited from a deeper roster of interview subjects, skewing their focus towards elitist tech workers rather than capturing those at the ground floor of these side-effects (would have loved insights from someone directly impacted by Facebook’s altering of democratic values). This approach delivers a film that settles on simplistic conclusions that add nothing new to the conversation.

    The Social Dilemma tries to imbue a fresh change of pace through its semi-narrative approach, yet its inclusion acts as an unwarranted distraction. Orlowski’s lack of experience in narrative filmmaking is on full display, crafting segments that reek of sitcom-y contrivances and hackneyed dialogue. Skylar Gisondo and Kara Hayward are capable actors straddled with thankless roles, as the after school special narrative only stands to display obvious reinactments rather than further enhancing the concepts onscreen (the narrative feels so poorly constructed, journeying down bizarre plot threads without an ounce of development).

    Despite highlighting vital subject matter, The Social Dilemma only offers half-baked truths.

  • For All Mankind: AppleTV+ Review

    For All Mankind: AppleTV+ Review

    On July 20th 1969 America put the first man on the moon. This ended the space race and firmly ensured that America was a highly intelligent and capable superpower.

    For All Mankind is a new drama on AppleTV+ that reimagines a pivotal moment in not only US history, but the history of the world by changing that moment so that Russia won the space race. From that moment on, the course of history is forever changed and due to certain innovations made by Russia’s space program, it spurs NASA on to do better and find alternatives to achieve their goals.

    Among the cast of characters is Edward Baldwin (Joel Kinnerman) an astronaut who missed his chance to get to the moon, Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) an ambitious and determined woman hoping to go where no woman has gone before, and Ellen Waverley (Jodie Balfour) another of NASA’s hopefuls who has to work hard to keep her personal and her professional life separate.

    For All Mankind tells their stories as well as paying homage to NASA’s history during their greatest achievements, even talking about moments that NASA may rather forget.

    Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to the right balance set between these historical moments and the personal lives of For All Mankind’s characters, so the latter seem to be put aside for the first few episodes. This and the show’s insistence on jumping years ahead from episode to episode make it difficult to focus on the human-interest elements, unintentionally softening some of the more emotional moments that could have had a bigger emotional impact if they were given time to breathe. Instead, For All Mankind is so focussed on its mission that it forgets some of the characters it leaves behind.

    However, in the first season’s final few episodes, For All Mankind does manage to slow down a little, giving the characters a little space to expand.

    There are some great moments of joy, sadness and tragedy amongst the cast of characters and hopefully the post credit tease on the final episode will move the show along to yet another era in NASA’s history and build more upon its characters.

  • Resisterhood: Review

    Resisterhood: Review

    Resisterhood is a feature-length documentary about the rise in activism from women and minority groups in America, in response to Trump’s 2016 presidential election. 

    The film follows six American activists on their journey to fight social injustice and campaign for the November 2020 elections. Dr Jean Gearon, the great-granddaughter of a Suffragist, turns her small book club into the Women’s Alliance for Democracy and Justice, with over 400 members. Margaret Morrison, who first marched alongside John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, now at 82 years old still attends protests including the Women’s March where she proudly wears her “Black Lives Matter” button and pink pussy hat, with a determination to educate future generations.

    Joanna Lohamn, a professional soccer player from Washington known as the “Rainbow Warrior”, uses her platform to champion LGBTQ rights. Mimi Hassanein is a Muslim Egyptian immigrant running for county office in the Midterm elections. Luis Gutierrez fights for immigrant rights as a long-time Congressman from Chicago, and leads the charge to boycott the 2017 Inauguration. 

    This documentary does a great job at representing six very different lives within America, which are all connected by their activism and by being victims of social injustice.

    Despite the very negative start to the film, which depicts Trump aggressively promoting sexism, homophobia and racism, the general theme is very positive as we see the activists find support and strength within their communities. We are left feeling a sense of power and hope from women and minority groups, and a clear resistance to Trump and what his presidency represents.  

    Resisterhood proudly promotes that it is produced, directed, filmed and edited by women. Director Cheryl Jacobs “CJ” Crim has a reputation as a provocative independent filmmaker, and does not disappoint with this raw and well-researched piece. The mixture of live campaigning and marching footage, alongside private interviews, is incredibly emotive and presents a full picture of the current political state of America. 

    “Watch us fly”, says Margaret as her last words in the film. Resisterhood is a testament to the strength of the ordinary Americans who led the wave that created the most ethnically, racially and gender diverse Congress in history. This documentary is hugely informative, but its true purpose is to tell uplifting stories, spread hope and reenergize the fight against social injustice. 

  • Ava: Review

    Ava: Review

    Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain emanates an instant presence onscreen, utilizing her innate ability to convey strong performances in Zero Dark Thiry and Molly’s Game. Her enduring strength always seemed tailor-made for the action genre, making her latest staring endeavor Ava an intriguing proposition. Despite bolstering an acclaimed cast and worthwhile aspirations, Ava mostly operates as a bewildering misfire.

    In Ava, Jessica Chastain stars as the titular protagonist, a lethal assassin who returns home after a mission goes sideways. In an effort to re-connect with her family (Geena Davis plays her mother while Jess Weixler plays her sister), Ava looks to atone for her eight-year absence by righting the wrongs of her alcoholic past. While she tries to make peace, her contractor Duke (John Malkovich) is being pushed by his protege Simon (Colin Farrell) to take her out of the picture, leaving Ava on a desperate fight for survival.

    From the opening frames, Ava attempts to elevate its familiar action trappings through its character-driven approach. Infusing the typical formula with a sense of weight sounds great on paper, yet Matthew Newton’s screenplay strains itself with futile dramatic aspiration. The character dynamics never feel lived-in, with the script furiously throwing expository dialogue at the screen to compensate for their lackluster development.

    We hear so much about Ava’s rocky history regarding her family and past alcoholism, but the audience is never able to connect to these lingering demons. Chastain does her best to imbue gravitas into the character’s struggles, though her talents can never shake the overwhelming sense of banality. Like a lot of poorly drawn action heroes, she comes off as a cold enigma despite this film’s frequent attempts to humanize her. The side characters, including Ava’s family, her former boyfriend who is now dating her sister (Common is given nothing to do), and her spy associates, are equally underserved by a script that draws concepts without coloring them fully.

    If the drama doesn’t work, what about the action? Somehow these frames are even more inept. Tate Taylor has constructed some strong films (Get on Up is overlooked), yet his transition into genre filmmaking continues to suffer from blandly-coated sterility. Every attempt to punch up the craftsmanship with slick style falls woefully flat, utilizing cliche techniques that create a noticeably cheap aroma (seriously, this felt like a TV pilot airing on CBS). The action scenes are constructed without much care, hacking choppy edits that morph hand-to-hand fights into incoherent eyesores. This pervasive sloppiness is damaged further by a self-serious tonality, which only works to further damages the apparent hiccups onscreen (the only fun comes from a so-bad-its-good fistfight between Colin Farrell and John Malkovich, which features an apparent use of stunt doubles).

    Jessica Chastain stands strong as an action star, but Ava‘s misguided execution lies beneath her abilities.

  • Chris Evans Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Chris Evans Edition: Bits & Pieces

    Chris Evans Edition: Bits & Pieces – The Last Shift is an American story about two men struggling in the same town, while worlds apart. Stanley (Richard Jenkins), an aging fast-food worker, plans to call it quits after 38 years on the graveyard shift at Oscar’s Chicken and Fish. His last weekend takes a turn while training his replacement, Jevon (Shane Paul McGhie), a talented but stalled young writer whose provocative politics keep landing him in trouble. These two who share little in common are brought together through circumstance.  Stanley, a high school dropout who has watched life pass by his drive-through window, proudly details the nuances of the job. While Jevon, a columnist who’s too smart to be flipping patties, contends their labor is being exploited. A flicker of comradery sparks during the long overnight hours in a quiet kitchen.

    In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Frederick, Colorado. As heartbreaking details emerged, their story made headlines worldwide.  Told entirely through archival footage that includes social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages and never-before-seen home videos, director Jenny Popplewell pieces together an immersive and truthful examination of a police investigation and a disintegrating marriage. AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR is the first film to give a voice to the victims.

    Netflix released today the official trailer for EMILY IN PARIS.  The 10 episode romantic comedy series created, written and executive produced by Darren Star (Younger, Sex & The City)starring Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, To the Bone) is set to debut on 2nd October, 2020.

    Three American late teens travel to Japan to escape a sad past and have some fun but end up trapped in a house with a demented Japanese host family who plans to offer them to their gods in a sick ancient Japanese ritual. Diana G., Will Harrell, and Alex Derycz star.

    DEAD WATER sees a group of friends terrorised by a pirate on their yacht during a pleasure cruise. Unfortunately for the pirate, one of the group happens to be an ex-Marine who is teetering on the edge. It’s triple-crosses and terror (not to mention antique harpoon guns) from that point on, as the boat plunges into deeper water, and an extremely stormy climax.

    Christina Yoon’s ‘Mirror’ focuses on a woman with a scarred face who feels pressure from society to get plastic surgery. This eye-opening short screened at this year’s New York Shorts International Film Festival, DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival and Woods Hole Film Festival. Mirror will be screening at the Oscar qualifying Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in September.

    UNSETTLE IN and join us for talent and filmmaker interviews on behalf of Amazon Studios and Blumhouse TV’s WELCOME TO THE BLUMHOUSE, a collection of spine-chilling thrillers developed and produced with an eye towards original, genre storytelling. The first four films – The Lie, Black Box, Nocturne, and Evil Eye – will be released on Prime Video this October.