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  • Lingua Franca: Review

    Lingua Franca: Review

    Lingua Franca: Review. By Alif Majeed.

    Opposites attracting onscreen has always been excellent cinematic fodder. Especially if they are opposites who are two broken but kindred souls struggling in their lives. Lingua Franca seems to take two characters who have been created by following the fractured soul’s rulebook and injecting as much drama as possible. But somewhere down the line, the director has managed to give them enough personality that you end up caring about what happens to them.

    Lingua Franca’s main USP has to be its lead character. Isabel Sandoval, who is also the director of the movie, portrays Olivia, a local caregiver in a Brooklyn neighborhood of an elderly Russian woman Olivia. As she is looking for companionship while trying to find a suitable person to marry for a green card, she pips the interest of Olivia’s grandson, Alex (Eamon Farren). 

    Things are going well enough between them until Alex realizes that Olivia is a trans woman. How the two of them deal with the realization and if they get together is what drives the movie.

    The struggles of an undocumented immigrant struggling to make ends meet and looking out for a green card are portrayed rather well. What makes it even more poignant is Isabel’s portrayal as the trans woman Olivia who has become so pragmatic about her situation that she would refuse to give love a chance even when staring right at her.

    It almost reminds you of Ramin Bahrani’s brilliant Man Push Cart, another movie that subtlety portrays the struggles of an immigrant who can’t catch a break. It is equally heartbreaking seeing Olivia struggling to silently work towards her dream while silently suffering the heartbreaks she faces getting there.

    Eamon Farren is also perfect as Alex, as his reactions seem perfectly natural as he realizes that the woman he loves is a trans woman and could end up being the butt of jokes among his friends. 

    Lev Gorn (The Americans) makes an impact as Alex’s uncle who gives him work and cares about his nephew enough to hope he doesn’t screw up while begrudgingly spews venom on him whenever he meets Alex. Also excellent is Lynn Cohen as Alex’s grandmother, who is also a mute spectator to Alex and Olivia’s relationship. 

    Sadly the ending feels like a cop-out as the director keeps it predictably ambiguous. The movie takes a while to get going. And when we finally get invested in what happens to them, that ending does feel like a cheat.

    Also, as mentioned, there are moments where the situations seem like it came from a textbook manual where the director makes it feel like the struggles have to seem never-ending rather than just being so. 

    It almost feels like the characters are struggling, not because of what they are going through. But because of what the makers willed it to and to wring out the last bit of emotion from us.

    Thankfully, Isabel does not choose to show unnecessary backstories to create sympathy for the characters. Apart from the phone calls she makes to her family in the Philippines, we know very little about her back story. Her conversations with her best friend about their childhood also feels heartwarming while delivering a gut punch at the same time.

    In Olivia, Isabel Sandoval manages to bring out a wholly original character that came only come out because you know there was a real person who lived out that life. Watching it play out on screen and how she chooses to portray it is why you should Lingua Franca be seen.

  • Chemical Hearts: Review

    Chemical Hearts: Review

    Chemical Hearts is the story of Henry Page (Austin Abrams), a teenage student who considers himself a hopeless romantic but has never fallen in love. The young man aspires to be the editor of the high school newspaper and lives happily focused on his studies to enter a good university until Grace Town (Lili Reinhart) enters his class. His new partner is not exactly the girl of his dreams, but little by little he falls in love with her when the two teenagers are chosen to edit the institute newspaper.

    Coming-of-age movies have always spoken to me and have always meant a lot to me, especially during my youth. I am twenty-years-old now so I really can’t say that I am coming-of-age anymore, but I still love these types of movies regardless of my age. They are still so relatable to me and speak to me on such a personal level that it can be a bit tricky to describe accurately. There have been quite a few good coming-of-age films this year such as All the Bright Places and Big Time Adolescence, but none of them come close to being as deeply intimate and powerful as Richard Tanne’s Chemical Hearts, which definitely won over my heart.

    It’s not the most game-changing film in the genre, but it doesn’t need to be. It takes the formula for success and manages to tell an immensely sweet but emotionally strong story of two teenagers that feel a connection with one another, but they really can’t describe their feelings to each other, despite the fact that they are both writers. Henry often tries to tell Grace how much he likes her and tries to be cool and flirty with her but says that he isn’t the best at those types of things. He says that he thinks a lot better when he actually sits down and his time to plan out his words as opposed to him just saying it on the fly.

    Grace on the other hand is the complete opposite. When she sits down to write something, she finds that it takes her quite a bit of time to come up with the words that she is trying to say, but when she is talking to somebody in person, she says exactly what she wants to say. One of the standout scenes in Chemical Hearts is a beautifully real moment with Henry and Grace talking in their school library about growing up as a teenager and how sometimes being young is the worst realization of all.

    It’s truly miraculous that Chemical Hearts has as many excellent scenes like the one I just mentioned. There honestly wasn’t a single scene where I was bored or uninterested. I was always fascinated to see where Henry and Grace’s relationship was going to go next. They get each other so well but are confused by each other and constantly try to figure each other out at the same exact time. It’s sweet and charming and never feels fake.

    Part of the reason why the characters work as well as they do is because of the performances from both Austin Abrams and Lili Reinhart. Together, their chemistry is absolutely infectious. They feel so nuanced and quiet in their roles and feel as though they are incredibly close in real life too. Both of their performances here impressed me greatly and I cannot wait to see what else they do in the future.

    If there is something to complain about with the film, it would have to be the fact that we don’t get any time with side characters. The film introduces Henry’s school friends in the first act but doesn’t do a single thing with them whatsoever which was quite disappointing. They show up every once in a while but even still, they almost never show them talking to Henry. It almost feels as though they aren’t actually his friends at times which I’m sure wasn’t intentional.

    Plus, when you really boil it down, the movie feels a bit too much like other films in this genre. Like I said earlier though, it’s not too much of a bother when the execution is done right, even if the story can come across as somewhat familiar. Rest assured, the execution in Chemical Hearts is done wonderfully.

    Chemical Hearts beautifully captures the highs and lows of teenage life thanks to its nuanced and intimate screenplay and its wonderfully human lead performances.

  • Ladies And Gentlemen: Review

    Ladies And Gentlemen: Review

    By Rowan Malyon.

    This unique little film says a lot with very few words. A finalist in the Best Editing category at the 2020 Oregon Short Film Festival, Ladies And Gentlemen is an endearing film about finding your people and not changing yourself to fit in.

    This short follows Nan, an amateur comedian determined to succeed despite getting knocked back again and again. She deals with some of the worst obstacles anyone putting themselves out there can face: an apathetic audience, friends that don’t understand her humour, and her own self-doubt. Nan must decide whether to give the people what they want and stick to the status quo, or stay true to her own unique sense of humour, hoping someone will eventually understand.

    Directed by Gabriel Oliva and written by Torrey Richardson, Ladies And Gentlemen is visually stunning, and a treat to watch. The jumps between the real world and Nan’s happy place where she can be herself are seamless, and highlight just how much can be going on behind a person’s eyes when outwardly, they appear awkward and out of place. 

    Richardson also stars in the movie and turns Nan into an incredibly sympathetic and delightfully unusual character. She won the Best Actress award at the Austin Comedy Film Festival in 2019, and anyone can see why. From her delivery to her body language, Richardson oozes comedy. In fact, all the actors in this film, from the unfortunate audience members, to Nan’s supportive, yet weary friends make the film a joy to watch.

    Packing a ton of visuals into a short space, Ladies And Gentlemen encapsulates the ever-relatable fears we all face when dealing with major career crises, and the terrifying prospect of just being ourselves. The sharp, quirky humour of this award-winning short may leave you blinking in surprise before you start to laugh, but you will be won over by its earnest message about staying true to your own voice. 

  • Unhinged: Another Review

    Unhinged: Another Review

    Unhinged: Another Review. By Alif Majeed.

    Every once in a while, you have an A-lister who would do something that borders on a B-movie. Nicolas Cage might be a perineal punching bag in this regard, and once that point is crossed, it boils right into self-parody. It might always not necessarily be a bad thing, but sometimes you realize that the guy has got to the point where he is coasting along parodying himself. And when you see the movie, you finally know what the actor would look like in a second rung movie. 

    Russell Crowe is an actor who HAS chewed the scenery before. Rather spectacularly, in fact. And one of the best things about him is he is pretty comfortable playing second fiddle to others. There might be times when he does this without drawing any attention to himself like in Proof, one of his earlier movies where he gracefully lets Hugo Weaving do all the heavy lifting. And even when he was going over the top, it was usually in the company of other A-listers like Denzel Washington and Tom Cruise in Virtuosity and The Mummy, respectively. 

    Sadly, Unhinged is where all his trademark ticks and quirks take center stage, and he goes full insane in the esteemed company of well, himself. It is a movie that feels like a cross between The Hitcher, its sequel, and Falling down, and what came out is The Hitcher 2.5: This time, I Brought My Car.

    It is an easy movie to rage and rant on, but the movie’s problems go way beyond toxic masculinity or the allegories it tries to depict about the current state of the world. It seeks to say too many things in a self-righteous way that feels almost tiring. That is its main problem. Take out all that, and what you get is a movie that is just too damn slow and boring. 

    When all the depravity and craziness feel like it is going to give you a hangover, you think of watching Unhinged ironically. It doesn’t even succeed in that respect, as just when you think you are going to find something ironic to like in the movie, it gets stuck again, making you try to shift your attention elsewhere. It also doesn’t help that every other scene; it suddenly just decides to shifts gear by throwing everything on the screen. 

    For a while, it does look like a Rear Window scenario where only the protagonist, Rachel (Caren Pistorius), would know Russell Crowe is doing. That makes it almost disappointing when many people realize mighty fast that a deranged killer is on the prowl. Maybe its a play at how technology makes it impossible to hide something like that (the opening credits depicts people in different stages of public rage caught on camera) but again feels like a major bummer.

    The makers probably felt they got lucky when they got Russell Crowe for the movie. Who wouldn’t want an Oscar-winning A-lister in what is essentially a play on B-movie archetypes? But what could have ended up as one of Unhinge’s highlights is what makes its wheels come right off the car he chases Rachel in. Russell Crowe’s presence almost comes off as too in your face, almost to the point of distraction. You know it’s not enough for the villain to beat the crap out of a guy to death. For that final starry flourish, as Russell Crowe plays the villain, he also has to stab the guy in the neck and jeer at the audience to remind you that it is “RUSSELL CROWE” who is playing the villain.

    Caren Pistorius (Slow West) is saddled with the thankless role of a victim caught on Russell Crowe’s deranged warpath due to a traffic light incident. Given the circumstances, it is surprising how much better she comes across. However, getting the short end of the stick is Jimmi Simpson, in a mandatory best friend who you know won’t get make it out well. What is amusing, though, is how quickly he becomes dispensable.

    Calling it the worst movie of the summer might be pushing it too far, considering the unprecedented situation that we had this year where the summer season is almost nonexistent in the first place. Also, though the movie virtually screams out, saying, “Relax guys, it is just a brainless movie which should not be taken seriously.” The problem is that the makers shoot themselves in the foot by trying to make too many statements about issues that deserved a better movie.

    Unhinged is probably best viewed in the confines of your house when you are doing other stuff and watching the movie as a distraction. The kind of movie that you wait it out instead of rushing to the theatre because you know you can stream it online soon after.

  • DON’T CLICK: G-Hey Kim Interview

    DON’T CLICK: G-Hey Kim Interview

    Ahead of the FrightFest World premiere of DON’T CLICK, director G-Hey Kim talks about the challenges of making her debut feature

    Your 2017 DON’T CLICK short was hugely successful on the festival circuit. Is that when you decided to expand it, or was that always the plan?

    I never planned to extend my film because I never expected it to actually happen. Only a few short films have had the opportunity for a full feature version such as Saw (2004), Mama (2013) and Lights Out (2016). So I wasn’t expecting that my short film would ever get that chance. When I got a call from George Mihalka about creating a full length production of my film, I was very surprised and incredibly glad. From then on I began to think of my film as a full length feature

    Was it difficult to think of ways to elongate the concept into feature length?

    It would have been difficult without my amazing writer, Courtney. It’s  hard to extend the plot of a short film without it dragging or feeling bloated. But Courtney was a fantastic writer. She understood the exact concept I was going for and knew the best way to get there. I enjoyed developing the story for the feature version with her.

    Your executive producer is slasher royalty! How did you get George Mihalka (MY BLOODY VALENTINE) on board?

    I may have had a bit of help in that regard, due to the fact that when I created my short film Don’t Click, it was as an assignment for a class that he was teaching. He was really impressed by the film and recommended I submit it to some festivals. He’s been a good mentor, helping me a lot to get this project off the ground. I’m so thankful I got the chance to work and learn from him.

    Had you seen Valter Skarsgard in LORDS OF CHAOS? Did he jump at the chance to play Josh? 

    I hadn’t seen the film before his name was brought up during the casting meeting but after I had seen his work, I was convinced that he would be perfect for the role of Josh. We sent the script off to his agency and we were all incredibly pleased when word got back that he was interested. It was a huge relief because he was definitely the right person for the job.

    You didn’t want to act in the feature like you did in the short?

    Seeing as it was my first time as the director of a feature film, I wanted to make sure I was focused and wasn’t taking on more than I could handle. That’s why I decided to stay behind the camera this time as otherwise it could quickly become overwhelming. It turned out to be the right decision, but the experience that I had as an actor did come in handy while working on the feature film. It helped me to communicate with the actors, knowing what they were experiencing on the other side of the camera.

    Websites, technology, the nasty side of the Internet, is DON’T CLICK a warning for our times?

    Absolutely. Due to the ever evolving nature of technology and science, our lives are rapidly becoming more convenient. But we’re also facing new problems that we’ve never seen before, such as what I show in my film –  the disconnection to criminal and pornographic violence when viewed over the Internet. It may feel like something that only happens in movies. But the online chatroom sex abuse case in South Korea was real. It’s time for us to really sit down and think about it.

    What were the main challenges for you as director this time around?

    As I mentioned before, it was my first time as a director of a feature film. I went from having a crew of 3 to having a crew of 45. It often made it difficult to communicate everything I needed to the right people. I made some mistakes, but luckily the crew I was working with were amazing people with lots of experience. They were experts in their fields and they always supported throughout the project. Not only the staff, but the actors were fantastic as well. The feature film is a well-made horror film thanks to their efforts, dedication, and passion.

    The feature was shot in Canada and we are seeing so much talent emerging from that territory. Why is that, because it’s easier to fund genre pictures?

    One of my favorite genres is horror. What I believe is that a director can make a film very well when he likes the genre and understands it fully. Ideas are popping up left and right and filmmakers here are clamoring to make them. Hopefully. this surge of talent continues, and helps Canada grow more and more on the global stage.

    FrightFest is delighted to be hosting the World Premiere of DON’T CLICK at their virtual August event. What does that mean to you, and is it the perfect platform considering the subject matter?

    Don’t Click is about the disconnect in the virtual world. So it’s meaningful to me to show it to the audience for the very first time through a virtual event. I think the audience may feel more scared watching at home alone on their laptop, just like the characters Josh and Zane did. They may find that on the internet, anyone can find themselves in Josh and Zane’s place.

    Finally, what’s next for you?

    The feature film Don’t Click was a great opportunity for me. I have learned a lot of things from it. I almost feel as though it were my first love. But now I need to think about my next step. I’ve been looking into making some short films and I’m currently shopping around some feature length scripts that I’m hoping will get picked up.

    DON’T CLICK is showing online on Saturday 29 August, 8.45pm, in the Arrow Video Screen, as part of the Arrow Video FrightFest August Digital event.