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  • Alice: Review

    Alice: Review

    Alice (Emilie Piponnier) finds herself in a nasty situation. Her husband has disappeared – the theatrical and charming François (Martin Swabey), a story-teller amidst the unveiling debt and dishonesty. Kind Alice, seemingly let down by most people she encounters, searches for clues in their shared but unread bank statements and papers.  In order to overcome financial disaster, she becomes Sophia, a woman who learns to know her value and does not hesitate to ask for what she deserves, while gaining Lisa (Chloe Boreham) – new colleague, purveyor of useful tips, and apparently only genuine friend.

    As Alice absorbs the tears and desires of her clients, returning home to her young son and desperate François, both needing her support, it is clear that she is needed by everyone. The underlying hypocrisy in the storyline is palpable, with sex appearing transactional, and women being useful when they calm down and keep their mouths shut. 

    I saw ALICE a couple of months ago and I have continued to think about it since. The premise of the story, a woman who despite earning the income in the relationship fails to read her bank statements, is a common one. Law courts are filled with people who fully entrusted their money to their partners, blinded by love or disinterest or both. The film’s multiple layers while sometimes feeling contradictory, work together, and the evolution of Alice’s character is compelling.

    From dependable working wife and mother, carrying all of the domestic and emotional load, to a person who begins to trust her own instinct, which includes saying no. “You have won, we’re even”, says François, and in that final line lies a deep incomprehension about unexpressed needs and survival. Some may find these aspects a little contrived but others may feel this is secondary to its ability to foreground perplexing and all-too pertinent issues.

    French-based Australian writer, director and producer, Josephine Mackerras made her Parisian film while facing a delay on another project. Working with a small budget, an available set – her own apartment – and a generous team, Mackerras has created an intriguing and complex mix of comedy, horror and tragedy.

    ALICE has been justly rewarded including the Grand Jury prize at SXSW (2019) as well as Best Independent Feature, the Audience Award and Best Director at the 2019 River Run International Film Festival. 

  • Rag Doll: Review

    Rag Doll: Review

    By Alex Purnell. Director Bailey Kobe brings us a woman power drama about a young MMA fighter training for an upcoming fight. Unfortunately, Rag Doll doesn’t deliver much of a punch and goes slack in its effort to grapple attention.

    Boasting a mostly female cast, Rag Doll’s premise is nothing new. Infested with bad writing, clunky technical difficulties and painful editing, the first half carries itself kicking and screaming. A frustrating watch, it’s biggest positive laying in some great performances from lead Shannon Murray playing the reserved yet powerful Nora, as well as some brilliant casting decisions with Coach Rosheen (Dot-Marie Jones) and Aisha (Roxana Sanchez), with all three carrying the weight of this film, particularly in the second half.

    Rag Doll follows Nora, a young woman who is training to be an MMA fighter whilst also juggling looking after her mother who suffers from cancer and a cleaning job at a motel. She grows close with sparring partner Aisha, who is training to fight in an upcoming tournament. To try and improve her and her mothers quality of life, the inexperienced Nora enters the competition in a bid to snag the $100,000 prize. From intense sexual pressure between her and Aisha too her unpleasant side hustle as a prostitute, there’s a lot of untapped potential to Nora’s character which just wasn’t touched upon, with frustrating un-finished or un-developed narratives putting a strain on the film as a whole.

    The two biggest crimes committed are the messy plot and the unnatural and ungainly dialogue. Most evident within the first hour, some conversations are nearly unwatchable, the first scene in which this is largely noticeable is Pharmacy store, introducing the side-character and love interest of the film Jason (Dante Basco). After Nora finds out that her mother’s cancer medication is no longer fully covered by her healthcare plan, good-guy Jason steps in to pay the $70 bill needed. This develops into an incredibly awkward and strange dialogue sequence between the two and the pharmacist. For the most part, the scene is ruined by bad delivery and jagged editing, in which it feels like the direction they were going for was a natural conversation but felt more so like it was written by an alien attempting to mimic human interaction. The entire romantic plot between Jason and Nora is a complete write-off with no chemistry, build-up or payoff.

    Despite this, Rag Doll vastly improves in the second half, breaking through into the much stronger MMA-training and fighting side of the story. Although the majorly undeveloped relationships make what could be some of the intensely emotional scenes seem rather half-baked, it’s fighting sequences are engaging and at points tense.

    In fact, the build-up to the competition was an overall highlight, creating great moments for the lead, and in the ring, a mix of good sound design and claustrophobic shots generated some compelling and exciting moments. Because of this, It feels like the film would have greatly benefited from concentrating more so on the MMA narrative, but instead attempts to take on too many idea’s, failing to satisfyingly conclude any of them. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M19qJPhEpiE

    In short, a disappointing first half fails to build momentum for the second. Although its brilliant to see a female-centric sports film centred around what is considered to be a male-dominated sport, it feels like Rag Doll tapped out in the first round.

  • Natalia LaLonde: A Quick Chat

    Natalia LaLonde: A Quick Chat

    Natalia LaLonde is a model, influencer and wellness expert based in Los Angeles, California. By Eleanor Klein.

    Tell us a little about you & your background in wellness.

    I think I inherited my passion in wellness from my great grandmothers. My great grandmother was always interested in wellness – she was making fresh carrot juice for breakfast out in Flint, Michigan before I was born.  My great grandmother on my mother’s side was living off the land and drinking fresh coconuts out in the countryside of the Philippines. 

    When did you realize this could be your profession & career?

    I realized this could be my profession after having modeled for years, and enrolling in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  The courses there taught me that there is a business in health coaching – and that there is a career in influencing and guiding others in making healthier choices.

    When and why did you decide to make the shift to plant-based? Did you feel better immediately?

    I shifted to plant-based because I took a class at University of Michigan called the sociology of animals – I thought we would study an animal’s role in our family structure, but instead, we studied how animals are objectified in society, and the nature of factory farms.  

    Paul McCartney wasn’t wrong when he stated “if slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarians”  I couldn’t look at meat the same way after taking that class.

    What does a day of eating look like for you?

    A day of eating for me generally looks like: Wake up – have a glass of water, make a matcha or coffee loaded with superfoods (shilajit, ashwaghanda, Chaga, Dragon Herbs Diamond Mind Tincture) and almond milk, and MCT oil.

    My first meal of the day is around 11/12, and consists of carbs like fruit, oatmeal, or coconut yogurt with some cacao nibs, then I have a large lunch around 2/3 consisting of avocado toast and a salad or a large salad consisting of leftovers from the night before over greens

    Dinner is around 6 PM and I’ll have vegan pizza, or kimchi dumplings I’ve been obsessed with making lately.  This is more of a snack for me, with my largest meal being my first mid-morning meal and mid-afternoon meal

    Your body is banging! What is your favorite workout to tighten up quickly?

    Pilates, pilates, pilates!  I owe all my toning to pilates and working with my trainer, Justin Gelband.  He helps strengthen and lean out the tiniest muscles in your body.  He utilizes a combination of pilates, yoga, martial arts, barre and capoeira to target every micro muscle in the body.

    Favorite restaurant in New York City? In the world?

    Favorite restaurant in New York City would have to be Plant Food and Wine.  Their vegan lasagna and hot fudge sundae is out of this world!  It’s great for plant-based, and to take your non-plant based friends – all eaters are often impressed with the food there.  

    My favorite restaurant in the world used to be Grassroots Pantry in Hong Kong – they have shut down!  they had this incredible lions mane pad thai that I have to learn to make myself since I haven’t eaten there in years and I’m still craving it!

    Favorite cocktail?

    Anything spicy with tequila.  And the earl grey martini at the Pegu Club.  I shake my head with delight every time I have a sip!

    Favorite snack?

    Popcorn!  I recently found a brand called Bjorn Corn that is popcorn from an organic farm popped by solar panels!  I love the spicy version.

    Best kept healthy secret?

    This isn’t exactly a secret, more a hard fact – that the secret to good skin and a healthy body all boils down to diet!  I firmly believe that one can get the priciest face products and have the best trainers in the world, but if that’s not paired with a healthy diet, then they’re at a huge disadvantage! 

    Best advice for someone who is looking to clean up their diet?

    Eat local, eat natural.  If you can’t pick it from tree, pull it from the ground, or for those meat eaters – kill it with a spear – then don’t eat it.  Nothing in a package, avoid sauces and strange ingredients one can’t pronounce.  Stick to the outside perimeter of the grocery store, and don’t go down the inward aisles.  This is a great start!

    Where to find you?

    Instagram is @natalialalonde I also have a food and health Instagram called @foodiefitmodel. Please reach out with any questions and concerns – I love talking about this!

  • Sheffield Doc Fest Features (Part 2)

    Sheffield Doc Fest Features (Part 2)

    Sheffield Doc Fest Features (Part 2):  Southern Journey (Revisited) and Elder’s Corner. Other features can be found at Sheffield Doc Fest Features (Part 1)

    Winding up the coverage of Sheffield Doc Fest’s Rhyme & Rhythm strand, I have selected two films that are about legacy and voyages of discovery. Elder’s Corner, and Southern Journey (Revisited).

    Elder’s Corner 

    Elder’s Corner is one man’s quest to understand his roots via a musical family tree. Its various branches include Juju, Afrobeat, and High Life, which musician and filmmaker Siji Awoyinka discovered while living in New York. 

    Awoyinka travels to Nigeria in order to track down the musicians, with a box of records as his starting point. There is no better way to explore Nigeria’s recent history than through the music, because it reflects the political and societal changes so intimately. War and political changes caused many of the musicians to be displaced or dispossessed. 

    There is a line of great trauma that runs through Elder’s Corner. The film was many years in the making, and Awoyinka catches many of the musicians just in time. There is a long list of participants who passed away during the making of the film, including E.C. Arinze, Mary Afi Usuah, and Fatai Rolling Dollar.

    A lot of the musicians had never revisited their traumatic experiences in public, and Awoyinka does not enter into this lightly. But in his quest to re-record the music he is able to bring joy to them as well as exploring their pain. The new recording sessions take place in Lagos at Decca Studios, where they originally recorded in the 1960s, using much of the original equipment with all of its idiosyncrasies. It is in this setting that the musicians become animated and begin to open up about their experiences.

    Sheffield Doc Fest

    Siji Awoyinka sets out on a deeply personal journey. In doing so, he discovers Nigeria’s oral tradition, of which he is a product. With Elder’s Corner he creates a valuable document of this turbulent 20th Century history, and context for his music today.

    Sheffield Doc Fest

    Southern Journey (Revisited) 

    Southern Journey (Revisited) is a contemporary redux of folklorist and ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax’s famous field recording trip Southern Journey. The Alan Lomax recordings have long been a source of fascination for filmmakers Rob Curry and Tim Plester, and this is their second film inspired by the archive.

    Curry and Plester are opportunistic. An important quality in a documentary filmmaker. They subscribe to Werner Herzog’s philosophy which is more to do with observation, curation, and no small amount of plundering, than with careful planning and storyboarding. It’s this flexibility that explains the order in which they have made their films. 

    Southern Journey (Revisited) looks like the film they set out to make in 2017, when they ended up making The Ballad of Shirley Collins. They began with the Lomax archives, but on meeting Collins discovered a different story — one of a singer losing her voice to heartbreak. It was a shrewd decision to run with that story rather than pressing for this one. Curry and Plester were right to put a pin in their original ideas, and allow Collins’s story to take its own direction. 

    Southern Journey (Revisited)

    It is through The Ballad of Shirley Collins that the pair find themselves able to fully realise the story of the Southern Journey. Whilst touring the 2017 documentary, they travel (not by accident) along the route taken by Collins and Lomax in 1959. Here they encounter people and places recorded on the Lomax trip. They use Shirley Collins’s memoir America Over the Water as their guidebook.

    In much the same way as Lomax and Collins, the pair are received with both warmth and caution. Some are eager to share their views, and others are visibly guarded — wary of being judged. In taking a slice of southern US culture, Curry and Plester strive to be responsible filmmakers. They are aware that it is too easy for editing to morph into censorship, and they are mindful to avoid that. 

    Sheffield Doc Fest

    They present a view of the USA that addresses stereotypes directly. It is refreshing to hear from communities that are often overlooked when it comes to ‘culture’ in America. Southern Journey (Revisited) is scrappy and serendipitous, as much a product of luck as of judgement, which Rob Curry and Tim Plester would be the first to admit.

    Sheffield Doc/Fest, short for Sheffield International Documentary Festival, is an international documentary festival and Marketplace held annually in Sheffield, England.

    Read more Sheffield Doc Fest reviews on BRWC

  • Hogwood: Review

    Hogwood: Review

    By Thomas White. 

    Hogwood is an unflinching documentary which uncovers the shocking conditions under which animals are subjected to in the factory pig farming industry. We follow activists and campaigners from the animal welfare group Viva! as they go undercover to investigate one such facility in particular, the somewhat quaintly named Hogwood farm. 

    Presenting and narrating the film is Jerome Flynn, best known for his roles in the BBC series Ripper Street and HBO’s Game of Thrones. Having a celebrity attached to any independent project is a practical and often necessary requirement in order to secure funding and backing.

    Hard-hitting films like this can, however, run the risk of shifting the focus away from the urgency of their message and distract the audience by involving a media personality with their own personal agenda. This is not the case with Flynn. A vegetarian since the age of 18 and patron of the Vegetarian Society, as well as joining animal rights organisation PETA, he is clearly a passionate and legit advocate for the cause. He speaks with a respectful balance of urgency and appeal, suitably objective but not emotionally detached. 

    Juliet Gellatley, an animal rights activist and the founder of Viva!, is our guide through the narrative, explaining with measured fervour each stage of the organisation’s fight to expose well known but hidden truths in an industry devoid of compassion towards the animals it produces on a mass scale. Her emotion is palpable, at times clearly struggling to temper her frustration and anger as she delivers the facts and findings in a truthful, non-divisive way.

    Gellatley’s commendable determination and hands-on approach are a credit to the film’s acclaim. She shows qualities not always communicated as successfully in similar formats. 

    As well as those involved at Viva! are a host of other interviewees, ranging from doctors, farmers and medics, all experts in their respective fields, each offering intelligent and clear analyses explaining the topics raised. Equally included are representatives from the large agricultural corporations in question, each with their own share of substantiating data and official statements. 

    Director Tony Wardle’s film covers and explores each argument as best it can in its short running time, being understandably brief on some issues which could have been interesting to get deeper into, for example the more legally grey areas and standards and practices further down the production line. 

    Hogwood is a tough watch which pulls no punches. Viva!’s discoveries show horrific evidence of extreme animal cruelty, mistreatment and untreated disease, as well as particularly distressing scenes which highlight the inordinate suffering the pigs endure. There is an undeniable shock factor, a tried and tested controversial tactic, though justified in this case and difficult to avoid in order to drive home the film’s message in such a powerful way.