Category: REVIEWS

Samuel Kihagi’s “The Blue” follows Francois (Lee Bingham) living a life of solitude as a filmmaker and screenwriter who spends most of his days procrastinating. He lounges around, eats, watches TV and internet porn and slowly sinks further into a state of depression. The film quickly becomes almost unbearable to watch as Francois wastes away in his daily routine.

The sadness in his mundane existence reminded of Ellen Burstyn’s character in “Requiem for a Dream” (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) where the audience can literally seek no shelter, and are forced to watch a rapid downhill spiral. Kihagi’s use of inserts and jump cuts were reminiscent of Aronofsky’s editing style, the addition of these visual jolts not only increase the discomfort in watching the film; but, also pop the audience back into engagement when it all becomes too mundane to watch.

As a viewer and filmmaker myself, I could really empathize with a lot of what Francois was going through, which made me squeamish in remembering my own past of staring at a partially blank script. In watching Francois, though, I had hoped that this story would have a bright ending.

About halfway throughout the film I believe I let out an audible sigh of relief when a random stranger came to Francois’s door. I was glad to not only see him interact with someone, but also to give the film some much needed dialogue exchange. The random stranger was Dora, (Kayla Morales,) who showed up to check his water meter and teach him about water conservation.

Dora was peppy and upbeat, the polar opposite of Francois, yet somehow found a way to give him tough love as she helped him look inward and see that the change he was really seeking started from within. Though an interesting dichotomy was apparent from their first meeting, they were gravitationally pulled together by a shared sadness I thought was truly unique. On the surface Dora appeared to be blissfully happy, but we quickly discovered she was suffering from her own thoughts of inadequacy and internal struggles, and that the two were actually not all that different.

The standout in this film for me was Lee Bingham as Francois. Appearing alone on screen for over an hour is a difficult task, he really understood the rhythm of the character, and played Francois with a subtle sadness that came across incredibly realistic. I hope he continues his film work, he would pair well with Spike Jonze or Spike Lee in the future. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oHxgJpH36M

Although this piece is interesting for a critical review I cannot recommend it to a mainstream audience. The cinematography leaves something to be desired and there are flaws in the sound design, but I cannot really blame the budgetary constraints for this film having a frustrating experience. It is very plodding and methodical, and getting through a piece like this is really for a more seasoned indie film viewer.

That being said, I have a huge admiration for Kihagi and I think he has massive potential given the right exposure and additional funding. There’s a lot of discomfort to digest here, but it is brimming with artistic vision and showed a bright future for Kihagi.

A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Monroe “Mo” Harris (Griffin Gluck) attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of his best friend Zeke (Pete Davidson), an unmotivated-yet-charismatic college dropout. Although Zeke genuinely cares about Mo, things start to go awry as he teaches nontraditional life lessons in drug dealing, partying, and dating, while Mo’s well-meaning dad (Jon Cryer) tries to step in and take back the reins of his son’s upbringing.

Jason Orley’s Big Time Adolescence is not only one of the finest coming-of-age films you can find in recent years, but is an extremely impressive directorial debut. With his first feature, he shows an incredible amount of skill and directs this film in a warm and inviting way, while also feeling greatly depressing and cold, but in all the best ways.

It’s probably not a stretch to say that a lot of people enjoy coming-of-age movies, myself included. Just recently, I was able to catch the excellent Brett Haley-directed All the Bright Places, and was delighted to see yet another great film in the genre. It’s always a treat to watch one of these movies, as a ton of them are relatable to me. Especially the characters. And while I can’t really say that I related to Griffin Gluck’s Mo in Big Time Adolescence, I still appreciated and enjoyed watching his journey unfold before my eyes and see his character arc develop.

This is a movie that has something profoundly important to say and it says it in a raw and powerful way. The film mostly plays out like a comedy-drama, about a kid that looks up to this grown man named Isaac “Zeke” Presanti (Pete Davidson) that he has known ever since he was little, and when he was dating his sister. Mo doesn’t have any friends at his school, and for years, has looked up to Zeke as his biggest influence. He is essentially Mo’s brother that he never had, and watching the bonding between Mo and Zeke was equal parts gleefully hilarious and melancholy.

At the beginning of the film, Mo is an average kid. He attends school, eats dinner with his mom and dad, hangs out with his sister, etc. He doesn’t get into any trouble with the school principal or anything like that and he doesn’t drink or do any drugs. But once he gets closer to Zeke, he starts to fall into the wrong crowd and begins to drunk and distribute drugs to other students he meets at parties.

Seeing his character go through all of these struggles was remarkably fascinating. While the story of Big Time Adolescence at its core is really nothing new and often comes off as predictable and tired, it becomes fresh due to its witty script, smart sense of direction and the character development for everybody.

By far the actor that surprised me the most here was Pete Davidson as Zeke. Perhaps best known professionally for his work on the long-running television program Saturday Night Live, Davidson hasn’t done too much in terms of film acting. Going in to this film, I was honestly worried that Davidson would not have that much acting range and would come across as bad. I was worried that I would never be able to look past Pete Davidson and see him for the character he is playing. Gratefully, that was not the case here. Davidson puts in a ton of effort into this role and is often times funny while also a bad person. You never flat out hate him, but you don’t necessarily root for him either.

For a long while, it seemed as if the film was only going to show Zeke as the “typical stoner” character with little room for development, but as the second act drew to a close, it became evident that he, too, was going to have an arc which was a delight.

Also great here is Griffin Gluck as lead protagonist Mo. He is without a doubt the character that has the most development and he is the one that the viewer can sympathize with the most. The way his story played out on screen was deeply moving and thought-provoking and also serves as a great wake-up call.

With this script comes a powerful message. It’s a story of self-discovery and trying to figure out who your real friends are and which friends are just trying to use you. And although there’s not a whole lot that’s wholly original or fresh here, it’s still a powerful and interesting tale of a misguided teen that is relevant for today.

Big Time Adolescence may not be the most original outing, but it’s still a deeply funny and surprisingly heartfelt coming-of-age story.

Joshua (Jeremy Ninabar) and Emma (Melissa Joy Boerger) are siblings, twins in fact and ever since they were born, they’ve held a strong connection. However, when Emma develops supernatural powers, Joshua sees no other option than to sedate her and keep her hidden from the people that may want to take her away and use her powers for evil.

The twins are also being harassed by somebody who also seems to have similar supernatural powers to Emma and it’s down to Joshua to do his best to keep Emma hidden away while he works to make money to keep them both alive. Unfortunately, this means competing in an underworld fight club, but it’s the only thing that keeps Joshua sane. Problems start to arise though as a mysterious man tracks them down and claims that he can help Emma control her powers.

Transference is the latest film from writer/director Matthew Ninabar and also the latest film to star his brother Jeremy. No doubt taking the experience of growing up as close siblings, Ninabar’s story takes the audience through the story of the two siblings and what Joshua is willing to do to protect his sister. The trouble is that there really isn’t anything new to be seen in the story and the few twists that come in the story really add nothing to it as the pacing is so slow and the ending so predictable.

Joshua is the typical hero of a story like this, he’s tall, blonde, brooding and… boring. He monologues about how he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, has always been angry and never feels more alive than when he’s punching seven shades of Sunday out of whoever he can get his hands on.

He may be the typical hero, but he’s also a lazy, cliched stereotype who could only appeal to the kind of meatheads who never connect with their feelings and blame everything on absent fathers. The most character development the audience gets out of Joshua is whether he may or may not have slept with the only woman he knows, Amanda (Jehan Hashim).

Then after what seems like an age the audience gets to the final act and the big reveal of the nature of Emma’s powers is… underwhelming. It’s hinted at what her powers may be throughout the film, but when it’s finally revealed it’s a mixture of every cliched superpowered character that comes to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX0WDkiOFGY

Is it telekinesis? Mind control? Force powers? It’s all very unclear and the supposed true villain of the story is about as ineffective and non-threatening as they come. The X-men could beat the villain on a bad day, even Deadpool could do it if he was given enough cash.

All in all, Transference is as dull and forgettable as its characters and really doesn’t offer the audience any surprises. A little character development and bonding between the characters may have helped, but as far as the story goes, nobody should really care.

After meeting each other, two young teenagers named Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) and Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past. They discover that even the smallest moments can mean something.

If anybody knows me, they know that I genuinely love coming-of-age films. It’s without a doubt one of my all-time favorite genres, and a large portion of my favorite movies fall under the genre. There is just something incredibly exciting and greatly rewarding about watching a movie in which a character (typically a teenager) has to overcome challenges and figure out who they are.

Perhaps they are also just extremely relatable. I can list a bunch of coming-of-age films that have truthfully spoken to me thanks in part to the excellently realized characters, with my all-time favorite being Nadine Franklin in The Edge of Seventeen. Not only was her character one that was deeply grounded and realistic, but one that felt like me in a way. It’s my favorite film in the genre.

With all of this being said, Brett Haley’s film adaptation of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places didn’t seem like it would offer anything unique or different. Looking at the promotional material accompanying the movie, I wouldn’t blame you if you took a quick glance at it and said that you would pass because it looked generic. But, trust me, now that I have seen the film, I can happily report that this is not bland or familiar at all. It’s a gripping, uplifting and emotionally devastating experience.

The biggest reason as to why this film feels so different compared to others in the genre is because of the treatment of its characters and the central romance that the screenwriters are trying to portray. Violet and Theodore have both gone through some heart-wrenching events in their past. Violet’s sister Eleanor has passed away as a result of a car crash, and therefore, she refuses to set foot in a car ever again, no matter who is driving or how fast they are going. She has had to deal with the trauma for a long period of time and she feels extremely raw.

Theodore also struggles with depression and at one point in time we learn that he doesn’t have the greatest father either. As the puzzle pieces for both characters get put together, and certain revelations are unveiled, the overarching story becomes one that was incredibly entertaining and interesting to follow.

Speaking of the characters, the actors that portray the leads are absolutely astounding here. Justice Smith portrays Theodore and Elle Fanning portrays Violet. Both actors have a tricky role to play, and they go to emotional places that I have never seen these two people go in their careers. This is without a doubt the strongest performance that Smith has given to date, and Fanning also delivers one of the best performances of her career.

The chemistry on screen from these two is also some of the best that I have seen in an incredibly long time. They honestly feel as if they have known each other for years in real life and are best friends. Nothing about the way they interact with one another feels staged or scripted, even though it is. It’s truly remarkable stuff.

But what makes the film so special is the way its story is told. It’s a love story as well as a shockingly deep and thought-provoking teen-centered drama that has many twists and turns up its sleeve. As the romance was blossoming between Violet and Theodore, I was worried that it would go into the traditional syrupy sweet route that so many romance stories in film go. I was delighted to see that it did not end up taking that route at all. Their relationship here is one of the most realistic depictions of a relationship I have seen in years.

As for the dramatic element to the plot, it was handled with a great sense of vigor and emotion. You’d think that for a movie that, at its core, is about love and is aimed towards younger audiences, it wouldn’t be all that depressing, but it is.

The first act is a relatively sweet and innocent set up for the rest of the movie to come afterwards. It can be a little bit rocky and it is often unclear as to where the story is going to go. But after the first act is out of the way and the second act kicks into gear, everything picked up immensely. The transition from sweet love story to greatly gut-wrenching territory wasn’t necessarily the smoothest.

But when the emotions hit, they hit hard. The final thirty minutes of the movie are absolutely terrific. As certain plot points are revealed, and whenever we as audience find out certain things in relation to our lead protagonists, it is honestly heartbreaking. This, accompanied with the euphoric score from Keegan DeWitt, make the finale equal parts breathtakingly beautiful and haunting.

Charming, sweet, and often deeply gripping and emotional, All the Bright Places is a mesmerizing coming-of-age story told with immense skill.

Toni Morrison the Pieces I Am is a documentary film exploring the extraordinary life of highly acclaimed author Toni Morrison, who had sadly passed away during August of 2019. Morrison was famous for her novels, such as Sula, The Bluest Eyes and, arguably most famous of all, Song of Solomon – not to mention winning the Nobel Prize for Literature with her novel, Beloved.

They are famous not only for the quality of Morrison’s writing but for their cultural and historical relevance. They were published at a very important time of course, but they have retained their relevance to this very day. Her way of writing people as people and stories as stories may not sound that profound a thing – but she was a huge help getting black literature on the shelves in every store.

The documentary plays out with Toni Morrison herself discussing herself. From her work, to her themes, to her life in general. We are presented with video clips, interview footage and still images of what she is talking about, highlighting the importance of events and her work. Between footage of Morrison, the film boasts a cast of famous people, such as writer Russell Banks, politician Angela Banks, and Oprah Winfrey – who also starred in the Johnathan Damme directed 1998 adaptation of Beloved. All of whom are telling us how Toni Morrison had touched them and how it had affected their lives.

The film starts with a blank piece of paper, on which someone constructs the photo of a young Toni Morrison, on top of which comes another piece of paper and another constructed photo of an older Morrison. And on it goes until we have Toni Morrison as she was towards the end. It is an excellent metaphor for the film ahead and does play quite literally to the film’s title. But it also gives you an immediate sense of awe and whimsey.

The film uses an excellent visual to successfully hook you, and then relies on Morrison to help carry the rest of it. That’s not to say that the visuals go downhill from there – although they aren’t as powerful as that opening moment. They are nice. The footage and images chosen are perfectly picked and edited. It’s a very good-looking film at the end of it.

But the focus is on Morrison. And she is as captivating to listen to as her books are to read. She has a soft voice that is at one welcoming and full of wisdom. I feel like she could captivate by simply reading a menu. And it’s not just how she speaks, every word she says is interesting.

It feels like a window into her life, and there aren’t too many who can say they had as interesting a life as she had. Director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders knew exactly what he wanted for his film and, more importantly, how to ask it. In other hands, we may not have had something that felt so special.

For those of you who think that it may not be an accessible film due to not having read any of her works – I assure you that isn’t a problem. I haven’t read a single one of Morrison’s work (being more of a sci-fi, horror, fantasy kind of reader myself). I recommend it to anyone. If you feel that it can inspire you or touch you, it will. If you just want a pleasant watch, it works well for that too. All of this hammers in what a loss it was to lose her last year, and how lucky we are that her work will live on.