Sundance with Abe: On the Count of Three
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Sunday, January 31, 2021
Sundance with Abe: Jockey
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Sundance with Abe: Passing
Passing
Directed by Rebecca Hall
Premieres
There is an element of bigotry and discrimination that comes from recognizing that someone else belongs to a group that could be defined as other. Not knowing someone’s religion or heritage, for instance, might result in a shift in treatment when that aspect of who they are is revealed. It’s not nearly as easy to hide the color of a person’s skin, but there is a willful ignorance that many who hate for baseless reasons show for something that should be equally obvious and unimportant. Not being seen as a member of a particular group may invite the open sharing of sentiments that would be seen as unacceptable and derogatory if their identity was more apparent.
Irene (Tessa Thompson) lives in Harlem in the 1920s with her successful doctor husband, Brian (André Holland), and two children. She gets an unexpected flashback to her past when she runs into Clare (Ruth Negga) in a hotel tearoom. Their ability to pass as white due to their lighter skin becomes a point of contention when Irene meets Clare’s husband John (Alexander Skarsgård), an unapologetic racist who has no idea his wife is actually Black. Despite Irene’s feelings, Clare becomes a regular fixture in her life, challenging the way that she engages with her family and her world.
This is an adaptation of the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen that marks actress Rebecca Hall’s debut as writer and director. Shot in black-and-white, the stylistic choices help to make this film’s story and message even stronger. There is a gorgeous vibrancy to every scene, with vivid costumes and set decorations that highlight the luxury that both Irene and Clare experience, even though they’re told by some that they shouldn’t have access to any of it. There are also layers of complexity within the narrative, including Irene’s efforts to shield her children from the harsh truths she knows all too well about the world, which Brian believes they should be exposed to even at a young age.
The two performances at the center of this film are emphatic and feel very strongly grounded in fitting its period setting. Thompson plays Irene as bold and unwilling to put aside her beliefs and opinions for the sake of others, while Negga, an Oscar nominee several years ago for another formidable race-related turn in “Loving,” brings a dramatic flair to every line Clare utters, intent on maintaining the persona she’s built for herself. This story has a different relevance today than it did when the novel was first written, but its content is still important and brought to the screen in a very meaningful, worthwhile, and beautiful way.
B+
Sundance with Abe: At the Ready
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Maisie Crow
U.S. Documentary Competition
It’s a difficult moment in American history for law enforcement as the subject of defunding the police in the wake of continued systemic racism and brutality towards people of color has become a very prominently-debated topic. There are strong opinions both for and against it, and it’s a matter of great controversy given the belief many have that law and order need to be maintained in some way. That’s especially true when it comes to immigration and the border between Mexico and the United States, an issue that’s even more relevant in cities that are located very close to the intersecting boundaries of those two countries.
This documentary follows students at Horizon High School in El Paso, Texas, where classes in law enforcement are offered and a popular after-school club is all about criminal justice. Teachers prepare students for careers that will find them working within the community and ensuring stability and the rule of law just ten miles away from the Mexican border. The energy of the school and the club is often at odds with the heritage of many of the students, who come from households that don’t always have fond attitudes towards the professions they are enthusiastically considering.
This film zeroes in on one of the complexities of the major conversations about policing and immigration, which is the participation and role of those who identify as members of the minorities that are so frequently mistreated as enforcers of governmental and legal policies. The two shouldn’t stand in conflict with each other, but it’s evidently not that simple, and this film intelligently and sensitively probes the nuanced coexistence of the pride these teenagers feel training for a future they believe in and the loyalty they harbor towards their community and culture.
This is, at its heart, a look at the formation of young minds and the varying influences that shape them. Nothing feels manufactured here, with an authenticity to the sentiments everyone shares. The educators who have spent years working in these careers firmly feel that recruiting talent from the next generation is the most important work they could be doing, and those considering this future aren’t making their choices lightly, but because it means everything to them. There is nothing reductive or broad about this film, which puts faith in individual perspectives and the validity of these opinions and actions because they spark passion and excitement after thoughtful consideration. To apply their conclusions to the general population might be unwise, but there is great power and worth to this insightful and informative sampling.
B+
Sundance with Abe: In the Earth
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Premieres
One of the key elements of dystopian movies, and a good deal of science fiction in general, is the emptiness of once-populated areas. Protagonists are often seen traversing or wandering large spaces, whether they’re abandoned neighborhoods or vast forests, rarely encountering other people but well aware that they could happen upon dangerous, unpredictable elements at any moment. Whatever the threat was that felled humanity may be less severe and problematic than the way in which those who have survived have now adapted for their own survival.
Dr. Martin Lowery (Joel Fry) crosses through a quarantine checkpoint in search of Dr. Olivia Wendle (Hayley Squires) and a test site that might provide some answers to the virus that is afflicting the world. He is guided by park scout Alma (Ellora Torchia), who quickly demonstrates her resilience in the forest, though neither of them are prepared for an attack that leaves them worn-down and without shoes. When they meet Zach (Reece Shearsmith), a mysterious man living within the forest, they debate whether to trust him, a decision that has vicious consequence as his fanaticism is gradually revealed.
This film comes from writer-director Ben Wheatley, best known for horror films that this reviewer has largely avoided. The two films from his resumé I have screened are “High-Rise,” a dizzying satire about class systems, and “Down Terrace,” a clever and biting look at criminality. This entry zeroes in on a select few characters who have much more stimulation from the seemingly endless nature of the woods around them and the sounds they hear than from any intellectual conversation. But existing in the world in a solitary way only goes so far, and encountering those whose sanity has been challenged by their experiences and outlook can be vicious and horrifying.
The way that this film slowly wanders into unknown territory and unravels the terrors lurking within that forest is reminiscent of “Annihilation,” and Martin and Alma are equally unprepared for what they will find as that crew was. There are also elements of “Embrace of the Serpent,” particularly the deep belief in cultural mythology and the significance people have in the greater order of things. Those seeking a deep psychological dive into the harrowing and haunting may find this dizzying, psychedelic experience satisfying, but its storytelling approach feels purposefully disjointed, serving to disorient audiences as much as to intrigue them. Descending its dark, violent path isn’t all that appealing, and this gruesome head trip is more agonizing and baffling than anything else.
C+
Saturday, January 30, 2021
Sundance with Abe: Superior
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Erin Vassilopoulos
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Identical twins share more than just the same face. Though those who know them well and spend a good deal of time with them can easily tell them apart, the way that they move and behave may not be distinguishable to more distant acquaintances and strangers. Different lifestyles and major decisions can drive them far apart and make them unrecognizable in every way except for physically, which is also not a guarantee with athletic and hairstyling choices, among other factors. Coming back together after many years of separation is sure to highlight the ways in which they are no longer the same while reminding them both of their intricate connection.
Vivian (Ani Mesa) lives a relatively boring life with her lackluster husband Michael (Jake Hoffman) in upstate New York. She is surprised by the sudden arrival of her twin sister Marian (Alessandra Mesa), who she has not seen in years. Running from her own demons, Marian embraces the opportunity to reconnect with Vivian, who is deeply curious about what her sister has been doing all of these years. Their reunion represents a calm of sorts for Marian’s chaotic lifestyle and a reinvigoration of Vivian’s as elements of both interact to bring them back to a point of closeness they haven’t felt in a long time.
This film has a very particular and moody style to it. Shot on 16mm, it feels timeless in a way that’s only made identifiable by the sight of certain vehicles and technology that can be used to place it. There is a foreboding tone that ensures that Marian can’t actually escape her dangerous associations, and that even the most seemingly docile moments, like those set in an ice cream shop, shouldn’t be seen as safe. Every setting feels appropriately bare and sparsely-populated, allowing these characters to express themselves and feel comfortable sharing a part of who they are with audiences through their movements and actions.
Director Erin Vassilopoulos’ follow-up to her 2015 short of the same name, which casts Ani and Alessandra in the same roles six years later, is a very worthwhile and intriguing endeavor. Both actresses are magnificent, offering up hints about their personalities and motivations through the little that they do so and the way they interact both with each other and with the men in their lives. The dark road traveled by the narrative may not be completely fulfilling, but it’s an extremely interesting, involving, and stylized exploration of identity and kinship.
B+
Sundance with Abe: Ma Belle, My Beauty
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Marion Hill
NEXT
There is a reason that the end of many romantic relationships also means the end of any relationship between the parties. Whether they knew each other before they became involved or not, the idea of going from being incredibly close and sharing everything to a state of platonic friendship is difficult for some and impossible for many. Time may permit the easing of tensions and allow for wounds that may have been too fresh to be healed and turned into something else, but starting over with different expectations is rarely easy, and can often lead to renewed problems.
Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Fred (Lucien Guignard) live together in southern France. Their semi-stable lives are uprooted when Lane (Hannah Pepper), who was previously the third member of their polyamorous relationship in New Orleans, shows up. Bertie, who is attempting a jazz career, is particularly shaken since she was the object of both Fred and Lane’s affection, and Lane’s casual attitude, which includes a new fling with Noa (Sivan Noam Shimon), doesn’t sit well at all, prompting considerable jealousy, anger, and resentment.
This film smartly begins in France after this functional threesome has ended its arrangement, and the depth of Lane’s connection to Bertie is only gradually revealed after she appears. Much is communicated merely through looks and body language, and the moments of passion feel genuine and intense. The surrounding setting adds to the mood, highlighting the way in which Bertie feels unfulfilled and how Lane’s sudden arrival startles her, reminding her of happier times in which she felt more like herself, distinctly and comfortably aware of where and who she was.
This film is focused most strongly on these four characters, all of whom contribute to an involving and very watchable narrative. Guignard and Shimon play their parts appropriately, seemingly aware that Fred and Noa are never going to be the primary focus of their partner’s attention, even if they care deeply for them. Pepper is casual and direct, sharing Lane’s feelings openly and presenting her attitude without fear that she’ll be told she’s wrong. Johnson delivers the film’s best performance, attacking Bertie’s anxieties and intricacies with an unfiltered freshness that radiates throughout the film. Its dialogue-free scenes that allow the strength of the connections between its characters to show are its most resilient, creating an enduring portrait of the lasting pull of sincere romance.
B+
Sundance with Abe: John and the Hole
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Pascual Sisto
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Kids sometimes don’t understand the weight of their actions. Doing homework and chores can be annoying, and some may rebel against their parents for perceived injustices that are hardly significant in the grand scheme of things. But to a young person without much life experience, something can mean a whole lot more, and the reaction may not be justified or proportionate. Typically, such antics are harmless, but in some cases, seeing an opportunity to take charge or get back at parents can be much more dangerous and problematic than anyone realizes.
John (Charlie Shotwell) is thirteen years old, and splits his time between playing video games and practicing his tennis skills. When he finds a bunker in the nearby woods, he is intrigued. Soon after, he brings his father (Michael C. Hall), mother (Jennifer Ehle), and sister (Taissa Farmiga) into the bunker and leaves them there. He shows up with food and a few other supplies but refuses to say anything to his concerned family members, who gradually begin to realize the seriousness of their situation. Left to his own devices, John begins to play house, pretending his family has just gone away and doing what he wants while there’s no one there to bother him.
This film is an undeniably peculiar specimen, mainly because there’s not much to indicate why John would want to imprison his parents and sister in a hole, and nothing too surprising that he fills his alone time with once they’re not around. His ability to mimic his mother’s voice on the phone is unsettling, but aside from driving the car and lying to his mother’s friend, there are no other red flags in his behavior either before the hole or once he’s trapped them in it. The whole thing sort of feels like a thought experiment, probing what a normal bored teenage boy would do if he could live in a large, empty home with no rules.
This is a well-assembled cast, utilizing mainstays Hall, Ehle, and Farmiga to good effect. Shotwell, best known for roles in “All the Money in the World” and “Captain Fantastic,” had another recent opportunity to play the younger child in a dysfunctional family dynamic in “The Nest.” He’s a clearly talented actor, portraying John as someone who’s still figuring out what he wants while taking disturbing steps to get there. This film features pensive cinematography and a strong musical score, technical elements that highlight an intriguing premise that ultimately doesn’t seem, like its protagonist, to know exactly what it wants to deliver.
B
Sundance with Abe: Sabaya
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Hogir Hirori
World Cinema Documentary Competition
It is unfathomable to many living in free, relatively stable societies that criminal behavior can occur out in the open, endorsed by enough people in power merely by their refusal to intervene and insist on its cessation. While human trafficking does exist in the United States and does not receive the attention it should, women being sold into sexual slavery with top-level governmental approval is the subject of dystopian fiction like “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In some modern countries, it’s an unfortunate reality that is allowed to persist which only certain brave and determined resisters have decided they won’t tolerate.
Mahmud is a volunteer with the Yazidi Home Center in Syria. He works with a dedicated group to rescue the many Yazidi women known as Sabaya who were abducted by Daesh, another name for ISIS, five years earlier from Iraq, and are now being held within the Al-Hol refugee camp. Mahmud and his colleagues receive information about the identities and locations of the women but typically arrive too late to find anything, with those he pursues having apparently been tipped off to his arrival and able to switch locations before they are found.
Documentaries that portray the current situation in Middle Eastern countries embroiled in conflict have a tendency to be extremely disturbing due to the realities of daily life that they portray, but this film, like “The White Helmets” and “Last Men in Aleppo,” is particularly affirming for the courage and persistence it showcases from those committed to doing good in the face of unimaginable evil. Mahmud is not immune to frustration, and he also sees the way in which prisoners in the camp are treated, which indicates something far from humanity even if it is a considerable improvement on the horrific manner in which they view those they believe to be lesser, like the Sabaya.
From its opening moments, this film meets Mahmud and those he works with on the ground, introducing its content with onscreen titles but otherwise allowing what they do and the situations in which they find themselves to illustrate what is happening. There is a veritable intensity that comes from being there with Mahmud as he sees headlights behind him and worries that they might be following them, cocking his gun so that he’ll be ready in case things turn sour. This is an alarming and very unsettling film that shines an important light on tremendous injustice and those working tirelessly to combat it.
B+
Sundance with Abe: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Sundance with Abe: President
President
Directed by Camilla Nielsson
World Cinema Documentary Competition
It’s a jarring moment in American history to premiere a film about election integrity and efforts to manipulate and delegitimize results in order to preserve power. Though Joe Biden was ultimately inaugurated as president as planned after each step of the process continued to affirm his rightful win, it took a number of Republican leads a startlingly long time to acknowledge it, and many continue to deny its validity. What worried those paying attention was that an established democratic system was being undermined by a dangerous coup masquerading as the preservation of actual representation of the voice of the people.
The resignation of longtime Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in 2017 marked a crucial turning point in the country’s history. A thirty-eight-year dictatorship was set to be dismantled with the search for a new leader. Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s loyal vice-president, is the candidate for the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front party. On behalf of the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, forty-year-old Nelson Chamisa is determined to defeat Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF, convinced that a groundswell of support for a free Zimbabwe can overcome malicious efforts by those with power to ensure that they can hold on to it.
Director Camilla Nielsson’s last film was “Democrats,” an in-depth exploration of the writing of a constitution for Zimbabwe following the 2008 presidential election. That objective and extremely educational documentary showed what the goal was for the country, and now Nielsson returns a decade later to check in to see how the system could work with Mugabe abdicating his rule for the first time. It’s affirming and inspiring to see Chamisa fight so hard and rally those he speaks to since they do believe in him and what he wants to accomplish.
Like “Softie,” a recent documentary about a liberal candidate in Kenya, this showcases what it means to be an advocate for democratic change in a place where corruption is rampant and there’s no question about whether voter fraud will occur since it is all but guaranteed. Expecting a happy ending isn’t wise, but there’s a real reason to tell this story since it’s a crucial part of history that should serve as a desperate warning to those whose can still recall a free and fair electoral process in their countries. Chamisa is passionate and resilient, but his commitment won’t stop the very real death threats that force him into hiding and the courts that refuse to even consider the alarming discrepancies in reported vote tallies. This is an urgent and very well-made reminder of why speaking out and fighting for what matters even with little chance of success is vitally important.
B+
Friday, January 29, 2021
Sundance with Abe: CODA
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Sundance with Abe: Son of Monarchs
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Alexis Gambis
NEXT
The animal kingdom has its own hierarchies that offer plenty of insight, both literal and metaphorical, for the way in which people treat each other. Evolution hasn’t necessarily make humans smarter, and in fact may lead to their giving in more to base impulses that can at times make it impossible to distinguish their behavior from that of other animals. Studying insects offers a remarkable parallel to the class systems that exist in society and insist on keeping certain populations separate from others deemed more elite even if those differences may be arbitrary and ultimately irrelevant to their strength and ability to survive.
Mendel (Tenoch Huerta) works as a biologist in New York City, researching the monarch butterflies he remembers as a child growing up in Michoacán, Mexico. As he learns more and begins a romantic relationship with Sarah (Alexia Rasmussen), he is constantly reminded of his home. Unresolved questions about the death of his parents in a flood lead him to return to Michoacán and explore the fractured connection he has with his brother Simon (Noé Hernández), who is resentful that he chose to turn his back on his family and begin a new life elsewhere.
Mendel is a very mild-mannered and deferential protagonist, one who often merely observes what is going on around him rather than offering his opinion even in situations when it might be valuable. He comes alive through the passion he finds for his research and the way in which he reacts to the range of reactions he receives from his family members when he goes home to visit. There’s a deep sense that he believes that his study of the monarch butterfly can enable him a greater understanding both of the events that were formative in his life and the way in which people interact in general with each other.
Huerta, a familiar face from “Narcos: Mexico” and other projects, delivers an understated performance that gives Mendel a quiet wisdom, one that he attempts to use for good even if his brother in particular doesn’t see his departure for another place as excusable for any reason. There is a resonance to the seemingly unimportant moments, like Mendel watching Sarah as she practices the trapeze, that gives this film an added weight. There is something haunting in the metaphor of the monarch butterfly and its migration patterns, and this film smartly and subtly embeds that in an engaging and contemplative narrative.
B+
Sundance with Abe: Human Factors
I’m thrilled to be covering the Sundance Film Festival for the eighth time. This year, I’m not in Park City, Utah, but watching films virtually and reviewing them as soon as I can.
Directed by Ronny Trocker
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
A trip can mean many things, and it’s not always a pleasant vacation that provides a sincere escape from the banalities or stresses of everyday life. Couples in particular may look forward to a change of scenery to help alleviate tensions and be enabled to see each other through more relaxed and forgiving eyes. Being somewhere else can’t heal all wounds and magically make everything better, and it may even underline problems and make them more apparent, in addition to presenting new obstacles and challenges to complicate matters further.
Jan (Mark Waschke) and Laura (Karen Margrethe Gotfredsen) are a husband-and-wife team who work as partners in a successful marketing firm in Germany. While they are away at their family vacation home in France, Laura hears sounds that make her think someone is trying to break in. A series of disquieting similar events highlight the differences in attitude expressed by Jan and Laura as they consider taking on a highly political client. Their growing marital discord also affects their children Emma (Jule Hermann), who just wants to spend time with her friends, and Max (Wanja Valentin Kube), whose innocent nature too often finds him utilized as an unwilling ally for either parent in their arguments.
This is a brooding thriller that works best because it’s never entirely clear how unnerved and unsettled audiences should be. It’s inarguably true that Laura does hear something, but the fact that even she can’t confirm what it is means that her level of anxiety is entirely dependent on what she believes rather than what she can prove. Jan, who is more eager to think about work and to dismiss unexplained peculiarities that could serve as distractions, may be even more vulnerable to whatever elements seek to sabotage his family or his business because he writes them off as nonexistent constructions of an overactive imagination.
More than anything, this is a human drama about the way that people come apart in the face of challenging circumstances. Gotfredsen compellingly portrays a woman who sees the way in which her husband no longer puts her interests first and refuses to treat her as an equal because he’s too invested in his own ideas. Waschke, whose mannerisms are reminiscent of Michael Fassbender, ensures that Jan isn’t merely one-dimensional, but instead thinks he is doing the right thing by prioritizing business success over other aspects of his life. Tracking and deducing the specifics of whether a threat does indeed exist should be a secondary endeavor, one whose disconcerting mystery isn’t quite as effective as the primary relationship narrative.
B
Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe
Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!
New to Theaters and VOD: Supernova
New to Theaters and HBO Max: The Little Things
New to Netflix: The Dig
New to Apple TV Plus: Palmer
New to Virtual Cinemas: Softie
Sundance Film Festival Coverage
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Movie with Abe: The Little Things
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Released January 29, 2021 (Theaters and HBO Max)
Investigating dark, violent crimes can have deep psychological effects on a person. Even if their personal lives are far removed from the content and events they see during their workdays, the insight into the way that those who perpetrate vicious acts view the world can be infectious and corrosive. Similarly, there can be predictive assumptions made about a person’s circumstances or behavior to fit a particular profile that cast suspicion on them for things they may or may not have done. Even if timelines are contradictory and alibis place them elsewhere, who and what they are simply won’t allow them to escape the focus of investigations.
Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) works in the sheriff’s department in Bakersfield, California, and is sent down on a routine assignment to Los Angeles. When he arrives, he meets Detective Jim Baxter (Rami Malek), whose approach to policework is different but who quickly sees that Deacon has an eye for detail that can greatly assist him as he investigates a series of disappearances and murders of young women. After Deacon is ordered to return home and Baxter is warned not to work with this loose cannon, the two continue working off-book, their sights firmly set on one suspect: Albert Sparma (Jared Leto).
This is a slow-burn period police thriller set in the 1990s, utilizing payphones as its primary source of suspense building as Deacon and Baxter stage secretive operations that are mildly illegal and that couldn’t possibly be pulled off with the existence of modern technology. The pattern of irresponsible choices and subversion of clearly-expressed protocol is less timeless, indicative of cops who believe that the removal of dangerous elements from the streets justifies any actions they must take in pursuit of an arrest and conviction. As a result, its trajectory becomes all too familiar.
Casting Malek as the younger, more bright-eyed law enforcement official who hasn’t yet become numb to the brutality he encounters is a peculiar choice since he is best known for his award-winning roles in “Mr. Robot” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” two more distinctive characters who provided him with richer frameworks and arcs. Washington is a more suitable fit, though he doesn’t seem to be trying too hard here, and the same goes for Leto, who is enjoying himself too much for the dark tone of this film. Its plot twists are ultimately quite predictable, and this film isn’t able to achieve the dramatic impact of past successes like “Se7en” for which it so clearly seems to strive.
C+
Movie with Abe: Supernova
Directed by Harry Macqueen
Released January 29, 2021
Road trips are undertaken for a variety of reasons. In many cases, they originate from a need to get somewhere and the desire to do so either in a more economical manner or to see sights along the way. They do require time, and so those simply looking to get from a starting point to their destination may not actually get to take in the most beautiful views because they aren’t able to stray from the most direct path. Those with the luxury of a free schedule and the means to travel for pleasure can take advantage of tremendous opportunities, though remaining on the road forever to escape reality is hardly a sustainable plan.
Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) are traveling around England in an RV, visiting and reconnecting with old friends. The couple has been together for many years and is facing the most difficult part of their relationship, as Tusker’s dementia means that he experiences lapses in memory and can’t always recall important details about who they are to each other and basic elements of his life. Sam tries to push Tusker to continue writing so that he can preserve the elements of himself that he sees disappearing, while Tusker is more accepting of his fate and isn’t eager to push to do something he knows will be frustrating and painful.
Firth and Tucci are actors known for both dramatic and comedic work. This film’s premise puts them in a serious situation but allows them to exude plenty of snark and personality, especially when they make fun of themselves and each other in the company of others. Their dynamic and the banter they exchange is endearing, and their relationship feels lived-in and complicated, built on a foundation of equal participation that, due to Tusker’s loss of control over his mental state, can no longer be the case.
This is an inherently emotional film, one that finds its most poignant moments in the tapes that Sam and Tusker record together, which serve both as overviews of the greatest hits of their relationship and a check-in with where they are regarding Tusker’s memory and ability to function. It’s certainly poignant, but it feels like the story would have been stronger and more effusive with more time spent earlier on in their romance to show that which Sam is trying so desperately to recreate. Still, it manages to be a worthwhile and passionate film about the power of connection and the devastation of losing it.
B
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Movie with Abe: The Dig
Directed by Simon Stone
Released January 29, 2021 (Netflix)
Not everyone views history in the same way. There are those who devote their lives to studying what came before and how that influences the present, while others look only to the future and what they can accomplish. The preservation of notable discoveries and artifacts is typically seen as a collective effort for the benefit of society and humanity at large, but that doesn’t stop some from trying to take all the credit and feeling as if they are somehow more entitled to ownership over major breakthroughs and finds.
A wealthy widow, Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), enlists the services of archeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to excavate part of her vast property on the eve of World War II. Initially uninterested in the job, Mr. Brown soon discovers that the burial mounds may be much older than he ever expected. As he continues, his work draws the interest of powerful parties who seek to take responsibility and stewardship of this monumental project. Despite her declining health, Edith remains committed to and entirely faithful in the services of Mr. Brown, who consistently defers to the authority of the woman who is actually his employer.
This film is as much about the significance of what it is that Mr. Brown has been tasked to do – and the weight of what he doesn’t entirely know he will find – as it is about the people involved in it. Edith has been made to feel by some that she is no longer relevant, but she knows that the money she has and the land she owns makes it necessary for powerful people to at least defer to her even if they don’t quite respect her. Mr. Brown, who is married, believes in the sanctity of his profession and his ability to understand what he is doing, even if those watching him or attempting to control his actions indicate considerably less reverence for it.
Mulligan and Fiennes are both terrific actors who have delivered a range of memorable performances in the past. This is hardly their most enthralling work, with both portraying muted, introspective characters whose facial expressions are often more informative than the words they speak. Supporting turns from Lily James and Johnny Flynn are more memorable and emphatic. What is most compelling is the excavation that is depicted, now famous as Sutton Hoo, and the way in which Edith, Mr. Brown, and the rest of the characters treat this work. The cinematography and music assist a film that isn’t quite as gripping in presentation as its events are significant.
B
Movie with Abe: Palmer
Directed by Fisher Stevens
Released January 29, 2021 (Apple TV Plus)
It’s not easy for someone to escape their past, and that process is made considerably more difficult when everyone is aware of that history. Starting over in the same place requires a strong resolve and an ability to cast off the judgmental looks and comments of others who have less faith in rehabilitation or the true ability to change. Believing in the possibility of a return to something normal and the outgrowing of an unfortunate reputation is crucial, and even a positive attitude may not be enough to fully anticipate curveballs and other unexpected obstacles.
Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) is released from prison after serving twelve years and comes back to his Louisiana hometown. While he is warmly welcomed back by his grandmother (June Squibb), others are less forgiving of the violent nature of his conviction and uninspired by his apparent commitment to a new life. After he is hired as a janitor at a school, Palmer develops a close bond with Sam (Ryder Allen), the seven-year-old son of a drug-addicted mother, Shelly (Juno Temple), who disappears for an extended period of time. His newfound friendship with Sam and a budding romantic relationship with a teacher, Maggie (Alisha Wainwright), suggest an unprecedented hope for Palmer’s future that feels ready to be shattered at any moment.
There is something endearing and uplifting about the relationship between Palmer and Sam, one that begins with the adult party uninterested in spending time with a little kid but quickly sympathetic to the fact that he is mostly alone and often bullied at school. His tendency to dress in typically female clothing strikes Palmer as peculiar, but seeing others treat him poorly is much more of a trigger for the protective Palmer, whose temper is his worst enemy. Just as Palmer is an influence on the impressionable young Sam, his youth and most wide-eyed perspective on the world also help Palmer to come to terms with who he has become.
Timberlake started his career as a musician before transitioning to film work, mostly in comedic roles. He is skilled as a dramatic actor, but this role doesn’t really allow him to use his talents as well as other parts have in the past. The personality and energy that he possesses is all bottled up underneath a more serious, somber exterior, and seeing more of that might have been appealing. Allen, in his first film role, is extraordinary, a clear standout in a relatively standard unlikely friendship story.
B-
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
SAG Predictions: Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture
I’m making predictions for SAG, which will announce its picks on Thursday, February 4th, just after the Golden Globe nominations being unveiled on Wednesday, though I may revise them then if there are some big surprises. That said, there’s no corresponding category there. I improved from one out of five two years ago to two out of five this time around, so here’s hoping for a better overall score. I think that The Trial of the Chicago 7 and One Night in Miami are pretty far ahead of everything else. After that, Mank seems probable, as does Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, while Minari and Da 5 Bloods are the more serious choices over other possibilities like The Prom or The Personal History of David Copperfield. While Nomadland and Promising Young Woman have earned considerable praise this season, I’m not sure that they’re contenders in this category since they’re not really ensemble pieces. Both are very possible though!
Current predictions:
Mank
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Minari
One Night in Miami
The Trial of the Chicago 7
SAG Predictions: Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role
I’m making predictions for SAG, which will announce its picks on Thursday, February 4th, just after the Golden Globe nominations being unveiled on Wednesday, though I may revise them then if there are some big surprises. This category might be easy to predict but could also involve a surprise inclusion like Nicole Kidman last year or Emily Blunt or Margot Robbie in 2018. Amanda Seyfried (Mank), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Olivia Colman (The Father), Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman), and Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) are the probable frontrunners. After that, Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari), Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite), and Helena Zengel (News of the World) are other strong possibilities.
Current predictions:
Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman)
Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)
Olivia Colman (The Father)
Amanda Seyfried (Mank)
SAG Predictions: Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role
I’m making predictions for SAG, which will announce its picks on Thursday, February 4th, just after the Golden Globe nominations being unveiled on Wednesday, though I may revise them then if there are some big surprises. The real question here is how many actors from the same two films will be nominated. Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) is probably ahead of castmates like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Eddie Redmayne (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7), and Frank Langella (The Trial of the Chicago 7). Similarly, Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami) has a likely leg up on Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami). Beyond those two films, look for Bill Murray (On the Rocks), Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah), Paul Raci (Sound of Metal), David Strathairn (Nomadland), and potential double nominee Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods).
Current predictions:
Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods)
Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami)
SAG Predictions: Best Female Actor in a Leading Role
I’m making predictions for SAG, which will announce its picks on Thursday, February 4th, just after the Golden Globe nominations being unveiled on Wednesday, though I may revise them then if there are some big surprises. This is a very competitive category this year, and there are some definite frontrunners. Count on Frances McDormand (Nomadland) and Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) for sure. Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) and Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) seem likely too. For the fifth slot, will it be Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead), Sidney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always), Nicole Beharie (Miss Juneteenth), Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), Amy Adams (Hillbilly Elegy), Kate Winslet (Ammonite), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie), or someone else entirely?
Current predictions:
Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman)
Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie)
SAG Predictions: Best Male Actor in a Leading Role
I’m making predictions for SAG, which will announce its picks on Thursday, February 4th, just after the Golden Globe nominations being unveiled on Wednesday, though I may revise them then if there are some big surprises. The sure things are Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Anthony Hopkins (The Father), and Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods). I think that Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) will also be included, and it gets quite competitive after that. Strong possibilities include Gary Oldman (Mank), Steven Yeun (Minari), Kinglsey Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Tom Hanks (News of the World), and John David Washington (Malcolm and Marie).
Current predictions:
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)
Gary Oldman (Mank)
Monday, January 25, 2021
Golden Globe Musings: Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
Last year’s nominees:
Dolemite Is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman
The likeliest nominee here is Hamilton, but it’s always possible that voters will choose to ignore this curiously eligible filmed stage production. Other frontrunners include Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Palm Springs, The Prom, On the Rocks, and The King of Staten Island. I don’t have as much confidence in The Personal History of David Copperfield or Eurovision Song Contest, but they’re possible too, as are Let Them All Talk, Emma, and French Exit. I don’t think it’s likely at all, but I’d love to see a surprise appearance from The Climb here.
Current predictions:
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
On the Rocks
Palm Springs
The Prom
Golden Globe Musings: Best Motion Picture – Drama
Last year’s nominees:
The Irishman
Joker
Marriage Story
1917
The Two Popes
There’s no question that Nomadland will be nominated here. Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 seem safe too, as does One Night in Miami. I’m pretty sure that Promising Young Woman will make the cut, though it was briefly going to compete in the comedy races, where it might have had better odds. Da 5 Bloods, The Father, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, News of the World, and Sound of Metal are other possibilities. Watch out also for critics’ favorites from earlier in the year like First Cow, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things.
Current predictions:
Mank
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Golden Globe Musings: Best Director – Motion Picture
Last year’s nominees:
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Todd Phillips (Joker)
Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
This is a category that mostly draws from Best Motion Picture - Drama nominees and a well-received Comedy/Musical honoree or two. The big question this year is if multiple women can break through here. An all-male lineup is guaranteed not to happen thanks to Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), and she may be joined by Regina King (One Night in Miami), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), Kelly Reichardt (First Cow), or Eliza Hittman (Never Rarely Sometimes Always). Male frontrunners include David Fincher (Mank), Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Florian Zeller (The Father), Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods), Lee Isaac Chung (Minari), and Paul Greengrass (News of the World).
Current predictions:
David Fincher (Mank)
Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
Regina King (One Night in Miami)
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Golden Globe Musings: Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Last year’s nominees:
The Irishman
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
The Two Popes
The Globes don’t have separate categories for original and adapted screenplays, which means that the buzziest films nominated in the top races often place here, along with a few surprising inclusions every couple of years. Both “Roma” and “Parasite” made the cut in the past two years, and I think that suggests that another subtitled entry, Minari, has a decent shot. It will have to compete with The Trial of the Chicago 7, Nomadland, Mank, and Promising Young Woman, as well as other possibilities like The Father, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Da 5 Bloods, News of the World, Sound of Metal, On the Rocks, and First Cow.
Current predictions:
Mank
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Song
Beautiful Ghosts (Cats)
Into the Unknown (Frozen 2)
Stand Up (Harriet)
Spirit (The Lion King)
I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)
This category is especially hard to predict without the list of fifteen finalists for the corresponding Oscar race, which won’t be released until after Globe nominations are unveiled. Presumed frontrunners include Speak Now (One Night in Miami), Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Rocket to the Moon (Over the Moon), Io Si (The Life Ahead), and Wear Your Crown (The Prom). If voters are feeling less serious, Húsavík (Eurovision Song Contest) or Wuhan Flu (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) could show up here. Other contenders are Just Sing (Trolls: World Tour), (If Only You Could) Save Me (Mank), and Loyal Brave True (Mulan).
Current predictions:
Io Si (The Life Ahead)
Speak Now (One Night in Miami)
Rocket to the Moon (Over the Moon)
Wear Your Crown (The Prom)
Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Score
Last year's nominees:
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Motherless Brooklyn
1917
I don’t know if Nomadland is going to be eligible here, but if it is, it won’t have any problem being nominated. Tenet is a good bet here too, and while Soul is a likely Oscar nominee, animated films rarely get honored here. Strong possibilities include News of the World, Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Minari, Da 5 Bloods, and One Night in Miami.
Current predictions:
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Tenet
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign Film
Last year’s nominees:
The Farewell (USA)
Les Miserables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)
I correctly predicted all five nominees in this category last year, and I would love to repeat that feat this year. There are a staggering 139 films in consideration from 77 countries, which is of course much more than on Oscar’s list. Among the likeliest contenders only eligible here are Minari (USA), The Life Ahead (Italy), I Carry You With Me (Mexico), New Order (Mexico, France), and Cuties (France). It’s hard to know which films will ultimately be ahead from around the world, but it’s fair to say that Another Round (Denmark) is surely at the top of that list. Two of Us (France) feels like a safe choice too. I’ve heard excellent things about This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection (Lesotho, South Africa, Italy) and Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey), but I’m not sure either will end up picked here. Other possibilities include Apples (Greece), Charlatan (Czech Republic), Dear Comrades! (Russia), La Llorona (Guatemala, France), My Little Sister (Switzerland), Never Gonna Snow Again (Poland, Germany), Night of the Kings (France, Côte d'Ivoire, Canada, Senegal), A Sun (Taiwan), Sun Children (Iran), True Mothers (Japan), and You Will Die at Twenty (Sudan).
Current predictions:
Another Round (Denmark)
I Carry You With Me (Mexico)
The Life Ahead (Italy)
Minari (USA)
Two of Us (France)
Golden Globe Musings: Best Animated Film
Last year’s nominees:
Frozen 2
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
The Lion King
Missing Link
Toy Story 4
This category is a bit emptier than usual because the bigger animated films haven’t been coming out as much. There’s no debate that Soul is at the forefront. What’s next is a bit more of a question mark. While Wolfwalkers is a shoo-in for an Oscar bid, Cartoon Saloon has only ever been nominated here for “The Breadwinner,” not its other two Irish productions. Over the Moon and Onward both probably have a good chance, mainly because it’s not clear what else would bump them. Likeliest to fill out the category is The Croods: A New Age, the sequel to a 2013 nominee in this category, or The Willoughbys.
Current predictions:
The Croods: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
Wolfwalkers
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