[Sundance Interview] Justin Kelly (Director of I Am Michael)
Video shot and edited by J. Frank.
I Am Michael, the upcoming film featuring James Franco as Michael Glatze, a former gay rights and LGBT icon who famously renounced his homosexuality to become a Christian pastor, is set to for its worldwide premiere tonight during this year's Sundance Film Festival. The film, which is based on the New York Times article "My Ex-Gay Best Friend" written by Glatze's former best friend, Benoit Denizet-Lewis in 2011, explores Glatze's relationship with his long-time ex-boyfriend, Bennet (Zachary Quinto), and his religious awakening.
We had the chance to interview the film's director Justin Kelly about the film, working alongside Franco and Quinto, whether Glatze and Denizet-Lewis had any involvement with the film, and more. Be sure to come back later this weekend for our full review of I Am Michael.
[Sundance Review] Entertainment
Three years ago, Rick Alverson’s previous film, The Comedy, premiered at Sundance. The reception was wholly divisive, with many either loving or hating it. In the same vein as The Comedy, Alverson’s follow-up film, Entertainment, intends to poke and prod at audiences with the same subversive fervor.
Entertainment
Director: Rick Alverson
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 24, 2015 (Sundance)
The unnamed protagonist of Entertainment (referred to as The Comedian, portrayed by Gregg Turkington) is a middle-aged comedian touring the Californian desert while playing at less-than-stellar venues to even lesser-than-stellar audiences. By day, he’s a schmuck wandering around unpronounced areas, but by night, he slightly comes alive once he hits the stage. However, his jokes are alienating, jarring, and unforgivable, and when audiences heckle him, he heckles back twice as hard, creating awkward and uncomfortable situations. Throughout his journey, he leaves nightly voicemails to an estranged daughter who doesn’t seem too interested in seeing or hearing from him. The film comes to a head when The Comedian attempts to perform at a glitzy children’s birthday party in Hollywood, only to have a mental breakdown.
Fans of Turkington will instantly recognize The Comedian’s similarities to Turkington’s most famous character, Neil Hamburger. The jokes in the film resemble some Hamburger’s style of comedy that is intended to ruffle feathers and create unease within the audience. Indeed, it’s this uneasiness that’s carried over through the entire film. The Comedian is washed-up hasbeen (if he ever had been in the first place), and his desperation to justify his performances is truly uncomfortable to witness. Off-stage, his jarring discomfort is seen, such as an encounter with another man (Michael Cera) asking for help inside a rest stop bathroom.
The title Entertainment is used ironically, since the film doesn’t necessarily entertain audiences. Rather, the film challenges its viewers to truly examine what entertainment is and how much so-called entertainers have to go through to deliver their brand of “entertainment.” Juxtaposed with The Comedian’s self-deprecating performance is his tour buddy, Eddie the Opener (Tye Sheridan), who applies clown makeup and partakes in scat humor for laughs. Which of these approaches can be defined as “entertainment?”
From a film standpoint, Entertainment is admittedly boring and uninteresting where crowds will be split between those that “got” it and those that didn’t. However, from a deeper level of examining and critiquing art, Entertainment is the type of film that will have audiences picking it apart to find its true meaning. In saying that, it’ll fit well with fans of alternative/anti-comedy and art school crowds, but general audiences will avoid it.
[Sundance Interview] Cast and Director of Cronies
Video shot and edited by J. Frank.
When I said really enjoyed Cronies in my review, I meant it. The film embodies the complexities of camaraderie, friendships, and city life in a simple, digestible way that anybody can relate to it. During this year's Sundance Film Festival, J. Frank and I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Zurich Buckner, George Sample III, Brian Kowalski, and Michael J. Larnell about the film. Cronies is bound to find distribution soon enough, so keep it on your radar over the year and make sure you catch it the first moment you get a chance.
[Sundance Review] Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Can a film be considering exceptional if the first two acts are brilliant, but trails off as the third act rears its ugly head? That’s the question I’d like to address with my review for Stockholm, Pennsylvania. As all forms of art are concerned, the full product is only as good as its weaknesses, and unfortunately, Stockholm, Pennsylvania showed so much promise, just to dovetail into a disappointing ending.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Director: Nikole Beckwith
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 23, 2015 (Sundance)
After 17 years of captivity, kidnapping victim Leia (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to parents she has no recollection of. While Glen (David Warshofsky) is passive (but confident) about Leia’s transition into her new life, Marcy (Cynthia Nixon) is desperate to recreate the attachment and bond between a mother and her child. Yet, despite all of Marcy’s attempts to reconnect, Leia’s transfixed with her captive, Ben (Jason Isaacs), while also struggling to make sense of reality and the lies Ben fed her for almost two decades. After no progress is made, Marcy’s desperation takes a dark turn as she suddenly becomes the monster she tried so hard to protect Leia from.
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The acting in Stockholm, Pennsylvania is brilliant. Ronan and Nixon delivered performances that should honestly be considered for major studio nominations. Leia is written as a complex character who is both headstrong and confident in herself, yet naïve to the real world. As the story progresses, Leia begins to break out of the hold that Ben held on her while she attempts to make sense of her new life. Ronan’s ability to balance the contrasting elements of Leia’s character should not go unnoticed, and will hopefully elevate her to the next level. On that same note, Nixon’s take on Marcy is so thrilling and provocative as audiences witness a Mother driven to dark lengths to ensure she can once again become the mother to her child that went 17 years without one.
The performances wouldn’t be as strong as they were without writer/director Nikole Beckwith’s vision. Stockholm, Pennsylvania is adapted from her stage play, and it truly shows thanks to the close-knit scenes between actors. Structured much like a short story, many of the narrative’s details go unsaid, leaving audiences to fill in holes. As someone with a Literature background, I loved how the details left unsaid shared the same importance with the details that are openly addressed.
However, as I inferred earlier, the film comes apart in the third act as Marcy spirals into an antagonistic role towards Leia. The character twist comes off too exaggerated and unrealistic and essentially changes the film’s tone from a psychological drama to a pseudo-suspense thriller that ultimately takes away from all of the goodwill built up prior to the conversion.
Despite a disappointing third act, Stockholm, Pennsylvania is still one of the better films I watched at Sundance. Beckwith’s take on examining the post script of a life following such a traumatic event like Leia experienced is intriguing, especially in the wake of the media blitzes that surround these situations; it’s a perspective that many don’t typically consider. With stellar performances by Ronan and Nixon, Stockholm, Pennsylvania is well worth the price of admission, even if the ending ultimately falls flat.
[Sundance Review] Cronies
There’s something special about Cronies that resonated strongly with me as I watched the film (and even carried over hours after the credits rolled). Whether it was the depiction of a Midwestern summer afternoon, the familiar characters in which I saw some of my own friends, or just my over-thinking nature of examining how friendships change throughout the years, I felt attached to Cronies, and there’s enough to like and dissect within the film that I believe anybody would enjoy it. Read on as I further explain why Cronies surprisingly became one of my top films from Sundance this year.
Cronies
Director: Michael J. Larnell
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 25, 2015 (Sundance)
Louis (George Sample III) is a 20-something trying to get his life on track to provide for his girlfriend and their daughter. However, he appears to be held back from growing up thanks to his childhood friend, Jack (Zurich Buckner), dragging him around in the same monotony that Louis is desperate to escape. Adversely, Louis’ new friend and co-worker, Andrew (Brian Kowalski), represents a fresh direction for Louis that could help with his growth. However, as Jack and Andrew meet for the first time, bravado initially takes over as they both size each other up. As the day progresses, the three of them form a sense of camaraderie, even as the dangers of their day spent together grow more and more threatening.
Cronies is framed like a documentary where various interview segments with the three men take place throughout the film. It’s in these segments that we begin to see each characters’ true feelings about one another and their various situations. Admittedly, the interviews can be seen as a cheap way to flesh out each character’s arc and development, but they’re a stylistic decision made by writer/director Michael J. Larnell, and one that I definitely enjoyed. Also abetting Larnell’s vision is the film being shot almost entirely in black and white, save for a few flashback scenes that appear in color. It’s a nice aesthetic, especially when Larnell flips what we’ve come to expect in regards to how color is used to represent time and memory.
Most importantly, Cronies examines friendships in a way that feels natural without becoming too heady or preachy. We’ve all found ourselves playing the role of Louis, Jack, and Andrew at some point in our lives, and we’ve all had friends very much like them, as well. It’s this universal understanding of friendship that makes Cronies so enjoyable. There's no doubt that Larnell won't suffer any sense of a sophomore slump with his next film, especially considering how strong this debut is.
[Sundance Review] Z for Zachariah
Post-apocalyptic media is growing a bit long in the tooth. Granted, I’ll still show excitement over any film that hones in on the sci-fi element of a world devastated by some unknown disaster, but changes and alterations to the formula are much needed. When I read Z for Zachariah featured a love triangle set in the South following some untold incident, I was hooked. The minimal cast featuring 2013’s break-out actress Margot Robbie, Chris Pine, and Chiwetel Ejiofor didn’t help with my excitement.
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Z for Zachariah
Director: Craig Zobel
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 24, 2015 (Sundance)
Robbie stars as Ann, a Southern Christian woman who is left alone to fend for herself after her family left to find survivors, but never came back. During one of her scavenges, she comes across John (Ejiofor) bathing in a waterfall poisoned with radiation. Ann is able to rescue John and nurse him back to health, and the two understandably are drawn to one another. Just as the sexual tension is about to come to a head, they are approached by a mysterious man, Caleb (Pine), who threatens the serenity between John and Ann. Whereas John is an atheist, both Caleb and Ann share the same religious beliefs, and emotions are thrown out of sync as both men attempt to balance their respective attraction to Ann with their duties for survival.
With the film kept to three primary actors, each are given ample opportunities to shine. However, and not as a knock against Ejiofor and Pine, but Robbie shines in her performance, building upon her stunning performance in the aforementioned The Wolf of Wall Street. Robbie was able to deftly balance a complex array of emotions that define her Ann with equal parts innocence, strength, and desire for finding love. Ejiofor’s John also balances a sense of security and protection towards Ann while slowly revealing a dark and violent side, while Pine’s Caleb is surrounded by mystery that leaves audiences with a feeling of skepticism over his true intentions.
Z for Zachariah’s strengths are in its cast’s performances, yet it leaves you wanting more. My gut reaction following my screening of the film, outside of tremendous praise for Robbie’s performance, was that it would find acclaim through festival circuits, but wouldn’t attract much mainstream attention outside of Robbie’s involvement. However, as I’ve written this review, I found myself enjoying the film more than I initially did. In saying that, Z for Zachariah may be one of those films that will grow on you as more time passes. If you’re expecting instant gratification, you’ll ultimately be let down.
[Review] White Bird in a Blizzard
This review was originally published as part of our Sundance Film Festival coverage. It is being re-posted to coincide with the film's theatrical release.
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White Bird in a Blizzard
Director: Gregg Araki
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 20, 2014 (Sundance)
With a name like White Bird in a Blizzard, I couldn't help but find myself intrigued by the film. It didn't hurt that indie darling Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now) starred in the film, either. There's a simple connection drawn from the title to the film's premise, yet director Gregg Araki never lets White Bird in a Blizzard ever grow stale. Rather, what starts off tonally as a pseudo-romantic coming-of-age film quickly becomes a dark mystery thriller that had me pinned to the edge of my seat.
Set in the late 1980s, White Bird in a Blizzard is about Kat Connor's (Woodley) relationship with her alcoholic mother, Eve (Eva Green), and cowardly father, Brock (Christopher Meloni). As Kat matured into a young adult, her mother's intense jealousy grew as the distaste of her relationship and life began to take over her psyche in a scary midlife crisis. When Eve mysteriously vanishes, both Kat and Brock face an uncertain future. As the years pass, the disappearance is nothing more than a curiosity until Kat returns home during a holiday college break when new information arises that could complicate her relationships with everyone around her.
It's a bit hard to summarize White Bird in a Blizzard because of all of the plot twists and turns. As I implied in the introductory paragraph, White Bird in a Blizzard carries a certain connotation with it, yet the film is anything but straightforward. This is complemented by Woodley's performance, which is vastly different than anything she's done before. Araki is known for his use of sex and nudity (re: Mysterious Skin), and White Bird in a Blizzard is no difference. Woodley spends just as much time topless as she does clothed, and it came completely unexpected. However, it's all within tasteful reasons that actually serve the plot. Much like the aforementioned Mysterious Skin, there's a creepy, unassured tone underlying the entirety of the film that will keep you second-guessing everything and everyone, tempered by a foreboding notion that something bad is going to happen, and soon.
This sensation is perhaps most characterized by Green's stellar performance. You can't help but both sympathize with her and her unfortunate sense of marital and livelihood stagnation, yet you're frightened and creeped out by her episodic attacks on Kat. Meloni, too, demonstrates his range by playing the assuming Brock, running counter to the rest of his filmography. Hell, even Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead) puts in a solid performance as Kat's dimwitted ex-boyfriend.
White Bird in a Blizzard will keep you moving in your seat, whether it's due to arousal or discomfort... which is perhaps the best way to describe a Gregg Araki film. It may be hard to find an audience due to the sexual nature of the film, but if you get the chance to see it at another festival or an independent theater, I highly recommend checking it out.
[Review] Camp X-Ray
This review was originally published as part of our Sundance Film Festival 2014 coverage. It is being re-posted to coincide with the film's limited release.
Camp X-Ray
Director: Peter Sattler
Rating: N/A
Release Date: January 17, 2014 (Sundance)
Guantanamo Bay still serves as a dark footnote in American history more than a decade after its establishment. Everything about the detention camp, from its mistreatment of its "detainees" to the very reason for its existence, is inhumane and utterly sickening. Camp X-Ray is about one specific camp, the titular Camp X-Ray, which served as a temporary detention center in the Guantanamo Bay. Writer/director Peter Sattler's film attempts to humanize both guard and detainee alike.
Amy Cole (Kristen Stewart) is a recently-assigned rookie guard at Guantanamo Bay. While she's cordial and friendly with the other guards, it's with a Gitmo detainee, Ali (Peyman Moaadi), who Cole makes a real connection with. The relationship starts on a frosty tip, Cole the newcomer and Ali the years-long detainee. The dynamic of their friendship, as is made evident early on, revolves around this dichotomy between the two where their individual situations are more common than meets the eye.
Unfortunately, Camp X-Ray is bogged down by stereotypes, ranging from the power-hungry superior officer to the young, naive solder who inevitably falls in line. In a way, the shallow characterization of the supporting cast helps accentuate the focus on both Cole and Ali and their friendship. However, the emotional crux of the film relies on Stewart's performance, which oftentimes showed the potential and range she displayed in Into the Wild, yet is unable to tap into here. When it comes time for Cole to move past her hardened soldier demeanor and show true human emotion, Stewart falters. Whether it was Sattler's direction to keep Stewart reined in to maintain the aforementioned toughness, or simply Stewart's inability to let go, it was hard to look past this one low scene in a film otherwise full of high praise for the actress.
Camp X-Ray doesn't attempt to make much of a political statement, nor does it attempt to excuse the accusations of inhumane treatment that took place at Guantanamo Bay. What it does do, however, is explore a poignant, unlikely friendship between captor and captured, guard and detainee. Sattler, at times, holds audiences hands as he pontificates the similarities between Cole and Ali, which can be frustrating. However, strong performances by Moaadi and Stewart (the aforementioned scene notwithstanding) are enough to overlook the otherwise easy storytelling.