Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
I think there is something worth saying about a film titled “Ma Rainiey’s Black Bottom,” and yet, it seems far more interested in a fictional male band member, but given that the band member is played by the late great Chadwick Boseman, I think it’s easy to look over a detail like that. He truly delivers one of, if not the, finest performances of his career here, and that’s all the more impressive considering he’s constantly bouncing off two acting giants in Viola Davis and Colman Domingo, who both deliver great performances here too, along with everyone else. It just makes me wish he were still around. The film itself is really engaging. There’s something fascinating about watching artists at work, and this film deals in that as well as the value of Black art in white commercial space really well. It’s good stuff.
The Wolf House
I felt like there was some historical context that I was not aware of, and doing a bit of reading about it after the fact did help, but overall, it didn’t seem all that necessary because I was just so impressed and baffled by the work put into this. It’s a stop motion film, one that took five years to make, and it definitely looks like it. It reminded me of some of David Lynch’s short films, full of dry, dark humor and profoundly unsettling imagery, while rooting it in a wild part of Chilean history. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if that trailer intrigues you, check it out, it’s a fairly short film, and it’s one that will stick with you in one way or another.
Get Duked!
Eddie Izzard was trending on Twitter the other day (as of me writing this) because he now goes by she/her pronounces, which…yeah, cool, not a surprising development all things considered. It did end up reminding me that Get Duked! (a film she is featured in) was something I still needed to catch up on, and boy, was I glad I did. This film has so much energy, so much character, and it’s relentlessly fun. I was surprised to see Tobey Maguire’s name pop up as a producer, but the guy behind this is Ninian Doff, who has done music videos up to this point, and it definitely explains some of the stylistic flourishes. It’s basically a riff on the Most Dangerous Game formula but rooted in generational conflict, and it’s one I definitely recommend if you just want a real good time.
To The Ends Of The Earth
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest is a effective character study about a Japanese TV personality filming an episode in Uzbekistan. She’s timid, soft-spoken (when not playing to the camera), and is often shown as undervalued by her crew members. It’s a often quiet, contemplative film, but not one that is without a sense of humor and even some tension building in between the moments where the more naturalistic, observational qualities shine through. Atsuko Maeda delivers a mesmerizing performance as the Yoko, our leading lady. I should also say that I totally understand folks from Uzbekistan might have a bone to pick with Sacha Baron Cohen because based on this film, Uzbekistan is a very beautiful country. Anyway, this is one I enjoyed watching, and more than I expected to.
Young Ahmed
This is the latest from the Dardenne brothers, and it won them the Best Director award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which was a controversial pick. After all, it’s a film about a young radical Muslim written and directed by two non-Muslim Belgian dudes. I missed all that hubbub at the time, and having seen it, I think some of the backlash was unwarranted. Of course, I’m not a Muslim so I can’t speak for them, but I found the film to be surprisingly empathetic. However, it did often come across like a superficial understanding of Islam, and the path that leads to extremism and all the worldwide cultural context surrounding it. It’s not saying anything particularly new or enlightening, but it’s a compelling watch that made me incredibly stressed out for the entirely of its fairly short runtime.
I’m Your Woman
I’m Your Woman is not quite the film I would have expected, but what I did get was something really unique and engaging. Julia Hart is a filmmaker I’ve been keeping an eye on recently. I really enjoyed Fast Color, and while I have yet to see Miss Steven’s or her other 2020 release Stargirl, I think she has a fascinating voice, especially with genre stuff. I did think the film was perhaps a bit too leisurely paced, not sure if that was meant to replicate the pacing of the 70s, but it took a while to get used to. For the most part, her direction here is tense and emotionally involved, and it’s grounded really well by Rachel Brosnahan. I didn’t necessarily love it, but it’s really good, and worth checking out.
That’s it for today. Like I said last time, If you have any thoughts on these movies, whether you agree or disagree with my take, feel free to sound off in the comments.