Fox Searchlight Film Review - The Birth of a Nation

By choosing the title The Birth of A Nation and making a film about the bloodiest slave uprising in U.S. history Nate Parker ensured that his film would peak curiosity, attract controversy and detractors while sparking a large amount of interest. Parker's film released a century after D.W. Griffith's 1915 The Birth of a Nation in which the Klu Klux Klan are the heroes with white actors in blackface the negro villains sees that script flipped in version 2.0.

Based on a true story Nate Turner played in youth by Tony Espiona then Parker himself. Is the Baptist preacher who led an 1831 slave rebellion that took 60 slave owner's lives leading to retaliation that left 200 slaves dead. The events are graphic, brutal and horrific as Nate witnesses   increasingly dehumanizing acts of degradation of his people on a preaching tour meant to quell rumblings of revolt that's lucrative to his master Shawn Turner (Armie Hammer). The more he sees the more he's compelled to switch his interpretation and preaching of the bible building towards defiance. The narrative presents elements of African traditions as the main characters grand parents generation were born in Africa. It also contains hints of Bravehart where the Lord / Master can bed the wife of a surf/slave. A violent rebellion is lead by a charismatic orator /leader on horseback that suffers a predictable fate then his remains are brutalized as a warning to future usurpers.

Cinematographer Elliot Davis' provides the piece's authentic look. The shots of the morning light over the seeming endless fields of cotton along with the spellbinding night time scenes fuelled by lantern light against the background of grandiose plantation houses put the viewer squarely in the early 19th century American south. Parker serves as writer, director, lead actor and producer for the film. It's intriguing to watch his direction of the scenes that he's in contemplating the level of coverage especially of himself that could be key in the editing process.  The stories rhythmic pacing features two excellent transitions one in the cotton fields to introduce Nate Turner and the second to jump forward from Nate's time to the American Civil War.

Parker assembled a dynamic cast for the production led by Aja Naomi King as Cherry a slave bought by Nate's master Armie Hammer at the formers urging showing obvious signs of physical and mental abuse grows to be Nate's love and wife. Penelope Anne Miller gives her best performance in years as Shawn's mother who teaches Nate to read and encourages him to be a preacher. Turner's other duties for the film do not detract from his role as lead actor on screen. Jackie Earle Haley is terrifying as Raymond Cobb the local Sheriff and slave patroller dispensing swift justice at night to runaway slaves or by day to slaves that are out of range of their plantation.

The Birth of A Nation is an important story that recounts an American historical event from a non traditional perspective. It's an instant where slaves organized banded together took action to taste freedom even if it was for a brief moment. The subject matter is topical today given the current racial unrest and tension in the United States.  The ensemble cast do not take a wrong step supported by an evenly paced narrative that could be viewed as a too violent for some but those scenes are necessary to accurately tell the condition of the time and the series of events that lead to the uprising.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Birth of a Nation | Nate Turner | U.S.A. | 2016 | 120 Minutes.

Tags: Biography, Preacher, Virginia, Plantation, Cotton, Slavery, Slave Patrol, Hunger Strike, Rape, Rebellion, Raid, Torches, Axes, Knives, U.S. Army.

TIFF 16 Film Review - Lion

Five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) looks up to his older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) following him around like a shadow everywhere he goes. They spend lazy days hopping on trains taking coal to sell in the city then walking on the rails to go back home.  Saroo is very active as he runs around his village and out to his mother where she crouches to work to collect rocks. One day Guddu goes to the local train station to look for work. Saroo begs to go along as well then the pair become separated with Saroo ending up on a train that travels 1600 Km away to Calcutta where Bengali not Hindi is the language and he is completely lost without precious little information to get back home.  He ends up in an orphanage where he is deemed suitable for adoption to Tasmania. He is very well adjusted compared to the second adopted child by the Brierley's Nicole Kidman & David Wenham.

Once grown Saroo (now Dev Patel) attends Hotel Management School in Melbourne where he learns of Google earth and begins the task of piecing together his past in an attempt to find his mother, brother and home. He is supported by his girlfriend Lucy (Rooney Mara) along with his classmates but he fears that his mother might see this as being ungrateful so he shuts her out of the process causing her even more harm giving the difficult situation with his brother Mantosh.  

Garth Davis directorial debut is a true story based on the book Lion by Saroo Brierey. The film is a commentary on the massive amount of children that go missing and wander the streets in India each year and the place of ones original culture when a child is adopted into a vast new environment. It's also a strong story on the altruistic Brierey's who decided to make it their goal to give children that  were already in the world and suffering a better life rather than having their own kids.

The early sequences where the young Saroo is alone in Calcutta fending form himself yet weary of questionable adults is a high point in the film. Saroo is befriended by Prama (Pallavi Sharda) but becomes suspicious of her friend Rawa (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). He is taught some skills by a social worker at the orphanage then quickly displays them once he is placed in the Brierey's home in Tazmania.  The contrast to his brother Mantoh is chilling as his childhood experiences are to traumatizing to let go despite being thousands of miles away on a new continent.

The film features many fine acting performances. Nicole Kidman is strong in a plain straight forward role of Sue Brierley. She is inspired by Saroo but at the same time drained by Mantosh then she looses Saroo as well to his private project to find his home. Dev Patel steps easily into the leading man role as Saroo. He's the total Australian surfer guy in his first moment on screen but when his classmates light the fire to search for his past he becomes obsessed shutting out everything else. The best performance belongs to Sunny Pawar as young Saroo. His struggle to survive on the streets, calling out for his brother and mother at night, attempting to communicate with the locals who speak  Bengali a both heart wrenching and tragic as he has little information plus a language barrier preventing him from returning home.    

Although the film lags early in the second part as the Google Earth searches are plodding and takes longer than needed. Lion is an emotional watch that quickly draws the audience into an invested state through its young hero and will challenging the viewer to remain dry eyed at several points in the piece. It's a strong debut film by a gifted filmmaker that we hope to see more work from in the future.

***  1/2  Out of 4

Lion | Garth Davis |Australia / UK / USA | 2016 | 129 Minutes.

Tags: Orphan, Hindi, Bengali, Decommissioned train, Calcutta, Adoption, Tasmania, Melbourne, Google Earth.

TIFF16 Film Review -Toni Erdmann

Complicated Father -Daughter relationships are a bit of a theme this year on the festival circuit. Its curious how a segment of films suddenly get the green light all at the same time. Most of them focus on heavy depressing subject matter. The exception is Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann that's a full-fledged comedy bordering on farce territory. It's a film that is a refreshing crossover appeal candidate coming to the screen from the unlikely source of German comedic cinema.

Winfried Conradi (Peter Simonischek) is the divorced father of a grown daughter Ines (Sandra Huller) She is a successful consultant working overseas mainly in Shanghai but is currently based in Bucharest, Romania. Her dad is a music teacher and lifelong practical joker that Ines found fun when she was a kid but his act has become tiresome now that she's a grown working woman. Ines returns home for a reception at her mother's house where Winfried gets it in his head that she has become way too serious. After a couple of events free him from ties at home, Winfired decides to surprise her in Bucharest as his alter ego Toni Erdmann. Once there, he throw up a series of obsticals in his daughter's path to make her think on her feet in the hopes of making her life more interesting and enjoyable.

Writer-director Maren Ade presents a pleasing comedy that picks up the pace significantly once the action gets going in Bucharest. The attempts to be part of /disrupt Ines life continue to increase on an every larger scale culminating with an outlandish woolly beast costumed appearance at a non-stop laugh filled yet extremely uncomfortable team bonding scene in Ines apartment. .Ade is very adept at showing the less glamorous moments of Ines high leverage consulting job as she if forced to take a clients wife shopping or is rebuffed for her characterization of the team current project. The production also shows jokester Winfried's lonely instants as well.  The early part of the film does drag and a few of the opening gags could be shortened or removed to tighten up the production and reduce the massive 162 minute run time.  

The success of the piece comes down to the work of the two main actors. Simonischek and Huller play well off one another as father and daughter. Ines is clearly exasperated by her fathers actions but genuinely likes to have him around and sees how his lightheartedness has a positive effect on everyone around him. Huller has to go in many different directions with her richly written character but hits each note true delivering one of the better acting performances of the year.

Toni Erdmann is a funny yet thoughtful complicated piece that has a strong anti- workaholic message that's presented subtly enough for the viewer to absorb and not feel that they are being lectured. The early part of the film could uses a bit of editing but overall the performances, dialogue and story-line make it a film that I can  definitely recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Toni Erdmann |  Maren Ade |  Germany /Austria | 2016 | 162 Minutes.

Tags; Father-Daughter,  Alter Ego, Consultant, Shanghai , Bucharest, Team Building, Birthday party, Brunch,Power Point, False Teeth, Wig.    

    

TIFF 16 Film Review- Manchester By The Sea

Lee Chandler (Casey Afflick)  is a man looking to punish himself  in the opening segments of the film.  He is living in a sparsely furnished basement apartment working as a janitor for a 6 complex apartment unit. Chandler goes to the units when summoned to work on pluming do some painting and other minor repairs. He does not have the best bedside manner generating complaints from the tenants to his boss. When not working inside the complex he's outside shoveling snow or at a local bar drinking alone picking fights with multiple people, expecting to loose and welcoming the beatings.

Chandler is ripped from his normal routine when he receives a phone call bearing tragic news about his brother Joe (Kyle Chander) forces Lee to drop everything and head to Manchester to see about his brother affairs and to his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Once back in Manchester the towns folk begin to whisper that THE Lee Chandler is back in town and through flashbacks we learn about his married life with his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) his past close relationship with his nephew and brother and the strained one with his sister in law Elise (Gretchen Mol). A central item to the family is the fishing boat that Joe ran with his partner circling Manchester harbour more for fun than as a business endeavour.

Director Kenneth Lonergan presents a somber piece who's initial shot of sorrow cannot compare to the events of the past that have put Lee into a catatonic state as he shuffles though his daily activities. The narrative does have comedic moments mainly in the exchanges between Lee and Patrick as the latter does not want the former to mess up his setup locally. The story includes an unexpected sentiment towards Lee from his ex-wife Randi that is not expected from a mother to the author of  her tragic loss.

Casey Afflick produces his best performance in a number of years as Lee Chandler. He is so paralyzed from his horrific past that he barely reacts to the news of his brother Kyle. He is cold and calculation as he handles his brother's affairs and the same when dealing with his nephew and the future of the boat. Lucas Hedges is strong as Lee's nephew Patrick for the most part he takes the events of his father in stride but has one pivotal scene as he rummages through the freezer and the reality of his Dad's passing hits him head on.

Quiet, somber, remorseful yet fulfilling. Manchester by the Sea is a picture that examines dark issues and emotions but gives hope that one will eventually all be it slowly emerge on the other side. The shooting style highlights a watercolour palate that is appropriate for the mood and location of the principal action in the production. The main and supporting cast do not make a wrong step with the material. Longran's long awaited third feature delivers strong characters dealing with difficult topics as one would expect from authentic New Englanders.

***  1/2  Out of 4.

Manchester by The Sea | Kenneth Lonergan | U.S.A. | 2016 | 137 Minutes.

Tags; Boston, Janitor/Handyman, Congestive Heart Failure, Fire, Suicide Attempt, Boating, Fishing, Funeral.      
           

TIFF 16 Film Review - Raw

Separation anxiety, the march to adulthood, latent urges and genetic history are the main signpost for Julia Ducournau's first feature film. The feature is a commentary on the vegan lifestyle, college hazing and the real effects of peer pressure.  Justine (Garance Marillier) is dropped off by her parents for her first year of Veterinarian School. She is a smart head of her class plus she's a legacy student. Both her patents attend the school and her older sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf) is in her second year in the program.  Justine's world changes at the initial hazing ritual for the new students. She is forced to consume a raw rabbit kidney which is an issue as she is a strict vegan along with both her parents and her sister although Alexia puts the most pressure on her to eat the kidney and seems to have turned into a regular meat eater.

After the hazing incident Justine develops a hunger for the smell and taste of flesh along with an extreme skin itching and peeling episode that lands her in the campus doctor's office. Her sister gives her some information about the goings on at school but also leaves a lot of information occasionally embarrassing Justine for her amusement. Our heroine's appetite continues to grow plus newly developing sexual urges combine to produce a jittery mess of a young woman who spends a good portion of time pin-balling from one emotion to the next.

Julia Ducournau takes a different approach to the horror genre. Jump scares are rare. A central figure does not run up a body count of unsuspecting co-eds. Instead psychology and instinct drive the action. Ducourneau depiction of the events on screen evoke a physical response to the viewer which may explain the extreme reaction of a couple of patrons at the midnight screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

The ensemble case all perform their roles well. Garance Mariller is solid as the naive lead Justine and plays well against Ella Rumpf  in the role of her older mischievous sister who has all the answers but  dolls out information to Justine in drips and drabs. Rabah Nait Oufella has a large supporting role as Justine's roommate Adrien who identifies himself as gay right off the bat but ends up as the object of both sisters affection.

Raw is a cerebral horror film that delivers the gore in a different manner. The audience experiences the ever growing urges of the lead character at her pace while director Ducourneau often introduces a key event in the past tense when Justine attempts to unravel what has occurred.  The unorthodox approach of the narrative makes for an unconventional tale that I can definitely recommend.

   *** 1/2 Out of 4.

Raw | Julia Ducournau | France / Belgium | 2016 | 91 Minutes.

Tags; Vegan, Rabbit Kidney, Veternarian School, Hazing, Severed Limb, Car Accident, Animals, Dissection.

TIFF 16 Film Review - Loving

The 1967 Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia that decide that marriage is a right for all Americans regardless of the race of either participant is the backdrop for Jeff Nichols latest film. If the viewer is expecting violence, vitriol or anger directed towards the Lovings they will not find in this film. Instead the couple Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) go about their everyday lives as their encounters with the law proceed forward towards the Supreme Court.

Richard is a general labourer in the poorer area of Virginia. He goes to work each day on the job site doing masonry work to build houses. Mildred spends her days at the family farm until Richard comes home. In their leisure time the pair go out with friends when Richard is not working on his car or going to the racetrack to compete in drag races. The couple is unremarkable until Richard proposes marriage which they do in Washington D.C. leading to their first run in with the authorities start of their legal entanglement when the local Virginia police learn of the event and their whereabouts.

Director Jeff Nichols takes a socially charged subject and presents in a quiet even paced manner. Mildred and Richard are not portrayed as a couple making grandiose speeches, large gestures or looking to be involved in open confrontation. Instead they take every step in stride, remaining optimistic and hopeful with Mildred being more vocal while Richard's statement on the affair is Tell the Judge I love my wife.

Nichols takes his time unwinding the narrative before he reveals the facts of the Loving's crime. They can face serious jail time if they are caught together in Virginia and the conditions of their suspended sentence from their first court case is a 25 year ban from returning to the State at the same time.

Ruth Negga is the main voice of the couple as Mildred. She makes the decision on where the family will live. She does the main communication with the lawyers and sends the vital letter to Washington to get their case moving in the right direction. Joel Edgerton performance as Richard is more physical.  He communicates with gestures, body language and facial expressions. When he talks its short sentences or grunts but he does speak up at the most critical times. Nick Kroll plays a key part as ACLU lawyer Bernie Cohen who first sees the potential of the Loving's case. He understands  the nuances of his clients but knows he will need help as he's well out of his league with the case. Nichols' muse Michael Shannon has an important part as the Life magazine report that spends a day with the family to produce the article and photos that brings their case to National attention.

Loving is an important story that lead to a landmark American court decision. Director Nichols focused on the couple's struggle delivering the story in a straight forward manner.  The narrative is free of demonstrations at the police headquarters or protests on the steps of the State Legislature. Instead the production narrows in on the everyday life of the pair as they continue on a path to give them the right be able to live and raise their children together.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Loving | Jeff Nichols | UK / USA | 2016 | 123 Minutes.

Tags: Virginia, 1958, Marriage, Arrest, Jail, Illegal, Supreme Court, Exile, Drag Racing, Life Magazine.

TIFF 16 Film Review - Frantz

Prolific French director Francois Ozon steps far away from his comfort zone with his latest film Frantz. The majority of the film is in black and white. The main language is German and the subject matter is very somber. The departure is the first of many parallels that can be drawn from the production. The two main characters one German and the other French also venture to each others country with tensions still high shortly after the completion of the Great War.

Anna (Paula Beer) lives in the small town of Oldenburg with the parents of her fiancee Franz Hoffmeister who died in the last days of World War I. She goes to his grave every day to water, maintain and leave fresh flowers. One day she notices a stranger at the grave leaving flowers. On her next sighting of the stranger Adrien (Pierre Niney) she learns that he new Frantz in Paris before the war and brings him home to the Hoffmeisters hoping that news of his friendship with Frantz could bring them some comfort.

Ozon's narrative roots stem from the 1932 Ernst Lubisch production Broken Lullaby. The earlier production had a stronger anti-war sentiment however some of those elements do inhabit the piece mainly though Adrien and flashbacks of Frantz neither of whom ever wanted to go to war or saw a difference in young men wearing a French or German solders uniform. A surprising discussion comes from the fathers of Oldenberg in one of their weekly meetings. They openly admit that the deaths of their sons and sons of French fathers is their responsibility as it is their generations actions that sent the young men off to war in the first place. Ozon also uses an effective technique of switching in and out of monochrome. First its used for the flashback scenes of Frantz then at other key occasions during the film. Ozon's use of mainly black and white fits the project as the simple colour palate fits perfectly with the images the viewer's image of the era.

Paula Beer and Pierre Niney are first-rate in the lead rolls. Beer's Anna is stuck at the start of the film until Adrien brings her out of her rut and moves her thoughts out of her past to the present and even to contemplating the future. Adrien is totally distraught having seen the Great War up close. His trip to Oldenberg eases his conscious and soothes him more when he sees the effect his presence has on Anna and Frantz parents. Ernst Stoetzner is strong in a supporting role as Frantz father the local town doctor. He is a proud German and very anti French stating that All Frenchmen killed my son but grows to tolerate, like and even contemplate Adrien as a suitable suitor for Anna as Adrien tells stories and antidotes of Frantz pre-war life in Paris.

Frantz is a picture that is mainly a commentary on processing loss. A secondary theme is choosing the best story to tell if one account will inflict even more pain on those that are grieving. The anti-war  subject matter of the sours material is pushed to a minor role in the production. There are two strong sequences of nationalism with each of the main characters in a foreign land that show despite the horrors each nation had just endured that it would not take much to whip up sentiment to plunge into the theatre of combat once again.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Frantz | Francois Ozon | France / Germany | 2016 | 113 Minutes.

Tags; The Great War, Death, Grave, Paris, The Louvre, Black & White, Grief, Sorrow, Edouard Manet, The Suicide.