Cinephile No. 843 “Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “It tells the story of a middle-aged woman with small children whose life is shaken up when two free-spirited twenty-somethings move in across the street.” -IMDB

Review: Of all the films comprising the 2020 Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts, “The Neighbors’ Window” is the movie that left the biggest impression on me. Taking place in New York, we are introduced to a typical married couple with kids. Between them, fights about romance, attentively caring for the children, and helping out around the house are an everyday occurrence. Across the street, their new neighbors are young, hip, surrounded by friends, and are beginning to build a life together. For our married couple, they find themselves admiring the greener grass on the other side. Then, life becomes complicated for our young couple and trauma visits their home. For our married couple, this event puts life into perspective and showcases one of the most human and endearing moments I witnessed in a cinema last year.

Be good to each other,

Nathan

Cinephile No. 842 “Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You're A Girl) is the story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write-and skateboard-in Kabul.” -IMDB

Review: Of all the shorts comprising the 2020 Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts, “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re Girl)” is the one that held the most weight for me. Focused on a school for girls, reading and writing are a part of the curriculum, but so is skateboarding. In each activity, every girl finds herself building confidence and knowledge. Their attendance at this school in war-torn Afghanistan where the Taliban still rules is an act of defiance for them and their families. As you watch them learn despite this atmosphere and with bombs exploding in the distance, you will find yourself cheering them on as they search out the wild ambition of an equal opportunity.

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

Cinephile No. 841 “Parasite”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Greed and class discrimination threatens the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.” -IMDB

Review: Really good movies can act as a mirror pointing society’s failures back at us. Seeing those failures in ourselves and our role in their staying power is what really good films can do. Sure, they should be entertaining, but they can also be more. In a world where the gap between the rich and poor grows larger, “Parasite” gives us a family determined to move beyond poverty. In a multi-layered and complicated plan, they wrap themselves around a wealthy family and are offered a taste of life on the other side. By doing so, they reveal another of society’s challenges.

As their suspenseful plan grows larger and the risks more daunting, you will begin to wonder if this family really is a parasite, or are they just really savvy. It is only when a beautiful and unexpected turn (that I would not dare spoil) is revealed do we come to understand the true risk of their attachment. It is these moments that make the film and give it a purpose beyond just taking advantage of a wealthy and naïve family.

As tragedy plays out before our eyes and a second, vengeful plan is revealed, we come to understand the worries of the rich and how they differ from the rest of us. Just like us, they worry about protecting and educating their children. They worry about succeeding at work and making a comfortable home. They fret over appearances. They struggle with parenting and keeping your partner happy. The true difference is the resources at their disposal. Wealth is the divide. It can often seem unfair for those of us standing on the outside, but in the case of “Parasite,” it is an absolute thrill to see a poor family standing on the inside for a change.

Be good to each other,

Nathan  

Cinephile No. 840 “Jojo Rabbit”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.” -IMDB

Review: Starring Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa, and Scarlett Johansson as Rosie, “Jojo Rabbit” is not what you expect when reading the plot line alone. Beginning at a Nazi youth training camp, this film makes its intentions known from the outset. With cleverly chosen musical choices, fantastically written dialogue, and Hitler as an imaginary friend, you understand very quickly that this will be a hilarious look at Nazi Germany through one of the kids it is attempting indoctrinate.

Complicating matters for Jojo is the secret his mother, Rosie is hiding in their attic. Behind a door is a young girl named Elsa and a sworn enemy of the state. Elsa is a Jew! With an imaginary Hitler whispering in his ear and his consciousness in the other, Jojo is torn. His training tells him to rat his mother out and have the girl taken away. His mother’s bravery and caring spirit say otherwise. So, Jojo gives Elsa a chance. Over a series of eye-opening conversations with hilarious outcomes, a friendship begins to grow between the two of them. While they grow closer, Nazis continue their search for Germans who are hiding Jews in their homes. The discovery of what Rosie has been doing has dire consequences, but further cement Jojo’s feelings.

Luckily for our little hero, the allies are at the doorstep and the war is coming to an end. With liberation comes freedom for Elsa and a second chance for Jojo. As this film ended, I was reminded of a belief I have long held. There is nothing so bad in this world that it cannot be laughed at. “Jojo Rabbit” delivers on this idea. In its near-perfect landing, it sticks a movie that is hilarious, endearing, and a joy to behold.

Be good to each other,

Nathan

Cinephile No. 839 “1917”

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “April 6th, 1917. As a regiment assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.” -IMDB

Review: The plot of “1917” is not a complicated one. Two soldiers must race against time to deliver a message to a commanding officer who is about to walk his men into a deadly trap. What makes this film special is its technical achievements. It is more than its use of a continuous shot. It is masterful uses of perspective, sound, and visuals. When taken together, we, as an audience, are invited to feel war. From the outset, it launches into an environment of intensity and a sense of urgency that does not stop until the credits roll at the end of the film.

Its landscape reveals hell with chaos in every direction and death always within arm’s length. Through its lead actors (Dean-Charles Chapman as Lance Corporal Blake and George McKay as Lance Corporal Schofield), dread, pressure, and love are revealed. When Lance Corporal Blake is unable to continue moving forward, we watch George McKay command the screen alone. By doing so, he heightens the importance of delivering his message to its final destination.

Even in this film’s calmer moments, much like a great horror movie, you feel as if death is nearby. As Lance Corporal Schofield arrives, you will find yourself filled with accomplishment and dread that it was all in vain. When you look back on his journey and the sacrifices made in such a short period, you are left to ponder both the danger and humanity of hope. Without a doubt, this was the lasting lesson for me in “1917,” a film I now consider one of my all-time favorites.

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

Cinephile No. 838 “The Soloist”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “A newspaper journalist discovers a homeless musical genius and tries to improve his situation.” -IMDB

Review: I first saw “The Soloist,” starring Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers and Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Lopez during its theatrical release back in 2009. At the time, I believe I called it the best movie of the year. While it remains a tremendous film and I was more than excited to see it during a 10th-anniversary screening, a lot has changed in my life since the first screening of this film.

Since I first watched this movie, I have spent 10 years working in the nonprofit sector, 3 of them focused on Skid Row and homelessness in Los Angeles. Now, I have had first-hand encounters with the considerable mental health challenges facing men and women like Nathaniel Ayers. I have walked the downtown streets of LA and experienced the chaos and breakdown of society that is the epicenter of the homelessness crisis in America. I have witnessed the trauma and isolation that is uncovered once someone receives housing. Taken together, these experiences changed this movie for me. For the first time in my life, I understood the pain, torment, and even the glimmers of hope.

With my experiences in tow, I watched this film through the eyes of Nathaniel as he reckons with his talent, his homelessness, friendship, and the voices in his head that will not quiet themselves. I watched this film through the eyes of Steve. A man documenting the pain facing his city but facing a chance encounter meets someone of immense talent; a man who possesses the ability to break through the chaos and turn downtown Los Angeles into a symphony. I watched a blossoming friendship and the difficulty of befriending someone in crisis.

And then the movie ended. I was forced to sit with my experiences and all I have learned since I first watched this film. My life has changed. I know more than I did back in 2009. The people of Los Angeles know more about homelessness too. After a decade, the question becomes quite simple. What are we going to do about it?

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

Cinephile No. 837 “Little Women”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.” -IMDB

Review: In a year when an examination of the power dynamics that keep women from achieving in film or television began to truly take hold of the entertainment industry, I did not expect to find female empowerment in the retelling of a classic novel. Yet, in “Little Women” we find a story of ambition and independence. As Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reflects on her life and how she arrived at her current state, we find four sisters committed to their craft and making a lasting impression on the world. As you watch this film, you will find yourself consumed by their energy and belief that anything is possible.

Among their lessons and expressions of charity, there is a love of writing, performing, and painting. Jo desperately wants to believe she and her sisters can achieve anything in this world without bowing to the expectations of men. This steadfast belief causes a rift between her sisters as each struggle in their own way to make a living and fulfill their purpose. For Jo, this will mean a reckoning or acceptance. A trial she will have to come to terms within her own creative expression.

As Jo begins to fully examine her life, we find her longing for the simplicity of childhood. She is also forced to acknowledge a life of privilege and all that means. In her art, she comes to terms with independence and how each woman finds it in the things she pursues. In the final scenes, her rigid way of measuring others is relaxed without sacrificing what she holds dear. In an era where men are learning how to make space and women are stepping forward demanding the opportunity to lead, this film serves as a blueprint for both.

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

Cinephile No. 836. “Bombshell”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “A group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.

Review: To fully understand the hyper-sexualized, venomous, and harassment filled environment of Roger Ailes’ Fox News, the fourth wall had to fall. This choice allows us to hear directly from Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron). It also affords a better understanding of the trauma experienced by Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie). To properly understand their story, this movie begins by painting a vivid picture of the environment created by Ailes, who he preferred to deliver news/opinion, and how he wanted them to dress. With this knowledge, we are fully prepared for the next chapter.

Megyn Kelly, at first, is hesitant about coming forward with her sexual harassment story. Gretchen Carlson is the first to go to the war against the network. It is her bravery that first exposes what some men with power assume is their right. By choosing to speak out, she makes no friends, but she does her part to add another voice to the movement proclaiming enough is enough. In order to truly move the needle forward, she needs others to join her cause.

Thanks to a culture of fear, Megyn and Kayla are rightly concerned about coming forward. Megyn is afraid her skyrocketing career may fall back to Earth. Kayla, who is at the beginning of her career, but has been promised more on-screen time, is worried it might end before it really begins. Despite all this, the truth wins the day and the women of Fox News join the #MeToo Movement. As they do, this liberal movie-goer could not help but find some joy in the chaos. Before I could celebrate though, I was forced to remember all those institutions I hold dear that have also failed women. In the end, this is no time to celebrate. This film is a reckoning and another important entry into the public dialogue. For that, I recommend you give it a chance.

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

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