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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘SING SING’ Frees the Humanity Incarcerated Within

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Based on the true story of the Sing Sing prison’s “Rehabilitation Through the Arts” program, Greg Kwedar’s sensitively-told American drama is a profound act of cinematic grace. Colman Domingo, in yet another towering performance, stars as Divine G, a wrongfully jailed playwright who works with the prison population to put on theatrical productions and find a semblance of peace – and themselves – through the process. Both life-affirming and quietly devastating, Sing Sing probes the nuances of the indomitable human spirit, in a place where autonomy is a lost luxury, adding authenticity in spades by casting real-life formerly incarcerated men like Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and Sean San José. (A-)

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘BOB TREVINO LIKES IT’ Will Break Your Little Heart

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When Lily’s (Barbie Ferreira) narcissistic father, Bob Trevino (French Stewart, unrecognizable in the role), cuts off contact with his lonely well-meaning daughter, she finds a “surrogate dad” online (John Leguizamo) who shares the same name. Their relationship blossoms into something profound and poignant, with each struggling with their own personal demons but overcoming them through kindness. A sincere and heartfelt tearjerker that’s deeply personal but a total crowdpleaser; intimate and warm though mired in abuse and loss; and economical and authentic while brimming with breakout talent in front of and behind the camera. Ferreira and Leguizamo broke my heart over and over again while French Stewart is absolutely insufferable (as he’s supposed to be). The fact that this movie about healing from abuse – where broken people chose to be good in the face of life’s greatest challenges – is rooted in writer-director Tracie Laymon’s own true story just underscores its deeply felt sincerity. Expect to be misty-eyed throughout. (A-)

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘ODDITY’ Brings Paranormal Scares

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Damian McCarthy’s SXSW audience award winnerOddity sees a blind medium (Carolyn Bracken) strike out for revenge after her twin sister is brutally murdered. A twisty midnight movie from Ireland that effectively balances jump scares and tension within its unique premise of otherworldly vengeance and recompense, Oddity dolls out its narrative breadcrumbs at a healthy pace, making for an frighteningly edge-of-your-seat foray into the world of the paranormal. A stoic wooden mannequin that’s just hanging out in most frames amplifies Oddity‘s crafty blend of suspense and WTF energy. McCarthy’s darkly-lit supernatural world flirts with the familiar – creaking hinges, patient shots down shadowy hallways, sudden apparitions – but is complemented by real style and narrative verve. The performances verge on B-movie camp but McCarthy’s sinuous, sinister work makes this dark fiction amply dreary nonetheless, resulting in a midnight fright-fest that’s sure to delight horror aficionados craving a good scare . (B) Read More

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘EXCURSION’ Beleaguers An Interesting Premise With Mundane Execution

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In the Bosnian dramatic export Excursion, the story centers on teenage Iman (Asja Zara Lagumdžija), who uniquely weaponizes the middle school rumor mill against herself and her budding sexuality, leading to a self-implosion that’s both intriguing and exasperating. Directed by Una Gunjak, this introspective coming-of-age drama moves at a glacial pace, often feeling more like a sequence of introspective vignettes than a cohesive narrative. While Lagumdžija delivers a compelling performance, the film struggles to maintain cinematic engagement, with its minimalist style and prolonged scenes that contribute little to narrative progression. Ultimately, Excursion fails to resolve its central conflicts in a compelling manner, leaving much to be desired in terms of emotional payoff and narrative closure. Despite its promising premise, the film largely feels like a missed opportunity to explore themes of impulsive teenage angst with the depth and nuance it deserves. (C) Read More

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: It Takes a Village to Raise ‘BABES’ 

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Director Pamela Adlon and writer-star Ilana Glazer bring their comedic prowess to Babes, a crowd-pleasing pregnancy comedy that reworks the familiar “oops-I’m-pregnant” trope with a fresh, feminist twist. Despite its predictable plot, the film shines with Glazer’s brassy humor and a heartfelt celebration of female friendship, positioning itself as a millennial answer to Juno. The chemistry between Glazer and co-star Michelle Buteau elevates the standard rom-com fare, making it a lol-able tribute to the gross-out majesty and comedy of biology that is having a baby. Bring a girlfriend, or a few, and deliver yourself this comical, sincere celebration of becoming and being a woman. (B) Read More

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘JANET PLANET’ Orbits Momotony

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A maladjusted soon-to-be-middle-schooler and her codependent acupuncturist mother navigate summer break and a string of bad relationships in Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Annie Baker’s studious but tedious drama Janet Planet. Janet and Lacy’s intertwined existence rests at the intersection of intimacy and monotony,  as the duo swing between piano lessons, summer camp, local theater, picnics, and barn dances, making for a drily comic but often snooze-inducing portrait of the unique balance that exists between mother and daughter. There are worthwhile pockets and Julianne Nicholson flashes raw tenderness as the freewheeling and woe-begotten Janet but Baker’s film – thatched onto a meager script – is ultimately too impressionistic, rambling, and unfocused to leave much of an impression. (C)

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review:  ‘EVIL DOES NOT EXIST’ Ponders Divide Between Man and Nature

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Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to Drive My Car, the meditative nature drama Evil Does Not Exist, is anti-commercial in every conceivable way, its slow-moving narrative primed to test the patience of viewers used to films with more assertive pacing. Though it takes a while to get off the ground and reveal what it’s actually about, this Japanese-language tone poem is quietly spellbinding in its exploration of the dissidence between the natural world and the onslaught of commercial enterprise, as witnessed through the lens of a glamping company’s impending occupation of a small town. Arguably more striking as a filmic thesis than a film, Hamaguchi’s ponderous philosophical journey through wooded strolls and town hall meetings will likely bore general audiences to tears but will deservedly find its share of devotees who appreciate Hamaguchi’s nimble, unhurried art form. Eiko Ishibashi’s somber score does a lot of dramatic heavy lifting. (B-)
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SIFF ‘23: Danish Mindf*ck ‘SUPERPOSITION’ Freaked Me Right Out

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Teit (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) and Stine (Marie Bach Hansen) are storytellers who’ve left civilization to live off the land for a year – and podcast about the experience – in Superposition. The issue is that might not be the only Teit and Stine out there. This dense and well-constructed metaphysical thriller is designed to screw with your head, with splashes of heady sci-fi creepers like Coherence, Good Night Mommy, and The Night House spliced throughout to create an unnerving exercise in existential dread and doppelgänger distress. Though impressively economic and “small” in scope, Superposition feels expansive by virtue of its big ideas and Karoline Lyngbye’s staggering, inventive direction. She ratchets up the tension and pokes at philosophical quagmires, like the meaning of fidelity in bold, metaphysical ways. It all begs the question: if you met an exact copy of yourself, would you rather fuck, marry, or kill them? (B+)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023. 

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SIFF ’23: ‘My Animal’ Unleashes Queer Love and Werewolf Angst

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In My Animal, Jacqueline Castel deftly blends ’80s nostalgia and Giallo inspiration into a queer, modern fairy tale. This indie film take on high school werewolf erotica feels like a darker, more niche Stephanie Meyer creation, complete with issues of abuse and alcoholism, the tension of forbidden love, and, yes, werewolf angst. Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Amandla Stenberg offer a pair of compelling lead turns as Heather and Jonny, new friends falling headfirst into forbidden flirtation, their palpable chemistry grounding the more outlandish elements of the film. A worthwhile slow-burn, My Animal succeeds in spite of obvious budget constraints, leaning into its over-the-top ’80s-inspired synth score and cheap production design element to add a nostalgic touch – which lends the howling haunt a major whiff of after-school special. (B-)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023. 

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SIFF ‘23: Romantic Korean Drama ‘PAST LIVES’ Aches With the Power of Many Lifetimes

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Some of the most romantic movies to ever exist (Before Sunset) don’t feature even a kiss. Enter Past Lives, Celine Song’s achingly romantic two-hander about a pair of entangled Korean childhood friends who must navigate their deep connection across 7,000 miles (she’s in New York, he’s in Korea) and 24 years as they drift into and out of each other’s lives. Song makes it all feel so natural and real, allowing an outsider’s glimpse into this simmering relationship to blossom into something closer to deep knowing and genuine intimacy, eliciting a complex spectrum of emotion that’s both universal and deeply specific. Her debut feature, which boasts spellbinding cinematography and a yearning musical score, is just so alive; as ponderous and philosophical as it is well-acted and deeply-felt. One of the best of the year thus far. (A-)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023.