Random Cinematic Year in Review - 2011

A Random Cinematic Year In Review

Preface: I have decided to write this series at least in part because I don't make it out to see new films very often and I've found that I spent too much time at the end of the year attempting to see all the big releases (many of which I'm not even interested in) for no other reason than to make an obligatory 'year end list'... This is a way that I can continue writing about films without feeling the pressure to see a bunch of stuff that I wouldn't otherwise take the time to. I'll still see most of them eventually, just on my own time. I use a random number generator to pick a year and I use letterboxd.com to determine the actual release year.

2011

I’m writing this as I coincidentally watch LeBron James take the Cleveland Cavaliers to his 8^th consecutive NBA Finals appearance.  2011 was actually his 2^nd appearance overall, he had previously lost with Cleveland to the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. A few years later he “took his talents to South Beach” and began a personal streak (with Miami then back to Cleveland) that has even his haters admitting his accomplishments. The 2011 appearance wasn’t a good showing however, specifically for James. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 and it was apparent that James was struggling, especially in the 4^th quarters. That Miami team was stacked, flashy and heavily favored. So when they lost and lost badly, critics were quick to put the blame on LeBron. Even members of his own team said that he had quit on them. The jury was still out on his legacy back then. But absolutely no one would have predicted his subsequent dominance over the entire Eastern Conference for the next 8 years.

Now, I usually like to steer clear of the GOAT debate that forces fans of the game to compare Jordan’s numbers in the 90’s to James’ current career accomplishments. I guess I don’t really even believe in GOATs, I think more in terms of a GOHT (greatest of his/her time). Both Jordan and LeBron fit this category. Anything more comparative requires you to ignore far too many constantly fluctuating variables. The way that the game is played as well as how it is called has been constantly evolving. I truly believe that what we see right now in the NBA is the greatest collection of athleticism ever compiled. This means that when you look at how much better Jordan’s career numbers were compared to James’ and how much more successful he was in the playoffs, you have to understand that Jordan was simply not in the same league that LeBron is right now. Jordan was the most dominant player of his time. Not even Bird or Magic really compared with his abilities. James is also the most dominant player of the current NBA, but not by nearly as wide of a margin that Jordan enjoyed. In conclusion, Jordan was amazing and there will never be another like him. But LeBron’s inevitable legacy shouldn’t be tarnished just because he has stiffer competition.

There was also an entire world of stuff going on in 2011 involving people that probably didn’t care anything at all about the NBA. On May 2^nd, Seal Team Six shot and killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden. His death was a strategic and moral victory for the U.S. His direction had led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people at the World Trade Center and The Pentagon ten years prior and it appears that even until his dying day, he was continuously in contact with his terrorist network. His lifeless body was then unceremoniously dumped into the ocean somewhere. This and the investigation that led to the strike were immortalized in Katheryn Bigelow’s ZERO DARK THIRTY the following year.

Elsewhere in the world, 2011 was the year of the “Arab Spring”. Starting with protests in Tunisia in late 2010, this movement would send a shockwave of change throughout the oppressed Arab world. This movement carried throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa with a wide variety of causes sited for the uprising. Its true connecting theme was the inspired recognition by an oppressed public that they in fact, possess the power to hold their elected officials accountable. Modern technologies have been making the world smaller for decades. It is now far more difficult for a corrupt government to keep its people in the dark. The same social media tech that has been proven the capability to inspire these uprising also proved useful to facilitate some of the actions taken as we found out when NATO admitted to using information and coordinates it gleaned from Twitter to identify targets for air strikes in Libya.

By the end of 2011, the governments of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt had been overthrown. Yemen would be soon to follow as well as a whole host of concessions, resignations and other governmental changes in Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait and several other countries. Years later, the collective aftermaths are still extremely real. Syria, Yemen and Libya are still in the midst of violent civil wars. The instability is currently serving ISIL more than its intended purpose. And wherever the U.S. pulls back from intervention, Russia sees as opportunities to build bridges for trade and commerce with whichever government ends up prevailing, human rights violations notwithstanding.

I don’t pretend to know how this all is going to be resolved. As of right now, I really don’t think that the public here in Western “civilization” has the stomach for the boots-on-the-ground type of intervention that may actually be necessary to fight this. But we’re miles away from that anyway and we’re getting further and further. We get further away from peace in the region when we refuse to implement meaningful sanctions against a country that props up dictators in the region like Syria’s Assad or Turkey’s Erdoğan. We do so when we move our Israeli Embassy into a territory disputed by 4.5 million Palestinians and ask nothing of Israel in return. And we do so all while significantly lowering the number of refugees we take in from these torn up countries. Our current and resounding message to the region is that we simply don’t care.

As it seems, 2011 was an important and impactful year. Many of its historical chapters remain open today. This is was makes the art produced of this or any time so important to study, consume and empathize with…. 

NOTABLE FILMS

10 – MARGARET (Directed by Kenneth Lonergan)

Kenneth Lonergan seems to have a knack at setting up very emotional conflicts and writing dialogue to exploit and explore this conflict. Guilt and remorse are held together by a glue made of teenage angst. Anna Paquin’s performance is close to flawless. She’s not exactly likeable but yet still invoking an empathy that all great storytelling has. 

9 – ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA (Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

This is a slow-burning, nourish mood piece from Turkey. The first half or so takes place at night in the windy rolling hills of the rural villages outside of Kırıkkale. Its setting, cinematography and sounds all carry its characters through their deliberate and tedious night, searching for the body of a murder victim. Slow, melodic, monotonous and beautiful, this is the film that cemented Ceylan in the international cinefiles community. I’d really like to see Turkey’s filmmaking industry catapult into a stronger position in the world. Since this film, we’ve seen Ceylan’s 2014 follow up, WINTER SLEEP, Diniz Gamze Ergüven’s Oscar nominated MUSTANG (2015) and 2014’s absolutely insane horror film BASKIN. This isn’t quite enough to constitute a ‘new wave’ but it’s still a strong possibility for the very near future.

8 – SAMSARA (Directed by Ron Fricke)

Just because a film doesn’t have a story, doesn’t mean that there is no narrative. This is Fricke’s follow up to his critically acclaimed BARAKA (’92). The filmmakers traveled far and wide searching for and capturing some of the world’s most beautiful imagery on 70mm. These images are cut together into a 102 minute montage about humankind’s connection to nature and our cyclical evolution away from and back to it…. I think. This film could probably be understood to have many reasonable meanings. The important thing is that you will be moved by the beauty of the images on screen.

7 – THE SKIN I LIVE IN (Directed by Pedro Almodóvar)

I was so excited when this film came out. I had been a fan of Almodóvar’s work since 2002’s TALK TO HER and had already fully immersed myself in his filmography. And although I liked his previous two films VOLVER and BROKEN EMBRACES, I missed his older and much darker work. This one felt like somewhat of a return to form for me. It had a darker subject matter reminiscent of 80’s Almodóvar like TIE ME UP, TIE ME DOWN (’89) or MATADOR (’86) mixed in with a body horror element that reminded me of Georges Franju’s EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960). It mixed all of this up to tell the story in a fairy tale like manner that holds up with the best of Guillermo Del Toro… well almost.

6 – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (Directed by Lynn Ramsay)

Hell yeah we need to talk about Kevin!!!... There’s a lot of brilliance about this film but for me, I see it as a great performance piece first and foremost. I know, I know… it’s a prescient and disturbing cautionary tale that seems more and more relevant every week this year. I can’t take anything away from its message. I guess I just found myself a lot more sensitive to its subject matter when it came out in 2011. So instead, I cling to Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly’s work here as the young parents, flawed and distraught, desperately hoping that their problem will grow out of it… Fun fact: This was actually the working title for Home Alone. 

5 – ATTACK THE BLOCK (Directed by Joe Cornish)

It’s truly a testament of how strongly a film’s characters are written when you find yourself in the third act, cheering for the clear antagonists of the first act. In a lot alien/monster invasion flick, the poor people of color in the slums only serve as fodder until the military, team of scientists or rag-tag group of suburban kids save the world. I actually wasn’t too keen on this one when it was first released. But after multiple rewatches, I can’t even remember what it was I didn’t like about it. 

4 – THE RAID (Directed By Gareth Evans)

It’s almost as though the simplicity of the plot gave room for the overwhelming complexity of its cinematography and choreography. I’ve always been into martial arts films. They are the first movies I ever fell in love with. Apparently, I still haven’t grown out of them. The eighties and nineties were full of JCVD, Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris flicks on the UHF dial. I spent a lot of Saturday afternoons watching these guys defeat armies of various oppressors and saving the girl. But I never saw a movie like this one back then. This film, maybe more than any other is a testament to the value of the technological advances we’ve made in cameras. There’s just no way that this could have been shot just a few years prior. But what is really special is how the camerawork is choreographed into the fight scenes. It’s creative and kinetic and frantic, all while somehow avoiding the discombobulated shaky-cam feel that confuses and violates your sense of space. 

3 – FIVE BROKEN CAMERAS (Directed by Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi)

This documentary actually has a lot in common with 2016’s infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tape. They are both harrowing evidences of things that certain people have assured us don’t actually happen and they both should have made more of a difference. This is not what you would typically consider a ‘well-made film’, even by documentary standards. But there is a certain poetry to its narration, especially when considering the entire metatextuality. This is not the boisterous cries of an activist. It’s a collection of documents gathered by an olive farmer who wanted nothing more than to just be an olive farmer. 

2 – ANOTHER EARTH (Directed by Mike Cahill)

This is a quiet little sci-fi film that’s actually about regret more than anything else. What if a place existed that occupied a carbon copy version of you. The only difference is that the other you may or may not have made the same decisions and mistakes that you have. Would you be terrified at the prospect of finding out or would you even be able to help yourself from seeking the answers to all of those ‘what if’ questions that conquer so much of our attention? 

1 – TAKE SHELTER (Directed by Jeff Nichols)

Well I’ve found myself talking about this one yet again. I just wrote about it here. So, rather than copy and paste what I’ve already written, I’ll just reiterate. This is absolutely one of my favorite films of the 21^st century. And although it is championed by cinefiles, I would love to see it get more attention from the everyday film goer. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Dir: Ron Howard

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany

“You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.” The epitome of cool, the tough guy, the rebel in the original Star Wars universe has always been Han Solo. The character is an icon of pop culture, a science fiction superstar that brought charisma and attitude into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon alongside a furry companion named Chewbacca. Han Solo’s journey into the Star Wars universe was always one of mythic proportions; a history only partly introduced with off topic remarks or unexpected meet-ups with past foes/friends. Amidst battles between galactic forces and duels with light saber wielding Jedi’s, Han Solo was consistently one of the most intriguing and appealing characters.

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”, directed by Ron Howard and written by Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan amidst a troubled production, takes the viewer back to the beginning of the journey; back to understand how Han Solo became a pilot, how he won the Millennium Falcon, and how Chewie became his partner in crime. Unlike other films in the “Star Wars” canon, the stakes aren’t world or life threatening, the mythology doesn’t boast a battle between light and dark forces, but instead the film focuses on a young man wrapped up in a world of loners, thieves, backstabbers and smugglers. 

Han (Alden Ehrenreich) is a juvenile delinquent, stealing speeders and running scams for bad guys who don’t like failure. Han is trying to escape his life of crime, leave the planet Corellia, and start a new path with his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). Things don’t go as planned and Han is separated from Qi’ra; he promises to return for her one day. This leads Han to enlist in the military only to leave and join the gang fronted by a thief named Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Qi’ra finds her own path, secured in service to a scarred gangster named Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany).

Director Ron Howard handles the material here with delicate hands, perhaps a little too delicate considering the film struggles to make the wild stories of Han Solo resonate with the kind charisma and coolness associated with the savvy star pilot seen in “Star Wars: A New Hope”. It’s the bits of forced nostalgia, the intentional callbacks to the past (or future depending on how you look at the timeline), which create a rift in the tone of the story. Han’s character has always had the benefit of the doubt; his stories about winning spaceships and accomplishing challenging feats in 12 parsecs were legends told through word of mouth, many times the mouth of Han Solo himself. Still, they were stories given the bare minimum of information and told through the vessel of a character that oozes confidence. When these stories come to life it’s amusing yet altogether unnecessary and somewhat insignificant.

Still, Mr. Howard populates the film with some interesting characters. Woody Harrelson is good as Beckett, the lifetime thief whose sage words of advice are “Assume everyone will betray you”. Mr. Harrelson’s calm and natural demeanor fits this particular universe of loners. But the scene-stealer here is Donald Glover playing Lando Calrissian. Mr. Glover has a suaveness that shines through even when the character may not handle all the situations with the same kind of self-assured personality one might expect. Unfortunately Alden Ehrenreich, and this is no fault the talented actor’s ability, just doesn’t evoke the same quality of the character Harrison Ford composed. Trying to emulate the nostalgic sentiments of a character like Han Solo is nearly impossible considering the stranglehold that time and the ever growing grasp of pop culture hold over these beloved characters. Mr. Ehrenreich’s choices feel out of sync considering the character that will eventually come to the aid of the Resistance and Luke Skywalker in a few years to come. 

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is mixed with moments that want to have fun, want to provide fan service, and want to prepare for the eventual return of the character for another adventure. It doesn’t always work. Still, in some places everything just fits so nicely that it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself. When Chewie and Han meet in a muddy pit during a chaotic war scene everything clicks for a moment, everything feels right knowing the future progression of these character’s intermingled storyline. It’s when the film actually resonates most like a Star Wars story. 

Monte’s Rating

3.25 out of 5.00

Deadpool 2 Review

Deadpool 2

Dir: David Leitch

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Zazie Beetz, Julian Dennison, and Briana Hildebrand

“Deadpool” arrived into theaters in 2016 during a time when comic book movie fatigue was beginning to settle in. It arrived at the the perfect place; the raunchy comedy, the explicit language, and the bloody bits and pieces were unlike the superhero films viewers were getting comfortable with in the cineplex. At the core of the film was a court jester with dual ninja swords and an itchy trigger finger; Ryan Reynolds, with his comedic swagger and verbal lambasting, shook up the structure of what a comic book movie could be. In the world of movie roles perfectly suited for a particular actor,  Deadpool was made for actor Ryan Reynolds.

 “Deadpool 2”, amidst the amped up gore and explicit language, is very much a comic book comedy that is funny enough that you’re bound to miss numerous jokes because of the laughter in the auditorium. The breakneck style of comedy here is also reflected in the action scenes, it’s kinetic to the point of chaos throughout the entirety of the film. But that’s what makes this franchise so much fun, it doesn’t play by the rules. 

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), aka Deadpool, has expanded his vigilante ways into global markets. But Deadpool is trying to change his deadly ways, and with the help of some superhero friends he is given an opportunity to try a new, less violent, form of justice. This introduces Deadpool to a young boy named Russell (Julian Dennison) who is trying to escape a reform school for young mutants. Unfortunately some one else takes an interest in Russell, a time-traveling mercenary named Cable (Josh Brolin) wants to destroy Russell before he grows into an unstoppable super villain. 

“Deadpool 2” has a charming and mischievous quality that keeps the film entertaining from the start until the final frame. It’s also quite funny, everything from sight gags to foul-mouthed banter populate every inch of the film. The film understands exactly what it is trying to achieve, which is a playfulness amidst some of the more serious comic book movie franchises out there. Through its self-deprecating style, fourth wall breaking moments, and knowing nods to every comic book universe present and past, these qualities have been turned up to eleven, “Deadpool 2” is bound to please anyone who loved the first film.

But through all the fun and laughter it’s hard not to question why the journey feels so unsatisfying. Deadpool’s super power is regeneration, the character functions as somewhat indestructible throughout the film. While we are given a moment to see Deadpool without powers, the fact that the character can lose limbs and get riddled with bullets without much consequence never makes any of the foes in the film feel threatening. Even Cable, who shows up with a big weapon and a mechanical arm, is a non-consequential bad guy who shows up mostly for amusing banter and to introduce time travel into the narrative of the film. 

Because “Deadpool 2” never functions within any set boundaries, it’s easy to forgive the obvious lapses in storytelling. Convenience becomes a narrative weapon to wield to get from one scene to the next, and when the audience begins to question the details the film takes the red suited character and turns him to the audience to express, “that’s just lazy writing”. Yes, it’s acceptable, but it’s still flimsy storytelling.

Ryan Reynolds is fantastic throughout the film, Josh Brolin should be in more of these types of films because he adds such gravity to these characters, and young Julian Dennison sells the aspect of a character on the verge. 

“Deadpool 2” will please those who enjoyed the simplistic entertainment and adult humor of the first film. Unfortunately, while the character can be amusing in all his rage, violence and humor, there is far less of a complex composition to the character and more of a one dimensional aspect. While this may be what the character, and writers, are ultimately aiming for, it may also be what keeps the franchise from building this character into something more substantial. That doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to see the foul-mouthed superhero every few years.

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

Life of the Party Review

Life of the Party

Dir: Ben Falcone

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Debby Ryan, Adria Arjona, Molly Gordon, Luke Benward, and Maya Rudolph

Nearly every college dorm room, way back when I wandered the campus, had two posters; the John Belushi “Animal House” poster with the “college” sweater or the poster for the movie “Old School”. Higher education comedies have been around since the early days of cinema, the Marx Brothers tackled the topic with the film “Horse Feathers” in 1932 and it seems like nearly every year since the early 1990’s we have seen a school comedy in the multiplex. 

“Life of the Party” is the latest, and one the tamest, college comedies to come around in some time. Most of these specific school comedies fall into the realm of raunchy subject matter with heavy levels of explicit language. And the storylines either follow a group of underdogs in some capacity fighting against the college elite or follow a character who is on the verge of getting kicked out of school. It’s seldom the stories that make these college comedies memorable but rather the way the stories compose the reality, ordinary or outlandish, of the college experience. “Life of the Party” unfortunately takes the most basic characteristics of the college comedy, throwing in a lively Melissa McCarthy to make the most of it all. 

Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) is a college dropout, mother of a college senior (Molly Gordon), and recently divorced. She regrets never finishing her  degree, archeology, and decides to enroll to finish. Deanna, now going to school with her daughter, utilizes this return to campus to sow some stowed away wild oats. She goes to big parties, dance battles some bullies, and finds herself a young man to get romantic with. 

Everything college movies have taught viewers over the years is on display in “Life of the Party”. The familiar college “fish out of water” storyline, the comedy setups like a wild party that ends with regrets of too much alcohol, and the obvious bullies that try to stall the progress of our protagonist throughout her journey. While the similarity to other films is immediately recognizable it’s not the problem, it’s the execution of themes that sours the experience. 

Melissa McCarthy’s character is the underdog throughout the film, but her journey throughout the different college triumphs and trials are never given the attention in order for them to really mean anything pertinent for the character. Most of the young people accept her without question, the mean girls are never really that threatening, and the actual reason she returns to college in the first place is given one scene that may cause a minimal amount of distress for her journey towards the final goal. The stakes aren’t high enough, but even this could be overlooked if the film executed the comedic aspects better. Unfortunately, even though Melissa McCarthy completely owns the character, the funny parts rarely hit like they should. With the exception of one scene that absolutely killed, to the point that it was really difficult to hear the jokes that followed the big punchline because of the laughter, the other jokes were simply unmemorable. 

“Life of the Party” survives because of Melissa McCarthy. The actress works overtime to make the most of the character and the jokes throughout the film. Unfortunately the familiar angles and timid comedy keep this film from becoming the new poster for the college dorm room. 

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00

Streamathon - Underseen Americana

Streamathon - Underseen Americana

Underseen Americana (May 2018)

Preface: This is part of an ongoing blog series of curated movie marathons that are thematically or otherwise tied together. The other common factor tying these films together will be their availability to watch them all from the comfort of your own home on various streaming platforms. The goal is that writing this blog will somehow justify the excessive number of streaming platforms I subscribe to. The films will be found on some combination of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Mubi, FilmStruck, Shudder and/or Fandor. These titles will be available for the month that the blog is published. All of these subscriptions offer free trials so feel free to dive in and follow along… Have fun. Just don’t message me for my login information.

By: Emery Martin-Snyder

I’ve done just enough travelling around this country to realize how possible it is to step off of a plane somewhere and into a completely different world. Different regions have different values and tenets and the people that make this up are even more diverse. Cinema, like any other art form, is created through the societal lens. It can and should serve as a window into this world’s lesser seen landscapes. These are some films that celebrate those little corners of our Nation that most will never experience first-hand.

The Stream

45365 (2010)

Directed by Bill Ross IV & Turner Ross – Streaming on Vimeo

The title refers to the zip code of Sidney, Ohio, the small town that the filmmaking brothers grew up in. This is a documentary without any real narrative. It follows a small judicial election, the high school football season and about a half dozen other small day-to-day dealings of the various locals. The filmmakers never interject, just quietly observe. It’s hard to articulate what works so well here and why this film is so engrossing. It is filmed through an obviously affectionate gaze for the community, warts and all. I don’t know if the audience is supposed to share in that affection but it’s impossible not to appreciate the love on display.

COLUMBUS (2017)

Directed by Kogonada – Streaming on Hulu

In case you didn’t know, Columbus, Indiana is a mecca of modern architecture. If you already did know that, you are likely a student of architecture or you’ve seen this film. I made the point last month that Parker Posey is a national treasure. This film seconds that motion with a small but critical performance. Haley Lu Richardson however is somewhat of a revelation.  If you are going to set a film amidst the backdrop of all of these beautiful structures, you better be shooting it with interesting angels and blocking. Cinematographer, Elisha Christian does just that with confidence and grace. This is a melancholy story and the camerawork and score treats its characters and setting with weight and respect.

DOWN BY LAW (1986)

Directed by Jim Jarmusch – Streaming on FilmStruck

The acting trio of John Lurie, Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni probably seems pretty odd for anything other than a Jim Jarmusch film. His specific sensibilities just seem to make it work beautifully. Honestly, I could have picked a number of his films to fit this topic. He has a knack for exploring many of this country’s lesser known settings. In this one, we are treated to the underbelly of New Orleans, Louisiana. The dilapidated motels, back alleys and swamplands are shot in some the most gorgeous and crisp black and white cinematography by Robby Müller. Eighties Arthouse has never looked so good.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)

Directed by Sean Baker – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

I think this ended up as my favorite film from last year. It tells the story of the impoverished communities that live in the shadows of the happiest place on Earth.  The extended stay motels of Orlando, Florida provide our backdrop for what is ostensibly a heartbreaking story. But to this film’s credit, it never seems to pity its subjects, nor does it glorify them. The film’s heart is in newcomer Brooklynn Prince’s “Moonee” but its soul is found in what may be Willem Dafoe’s best performance ever. And that’s a pretty big deal.

GOOK (2017)

Directed by Justin Chon – Streaming on Netflix

There is no shortage of movies that take place in the City of Angels. This one however, is a few miles and a couple of light years away from “La La Land”. This is a small story taking place in LA’s Koreatown during the Rodney King Riots of ‘92. Written and directed by its star Justin Chon, this film reminds me a lot of the best Spike Lee films from the nineties.  This script is far more mature and well-grounded than what most would expect from a young filmmaker. 

RIVER OF GRASS (1994)

Directed by Kelly Reichardt – Streaming on Amazon Prime Video & Hulu

This is an unfortunately underseen and underappreciated film that tends to get forgotten amongst the nineties American independent movement.  There is really no reason that Kelly Reichardt’s name shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath of Tarantino, Smith or Sayles. The title refers to its location, a strip of the Florida Everglades not typically camera-ready. The story Reichardt tells here is small, quaint, often times funny and absolutely heartbreaking. Most importantly, I feel that this film is comfortably relatable to the large swaths of us that grew up in the less than picturesque landscapes that are rarely seen on the big screen.

Tully Review

Tully

Director: Jason Reitman 

Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Elaine Tan, and Ron Livingston

“How did we do it?” The common question anyone who has young children proclaim when reminiscing about those precious days, possible months depending on how lucky you are, when you slowly lose your mind trying to maintain the backwards schedule of caring for an infant. And if you are honest, you’ll understand that the answer to the question of how one gets through these arduous moments of parenting is complex, which is why most parents strip it down to simply calling it “love”. And for mom, it’s even more complicated. 

In “Tully” director Jason Reitman takes a detailed analysis of what it’s like being a parent, specifically a mom, with three kids and all the responsibilities that come along with maintaining a sense of normalcy amongst the chaos of everything. Who has time to clean the house, make a well balanced meal, or exercise when one child is crying, another is asking their one hundredth question, and the third child is nowhere to be found? Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, who also wrote 2007’s “Juno”, taps into these emotions in a raw, desperate way.

Marlo (Charlize Theron) and Drew (Ron Livingston) are parents of two young children with one on the way. Drew works a busy job that leaves Marlo with the primary responsibility of taking care of every aspect associated with the children. It’s stressful and Marlo is struggling to stay above water. Help arrives in the form of a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis), a free spirited young woman who helps Marlo rest and make sense of everything that is going on around her. 

“Tully” has an interesting quality of being authentically tragic while also trying to be a humorous comedy at the same time. The surprise is that it actually accomplishes this extensive balancing act early in the film. The shifting tone operates in one moment as a call of despair for the lead character Marlo then in the next moment a steadfast battle cry that the gender roles that have come to identify the responsibilities women are “suppose” to occupy are no longer pertinent. 

Things operate in standard fashion in the beginning, Marlo is doing her best to spin all the plates but when she gives birth to her third child, the plates come tumbling. And as Marlo begins to come undone by everything, a savior named Tully wanders in from the night. Tully is like Mary Poppins, she takes care of the children, cleans the house, and has time to make nicely decorated cupcakes while expelling a few thought provoking ideas about life. It’s hard not to appreciate the free spirited nature of the young woman, but the arrival of the character introduces some complications to the story. 

Marlo and Tully are extensively constructed characters, which unfortunately renders the remaining characters as scenery late in the film. Also, the interesting aspects that concern Marlo’s struggle to maintain her identity as more than just a mother and wife is lost for a story that focuses on female friendship with pop music in tow. It’s a strange turn considering the film makes exceptional progress towards tackling the subject matter of postpartum depression in a honest yet humorous way. A late narrative shift in the third act almost derails the entire story, it’s a choice that will undoubtedly determine whether the film works or doesn’t work for the viewer. 

Still, even when the film makes the occasional odd turn, everything remains fairly enjoyable partly because Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis are so good in their respective roles. 

The wave of emotion for Marlo is easily achieved by the skillful talents of Charlize Theron who completely owns the role. Ms. Theron’s comedic timing is also well utilized during moments when the mom strikes a comment or glare in the direction of those that make assumptions about her many roles. Mackenzie Davis is also very good, playing Tully with charm mixed with a little bit of attitude. 

“Tully” is an interesting character piece, proving that Charlize Theron is still at the top of her game. However, the shifting quality of the tone seems to dilute the power of the message that is trying to be proposed. Still, even when “Tully” strays, the film remains engaging, honest, and humorous about parenthood and more specifically motherhood. 

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00