Coda: PFF2022

Showing posts with label PFF2022. Show all posts

Friday, April 15

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – April 9th

Coda’s ongoing coverage of the 2022 Phoenix Film Festival & International Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival. I'll be using these posts to recap the films I've experienced as part of these festivals.

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

18 ½ - Directed by Dan Mirvish

The year is 1974. Connie (Scream & Reacher’s Willa Fitzgerald) is a White House transcriber working for the Office of Management & Budget when she stumbles upon the only known recording of the missing 18 ½ minute gap of the Nixon Tapes. Afraid and conflicted, she enlists the help of Paul (FIRST COW’s John Magaro), a New York Times reporter.

I was surprised at how good this film was, as it was barely on my radar at all. And I’m quite glad I made it to the screening. The sound design, cinematography and costumes are so postmodern of the 1970’s New Hollywood movement that the film almost comes off as meta. With long scenes of intelligently written and well executed dialogue that remind me of the works of Buck Henry combined with the technical sight and sound reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE CONVERSATION (and similar subject matter), this film was going for something very specific. And I think it nailed it.

Fitzgerald and Magaro are both fantastic here. Their chemistry exudes a very specific charm. But the film also boasts a great supporting cast. I always love it when Richard Kind shows up, but Richard Kind with an eyepatch is even better. And Vondie Curtis-Hall is one of those insanely reliable ‘I’ve seen him in tons of stuff but can’t quite name anything’ actors that has the ability to steal any scene at any given time. This flick even has an all-star cast of voice talents recreating the infamous recordings. Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi and Jon Cryer all provide the film’s background soundtrack, so to speak.

Ultimately, this film is having a lot of fun with a subject matter that has turned out to be far more prescient in recent times. With the new reporting of the 7-hour gap in Trump’s cell records and “burner phones” being used during last year’s insurrection, I wonder what a movie with this type of energy will be like looking back at the end of our nation’s 45^th Presidency. How long before we’re able to look back at today’s threats against democracy and rule of law with a whimsical quirk?... This is not a rhetorical question… I seriously need to mark it in my calendar and begin counting the days…

In summary, this a very clever and accomplished film that has a lot of fun with its material. I can see myself revisiting it in years to come.

HYPOCHONDRIAC – Directed by Addison Heimann

A young gay man’s life unravels as he begins losing control of his mind and body, all while the ghosts of his childhood trauma come back to haunt him.

Due to my own carelessness, this was the film that I ended up with when I lost my ticket to the much anticipated, MASSIVE TALENT screening… Honestly, I’m kind of glad. I was going to skip this film altogether. And I ended up completely loving it. And as it turned out to be my final screening of the festival, it was a great note to end on.

This was such an unsettling depiction of mental health issues. The director (present for the screening) stood up and told us before it started that it was based on his real mental breakdown. Then, as I recall, this was re-stated in one of the film’s opening title cards. What was to follow on the screen made these statements completely unnecessary. This film wears its heart on its sleeve so blatantly that it’s painfully obvious how deeply personal this story is to the storyteller. And this, is one of the most special and refreshing things that I can find in this medium that I love.

The characters here were well crafted and organic to the story’s setting. Our main, Will was portrayed phenomenally by Zach Villa. It’s his mental condition that is the film’s focal point and a large part of its success rests on his performance’s ability to switch in between hyper-expressive and subdued into concern as he internalizes his fears. The rest of the cast works well to either trigger or react to Will’s ever-changing condition while remaining careful not to steal the show. No, we the audience are here for Will. His headspace, and every beautiful and horrifying thing going on in it is ours to experience with him as this film crescendos into a kind of Cronenbergian mental body horror climax.

If this all sounds a bit too intense for you, I don’t blame you. But I also have to mention just how funny this film can be throughout. It’s actually hard to describe the overall tone of this film. It’s serious about a serious subject that you’re definitely supposed to be taking seriously. But it also has no problem taking breaks from time to time to snicker at itself or to just be goofy. I think this is a big part of why I felt it was so obviously personal to the filmmaker. Like an actual human, this film has tons of personality. And that personality is never afraid to splatter itself all over every inch of the frame.

Tuesday, April 12

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – April 7th & 8th

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

Note: I had a feature in between a couple of blocks of shorts. I picked out some of the highlights from the shorts programs to cover…

World Cinema Shorts

THE BLACTOR – Directed by Rukiya Bernard

On her way to an audition, Kadidja is stopped by an undercover cop and now she must act the role of her life.

At 13 minutes, this little film manages to fit in just the right amount of cleverness, insight and provocation to be memorable. Keeya King’s Kadidja is lively and convincing and you’re completely with her as she navigates an intense situation.

A GUIDE TO DINING OUT IN NAIROBI – Directed by Hugh Mitton

When Juma (Yafesi Musoke) is accidently handed a $10 tip, he decides to see how far it will take him on an unforgettable night out.

This was the perfect short film. Essentially told through two scenes bookending a hilariously fun montage of Juma painting the town red. The ending is surprising in how beautifully it lands on its message about the disparities between the rich and the working class.

DISTANCES – Directed by Susan Bejar

*Winner of the Copper Wing Award for Best World Cinema Short

When a seemingly disturbed man on a crowded bus begins ranting, the other riders shudder and clamor out of the way to avoid him until Maria, takes a different, not-so-radical approach.

Roger Ebert said that movies are a machine that generates empathy. If this is true, (and of course it is) then this 13-minute film is extremely well-oiled. It’s the type of film that makes you hope for your own opportunity to be a good person.

Native American Shorts

MY FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN BOYFRIEND – Directed by Joey Clift

Emily spends the majority of the film apologizing to boyfriend Johnny for every microaggression she’s inflicted against Natives her whole life.

This film has the perfect cast of two fun and likeable characters. Benny Wayne Sully and Kylie Brakeman have great chemistry, proven in a very short amount of runtime. The film’s dialogue is a fun little dance, designed to make us white liberal “allies” squirm in our seats just enough. And it leads to such a fun and satisfying ending.

DELIVERY – Directed by Colton Eschief Mastro & Eric Jackowitz

DELIVERY is a dark comedy about Charlie (Mastro), a food delivery driver that uses the perks of his job to facilitate his one true passion, serial killing. That is until life throws him a curve in the form of his next potential victim.

Why can’t all movies be this much fun? Seriously, from the set design and dance choreography of its opening scene through its dreamscape ending, I was onboard for all of it. The dialogue was flawless. The chemistry between Charlie and Madison is great and their performances stood out.

THE TRAILS BEFORE US – Directed by Fritz Bitsoie

This is a short documentary about 17-year-old Nigel James in the Navajo Nation, that rides his mountain bike through the horse trails of his ancestors.

It’s honestly going to be hard to find a more picturesque way to spend 13 minutes of your life. The cinematography captures this scenery beautifully. We follow Nigel as he explains when and why he started riding these trials and how it’s his way of showing respect for the land.

I don’t think there’s a more perfect word than captivating to describe this film. I’ll be on the lookout for an opportunity to rewatch this one for sure.

WE BURN LIKE THIS – Directed by Alana Waksman

*Winner of the Copper Wing Award for Best Director (Alana Waksman)

Rae (Madeleine Coghlan), a twenty-something girl in Billings, Montana is targeted by local Neo-Nazis. In an attempt to find herself, she heads back to her roots and the legacy of her Holocaust surviving ancestry.

This film was shot in both Billings and Butte, Montana. I was first surprised at just how picturesque both of these locations actually are. The cinematography captures this beauty very well. Many of the more intimate scenes are shot with a floating hand-held look that made them more personal.

The film seems to bounce around between a small, personal story of the self-destruction of identity crisis and the overarching account of the rise of extremism in America’s flyover land and the types of people it hurts. I’m not sure that it ever strikes a proper balance between the two narratives but I appreciated what it was going for. I also liked how this film illustrates the differences between culture and beliefs. And how these two forces within the same person can sometimes be in direct conflict with each other.

Overall, I found this film to be a bit disjointed and meandering, but definitely not in the worst ways possible. It still has a lot to offer to the audience, both technically and narratively.

Wednesday, April 6

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – Sunday, April 3rd

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

MAMA BEARS – Directed by Daresha Kyi

This is a documentary that follows the stories of conservative Christian mothers who have become the fierce advocates for the acceptance of their LGBTQ+ children.

This film begins by setting the background stories of three different families and how the parents of LGBTQ+ children initially handled these issues. Whether they attempted to ‘pray the gay away’ or ‘spank the trans out of the child’, they were eventually faced with the reality that these parts of the children’s identities were not by choice and cannot be changed. And that rethinking their interpretation of the scripture was the only thing that could be done to ensure the love and acceptance that their children need.

Ultimately, this film seems to attempt to paint a rosy picture of the future of the conflicts between the LGBTQ+ community and the Christian Conservative movement in this country. It almost feels like it’s just a stage setting for these women to pat themselves on the back. I may be a bit cynical, but if the only members of a church or a Christian family that we can get to accept the sexual identity of a child are that child’s direct parents, we’re just nowhere near where we need to be. The women in this film, now championed for their “Free Hugs” tour of Gay Pride Parades, or Same-Sex Marriage Stand-In Mom could only come to accept this community after their actual flesh-and-blood was a part of it. I found this to be an extraordinarily sad truth that the film seems to gloss over a bit.

If the film’s purpose is to show an audience of Bible Belt Christian Conservatives that it’s okay to love and accept their LGBTQ+ family members, then I commend it for succeeding. Unfortunately, if we’re looking for a film to show an LGBTQ+ audience that the church is a safe place for them, this isn’t it. If anything, this film shows the opposite.

THE GRAND BOLERO – Directed by Gabriele Fabbro

During the Covid-19 lockdown, a middle aged pipe organ technician, Roxanne begrudgingly takes on a new assistant, Lucia a beautiful 20-year-old mute woman. Passions flare between the two, as do paranoia and suspicions.

What I was expecting from this film was a feast of sight and sound. And in that respect, I was not disappointed in the least. If you didn’t think that a massive pipe organ could be cinematic, you were mistaken. And although other aspects of this film ended up a bit disappointing, I’m so glad I saw it on the big screen. This film demands the grandiose and volume found only in a theater.

Unfortunately, the overall story fell a bit flat for me. The suspense was never really built up, so the climactic scenes in the final act seemed to just appear out of nowhere, without proper justification. It made it tough to understand the motivations behind some of the actions taken by the characters. And I could just never get fully invested.

RUN WOMAN RUN – Directed by Zoe Leigh Hopkins

Beck is a single mom who, after a health scare is forced to make some drastic life changes. In the process, and with some magical help, she relearns how to honor her family, her language and the Earth.

This is a very sweet and inspiring film. The screenplay is well paced and works to unfold a motivational story of one woman’s redemption. The dialogue keeps it light with ‘rom-com’ style laughs of endearment and silliness. This is the right type of light fare for a Sunday evening date night.

Its most impressive aspect was the performance of star, Dakota Ray Hebert. She carries the film and I’ll be interested to see her work in the future.

Sunday, April 3

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – Saturday, April 2nd

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

CRABS! – Directed by Pierce Berolzheimer

It’s Prom Night on a sleepy coastal town in California that’s got a recent influx of new visitors, murderous mutant crabs!!! But wait, the community’s only hope lies with a group of nerdy pothead locals, defending their town from impending doom.

This film was so much fun. The effects are cheap and at times so is the writing. But it’s entirely forgivable due to the characters we’re spending time with. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that comedy doesn’t always need clever wit. Sometimes, it’s fun to just hang out with goofy characters doing goofy things. This film is endlessly satisfying in that respect.

A lot of people will remark on this film’s similarities to Joe Dante’s GREMLINS, and for good reason. Especially in the first two acts, the crabs scurry about and make noises very obviously inspired by the great Christmas family film.

A massive amount of this movie’s success is due to Chase Padgett’s Radu character. The ambiguously foreign exchange student? I’m not sure. Although the film doesn’t give us his back story, it is clear that the filmmakers have richly developed this character. It actually feels like Radu likely existed as a character (probably developed by Padgett) long before this film. He has his own specific mannerisms and well developed, unspecific but obviously deliberate and well-practiced broken English. For all of its foolishness, it feels like something that a lot of care was put into. And it makes the film easy to love, in spite of all other imperfections.

PIGGY – Directed by Carlota Pereda

An overweight teen is bullied and ridiculed by her classmates while she takes a dip in the local pool during her town’s festivities. They steal her things and take off. Her long walk home however will detour however. Changing the paths for both her and her tormentors.

There is a whole lot to love about this film. I was struck, specifically in the first twenty minutes or so, by how sure-handedly this was directed. Such a great economy of storytelling was on full display here. Using very little time and frugal dialogue, Pereda tells us the film’s first act visually with amazing use of background and foreground space, supported beautifully by fantastic performances. I was quite blown away.

I’m not sure how well I feel the following two acts live up to the promise of the first. I’m not really saying that anything specific was missing or off about the rest of the film. I just never got that “oh-wow” feeling back throughout its duration. I’m really not here to complain about what turned out to be a very good film overall. It deserves all of the praise it has received post Sundance and will likely get a great reception when it is released later this year. I’ll revisit it then and see how I feel.

I can’t end this blurb however without mentioning how absolutely engrossing I found the film’s lead, Laura Galán (Sara). She played the same character in the short film that this feature was based on. I haven’t seen it but her performance here a very significant part of what works about this film. She draws you in, her internal conflicts are now yours to share, so nothing that she does later, seem out of character… Because, you were thinking it too.

Saturday, April 2

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – Friday, April 1st

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

THE RETALIATORS – Directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr. & Bridget Smith

Following the vicious murder of his daughter, a pastor dives into the seedy underworld of biker gangs, drug trafficking and the man inflicting justice on the worst of them.

I wonder how much of my response to this film was colored by the fact that I’ve recently been rewatching the original seasons of Showtime’s Dexter. It shared a lot of the same vibes. First, with just how ridiculous the world in which both properties take place. In Dexter, Miami is a medium sized city, just lousy with serial killers. In this film, we see a depiction of an underground drug world populated entirely by groove metal band members and their merch girls… I’m not exaggerating, multiple members of the band, Five Finger Death Punch play prominent roles.

To be clear, I’m almost always completely okay with these types of absurdities, I mean, I’m all the way up to season 5 of Dexter already. But I’d appreciate it if the filmmakers could have a little fun with it. This film had all of the physical elements of a romp of a good time. But it was constantly weighed down by an overwhelming air of self-importance. I could really never pin down exactly what the filmmakers were going for.

DOWN WITH THE KING – Directed by Diego Ongaro

Rapper, Mercury Maxwell (Freddie Gibbs) is holed up in a cabin in a small farming community attempting to write his next album. Increasingly becoming disillusioned with the music industry, he connects with the community as he contemplates his next move.

The worst thing I can say about this film is that it could have used about a fifteen-minute trim for pacing. But honestly, that may have more to do with the fact that I watched it at a festival than with the film itself.

Freddie Gibbs is perfect in this role. I don’t know if that will translate into future work for him, but this story was the perfect setup for a very believable performance on his part. The other great parts went to Bob Tarasuk’s Bob and Jamie Neumann’s Michaele.

The film delves into plenty of intriguing and captivating subject matter. At times, it is heavily commenting on how the capitalization and commodification of the creative process is ultimately harmful to those who work in it. But to the film’s credit, it stays focused on the far more personal angles of the story. It never feels preachy, just an organic and naturally flowing progression.

The rural setting of this film lends way to some beautifully candid moments as well. A lot of what was captured was Mercury’s interactions with the nature of his surroundings. This may have ultimately worked against the film’s pacing. I can imagine it being difficult to decide what moments to leave on the cutting room floor. But again, my issues with the film’s length may have only been a function of the setting in which I saw it.

I hope this film gets the release it deserves. Hip-Hop heads will like it just as much as the cinefiles.