by Nathaniel R
BONES AND ALL © United Artists Releasing
Hello strangers. Yours truly has been moving apartments for the past few days hence the radio silence. But HQ (aka the desktop computer) is now plugged in, wifi connected, and ready to be of use again if the rest of me can similarly recharge. When was the last time you moved? It's a bitch, right? Bone tired and the whole body aches from packing and box lifting and such. Can't wait to talk about The Fabelmans and TÁR but first some quick takes on recent NYFF screenings the last of which (Triangle of Sadness) is just fabulous and now in theaters. Go see it!
BONES AND ALL
The latest flick from Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) is an interesting experiment in fusing tender romantic drama with sickening gore...
Guadagnino continues to be a force behind the camera but why is he using his gifts for this? And so soon after the interesting but still wholly uneccessary remake of Suspiria? I fear we'll never get another I Am Love or even another A Bigger Splash. Art should not attempt to be for everyone so sometimes there are casualties. I must sadly file this under "definitely not for me" Still, Bones and All will definitely be for some including maybe you. The audience sitting around me at NYFF ate this up (sorry not sorry). They seemed especially enthused about Mark Rylance (in the film's only large supporting role) and Michael Stuhlbarg, one of many longish cameos which tend to be a feature of road trip movies. I thought both acclaimed actors were legimitately bad with broad and obvious "I'm a freak!" performances. Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet go in the opposite direction, avoiding easy-queasy monstrous tics and instead genuinely feel like two lonely drifting souls who just happen to also have an insatiable taste for human flesh. The direction, soundscape, cinematography, and leading players were all very effective but, no pun intended, it left a terrible taste in the mouth... particularly in its final predictable act. Elisa admired this in Venice and thought the cannibalism element was tasteful in that it wasn't fetishized. While the latter is true, I disagree; if the cannibalism itself is a metaphor for anything that might put someone on the margins of society (and isn't it?) with no way to really co-exist with their fellow man, do we really need to watch the eating? C+
Oscar Dreams: It would be shocking if this caught on with the Academy
Release: In a sick joke this opens for Thanksgiving. YUM.
ALCARRAS © MUBI in the US
ALCARRAS
Have you read Jason's piece on Spain's Oscar submission? It's a lovely reflective take that helped me appreciate the artistry of this film about a family of peach farmers who are losing their whole way of life. In other words it's the best kind of review! Carla Simon's movie is beautifully observed throughout with some sequences and shots that are still haunting. Still I admit I missed the tautness and potency that economically shaped and scripted dramas starring professional actors can often have. Though it's just 120 minutes the pacing doesn't quite work. Should it feel this leisurely and extended when thematically it's about holding tightly and desperately to something that's rapidly slipping away? B/B+
SAINT OMER
France's courtroom drama is about two women, one an Academic writing a book touching on the Medea myth and the other on trial in a tabloid-ready infanticide case. The plot suggests violent sensationalism and complex maternity themes but only the latter is present. Director Alice Diop refuses all sensationalism. Saint Omer conveys admirable thoughtfulness, intelligence, and challenging ambiquity...but it's very dry. Diop's documentary roots are evident in the way the plentiful drama often feels more told and recorded than shaped. Enormous scenes play out with long static shots often with little to no editorializing in the way of cuts, music, shot composition, or even within performance. All of which makes this more of a movie to think about than to feel along with. B
Oscar Dreams: Alcarras and Saint Omer arrive to the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film festooned with festival prizes. While their high profiles and quality could land them on the finalist list with a fighting chance for a nomination neither feel like locks; they're either too observational or too academic for typical Oscar glory. Could happen but might not.
Release: Both have US distribution but no release dates yet.
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS © Neon
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
It's Exactly what you'd expect from Ruben Östlund (The Square, Force Majeure) and that's mostly a compliment. It's "THEMES" are in all caps but cleverly crafted. It leads to really big laughs through mass audience cringing. Finally, it's wildly entertaining, pleased with itself, and overlong; the lily will definitely be gilded.
It appears to be increasingly cool among cinephiles to dislike Ruben Östlund's pictures but I personally like them a lot. In some ways he makes himself an easy target for his haters. He picks very bougie first world problems and easy targets -- in this case the filthy rich, the dehumanizing effects of capitalism, and vapid social media emptiness. While I emphatically agree with the critique that he doesn't know when to stop (ALL of his films are 20-30 minutes too long... so that he can make the same points repeatedly and he'd maybe make a masterpiece if he could learn to self-edit). Neverthless I vehemently disagree that his films are facile and as shallow as their targets. And even if they were, they're hugely enjoyable, truly surprising, and wickedly cutting while shooting their barrel fish. Triangle of Sadness is another winner on par with the merciless masculine skewering of Force Majeure and art world provocations of The Square. Triangle of Sadness pulls off the very difficult trick of changing shape entirely for each of its three acts without losing any personality, cohesion, or humor, or sight of its primary targets. Harris Dickinson in the leading role of a malleable male model and Dolly De Leon as a luxury yacht's cleaning manager are the terrific MVPs from a large and game cast. A- /B+
Oscar Dreams: Some pundits consider this a longshot. Not me. I'm betting it will tickle the Academy's fancy. It may skewer the exact type of people that make up the Academy, but it's critiquing them from inside the house, one wealthy liberal capitalist to another, so it won't be off-putting. I'm currently banking on Picture, Director, and Screenplay citations. Dolly de Leon is a wildcard possibility in Best Supporting Actress for her resourceful, funny, and increasingly crucial performance.
Release: The limited release from NEON just began. GO SEE IT.