Streaming: "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande"

by Nathaniel R

Here's one we absolutely meant to review at Sundance but didn't get to. We did you disservice. This must-see drama from writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde, now streaming on Hulu, is a fine specimen in the increasingly endangered species of "character-based drama for adults". More rising directors and screenwriters should attempt low-budget premises like -- easier to get funding -- provided they can find and guide actors savvy enough to pull off something direct and delicate. Hyde and Brand have done just that even if they haven't attempted to make it very "cinematic". It's not based on a play but it does feel like a film version of a play. For the wisely economical 97 minute running time we're entirely focused on just two people in one hotel room. Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a lonely fifty something widow who hires a male escort "Leo Grande" (Daryl McCormack) to fill the void of human connection in her life. She also hopes to finally experience an orgasm...

Click to read more ...

Tribeca 2022: The Failings of the Legal System in 'The Courtroom'

By Abe Friedtanzer

 

It's no secret that the way that law works in the United States has serious issues, and archaic rulings often lead to devastating and irreversible consequences for the least fortunate. Meanwhile those with power and access can evade justice. Among the most disproportionately affected groups are immigrants, whose own “legality” is fiercely questioned and denied by those who forget that this country came into being as a nation of immigrants. Lee Sunday Evan's directorial film debut The Courtroom tackles this subject in an experimental manner, one that leaves plenty to be considered...

Click to read more ...

Tribeca 2022: Gender Identity and Austrian Hockey in 'Breaking the Ice'

By Abe Friedtanzer

Sports have historically created gendered environments defined by competition. As a result, they aren't always welcoming to those who don't fit fit neatly into the player mold. Clara Stern's Breaking the Ice is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be able to truly express yourself as the captain of a women's hockey team in Austria...

Click to read more ...

Emmy FYC ~ Supporting Actresses

by Nathaniel R

Parker Posey in "The Staircase", Natasha Rothwell in "The White Lotus", Sydney Sweeney in "Euphoria", and Sheryl Lee Ralph in "Abbott Elementary"

Have you ever actually gazed at those gargantuan Emmy ballots?  No matter how much TV you're watching you will know, looking at the options, that you won't be able to give every acclaimed performance a fair shake. Some shows you may not have even heard of. This is why Emmys definitely need rounds of voting or juries or some winnowing process to help voters (and by extension the public) to discover great work beyond just listing all the names from the shows they do watch each year, whether or not the actor had a good season. Imagine the Oscars if there weren't all those critics awards all over the place, multiple precursors, and top ten lists and the like pointing people to performances and the result was regulary 3-5 actors from 2-3 films taking up most of the 20 slots.

We know that that happens consistently at the Emmys. For example, just last year The Handmaid's Tale filled literally half the ballot in Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and three years back Game of Thrones made up  more than half of the nominated shortlist...

Click to read more ...

Tribeca: The A.I. doc "Sophia" is more human than well you know

by Jason Adams

If you're into egregious public humiliations (and who isn't) then has Sophia has got a doozy for you. Jon Kasbe and Crystal Moselle's new documentary about the inventor David Hanson and his quest to perfect "the most realistic humanoid robot" has a scene so cringe that I nearly crawled right out of my own humanoid skin suit and called it a day. It's obviously a testament to the filmmakers skill that I found myself so emotionally invested in this verité science doc when it's basically just a portrait of how the sausage gets made. The "sausage" in question is a twitchy real-doll with feelings named Sophia... 

Click to read more ...