Doc Corner: 'A Thousand Cuts'

By Glenn Dunks

The first word that came out of my mouth at the conclusion of A Thousand Cuts was simply, ‘Phwoar!’ Which is surprising because I don’t think it’s a word I use on the regular. But this new film by renowned Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz had the dizzying, alarming sensation of being put through the wringer. It’s an ever shrinking and claustrophobic box of political corruption and democratic destruction that is so confident in itself that it leaves arguably it’s biggest and most damning moment to the end credits.

Diaz’s film predominantly follows Maria Ressa, a prominent journalist in the Philippines who in 2018 was co-named Time magazine’s Person of the Year and who has become a significent recipient of scorn from the nation’s bullish President, Rodrigo Duterte. Through her website Rappler, she has sought to uncover the violent criminality of his regime, but through public rallies, abusive televised press conferences and through packs of angry political surrogates and supporters, she has become Duterte’s public enemy number one. They have sought to silence her and leverage his power to have her arrested multiple times and spread fake, damaging information and threats to her and her outlet.

Sound familiar?

Click to read more ...

Sakamoto on Criterion

by Cláudio Alves

Ryuichi Sakamoto is a master of music that needs no introduction. Thanks to his work with the Yellow Magic Orchestra and solo experiments, Sakamoto has helped shape the evolution of electronic music like few other artists in the past decades. His avant-garde sound is difficult to confuse with that of other composers, but he's not an artist predisposed to repetition or stagnation. Since the 1970s, has never stopped composing, never stopped challenging himself, or dazzling his audience with music whose beauty transcends comprehension. Sakamoto's also an avid cinephile and had been writing film scores since the 80s when Nagisa Oshima cast him in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Across the years, he's built an eclectic filmography that's rich in artistic brio and lacking in mediocre efforts. He even won an Oscar.

Because of such excellence, the Criterion Channel has curated a selection of 10 Ryuichi Sakamoto scored pictures. Here are some highlights…

Click to read more ...

Doc Corner: 'The Fight'

By Glenn Dunks

The Fight is not a film about the ACLU. It’s probably wise to know that before going in. Because lord knows the American Civil Liberties Union have had their fair share of odious choices under the guise of free speech, namely defending anti-unionists, Nazis, the Klu Klux Klan, and—as seen briefly here, the only such moment of critical assessment—the Charlottesville white nationalists and their antisemitic tiki torch parade that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer in 2017.

What The Fight is, however, is a cleverly constructed documentary about four lawyers by three filmmakers who by happy accident or quickly assembled timing placed themselves on the frontlines (so to speak) of the American President’s war against the rights of immigrants, voters, women and transgender individuals. It’s a film that begins on the courthouse steps and in the airport waiting lounges as fast-typing associates battle against the ‘Muslim ban’ and which hasn’t let up in the three and a half years since...

Click to read more ...

Doc Corner: Women in music

By Glenn Dunks

At least once a year, we do a round-up of some of the music documentaries that are making the rounds. This year there is a particular focus on women in music with a range of titles covering pop (Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl), punk and new wave (The Go-Go’s), rock (Suzy Q) and whatever it is that sits in between all of them (Sisters with Transistors)—and they of course sit alongside names like Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn in Ken Burns' Country Music, which we looked at recently.

I have actually already written about Liam Firmager and Tait Brady’s Aussie-made Suzi Q upon its local Australian release last year. I was impressed by its high energy retelling of the career of the “Devil Gate Drive” and "Can the Can" singer and guitarist Suzi Quatro. A rollicking is simply structured documentary that is appropriate daggy for the musician at its centre. You can read my full review at ScreenHub so let’s move on to the rest, which make for an entertaining dive through diverse musical stories.

Click to read more ...

Doc(?) Corner: The boozy brilliance of 'Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets'

By Glenn Dunks

Sometimes you just know. You can just feel it. You know? When a film isn’t just good, or even great, but one that will percolate in your mind for ages. When it offers that true gut feeling you get when watching something that just sings to every part of you. And so it is with the docu-fiction curio whatsit Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets from directing brothers Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross which is set in a Vegas dive bar —bear with me, I think this is accurate—that is actually a stand-in for a New Orleans dive bar of the same name populated with real life people, some of whom have acted although none of whom would call themselves actors (maybe), They represent real life personalities who have come together to mourn the triumph of capitalism that isn’t really happening.

I know, I know, I’m lost too, but what a way to get lost! It’s like Robert Altman making an episode of Cheers if he gave his cast an open bar and its theme song was Sophie B. Hawkins’ “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover”...

Click to read more ...