In January. I read three books and watched twenty three films. I have a couple of recommendations for you.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
Film
The Cinephile’s Journey: Spotlight
in Reviews
Recommendation: 5/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.” -IMDB
Review: Of the thousands of films I have watched in a theater and the thousands of films I have watched at home, I have only rated 63 films as perfect. Spotlight is one of those movies.
In my estimation, it is evidence that it is adult, mid-budget films that possess the true power to change an audience member. It is further proof that this elusive change intensifies in a communal setting, such as a theater. Now, that is not a slight directed at superhero films, blockbusters, or low-budget horror films. Those movies can also be engines for empathy too. But movies like Spotlight do something special. They often transport you to a world where ordinary people meet the challenges of extraordinary circumstances. In their tribulations, we learn, we grow, and we see ourselves. When this happens, the cinematic experience becomes something magical.
This film highlights the courage of those who fought against the Catholic Church's inaction. Pursuing the truth, we finally hear from the victims. Thanks to the work of journalists, justice reclaims space. This film also avoids the pitfalls of becoming another procedural story about the world of journalism. It does this by ensuring we feel the full weight of discovery. To maintain power, the church covered up decades of abuse and an entire city helped them do it. That sin, ignorance, and complicity carry a damning weight, leaving very few unscared.
This film also throws into question our institutions. What happens when a religion becomes so powerful it answers to no one? What would happen if we allowed journalism to die? Who speaks for those without a voice? These questions feel profound as a victim recounts his abuse to a journalist, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo). After his father dies by suicide, he describes a priest paying attention to him as, “it was like God showing up.” Shortly after, the abuse began. Without some advocacy on behalf of the truth, how does that victim ever find justice?
Another thing I love about this film is the pacing. Investigative journalism is slow and agonizing work filled with dead ends. It is a slog with roadblocks around every corner. This film understands that reality. The journalists get more right than wrong, but very little comes easily. They must fight and scratch for every inch of truth.
Finally, I love almost any film that displays a romance for the written word. Every member of the Spotlight team believes in this power. This is a film that exemplifies the power of the pen over the sword. A well-crafted story can move mountains and it can bring down corrupt institutions.
I have lost track of how many times I have watched this film. It rocked me to my core when I originally saw it in theaters. It still leaves me in awe. That awe still springs from a belief that thoughtful storytelling can change the world.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
in Reviews
Recommendation: 4/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.”
Review: The first movie I can remember watching in a cinema was Tim Burton’s 1989 film, Batman. That film would forever change me. The spectacle of it all mesmerized me. On that day, I fell deeply in love with the cinematic experience, the art form of movies, and the work of Michael Keaton.
Since that fateful day, I have seen over a thousand movies in a theater and thousands more at home. I have also closely followed the career of Michael Keaton. Over the last 30+ years, his career has seen triumphant highs and spellbinding lows. Just when it seemed as if Hollywood had forgotten him and moved on, he launched into a decade defined by some of his best work. That work includes the Best Picture winner, Birdman, a film for which he received a Best Actor nomination.
This film goes beyond just using tracking shots to tell a story - it also has a lot to say about art, consumption, and what makes something relevant. Although any actor could have played the lead role in this story, Keaton's casting added a unique layer of nuance to the film. As an actor who got his big break playing a comic book hero, it feels special and, perhaps, voyeuristic to watch Keaton play an actor who also got the same sort of break. As Keaton’s Riggan turns to the Broadway stage in search of truth and the promise of authenticity, he does so balancing his own truth and fiction masterfully.
On this journey, Riggan battles ego and relevancy as he works to establish a new artistic voice for himself. Cost overruns, self-righteous actors, and his failures as a father and a husband are ever-present challenges. A haunting, jazz-infused soundtrack that makes the confined spaces of the theater feel claustrophobic underscores these roadblocks and, as if there is no place one can be alone with their thoughts.
In the end, Riggan needs one brave performance to rise above the criticism, gatekeeping, and doubt. With his back against the wall, Riggan does exactly that, but never in a way you would expect. As he bares his soul on the stage, sure of himself and the heartache he cannot shake, it is Keaton who soars to new heights. Above it all, he shows us he is so much more than an actor in a leather suit.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: Argo
in Reviews
Recommendation: 4/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.”
Review: From the outset, the filmmakers behind Argo acknowledge the complicated relationship between the United States and Iran. Throughout much of the 19th century, the U.S. attempted and succeeded in many regime changes in countries our leaders deemed hostile to our national interests. This sort of heavy diplomacy and interference made few friends and lasting enemies. Topping that list in the 1970s might have been Iran. By choosing to acknowledge this truth, we get a less sanitized and patriotic version of the truth. Certainly, we can still view this story as a battle between good and evil, but once we take past intrusions into account, the story becomes more complex..
The other thing this film does exceptionally well is choosing to not get bogged down in that shared history. Our attempts at regime change could be its own movie, but this one is not concerned with telling that story. This fast-paced film is intensely focused on the six Americans who escaped the overrun American embassy and found safety in the Canadian ambassador’s home. Choosing to summarize the past and then focusing on the rescue mission on hand draws you in instantly and raises the stakes.
Now, the plot of this film can feel overly simplistic. After several plans are considered on how to extract the six Americans from the country, C.I.A. agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) pitches the cover story of filmmakers on location scouting potential locations for a science fiction movie. Of all the bad ideas, this is the best one. As Mendez goes about the business of finding a script, faking a reading, setting up a production office, forming backstories, and launching a movie that will never get made, I could not help but smile. The plan is ridiculous, but it speaks to people’s vanity and love affair with Hollywood. As the plan fully unfolds, I could not help but find beauty in the simplicity.
The last act of the film is the most powerful. With manufactured backstories and support from the six Americans, we see the million points of potential failure. Location scouting could get them caught. Leaving the Canadian ambassador’s home could have them arrested, tried, and killed. Failure to commit their backstories could unravel everything. All these realities are front and center, but nothing compares to the tension of the airport.
As Mendez leads his fake film crew through the airport, levels of security and scrutiny meet them at every turn. At every level, you will see ways in which the plan might finally fail. Never in my life has airport security and a gate check been so agonizing, but the payoff is a beautiful thing to behold.
Argo is not a perfect film, but it is a hell of a ride that left me gripping the edge of my seat. On a second viewing, the tension remained despite the known outcome. To me, that is a sure sign of quality.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: "No Country for Old Men" (Podcast)
in Podcast
Hello friends and welcome to Natetheworld (The Podcast). It has been ages since I have done an episode like today’s show. Over at Natetheworld, I frequently write about movies, but rarely bring those reviews to this medium. That changes today! Today, we will be returning to the film, No County for Old Men. For a while now, I have been watching and reviewing every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture, which won in 2008. I hope you enjoy.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: "No Country for Old Men"
in Reviews
Recommendation: 4/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.” -IMBD
Review: No Country for Old Men is about more than a drug deal gone horribly wrong. It is about more than the hunter who stole money that is not his or the killer attempting to get his money back, and the lawman investigating it all. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the theme of this film is a country in transition.
Attempting to make the point of a country that is becoming more violent, less caring, and deeply cynical, the lawman at the center of this film, Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), would have you believe we have not always been this way. Using the vast, violent, and unforgiving landscape of the wild and untamed countryside of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, we learn from his privileged position this view may be true. I promise you American Indians, enslaved Africans, and countless immigrant groups know a different story, but that story lies elsewhere.
All Ed Tom Bell knows is the crime before him. Over his long and storied career, he has watched the nature of crime change. Gone are the days of minor disagreements and neighborly disputes. With drugs invading his backyard and a shift in the public’s inclination toward escalated violence, there seems to be blood everywhere he looks.
As we watch Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) pursue Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) from town to town, attempting to retake stolen money, the tension and bloodshed paints a picture truer to Bell’s belief than might be reality. As I watched this wonderfully written script unfold before me, I doubted the truth. Perhaps we are descending into a violent hellscape from which we will never recover. As Anton and Llewelyn get closer and closer to each other, the violence explodes, and even more death abounds. Standing in pools of red owed because of money and drugs, I almost fell victim to Bell’s cynicism.
With the end of the pursuit, we realize that there really is no resolution to this story. America is constantly evolving. Its story is forever shifting because of a cast of characters all trying to make ends meet. We have always been a violent people. While statistics suggest we are living at the least violent point in human history, our collective consciousness tells us otherwise. We have always been prone to brutality, now we just know about it.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: 12 Years a Slave
in Reviews
Recommendation: 5/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.”
Review: In conversations about the film, 12 Years a Slave, I often hear some variation of the same sentiment. “That was a great movie, but I will never watch it again.” On the surface, there is nothing easy about the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Bearing witness to brutality and inhumanity is never easy. But I believe it is necessary to bear witness to his tortured story. The cruelty that visits him and his fellow slaves is a pain we must confront.
With this review, I would like to make an argument for choosing to revisit this film. Watching this movie for this series of reviews marks my third time. Each experience has delivered a different outcome. The first time forced a reckoning with the privilege I possess as a white man in America. My second viewing was with my mom, who was a child and a teenager during the height of the civil rights movement. After the third viewing, all I could think about was Florida.
Across our nation, political leaders and well-organized groups are attempting to whitewash history. They want to pretend as if such historical cruelties, like those portrayed in this film, never occurred. They make up stories about the root causes of what ails us and work tirelessly to convince us it has nothing to do with race. Most egregiously, they are working hard to ensure our children can learn nothing from the sins of our nation.
They throw “woke” around like it is some insult. If acknowledging the lasting damage of slavery, genocide, denying women the right to vote, Jim Crow laws, exclusionary acts, xenophobia, internment, red lining, denial of basic freedoms, Islamophobia, and an insurrection, makes me “woke,” then I wear the word with pride. Acknowledging our sin does not make me love my country any less. Witnessing the pain and anguish of Solomon makes me more human. It firmly puts our country’s destiny in my hands.
Spending time with this story and these characters presents an opportunity to learn and question. In Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), we see that a master cloaking himself in God’s word does not absolve you from the sins of slavery. We know this is true, because Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), Solomon’s second “master,” wraps himself in the same religious fervor but uses it as a weapon to treat his property as he sees fit.
Counter to these performances, we see Solomon, stolen from freedom, do all he can to push against the forces of hopelessness. Finally, in Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), we witness firsthand the cruelty of slavery.
Watching the performances of all four actors, my mind still drifts to thoughts of Florida. No matter what their governor says, there are no positives to be garnered from the act of owning, enslaving, and torturing another human being. History should never judge those who did kindly.
Slavery was a glaring ember of betrayal. It betrayed ideals we hold dear. If there are bright spots to be found in this film, they are in witnessing Solomon’s willingness to return home to his family. We can also find them in the actions of men like Bass (Brad Pitt), who risked it all to right a wrong.
As painful as this film might be, I urge you to revisit it. We are far from finished washing the stench of this sin from our American skin. Others might be hellbent on rewriting the story, but after spending some time with this film, I find myself just as determined to stand in their way.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
The Cinephile’s Journey: The Hurt Locker
in Reviews
The Cinephile’s Journey: The Hurt Locker
Recommendation: 4/5 Stars
The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.
Plot: “During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.” -IMDB
Review: I am a big fan of American singer/songwriter David Ramirez. In his song, Stone Age, he sings the following lyrics, “Our fathers were drinkers, ‘cause we shifted them off to war. And I’m drunk on a Tuesday, ‘cause I’m just so fucking bored.”
For many in my generation, I assume this sentiment rings true. Occasionally, it rings true for me. Then I watch a movie like The Hurt Locker and realize there are members of my generation who have a drastically different story to tell.
The Hurt Locker rings with an authenticity that is deliberate. Over the top war movies have their time and place, but doing so here would not be true to what made the Iraq War unique. Instead, director Kathryn Bigelow uses natural light, long pauses, and quiet tension to deliver us to the frontline. The choice brings war home and matches the stories told by those who have served.
The film focuses on Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), a bomb technician who leads a squad of soldiers. William James is cavalier, reckless, and approaches each mission with a John Wayne attitude. For his teammates, his choices can often seem needlessly dangerous. In their estimation, this is especially true in a war zone where death can come from any direction. On every rooftop and in every window, the enemy lies in wait. Much to the credit of the filmmakers, this is a tension you feel running throughout this film. Every outing could be the last for these soldiers, and they make us deeply comprehend this.
Released in 2008 as America began to fully question the necessity of a conflict in Iraq, this movie also asks us to wrestle with why we asked these soldiers to tempt fate in the first place. The supposed death of an Iraqi child and a fellow soldier forces us, as an audience, to question the mission. Why did we send our sons and daughters halfway around the world? Was the trauma and pain worth it?
Finally, this film is a study of ego and pride. On the one hand, these are qualities you want stitched into the bravery of every soldier who steps foot on the battlefield. On the other hand, these qualities have real-world consequences that put people in danger and returned soldiers home from war broken by their experiences.
In the end, this is neither a pro-war nor anti-war film. It is a dramatization of real-world experiences. It presents its story and then asks the audience to question how that made them feel. As someone who has a brother who served in Iraq, it only cemented my feelings.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
My 5 Favorite Films from SIFF 2016
in Reviews
1. 13 Minutes
"13 Minutes" is what "Valkyrie" should have been. Now, I say this not to put "Valkyrie" down. I thought it was an excellent, dramatic, and action packed movie. Besides the fact that everyone in the film has a German accent except Tom Cruise, I can't remember having many negative things to say about it. Where "13 Minutes" triumphs, is the point of view from which the story is told. We see the world through the eyes of a poor, ethnic German who has decided to confront the evil around him. Using a bomb, he attempts to assassinate Hitler. He is eventually caught by the Gestapo and pays the ultimate price, but his bravery remains a story of inspiration and one worthy of being told to all those who doubt the ability of one person to make a difference in this world.
2. Our Loved Ones
Suicide comes with more ambiguity than we human beings can fathom. "Our Loved Ones" shows the unanswerable questions better than any film I have ever seen. If you know my story, then you know this film was a difficult one for me. Being confronted with suicide always brings up awful memories, but it was comforting to watch people wrestle with big issues just as I have. I could see myself in the characters. I had asked those questions. I had stared into the abyss and come up empty over and over again. The relief the film offers is the relief all who have lost someone in this manner find; we find it in life. We recognize the value in our lives through our simple act of living. For bringing this example to the forefront of my mind once again, I am thankful for this piece of cinema.
3. Holding the Man
We often owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those brave souls who came before us. Their actions paved the way for our future success. This is true of any movement focused on civil rights. "Holding the Man" focuses on two men who fall in love in the mid 70's. As their relationship blossoms, they defend themselves against close minded parents, a society that doesn't understand, the AIDS crisis, and the normal rigors of any partnership. As the credits rolled, I was overcome with emotion. I couldn't help, but look at my partner and thank those who came before us. We've never had to defend our relationship with anyone. In this brave new world, I hope we never will.
4. Sleeping Giant
Your formal education may have occurred during the school year, but every kid I knew truly grew as a person during the summer and "Sleeping Giant" proves it. In the same manner as the three boys at the heart of this film, summer was a time to be with your friends, often unsupervised. It was when you tested your limits, experimented, and succumbed to peer pressure. In those three months, you became something new... something different. While our consequences and actions were rarely as severe as those portrayed in this film, our change was no less dramatic. For all of these reasons and many more, I cannot recommend this film enough.
5. Summertime
Right now, I want you to think about your husband, wife, or partner. Try as hard as you can to vividly picture them in your mind. Now, imagine that society didn't allow you two to be together. With that thought in mind, you are prepared for the gripping drama of "Summertime." The film focuses on two French women in the early 70's during the Women's Liberation Movement who fall in love. When one of the women is forced to move back home to her small village, the drama begins. Their secret love is tested in real ways. You, as an audience member, are left to wonder what it will take for these two to be together. Will love triumph or will the pressures of a normal life rule the day? For the answers to those questions, don't look to me. Rather, see this amazing film.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan