Manchester by the Sea-2016

Director-Kenneth Lonergan

Starring-Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams

Scott’s Review #542

Reviewed December 11, 2016

Grade: A

Manchester by the Sea is a beautiful film.

Told from a slow build-up to a crescendo, and a big reveal mid-stream about one of the character’s pasts, it takes its time, and this is why it is so compelling.

The audience gets to slowly become familiar with the characters, making them rich with nuances- caring about them and their predicaments- just like good, solid story-telling should do.

The film is a slice of life, dark drama, but I did not find it to be a downer in the least bit. Rather, a film with rich writing and great characters. A good film makes you care for the characters as one would real people.

Casey Affleck is astoundingly good as the lead character, Lee Chandler, a janitor living a mundane life in Quincy, Massachusetts, and tending to a series of apartment buildings. He calmly goes about his work-dealing with indifferent, angry, or odd tenants.

Affleck portrays this man with quite a reserve and occasional outbursts of rage. His anger is confusing to us, but as the story unfolds we begin to understand what this man has been through and the reasoning behind his anger, even though he is a good person.

Lee receives a call one day with news that his brother, Joe, has died.

Through a myriad of flashbacks throughout the film, Joe is played by Kyle Chandler. Upon Joe’s death, Lee returns to Manchester (where he formerly resided) and is told he will be the guardian of his sixteen-year-old nephew, Patrick.

In the mix are the characters of Joe and Lee’s ex-wives- Elise and Randi (Michelle Williams), playing small, yet pivotal roles.

The film is dark, and many characters either suffer from emotional trauma, neurosis, or some other maladies, either physical or emotional. The slice of life analogy comes into play-everyone can relate to these characters in some way- most people have lived in towns like this, and/or have suffered crappy turns of events in life.

When Lee returns to Mansfield, he is a familiar face with a hint of mystery and lots of history. Mansfield is a small town- everyone knows each other’s business, and all of the characters are hardened, blue-collar, and tough individuals.

In addition to Affleck’s effective performance, Williams must be mentioned. She gives a tremendous, heart-wrenching performance as a good woman in pain, trying to carry on and do the right things, forging some sort of adequate existence, as is Lee.

Anyone who has gone through pain (which is everybody) can relate to these characters.

The supporting, and even the tiny characters, are perfectly cast and have hearty Boston-type accents that I loved. From Joe’s wife to Patrick’s girlfriend’s mother, to various other walk-on characters, each has a vulnerability mixed with toughness- as if life has been hard and they are wary of trust, yet they help each other and stick together.

The characters are a major positive to Manchester by the Sea.

Many reflective moments abound within the film- we often are given scenes of Lee driving down the highway- deep in thought. Or long shots of the vast Atlantic Ocean, where fishing is a large part of the character’s lives. Fishing boats and waves are monumental in the film.

These are not throwaway scenes, but rather interesting, compelling moments rich with meaning.

During the best sequence of the film, when a startling event occurs, the scenes are mixed with classical and operatic music, giving the scenes and the shocking revelations, power and meat.

It is heavy stuff, but also beautiful with an effective musical score.

Not to be drowned by the heavy drama, Manchester has some quirky, dry humor moments. When Joe is originally told about his heart condition, he and his father unintentionally call his female, Asian doctor by the wrong name.

When family friends host a party following awake, they awkwardly misunderstand each other when they attempt to fix Lee a plate of food. Finally, nobody can find the deceased Joe’s belongings at the hospital. These moments are awkward, but add some comic relief to the film.

I adore well-crafted, emotional, effective family dramas. Too often they are cliche-ridden and highly predictable.

In the case of Manchester by the Sea, the writing is brilliant, the acting top-notch, and the characters layered with intricate qualities.

This film has it all.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Kenneth Lonergan, Best Actor-Casey Affleck (won), Best Supporting Actor-Lucas Hedges, Best Supporting Actress-Michelle Williams, Best Original Screenplay (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Male Lead-Casey Affleck (won), Best Supporting Male-Lucas Hedges, Best Screenplay, Best Editing

Songs My Brother Taught Me-2015

Director-Chloe Zhao

Starring-John Reddy, Jashaun St. John

Scott’s Review #494

Reviewed October 14, 2016

Grade: B+

Songs My Brother Taught me is quite an understated film experience, but despite the slow pace, I found the film of great interest.

The Native American population is largely ignored in cinema (and perhaps other avenues) so what a treat it was to see a film, albeit a small, quiet film, being made to represent this group of people.

The film is produced by Forest Whitaker- undoubtedly the funding necessary was responsible for allowing it to be made at all.

Living on an Indian reservation in remote South Dakota, the story focuses on Lakota Sioux brother and sister Johnny and Jashaun- aged 16 and 11, respectively. When their father dies in a house fire, they are forced to ponder their future within the Indian reservation, and also their desires to escape their lives and move to Los Angeles with Johnny’s girlfriend- also an inhabitant of the land.

The film is largely a slice of life on a reservation and the trials and tribulations of the members who live there. Johnny’s mother- a kindhearted yet boozy young woman, who has another son in prison. Jashaun’s mentor- a tattooed man who is creative and attends alcoholics anonymous meetings, only to be caught drunk by Jashaun. A rivalry between Johnny and some rival boys develops.

Finally, Johnny aspires to purchase a truck from an older gentleman. The film is laced with different facets of real-life situations- trivial to some, but an entrance into a culture most know so little about.

I found the film to be quite interesting and compelling in a very subdued way. A marvel is the frequent long views of the prairie land- sweeping winds and gorgeous scenery for miles. Many shots of both Johnny and Jashaun are featured- simply gazing into the crisp air in deep thought.

We see the conflict put upon both youngsters. Johnny, quite handsome and the object of affection by more than one young lady, yearns for a more exciting life. His girlfriend will be attending college in California- pretty and smart- she is sure to move on to success, but Johnny plans to go with her. Her brother inquires how Johnny will live with no job and no money- all valid points. Will Johnny age and remain on the reservation for the rest of his life or escape to a different world?

Jashaun- quite young-is filled with quiet energy and curiosity. She is more studious and wise beyond her years. What will become of her without a father and surrounded by some unsavory types that her family knows?

Certainly not an offering for those who are intent on seeing more action than thoughtfulness, but for the patient viewer, it is a fascinating introspective treat. Songs My Brother Taught Me is a lesson in good storytelling.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, Acura Someone to Watch Award

Glass Chin-2015

Director-Noah Buschel

Starring-Corey Stoll, Marin Ireland

Scott’s Review #470

Reviewed August 28, 2016

Grade: B-

Glass Chin is an independent drama film from 2015 with some positive qualities as well as some negative qualities.

The film has two rather intriguing central characters, a working-class appeal, and some fun moments of Quentin Tarantino style influence, but the villains are unappealing and downright annoying much so that these elements detract from the main story. Still, a solid effort.

The premise is straightforward and comfortable- Corey Stoll plays Bud Gordon, a former New York boxer with a level of one-time success.

He now lives in a basic, small apartment in New Jersey with his girlfriend Ellen (Marin Ireland). Yearning to get back into the game, he aligns with crooked businessman, JJ Cook, played by Billy Crudup.

Along for the ride is JJ’s odd henchman, Robert. Framed for murder so that he is now “owned” by JJ, Bud must struggle to escape the mess he has gotten himself into.

The interesting parts of Glass Chin belong to Stoll and Ireland as they make Bud and Gordon both likable and genuine. They are a great team, once having success, now struggling to pay the rent. They encompass blue-collar appeal.

They are nice people, happy to dine at cheap diners, clip coupons, but also want a comfortable life. When Ellen tries caviar for the first time at a fancy hotel, she dislikes it. She is a happy working-class girl, comfortable in her skin. Bud misses the boxing lifestyle, not for the glamour, but a purpose.

Having owned a failed restaurant, he is now forced to take a job with a shady character to make ends meet.

I would have preferred the focus remain only on Bud and Ellen and their life struggles, perhaps more emphasis on their aspirations, his feelings of failure, and more story involving his training of young boxer, Kid Sunshine, but sadly these aspects are secondary to the emergence of villains JJ and Robert.

I am not sure why the filmmakers decided to make both JJ and Robert so weird, and I assume they were going for a Quentin Tarantino influence, but this did not work and led the film to lose some continuity.

Both characters, especially Robert, meander with monologues of nonsense dialogue and downright crazy talk that is rather over the top. It adds nothing to the story.

They are high-class thugs- the point comes across. The female characters, besides Ellen, are Tarantino influenced as far as their left of center actions (the wedding dress outfit, the statuesque model who beds Bud), but we know almost nothing about them.

As a side note, I loved the constant outdoor locales of New York City and New Jersey, which added authenticity to the film. When Bud drives around in his beat-up 1980’s Country Squire station wagon in the snowy New York weather, it adds a great atmosphere.

More of Bud and Ellen would have been preferred and less of JJ and Robert would have helped Glass Chin be a better film. Still, there is something about it that appeals, but overall Glass Chin is quite uneven.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Supporting Female-Marin Ireland

James White-2015

Director-Josh Mond

Starring-Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon

Scott’s Review #465

Reviewed August 15, 2016

Grade: A

I am always struck with a warm feeling and my faith in the film is reaffirmed when I can watch an interesting independent film (or mainstream studio film for that matter) that has the guts to tell a dark character-driven story and tell it very well consisting of sympathetic characters written exceptionally well.

2015’s James White is an appreciative offering about life and death and how the main characters deal with the roadblocks of life and the effects of death. This film is quite dark, however.

A fantastic young actor, Christopher Abbott, plays the title character of James White.

We meet James in a loud, frenetic nightclub as he wears headphones with soft music playing, mixing interestingly with the pounding beats of the club music.

The audience immediately can tell that James is wound up, aggressive, and troubled. His estranged father has just died and while he is not too upset by his father’s death, he cares deeply for his mother, Gail, and is worried about her.

No sooner than a service, hosted by the father’s new wife, is held, we learn that Gail is suffering from stage four cancer and will not live much longer.

The crux of the film is how James deals with his multitude of problems from his mother’s illness, to finding a job, a rocky relationship with a teen girl, and his reflections on his own life, all while filled with rage.

The film takes place over three months, culminating in the dead of winter, an obvious irony.

Abbott and Nixon give astounding performances as son and mother, the apple of each other’s eye, and how they each deal with Gail’s inevitable, impending death. James is bottled up with anger throughout most of the film and frequently needs to escape before losing it.

In one amazing scene though, he does lose it during a drunken hotel bender with pals Nick and Jayne. The sheer emotion and desperation that Christopher Abbott gives during this scene are inspirational for any aspiring actor to emulate.

One wonders if director Josh Mond allowed his actors to improvise most scenes as the compelling, raw feeling to many scenes is evident.

Nixon, since her fame on Sex And The City, has chosen daring and complex roles and this is certainly to her credit.

As Gail, we see her desperate, emotional, filled with rage, and at times delusional, as she wonders what will become of her son after she is gone and how her world has spiraled out of control.

We also see Nixon successfully play motherly as she coaches her son through his anger and pleads with him to take care of her. It is a powerful performance.

Two slight knocks to the film- James’s best friend Nick is gay (and black), but despite their different sexual orientations, they are the closest of friends. While this aspect reaps heaps of praise for being incorporated into the film, we know very little about Nick, his family, or his inner feelings.

James’s new girlfriend Jayne is also a mystery. She is significantly younger, is dutiful, but what are her motivations?

Yet, given the very short run time of the film (1 hour and 27 minutes), I can see why the filmmakers chose to almost exclusively focus on the mother/son relationship.

A very slight criticism.

A film such as James White is purely character-driven and must be enormously rewarding for actors to play these two raw characters. A downer, to be sure, and too painful for anyone dealing with a loved one suffering from cancer, but a fantastic journey into the world of wonderful acting and dynamic screenwriting.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Male Lead-Christopher Abbott, Best Supporting Female-Cynthia Nixon, Best First Feature

Beasts of No Nation-2015

Director-Cary Fukunaga

Starring-Idris Elba, Ama Abebrese

Scott’s Review #380

Reviewed February 21, 2016

Grade: B+

Having been made aware of this film following the healthy number of independent film award nominations heaped upon it in 2015, Beasts of No Nation is a war drama, set in an unnamed West Africa country,  that tells of dire events from the perspective of a young boy, having lost his family.

He is forced into a life of brutality and death, taken under the wing of a charismatic commander.

Beasts of No Nation is sometimes raw, sometimes gorgeous, but at all times thoughtful and a powerful telling of the devastation of human life, in a world very few can comprehend.

We first meet Agu (approximately aged eight or nine), and wonderfully played by unknown child actor Abraham Attah, during happy times.

He plays with his childhood chums and adores his older brother who is attempting to woo a pretty girl. His father is a leader and the family lives in a small village protected by troops- they allow refugees in for care.

Their country is in the midst of a civil war, but the family happily survives and makes a life for themselves, sharing meals. Suddenly, the government has fallen and rebels seize the area. In no time, Agu’s family is gone, leaving him alone and scared.

His world turned upside down, he becomes involved with a militia commandant, played by Idris Elba, and a fellow child soldier named Strika, who takes him in.

The film belongs to two actors- Attah and Elba, though all actors perform their roles with precision.  The relationship between the characters is interesting and complex- like a father/son mixed with mentor/protégé and is the most compelling part of the film.

The commander is certainly a father figure to Agu- he sees a warrior in him and takes him under his wing- feeds him, cares for him. He is never violent or abusive towards Agu and in one powerful scene, Agu is sodomized by Attah ( mostly off-screen yet very much implied) and Agu seeks comfort in best friend Strika, who has also met the same actions prior.

One cannot help but think sexual assaults like this are perceived and handled differently in Africa.

Rape is a subject that comes up numerous times in the film- mostly against women.

What I noticed throughout the film was the beauty of the cinematography as most scenes are set outside- the lush, green forests and the villages were tranquil and beautiful- contrasting starkly with the violence taking place.

Agu does some terrible things- in one brutal scene an innocent student is hacked to bits by Agu and Strika at the commander coaching as a sort of initiation. Agu sees the student as responsible for his family’s fates and goes berserk.

Later, Agu tearfully mistakes a village woman for his mother and angrily shoots her dead as she is being raped by his cohorts. The film is not soft and contains lots of violence. But again, this is a world unknown to most viewers.

At times we despise Agu and the violent rage he emits- but then we remember he is a young boy being turned into this warrior by savages.

He talks to God and his mother and knows what he does (and what is happening to his country) is wrong. I would have liked to have learned more background about Elba’s character. What makes him tick? Has he lost loved ones long ago as Agu has?

I surmised that the answer is yes. He is brutal, but a calm, calculating, thoughtful man- but still, one that is in control at all times.

As war rages on Agu and his fellow tribe question what they are doing. Such smarts for a young boy and the audience admires his views. He is intellectual and worldly way beyond his years.

That is what makes Beasts of No Nation a compelling character study. I more than once thought that I had seen this type of film before (Last King of Scotland comes to mind in recent times), but never to the extent of what a character-driven story it was, especially in the eyes of a child.

Beasts of No Nation takes the viewer to an unpleasant world of brutality and a world where there is no rule book. We are exposed to a once innocent child’s experiences and conflicted feelings in the face of danger and heartbreak, and hopefully, will learn its complications.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-Cary Joji Fukunaga, Best Male Lead-Abraham Attah (won), Best Supporting Male-Idris Elba (won), Best Cinematography

Room-2015

Director-Lenny Abrahamson

Starring-Brie Larson

Scott’s Review #373

Reviewed January 31, 2016

Grade: A

Room is a fantastic, compelling story of a woman’s battle in captivity, along with her five-year-old son in tow. The film also tells of the after-effects that occur from reclusive living as they both strive to adapt to their changing world.

Receiving a slew of Academy Award nominations, the film is more than a one-dimensional story of peril or rescue, but rather, a smartly woven tale that delves into the psychological issues involved with being confined in a room for years, giving the film a deeper meaning. Room is adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Emily Donoghue.

We meet twenty-four-year-old Joy and her five-year-old son Jack, who live in squalor in a shed made into one single room. They exist from food and supplies delivered by their captor “Old Nick”, who abducted Joy seven years prior.

He periodically rapes her and is Jack’s father, though there is no affection on either side. Joy has attempted escape before but has failed. She is determined to break free once and for all and allow her and Jack a normal life.

In the first half, we learn about Joy and Jack and we see how they exist and forge a life together. Until the present, Joy has told Jack that only they are real and the outside world and people on television are not.

They live in a fantasy world and Jack periodically treats objects (chair, toilet, bed) as real-life things, giving morning greetings to these objects- this is both cute and sad. His only channel to the outside world is a small skylight, which he endlessly gazes at.

I love how the film suddenly changes course at the halfway point and shifts focus to the aftereffects taking a dark, complex, psychological turn.

The first half takes place entirely in the “room”, and suddenly, a whole new world has blossomed. A monumental event changes the course of the film.

From this point, the film deals with the traumatic effects of being shut away for years. Joy suffers from depression. Jack sees a new world. We see how other characters deal with the turn of events. Joy’s parents- wonderfully played by Joan Allen and William H. Macy react in completely different ways.

How have their lives changed because of Joy’s abduction? Will they see Old Nick every time they lay eyes on Jack? How will Joy’s mother’s new boyfriend react?

There is a strong theme of coping throughout the film and how all of the characters cope with life events and attempt to resume a life of normalcy. There is such a unique humanistic feel to the film that makes it deeper than I would have expected. Sure, Brie Larson gives a dynamic performance, but the film offers reflection and thought.

The direction and camera-work are a marvel. We see a blurred view of what Jack sees in “the real world”.  It is almost like the audience is reawakening to life and we see it through a child’s eyes- the sights, the sounds.

Jack has heretofore created an imaginary dog in his mind and the film introduces more than one real dog that plays a pivotal role in the film. We see Jack’s joy and terror at the new experiences.

Room encompasses a great deal of thought-provoking ideas and makes what might only have been a basic story and turns it into an intricate journey into human psychology through many different nuances and facets.

What a wonderful, dark experience this is.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Lenny Abrahamson, Best Actress-Brie Larson (won), Best Adapted Screenplay

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Female Lead-Brie Larson (won), Best First Screenplay (won), Best Editing