Music Mondays: KITTEN "Fall On Me"

Another electrifying romantic anthem from Chloe Chaidez-fronted (and Los Angeles-based) group KITTEN. I've written about them before, reviewing their debut full-length record and even featuring one of their old classics on Music Monday. This time around, they've released a new EP (debuted at their recent show at the Fonda Theater in LA, which I also attended), Heaven or Somewhere in Between. The first single from that album is today's music selection, "Fall on Me," a stunning and soaring electro-pop gem that rivals the best of the 80's and 90's.

There isn't a single thing that KITTEN releases that I'm not eating up with a spoon. I've seen Chloe and her band in concert four times, and considering her affinity for her home city, there will certainly be more opportunities to catch her in LA soon. Have a listen to "Fall on Me," which isn't even available for download yet!

Happy Monday xx

Artist: KITTEN
Song: "Fall on Me" | [download currently unavailable]
Album: Heaven or Somewhere in Between (unavailable for purchase)

Movie Review: "Mustang" (2015)

© Ad Vitam

This is the reason that I love the Academy Awards. Incredible foreign language films are introduced to the American public at large, many we would never have seen otherwise, and for those of us lucky enough to be in the Los Angeles area during awards season, a bevy of theatrical screenings pop up all around. And as I tackle my Oscar movie checklist this year, I jumped at the chance to see France's 2015 submission for Foreign Language Film (though it is, in fact, spoken in Turkish). In this Oscar-nominated first feature by Turkish-born, French-bred female director, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Mustang explores the dangers of growing up a modern young woman in a conservative culture, the natural and unnatural of sexual awakening, and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

At the end of their school year, five sisters ranging in age from twelve to seventeen, return home to the strict household of their grandmother (Nihal Koldaş) and uncle, Erol (Ayberk Pekcan). The girls, having lost their parents a decade before, lean on each other as they come into their own as young women, fighting misconceptions that they've behaved immorally with local boys when town gossip spreads in their small town. Lale (Güneş Şensoy), the baby and tomboy of the girls—and our protagonist—watches their home become a prison when they're denied the right to leave, and witnesses her sisters rebel in various ways. The eldest, Sonay (İlayda Akdoğan), finds ways to sneak out and meet her boyfriend in the dark of night, while the nervous Selma (Tuğba Sunguroğlu) and quiet Ece (Elit İşcan) each endure the prospect of rushed arranged marriages. As the threat of "wife training," unwanted sexual encounters, and a future of marital imprisonment looms near for all of them, Lale seeks a means of escape to the distant city of Istanbul, where she and sister, Nur (Doğa Doğuşlu), might find freedom—and happiness.

The following comparison is unavoidable. Reminiscent at its core to Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, based on Jeffrey Eugenides' gripping novel, the dynamics of sisterly love isn't only explored, it's the entire foundation of the film. Yet while the five sisters in Eugenides' story are ever-veiled in mystery, their sexuality overt though secret, and their mental prison weighted down by crippling depression, the Mustang sisters have nowhere to hide. Draped in dour sack dresses to hide their shapely bodies and flower-patterned underwear, their kinship bands them together and keeps their hearts warm and smiles wide. That is, as long as they have each other. Within the confines of their home enclosure, their differences in age, personality, and experience disappear, and they become a unit of strength. It's beautiful to see, and that much more devastating when the unit is torn apart.



Ergüven incorporates more than any movie's fair share of unsettling imagery, though it is almost entirely implied. Religion and politics never come into play here, though you know they're not far away. The rural, coastal setting, the preoccupation with chastity and virginity, the importance of wedding dowries and reputation... none of it is just for the sake of drama. There is something disturbingly personal at work here, and it works its way under your skin slowly, without notice. It's impossible not to anticipate the possibility of some of the more disturbing events that occur, but the dispassionate way in which abuse, depression, fear, and anger are introduced show not only the deftness of the writing, but the depth of the characters—and that of the young actresses portraying them.

Şensoy's Lale may be a child, but she's absolutely unwilling to compromise her future for anyone. She flits about happily enough, her youth saving her from the adults' scrutiny, and the threat to her childhood and immediate future is distant, if there's even a threat at all. But with bravery and clarity, she watches, and we watch through her eyes. Some of it she doesn't understand, but we do. And we're just as helpless as she is to do anything about it. What a magnificent and unsettling sensation as a viewer. To experience Lale's early envy of her sister's more mature bodies, their femininity, right alongside her, and then to see her realize it's the lack of those things that's kept her from meeting their same fate. Taking action comes slowly, but when it does, there's no one better suited to do it.

That's not to say it's all so dire. At the film's start, the mood is playful and filled with laughter. While the wrath of their conservative family stirs and hisses, it doesn't feel all that dangerous—at first. In fact, even as the bars go up on the windows and the locks on the gates, it's boredom that strikes the girls first. Rolling about giggling together on the floor or sunbathing behind the property's high walls staves off the very real fact that things may not get any better. But for now, things are still alright and the future is bright. Sneaking out is just a game, after all, no one is getting hurt. It's a slow build to the ominous change that forces each of them to come face to face with a life they may not want. By the movie's end, the emotional climax isn't only compelling, it's thrilling.

What a spectacular debut from Ergüven. By respecting her performers and the subject, the film never becomes exploitative or vulgar, and it instead resonates with honest humor and sadness. Pretty much the polar opposite of a film like Fat Girl, which uses similar themes but ignores its characters and reality for the sake of shock and awe. The entire cast of Mustang works together to tell a delicate, small story with big emotions and a lot of guttural impact. Şensoy and her cinema sisters, with their long brunette locks and wide-eyed beauty, each create distinct personalities, some given more screen time than others, but they are a team. An effective one at that. One of my favorites of last year, and had I seen it earlier, it may have found a spot on my Top 10 ranking.

Rating: ★★★★½ / 5 stars

Movie Review: "Hail, Caesar!" (2016)

© Universal Pictures

My first 2016 movie and a product of the minds of Joel and Ethan Coen. As a rule, I'm not a fan of the pair's films just because they happen to have their name in the credits, so I tend to walk into every one of their movies with the proverbial opinion slate wiped clean. And with their newest release, Hail, Caesar!, what I walked into didn't feel much like a Coen Brothers movie at all, despite their commonly-used actor legion littering the screen. In what I believe may be their first true comedy—one that lacks a "drama" or "thriller" or "political" byline—the director team explores the trials and tribulations of an early Hollywood studio. With Old Hollywood in-jokes dripping from every painted backdrop and plenty of genre-twisting performances, it's enough to overlook the plot problems when a film this fun makes me want to watch all my old classic movie favorites.

The time period setting is purposefully mucky, what with 40 years of cinema style influencing the story, but for our leading man, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), we're firmly stuck in an ongoing film noir. Mannix is Head of Production at the booming Capital Pictures Studio, and it's his job to wrangle talent, side-step scandals, and keep the production wheels turning for every film being shot under the Capital header. From changing western star, Hobie Doyle's (Alden Ehrenreich), image by shoving him into a romantic drama, to keeping news of film swimmer sensation, DeeAnna Moran's (Scarlett Johansson), single mother status out of the papers by attempted to marry her off, Mannix has his hands full. So when the scenery-chewing womanizer, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), star of the studio's biggest picture of the year, Hail, Caesar!, is kidnapped from the set, it's up to Mannix to—quietly—get him back. Even if that means turning over a bundle of cash to a bunch of hoity-toity Communists looking for their fair share.

Hail, Caesar! tries to be a couple different movies all at once. Rather, it struggles to keep its "A" plot the "A" plot. If you come into the movie expecting the story to be about a kidnapped actor and all of the whys and hows and whos surrounding that... you'll be sorely disappointed. Not to say that doesn't happen, but it's easily the worst and least important aspect of the plot, devoid of nearly all humor save a few dog-toothed grins from Clooney. Needless to say, that whole bit was how the film was advertised, so I'm expecting quite a few disappointed movie-goers railing against this one. In actuality, the movie is all about Brolin's Mannix. A character like that is rarely explored, someone juggling the insanity of the studio business and shouldering the good and bad all at once? All jokes aside, that's a pretty interesting subject, with more than enough material to build out a dynamic and entertaining Coen Bros. project.



If this film was anything, at best, it was a genre parody of the Golden Age of Cinema. From the 20's era Busby Berkeley synchronized swimming number to the 30's era Ernst Lubitsch society drama... all the way to the 40's film noir/Double Indemnity-esque Brolin narration, the 50's era spaghetti westerns and Gene Kelly dance hall musicals, and the 60's era Ben-Hur epic—every single representation was on point. To say that the Coen Brothers accurately captured the beauty and ridiculousness of every avenue of American cinema is an understatement. Even the casual throwback to the Road Movies (an off-hand comment from one of the communist kidnappers about their All the Way to Uruguay film) made a nerd like me feel like that joke was just for me. And it wasn't a hybridization of genres either (though Scarlett Johansson did appear to have a character torn between decades); it played into slices of memorable eras, giving each a distinct and honorable tip-of-the-hat.

Now, the plot itself is something different. At worst, the film is a hodge-podge of political swashbuckling and civil unrest that was all over the place, inserting elements that were confounding, tonally shallow, and frankly, useless. The attempt to incorporate any element of the subversive Communist agenda within the film industry is heavy-handed and ignorantly obvious. If you want to watch that movie, go see Trumbo. In Hail, Caesar!, it all feels like a last ditch effort to shoehorn meaning into the meaningless. To that end, the Coen's failed miserably. At one point, when the seas parted and the Communists took to the water (what was going on there?), the Coens did their very best Wes Anderson cinematic impression to date. Stylistically, this is where the film almost goes off the rails, because they just can't play that kind of humor without it falling flat.

But you know what? I don't care! That entire storyline was a drop in the ocean if you remember the actual plot of the film. Brolin as the man on the ground at Capital Pictures, putting out fires and dealing with the internal politics of the business? That was the movie. And had the Coen Brothers had a bit more faith in their narrative to keep the foundation of that story from cracking by going off in all directions, the other faults wouldn't have been detectable. Every actor, from Johansson to Channing Tatum to Ehrenreic, brought their Capital Pictures-best in their "on screen" scenes, and that can only come from understanding the material that you're mocking. A few actors got some funny scenes, but were largely under-played (Jonah Hill, Frances MacDormand, and Ralph Fiennes), and Tilda Swinton's twin version of Hedda Hopper was excusably dumb, but that's what happens when you have an ensemble this large and a plot this simple: you get a couple of duds. More often than not, though, there was a laugh around every corner, and an intelligent film joke at its core.

For the majority of audiences, I'm under no illusion that this film will go over their heads. Not to say that it's high brow... because that couldn't be further from the truth. But it is specific. Very specific. And it speaks to a niche group of viewers willing to overlook the plot problems in order to enjoy the frivolity and dramedy of the Studio Days of Hollywood. I wish there were more movies (and directors) who were knowledgeable enough to be as playful with these genres as the Coens were here.

Rating: ★★★ / 5 stars

AFI Top 100: #36 "The Bridge on the River Kwai"

Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

These reviews have slowed down significantly over the past few months, and I'm determined to remedy that. Holidays really screw with your scheduling, don't they? But as we approach the Academy Awards at the end of this month—and I power through all those nominated movies—it seems appropriate that my pending AFI Top 100 review for #36 on the list, The Bridge on the River Kwai, was a former winner. Times may have changed, but the Academy members are still suckers for a war film. And while this one might be on the more fictional side, it certainly accurately reflects this glossy era of filmmaking.

Late in World War II, a group of British prisoners of war arrive at a work camp deep in the Burmese jungle, run by Japanese soldiers. Greeted coldly by commandant in charge, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), it's revealed they'll be responsible to building a train bridge across the River Kwai. Amidst the group of new inmates stands tall British commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), a proud and respected leader who, when informed that all men will be required to work regardless of rank, is punished by his refusal to do so and thrown into solitary. Instead of bowing down, he rejects food and medical attention, shaming Colonel Saito in the process.

Meanwhile, a jaded American soldier and long-time inmate, US Navy Commander Shears (William Holden) has little faith in Saito's ability to sympathize with the British officers. Against all odds, he and a group of men in the sick bay push out into the jungle to escape—a seemingly impossible task. Shears is the only one to survive, and he finds himself back in the safety of the American front. Or so he thinks. Asked, or rather forced, to return to the River Kwai on a special mission to destroy the expanding bridge, Shears ventures reluctantly back into the jungle, not knowing what he'll find.

Ranking the 2016 Oscar Nominated Shorts: Documentary

For the first time in my life, I'm determined to see every single Oscar-nominated Short Film before the big day on February 28th. This past weekend, at the opening weekend of Santa Monica's newest theater, the Laemmle Monica Film Center (check it out if you're in the area), all five Documentary Short nominees were screening back-to-back(-to-back), totaling 160+ minutes of viewing time. I couldn't resist the chance to see these in the theater, so I rushed there first thing Saturday morning. (Note: the Documentary Shorts will be playing there through Feb. 11th)

I knew nothing about these films going in, other than that they were from all over the world. Voted on by special committee within the Academy, these five were honored with nominations, picked from a "shortlist" of ten. Short films tend to be a category of this medium most people overlook (myself included), but once presented with this series, I certainly walked away with my favorites.

Ranked from best (1) to least best (5)—I mean, c'mon, they're all spectacular—here are my thoughts on the 2016 Oscar Nominated Shorts: Documentary:

1. LAST DAY OF FREEDOM


Directed By: Dee Hibbert-Jones & Nomi Talisman
Country: United States
Run Time: 31-min
View the Trailer

This fully animated documentary is a true crime account that expertly builds a dynamic, powerful film around one man's interview. My personal favorite of this year's documentary short nominees by just a hair (see: my #2 pick), we're introduced to Bill Babbitt, our storyteller, who describes his childhood growing up with big brother, Manny, before Manny's deployment and subsequent two tours of duty in Vietnam. Through Bill's emotional narration, the film explores the damaging impact of post-traumatic stress on veterans as Babbitt recounts Manny's emotional struggles upon returning home, which led to homelessness and diagnosed schizophrenia. The climax of the film comes as Bill tells of the events in 1980, when Manny was sentenced to death for murder in a legal case that highlights the racial and social injustices granted to men who served in uniform—and those who were denied the mental help they needed.

The first thing you notice about the film is the animation. Drawn frame by frame over what looks like live filmed footage, we're saved from enduring a bevy of physical reenactments, and instead, experience an ever-moving, almost intangible story through a most sympathetic narrator. Bill Babbitt's voice resonates deeply with the audience as he rubs his eyes and chokes back tears, almost pleading with us to understand and accept the Manny that he knew. This isn't a political issue for him—it's entirely personal, but it's that connection he has to Manny that gives credence to the political subtext, the hotly debated use of the death penalty. I was emotionally struck by this film, and its true crime elements are tension-filled and developed within the story perfectly. I can't recommend this one enough, and I hope to see it go on to win the Academy Award. [Watch on Netflix]

2. A GIRL IN THE RIVER: THE PRICE OF FORGIVENESS


Directed By: Sharmen Obaid-Chinoy
Country: Pakistan
Run Time: 40-min
View the Trailer

Between this and Last Day of Freedom... it's a toss-up for which one came out on top. Both are tension-filled recounts of personal tragedy, dripping with political injustice, and for that, I was equally captivated. While Girl in the River may have come in second for me personally, there is no denying that it is the most fully-realized and well-rounded film of the bunch.

Set in modern-day Pakistan, the horrific tradition of "honor killings" claims the lives of over a thousand girls and women every year. This film tells the story of 18-year-old, Saba Maqsood, who survived a horrific murder attempt by her father and uncle. Shot in the face and hand, then left for dead in a river bank for marrying without her family's content, young Saba's survival continues the debate raging about the religious and legal justifications of murdering in the name of family honor. While this exploration could have been enough for any film of this length, director Sharmen Obaid-Chinoy (previous 2012 documentary short Oscar winner) takes it a terrifying step further and delves into the trial that follows... and the pressure placed on the victim to "forgive" her attackers, thereby acquitting them in the eyes of the law. The rarity of survivors being able to face their attackers isn't lost on us, or Obaid-Chinoy.

The interviews that Obaid-Chinoy obtained are spectacular, speaking with Saba's father and uncle directly, who show no remorse for their actions, but rather, beam with pride. The struggle of the legal and police systems to fight against such an ingrained and warped tradition stands out, which takes this beyond a story of personal strength. Traumatic and unnerving, this is certainly a contender for best of the year.

3. BODY TEAM 12


Directed By: David Darg
Country: Liberia
Run Time: 13-min
View the Trailer

Of all the films, this one had the most potential for greatness. Telling the story of Body Team 12, a crew of nurses and workers in Monrovia, Liberia who are tasked with collecting and disposing of bodies of men, women, and children killed by Ebola. Struggling to contain the spread of the disease, as well as convincing family members to let the body go, the team's story is told through the eyes of their only female crew member.

The shortest of the nominated films, it's also the one with the most compelling subject matter. Of all the stories, Body Team 12 could easily have been a full-length film. In many ways, it was my favorite. The problems, however, lie in its brevity. Shot beautifully, the film consists of on-the-job footage (images that are enough to make your stomach turn) and powerful interviews, primarily with our female subject. I wanted more, and the film couldn't—or wouldn't—deliver. One can hope that a feature version is in the works.

4. CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH


Directed By: Adam Benzine
Country: United States
Run Time: 40-min
View the Trailer

A behind-the-scenes account of one of the most important Holocaust documentaries ever made, recounted by French director, Claude Lanzmann, himself. Shoah was a 10-hour documentary released in 1985 that investigated the happenings of the Holocaust through the eyes of those who witnessed it—survivors and perpetrators alike. But this isn't a documentary about the documentary; it's about the toll that filming Shoah took on Lanzmann, emotionally and mentally, over the course of its decades-long production. Exhaustive in its investigative nature, Shoah was an achievement that Lanzmann reveals he almost didn't finish. This short is a powerful look at the making of ground-breaking cinema.

To me, this reeks of Oscar-bait. For film lovers, this is the kind of rare look into the filmmaking process that we live for; it's also what makes it feel like a Shoah Blu-Ray special feature rather than a short film. The original documentary is where the uniqueness lies, not necessarily in the Spectres of the Shoah production. The subject matter doesn't feel new, though its impact never lessens, no matter how many documentaries or archive footage of the camps you see. Yet the element of tension and "newness" is missing from this film—the other nominees managed to incorporate personal stories far more grounded and relatable.

5. CHAU, BEYOND THE LINES


Directed By: Courtney Marsh
Country: United States/Vietnam
Run Time: 34-min
View the Trailer

A uncompromising film that follows the life and dreams of Chau, a victim from birth of the chemical Agent Orange in Vietnam, who dreams of one day becoming a renowned artist. Taking us from his communal life away from his birth family, living at a care center, or 'camp,' with other Agent Orange victims of various ages who suffer from equally debilitating physical deformities. Despite his challenges, Chau is a positive, hopeful young man whom we see eventually set out on his own in an attempt to achieve his dreams.

Structurally, this film has an issue establishing the passage of time. As we learn of Chau's story, we see his life at the 'camp' where he was raised, but as he describes his transition back home and then eventually out into the real world, we lose sight of how much time is passing and just how difficult those transitions were. Director Courtney Marsh's footage is a bit all over the place, albeit fascinating to watch. Chau is, by himself, a compelling subject, but Vietnam's reaction to the disabled, child victims of Agent Orange is the foundation on which his story is told. Perhaps were this a longer documentary, there would have been more of an exploration into the effects of AO on the population, how it affects the body and how the government responds to those afflicted. But it isn't really about all that; it's about Chau, and Chau's dreams of becoming an artist. His skills develop and we try to follow along in his journey, but time is limited and we're thrown into the realities of his eventual success well before we're fully invested.

The physical struggles displayed by, not only Chau, but by all the other children at the camp, is very touching. It's not surprising that Marsh chose to spend so much of her time on that part of the story—but the wrap up of the film's titular subject is speedy and unemotional, as a result. Inspiring (and dare I say, happy?) in a way none of the other nominees this year can claim, but it is also, unfortunately, the least impactful.