REVIEW: “Eternal Beauty” (2020)

October 7, 2020 by Keith Garlington

The sophomore writing and directing effort from Craig Roberts sets up quite the challenge for itself. Simply making a movie about mental illness brings with it a number of thorny obstacles to maneuver. Turning it into an eccentric black comedy about depression and schizophrenia adds even more mines to the proverbial minefield. Yet that’s what we get with “Eternal Beauty”.

This strangely brewed concoction of off-kilter humor and personal drama builds itself on a relatively simple premise. It’s about a woman named Jane (an intensely committed Sally Hawkins) with a deeply troubled past living day-to-day with schizophrenia. The catch is Roberts looks at everything through Jane’s eyes which opens the doors to a much more visual form of storytelling.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Roberts unpacks Jane’s past through a series of flashbacks that play mostly like brief reflections. We see glimpses of young Jane (played by Morfydd Clark), one of three sisters living under the iron fist of their domineering mother (Penelope Wilton). We see the happiest moment of her life instantly shattered when she is stood up on her wedding day. We see her fall into depression before being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Flashes to stays in mental institutions add to the heartbreak.

Now Jane lives alone in a low-income apartment managing her illness with pills prescribed by her doctor who constantly scolds her for saying she’s “fine“. He wants to hear “better” from his patient as if uttering the words would somehow validate hit treatments. Yet despite the physical, economical and psychological hurdles, Hawkins brings out Jane’s warmth and resilience. You can’t help but root for her. By being in her head we aren’t always sure of what we’re seeing or hearing. It becomes even more challenging once Jane quits taking her meds.

Perhaps the most vivid display of Jane’s emotions and psyche comes in the film’s use of color. Take Jane and her sisters who are represented by colors – Alice (Alice Lowe) in red, Nicola (Billie Piper) in green, and young Jane in blue. But after her heartbreak at the altar, Jane lost her hue. Now her apartment, her hair, her frumpy wardrobe – it’s all bland and colorless. But a chance meeting with an old acquaintance (David Thewlis) in a waiting room livens things up.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

So where is the comedy you ask? Most of the above story beats have scenes of straight-faced and at times almost wacky humor. To be fair several are quite funny. But they do make for this odd tonal mish-mash that’s understandable coming from Jane’s perspective but a bit jarring when it comes to movie watching. It also gets a little bogged down narratively when trying to visualize Jane’s headspace. It snaps out of it with a moving third act where some pent-up family drama finally comes to a head. And it finishes with a final shot that injects the entire story with some welcomed hope.

“Eternal Beauty” is an odd and audacious package built on the back of yet another terrific Sally Hawkins performance. Even when the movie loses its way a bit she maintains a strong and emotionally honest character presence. It walks that tightrope of empathy and real-life experience, never exploiting mental illness or taking it lightly. Still it wasn’t an easy movie for me to connect with. That is until the final 15 minutes or so where the movie’s payoff makes the entire 95 minutes worthwhile. “Eternal Beauty” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “Days of Heaven”

October 6, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Released in 1978, “Days of Heaven” was Terrence Malick’s second film which came some five years after his debut “Badlands”. Much like his first movie, “Days of Heaven” had a lengthy production time full of delays, budget issues, and departures from crew members frustrated with Malick’s idiosyncratic, hands-on approach to filmmaking. After finishing “Days of Heaven” Malick would all but vanish from public view and it would be twenty years until his next movie.

The film was immediately recognized for its superb photography, something that was a focal point for Malick. Cinematographer Néstor Almendros worked hand-in-hand with Malick framing one stunning shot after another. Haskell Wexler took over shooting after production delays forced Almendros to leave for a prior commitment. Almendros would win an Academy Award for his work but an understandably irked Wexler was left out.

The sheer magnificence of the photography was universally heralded, but the story had its share of critics. It wasn’t until years later as people began reevaluating the film that a new appreciation for what Malick was doing sprang up. For me, its story is a strength when looked at through the proper lens. This is a story of a young girl and we watch it unfold through her optimistic and sometimes addled perspective. She doesn’t appear as the main character but she’s clearly telling us this story.

The film features a voiceover from young Linda (she’s played by Linda Manz). You can’t help but notice in her voice a strikingly peculiar mix of big city street-smarts and youthful naiveté. While there is a focused central story playing out, Linda looks at things in her own unique way. For example the film begins with Linda’s older brother Bill (Richard Gere) accidentally killing his steel mill foreman after a heated altercation. With no money or place to go, Bill flees with Linda and his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams). The three hop a train bound for the Texas Panhandle and the reason is obvious to us. But Linda describes and their nomadic lifestyle as “looking for things, searching for things, going on adventures“.

The three are hired on as seasonal field workers by a wealthy, reserved farmer (Sam Shepard). Bill and Abby pose as brother and sister to steer clear of any problems, but it ends up causing more trouble than it avoids. Abby instantly catches the farmer’s eye which leads to a love triangle filled with opportunism and deception.

Still we look at it all through Linda’s young eyes. That’s one reason I believe Malick doesn’t dive as deeply into the Bill, Abby, and farmer dynamic as he could have. One effective technique is the use of frequent fade-to-black transitions between scenes. They relay the idea that what we are seeing are recollections from the storyteller (in this case Linda).

A lot more could be said about the film’s visual beauty – its predominant use of natural light, the way it captures nature and wildlife. But the camera isn’t working alone. Alongside the unforgettable cinematography sits Ennio Morricone’s soulful, aching score. It is impeccably in tune with Malick’s vision and is among some of the late composer’s most timeless work.

But for me it all comes back to a young girl whose hope and happiness ends up being threshed like the wheat of the fields. Still she moves forward doing all she knows to do – accept the hand she’s dealt. Yet despite her (and all mankind’s) plight, nature remains steadfast and indifferent, an idea Malick will continue to explore in several films that follow. “Days of Heaven” is a beautifully tragic introduction to that exploration.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “American Murder: The Family Next Door” (2020)

October 5, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I try not to get too caught up in the highly publicized true crime tragedies that capture our national spotlight and often play out on our television screens. One that did grab me was the 2018 disappearance and murder of pregnant mother Shanann Watts and her two young daughters four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste. The very idea of such a crime was horrifying and it only got worse once the killer’s identity was fully revealed.

The new Netflix documentary “American Murder: The Family Next Door” comes from director Jenny Popplewell and chronicles the Watt family murders in a uniquely chilling way. The film tells the entire story through social media videos, text messages, phone call audio, original television newscasts, police body cameras and security camera footage. No narrator, no interviews, no dramatizations. It’s a methodical presentation of the facts that may come across as a little too polished, but it builds its case like an expert prosecutor.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

For those unfamiliar with the heinous crime, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018 in Frederick, Colorado Shanann arrived home after a weekend business trip. Her husband Chris Watts had stayed home with their daughters. Later that day both Shanann and the couple’s two girls were reported missing. An investigation by the local police and the FBI ensued. Two days later Chris was arrested after failing a polygraph test. He would later admit to murdering Shanann who was 15 weeks pregnant with their third child. After some initial hesitation, he eventually admitted to murdering their two daughters but not before the story made national news and the victim’s reputation had been brought into question.

Popplewell along with her editor Simon Barker are able to put together the weeks leading up to the murder in large part thanks to Shanann’s family who provided access to her social media and texts. It paints a picture of a woman with a rocky past who found happiness and stability in her new husband. Facebook videos show a warm and loving family, but text messages begin hinting at a different reality.

We see Shanann struggling with insecurity while becoming increasingly aware that something is not right with Chris. We see her worries most vividly in texts she makes to a close friend and confidant. She notes Chris’ distance and she begins to suspect infidelity. Through these flashback sequences Popplewell gives us pieces to the puzzle that can’t possibly explain the horrendous acts that would follow but adds some eye-opening context.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

And then you have the investigation itself revealed through some riveting points of view. The body-cam footage from the police officer doing a wellness check chills you to the bone. We see the man who just a few hours earlier choked his pregnant wife to death and smothered his two daughters deceptively playing the part of the worried husband and father. Later, through interrogation room security footage, we see the polygraph test administered and ultimately the confession of the monster. Smartly, Popplewell doesn’t make this into a mystery. We know who the killer is from the start. That makes everything see more unsettling.

The film brings another uncomfortable truth to light. It exposes how much of our lives are self-published online. Personal confessionals, relationship issues, pictures of young children. In one sense it helps illuminate the truth behind this particular crime. In another sense it highlights the dependence millions of people have on web-based social networking. Holding up Shanann’s cellphone, Chris tells an officer “This is her lifeline.” Yet we also see how deceptive the online lives people create can be. As for evil, it can hide behind a number of unassuming and unnoticeable masks. And sometimes you can pass it everyday in the comforts of your own neighborhood. “American Murder: The Family Next Door” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “A Girl Missing” (2020)

October 2, 2020 by Keith Garlington

There is so much packed into the new Japanese drama “A Girl Missing” – jealousy, spite, brokenness, and revenge. It looks at elderly care and rabid news media. Guilt by association and the dangers of keeping quiet only scratch the film’s thematic surface. You would think a movie with this many narrative tendrils would have its hands full covering so much ground. Instead “A Girl Rising” is every bit of a slow burn – a movie almost too casual to add punch to any of its interests.

“A Girl Rising” comes from writer-director Kōji Fukada and is the follow up to his highly acclaimed 2016 film “Harmonium”. Fukada has some interesting ideas most notably starting his one single storyline in two different places and then walking them to their inevitable convergence. It’s crafty storytelling no doubt. Unfortunately the parallel stories clash more than they connect adding a level of confusion to much of the film. But when Fukada does bring it all together, it paints a big picture that I couldn’t help but admire.

Photo Courtesy of Film Movement

Mariko Tsutsui gives a terrific two-pronged lead performance. We first meet her as Risa, a troubled and downcast woman who develops what seems like an obsessive attraction to a hairstylist named Yoneda (played by Sosuke Ikematsu). Next we see Tsutsui playing Ichiko, a caring and compassionate home health nurse who loves her job and is engaged to be married. Two very different lives at two dramatically different junctures.

Ichiko’s story gets the bulk of the attention and it’s by far the most cohesive of the two. She works as a caregiver for an elderly ex-painter and through her caring service she has become close with the matriarch’s family. Especially the two granddaughters, the moody Motoko (Mikako Ichikawa) and her outgoing younger sister Saki (Miyu Ogawa) who Ichiko helps with their studies.

After one of their study sessions Saki disappears and her story quickly makes citywide headlines. Police believe it’s an abduction and Ichiko’s nephew Tatsuo (Ren Sudo) the prime subject. Motoko convinces a reluctant Ichiko not to share her family connection to Tatsuo for fear that she’ll be fired. But Motoko’s motivations are murky and keeping that kind of a secret adds suspicion whether deserved or not.

Photo Courtesy of Film Movement

Interestingly the abduction of Saki (and the film’s title itself) plays a relatively small part in the story. Instead the film’s main focus is on how quickly the walls of Ichiko’s happy life crumble. Meanwhile Risa’s pursuit of Yoneda turns into a patchwork romance that essentially springs out of nowhere. Most of the character detail and patience put into Ichiko’s angle is missing from Risa’s. Thankfully Fukada does eventually connect the dots in a satisfying way that makes you rethink Risa’s story. But getting that point is a little rocky.

So “A Girl Missing” ends up being both fascinating and frustrating. One angle puts ample attention into building its character and exploring the unfolding drama surrounding her. The other feels like an appendage, tagging along and waiting for the movie to finally grant it relevance. Once together, Fukada’s vision is impressive, even audacious. And I really admire Mariko Tsutsui’s performance and the depth she brings to her Ichiko character. She infuses that storyline with a wealth of humanity and Fukada gives her plenty of room to work. If only the other story angle worked as well.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

First Glance: “Minari”

October 1, 2020 by Keith Garlington

The Sundance hit “Minari” has been among my most anticipated films and yesterday A24 only solidified my excitement by dropping a new trailer. This family drama from writer-director Lee Isaac Chung won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize and its Audience Award earlier this year and many believe it is primed and ready for an awards season run. Everything about this beautiful first look shows why it could be a serious contender.

Set in the 1980’s, the film follows a Korean-American family who move from the West Coast to a farm in the rugged Arkansas Ozarks to pursue their American dream. The hardships of starting a farm quickly surface and eventually put a strain on the family. Things are complicated even more with the arrival of their unruly grandmother. The film stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Youn Yuh-Jung, Alan Kim, and Noel Kate Cho. The cinematography, the score, the deeply human story – I can’t wait.

“Minari” is still listed as coming soon but A24 said it will be out in time for Oscar consideration. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you will be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “Dick Johnson is Dead” (2020)

September 30, 2020 by Keith Garlington

It may not sound like it but “Dick Johnson is Dead” may be one of the most unique love letters ever put on screen. This unusual documentary mixes together a near morbid playfulness with genuine heartbreak. Through its off-beat process the film becomes an uncomfortably funny and strangely cathartic mediation on mortality. And it’s examined through an intensely personal lens – that of a daughter chronicling the decline of her ailing elderly father.

Documentarian Kristen Johnson puts the camera on her father Richard Johnson, a happy, gentle, and well-respected clinical psychiatrist. When we first meet him “a few years ago” Richard is still seeing patients in his Seattle office. He’s still driving to work and living by himself in the family home. So why is his filmmaker daughter from New York making a movie of his life? Because her father has been diagnosed early stage dementia. “He’s a psychiatrist. I’m a camera person. I suggested we make a movie about him dying. He said yes.”

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Lest you think this is a simple personal video journal, the movie quickly differentiates itself in the strangest of ways. It’s encapsulated in one particular scene. Richard is walking along a downtown Seattle sidewalk carrying an Amazon package. Suddenly a window air conditioning unit falls down striking him in the head. And just like that “Dick Johnson is Dead”. Or is he? Well no. Actually it’s one of several staged accidental deaths that Richard happily participates in. Anything for his daughter.

You might (understandably) ask why the younger Johnson would want to film this subject in such a provocative way and why the elder Johnson would go along with it. We get a good idea in a brief moment where Kristen talks about her mother who also died of Alzheimer’s. Kristen laments that the only video memories she has is footage taken well after the disease had taken her mother’s mind. This film allows Kristen to document and conserve the memories of her father, his playfulness and his lovingkindness. For Richard it provides ample bonding time with his daughter, full of laughter and fun as both brace for the inevitable.

It may sound cold but it’s actually far from it. Yes, we do get some jet-black humor such as Richard praising the comfort of his soon-to-be coffin in his church’s sanctuary. But the humor ultimately takes a backseat to the humanity of it all. For all of the elaborate (and sometimes graphic) renditions of death or surreal stage sets of heaven, we get far more poignant moments of deep emotional truth. It may be a quiet moment in a clothes closet where Kristen shares some personal feelings or Richard expressing concern over the burden he is on his daughter.

A key to the movie’s success is its ability to make us feel like we truly know Mr. Johnson. We can’t help but be charmed by his kind spirit and jovial demeanor. We learn of his love for chocolate, Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein”, and his favorite black leather chair. All of this captures our emotions which become inseparably linked to his situation. So it’s painful to watch this lively lover of life begin showing real-life signs of decline – forgetfulness, uncertainty, and at times fear.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

But Kristen Johnson doesn’t allow her film to wallow in dread or sorrow. Instead she showers it in a cascade of unfettered love. There is an unshakable warmth in the daddy/daughter relationship at the movie’s core but also in the way she shoots it as a filmmaker. As she tells her father when asked why she makes documentaries, “Real life is often more fascinating than what you can make up.” She brings that conviction to every scene, every closeup, and every conversation.

“Dick Johnson is Dead” takes an honest look at the inevitability of death, coping with loss, and making the most of the time we have with those we love. It does so with a wacky yet infectious sense of humor and moving clear-eyed observations rooted in intimate human attachment. It takes some time to get in a rhythm, but once it does you’ll find yourself laughing and holding off tears. You also can’t help but admire both the audacity of Kristen Johnson the filmmaker and the loving admiration of Kristen Johnson the daughter. “Dick Johnson is Dead” premieres October 2nd on Netflix.