REVIEW: “Sergio” (2020)

May 8, 2020 by Keith Garlington

International diplomats tend to go largely unnoticed, but Sérgio Vieira de Mello was as close as they come to being a celebrity. The Brazilian born de Mello rose through the United Nations ranks due to his humanitarian efforts, his tireless quest for peace and his steady advocacy for those trapped in war-torn regions. On August 19, 2003 a truck loaded with explosives drove up to the UN headquarters in Baghdad and detonated. Sérgio Vieira de Mello was among the 22 people killed.

The new Netflix Original simply titled “Sergio” tells chunks of de Mello’s story from an unexpectedly unique point of view. The film opens with the bombing which left de Mello (passionately played by Wagner Moura) and his top aide Gil Loescher (Brian F. O’Byrne) pinned under a pile of rubble. We then bounce back-and-forth on the timeline as Sergio reflects on significant moments of his life. While the approach makes sense of the fractured storytelling, it doesn’t make it any less messy.

Director Greg Barker and writer Craig Borten hit a few of the high points from Sergio’s career. They touch on his efforts to ease the boiling tensions in East Timor which had been invaded and occupied by neighboring Indonesia. It shows bits of his work in Iraq, butting heads with George Bush’s envoy Paul Bremer (Bradley Whitford) over the withdrawal of American troops. Yet while the filmmakers clearly admire de Mello and his work, they show surprisingly little interest in digging deeper and exploring what drove the man to risk life and limb for the persecuted.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Instead, much of the movie focuses on Sergio the romantic. Although married, he develops a fiery attraction to a beautiful U.N. economic adviser Carolina Larriera (Ana de Armas). Interestingly, the movie doesn’t make much of a judgement on their affair and his wife gets nothing more than fleeting mentions. In fact the only real negative image of Sergio is in the movie’s brief depiction of his relationship with his two sons. Otherwise it’s a doting portrayal that removes any potential scandalous edge. As a result the film’s Sergio is missing the complexity and depth that comes with being flawed people.

While the heavy emphasis on the affair is a puzzling choice especially in light of Sergio’s accomplishments, there’s no denying the simmering chemistry between Moura and de Armas. They’re no strangers, also working together in Olivier Assayas’ Cuban political thriller “Wasp Network”, a Netflix film set to release later this year. Here the romantic tension is palpable even when their scenes wander into sentiment. But it still undercuts de Mello’s profound work in the field which only gets what amounts to the bullet point treatment.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

When the film is chronicling Sergio’s diplomatic journey it moves between inspirational and perplexing. For those who don’t know de Mello, the sheer scope of the movie reveals the importance of his impact even though on a mostly surface level. But it’s in the handling of the details where things get a little murky. For example, if you patch together a handful of seemingly damning scenes there is a subtle implication that the American military presence in Iraq was the indirect cause of the U.N. bombing. In reality, Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility stating that de Mello was targeted due to his work leading East Timor to independence. If explored that could be the kind of dramatic layer the movie really needs.

So we end up with an almost saintly portrait that glosses over milestones, mostly skips internal conflicts, and favors a passionate yet overcooked romance. The performances are strong, vibrant, and committed and you can squeeze enough out of the story to get a general idea of who Sérgio Vieira de Mello was. But if you’re looking for a deeper, more informative dive and want more high-stakes historical drama, “Sergio” will probably leave you feeling shortchanged.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “1BR” (2020)

May 7, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Sarah is a twenty-something aspiring fashion designer whose world is shaken after the death of her mother to cancer. To make matters worse, her estranged father had an affair while his wife was on her deathbed. This drives Sarah to leave home and move across the country to Los Angeles in hopes starting a new life. But I’ve been told finding a good place to stay LA can be tough.

Unlucky for Sarah (played by impressive newcomer Nicole Brydon Bloom) she finds Asilo Del Mar, “Affordable Luxury Apartment Living“. This gated apartment building seems too good to be true: a great location, spacious units, smiling uber-friendly tenants who love community cookouts in the courtyard. Sarah attends an open house for a recent vacancy but little does she know it’s actually an audition. More on that later. To her surprise she gets a call a few days later from apartment manager Jerry (Taylor Nichols) letting her know she can move in.

If the queasy perfection wasn’t enough to rouse your suspicions, things get weirder at night when Sarah is kept awake by loud creaking noises in the walls. And when she breaks the cardinal rule of “No Pets Allowed”, lets just say things get a little heated. The more I leave for you to uncover on your own the better, but suffice it to say things aren’t as they appear. And while it’s glaringly obvious the community has a secret, it’s eventually confirmed with a twisted (and gruesome) jolt. It’s followed by a slow-drip reveal that I found utterly gripping.

“1BR” is written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker David Marmor. His debut is a tense, uneasy thriller with a ‘ripped from the headlines’ appeal. Much of his story is inspired by communal cults, specifically Synanon, a Santa Monica cult founded in 1958 and disbanded in 1991. Marmor was drawn to the idea of pure intentions (Synanon was initially a drug rehab program) taking dark and violent turns over time. He also pulls from his own memories of being a twenty-something first moving to L.A.

Photo Courtesy of Epicenter

The personal touches and real-world pulse certainly benefit “1BR” and its story. But it’s helped most by smart and efficient filmmaking. Marmor makes one good choice after another. He makes great use of his location. He never overplays his hand or exploits a situation. He uses gore sparingly but very effectively. And he wisely leans on his lead actress Bloom who is the narrative and emotional linchpin that holds the film together. The story puts Sarah through the wringer and Bloom handles it with a seasoned poise – never too big but always with the right amount of feeling.

“1BR” is an assured and well-made thriller, brimming with suspense and packing a sharp psychological edge. It’s also a movie featuring two eye-opening debuts, one from its lead actress Nicole Brydon Bloom and another from writer-director David Marmor, both certain to have exciting things ahead of them. The movie’s predictability in some areas may take away some of the intrigue, but watching it all play out is a blast and Marmor’s shrewd approach to storytelling ensures there is never a dull moment.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “Gremlins” (1984)

May 6, 2020 by Keith Garlington

For the past few months I’ve dedicated Wednesdays to doing Retro Reviews. The way it works is I put up three options on my Twitter feed (you can follow me @KeithandMovies). Followers vote, I rewatch the movie, and then post the review the following Wednesday. Whatever film finishes second comes back the next week against two new choices. So basically you pick what I watch and review.

Going into last week’s poll I had a pretty good feeling how it was going to turn out. Sure enough “Gremlins” won in a landslide. I can’t say I’m disappointed. “Gremlins” is a movie I first saw during its original summer 1984 theater run and it’s a movie I watched countless times once it came out on VHS. But it has been years since I last sat down and watched it. So I looked forward to seeing it again with a pair of fresh eyes.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

“Gremlins” was directed by Joe Dante in what would easily be the biggest film of his career. He worked from a script written by Chris Columbus. While doing a little business in Chinatown, a struggling inventor Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) stops in an old antique shop to get his son a Christmas gift before heading home. Tucked away in the back is a cute little mogwai – adorable but with three very important rules. Don’t get them wet. Keep them out of the light (especially sunlight). And most importantly, no matter how much they beg, never feed them after midnight.

Rand returns home to the quaint town of Kingston Falls. He surprises his son Billy (Zach Galligan) with his new pet which they name Gizmo. Billy is an all-around good guy who works as a bank teller but aspires to be a comic book artist. He also has his eye on his co-worker Kate played by Phoebe Cates (I mean who wouldn’t). They, along with the comical array of townsfolk we meet, have pretty normal lives. That is until those critical mogwai rules are broken. Soon Kingston Falls is overran by devilish gremlins who throw this once cozy little community into absolute, unfettered chaos.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Dante has a blast embracing every facet of this sci-fi, horror, comedy, creature-feature. He, Columbus, and executive producer Steven Spielberg start with a heavy emphasis on the cute and cuddly Gizmo. The first 30 minutes alone probably sold countless stuffed animals. But they let it rip in the wild, rambunctious, and often riotous second half which is probably best epitomized in one hysterically anarchic bar scene. It’s a preposterous mix of comedy and violent mischief that cracked me up the same way it did years ago.

Interestingly this was Galligan’s first movie role and easily the biggest role of his career. Cates would appear in a few more films before retiring from acting in 1994. Both do well in this wacky movie rich with running gags, laugh-out-loud humor, creature mayhem, and a healthy splash of 80’s nostalgia. While some of the lines feel a bit dated, overall the movie has aged well and it has the same fun, over-the-top energy that made it such a big hit in 1984.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Bull” (2020)

May 5, 2020 by Keith Garlington

There are some actors I will watch in just about anything they do. Rob Morgan is one of them. He’s a natural performer known for the raw humanity and absolute truth he brings to every supporting character he plays. The 53-year-old North Carolina native is finally given a meaty leading role in Annie Silverstein’s new indie drama “Bull”. As expected, Morgan delivers on every level, burrowing deep into his character to give us something profoundly authentic.

After seeing the trailer for “Bull” you may be tempted to dismiss the film as a soft, predictable heartwarmer. Don’t be fooled. There is nothing soft about the approach Silverstein (who directed and co-wrote) takes in telling the story of 14-year-old Kris (Amber Havard) and her search for stability – any kind of stability. She thinks she finds it in the most unexpected of places – a broken down former bull rider named Abe (Morgan).

Kris’ world is relentless bleak. She and her little sister live with their grandmother because their mother is in prison. There’s no mention of their dad but the assumption is he’s a deadbeat and nowhere to be found. Frustrated and lashing out, Kris breaks into Abe’s house while he’s off working a rodeo in San Antonio. After finding his liquor cabinet, Kris calls over a group of bad seeds she’s been trying to impress. They lap up all the booze and trash the house. Of course when Abe comes home it’s Kris who gets caught and made to pay the price.

Instead of pressing charges Abe is persuaded to let Kris work off her sentence. But this doesn’t suddenly become some cute and bubbly buddy story. Abe is hard on Kris, bitter about what she did to his place, but far more bitter about his life itself. His bull riding days are long gone and now he scrapes by as a rodeo clown at small town venues. He pops pain pills just to be able to work but even those opportunities are drying up for him. Abe is a tragic figure – alone, dispirited and rudderless.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

“Bull” is in large part about the intersection of two distinctly different communities through two lost souls who are very much victims of circumstance. While their choices have brought them to their own individual crossroads, the heartbreaking reality is they are both trapped within a harsh poverty-stricken rural setting with no visible way out. Silverstein pulls from her experiences as a social worker and sets us down in a world that will be as foreign to some as a far off ancient land. It’s visceral, cruel, and unforgiving.

While the movie does a good job fleshing out Kris, it’s not quite as thorough when it comes to Abe. I wanted to know more about him, especially his past. We learn a little from Abe himself, but then we get things like an utterly pointless love scene with a woman from his past (played by Yolonda Ross). She seems to be there for that scene alone and then she’s dismissed as quickly as she was introduced. It feels like there is some interesting story there but it’s left unexplored.

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

Apart from the superb Rob Morgan, “Bull” fills a lot of roles with first-time actors. Havard’s debut takes some getting used to, but ultimately her sad, low-key performance feels just right. Some of the other non-professionals have a rougher go. The great French filmmaker Robert Bresson preferred to work with no-professional actors, calling them his “models”. He demanded that their performances be free of any theatrics or dramatic expression. But where Bresson insisted on a blank canvas, here you can’t help but notice the non-professionals really working. They do their best, but some of them have a hard time selling their lines. It can be a distraction.

None of that takes away from the potency of this slice-of-life drama about finding your place in the world regardless of your circumstances and the human bonds that help you get there. Annie Silverstein’s passion for the material is seen in every detail and the dense, textured setting is brought to light in striking reality. You won’t find any sugarcoating in “Bull”. It’s all about real-life complexity and struggle and the movie cuts no corners in depicting it.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Arkansas” (2020)

May 4, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Originally set to debut at the South By Southwest film festival, Clark Duke’s feature film directorial debut “Arkansas” was forced to change course and now it drops on VOD this week. Duke (a Glenwood, Arkansas native) is probably best known for his roles in a string of irritating raunchy comedies. But “Arkansas” is a labor of love for the 34-year-old who not only directs and co-stars, but spent several years co-writing the script and even longer pitching his film and getting it financed.

“Arkansas” is based on John Brandon’s 2009 novel about two bottom-rung drug runners working for a mysterious country kingpin they’ve never met named Frog (played in the film by Vince Vaughn). Duke’s version plays like a Tarantino, Coen brothers, and Jeff Nichols collaboration. It isn’t as clean or as together as their films, but its messiness is part of its charm. And Duke’s home-grown perspective adds a layer of Deep South authenticity that is crucial to the movie’s success.

“What a lot of people don’t know about organized crime in the South is that it’s not that organized.” This early line of narration comes from Liam Hemsworth’s Kyle to describe what some have called the “Dixie Mafia”. In this rural underworld drug pushers use glorified gofers to move their powdery product between states. Kyle works near the bottom of Frog’s organization, but finally gets a promotion and is sent to Little Rock where he meets with fellow newbie Swin. The two are given their first job – driving a flatbed of Frog’s dope to Corpus Christi, Texas.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

The pair make quite the odd couple. Kyle is a rugged, no-nonsense straight-shooter while Swin is an eccentric charmer wrapped in a Hawaiian shirt and a man bun. Before the two can make it out of Arkansas they’re intercepted by a park ranger named Bright (John Malkovich) who actually works for Frog. He informs the boys they are now a part of his crew and gives them covers as park peons – mowing, emptying trash, directing campers. But Bright warns them: follow his instructions, don’t try to run away, and most importantly keep low profiles.

Remember that early line about organized crime in the South, specifically the “it’s not that organized” part? Things get a little complicated after a local girl named Johnna (Eden Brolin) catches Swin’s eye. But things work into a full-on lather after the boys botch a seemingly simple drug/money exchange in Louisiana. Violence, some iffy choices, and one agitated drug lord sets up the movie’s central conflict and propels the story into some pretty unexpected directions.

Duke breaks his movie down into chapters although only one actually feels unique within the story structure. It’s a leap back in time to show Frog’s rise from a West Memphis pawn shop owner pushing bootleg cassette tapes to the boss of his own drug trafficking outfit. Along the way we see Frog learning the ropes from his mentor in the dope trade (Michael K. Williams) and eventually taking off to form his own crew. Of course the entire flashback chapter sets the table for Frog’s inevitable impact on the main storyline.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

“Arkansas” is a film full of intriguing characters and great faces. Hemsworth is great giving what’s arguably the best performance of his career. Duke is the perfect foil, bringing levity and a surprising amount of heart. Brolin offers a sweet naïveté. Malkovich is a wily veteran actor who chews scenes in the best of ways. Vaughn is fun, imposing, and looks right at home in western shirts and bolo ties. And I haven’t even mentioned Vivica A. Fox playing the ambiguously named ‘Her’. All of the characters benefit from the hint of playfulness Duke and his co-writer Andrew Boonkrong bring to the script. But as the age-old phrase “violence begets violence” informs us, there is an unavoidable dark edge to this kind of story.

That balance between a Southern black comedy and a gritty crime thriller is one of the most impressive things about Clark Duke’s entertaining debut. Combine that with vibrant characters, great performances (especially from Hemsworth), and the rich flavor of its setting. Oddly, it’s both helped and hurt by its lack of polish and some of the dialogue is a little hard to chew. But it’s still a fantastic first feature effort that both respects and has fun with rural America.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “The Assistant” (2020)

May 1, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I had heard nothing but good things about Kitty Green’s feature film debut “The Assistant”. Unfortunately the COVID-19 outbreak cut short its theater run well before it made its way to many of the smaller markets. So I’ve been anxiously waiting for my chance to finally check out this #Me Too era drama that attempts to tackle head-on the long unchecked problem of workplace harassment.

Kitty Green had a couple of documentaries under her belt but was inspired to venture into feature films following the 1997 Harvey Weinstein revelations. After much study on workplace harassment she began writing the script for “The Assistant”. Unlike last year’s “Bombshell”, a movie smitten with its bomb-throwing at the expense of its characters, “The Assistant” feels far more rooted in truth and calibrated to a real-world setting that leaves you both unsettled and infuriated.

Photo Courtesy of Bleeker Street

The film follows a young woman named Jane played by the remarkably restrained Julia Garner. She’s only five weeks into her new job at a movie production company working as an assistant for a big-time Weinstein-ish film mogul. We learn all we need to know about him through her observations, from secondhand grumblings in the office, and his verbally abusive and patently unfair scoldings over the phone. In one of Green’s many interesting touches, Jane’s boss is never seen or named. The allusion is obvious but by not showing him Green allows us to put a face on the man. Also, it keeps the story’s focus where it belongs – on Jane.

But nothing is more informative for the audience than the workplace environment Green shrewdly creates. The story takes place over the course of one work day starting with Jane’s early morning commute from her home in Astoria to the offices in Manhattan. She is the one responsible for getting to work early, turning on the lights, booting the computers, and starting the coffee pot. Interestingly she’s one of three assistants but hardly on equal ground with the other two, both smarmy males. She’s the one expected to wash dishes in the break room, empty the trash, and pick up lunch – chores often unfairly relegated to women.

Photo Courtesy of Bleeker Street

Green takes us through the day nearly free of dialogue. What we get comes mostly in the form of office chatter surrounded by the ambient sounds of clacking keyboards, copy machines, and telephones. But it’s far from weightless. So much can be gleaned from Green’s sharp focus and purposely icy point of view. The indignities, disrespect, and condescension start subtle but add up and take full form as the movie goes on.

The one dialogue-rich exception comes when Jane goes to see the company’s Human Resource officer played by Matthew Macfadyen. What follows is a scene dripping with discomfort and anxiety as his disarming sincerity quickly gives way to a slyly manipulative and coldly calculated shift of blame. It’s one of the best written scenes of the year and both Garner and Macfadyen come at it with just the right balance. Neither overplay or underserve the material, conveying the scene’s meaning with masterful restraint.

Photo Courtesy of Bleeker Street

More on Julia Garner – she’s a revelation here and the movie doesn’t work without her precise and measured performance. Critically acclaimed for her role in the Netflix series “Ozark”, Garner is tasked here with being our eyes and ears while also defining her character, not through the usual dramatic storytelling, but through what she experiences onscreen. It’s a tricky part but from the very beginning Garner puts us in Jane’s shoes and maintains a sense of empathy throughout.

“The Assistant” may be low-key but its message is loud, clear and profoundly relevant. Kitty Green has created a timely, hard-hitting drama free of Hollywood gloss and anchored in the real-world experiences too many women are forced to endure. Don’t misconstrue the film’s observational perspective with slowness. Green takes a very calculated approach to her subject and the results are candid, insightful, and eye-opening.