When I previewed the upcoming film “Dara of Jasenovac” I noted that no faithful movie about the Holocaust is going to be an easy watch. But throughout the years these films have proven to be powerful reminders of humanity’s capacity for incomprehensible evil while also testifying to the indomitable resilience and courage of so many who suffered through the atrocities. And amazingly there are still powerful and moving true stories from the Holocaust yet to be told.

“Dara of Jasenovac” is a Serbian historical drama that tells a unique story from the Holocaust that’s not specifically about the Holocaust. Instead it’s concentrated on the genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia during the 1940s. Its main focus is on Jasenovac, a chain of the most notorious Croatian concentration camps which have been called by some historians “The Auschwitz of the Balkans”. They were the only concentration/extermination camps in all of Europe ran by non-Germans. Shockingly, their reputation for unspeakable brutally was such that even the Nazis were put off by their savagery.

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Not to get too lost in the history, the Croatian death camps including Jasenovac were ran by emissaries of the ultra-fascist Ustase regime, allies to Nazi Germany in ideology but completely autonomous in how they ran their camps. They were not an offshoot of the Nazis doing the bidding of Adolf Hitler. They were conducting their own savage genocide and using the German death camps as their model. And while extinguishing ethnic Serbs was their main objective, the Ustase regime also contributed to the Nazi “Final Solution” by murdering an estimated 40,000 Jews in Jasenovac alone.

Until now there’s never been a feature film about this horrible blight on human history. “Dara of Jasenovac” comes from director Predrag Antonijević and screenwriter Nataša Drakulić and is the Serbian entry for Best International Film at the upcoming Oscars. The movie tells its harrowing story through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl named Dara played by the intensely expressive Biljana Čekić. The film opens with a group of Serbs including Dara, her mother Nada (Anja Stanić Ilić), older brother Jovo and baby brother Budo, being marched to a Ustase-controlled train station. Once they arrive they are quickly herded into boxcars and within minutes the train and its human cargo are on its way to Jasenovac.

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Antonijević and Drakulić waste no time unveiling the horrors of Jasenovac and they don’t let the young girl’s perspective soften its edge. In fact there are times when by necessity the story pulls away from Dara to immerse us deeper in the camp’s inhumanity, to reveal the scope of its operation, and to emphasize the sadistic mindsets of those running it. On the surface the violence may seem overly brutish, but its actually rooted in true accounts. For example in the absence of more efficient means of extermination such as gas chambers, the soldiers of Jasenovac often used knives, mallets, and hammers. Antonijević doesn’t shy away from these harsh and uncomfortable realities.

At the same time this isn’t a movie solely absorbed in the darker side of human nature. The story always comes back to Dara and the different people she encounters, mostly women and children. While they all find themselves under the same dark cloud of hatred, bigotry and barbarism, we see glimmers of the human spirit as captives fight to survive while sacrificing everything for the ones they love. Dara is no different, determined to protect young Budo while holding out hope that her father Mile (Zlatan Vidović) may still be alive.

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In addition to the story’s emotional resonance, “Dara of Jasenovac” immerses the audience through a richly detailed period setting highlighted by terrific costumes (Ivanka Krstovic) and production design (Goran Joksimovic). Cinematographer Milos Kodemo takes breaks from intimate close-ups and cramped spaces to acquaint us not only with the camp but the surrounding area. A long-time cameraman turned DP, Kodemo shoots with a mostly classical style but tosses in some stylish modern flourishes as well.

I fear it will be tempting for some to let politics sway their perception of “Dara of Jasenovac” considering the decades of tension and violence in the Balkans. But siding-up and treating the film as either justification or propaganda misses out on the stark warnings and profoundly human themes at its core. The movie doesn’t stick a forever label of Croatians nor does it excuse Serbian atrocities that would follow. It tells a potent story of love and hate while opening eyes to an ugly slice of history that (hopefully) we all can come together and condemn. “Dara of Jasenovac” opens February 5th.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

English journalist, television critic, and author John Preston’s 2007 historical novel “The Dig” was a reimagining of the 1939 excavation at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. It’s the site of two early medieval burial grounds, one of which contained a mostly undisturbed Anglo-Saxon ship along with numerous artifacts and treasures fit for a king’s burial. Preston built his own drama around the discovery but for the most part kept his focus on the amazing find.

Netflix’s upcoming film adaptation of Preston’s book comes from Australian director Simon Stone, written by screenwriter and playwright Moira Buffini. The movie adds even more dramatic layers (some more effective than others) while still trying to do justice to the Sutton Hoo excavation. It also brings together an intriguing cast of stellar English talent including Carrie Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, and Lily James. I was instantly onboard.

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The film’s first half is magical, both narratively and cinematically with Stone capturing the awe, wonder, and mystery of such a magnificent discovery. Through his story and his camera, Stone introduces us to his characters and builds our anticipation for what waits to be unearthed. There’s an almost Malickian beauty to how cinematographer Mike Eley shoots these early scenes. The fluidity of his camera movements, the striking angles, the way nature is admired through his lens – its absolutely gorgeous filmmaking.

The story gets off on a similarly impressive foot. Mulligan plays Edith Pretty, a widow who owns the estate where the burial grounds lay. Mulligan breathes elegance into her character, but there is also an unmistakable sadness that Edith works to hide from her precocious young son Robert (Archie Barnes). It’s this sadness and grief that drives her interest in what lies underneath the ancient mounds on her property. So she hires a local excavator Basil Brown (Fiennes) to handle the dig. He’s an odd but capable sort – a kind man who has buried sorrows of his own.

Unfortunately the story loses some of its zest in the second half when the head of the British Museum (Ken Stott) arrives with his entourage. This leads to wrangling between museums, each trying to convince Edith that they are better suited to house something of such cultural and historical value. This also introduces Peggy (Lily James), a young archaeologist whose cold and indifferent husband clearly has eyes for another. It’s yet another good performance from James who sadly ends up with a character trapped in the more unimaginative machinations of the plot. This ultimately leads to an undercooked and completely telegraphed romance that feels more convenient than natural.

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Strangely even the camerawork is more subdued in the second half, losing much of its artful style and creativity. It still looks good but hardly as eye-popping as in the earlier scenes. While the shift in focus isn’t nearly as absorbing, Stone keeps his audience attached through the performances and with some thoughtful subtext about the coming war. Airplanes overhead, a passing truck full of soldiers, brief audio from a radio broadcast – it all points to what’s boiling on the world stage. And those subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) reminders bring an alluring stillness to the film as the characters (and the audience) grasp the significance of their archeological discovery while slowly facing the reality that their nation is about to be thrust into war.

It’s hard to put into words both the love and frustration I have for “The Dig”. I was enraptured by the first 45 minutes or so – caught up in it’s mystery, its beauty, the period detail, and sweeping visuals. I loved Stefan Gregory’s graceful score which oscillates between vibrant piano chords and more soulful aching strings. And I loved Mulligan and Fiennes, both their characters and their performances. But the movie loses its footing once the fiction begins overshadowing the facts and it dives into a much less interesting and lesser developed side-story. As it is, I quite like “The Dig” even as I find myself longing for what it could have been. “The Dig” premieres January 29th on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Netflix continues the trend of adding international flavor to its movie portfolio with the French-Canadian action-thriller “The Decline”, the feature film debut for director Patrice Laliberté. He crafts a smart and competently made picture that may not have a big blow-you-away element that sets it apart, but it does manage to keep you locked in from start to finish.

The film opens with Antoine (Guillaume Laurin) leading his wife and daughter in a late-night emergency evacuation drill. This first scene hints at a pre-dystopian setting but it’s actually set in modern day Quebec. Antoine is convinced an environmental catastrophe is imminent so he leads his family in survival preparation. That includes watching YouTube videos of a middle-aged survival expert named Alain (Réal Bossé) who teaches things like storing food rations and other basic end-of-the-world stuff.

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Thanks to a last-minute cancellation Antoine gets a coveted spot at Alain’s survivalist training camp. Over several days Alain will teach Antoine and five other survivalists the need-to-know essentials of self-sustainability once society inevitably crumbles. His exercises include planting crops, hunting, firearm training and (gulp) pipe bomb making. It all takes place around Alain’s isolated compound deep within his 500 acres of snowy wooded property.

Antoine and his fellow trainees get along great and all bring with them their own paranoia of choice – an economic collapse, environmental disaster, foreign invasion, (yikes) a global pandemic. They’re all pretty inconsequential because the movie doesn’t have much to say about any of it. Instead it’s much more interested in human nature and the qualities inside of us that we can’t isolate from. This comes vividly (and violently) into focus when a training drill goes terribly wrong leaving one person dead and two camps of thought on how to deal with it.

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The second half of the lean 83-minute runtime is pure survival thriller territory with two sides squaring off across the threatening snowscape. Outside of Alain and Antoine, few of characters have much to offer. An ex-soldier named Rachel (Marie-Evelyne Lessard) is interesting and the unhinged militant David (Marc Beaupré) offers some wild-eyed menace. The others get a bit lost in the second-half chaos. But director Laliberté keeps us glued to the screen by ratcheting up the tension and making great use of his snowy setting.

An ambiguous title like “The Decline” may leave you wondering what to expect. The story (written by the trio of Laliberté, Charles Dionne, and Nicholas Krief) doesn’t offer much clarity. Instead the film uses its small sample-size of humanity to show that we can’t isolate ourselves from what’s inside of us. And what’s buried inside is often pretty ugly. All of that is wrapped inside of a compelling idea which turns into a fairly stock thriller. “The Decline” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

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

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.”

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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.

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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.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Whether you’re a fan or not, everyone seems to pay attention when a new Spike Lee movie comes around. There is always a bit of uncertainly that comes with the 63 year-old Atlanta, Georgia native. A nagging question going into a Spike Lee joint is whether he falls into the trap of being too heavy-handed and preachy or if he trusts his material and his direction to do the talking for him. When he finds that balance his movies can be pretty special. When he loses sight of it things get a little messy. Regardless, the director always has something to say.

Hot off of a Best Screenplay Oscar win for “BlacKkKlansman”, Lee sets his eye on another tumultuous time and provocative subject – the Vietnam War. “Da 5 Bloods” is easily one of Netflix’s biggest releases of the year and it sees Lee doing his thing – enlightening through a deep dive into the black American experience and stoking a fire or two which always benefits his message while sometimes hindering his storytelling.

With “Da 5 Bloods” Lee has one foot in the past when black GIs were fighting in Vietnam while a war for their civil rights was raging back home. The other foot is firmly pressed in current day where four former platoon mates, a “brotherhood of bloods“, go back to Vietnam still haunted by ghosts from the war and scarred by their post-war struggles. While the scenes from the war are mostly flashbacks, they powerfully reverberate throughout the entire film effecting nearly every modern day scene we get.

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After a tone-setting montage the film introduces us to the four vets as they meet up in Vietnam with a very specific mission in mind. They are Otis (Clarke Peters), the platoon medic and the guy with important contacts in the area, the wealthy Eddie (Norm Lewis) who financed their mission, Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), the easy-going jokester, and Paul (Delroy Lindo), easily the most damaged of the group but also the most complex. During the war the men served under Stormin’ Norman (a terrific Chadwick Bosman), the rare black squad leader, who inspired them to persevere with power but with honor. Together they formed the film’s namesake – the five bloods.

Through a series of flashbacks we learn the bloods were given a mission to secure a downed C47 deep in the jungle. While investigating the wreckage they discovered a crate of gold bars that was to be given to the native people. Norman convinces the bloods that they should keep the gold and distribute it to their people as payment for years of injustice (the initial irony of taking gold from the hurting indigenous group due to injustice is striking). They manage to bury the crate but are attacked by the surrounding Viet Cong forces. Norman is killed and the rest of the bloods barely escaped with their lives.

That sets up the story for “Da 5 Bloods” as the four surviving friends head back to ‘Nam to retrieve the gold and find Norman’s remains. Lee and his writing team of Danny Bilson, Kevin Willmott, and Paul De Meo pack so much into the film’s 150+ minutes yet the story still seems to wander in the third act before weirdly devolving into an 80’s style ‘back to Vietnam’ shoot’em-up, the very thing Lee takes a shot at earlier in the film. Except this time instead of rescuing POWs it’s millions of dollars in gold bars at stake.

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Lee’s storytelling manages to be poignant, eye-opening, perplexing, and frustrating sometimes within the same scene. His four bloods, their camaraderie, their shared pain, it’s all explored and detailed through some really good on-screen chemistry which Lee smartly utilizes. The best of the group is Lindo and by far he is given the meatiest material to explore. He’s a puzzle both as a character and as a Lee construct. Lindo digs in deep and Lee has him go big, showing PTSD in its rawest and truest form. He’s given even more layers after his son David (Jonathan Majors who was so good in “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”) arrives, worried about his father and unearthing more details about Paul’s trauma.

There is also power in what the four men represent, both as Vietnam war veterans and as black men growing up during the Civil Rights era. Lee says a lot through them about black life (past and present) as well as the ravages of war both psychologically and socially. Each of the four bloods (minus their steady stream of obscenities that would make Richard Pryor recoil) can often be seen as expressions of deeply felt sentiments rooted in real-life experience. Yes Lee occasionally crosses over into political pettiness, but if you look past those impulses you’ll find many weighty and worthy themes.

As for the meat and potatoes of the story itself, “Da 5 Bloods” isn’t as sturdy. The nostalgic B-movie vibe can be fun even if some of its parts aren’t that effective. Lee throws in a shady French money broker (Jean Reno), an international group of landmine activists, a half-baked romance between David and a young French women named Hedy (Mélanie Thierry), and a band of Vietnamese mercenaries who (like many of the Asian characters) cover a broad range of caricatures. None of them bring much for the story.

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Add to that some far-fetched plot points including some unintentionally hilarious strokes of luck that are narratively convenient but hard to believe. Also it can be hard to tell which is more important to the four vets, getting their share of the gold or finding Norman’s remains and bringing him home. This is foreshadowed in one character’s warning “Gold does strange things to people. Even old friends.” But there are times when the film itself seems confused, putting far more emphasis on the gold than their fallen brother.

Spike Lee’s films stir up a wealth of conversation and debate. Often lost among it all is his proficiency behind the camera. Lee is a student of cinema and he has never been afraid to flaunt his influences. Here we get so many blatant and unashamed nods to other movies. “Apocalypse Now” rushes to mind as a riverboat snakes through the dense jungle to “Rise of the Valkyries”. Meanwhile impressions of John Huston’s classic “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” are everywhere (we even get a character who literally says “We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.“) But he also brings plenty of his own signature style seen mostly in his use of period music, camera framing, sudden interjections, etc.

Spike Lee has a knack for getting people to overlook the messiness of his movies. For me that’s a challenge, yet his value as a filmmaker is unquestionable and the subjects he tackles are personal and relevant. “Da 5 Bloods” fits all of that. It’s a fascinating buffet of potent themes and meaningful social commentary, soaked in rich style and classic cinema flavor. Yet its story is a potpourri of highs and not-so-highs, always keeping your attention, but never fully gelling into something you can call great.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS