#BoilingPoint takes you on an immersive tension filled evening in front and behind the scenes of a busy five star restaurant. Performances are top notch in this incredible documentary style filmed one shot experience. One of 2021's most compelling films.
Reviews
144 Reviews
Fairfax
(2021–2022)
More hits than misses
29 October 2021
The characters and dialogues in #Fairfax are caricatures of today's social climate, which will please both millennials and Gen-Z'ers. A clever and hilarious first half makes place for a lazy second half, to end with a lit Billy "Wonka" Porter adventure. Bring on season 2!
Nocturne
(II) (2020)
Black Duckling
8 December 2020
Black Duckling meets Whiplash, but without the tension necessary to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Sweeney does a decent job at being a stop-at-nothing brat, but Zu Quirke's script is too messy and quite basic. A decent first feature, that fits right in at Blumhouse.
Hillbilly Elegy
(2020)
Little too late
24 November 2020
Howard's film is neither a success nor a failure. The acting is all over the place, where Basso is mostly impressive next to an over-the-top Adams and an under-utilised Close. Hillbilly Elegy feels like something from the 90s, cliches and melodrama included.
His House
(2020)
Let's move in!
22 November 2020
Jump scares rarely work, but Remi Weekes' 'His House' does more than make you jump. It crawls under your skin with stellar lead performances, while terror evolves from its haunted house premise to cutting deeper into the psyche of two struggling refugees. Worth a watch!
As real as it gets
21 November 2020
A story so simple, that speaks so much louder than just words. Never Rarely Sometimes Always is as real as it gets. Seeing two young women being treated as if they're disposable, was infuriating. The voice this film gives to so many silenced women out there is beyond measure.
The Forty-Year-Old Version
(2020)
A star is born!
21 November 2020
Starring, writing, producing and directing her own film, taking full control of her own project, just shows how much of a powerhouse Radha Blank really is. The Forty Year Old Version is extremely clever and an instant favourite. A star is born!
Alien Xmas
(2020 TV Special)
An out-of-this-world Christmas classic
21 November 2020
From the director of KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE and executive producer Jon Favreau comes a crazy Christmas story filled with magic, heart and... aliens. Alien Xmas is a vibrantly detailed claymation story that reminds of Selick's work. An out-of-this-world Xmas classic!
Hallmark found dead in a ditch.
13 November 2020
The diversity and talent of the cast and dancers, in combination with stunning production design, original animated transitions and world-building make Jingle Jangle the Christmas musical-fantasy classic unlike any other. Wow, David E. Talbert, wow.
The Lie
(2018)
Bratz
6 October 2020
It may not be the most original Blumhouse film (that probably also explains why it's been sitting on a shelf since 2018), but the thriller/drama is fit for streaming. King and Enos give fine performances, while Sarsgaard seems to think he's in a low budget 'Orphan 2'.
House of Cardin
(2019)
Essential viewing - intoscreens.com
18 July 2020
Directors Todd Hughes and P. David Ebersole (Mansfield 66/67) go back in time and take a closer in depth look at visionary fashion and design icon Pierre Cardin's work and personal life in 'House of Cardin'.
Millions know the iconic logo, but few know the man behind the larger than life label. In this exhilarating and flashy documentary, Hughes and Ebersole design an impressive portrait of the larger than life man himself, by introducing his many talents, incredibly fascinating innovations and his way of changing people's perception on fashion throughout several decades. This rare look into the mind of the genius Cardin takes you on a fascinating journey, while featuring many interviews with famous names including Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone, Dionne Warwick, Alice Cooper, Jean-Paul Gaultier, etc., who one by one celebrate this true original fashion genius.
Featuring rare footage, House of Cardin recounts his first steps as an employee at Paquin in Paris in 1945, where he worked on the exquisite costumes of Jean Cocteau's classic Beauty and the Beast, to becoming the head of Christian Dior's atelier and then founding his own label in 1950. Combining acute business acumen with an almost unrivaled creation vision, Cardin was a fashion revolutionary whose designs from the 1960s and 70s still appear modern decades later. In what was perceived as a shocking move at the time, he was also the very first designer to branch out from haute couture into ready-to-wear, and expand his range to incorporate fashion accessories - all accepted as standard practice today.
Even those who aren't familiar with Pierre Cardin, the man and the brand, get a fast course that's not only enthralling but makes you grow an unprecedented respect for his influence on fashion as we know. As the documentary shows through archival footage, the global fashion brands of today, such as Louis Vuitton, Dior or Saint Laurent, owe Cardin as a person and a brand to pave the way for them. In 1959 he was even thrown out of the French federation for haute couture when he decided to make designer dresses on a budget for the mass market.
Unlike all the other designers, Cardin, who is now 97, never sold his company to a multinational. Instead, he kept investing and discovering new ways to spend his money and make a new for himself elsewhere, just like he did with his fashion empire. He now owns a theatre and bought famous restaurant Maxim's in Paris, after once being turned away for not wearing proper attire. That restaurant is now a worldwide chain.
It's his personal story that almost impresses more than his professional one. His demanding and perfectionist personality made him succeed at everything he worked hard for, but under that hard shell lies a gentle soul. He is the kind of man who fought hard for equal rights, visibility and representation in fashion, making sure he inspired millions of people along the way with the power he had in this very exclusive world. The one thing 'House of Cardin' brushes over is his love life that involved his marriage with Jeanne Moreau, and later suggesting at a romantic relationship with Andre Oliver.
The music throughout is upbeat, keeping House of Cardin a fun informative watch with fast editing, that tells the story of Pierre Cardin in chronological order, even hinting at the future ideas he has in store. At the age of 97, the man himself doesn't seem to plan on stopping anytime soon, surrounded by family members who support him and praise his work on a daily basis.
House of Cardin is one of the most inspiring fashion documentaries, making it essential viewing for anybody who loves fashion.
Millions know the iconic logo, but few know the man behind the larger than life label. In this exhilarating and flashy documentary, Hughes and Ebersole design an impressive portrait of the larger than life man himself, by introducing his many talents, incredibly fascinating innovations and his way of changing people's perception on fashion throughout several decades. This rare look into the mind of the genius Cardin takes you on a fascinating journey, while featuring many interviews with famous names including Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone, Dionne Warwick, Alice Cooper, Jean-Paul Gaultier, etc., who one by one celebrate this true original fashion genius.
Featuring rare footage, House of Cardin recounts his first steps as an employee at Paquin in Paris in 1945, where he worked on the exquisite costumes of Jean Cocteau's classic Beauty and the Beast, to becoming the head of Christian Dior's atelier and then founding his own label in 1950. Combining acute business acumen with an almost unrivaled creation vision, Cardin was a fashion revolutionary whose designs from the 1960s and 70s still appear modern decades later. In what was perceived as a shocking move at the time, he was also the very first designer to branch out from haute couture into ready-to-wear, and expand his range to incorporate fashion accessories - all accepted as standard practice today.
Even those who aren't familiar with Pierre Cardin, the man and the brand, get a fast course that's not only enthralling but makes you grow an unprecedented respect for his influence on fashion as we know. As the documentary shows through archival footage, the global fashion brands of today, such as Louis Vuitton, Dior or Saint Laurent, owe Cardin as a person and a brand to pave the way for them. In 1959 he was even thrown out of the French federation for haute couture when he decided to make designer dresses on a budget for the mass market.
Unlike all the other designers, Cardin, who is now 97, never sold his company to a multinational. Instead, he kept investing and discovering new ways to spend his money and make a new for himself elsewhere, just like he did with his fashion empire. He now owns a theatre and bought famous restaurant Maxim's in Paris, after once being turned away for not wearing proper attire. That restaurant is now a worldwide chain.
It's his personal story that almost impresses more than his professional one. His demanding and perfectionist personality made him succeed at everything he worked hard for, but under that hard shell lies a gentle soul. He is the kind of man who fought hard for equal rights, visibility and representation in fashion, making sure he inspired millions of people along the way with the power he had in this very exclusive world. The one thing 'House of Cardin' brushes over is his love life that involved his marriage with Jeanne Moreau, and later suggesting at a romantic relationship with Andre Oliver.
The music throughout is upbeat, keeping House of Cardin a fun informative watch with fast editing, that tells the story of Pierre Cardin in chronological order, even hinting at the future ideas he has in store. At the age of 97, the man himself doesn't seem to plan on stopping anytime soon, surrounded by family members who support him and praise his work on a daily basis.
House of Cardin is one of the most inspiring fashion documentaries, making it essential viewing for anybody who loves fashion.
The Vigil
(2019)
A promising premise turns out to be an unfortunate mishap - intoscreens.com
18 July 2020
Set over the course of a single evening in Brooklyn's Hassidic "Boro" Park neighborhood. Having lost his faith, Yakov (Dave Davis - Greyhound) isn't eager to go back to the insular religious community he only recently fled. But when Reb Shulem (Menashe Lustig - Menashe), a rabbi and confidante, approaches Yakov after a support group meeting and offers to pay Yakov to be the shomer - a respected position of someone who watches over the body overnight to keep it from demons - for a recently deceased Holocaust survivor, he reluctantly accepts the job. Shortly after arriving at the dilapidated house, Yakov realizes that something is very, very wrong.
The concept of The Vigil looks good enough on paper to get excited about. The film could've explored territories that are fairly unknown for many of us who aren't part of the Jewish community, with stories that often involve the supernatural and afterlife. Instead of turning into a 21st century "Jewish Excorcist", it rather takes the easy route and goes for a more lighter version of 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe'. The film takes place in one extremely underlit house, where creepy knocks and creaks help build an ominous atmosphere. What starts off strong quickly gets annoying when rough sound design and annoyingly ineffective jump scares take over, unfortunately losing any emotional impact the story could have created by the end of this haunted night.
Director Keith Thomas seems lost in his own screenplay and never elevates what makes his first feature film stand out: the atmosphere. Those dark rooms sure raise questions, as to why Yakov doesn't turn on more lights and keep them on when he starts witnessing shadows in the corners of the room. The problem with the overpowering darkness is that at one point, that isolating feeling loses its effect and every shadow just becomes a blur. Luckily Davis knows how to handle himself, in what's basically a one-man show.
The Vigil never reaches for that light at the end of the tunnel, relying too much on clichés and overused scare tactics. By keeping it all a bit too vague, it loses any sense of terror it so successfully built up in the first half of the film, making it an unfortunate mishap that could've been an unforgettable original addition to the horror genre.
The concept of The Vigil looks good enough on paper to get excited about. The film could've explored territories that are fairly unknown for many of us who aren't part of the Jewish community, with stories that often involve the supernatural and afterlife. Instead of turning into a 21st century "Jewish Excorcist", it rather takes the easy route and goes for a more lighter version of 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe'. The film takes place in one extremely underlit house, where creepy knocks and creaks help build an ominous atmosphere. What starts off strong quickly gets annoying when rough sound design and annoyingly ineffective jump scares take over, unfortunately losing any emotional impact the story could have created by the end of this haunted night.
Director Keith Thomas seems lost in his own screenplay and never elevates what makes his first feature film stand out: the atmosphere. Those dark rooms sure raise questions, as to why Yakov doesn't turn on more lights and keep them on when he starts witnessing shadows in the corners of the room. The problem with the overpowering darkness is that at one point, that isolating feeling loses its effect and every shadow just becomes a blur. Luckily Davis knows how to handle himself, in what's basically a one-man show.
The Vigil never reaches for that light at the end of the tunnel, relying too much on clichés and overused scare tactics. By keeping it all a bit too vague, it loses any sense of terror it so successfully built up in the first half of the film, making it an unfortunate mishap that could've been an unforgettable original addition to the horror genre.
The Old Guard
(2020)
One of the best comic book adaptations ever - intoscreens.com
10 July 2020
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond The Lights), The Old Guard is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks. With twists and turns lurking around every corner, Prince-Bythewood finds a way to keep the film grounded for the small screen, while exploring these immortal warriors' backstory, keeping some interesting side plots unexplored for the inevitable sequel.
A covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it's up to them to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.
The Old Guard in some ways shares a similar vibe with other Netflix Original, 'Extraction' - starring Chris Hemsworth. Luckily, this is just the case in the first half hour of the film, just in time to kick things off and get a bit more supernatural when we get acquainted with this group of undead combatants. Because unlike 'Extraction' which relied mostly on its main star, The Old Guard knows how to put every single one of his stars in the spotlight. Charlize Theron (Bombshell) is for sure the biggest name on the cast list, but the story was definitely written for an ensemble, with each character being just as important as its leader, working towards a satisfying finale.
The film delivers on the impressive action-heavy scenes, filled with bloody fist fights, which are perfectly choreographed. This team of fast healing soldiers work well together, after having been around each other for centuries. And although the film is set in modern times, they find a way to incorporate some medieval weapons that feel more natural to the time they initially lived in.
The film's acting is strong overall. Totally unrecognisable, after impressing audiences and critics with her more timid performance in 2018's 'If Beale Street Could Talk', KiKi Layne shows a completely different side of herself, as a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. Nile gets injured while patrolling with her all female team, but even though she should've died, she miraculously heals and gets recruited as the newest member of The Old Guard. Theron, who really doesn't seem to age, this time takes form as Andy, who's the oldest member of the team. Like a true acting chameleon, she once again convinces as not only a ferocious action star, but also bringing genuine emotion and charisma to a character that if portrayed by someone else might've felt a lot more apathetic. Matthias Schoenaerts (The Laundromat) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), both well known to deliver fantastic dramatic performances, are as usual good in their respective roles, but don't really seem challenged in this action flick.
The story doesn't feel as fleshed out as it could've been, but there's definitely potential and it never gets boring. The one thing that's missing, is the amount of flashback scenes. We get a few glimpses at The Old Guard's former lives, who are basically ancient, but unfortunately the film's budget didn't allow the scope of these scenes to be bigger than life. Especially when we get to discover Joe (Aladdin's Marwan Kenzari, who's much better cast here than he was as Jafar) and Nicky's (Luca Marinelli - Trust) awesome backstory, when Joe passionately tells us about his undying love for Nicky. A gay love story that doesn't feel stereotypical, and this in a mainstream action film, is a huge step forward for equal representation in Hollywood. A scene that definitely could've had a bigger impact on the viewers' emotional state when fully reenacted, but nonetheless powerful. Perhaps in a possible sequel, Netflix and the film's creative team can expand on this and deliver something truly grand.
As a comic book adaption, The Old Guard will please a lot of genre fans, and in the right hands could easily be turned into a franchise. Let's just hope writer Greg Rucka raises the stakes with future comics and dials the emotional factor up to an eleven, by really making its audience feel more connected to these truly remarkable group of warriors.
A covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it's up to them to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.
The Old Guard in some ways shares a similar vibe with other Netflix Original, 'Extraction' - starring Chris Hemsworth. Luckily, this is just the case in the first half hour of the film, just in time to kick things off and get a bit more supernatural when we get acquainted with this group of undead combatants. Because unlike 'Extraction' which relied mostly on its main star, The Old Guard knows how to put every single one of his stars in the spotlight. Charlize Theron (Bombshell) is for sure the biggest name on the cast list, but the story was definitely written for an ensemble, with each character being just as important as its leader, working towards a satisfying finale.
The film delivers on the impressive action-heavy scenes, filled with bloody fist fights, which are perfectly choreographed. This team of fast healing soldiers work well together, after having been around each other for centuries. And although the film is set in modern times, they find a way to incorporate some medieval weapons that feel more natural to the time they initially lived in.
The film's acting is strong overall. Totally unrecognisable, after impressing audiences and critics with her more timid performance in 2018's 'If Beale Street Could Talk', KiKi Layne shows a completely different side of herself, as a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. Nile gets injured while patrolling with her all female team, but even though she should've died, she miraculously heals and gets recruited as the newest member of The Old Guard. Theron, who really doesn't seem to age, this time takes form as Andy, who's the oldest member of the team. Like a true acting chameleon, she once again convinces as not only a ferocious action star, but also bringing genuine emotion and charisma to a character that if portrayed by someone else might've felt a lot more apathetic. Matthias Schoenaerts (The Laundromat) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), both well known to deliver fantastic dramatic performances, are as usual good in their respective roles, but don't really seem challenged in this action flick.
The story doesn't feel as fleshed out as it could've been, but there's definitely potential and it never gets boring. The one thing that's missing, is the amount of flashback scenes. We get a few glimpses at The Old Guard's former lives, who are basically ancient, but unfortunately the film's budget didn't allow the scope of these scenes to be bigger than life. Especially when we get to discover Joe (Aladdin's Marwan Kenzari, who's much better cast here than he was as Jafar) and Nicky's (Luca Marinelli - Trust) awesome backstory, when Joe passionately tells us about his undying love for Nicky. A gay love story that doesn't feel stereotypical, and this in a mainstream action film, is a huge step forward for equal representation in Hollywood. A scene that definitely could've had a bigger impact on the viewers' emotional state when fully reenacted, but nonetheless powerful. Perhaps in a possible sequel, Netflix and the film's creative team can expand on this and deliver something truly grand.
As a comic book adaption, The Old Guard will please a lot of genre fans, and in the right hands could easily be turned into a franchise. Let's just hope writer Greg Rucka raises the stakes with future comics and dials the emotional factor up to an eleven, by really making its audience feel more connected to these truly remarkable group of warriors.
Stateless
(2020)
An emotional statement on the failures of a system that abuses human freedom and the right to survive. - intoscreens.com
9 July 2020
'Stateless' is a powerful and timely series about four strangers whose lives collide at an immigration detention center in the middle of the Australian desert: an airline hostess on the run from a dangerous cult, an Afghan refugee and his family fleeing persecution, a young father escaping a dead-end job and a bureaucrat running out of time to contain a national scandal.
The Handmaid's Tale's Yvonne Strahovski plays airline hostess Sofie Werner. Pressured in maintaining a perfect façade towards her family, she loses herself in a cult lead by Cate Blanchett - in one of the most chilling performances of her career (she also executive produces the limited series) - and her on screen partner Dominic West (The Affair). Over six episodes we witness Sofie's mental health deteriorating, while we figure out how exactly she ended up between refugees at a detention center in the middle of the Australian Outback.
Strahovski delivers a career best performance, but it's Fayssal Bazzi (The Commons) as Afghan-refugee Ameer, who embodies his character's struggles, bringing an emotionally heavy force to every scene he's in. Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad) and Asher Keddie (Swinging Safari) both impress as a guard who struggles with his own moral standards in his new job, and a bureaucrat who finds it hard to run a detention center, respectively. What's so satisfying about this acting ensemble's performances, is the way all their characters have been fleshed out, giving the actors a chance to showcase the growth of their part while challenging their personal ability to "tread the boards".
Tony Ayres (Glitch), Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America), Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko (Safe Harbour) have created a genuinely important narrative. Compellingly directed by Emma Freeman (Glitch) and Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker), it's important to recognise the predominantly female crew as some of Australia's biggest talents who have based the story of Stateless on real life events, amplifying the voices of those that were silenced while on the run for a range of different reasons.
Stateless hits hard, rarely misses the mark and lingers long after its final title card, making this limited series one of the most important pieces of Australian storytelling, reaching far beyond its national borders. This story could easily have been set on any other continent that makes it impossible for immigrants to feel welcome, but instead locks them up in detention centers. An emotional statement on the failures of a system that abuses human freedom and the right to survive.
The Handmaid's Tale's Yvonne Strahovski plays airline hostess Sofie Werner. Pressured in maintaining a perfect façade towards her family, she loses herself in a cult lead by Cate Blanchett - in one of the most chilling performances of her career (she also executive produces the limited series) - and her on screen partner Dominic West (The Affair). Over six episodes we witness Sofie's mental health deteriorating, while we figure out how exactly she ended up between refugees at a detention center in the middle of the Australian Outback.
Strahovski delivers a career best performance, but it's Fayssal Bazzi (The Commons) as Afghan-refugee Ameer, who embodies his character's struggles, bringing an emotionally heavy force to every scene he's in. Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad) and Asher Keddie (Swinging Safari) both impress as a guard who struggles with his own moral standards in his new job, and a bureaucrat who finds it hard to run a detention center, respectively. What's so satisfying about this acting ensemble's performances, is the way all their characters have been fleshed out, giving the actors a chance to showcase the growth of their part while challenging their personal ability to "tread the boards".
Tony Ayres (Glitch), Cate Blanchett (Mrs. America), Elise McCredie and Belinda Chayko (Safe Harbour) have created a genuinely important narrative. Compellingly directed by Emma Freeman (Glitch) and Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker), it's important to recognise the predominantly female crew as some of Australia's biggest talents who have based the story of Stateless on real life events, amplifying the voices of those that were silenced while on the run for a range of different reasons.
Stateless hits hard, rarely misses the mark and lingers long after its final title card, making this limited series one of the most important pieces of Australian storytelling, reaching far beyond its national borders. This story could easily have been set on any other continent that makes it impossible for immigrants to feel welcome, but instead locks them up in detention centers. An emotional statement on the failures of a system that abuses human freedom and the right to survive.
The Baby-Sitters Club
(2020–2021)
A way for parents to discuss more intricate but important subjects with their children - intoscreens.com
5 July 2020
Based on the best-selling book series that was highly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, Netflix's new series 'The Baby-Sitters Club', follows the friendship and adventures of Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), the genius but shy Mary-Anne Spier (Malia Baker), the artsy Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada - 'To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You'), the fashion-queen-with-a-secret Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph - 'Lethal Weapon'), and free-spirited Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez - 'Gentefied') as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Each episode in this first season is based on one of the books in the BSC-series, which was originally written by Ann M. Martin, who also produces the series.
The Netflix Original Series revolves around this group of inspiring girls with different backgrounds, personalities and opinions who become best friends by working and growing up together. Combining drama and comedy, this adaptation for the small screen might look childish, but in fact tackles some mature subjects such as divorce, online bullying, the importance of using right pronouns, and even explores a dark part of American history (in this case the World War II internment camp, Manzanar).
Alicia Silverstone (The Lodge) plays Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, the selfless single-mother of Kristy and love interest of all around good guy Watson Brewer, played by Mark Feuerstein ('Prison Break'). As part of the adult cast, they never steal the spotlight and are mostly here to support this young group of actors. All members of The Baby-Sitters Club do a fine job at playing their own specific character, but some of these actors are clearly still getting used to being in front of the camera. Baker's Mary Anne grows a lot into a well rounded personality, after being a shy wallflower in the first half of the season, but you can tell the young actress struggles a bit with keeping a straight face during the more dramatic scenes. Without her the BSC wouldn't be complete - everyone gets a bit of stage fright in life. Tamada, and especially Gomez, are stars in the making, both exuding a natural energy that breezes through every episode.
The fun part about this series, is that we get to explore a different character's personal life and struggles in a stand alone episode which they narrate themselves, with the other members of the club basically playing the supporting cast. This not only gives the viewer the time to explore their favourites a bit more, but also gives those you might not like as much at first, grow on you. Showrunner Rachel Shukert (Glow) and executive producer and director Lucia Aniello (Broad City) take a simple yet effective approach at educating viewers of all ages in a wholesome, balanced and innocent way.
The series explores female empowerment, entrepreneurship and discusses some more intricate but important topics, which could open up the conversation between parents and children, or those who aren't familiar with certain topical subjects. Knowing just how successful the book-series was, Netflix would make the right decision by greenlighting the second season of the potential hit-series 'The Baby-Sitters Club' to make sure they can keep the same cast to play this group of best friends, before they outgrow their on screen characters.
The Netflix Original Series revolves around this group of inspiring girls with different backgrounds, personalities and opinions who become best friends by working and growing up together. Combining drama and comedy, this adaptation for the small screen might look childish, but in fact tackles some mature subjects such as divorce, online bullying, the importance of using right pronouns, and even explores a dark part of American history (in this case the World War II internment camp, Manzanar).
Alicia Silverstone (The Lodge) plays Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, the selfless single-mother of Kristy and love interest of all around good guy Watson Brewer, played by Mark Feuerstein ('Prison Break'). As part of the adult cast, they never steal the spotlight and are mostly here to support this young group of actors. All members of The Baby-Sitters Club do a fine job at playing their own specific character, but some of these actors are clearly still getting used to being in front of the camera. Baker's Mary Anne grows a lot into a well rounded personality, after being a shy wallflower in the first half of the season, but you can tell the young actress struggles a bit with keeping a straight face during the more dramatic scenes. Without her the BSC wouldn't be complete - everyone gets a bit of stage fright in life. Tamada, and especially Gomez, are stars in the making, both exuding a natural energy that breezes through every episode.
The fun part about this series, is that we get to explore a different character's personal life and struggles in a stand alone episode which they narrate themselves, with the other members of the club basically playing the supporting cast. This not only gives the viewer the time to explore their favourites a bit more, but also gives those you might not like as much at first, grow on you. Showrunner Rachel Shukert (Glow) and executive producer and director Lucia Aniello (Broad City) take a simple yet effective approach at educating viewers of all ages in a wholesome, balanced and innocent way.
The series explores female empowerment, entrepreneurship and discusses some more intricate but important topics, which could open up the conversation between parents and children, or those who aren't familiar with certain topical subjects. Knowing just how successful the book-series was, Netflix would make the right decision by greenlighting the second season of the potential hit-series 'The Baby-Sitters Club' to make sure they can keep the same cast to play this group of best friends, before they outgrow their on screen characters.
Topical must see! - intoscreens.com
1 July 2020
William Kelly, artist and peace activist, has been called the 'moral conscience' of Australian Art. For him there's no line between life and art. Can Art Stop a Bullet is a documentary about the man himself and centered around an art piece he's making for the State Library of Victoria. The film explores the connections between art and activism and how imagery in their own way can change people's view on things happening in the world, their own lives and the lives of those around them.
Kelly's art project will combine former pieces of his career and art that has inspired him throughout his life, in a collage of drawings that will tell a story of their own. He narrates the process of this important art piece, starting by taking us to his hometown in Buffalo, NY, where he explains how words and literature were his ways of escaping to another world, until he visited an art gallery with school and decided to start drawing. He also sits down with activists and artists from all over the globe, who's activism and the idiocy of war inspired powerful work that left an impact on the art world and those who get a chance to be affected by its compelling messages.
Mark Street has worked in the tv and film industry for the last 25 years and met Kelly whilst producing a documentary on the development of art in regional Victorian towns. His film is respectful to all those involved in the making of it, taking careful and humanitarian standpoints to highlight the importance of art in changing people's views on the world. It's exactly those at times uncomfortable images that have a lasting effect and make us ask the right questions. "The worst enemy of an artist is sentiment" as actor/activist Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie) says. He and many other Hollywood actors who spoke out about human rights have been arrested in the past, but find the naked truth in art necessary, even though it can come across unpleasant to some of us.
Dedicating your art to social issues and human rights instead of being just a pretty picture on the wall, gives a notable voice to those who otherwise stay voiceless. And that's exactly what Kelly has been doing throughout his entire career. The most heartbreaking part of Can Art Stop a Bullet is an entire segment on Aboriginal art and Indigenous people and their rights in Australia. Art historian Professor Sasha Grishin points out how the longest war in Australia is that with the Indigenous people of this country. They had to suffer through 200 years of genocide by the hands of European colonisers, and although the Aboriginal Memorial is a great work of art, it bares the question why it's hidden in an art gallery in Canberra and not displayed at the capital's war memorial, where it belongs?! The film dives even further into a dark part of Australia's nuclear history where at least 12 nuclear bombs were tested in WA, without evacuating Indigenous communities who were also misinformed on the dangers of nuclear effects on humans and nature. Anti-nuclear activist Rose Lester's confession is shockingly honest and sends chills all over your body.
The optimism in the interviewees and the possibilities in the art that gets presented during the film, is encouraging enough to leave a positive impression. Can Art Stop a Bullet never avoids topics such as the war in Syria, Abu Ghraib, school shootings and the Black Lives Matter movement, going exactly there were other art documentaries tend to draw a visible line they rarely dare to cross. Educational, essential viewing for every living creature that believes the world can be a better place than it is right now.
Screened at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020
Kelly's art project will combine former pieces of his career and art that has inspired him throughout his life, in a collage of drawings that will tell a story of their own. He narrates the process of this important art piece, starting by taking us to his hometown in Buffalo, NY, where he explains how words and literature were his ways of escaping to another world, until he visited an art gallery with school and decided to start drawing. He also sits down with activists and artists from all over the globe, who's activism and the idiocy of war inspired powerful work that left an impact on the art world and those who get a chance to be affected by its compelling messages.
Mark Street has worked in the tv and film industry for the last 25 years and met Kelly whilst producing a documentary on the development of art in regional Victorian towns. His film is respectful to all those involved in the making of it, taking careful and humanitarian standpoints to highlight the importance of art in changing people's views on the world. It's exactly those at times uncomfortable images that have a lasting effect and make us ask the right questions. "The worst enemy of an artist is sentiment" as actor/activist Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie) says. He and many other Hollywood actors who spoke out about human rights have been arrested in the past, but find the naked truth in art necessary, even though it can come across unpleasant to some of us.
Dedicating your art to social issues and human rights instead of being just a pretty picture on the wall, gives a notable voice to those who otherwise stay voiceless. And that's exactly what Kelly has been doing throughout his entire career. The most heartbreaking part of Can Art Stop a Bullet is an entire segment on Aboriginal art and Indigenous people and their rights in Australia. Art historian Professor Sasha Grishin points out how the longest war in Australia is that with the Indigenous people of this country. They had to suffer through 200 years of genocide by the hands of European colonisers, and although the Aboriginal Memorial is a great work of art, it bares the question why it's hidden in an art gallery in Canberra and not displayed at the capital's war memorial, where it belongs?! The film dives even further into a dark part of Australia's nuclear history where at least 12 nuclear bombs were tested in WA, without evacuating Indigenous communities who were also misinformed on the dangers of nuclear effects on humans and nature. Anti-nuclear activist Rose Lester's confession is shockingly honest and sends chills all over your body.
The optimism in the interviewees and the possibilities in the art that gets presented during the film, is encouraging enough to leave a positive impression. Can Art Stop a Bullet never avoids topics such as the war in Syria, Abu Ghraib, school shootings and the Black Lives Matter movement, going exactly there were other art documentaries tend to draw a visible line they rarely dare to cross. Educational, essential viewing for every living creature that believes the world can be a better place than it is right now.
Screened at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020
Lynn + Lucy
(2019)
Heavy AF - intoscreens.com
30 June 2020
Lynn and Lucy have been friends since high school. They live a normal middleclass life across the street from one another in a small town, and know they can count on each other for a laugh or a chat. Lynn is excited to be Lucy's first born's godmother, although the new mum isn't sure she's fit to be a mother, also dealing with her volatile boyfriend. After starting a new job as an assistant in a hairsalon, Lynn soon sees her tight friendship, community and own family questioned to the point of no return.
Writer and director Fyzal Boulifa has made a truly gut wrenching social drama, with at the center a subject not many storytellers like to tackle. Lynn + Lucy is the kind of film that surprises you more than once. As simple as it may look, Boulifa has found a way to ask the hard questions by putting its audience in the middle of a mental struggle with both main characters. Do you ever really know someone that literally lives right across the street from you? When does gossip take control of facts and vice versa? Does trust make us ignore clear warning signs or mute cries for help? Nothing is taboo for Boulifa. Just expect to leave the cinema all shaken up.
Protagonists Lynn + Lucy are played by Roxanne Scrimshaw + Nichola Burley respectively. Both give captivating tragic performances that leave a mark on you. You can't help but feel for Scrimshaw's Lynn, who has the kindest eyes, yet at the same time the close ups of her face show a sad side that constantly makes you want to protect her. She gives one of the strongest and rawest performances in a British film in a very long time. Burley's Lucy on the other hand, is so tormented by guilt and has a dying hunger for love. She shows off most of her acting talent after the film's central devastating event, and never steps on the brake. Both actors challenge and push each other to unseen levels.
The story doesn't need a score, since the quiet pauses between dialogues give us time to catch our breath. Accompanied by effective cinematography, this small drama stands out in a somewhat lost year for cinema. Lynn + Lucy should come with some sort of trigger warning, or at least get an appropriate rating, to make sure those who go in blindly know to brace themselves. Heavy subjects with a massive emotional impact make this social commentary on gossip, friendship and parenthood one of those films that lingers long after the end credits fade to black.
Writer and director Fyzal Boulifa has made a truly gut wrenching social drama, with at the center a subject not many storytellers like to tackle. Lynn + Lucy is the kind of film that surprises you more than once. As simple as it may look, Boulifa has found a way to ask the hard questions by putting its audience in the middle of a mental struggle with both main characters. Do you ever really know someone that literally lives right across the street from you? When does gossip take control of facts and vice versa? Does trust make us ignore clear warning signs or mute cries for help? Nothing is taboo for Boulifa. Just expect to leave the cinema all shaken up.
Protagonists Lynn + Lucy are played by Roxanne Scrimshaw + Nichola Burley respectively. Both give captivating tragic performances that leave a mark on you. You can't help but feel for Scrimshaw's Lynn, who has the kindest eyes, yet at the same time the close ups of her face show a sad side that constantly makes you want to protect her. She gives one of the strongest and rawest performances in a British film in a very long time. Burley's Lucy on the other hand, is so tormented by guilt and has a dying hunger for love. She shows off most of her acting talent after the film's central devastating event, and never steps on the brake. Both actors challenge and push each other to unseen levels.
The story doesn't need a score, since the quiet pauses between dialogues give us time to catch our breath. Accompanied by effective cinematography, this small drama stands out in a somewhat lost year for cinema. Lynn + Lucy should come with some sort of trigger warning, or at least get an appropriate rating, to make sure those who go in blindly know to brace themselves. Heavy subjects with a massive emotional impact make this social commentary on gossip, friendship and parenthood one of those films that lingers long after the end credits fade to black.
I See You
(II) (2019)
Twisted! - intoscreens.com
29 June 2020
Strange occurrences plague small town detective Greg Harper and his family as he investigates the disappearance of a young boy. 'I See You' keeps twisting its story to keep you on the edge, until the shocking ending reveals the Harper family's secrets and a decade old unsolved mystery that will make your jaw drop to the floor.
What seems like a peaceful small town at first, actually hides a dark secret of missing children. When a boy goes missing in the woods, detective Harper (Jon Tenney - True Detective) and his partner Spitzky (Gregory Alan Williams - Greenleaf) get put on the case, they discover connections to a similar missing person's report from a decade ago. At home, Harper's family is dealing with their own setbacks, with wife Jackie's (Helen Hunt - Mad About You) infidelity being the main cause of this seemingly perfect family's tribulations. Son Connor (Judah Lewis - The Christmas Chronicles) isn't handling the news very well, and strange things start happening all around the house.
More than once we get to see the house as if we're flying over it, or when we slide through the halls of this lavish seaside mansion. Philipp Blaubach's (Gunpowder) stylish cinematography is so smooth, using every location to its full potential, with some interesting angles in the second half of the film. Photos and mugs go missing, the television switches on at random times and duvets get pulled from unaware sleeping inhabitants. With an eerie score, composed by William Arcane, the mood goes from dark to pitch black in nano-seconds to drive up the tension even more.
What really works in Adam Randall's (iBoy) newest film is the element of surprise. The film starts of a mystery-suspense thriller hinting at the supernatural, but dives deeper when it flips the film upside down halfway through. First time screenwriter Devon Graye has come up with a clever and well constructed script that leaves breadcrumbs from the very start to hint at events later on in the film. Is Jackie losing her mind? And is the family really in danger?! This doesn't just make 'I See You's mystery fun for the viewer in guessing what exactly causes these bizarre occurrences, but Graye also succeeds by turning the story into some sort of whodunnit, which isn't an easy thing to pull off.
As far as acting goes, Hunt is surprisingly under utilized in the film, but is the biggest name to attract an audience into seeing the film. Her character is nuanced, but it definitely would've been nice to explore the guilt that visibly devours her from the inside. Lewis, who plays Hunt's son in the film, is growing into a versatile talented young actor who's getting ready for a huge breakthrough in mainstream media.
Nothing is what it seems, but one thing is for sure - 'I See You' is best experienced when you don't know too much about its premise.
What seems like a peaceful small town at first, actually hides a dark secret of missing children. When a boy goes missing in the woods, detective Harper (Jon Tenney - True Detective) and his partner Spitzky (Gregory Alan Williams - Greenleaf) get put on the case, they discover connections to a similar missing person's report from a decade ago. At home, Harper's family is dealing with their own setbacks, with wife Jackie's (Helen Hunt - Mad About You) infidelity being the main cause of this seemingly perfect family's tribulations. Son Connor (Judah Lewis - The Christmas Chronicles) isn't handling the news very well, and strange things start happening all around the house.
More than once we get to see the house as if we're flying over it, or when we slide through the halls of this lavish seaside mansion. Philipp Blaubach's (Gunpowder) stylish cinematography is so smooth, using every location to its full potential, with some interesting angles in the second half of the film. Photos and mugs go missing, the television switches on at random times and duvets get pulled from unaware sleeping inhabitants. With an eerie score, composed by William Arcane, the mood goes from dark to pitch black in nano-seconds to drive up the tension even more.
What really works in Adam Randall's (iBoy) newest film is the element of surprise. The film starts of a mystery-suspense thriller hinting at the supernatural, but dives deeper when it flips the film upside down halfway through. First time screenwriter Devon Graye has come up with a clever and well constructed script that leaves breadcrumbs from the very start to hint at events later on in the film. Is Jackie losing her mind? And is the family really in danger?! This doesn't just make 'I See You's mystery fun for the viewer in guessing what exactly causes these bizarre occurrences, but Graye also succeeds by turning the story into some sort of whodunnit, which isn't an easy thing to pull off.
As far as acting goes, Hunt is surprisingly under utilized in the film, but is the biggest name to attract an audience into seeing the film. Her character is nuanced, but it definitely would've been nice to explore the guilt that visibly devours her from the inside. Lewis, who plays Hunt's son in the film, is growing into a versatile talented young actor who's getting ready for a huge breakthrough in mainstream media.
Nothing is what it seems, but one thing is for sure - 'I See You' is best experienced when you don't know too much about its premise.
Paradise Without People
(2019)
One of the best documentaries in recent history - intoscreens.com
28 June 2020
Screened at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020
TIME magazine produced their first feature documentary with 'Paradise Without People', in which we follow two Syrian women, at the height of Europe's refugee crisis, with the same dream: to raise their children away from war. Directed by Emmy-nominated journalist Francesca Trianni, the film takes unexpected turns while we get a glimpse at the lives of two families dealing with parenthood while seeking asylum.
From the very opening of this documentary, with Taimaa and Mohannad discussing what they should name their new born daughter, you get pulled into a very personal and heartfelt decision. Although dad has an old name in mind, mom gets to decide and goes for a modern name, Heln. A beautiful moment gets interrupted when Taimaa expresses her worries about going back to their suffocating life at the refugee camp in Greece, where they (and thousands of others) have been awaiting resettlement ever since fleeing war-torn Syria.
Nour and Yousef, another couple who are expected to welcome daughter Rahaf any moment now, somewhat seem to deal with the situation a lot better. The support from other women in the camp is overwhelming and shows how important community is, even when stranding in a total alien environment with no way of knowing what will happen in the near future.
As another season passes and leaves are falling from the trees, we find out that Taimaa's marriage is being put to the test as she tries to stay strong and share her frustrations with friend Abeer. 'Paradise Without People' isn't just an interesting look into the daily life of a refugee camp, it's tragic and frustrating knowing there's entire communities that are struggling to keep their head above water. How easy life may have been in their home country, the constant stress and uncertainties test even the strongest of minds. "After being in Greece for the last 14 months, every day passes like a year", says Taimaa. "You can't know the privilege of stability until it's taken from you."
Syria as these families used to know is no longer. Via WhatsApp, social media and other communication, family who have stayed behind share daily updates on bombings and entire streets being destroyed, while there's no way of checking if news articles on Facebook are based on facts, or if the given information has been tampered with by ISIS. Winter rolls in and so both families get "upgraded" to hotel rooms across Greece, to stay warm. Although Nour and Yousef have a genuinely sweet moment in the snow, he later shares his horrific confrontation with the terrorist group who punished him with 30 lashes, for smoking a cigarette.
The constant ups and downs are heavy to witness, and the clearly different attitudes of these two families become more and more clear while time passes by. Marital struggles and health issues rise in one family that seems to drift further and further apart, while the other family tries to keep their hopes up high when asylum is right around the corner. The integration of these war refugees will test both families in different ways and will require efforts by all parties concerned.
Trianni does a phenomenal job at balancing both stories, handling them with much needed respect while sharing the good and the bad moments. Where last year's Syria-centered Oscar nominated documentary 'For Sama' told the story of a woman right in the middle of the war, 'Paradise Without People' feels like a natural continuation of that story, focusing on what happens after your home gets taken away from you. Both traumatic and heartwarming, Trianni's film makes you hope for a better future for these powerful women.
'Paradise Without People' is without a doubt one of the more stronger documentaries in recent history, being able to break your heart and stitch it back together over and over again.
TIME magazine produced their first feature documentary with 'Paradise Without People', in which we follow two Syrian women, at the height of Europe's refugee crisis, with the same dream: to raise their children away from war. Directed by Emmy-nominated journalist Francesca Trianni, the film takes unexpected turns while we get a glimpse at the lives of two families dealing with parenthood while seeking asylum.
From the very opening of this documentary, with Taimaa and Mohannad discussing what they should name their new born daughter, you get pulled into a very personal and heartfelt decision. Although dad has an old name in mind, mom gets to decide and goes for a modern name, Heln. A beautiful moment gets interrupted when Taimaa expresses her worries about going back to their suffocating life at the refugee camp in Greece, where they (and thousands of others) have been awaiting resettlement ever since fleeing war-torn Syria.
Nour and Yousef, another couple who are expected to welcome daughter Rahaf any moment now, somewhat seem to deal with the situation a lot better. The support from other women in the camp is overwhelming and shows how important community is, even when stranding in a total alien environment with no way of knowing what will happen in the near future.
As another season passes and leaves are falling from the trees, we find out that Taimaa's marriage is being put to the test as she tries to stay strong and share her frustrations with friend Abeer. 'Paradise Without People' isn't just an interesting look into the daily life of a refugee camp, it's tragic and frustrating knowing there's entire communities that are struggling to keep their head above water. How easy life may have been in their home country, the constant stress and uncertainties test even the strongest of minds. "After being in Greece for the last 14 months, every day passes like a year", says Taimaa. "You can't know the privilege of stability until it's taken from you."
Syria as these families used to know is no longer. Via WhatsApp, social media and other communication, family who have stayed behind share daily updates on bombings and entire streets being destroyed, while there's no way of checking if news articles on Facebook are based on facts, or if the given information has been tampered with by ISIS. Winter rolls in and so both families get "upgraded" to hotel rooms across Greece, to stay warm. Although Nour and Yousef have a genuinely sweet moment in the snow, he later shares his horrific confrontation with the terrorist group who punished him with 30 lashes, for smoking a cigarette.
The constant ups and downs are heavy to witness, and the clearly different attitudes of these two families become more and more clear while time passes by. Marital struggles and health issues rise in one family that seems to drift further and further apart, while the other family tries to keep their hopes up high when asylum is right around the corner. The integration of these war refugees will test both families in different ways and will require efforts by all parties concerned.
Trianni does a phenomenal job at balancing both stories, handling them with much needed respect while sharing the good and the bad moments. Where last year's Syria-centered Oscar nominated documentary 'For Sama' told the story of a woman right in the middle of the war, 'Paradise Without People' feels like a natural continuation of that story, focusing on what happens after your home gets taken away from you. Both traumatic and heartwarming, Trianni's film makes you hope for a better future for these powerful women.
'Paradise Without People' is without a doubt one of the more stronger documentaries in recent history, being able to break your heart and stitch it back together over and over again.
Hamtramck, USA
(2020)
Wholesome
26 June 2020
Screened at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020
Through the exploration of daily life and democracy, 'Hamtramck, USA' examines the benefits and tensions of multiculturalism. Kicking the film off with a typical all American theme song, we take a trip down memory lane while a series of video clips and photographs of the small Michigan-city, grace the screen.
Formerly inhabited by almost solely Polish immigrants, Hamtramck has attracted a large muslim-community, making headlines all over the world as "the first muslim majority U.S. city". Elections are coming up, and many citizens have discussed and agreed it's time for a change. Mayor since 2006, Karen Majewski, loves every single one of her Hamtramckans, but as we later find out, also realises a young leader should rise, with fresh ideas to run the city she's always loved so dearly.
Hamtramck, USA looks like the perfect little getaway surrounded by the city of Detroit, and in many ways it really is. The only tension that rises is mainly the divide between Yemeni and Bangladeshi, who respect each other, but won't seem to want to work together. When the stakes are at their highest, every city council candidate and mayoral candidate suddenly learn new tricks from their amicable competitors to reach out in different languages and embrace all cultural backgrounds, if it means they can get more votes. In the end their collaborations will make Hamtramck a better city for everyone.
What's so interesting about Hamtramck, USA is that there's absolutely no narration throughout the entire film. We basically witness a chronological video diary on each one of them, personally and professionally over the course of 5 months - from the election primary up until beyond election day. It almost works as a travel advert for the city itself. Life is peaceful, people are friendly and everyone has respect for all the different cultures. Especially by taking a point of view as if both directors were bystanders throughout the entire election, makes the film feel raw and sincere without ever picking a side, but rather share the unity that is the core of this city. Technically simple, yet straight forward in what it's trying to achieve, although it all feels a little bit unbalanced when it comes to sharing every candidate's story equally.
Justin Feltman and first time director Razi Jafri capture the passion and heart of this multicultural community. Never shying away from the minor tensions, but embracing it by showing the change and partnerships that transcend far above race, religion, or background. A wholesome documentary showcasing a side of America we rarely get to see.
Through the exploration of daily life and democracy, 'Hamtramck, USA' examines the benefits and tensions of multiculturalism. Kicking the film off with a typical all American theme song, we take a trip down memory lane while a series of video clips and photographs of the small Michigan-city, grace the screen.
Formerly inhabited by almost solely Polish immigrants, Hamtramck has attracted a large muslim-community, making headlines all over the world as "the first muslim majority U.S. city". Elections are coming up, and many citizens have discussed and agreed it's time for a change. Mayor since 2006, Karen Majewski, loves every single one of her Hamtramckans, but as we later find out, also realises a young leader should rise, with fresh ideas to run the city she's always loved so dearly.
Hamtramck, USA looks like the perfect little getaway surrounded by the city of Detroit, and in many ways it really is. The only tension that rises is mainly the divide between Yemeni and Bangladeshi, who respect each other, but won't seem to want to work together. When the stakes are at their highest, every city council candidate and mayoral candidate suddenly learn new tricks from their amicable competitors to reach out in different languages and embrace all cultural backgrounds, if it means they can get more votes. In the end their collaborations will make Hamtramck a better city for everyone.
What's so interesting about Hamtramck, USA is that there's absolutely no narration throughout the entire film. We basically witness a chronological video diary on each one of them, personally and professionally over the course of 5 months - from the election primary up until beyond election day. It almost works as a travel advert for the city itself. Life is peaceful, people are friendly and everyone has respect for all the different cultures. Especially by taking a point of view as if both directors were bystanders throughout the entire election, makes the film feel raw and sincere without ever picking a side, but rather share the unity that is the core of this city. Technically simple, yet straight forward in what it's trying to achieve, although it all feels a little bit unbalanced when it comes to sharing every candidate's story equally.
Justin Feltman and first time director Razi Jafri capture the passion and heart of this multicultural community. Never shying away from the minor tensions, but embracing it by showing the change and partnerships that transcend far above race, religion, or background. A wholesome documentary showcasing a side of America we rarely get to see.
Descent
(I) (2020)
Inspirational and breathtaking - intoscreens.com
16 June 2020
Screened at Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2020
Kiki Bosch is a professional ice freediver from the Netherlands; she dives into the coldest waters on the planet on one breath without a wetsuit, from the iceberg fjords of Greenland to the frozen lakes of Finland. Sounds cool, but Nays Baghai's documentary starts of with a trigger warning - viewer discretion is advised. After all, ice freediving is a very dangerous extreme sport that is not to be performed alone under any circumstances.
"Why would you risk your life doing something so crazy?". Kiki knows this is the question on many lips when people find out what it is she does. As she goes on, "it's all about accepting the pain of the cold and resisting the urge to breathe, so you don't panic." This is exactly what made her overcome depression, trauma and self doubt, after being sexually assaulted by someone she trusted, as she recalls in an emotional confession. Kiki always loved the water, as we see via reenactments of her memories, explaining how her passion for swimming and nature came to be.
Ever since she discovered the joys of cold water freediving and overcame her scars, Kiki has travelled far and wide, not only to push her physical and psychological limits, but also to inspire others to harness the power of the cold in similar ways. Retelling her own story, we get to see footage shot by friends and crew, switching to neuroscientists and instructors who explain exactly what goes through your mind, and what the dangers of this extreme sport are. After a video of her ice freediving between the North American and European tectonic plates in Iceland without any protective gear, went viral, she knew her life would never be the same again. For Kiki, the cold has been therapeutic or as she likes to call it - "the pinnacle of mindfulness". When she dives, she finds herself.
'Descent's underwater cinematography is simply breathtaking. From the icy waters underneath the icecaps of Greenland, to in between the enormous mountains of New Zealand's Milford Sound, you've never seen these places like you do in this inspiring doco. The start of the third act is a very intense and haunting experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat by how scary this extreme sport can be and how there's a totally different world underneath the water surface. How flawless the cinematography may be, the editing of Kiki's scenes in which she talks about her eventful career is choppy and aggressive. You'd almost wish we could just stay underwater while we hear Kiki tell her story as the narrator of her own life.
'Descent' expands as soon as Kiki Bosch takes us underwater, like a guide descending into her own new world. An at times claustrophobic look at someone's personal journey into the darkest depths of her mind, while finding her true self again to be free, once and for all.
Kiki Bosch is a professional ice freediver from the Netherlands; she dives into the coldest waters on the planet on one breath without a wetsuit, from the iceberg fjords of Greenland to the frozen lakes of Finland. Sounds cool, but Nays Baghai's documentary starts of with a trigger warning - viewer discretion is advised. After all, ice freediving is a very dangerous extreme sport that is not to be performed alone under any circumstances.
"Why would you risk your life doing something so crazy?". Kiki knows this is the question on many lips when people find out what it is she does. As she goes on, "it's all about accepting the pain of the cold and resisting the urge to breathe, so you don't panic." This is exactly what made her overcome depression, trauma and self doubt, after being sexually assaulted by someone she trusted, as she recalls in an emotional confession. Kiki always loved the water, as we see via reenactments of her memories, explaining how her passion for swimming and nature came to be.
Ever since she discovered the joys of cold water freediving and overcame her scars, Kiki has travelled far and wide, not only to push her physical and psychological limits, but also to inspire others to harness the power of the cold in similar ways. Retelling her own story, we get to see footage shot by friends and crew, switching to neuroscientists and instructors who explain exactly what goes through your mind, and what the dangers of this extreme sport are. After a video of her ice freediving between the North American and European tectonic plates in Iceland without any protective gear, went viral, she knew her life would never be the same again. For Kiki, the cold has been therapeutic or as she likes to call it - "the pinnacle of mindfulness". When she dives, she finds herself.
'Descent's underwater cinematography is simply breathtaking. From the icy waters underneath the icecaps of Greenland, to in between the enormous mountains of New Zealand's Milford Sound, you've never seen these places like you do in this inspiring doco. The start of the third act is a very intense and haunting experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat by how scary this extreme sport can be and how there's a totally different world underneath the water surface. How flawless the cinematography may be, the editing of Kiki's scenes in which she talks about her eventful career is choppy and aggressive. You'd almost wish we could just stay underwater while we hear Kiki tell her story as the narrator of her own life.
'Descent' expands as soon as Kiki Bosch takes us underwater, like a guide descending into her own new world. An at times claustrophobic look at someone's personal journey into the darkest depths of her mind, while finding her true self again to be free, once and for all.
Bare
(II) (2020)
BAREs it all!
12 June 2020
Screened at Doc Edge Festival
Dance documentary Bare follows a choreographer and his team going through a process of auditions, rehearsals and eventually a premiere. The journey reveals internal artistic conflicts between the dancers and their personal challenges during the several months of creating the performance.
Closeups of male skin and non-stop graphic nudity show how vulnerable these men can be within the non-existent borders of artistic freedom. More of a celebration of the male body than erotica, Belgian choreographer and director of Anima Ardens, Thierry Smits, isn't always clear about the way things are going but trusts his dancers with the vision he's trying to accomplish. Anima Ardens demands the dancers to let go of their inhibitions and confront themselves with their instincts. Reminiscent of a modern art installation at times, different stages throughout the production get cut by flashes of the final performance and pieces of Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights".
A very simple and at times strangely voyeuristic behind-the-scenes look into this dance company, can make some uncomfortable, but it's the unity and playfulness of this group of naked men that pulls you back to reality to remind you these are just humans with nothing to hide. Phalluses galore, there's nothing holding them back to "get rid of their beauty and act more like a beast", like Smits commands them at one point, when it seems like they're not giving it their all. Luckily these gentlemen don't take any of it personally and when an unattended camera records the men bantering in the locker rooms by slapping their flaccid penises from left to right against their legs, it's clear the age old phrase "boys will be boys" is still alive and kicking.
These dancers all have perfectly sculpted bodies, but the lack of diversity in showcasing a wider range of body types just seems like a wasted opportunity. Surely Smits didn't intend to end up with exactly this group of dancers, since early on we get to witness some sort of survival of the fittest where even he finds it hard to make the right choices, solely based on their technique and form.
Director/cinematographer/editor and producer Aleksandr M. Vinogradov, knows exactly what he's doing following this group of talented guys for 11 months of rehearsal, but at one point misses the ball by inserting an unnecessary slow motion shower sequence that doesn't entirely fit with the rest of the film and brings down the quality just a notch of what otherwise does feel entirely authentic, and at times even hypnotising. The original score by Aleksandr Vasilenko goes full Under The Skin, which seems fitting with the subject matter, and literally crawls under your skin.
Bare embraces homosocial bonding with a hint of playfulness, while once again challenging art to explore another level of humanity and a very peculiar kind of theatricality.
Dance documentary Bare follows a choreographer and his team going through a process of auditions, rehearsals and eventually a premiere. The journey reveals internal artistic conflicts between the dancers and their personal challenges during the several months of creating the performance.
Closeups of male skin and non-stop graphic nudity show how vulnerable these men can be within the non-existent borders of artistic freedom. More of a celebration of the male body than erotica, Belgian choreographer and director of Anima Ardens, Thierry Smits, isn't always clear about the way things are going but trusts his dancers with the vision he's trying to accomplish. Anima Ardens demands the dancers to let go of their inhibitions and confront themselves with their instincts. Reminiscent of a modern art installation at times, different stages throughout the production get cut by flashes of the final performance and pieces of Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch's "The Garden of Earthly Delights".
A very simple and at times strangely voyeuristic behind-the-scenes look into this dance company, can make some uncomfortable, but it's the unity and playfulness of this group of naked men that pulls you back to reality to remind you these are just humans with nothing to hide. Phalluses galore, there's nothing holding them back to "get rid of their beauty and act more like a beast", like Smits commands them at one point, when it seems like they're not giving it their all. Luckily these gentlemen don't take any of it personally and when an unattended camera records the men bantering in the locker rooms by slapping their flaccid penises from left to right against their legs, it's clear the age old phrase "boys will be boys" is still alive and kicking.
These dancers all have perfectly sculpted bodies, but the lack of diversity in showcasing a wider range of body types just seems like a wasted opportunity. Surely Smits didn't intend to end up with exactly this group of dancers, since early on we get to witness some sort of survival of the fittest where even he finds it hard to make the right choices, solely based on their technique and form.
Director/cinematographer/editor and producer Aleksandr M. Vinogradov, knows exactly what he's doing following this group of talented guys for 11 months of rehearsal, but at one point misses the ball by inserting an unnecessary slow motion shower sequence that doesn't entirely fit with the rest of the film and brings down the quality just a notch of what otherwise does feel entirely authentic, and at times even hypnotising. The original score by Aleksandr Vasilenko goes full Under The Skin, which seems fitting with the subject matter, and literally crawls under your skin.
Bare embraces homosocial bonding with a hint of playfulness, while once again challenging art to explore another level of humanity and a very peculiar kind of theatricality.
Meat the Future
(2020)
Revolutionary eye-opener - intoscreens.com
10 June 2020
Silicon Valley, 2016. Fortune releases an article about cardiologist turned innovator, Uma Valeti. He's able to make a meatball with new technology, fully grown from real cow and pig cells, without slaughtering a living creature. The cells take about 14 to 21 days to mature in a bioreactor and the price for just a pound of beef comes to $18,000. Groundbreaking is an understatement.
Valeti could've been a successful cardiologist and save about 2,000 lives in the next 30 years, but wanted to do more for the world his children have to grow up in. After several failed attempts in getting his project approved, he finally succeeds and passionately start building his company, Memphis Meats, with a gender-diverse team of environmentalist, bio-medical engineers and tissue-engineers. Business Insider, Huffpost and several podcasts report on his fascinating technological innovation, explaining what impact this all could have on reversing the damage animal agriculture and the meat-industry have caused to the environment.
Let's make one thing clear, this is NOT lab-grown meat. Life tissue samples have millions of cells, this is where Cultivations Systems Engineer, Matthew Leung, explains how they try to understand and use the different components of this tissue to build their product. It's also very important to keep the cells safe from bacteria, without reaching for antibiotics, which has been a problem for decades in the US meat-industry. Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall's 'Meat The Future' has a lot to say, and does it in a way everyone can understand the importance of this global change in the way we look at meat, while making sure the planet doesn't suffer even more than she already does.
What works so well in this documentary, is the quality and tempo of everything going on on screen. Sure, the overload of informative PowerPoint-slides are there mostly to split up important events in Memphis Meats progress, but the flawless editing helps with taking a bit of a breather from all the information coming at you. There is so much info that keeps building up, but delivers its message loud and clear. As we can see in the film (and surely some of you already know) is that the demand for meat will double by the year 2050, which will make it impossible for the meat-industry to satisfy that hunger.
Unlike other food-documentaries, such as 'Food, Inc.', 'Meat The Future' isn't here to shock you, but predominantly to educate and open your eyes for what's already happening out there. Or as TIME wrote in 2013: "You may think you live on a planet, but really you live on a gigantic farm, occasionally broken up by cities, forests and the oceans." It's when milestones such as the world's first "clean poultry" get announced, billionaire Bill Gates and the largest chicken supplier in the US, Tyson, start to invest in the project, well knowing this is the direction we need to move in.
Some hurdles aside, when US-ranchers want to use the federal government as a proxy to fight high-tech meat companies, the film isn't here to push back against the meat-industry as we know it. The film and its interviewees raise questions around consumer right issues and explores the ethical concerns and the history around "clean meat". Clean, as in cleaner production development and benefits in terms of energy savings. The standpoints raised during a USDA and FDA Joint Public Meeting are interestingly beneficial coming from both sides of the table, covering mostly the pros of this innovative new way of producing cruelty-free meat, which is exciting to see unravel.
Meat The Future is a revolutionary eye-opener that could easily change the way consumers look at food forever, without losing their appetite.
Screened for Doc Edge Festival 2020
Valeti could've been a successful cardiologist and save about 2,000 lives in the next 30 years, but wanted to do more for the world his children have to grow up in. After several failed attempts in getting his project approved, he finally succeeds and passionately start building his company, Memphis Meats, with a gender-diverse team of environmentalist, bio-medical engineers and tissue-engineers. Business Insider, Huffpost and several podcasts report on his fascinating technological innovation, explaining what impact this all could have on reversing the damage animal agriculture and the meat-industry have caused to the environment.
Let's make one thing clear, this is NOT lab-grown meat. Life tissue samples have millions of cells, this is where Cultivations Systems Engineer, Matthew Leung, explains how they try to understand and use the different components of this tissue to build their product. It's also very important to keep the cells safe from bacteria, without reaching for antibiotics, which has been a problem for decades in the US meat-industry. Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall's 'Meat The Future' has a lot to say, and does it in a way everyone can understand the importance of this global change in the way we look at meat, while making sure the planet doesn't suffer even more than she already does.
What works so well in this documentary, is the quality and tempo of everything going on on screen. Sure, the overload of informative PowerPoint-slides are there mostly to split up important events in Memphis Meats progress, but the flawless editing helps with taking a bit of a breather from all the information coming at you. There is so much info that keeps building up, but delivers its message loud and clear. As we can see in the film (and surely some of you already know) is that the demand for meat will double by the year 2050, which will make it impossible for the meat-industry to satisfy that hunger.
Unlike other food-documentaries, such as 'Food, Inc.', 'Meat The Future' isn't here to shock you, but predominantly to educate and open your eyes for what's already happening out there. Or as TIME wrote in 2013: "You may think you live on a planet, but really you live on a gigantic farm, occasionally broken up by cities, forests and the oceans." It's when milestones such as the world's first "clean poultry" get announced, billionaire Bill Gates and the largest chicken supplier in the US, Tyson, start to invest in the project, well knowing this is the direction we need to move in.
Some hurdles aside, when US-ranchers want to use the federal government as a proxy to fight high-tech meat companies, the film isn't here to push back against the meat-industry as we know it. The film and its interviewees raise questions around consumer right issues and explores the ethical concerns and the history around "clean meat". Clean, as in cleaner production development and benefits in terms of energy savings. The standpoints raised during a USDA and FDA Joint Public Meeting are interestingly beneficial coming from both sides of the table, covering mostly the pros of this innovative new way of producing cruelty-free meat, which is exciting to see unravel.
Meat The Future is a revolutionary eye-opener that could easily change the way consumers look at food forever, without losing their appetite.
Screened for Doc Edge Festival 2020
A Chef's Voyage
(2020)
Culinary doco with a heart - intoscreens.com
8 June 2020
One of the first things we see on screen is a stack of Michelin-guides, while food critic and author, Christine Muhlke explains to us what Michelin-stars really are. They're basically the culinary Olympic medals and very hard to obtain. Once you get a star, you strive for another and try to keep the one you already have. "It's hard to make it look so easy", says Emmy Award winning chef, David Kinch, from the comfort of his own kitchen in Santa Cruz, where he's figuring out what to make for breakfast.
A Chef's Voyage begins a year after the residency that took Kinch and his team across France, where we go back and forth in time while interviewing sous-chefs, pastry chefs and sommeliers on their experiences with Kinch, and follow them on their foreign adventure. For many of the kitchen members, this is their first time abroad. While Christine Muhlke adds, "Being on your feet in a kitchen takes a physical toll. It's not just about the food or how it gets made. It's about the whole dining-experience.", the camera flies over Los Gatos, California, into the in blue-tile covered kitchen of Manresa.
The cinematography is breathtaking, benefiting from the vibrant colours of each dish that gets prepared, while quotes such as GQ's "Touring chefs are becoming the new touring bands" fill the screen over the upbeat tunes of Plastic Bertrand's "Ça Plane Pour Moi". Soon we learn more about this "four hands dinner" that's being planned. A collaboration between two chefs but above all, between their teams. After fifteen years, Kinch is closing his parking lot based, 3-star restaurant for a month. One mistake on this trip could mean living hell for him and his team. But it's when sous-chef de cuisine, Koji Yokoyama, gets interviewed, while Kyle Newmaster's ominous score contributes to the atmosphere, it suddenly seems like something did go wrong along the way, but keeps you guessing until the final minutes of the film.
Rémi Anfosso and Jason Matzner's culinary voyage is meticulously made, focusing not only on the chefs but on the locations they're at and how all these strong personalities work so well together. Steven Holleran has a great eye for detail and using different cameras and very specific techniques to make everything pop and look interesting from start to finish. The Provence has never looked better. A Chef's Voyage goes deeper than you think, pulling heart strings and uncovering what makes each chef stand out in his own unique style.
An honest documentary made for foodies and those who respect culinary insights, that not only crosses borders, but pushes for new experiences.
(Screened for Doc Edge Festival)
A Chef's Voyage begins a year after the residency that took Kinch and his team across France, where we go back and forth in time while interviewing sous-chefs, pastry chefs and sommeliers on their experiences with Kinch, and follow them on their foreign adventure. For many of the kitchen members, this is their first time abroad. While Christine Muhlke adds, "Being on your feet in a kitchen takes a physical toll. It's not just about the food or how it gets made. It's about the whole dining-experience.", the camera flies over Los Gatos, California, into the in blue-tile covered kitchen of Manresa.
The cinematography is breathtaking, benefiting from the vibrant colours of each dish that gets prepared, while quotes such as GQ's "Touring chefs are becoming the new touring bands" fill the screen over the upbeat tunes of Plastic Bertrand's "Ça Plane Pour Moi". Soon we learn more about this "four hands dinner" that's being planned. A collaboration between two chefs but above all, between their teams. After fifteen years, Kinch is closing his parking lot based, 3-star restaurant for a month. One mistake on this trip could mean living hell for him and his team. But it's when sous-chef de cuisine, Koji Yokoyama, gets interviewed, while Kyle Newmaster's ominous score contributes to the atmosphere, it suddenly seems like something did go wrong along the way, but keeps you guessing until the final minutes of the film.
Rémi Anfosso and Jason Matzner's culinary voyage is meticulously made, focusing not only on the chefs but on the locations they're at and how all these strong personalities work so well together. Steven Holleran has a great eye for detail and using different cameras and very specific techniques to make everything pop and look interesting from start to finish. The Provence has never looked better. A Chef's Voyage goes deeper than you think, pulling heart strings and uncovering what makes each chef stand out in his own unique style.
An honest documentary made for foodies and those who respect culinary insights, that not only crosses borders, but pushes for new experiences.
(Screened for Doc Edge Festival)
Mostly respectful look into a different kind of religion
7 June 2020
What is the difference between a cult and a religion? And why do some of us believe a man was able to part the sea in half to create a path, but can't believe the story about a man who received a prophecy from extraterrestrials? After receiving a mysterious invitation from the Raelians to accept a special recognition in the arts, filmmaker Yoav Shamir starts to ask these hard questions from an atheist-perspective and with his mentor, historian of religion Professor Daniel Boyarin, he interviews "the messiah" Rael and some of his followers, from Okinawa to France.
When Claude Vorilhon first encounters a UFO in 1973, these aliens gave him the task of spreading an important message. Not much later he changed his name to Raël and established a science based religion, where love is central. Communities all over Asia, Europe and North America start to grow, and the Raelians' "pleasure hospital" in Burkina Faso was made to restore the damage inflicted by mutilation. Raël's left hand and bishop, Dr. Briggite Boisselier, explains how their religion believes humans are created from the DNA of aliens.
Director Yoav narrates part of the film, which never becomes too distracting, since he mostly puts devoted believers in front of the camera, whose stories are quite humorous (and heartfelt) at times. When we visit Elohika, a Raelian village in the area of Burkina Faso, the villagers explain how coloured ribbons show their true sexual identity. Clearly inspired by the hanky code (a traditional form of signalling others what your sexual preferences and interests are in the way of color coding, mostly used by gay men in the '60s and '70s), we meet several African men and women living in harmony, sexually liberated and seemingly happy. Some have escaped the huge Islamic-community they felt oppressed in. Don't be fooled, this is not a sex cult. Raelians are all about freedom and love. Several people make this clear throughout the film, although the only people we constantly see naked on stage and fully throwing themselves at Maitreya (another name for this prophet) are women.
The constant happiness all around him, starts to annoy Yoav and this makes him dig deeper into Claude's past, to reveal some details, although nothing's really shocking. This is when 'The Prophet and the Space Aliens' shows signs of wanting to uncover the truth behind a scam, but we never come to a satisfying conclusion. Nonetheless, the film leaves it up to the viewer what to believe and what not to, to then giving a final on-the-nose atheistic statement about religion being based on made up stories to comfort people in need of something to believe in.
The Prophet and the Space Aliens is a mostly respectful look into a new religion most of us have never heard of, shedding light on many faith-based questions we actually don't know the answers to. They flirt with debunking a growing society based on the loyalty for one man, but never reach that level of sensationalism.
(Screened as part of Doc Edge Festival)
When Claude Vorilhon first encounters a UFO in 1973, these aliens gave him the task of spreading an important message. Not much later he changed his name to Raël and established a science based religion, where love is central. Communities all over Asia, Europe and North America start to grow, and the Raelians' "pleasure hospital" in Burkina Faso was made to restore the damage inflicted by mutilation. Raël's left hand and bishop, Dr. Briggite Boisselier, explains how their religion believes humans are created from the DNA of aliens.
Director Yoav narrates part of the film, which never becomes too distracting, since he mostly puts devoted believers in front of the camera, whose stories are quite humorous (and heartfelt) at times. When we visit Elohika, a Raelian village in the area of Burkina Faso, the villagers explain how coloured ribbons show their true sexual identity. Clearly inspired by the hanky code (a traditional form of signalling others what your sexual preferences and interests are in the way of color coding, mostly used by gay men in the '60s and '70s), we meet several African men and women living in harmony, sexually liberated and seemingly happy. Some have escaped the huge Islamic-community they felt oppressed in. Don't be fooled, this is not a sex cult. Raelians are all about freedom and love. Several people make this clear throughout the film, although the only people we constantly see naked on stage and fully throwing themselves at Maitreya (another name for this prophet) are women.
The constant happiness all around him, starts to annoy Yoav and this makes him dig deeper into Claude's past, to reveal some details, although nothing's really shocking. This is when 'The Prophet and the Space Aliens' shows signs of wanting to uncover the truth behind a scam, but we never come to a satisfying conclusion. Nonetheless, the film leaves it up to the viewer what to believe and what not to, to then giving a final on-the-nose atheistic statement about religion being based on made up stories to comfort people in need of something to believe in.
The Prophet and the Space Aliens is a mostly respectful look into a new religion most of us have never heard of, shedding light on many faith-based questions we actually don't know the answers to. They flirt with debunking a growing society based on the loyalty for one man, but never reach that level of sensationalism.
(Screened as part of Doc Edge Festival)
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