PENANCE (2020)

 

The lives of grieving mother Rosalie and her daughter Maddie are changed forever when they meet Jed. A spark of hope for the future is rekindled within the household. But underneath, a deadly and morally corrupt triangle is taking shape.

Penance is a peculiar style of mini-series. Combining the tropes of the middle-aged woman falling for a young stud, and a mother grieving over the loss of her son, Penance is walking the tightrope between gold-digger and crime genres, touching on the thriller genre as well with only three episodes to complete all of the various arcs brought into play.

The series is adapted by Kate O'Riordan from one of her own books, so there should be no issues with the context and direction of the series being present. And this indeed is where the series excels; in its one-on-one interactions. Julie Graham takes on the role of the matriarch in this family thriller, and her engagements with the supporting cast are well done. 

Despite the number of directions her character is pulled, her emotional frame of mind is visibly fragmented as well, and it translates well into her uncertainties. When we are dealing with groups of unnamed characters then the acting is decidedly less impressive. Characters just meandering in silence around a kitchen, or lurk in the background, it feels as if nobody but the main characters was given any direction from director Maurice Sweeney.

The plot feels outlandish and does require the audience to just let things slide initially, but there are so many arcs that there is little other way to fit all of the content into a three-part series. O'Riordan would have had to either cut content out or have the budget for a five-part mini-series. Drug trafficking, deaths in Thailand, Gang infiltration, youth alcoholism, adultery in many forms, and manipulation are all fighting for their own piece of the spotlight. 

This does mean many plot points will feel out of place and undeveloped. By no means is this a well-grounded story. Each of the aforementioned elements could form its own three-part series, but combined together it creates a fast-paced highlight reel that doesn't stop.

The fast pace does work in its favour as the limited amount of time the show has on each arc does mean all of the arcs are very predictable, but the audience is never given any time to dwell on it. 

Penance comes across more than a little contrived. It gets so lost in the thriller element that there is no real space for drama, and a lot of the emotional heft and impact is non-existent due to the lack of downtime given. There are no subtleties. 

In book form, a lack of subtlety can help build an image of your characters when you can't physically see their actions, however, on-screen, subtlety is needed to keep that air of mystery alive. In a medium where a sideways glance can give away ill intentions, focusing too heavily on certain aspects has a tendency to give away your big reveal beforehand, again, reducing the impact of it.

Penance can certainly be an enjoyable watch, but it will take more than a leap of faith, it requires a plunge into the Grand Canyon of accepting poor decision-making to be a trait in every character. Fun though. 

Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr8738

Penance is available on AcornTV from October 12, 2020

I AM WOMAN (2019)

 

I Am Woman tells the story of singer Helen Reddy, who wrote and sang the song "I Am Woman" which became the anthem for the women's movement in the 1970s.

After the huge success of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody and Elton John's Rocketman, it's quite safe to say that musical biopics are back in fashion. In fact, 2020 has seen a plethora of biopics released or announced; from Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Elvis Presley, to Celine Dion, Boy George, the Bee Gees, and Dusty Springfield. What has appeared ready for release with little commotion has been Helen Reddy's biopic, I Am Woman. 

One would expect an aggressively feminine story, if you were to look at the trailer, with this Australian woman trying to make it big in a male-dominated industry, being held back or abandoned by every man that she interacts with until she finally gains fame by penning a song that became the unofficial anthem of the second-wave of feminism and the equal rights campaign. It feels like a true underdog story that will have you cheering for Helen as she overcomes the overt sexism that had prevented her from getting a chance at turning music into a career.

I Am Woman fails to roar, however, instead, coming in with a bowed head and a whimper. Ultimately, Unjoo Moon's direction is somewhat inconsistent with the moral of the story, and Tilda Cobham-Hervey's turn as Helen Reddy lacks any kind of spark. For a woman who has been spurned by a past lover and mistrusts males, her next choice in a partner is exasperating and is so overdramatically acted by Evan Peters (from the X-Men and American Horror Story franchises). So much so, that it wouldn't be more obvious if he had tattooed "damaged" or "bad decision" on his forehead. 

It affects how you consider Reddy's character and sense of judgement. There is a cringe-worthy level of misogyny and chauvinism that would have had a greater impact if it had been handled with more subtlety.

Reddy's best friend, Lilian Roxon, has a subplot that feels far more exciting than our main arc in I Am Woman; a main arc which manages to move at such a slow pace that you would almost think that screenplay writer Emma Jensen had avoided the usual generic musical biopic formula. But alas, it's the exact same formula, only much, much slower. It hits similar points to other biopics, but it focuses on the smaller interactions and skips over the more interesting moments.

But the aspect that really lets the film down is Tilda Cobham-Hervey's portrayal. Yes, she is a stunning woman, and she does well miming to Chelsea Cullen's Helen Reddy impersonation, but as a character that supposedly gave a voice to feminists across America, her character is passive and timid, with a nice smile, but a flat range of emotions. 

The film is begging to make war with men, to bring out the frustration and anger of being held back, and dictated to, and yet, all the audience is shown, are a series of events that transition into a full song performance. There are no direct reactions to any events where Reddy's character is active. Everything she does is either directly or indirectly attributable to the men of the film. Reddy is simply along for the ride.

With such a timid and passive main character, it makes it harder to empathize and connect with who she is as a person, and the stakes are never fully developed, so the rise and fall lack the impact that they should have had. Perhaps this is simply the male way of thinking, and the character of Helen Reddy is something that many people will be able to identify with. This will no doubt receive a majority of good reviews because it talks about the effects and dynamics of sexism, but in the eyes of this reviewer, a poor representation is worse for the cause.

Women's rights need to be at the forefront at the moment as they are under threat internationally, and this film arrives at the perfect time to bring everyone together, but I Am Woman still feels like a small-scale biopic. There are no real stakes, the heights of fame don't feel real, and the fall from grace was predicted from the first moment that we saw sleazy Peters on screen.

If you already enjoy Helen Reddy's music, this will be perfectly fine. If you were brought up with this song, you'll certainly be singing and cheering along. If you are not familiar with Reddy's discography, I Am Woman is not the film that will make a Helen Reddy fan out of you. Full song performances slow the pacing of the film substantially and don't leave room for any real development of Helen Reddy's character. Her passivity means this is not a film about Helen Reddy. This is the story of the people around Reddy; her best friend and husband, Lilian Roxon and Jeff Wald, respectively

Dion Beebe's cinematography was competent and Rafael May's musical compositions were enjoyable, but there was nothing that made I Am Woman memorable, and that is the biggest disappointment of all. 

I Am Woman is in cinemas from November 5, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8720

BABY DONE (2020)

 

Wannabe-adventurer Zoe freaks out when she falls pregnant to her long-term boyfriend Tim. As Tim embraces the prospect of fatherhood, Zoe attempts to rush through her dreams.

Pregnancy has long been a staple of the comedy genre, as it stands as one of the low-hanging fruits of the physical humour tree. Where most films tend to place focus on the "will-they-won't-they" around choosing to have the baby or not, Baby Done is in fact done with that argument and instead focuses on the topic of a mother's identity.

In what is a topic that is not talked about so much, Baby Done focuses not on the baby, but on our protagonist who simply wants to be able to still be herself; to retain her personality, job, hobbies, and friends, without sacrificing them all for the sake of a child. Or as our protagonist so expertly sums it up, "I want to have a baby, I just don’t want to turn into a mum." When you are planning to travel overseas, climb trees competitively, and Bungy jump, then all three are instantly off-the-table once that positive test result comes through, you can understand how the change can feel claustrophobic.

Rose Matafeo--who plays our protagonist, Zoe--does a great job at playing the mother-to-be, alongside Matthew Lewis--who plays her partner, Tim. Turning Hollywood's usual power dynamic on its head, Matafeo is the dominant and extroverted voice of the duo, with Lewis playing the submissive, but level-headed partner. Both put forward incredibly relatable personalities, with the flat dry humour that New Zealand has become synonymous with, it is not difficult to empathise with the woes of the characters and get emotionally invested in their little journey.

Baby Done doesn't have huge stakes. This is an every-person comedy that runs along a similar vein to Knocked Up, with events having little effect outside of our primary characters. It all adds to the sup-relatable nature of the film. There are no extreme actions or over-the-top emotional performances here. The majority is very middle-of-the-road, which lets its moments of frustration and silliness really stand out. 

The comedy styling really goes hard for the awkward humour, and it works brilliantly. While you may not be on the ground gripping your stomach in rapturous laughter, there are plenty of comedic moments that will have you frequently smiling, giggling, or simply exhaling through your nose at a faster rate (especially whenever the ‘pregaphile’ Brian is involved).

The low-stakes drama-comedy has matching cinematography from Ian McCarroll; competent but nothing overly flashy. That's really the gist of Baby Done as a whole; competent but nothing ultimately memorable. It won't change any world views, neither is it trying to. It will certainly entertain and is guaranteed to provide some laughs, but its lack of boundary-pushing will mean it won't stick in your mind long-term. 

Relish in the recognisable faces and shops but, in terms of your memory, Baby Done is here for a good time, not a long time.

Baby Done is in cinemas from October 22, 2020

ANTHONY (2020)

 

In July 2005, black teenager Anthony Walker was murdered by two white men in an unprovoked racist attack in a Liverpool park. He was just 18 years old. This film tells the story of how this talented young man's life might have turned out. Anthony's imagined life is told in reverse chronology as he realizes his dreams and enjoys the life he had a right to live before fate and hate take it all away.

It certainly seems like the era for racial dramas. With #BlackLivesMatter attempting to bring about a revolution against the rampant inequality of care shown by law enforcement in the United States, Mainstream media has been quick to generate visual stories (both real and inspired by real events) to constantly remind the world of the difficulties that people face by the colour of their skin. More recent racial dramas come in the form of Green Book, 12 Years A Slave, BlacKkKlansman, The Hate U Give, I Am Not Your Negro, American Son, and If Beale Street Could Talk. Anthony comes at it from a fresh--albeit fabricated--angle.

Rather than a negative perspective that focuses on how the coloured protagonists struggle against microaggressions and daily acts of racism, Jimmy McGovern's script looks the other way, at the positive effects the character's life could have had on the world if it had not ceased when it did. 

Being accepted into a prestigious college, making a genuine connection with someone, forging a life together, having a child, and helping others; McGovern doesn't try to make our titular character--Anthony--into anything over-the-top. Achieving these milestones is but an expectation for the privileged, for a minority, they often prove impossible without assistance due to the disadvantages they were dealt. 

With a narrative style that works its way backwards from 25 to the age of 18, when Anthony was fatally assaulted, director Terry McDonough enacts his vision of a building that sense of loss. Moving from a point in a theoretical future when Anthony's life is full, and then rewinding the clock, slowly stripping away each achievement; his charitable nature, his child, his wife, his fiance, his girlfriend, his education, and finally...his life.

Anthony has a narrative style that is easy to lose focus on; when the outcome is known, and all cards are on the table from the get-go, there is little left for the audience to invest in. McGovern's script doesn't just focus on Anthony, however, it also expands into his relationship with his friend Mick, whose alcoholism carries its own myriad of effects. 

The subplots provide a much-needed distraction from the inevitable whittling away of Anthony's freedoms and allow for greater character development and display of our protagonist's flaws; because let's be realistic, nobody is perfect.

While the first act can feel a little directionless, jumping from one highlight reel to the next, the second act starts to increase the tension as racial aggression starts to increase, and you can feel a sense of claustrophobia setting in as Anthony gets ever closer to the endpoint of his story. When it finally happens, it's short and is largely off-screen, but the brutality will shake you to your core. 

The venomous nature of the verbal attacks will leave you unsettled. The cowardice in how the assailants fight will make your blood boil. But the visual of a mother trying desperately to embrace her son around several tubes and medical equipment will leave you pained and empty. 

It initially feels like a slow film that lacks direction, but Anthony has a message, and it isn't to point fingers as to who is to blame. It's to think of how much good that one person can bring to the world. How their smile and love could have brought so much more than his absence.

Anthony is available exclusively on AcornTV from October 26, 2020

Originally posted to: http://djin.nz/Kr8734

LUCKY GRANDMA (2019)

 

In New York City's Chinatown, a Chinese grandma goes all in at the casino, landing herself on the wrong side of luck.

One thing that is quite apparent, is that the Asian community has been underrepresented in Western film media for quite some time. There has been somewhat of a turning of the tide with films like Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell, but they have been strictly sticking to that vapid, drama-based, rom-com style of film.

Lucky Grandma is somewhat of a different style entirely. Paying homage to Guy Ritchie's high-energy blue-collar crime stories of The Gentlemen, Snatch, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Lucky Grandma manages to set itself up lickety-split and boosts its way through to the inciting incident, creating a barrage of questions about our main character along the way. 

For the majority of the film, the story is held up entirely by the exceptional acting talents of Grandma Wong, played by Tsai Chin. Breaking the cycle of stereotypical Asian personalities, Grandma Wong is neither the kindly matriarch of the family, nor the over-critical parent, Wong is bullheaded, stubborn, and incredibly sly; all characteristics that amp up the curiosity of the audience when it comes to figuring out what events in Wong's past have made her this way. It's a personality style that feels incredibly unique and is only held back by an inadequate script.

In fact, the script--written by Sasie Sealy and Angela Cheng--is what lets down the whole film. The first act of the film is superbly done, managing to introduce our protagonist with minimal dialogue and using the visuals to pass on more information. Combined with how Grandma Wong skips through the initial act of the film, the fast pace brings about plenty of comedic gold and character development. After 15 minutes, however, the film peaks, and carries on with an ever-decreasing decline until the film practically stalls; running out of story elements and pace.

A frustrating takeaway from what was ultimately an intriguing premise that included near enough of an entirely Asian cast. A beautifully crafted personality to Wong that feels well-worn, the depth of her character wasn't backed up by the script, and in the end, wasn't utilized satisfyingly. Apart from the initial introduction, there was little to no development of the characters, and that leaves Lucky Grandma feeling flat.

Where films in this gang culture genre often trip up, is balancing comedy and violence. The film needs to keep some humour to keep things energetic and fast-paced but, more importantly, the film needs to ensure that the stakes are firmly set and understood. If our protagonist never really feels like they are in danger, we lose interest in their journey, as the outcome is then already clear. 

Nobody is excited to watch a sports game if they already know the score. Similarly, when someone's life is constantly in danger (despite the constant slapstick physical humour thrown in), and there is no time given to process that danger, then it suffers from diminishing returns.

Unlike Chin's Grandma Wong, the supporting characters--otherwise known as the carousel of average villains and gangsters--do fall into stereotypical roles. Nearly everyone is some form of Triad or a member of another gang and receives no development at all in motivations or personality traits. The only exception comes in the form of Big Pong, played by Hsiao-Yuan Ha, who brings innocence and a sense of earnestness that makes his interactions with Grandma Wong work oh so well. 

The music is polarizing and jaunty to a level that one could see standing out, but the cinematography from Eduardo Enrique Mayén makes use of the eclectic mix to complement the combination of extreme close-ups conveying strong human emotions and the wide shots to showcase the vibrant environments. As a short, Lucky Grandma would excel, and for the first act it does, but the script is too sparse for a feature film, and even Tsai Chin's sympathetic performance cannot save it from mediocrity.

Lucky Grandma is in cinemas from October 8, 2020