MUSIC (2021)

 

Zu is a free spirit estranged from her family who suddenly finds herself the sole guardian of her half-sister, Music (Maddie Ziegler), a teenager on the autism spectrum whose whole world order has been beautifully crafted by her late grandmother.

Music has the distinction of being a horrendous film to critically review despite a well-executed production (from a visual standpoint, at least). A film of two halves, Music haphazardly switches between vibrant, aesthetically artistic music videos and a woefully underdeveloped, by-the-numbers, drama. While the two perspectives conflict with each other, the real consternation around the film comes from the role of Maddie Ziegler and her ability to do the role. Because she is able.

By this, I mean Ziegler is an able-bodied person portraying the role of a person with reasonably severe non-verbal autism. The debate rages on as to whether cis-gendered actors can act queer roles, or whether white actors can play minority roles, but the topic of disabilities is not often talked about. 

Much like walking that fence between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, the defining traits that determine which side you fall on are the intent and the execution. If the portrayal intends to mock or denigrate the disability, then it will receive the opposite of praise. If the portrayal is well-meaning and educational but poorly executed, then it still will be criticized. No matter how many years of "research" are claimed to have been put into it, poor execution of the narrative or misinformation will lead to a backlash.

And that is exactly where this film lies; in the poorly executed zone. Let it be known, that laying on someone during an autistic episode to physically restrain them, is widely frowned upon and to only be used as a last resort, due to the high risk of death through asphyxia or simply adding trauma to their disability. This form of physical restraint is shown twice in the Music.  

Apart from encouraging potentially deadly restraint practices, Music struggles with defining its intent. At a glance, the film appears to be a wholesome story about how a community comes together to help each other no matter the disability. However, as the film progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that creating a cohesive and engaging narrative about living with autism is the secondary focus; coming in second place (or is it last?) to a barrage of music videos for Sia's upcoming album (also named Music). 

To specifically choose autism as the vessel to sell an album is in extremely poor taste, and is made all the confounding when you take into consideration how exclusionary the film is to much of the autistic community; the music videos themselves are so extreme in their visual stimuli that it would be overwhelming to those that are so sensitive to external stimuli.

Looking past the controversies in casting and disability, the story being told is thin and lacks real development. A combination of moments with little narrative string holding it together, the characters are thinly veiled caricatures that hold no purpose but to inject conflict into the story to emotionally manipulate the audience into caring...at least until the next music video begins. 

Death, HIV, drug dealing, alcoholism and addiction, domestic abuse, Big Pharma...these are only a selection of the topics that are introduced in this short 108-minute-long film to generate conflict, most of which is disregarded after a single scene without resolution. Too much to cover in-depth for such a limited runtime, and leads to a complete lack of consequences and a lack of stakes, resulting in no characters that the audience can empathise with and relate to.

Outside of the opening scenes that set up this loving community and Music's daily routine, the plot of the film has no satisfaction to be had. Kate Hudson puts on a curious performance outside of her usual romantic drama roles, Beto Calvillo is largely unexplained yet delightful, but the actual story being told is more of an afterthought. Everything is present to service the "music videos". 

In this regard, Music stands out. Utilising the unique freestyling dance form that Maddie Ziegler has been performing in Sia's music videos since 2014 when she was 11 years of age (Ziegler was 14 during the filming of Music), Sia executes the musical portion of the film expertly. 

The cinematography from Sebastian Winterø combined with the choreography of Ryan Heffington create gorgeously vibrant and visually engaging set designs and dance routines that are simultaneously chaotic and synchronised, with hues that mirror the emotional depth of the lyrics, and provide a perverse mix of perspectives that are impossible to fully appreciate in one sitting. It is clear where the majority of the resources for this film have been put, with the budget being quadrupled after the script was adapted into a musical.  

Music has two starkly contrasting elements that simply do not marry up. Haphazardly bludgeoned together. As has always been the case with Sia's music videos, the performances are mesmerizing, but outside of the musical environment, Music is lacking in depth and empathy. 

Will people want to pay money to watch a 108-minute-long advert for Sia's upcoming studio album? Warner Music is certainly hoping so. And while ample resources have been put into the production, not enough was put into the script.

Fans of Sia and Ziegler will love this film regardless of its content. The young, non-male, teen demographic is the target audience here. Just keep in mind, that while it is much glossier, this is no less of a cash grab than The Emoji Movie.

Music is in cinemas from January 28, 2021

SUMMERLAND (2020)

 

During World War II, reclusive writer Alice has her sequestered life upended when Frank, an evacuee from the London Blitz, is left in her care. Despite initially resolving to be rid of him, Alice finds herself and her emotions reawakened by him.

You can always trust Icon Film Distribution to do one thing, and that is to always try to select films that have a really good emotional story to them. Whether or not the film succeeds at the box office is subjective, but in general, an Icon film is always going to have a great premise with a strong human element to it; and Summerland is a doozy. 

Seeing as the film is categorized as a war/drama film on Google and IMDb, one could be remiss by not checking out the synopsis or the trailer. It's easy to see the terms war/drama and expect to see something along the lines of 1917, Resistance, Da 5 Bloods, Midway, or Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, but this is not so much a film directly impacted by war (with very little interest in acknowledging the events of the war), as it is an element in the background that acts as a plot device to keep certain structures moving, and the film progresses. Romance and Drama are more accurate descriptors in this case.

It is this difference in genre that makes it redundant to point out that Summerland is a female-led film. With both big-name actors Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, along with writer/director Jessica Swale, one could easily point out that this is another accomplishment for equality, but this is different. This isn't a story that has traditionally had its roles filled by men; this isn't a gender-bent story. 

This is exactly what movie critics have been wanting, amongst the cries for equality; not the alteration of existing properties to fit a new agenda, but the construction of a story specifically around non-male characters. Any form of sexuality that is brought up in the film goes towards advancing the plot and isn't simply pandering. 

The cinematography by Laurie Rose is gorgeous, with a clear adoration of the English countryside. Wide panning shots of the cliffs of Dover, overhead shots of green fields, and stunning dusky silhouettes all add to the magic that surrounds the search for Summerland. 

The film is conducted in a non-linear fashion, frequently flashing back in time, with a clear shift in colour scheme and saturation; the present day is shot as is, with slow pacing and practical, wide-shot aesthetics of muted tones that do not attract attention, whereas nostalgic memories of the past are displayed in vibrant colours and bright lights, with plenty of music and emotionally engaging close-up shots of our main women.

While it makes a point of separating itself from more direct war films, it does have its moments of peril and is set in a different location, it almost feels like the set of a different film. Not in a thematic sense, but in an aesthetic sense. the budget was clearly considered carefully, to ensure that all impactful scenes are conveyed in a manner that doesn't detract from the personal drama unfolding.

In terms of acting, child actor Lucas Bond puts on an adequate performance. Never irritating, and largely reserved in personality, it allows his now impassioned scenes to really carry a lot of weight. As far as children go, his character is exactly the type of child that would be warranted to warm up the heart of an emotionally-deprived and socially introverted hermit, and their forced cohabitation forms a symbiotic relationship that feels real. 

The film's real focus is on Gemma Arterton's character, Alice, and Arterton does a great job as a misunderstood researcher who has been ostracized to the point of feeling derision towards her peers. As each little chip is removed from her shoulder, she flourishes in her development, and Summerland hooks you in deeper.

Swale's script itself can be a little bit ham-fisted and falls into familiar tropes all too easily, but her direction is surprisingly competent, allowing for some classic misdirection and wonderful surprises further along the film's runtime. 

All of the dots are connected, and Swale really lets some of them sit, ready for an almighty payoff. From a dramatic standpoint, some decisions in the final act are a little overcooked, forcing an ending that doesn't feel as organic as the rest of the film had, nevertheless, there is an emotional weight that carries Summerland and will keep the audience invested until the final minutes. 

Summerland is in cinemas from January 28, 2021

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8781

RŪRANGI (2020)

 

Starring, produced, and written by New Zealand’s gender-diverse community, Rūrangi follows transgender activist Caz Davis as he heads home to the isolated, conservative dairy town of Rūrangi - where no one’s heard or seen from Caz since before he transitioned. There he discovers that his former best friend, his estranged father, and his ex-boyfriend are grappling with their own shifting identities and the consequences of Caz’s disappearance ten years ago. 

With the tagline #ByUsAndForUs, Rūrangi is a film made by the LGBTIQ+ community, primarily for the LGBTIQ+ community. In an attempt at proving that the queer community have stories that work well on the big screen, what was originally a five-part web series has now been recut into a single 96-minute feature film. 

Rūrangi is a feature that covers a lot of topics that are generally avoided in mainstream media. From trans individuals "coming out" to their families, to the mental effects of abandonment, gender dysphoria, the shame placed on Māori individuals who cannot speak the Te reo Māori language, and the toxic masculinity that stigmatizes the LGBTIQ+ community and contributes to New Zealand's high youth suicide rates. 

It is a series of topics that should generate intrigue and make the audience reconsider their assumptions and challenge their perceptions. At least it would if Rūrangi looked into any of these elements in any depth. With only a cursory glance at each topic, Rūrangi serves as not an exploration of commonly misunderstood topics, but a mere introduction.

It comes down to the web format that the film existed in prior. A 20-minute length does not allow for proper investigation and exploration of a theme, especially when you have so many themes concurrently occurring. There isn't enough time, beyond the exposition of explaining what is happening, giving the audience very little opportunity to understand the when, why, who, and how in any reasonable depth.

Trying to maintain so many stories with a coherent story, ends up with all of the interesting elements being whittled down to their bare bones and being fragmented to the point of only being referenced 2-3 times in the entire runtime. A very small window of opportunity for organic development and a payoff.

Despite the minimal coverage, Rūrangi remains an eye-opening experience, about a community that the mainstream media have only recently begun acknowledging, and no doubt many within the gender-diverse community will find something that they can relate to. Rūrangi is exceptionally diverse, with only four main characters, they manage to include trans, gay, lesbian, bi-curious, and straight. 

Ignoring the LGBTIQ+ aspect of the film, Rūrangi is a slow-paced feature that is largely lacking in musical compositions. While it plays with deep and dark topics, there is a lack of stakes in the story's narrative, and the drama is short-term and self-inflicted. Our main character Caz (played by Elz Carrad) is stoic, frustrated, and conflicted, but lacks the on-screen charisma necessary to carry the film. 

His performance is outshone by that of Jem (Arlo Green). Jem puts on a truly emotional performance that garners sympathy and empathy at every turn. His willingness to look beyond face value and aesthetics is the redeeming feature of the film and the sole reason why Rūrangi is enjoyable.

Ultimately, Rūrangi is still a web series. The writing lacks the depth necessary to create strong enough character development to engage all audience members, the characterizations are caricatures and stereotypes, with every personality trait being linked to the final act in what was meant to be a satisfying payoff. 

The ending feels like it was written before the remainder of the story, with turning points and character changes feeling forced and inorganic to reach that ending phase no matter the cost. With a lack of development, fragmented storylines, and an unearned final act, Rūrangi leaves a lot to be desired. 

As a starting point for gender diversity in New Zealand film, however, it is a great start. There is nothing overly challenging to the general audience, and Jem's character portrays the anxiety and conflicts that gender diversity conversations raise. It leaves you with more questions than answers, but it normalizes in film, what is normal in the real world. Diverse people.

Rūrangi is in cinemas from February 4th, 2021

THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS (2020)

 

Ana has invited the upstairs neighbours over. Salva and Laura are slightly younger than them and welcomed them with open arms when they moved into the building, but the constant moaning and groaning coming from their apartment has become a source of arguments for Julio and Ana... perhaps it’s jealousy, they wish their own sex life was as spicy.

The People Upstairs is the lovechild of Cesc Gay. Titled Sentimental in its country of origin, Spain, The People Upstairs is the feature film adaptation of Gay's own play, Los Neighbors Above, with elements of the theatrical presentation remaining. A concise 82 minutes in length, The People Upstairs has all of the flashings of a theatrical experience; a dialogue-driven story, a minimal cast, minimal set locations, and a complete lack of any musical compositions (with the exception of the final closing scene. What is missing, however, is any form of interlude.

Because what Gay has created is an incredibly efficient combination of dialogue between 2-4 characters. Everything serves a purpose, whether to develop unique character traits or build certain emotions in the audience towards a certain character, There is no real extraneous dialogue or filler. With the entire story itself being based on this dialogue, the entire film takes place in one apartment (apart from a couple of establishing shots in the hallway outside) and only has limited types of interactions as there are only four characters present in the entire runtime, from a visual standpoint, The People Upstairs can be monotonous in nature.

Without the variety of different set environments, no new characters being introduced, and the entirety of the dialogue being in Spanish (with English subtitles), the audience is put into the difficult situation of being either completely enraptured by the story or becoming exhausted and weary from the line after line of important subtitles. 

In a film that goes against the technique of "show, don't tell", there is little opportunity for the audience to rest their eyes and passively observe a scene. Constant attention must be given to the subtitles to ensure that important information isn't missed, and when the entire movie is effectively a single extended scene without any scene or chapter breaks, it becomes altogether tiresome.

Outside of the exhausting element of its narrative choices, the story is relatable and the humour rapidly oscillates between dry sarcasm and sexually awkward content. While visually there is nothing sexually adventurous to see, much of the dialogue revolves around discussing expressions of more carnal desires. 

Overall explorations of human connections and the need for effective communication and honesty are on the cards, with Belén Cuesta and Alberto San Juan serving the respective roles of mediator and instigator to Javier Cámara's antagonism. 

The characterization lacks subtlety, beating the audience over the head with its somewhat exaggerated personality traits; another trait that has been borrowed from the theatrical representations of the story. 

That being said, while Javier Cámara's snarky argumentative demeanour is grating and Alberto San Juan's smarmy attempt at charm and seduction leaves a lot to be desired, Belén Cuesta steals the show with her amicability alongside the vulnerabilities that Griselda Siciliani puts on display.

Awkward and complex, The People Upstairs is quite the ride if you are willing to take it.

The Upstairs People is in cinemas from January 14th, 2021

DREAMBUILDERS (2020)

 

12-year-old Minna's life is turned upside down as new bonus sister Jenny moves in. Jenny is a nuisance and Minna wants her out of her life! One night, Minna meets the Dreambuilders and discovers that she can change Jenny by changing her dreams. But changing dreams has major consequences.

A story where little creatures with helpers work behind the scenes on things that affect how humans act. Clearly, Dreambuilders has been influenced by Monsters Inc., Despicable Me (or Minions), and Inside Out, and it does raise the question of how far these films influenced Dreambuilders; whether the inspiration only went as far as the premise and aesthetics, or whether they understood that the real hook of a Pixar film is the deep emotional core that allows them to tackle complex and adult concepts.

To put it bluntly, Dreambuilders pays lip service to the animation giants. The character designs are reminiscent of Laika's Coraline, but their personalities are incredibly one-dimensional, there is no depth, and very minimal development is woven into their actions, which is unfortunate as it takes an hour for anything of significance to occur. Originally released in Denmark, this Danish film has been redubbed in English for international audiences, and it shows in both the basic dialogue and some of the phrase choices ("If she were my stepsister, I'd kill myself." is not exactly what would be considered suitable for a family animated film).

Dreambuilders is still a beautiful film, however. Animated with vibrant colours and a warm, soft texture, the animators are able to literally create a scene that feels warm and inviting or cold dark, and frightening. The idea behind the premise is also a very interesting one that is simply underutilized. The concept of somebody behind the scenes constructing your dreams or nightmares is intriguing, but all of the questions that it raises remain unanswered. 

There is an attempt to discuss deeper, more mature topics such as abandonment, guilt, and online bullying but these are never fully explored and are used solely as a plot device to move the story forward, rather than a method to develop the characters. It creates a film that feels of little consequence, where every action only affects the following scene, independent of the rest of the film.

There is no denying that the film looks gorgeous and the dream-building world has an innate sense of wonder instilled thanks to its well-rendered aesthetics. The story, however--while it will entertain the little ones--is not one that will become a classic, or even be remembered within a week of being watched. Perhaps that is actually what we want these days; a film that you can watch and then leave behind. We certainly don't need another Frozen. 

Dreambuilders is in cinemas from January 7, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8790

BLITHE SPIRIT (2020)

A spiritualist medium holds a séance for a writer suffering from writer's block but accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife which leads to an increasingly complex love triangle with his current wife of five years.

Blithe Spirit is a curious film that has a vibe not dissimilar to that of Murder on the Orient Express or Knives Out; a film that covers darker subjects (such as death and murder) but is portrayed in a manner that makes them more comical and lighthearted. A period piece that is visually vibrant to the point of being child-like, Blithe Spirit sits in the peculiar niche of being comprised of one-note characters and physical humour that appeal to the younger audience but also involves alcohol, drugs (more than a few jokes about amphetamines), and a fair amount of sexual humour. Pink Panther for mid-teens, if you will.

Keeping that in mind, Blithe Spirit is a reasonable comedy. The set and production design are immaculate. The sense of that early period with the facets of wealth intertwined into the condition, quality, and colour of the set pieces keeps things intriguing. 

However, if you consider the film for its comedic merit, it falls much shorter. Nine out of ten "funny moments" in the film are set up around a single style of humour; all reliant on our main character never being aware of his surroundings, and having his dialogue constantly taken out of context. The humour is amenable but garners diminishing returns as the film progresses. 

Continued use of the same schtick makes it abundantly clear that there is no real character development in play, and the payoff to each setup achieves less satisfaction. To younger audiences, this continued beating of a dead horse would be fine and still elicit laughs every time. Still, again, the jokes about amphetamines and implied sexual activities are not subtle enough to really want younger audience members exposed to it.

An aspect that did go down well, however, was the relationship between our main character Charles Condomine (portrayed by Dan Stevens) and his ex-wife Elvira Condomine (portrayed by Leslie Mann). Their relationship feels the most organic and transitions through the honeymoon period to a satisfying extent. It provides enough of a twist to the usual tropes and narratives that makes the inevitable conclusion of the film less predictable. Blithe Spirit does feel longer than its 96-minute runtime, with its one repeated joke doing very little to keep the pace flowing, and our main character Charles having a very passive role in the film. 

All of the acting performances are over-the-top, making Blithe Spirit quite faithful to the source material (Blithe Spirit is based on a 1941 play of the same name). This complete translation to the silver screen seems out of place and fails to make use of the cinematographical advantages that cinematic productions provide. All performances from the actors are given as if they still need to convey an emotion to someone sitting 300 feet away; no subtleties, and an energy that feels forced. 

Another element that does work to the advantage of the younger audiences to whom funny faces and over-exaggeration have a greater appeal. The supporting cast does an admirable job in driving the plot along and playing off of their opposing personality traits; Mann playing the sultry, seductive, passionate ex-wife, and Isla Fisher playing the spoiled rich daughter. Dame Judi Dench has the most potential in her role in the film but has very little to do.

Overall, the cinematic adaptation of Blithe Spirit, offers little in the way of anything new. The story and themes haven't changed since the 1940s; while the stories may have been fresh back then, the expansion of the entertainment industry has meant these themes and storylines are over-used and outdated. The characters are more like caricatures and lack any depth, but in a year that has left more than its fair share of people with a lot of worries, perhaps Blithe Spirit can provide that "shut-off-the-brain" entertainment, and give a little bit of harmless escapism. 

Blithe Spirit is in cinemas from December 26, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr8763

A CALL TO SPY (2019)

 

At the dawn of World War II, a desperate Winston Churchill orders his new spy agency to train women for covert operations. Together, these female agents help undermine the Nazi regime in France, leaving an unmistakable legacy in their wake.

A Call To Spy strongly vibes with one of its biggest influences, 2016's Hidden Figures; taking a well-known part of history, and revealing another side of the story that was just as significant, but is a perspective that is yet to reach the mainstream. This isn't so much an increase in stories about the supporting positions to a larger story, but stories about women that have been previously pushed under the rug to make room for the men's stories. 

There is no hostility for past mistreatments, in fact, it is the constant ability of men to underestimate and misjudge women that have allowed this true story to occur. Women were able to actively sabotage Nazi Germany. 

This is a story about spies, but the representation is very well-grounded. These aren't women in glitzy gowns and men in tuxedos, drinking spirits, gambling with a villain at the poker table, avoiding lasers, and getting into car chases. This is about the beginning of espionage in an occupied and war-torn Europe. 

Not happy to look at the program when it had worked out the kinks, A Call To Spy covers the period of time when 1 in 3 spies were killed within six months, and they do not shy away from the human cost. Granted it could have been prudent to follow more than a couple of agents, to more accurately portray that human cost, but for a feature-length film, following two agents was more than enough content.

In fact, it was a little too much content. Following the stories of two agents, and their superior back in Britain, A Call To Spy is already bursting at the seams, trying to do justice to three stories. To a large extent, Sarah Megan Thomas does a great job on the script, compacting the three stories into a 124-minute runtime. 

Backstories and motives are succinctly provided, and any subplots and tangents are swiftly closed off to keep the film on target. Unfortunately, three stories still mean that the audience is being pulled from one scenario to the next, in a manner that prevents them from being able to become fully immersed in any of the stories.

It is unfortunate because these are highly dramatic stories. Virginia Hall, an American amputee with a wooden leg, worked for British Intelligence by forming resistance cells in occupied France. Noor Inayat Khan, a Muslim pacifist wireless operator turned field agent. Vera Atkins, a jew, unofficially coordinated the Special Operations Executive in Britain without rank or citizenship. 

The repetitive jumping between stories reduces their story to a highlight reel of successes or failures that don't allow the time for pressures or urgency to be organically developed; the audience simply skips on to the next plot point, ignoring the life-threatening situation that our heroines are currently in. 

With the script being written by Sarah Megan Thomas, and Virginia Hall being portrayed by the same Sarah Megan Thomas, it is no surprise to find that her character gets the bulk of the screentime, with Noor gaining little more than a token mention from time to time as the film progresses. 

Considering the importance of her role in the success of the resistance's operations, it is regretful to note that her character wasn't provided more than a cursory role in the film, especially when you consider the dangers that a woman of colour in Nazi-occupied-France would be in. 

Nevertheless, A Call To Spy does bring these women and their stories to light. With more content available online to learn about each of these women, A Call To Spy may not have a lot of actual spying in it, and the constant jumping between individual stories may slow the pacing down in the second act, but it will pique the interest enough to warrant further research into the matter.

A Call To Spy is in cinemas from December 26, 2020

Originally posted to: https://djin.nz/Kr878