Lovely and Amazing

Movie Name: Lovely & Amazing
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Starring: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Le Gros, Dermot Mulroney, Raven Goodwin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clark Gregg, Michael Nouri, Lee Garlington, Spencer Garrett
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After making a name for herself with her feature directorial debut, "Walking and Talking" (which also featured her usual collaborator, Catherine Keener), writer/director Nicole Holofcener tackled a few TV directorial gigs (such as a few episodes of Darren Star's "Sex and the City" show), before releasing "Lovely & Amazing" her sophomore directorial endeavor. The film follows the story of the Marks family, specifically the matriarch Jane, and her three daughters, Michelle and Elizabeth who are adult, and the youngest Annie, still a child, whom she adopted later in life. Jane feels insecure about her looks, and decides to try a liposuction procedure. What is apparently a routine procedure turns out to be something more serious, as complications arise, resulting in a prolonged hospital stay. Michelle, who is married, focuses her time on crafting different art pieces which she then tries to sell to small businesses, most of the times without much success. This puts a strain on her marriage. Her husband in the meantime, while pretending to be supportive of her choices, is having an affair with her friend Donna. She eventually decides to take a job at a one-hour photo lab, working alongside a 17 year old named Jordan, who is smitten with her. Elizabeth is an aspiring actress, currently in a frustrating relationship. She goes for an audition with a sex symbol, and while they have great chemistry, she is not chosen for the part. She gets feedback that she's not sexy enough, which leaves her very insecure about herself. She starts a tryst with the movie star she auditioned with. Annie in the meantime is having a difficult time adjusting to the fact her mom is in the hospital, and that she's so different than her sisters. 

I admit that I always leave Nicole Holofcener's films feeling a bit underwhelmed. Not because the reviews over-hyper her films, but because I always have the sensation that the narratives she illustrates are wafer thin and eventually the films just run out of potency. It's not that she doesn't have a point of view, the more blatant issue seems to be the fact that the point of view feels too generic to resonate deeper with the audiences (and myself in particular). Of all her films the one that resonated with me the most was actually "Enough Said" with James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, since it tackled the challenges individuals face with attempting a romantic relationship at a certain age in their lives. "Lovely & Amazing" illustrates the lives and challenges of these women in this family unit, in a context that feels very Los Angeles based, meaning everyone is very privileged, comfortable, and experience life in a way that seems quite sheltered. One can say that you don't watch Nicole Holofcener, or Nancy Myers, or even Woody Allen's films for the depiction of the challenges the working class suffers or the pulsating heartbeat of romance: their universes, though quite different from each other, always exists in this bubble of Los Angeles ennui, HGTV middle age porn, and Manhattan intellectual malaise respectively. Meaning: there's nothing necessarily wrong with "Lovely & Amazing", but it's a film that feels vapid and innocuous, where there isn't a strong point being made, where the narrative just captures the lives of these individuals in this moment in time, and that just has to suffice. These characters, whatever we understand of them, don't experience epiphanies, don't become a better version of themselves, and don't necessarily represent an archetype: they're just slight, living in a world that seems neighboring a TV show (not HBO), and by the time the narrative ends, their storyline and the film itself is instantly forgettable. The cast tries their best, particularly Catherine Keener and Emily Mortimer, and it's nice to know that they both went on to do better and more memorable work with other film makers. There's nothing wrong with this film, but there's nothing necessarily great about it either. 

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Movie Name: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry, Mirren Mack, Gordon Alexander, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, David Sterne, Elliot Benn, Connor Newall, Maura Bird, Ghazi Al Ruffai, Robert Rhodes, Emma Laird
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

The "28 Days Later" series continues, this time around with a sequel to 2025's "28 Years Later" which reunited director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland in the series which they started in 2002. Following the events of the prior film, Spike finds himself in the midst of the gang Fingers, led by the murderous Jimmy Crystal. In order to stay with the gang, he has to fight one of its members. He accidentally manages to do so, and gets access to the gang, getting a new name in the process (Jimmy). In the interim, Dr. Kelson continues his daily habits, building upon the ossuary, an homage for those who have died from the Rage Virus epidemic. The colossal alpha that is infected, and that he has named Samson, starts visiting him regularly as Dr. Kelson has shot morphine darts into him (to prevent Samson from killing him), and in the process has made him addicted to it. As Samson keeps coming back, his humanity starts shining through, demonstrating glimpses of memory and even regaining other normal functions. The gang in the meantime also continue their carnage, attacking a farm with survivors, killing them in a bloody and horrific sacrifice. Jimmy Crystal who is sensing a low morale amongst his dwindling hordes, decides to visit Dr. Kelson, as he assumes him to be someone else, and they come to an agreement to further convince his group of Crystal's "higher purpose". However not everything goes according to what Crystal had envisioned.

When "28 Days Later" premiered, it was a memorable take on what was the zombie genre, taking a different approach to the rules that still define that genre. It was also a very smart reflection on international politics, and even on the dismantling of society, all with succinctly defined characters, which made the film work on multiple levels (it also was a great showcase for Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, and Brendan Gleeson). If the first sequel took the film in a slightly different direction, the sadly maligned "28 Weeks Later" from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the take Alex Garland and Danny Boyle built with "28 Years Later" stripped much of the horror aspects of the series to focus on this post-apocalyptic scenario, one where people have learnt to survive with obstacles generated by a virus that won't go away. If this seems close to what we have experience with Covid 19, that's not very far off indeed. This additional sequel, veers even further off from the original premise, focusing on two characters and how they're coping with the aftermath of this virus. The young Spike, is confronted with the worst of humanity, represented by a gang where its leader uses rhetoric to persuade its members, who then torture and steal from survivors, in essence, stripping away everything that is humane. Dr. Kelson in the meantime, holds on to a semblance of what his life used to be, listening to music, looking through his books, trying to make sense of all the loss. At the same time, he's trying to comprehend what the virus is about, holding a glimmer of hope that even the creatures ravaged by the virus can still have a spark of humanity in them. These opposite experiences clash into each other with painful outcomes, but they solidify the fact & statement that humans are at their best when trying to care for each other, as opposed to exploiting each other. The film successfully brings all these topics together, in a visually compelling manner. The cast is impeccable, with highlights going to the superb Ralph Fiennes (quite possibly one of the best actors working these days), Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Chi Lewis-Parry, and Erin Kellyman. The production team is equally solid, particularly Sean Bobbitt's cinematography and Carson McColl and Gareth Pugh's production design. While some of these characters could benefit from additional attention and detail, this is a solid (and brutal) film worth watching.

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

Movie Name: The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
Year of Release: 2000
Director: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Zach Braff, Andrew Keegan, John Mahoney, Ben Weber, Dean Cain, Matt McGrath, Justin Theroux, Billy Porter, Nia Long, Mary McCormack, Chris Payne Gilbert, Jennifer Coolidge, Kerr Smith
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

These days Greg Berlanti is an omnipresent name on TV, since he's a producer on so many successful shows, and has been the creator of so many shows himself, including "Everwood", "Eli Stone", and even mini-series such as "Political Animals", not to mention all the superhero DC shows that Warner Bros. which had his stamp, namely "Arrow", "The Flash", "Supergirl", and "Superman & Lois". "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" is Mr. Berlanti's feature directorial debut and follows the story of a group of gay friends in Los Angeles. The anchor element of the group is Dennis, a photographer, who is roommates with Cole, a struggling actor, who leverages his good looks to date multiple men. Benji the youngest of the group is still trying to find his own path, but is dazzled by the chiseled and buff men at the gym. There's also Taylor who is navigating a recent break up, Patrick who is disenchanted with the gay scene and always volunteers a razor sharp criticism about everyone's lives to his friends, Howie who is a psychology student who keeps dangling the possibility of a reconnection with his ex-boyfriend, and Kevin, a recent addition to the group, following a tryst with Cole. All of them are also united by Jack who owns a local restaurant, where some of them work, and who always gets them to play softball against a variety of teams in the area. All of them are trying to make sense of their professional next steps, while also navigating the dating world, which at times creates some challenges even within the group itself. When tragedy hits, it leads them all to reevaluate their priorities and what they want to do in life. 

Much like Jim Fall's "Trick", this feature by Mr. Berlanti comes at the tail end of what constituted the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s. However, and unlike Gregg Araki, Tom Kalin, and Todd Hayne's features, Mr. Berlanti's "The Broken Hearts Club" isn't a high concept examination on the lives of gay men in West Hollywood. It plays out like a pilot for a TV show about a bunch of gay male friends, whom we know very little of, and who are growing from their 20s into their 30s and need to figure out where they want to go, both professionally and emotionally. This film plays like a blueprint for what the show "Queer as Folk" would develop much further when it started in the same year this film was released (though the original "Queer as Folk" came out in 1999). The problem with this film in particular, lies with the fact that by wanting to make these gay characters palatable and relatable, they have lost any trace of uniqueness and distinctiveness. There's not much depth to any of these characters, and even the archetypes they fit into, much like William Friedkin's "The Boys in the Band", are rather shallow. What does this ultimately mean for the film: it simply means the film doesn't create an impact, it lives in a reality where everyone is a eunuch or close to it, and ultimately renders all these characters as neutered as the gay characters of "Will and Grace" for instance. This was always a problem at the time (still is to a great extent), where gay characters fall into two brackets: the lead gay character who is typically filled with angst and devoid of any sexual longing, or the supporting gay character who is a collection of clichés, much like the ones illustrated by Rupert Everett in "My Best Friend's Wedding", Roger Bart in "The Stepford Wives" or even Wanda Sykes in "Monster in Law" for instance (the latter doesn't even get to have an identifiable sexual orientation). There are films that break through these clichés, such as Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" or Todd Haynes' stunning "Carol", but those are far in between. The cast is a bit all over the place on this one, but Justin Theroux manages to create a memorable supporting role. The production team is adequate but not particularly memorable. There isn't anything offensive about this film, it's simply forgettable. 

Singles

Movie Name: Singles
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, Bill Pullman, James Le Gros, Ally Walker, Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, Tom Skerritt, Peter Horton, Devon Raymond, Camilo Gallardo
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

"Singles" is the sophomore directorial endeavor for writer/director Cameron Crowe, following his debut with "Say Anything" (though he made a name for himself earlier with the script for Amy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). The narrative focuses on a series of friends/acquaintances in the Seattle area, all living in the same apartment complex in the early 1990s. We follow the romantic challenges facing Linda, who meets a foreign student, and falls deeply in love with him, only to realize he played a swindle on her and moved on to someone else. She meets Steve at a concert, and they slowly start to get acquainted with each other, and eventually fall in love, however navigating through unexpected events life throws at you turns out to be a challenge for them. Janet also lives in that apartment complex, and is smitten with Cliff Poncier, the lead vocalist for a grunge band named Citizen Dick. He continuously dismisses her while engaging in flirtation with other women, and doesn't want to have anything serious with Janet. Another woman in the complex that is also facing some dating challenges is Debbie Hunt, who has a roommate, but can't seem to find the right person, no matter how much she tries. 

Upon reading the premise of this film, one would be tempted to think this is a prequel to Darren Star's "Melrose Place". Alas, it is not. I personally had some difficulty reconciling the tone and character development of this film, with what Mr. Crowe went on to do with "Jerry Maguire" and particularly with "Almost Famous", which remains to this day his best feature. "Singles" isn't the precursor to the grunge scene that took over the world in the early 1990s, though the soundtrack is solid, nor is it the romantic staple that Nora Ephron illustrated with far more humor and warmth in "Sleepless in Seattle". What we're left with is a film that attempts to capture the life (emotional and professional) of a few twenty-something individuals, who are trying to navigate the dating scene, never demonstrating much about what makes these characters particularly appealing, or for that matter, different from each other. Linda, Janet, Debbie, aside from the cast who plays them, and the superficial professions they are assigned to, seem copycats of each other, which undermines both their authenticity, and the level of interest they're able to create. This film ultimately feels like a TV pilot that lacks personality to elevate it to something more memorable. What makes it watchable is solely the cast, with Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, and Matt Dillon getting away with the most interesting and distinctive performances, whereas Bridget Fonda, Sheila Kelley, and Bill Pullman are completely wasted in barely there characters. The production team is solid, including Tak Fujimoto and Ueli Steiger's cinematography, Paul Westerberg's score, and Stephen J. Lineweaver's production design. Though this film has become representative of the grunge scene of the 1990s, it fails to resonate as a romantic film or even a comedy for that matter (the comedy moments lie solely on Matt Dillon's shoulders). It's watchable and forgettable, something that can be said for some of the films from this writer/director. 

Mother and Child

Movie Name: Mother and Child
Year of Release: 2009
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Eileen Ryan, David Ramsey, Cherry Jones, Jimmy Smits, Elpidia Carrillo, David Morse, Marc Blucas, Carla Gallo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Michael Warren, Shareeka Epps, Amy Brenneman, Elizabeth Peña, Britt Robertson, LisaGay Hamilton, 
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the release of "Nine Lives", writer/director Rodrigo Garcia returned to prestige television, directing episodes of "Big Love" and "In Treatment", before tackling the Anne Hathaway vehicle "Passengers", which was met with tepid reviews. He quickly bounced back with "Mother and Child" a film he wrote and directed, and that much like his more personal films, "Nine Lives" and "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her", are comprised of multiple vignettes, some of which intersect with each other. The film introduces us to Karen, a nurse whom we initially witness as a teenager, having her first sexual experience, which results in a pregnancy and a child, who is given for adoption. Now in her late 40s, Karen takes care of her mother, and carries with her the notion her young daughter is somewhere out there without knowing that she's still around and without understanding of why she was given for adoption. As it turns out, this young woman turns out to be Elizabeth, a highly skilled, ambitious, and with no emotional ties to anyone lawyer, who embarks on a new job with a high prestige law firm owned by Paul, a widower, in the LA area. Elizabeth and Paul have a lot of chemistry, and while Elizabeth never ties herself to anyone, following a traumatic childhood which saw her living in foster homes, and never being cherished as part of a loving family, they eventually start a romantic relationship. Elizabeth however, and owning to her fear of emotional intimacy in any relationship, also starts a casual sexual tryst with her neighbor, who is married and is expecting a child with his wife. Another woman that is part of this narrative is Lucy, who after years of trying to get pregnant with her husband Joseph, have both decided to embark on the adoption path. While they seem to be equally invested, and even start the process of meeting a young woman who is about to give birth, Joseph is having second thoughts. Elizabeth's perfectly structured life suffers an unexpected derailment when she discovers she's pregnant, even though she has had a procedure when she was younger to prevent that from ever happening. She quickly leaves Paul's firm, cuts ties with everyone, and embarks on a journey of her own to have the child.

"Mother and Child" is, of all vignette inspired films that dominated the first part of Rodrigo Garcia's career, the most interesting feature of all three. While the film, which unlike the first two didn't premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, but instead premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, has indeed multiple storylines all of which eventually intersect with each other, and have at their core central female characters, this is the one feature where these characters act, behave, and interact as fully realized individuals. Elizabeth, Karen, Lucy, all of them are impacted by motherhood, they all experience it at different times in their lives, and motherhood has very different impacts in what their subsequent life journey actually is. While Karen lives shackled to a decision that was forced upon her to give her baby up for adoption, something that has hardened her to a certain extent, Elizabeth on the other hand, has created an emotional wall which prevents anyone from ever knowing her and even truly loving her. Lucy lives with the eternal longing of being a mother, and while she's rather immature to realize what that implies, she also stops at nothing to pursue it, even if that sacrifices her marital relationship. These vignettes are far more entwined with each other than any of Mr. Garcia's prior films, and there are some traces of Alan Ball's "Six Feet Under" in this narrative, but the superb work of the cast elevates this narrative beyond what might suggest something very trivial. Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, Eileen Ryan, Shareeka Epps, and Britt Robertson, all create indelible characters, with Ms. Watts and Mr. Jackson in particular having great chemistry with each other, therefore creating a very believable relationship, even if it turns out to be a brief one. It's a film that allows these characters to be flawed, to be multi-faceted, and ultimately, that allows them to grow during the duration of the narrative. The production team is solid, including Edward Shearmur's score, Xavier Perez Grobet's cinematography, and Christopher Tandon's subtle production design. It's a solid, revelatory film, from a talented storyteller. 

Ready or Not

Movie Name: Ready or Not
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Samara Weaving, Andie MacDowell, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, John Ralston, Liam McDonald, Ethan Tavares, Hanneke Talbot, Celine Tsai
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

"Ready or Not" is Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's sophomore directorial endeavor, following their debut with "Devil's Due". This film opened the doors for them to tackle two episodes of the "Scream" franchise (episodes 5 and 6). The film follows the story of Grace MacCaullay, who is about to marry Alex Le Domas, who is part of a wealthy family, one that has made their money on what started as board games business but eventually grew up to a much larger financial empire. Alex has been estranged from his family, but comes back to the fold and to the estate to have his wedding ceremony with Grace. Grace is a former foster child, and has no family of her own, but loves Alex and is happy to be along for the journey. She meets Alex's brother and sister and their spouses, Alex's parents and his aunt. After the ceremony, Alex's father Tony  explains that his great-grandfather Victor Le Domas made a deal with someone named "Le Bail" to build the family fortune. In exchange for doing so, a peculiar and unique tradition must be observed: at midnight of their wedding day, every new member who joins the family must draw a game card from Le Bail's puzzle box and then everyone must play that game accordingly. What Tony failed to reveal, is that whatever game is chosen, the family will then play it and kill the person who chose that game, or they will die themselves (the whole Le Domas family). Grace is surprised when she hears of the tradition, but decides to play along. She chooses "Hide and Seek", and while she goes off to hide from everyone, they all arm up with various killing devices, while Alex is kept in a room to avoid disrupting the game. However soon enough things start going askew.

"Ready or Not" is one of those films that promises a lot more than what it eventually delivers. While the film may initially promise a cat and mouse deadly game, with the hunted turning the tables on the hunters, the truth is, this isn't "First Blood", nor is it a feminist empowering statement. What we end up having is a rather anemic take on a powerful family with secrets, who must do horrible things, mostly with gusto, in order to stay in power. The film sadly never truly embraces the satire of the rich with little scruples who take a literal bite from those who serve them, nor does it ever embrace the savagery of the oppressed who decide to turn the tables and wreak havoc (and destruction) on the oppressors. What we end up getting in the end is a rather generic tale of a family with a dark secret, who is rather inept and playing the game, and a woman (always a woman as a victim) as the target who eventually escapes, but who never takes solid decisions of her own, even if those involve saving herself. The film never reaches the satire of Craig Zobel's "The Hunt", nor does it capture the blood drenched mayhem of Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" for instance. Grace is in victim mode for the most part of the film, and while the character has some evolution, for the most part her characterization, much like all the characters of the film, are quite flat and ultimately one-dimensional. The cast tries their best to bring this film to life, but Andie MacDowell is ultimately the one having all the fun, with good support also coming from Henry Czerny and Kristian Bruun. Samara Weaving, herself such a talented performer, and a queen of these polished B-movies, deserves a better vehicle for her talents. The production team is unremarkable, which ultimately is a very suitable definition for this film: unremarkable and forgettable. 

Nine Lives

Movie Name: Nine Lives
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright, Amy Brenneman, Amanda Seyfried, LisaGay Hamilton, Kathy Baker, Mary Kay Place, Jason Isaacs, Stephen Dillane, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Miguel Sandoval, Elpidia Carrillo, William Fichtner, Aidan Quinn, Joe Mantegna, Dakota Fanning
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After making his directorial feature debut with "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her", writer/director Rodrigo Garcia tackled a series of interesting projects, including directing episodes for HBO's "Six Feet Under", "The Sopranos", and "Carnivale". He also directed "Ten Tiny Love Stories" before releasing "Nine Lives", which once again premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, on its way to being nominated for a few Independent Spirit Awards. Much like his debut, the narrative of the film centers on 9 different stories/vignettes. The first one focuses on Sandra, who is in prison, and has a meltdown upon not being able to communicate with her daughter. The second vignette tracks Diana and Damian, who used to be in a relationship and connect once again while at the supermarket. Their connection is still very much alive, even though they've moved on and have other partners in their lives, and Diana is pregnant. The following vignette tracks the life of Holly who is unexpectedly visiting the home where she grew up, meeting her sister there. That house is triggering for her, since it's where her sexually abusive stepfather still lives. Another vignette has a couple, Sonia and Martin, visiting their friends Lisa and Damian in their new apartment. The tension between them is palpable and keeps escalating right in front of their friends. Another segment follows Samantha, a teenager living with her parents, who don't communicate much with each other. Her parents Ruth and Larry love her terribly, but her mother is going through a tryst with a widower, as Larry is wheelchair-bound. Another vignette focuses on Lorna, who is attending a funeral with her parents. It is the funeral of her ex-husband's wife, and he admits to his desire for her when they connect at the church. The final two vignettes also deal with mortality, firstly with Camille who is facing breast cancer surgery, and secondly with Maggie who is doing a picnic at the cemetery and talking to her young daughter, whom we suddenly realize has already passed away. 

I've mentioned it before, and will do so again. Creating films with mosaic-like narratives isn't the easiest task. Mostly because the more characters these writers (and in this case, also director) try to bring to life, the more challenging it is to capture one's attention. These characters end up having a very limited amount of screen time in which they have to create a connection with the audience, but also in that limited screen time illustrate an inner life, and whatever conflict/desire/ambition, they're currently going through. Paul Thomas Anderson was able to do so very efficiently and with a profound emotional connection in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia". He focused on a set of characters, and took us on a journey with all them, peppering the events with humor, drama, thrills, and even ridicule. Rodrigo Garcia instead creates vignettes, which can be occurring all in the same time frame, and they may not, since some of these characters crossover to some vignettes, whereas others do not. What some of these vignettes come across however, in terms of perspective at least and some more than others, is at times very stage like. These vignettes and sequences feel very similar to short plays that are being put on to illustrate a topic, and not so much a character. Because every single narrative is so boxed-in, these lives that are illustrated in this feature, feel both enigmatic, but also artificial, since they ultimately leave more unsaid about who these characters are, more so than the topic they aim to illustrate/bring to life. The most theatrical of the vignettes is quite possible the one with Robin Wright and Jason Isaacs, whereas the most successful is the one featuring Glenn Close and Dakota Fanning, precisely because it feels authentic, lived in, of a mother living with the absence of a daughter taken too soon. How do you live with absence - you let memories envelop you and play a pillar of support as you keep living. It's an interesting film with solid performances, particularly by Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning, Kathy Baker, Joe Mantegna, Robin Wright, Sissy Spacek, and Mary Kay Place. The production team is solid, particularly Xavier Grobet's cinematography, Edward Shearmur's score, and Courtney Jackson's production design. It may not hit all the buttons, but it's definitely worth watching.

Anora

Movie Name: Anora
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova, Luna Sofía Miranda, Lindsey Normington
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

After the well received "Red Rocket", Sean Baker landed the biggest hit of his career thus far with "Anora", which won the Palm D'Or at Cannes, followed by winning a barrage of other awards, including the Academy Award for best picture, director, screenplay, and editing, all for him alone. The film follows the story of Anora, or Ani as she prefers to be named, who is a stripper living in Brighton Beach, but working in a fancy club in Manhattan. She meets a young man by the name of Ivan, who also goes by the name of Vanya, who comes infatuated with her. Vanya is Russian and Ani can speak and understand Russian because of her family background. He hires her for several sex dates, and after a New Year's party, offers her $15,000.00 to spend a whole week with him. As it happens, Vanya is the son of a Russian oligarch, and has money to burn. During the week they spend together, they go off to Las Vegas with a group of friends, and Vanya proposes to her, since he does not want to go back to Russia, and confesses to Ani that he is smitten with her. While Ani is initially reluctant, she soon agrees and they elope at a Vegas wedding chapel. Upon returning to the NY area, Ani quits her job and moves to Vanya's mansion. The news of the wedding/marriage soon reach Vanya's parents, who go ballistic on him and on the people hired to keep an eye on him. Toros, Vanya's godfather, is livid and wants to get the marriage immediately annulled. Vanya in the meantime escapes the mansion, while Ani refuses any annulment. They decide to seek out Vanya and find a way to resolve the situation before his parents arrive.

I admit I've been a fan of Sean Baker's past feature films, particularly "Tangerine", "The Florida Project", and "Red Rocket". "Anora" is the first of his films that has left me baffled, because it has this hybrid tone which mixes a pseudo Hollywood romance with his particular quasi-documentary style approach, focused on people who are on the fringes of society, in this case a stripper/sex worker. My bafflement doesn't stem from the hybrid aspect of the narrative, but mostly from the fact that this long film tracks an array of characters trying to locate an individual with the sole purpose of annulling a marriage, with characters that lack development, emotional depth, or for that matter, interest. On all of his prior films, all his characters, even the ones who didn't have much development, have always created a desire to know more about who they are, where they come from, and where does the narrative will eventually take them. "Anora" on the other hand, has a few comedic moments, but aside from those, it consists of a long journey populated with uninteresting characters who are as shallow and superficial when the film started, as they are when the film ends. Granted, not every film has to be a philosophical discussion about the meaning of life, and not every film requires for characters to have emotional epiphanies, but this is one rare case where what is taking place is literally going nowhere. As an audience member you always want to be captured by the storytelling that is taking place, but this one is literally a narrative populated with emotionally underdeveloped characters who ultimately have very little to say about themselves, about their connections, and about the world they inhabit. The cast does a fair job with the material they have, particularly Karren Karagulian as Toros. The production team is solid, particularly Drew Daniels' cinematography. I'm puzzled how this film won Sean Baker all these awards, but hopefully this will grant him the funds and support to continue to do his storytelling that has, up until this film, been so fantastic.