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Capsule Reviews, CUFF 2023, Film reviews

Chicago Underground Film Festival 2023: A Festival of Surrealism and Realism at its Finest

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Starting September 13 through September 17, The Chicago Underground Film Festival will be running. The festival’s opening night film will be shown at the Gene Siskel Film Center and the rest of the festival will take place at the Harper Theater. The Chicago Underground Film Festival is one-of-a-kind. It is a fest that celebrates culture and diversity. Films of artistic value are what makes this fest a strong presence for many cinema lovers (both in and out of Chicago). There are full-length featurefilms, short films, experimental films, and all kinds of visually brilliant projects by talented filmmakers. The people, the films, and the atmosphere are all essential to the fest. I have already seen a few of the films that will be featured at the festival this year. These films are different, poetic, and have dazzled me. Audiences can see these films as well, and they just might blow viewers away.

The first film is Hello Dankness. Written and directed by Soda Jerk, this is a film of reality and creativity with many accurate depictions and truths. The film is compiled with footage from commercials, classic films, music segments, and it all comes together in chronological order. The events and clips are in tune with the world we lived in during the presidency of Donald Trump. Now without getting too political, the film does an exhilarating job featuring moments from films and scenarios related to the big events we experienced during and post-Covid. From a Pepsi commercial to Fred Rogers to Wayne’s World to social media, Hello Dankness is a representation that is mind-boggling. It proves that everyone’s personality continues to shift. It proves that reality is far from perfect. I love how the film honestly displays how distracted we are by technology and our political views. The film makes it clear that many would benefit if they just disregarded all the media they allow inside their heads. Hello Dankness is a monumental opening to The Chicago Underground Film Festival. The film is showing at the Gene Siskel Film center on Wednesday September 13th at 7:30 pm.

The Second film is Even Hell has its Heroes which is written and directed by Clyde Petersen. The film is set in the 1980s and explores the musical success of the band Earth. The band’s backstory includes lots of trial and error, but also tons of success. Even Hell has its Heroes is shows interviews with Dylan Carlson, Slim Moon, Jonathan Poneman, and other artists as they discuss struggles with drugs and hardship in their days in the music industry. The film is deep in how it shows how the group provided encouragement for its members. Carlson states, “When I’m playing with other people, their shapes are involved and it’s flowing together.” The 1980s was a time when playing harsh songs had negative consequences. The interviews with the artists explaining their challenges getting gigs and writing music are the key to the film’s realism. The difficult era of artist Kurt Cobain before his death sparks the film’s portrayal of the how difficult it was for artists to move forward. The film’s title speaks for itself. The real-life examples demonstrate that success can come without being able to get past negative patterns. However, many of the artists have had to overcome their drug addictions s to make it farther with their musical careers. Even Hell has its Heroes is one of the most deep, emotional, yet encouraging projects in the festival this year. This film’sarchived footage offers surreal continuity which brings the audience into one of the dark eras of the music industry. The film is showing on Saturday September 16th at 4:30 pm, and Sunday September 17th at 4 pm. Both showings will be at the Harper Theater.

The third film is one that I truly believe belongs to The Chicago Underground Film Festival. Within the realm of surrealism and realism, this was an experience that haunted me. It also made me have a big heart for those who go out of their way to helpthose in need. That film is Sweetheart Deal directed by Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller and written by Karen Sim. Sweetheart Deal dives into the life of four sex workers in Seattle, Washington whose lives are in a halting pattern. They are provided some courage when an individual chooses to be a healer and offers them shelter. The ladies go to the healer for shelter, advice, and food, but also just to feel some empathy. Thewomen have more challenges than just being sex workers as they struggle with addictions to drugs and are always fighting for survival. In spite of their issues, they are all seeking some sense of normalcy. The film’s emotional subject matter keeps finding meaning as the film’s healer goes out of his way to ensure the ladies have a chance to regain good in their life. It is a documentary that will haunt its audience, but also provide empathy and encouragement. It is by far one of the most faithful documentaries I have seen in a long time. With a narration filled with darkness, the light shines through in many fragments in Sweetheart Deal. The film is showing on Friday September 15that 9:00 pm, and Sunday September 17th at 3 pm. Both showings will be at the Harper Theater.

The Chicago Underground Film Festival has a lot to offer. From my experience with these films, I realize it is about audiencesbeing willing to step out of their comfort zones to fully experience these fascinating projects. There are many invigorating subjects featured in the films at this fest and audiences are in for a treat. The projects are spellbinding, different, and prompt intriguing questions on the reality that surrounds the film scene of the festival. Do not miss this opportunity to experience these fascinating and poetic movieswhich offer unique visionary experiences. Get your tickets and passes today at Cuff.org.

Film reviews

Bank of Dave Review

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This is one of those rare movie experiences that leaves you feeling positive. Bank of Dave is about how entrepreneurship for a positive cause can have many trials and errors but still lead to growth and new beginnings. The setting of Burnley, UK is a place where resources and economics go together. It is a place where community and outreach are presented in an encouraging fashion. The film has many fascinating moments seen through the eyes of Dave (our main character played by Rory Kinnear). The story is majestic from a comedic perspective and leaves viewers enriched.

In the film, Dave is the true story of a self-employed man who has a goal of building a community bank. The intention of his bank is to help businesses stay afloat and keep growing to be more successful. Dave’s colleagues and attorneys are Hugh (played by Joel Fry) and Clarence (played by Angus Wright). Dave sells minibuses and continues to help build foundations for small businesses. The story involves the various obstacles Dave faces but shows that an attitude of hard work is essential.

The moving parts required to get Dave’s bank open showcase how the different businesses he wants to help have different problems. Many have been impacted by the recession and a negative economy. Diversity is Dave’s mission because he wants a true community bank. The people around him in Burnley, UK are what matters to him most. Bank of Dave made me ponder the importance of building blocks for success. The story sends the message that debt or business closings of businesses do not represent a complete failure. The film makes it clear that there are resources, even if accessing them is multi-stepped and time-consuming.

Dave says himself, “It’s about the quality of life for the whole community.” Those words connect to the enlightening moments regarding the mission of the bank (and film.) I love how the film and the true story focus on the fact that Dave’s mission is to help those in debt. He believes that those in poverty will find encouragement and that his bank can provide support. Helping those in need crawl out of their frustrations based on errors in the past.

Ultimately, the brilliant part is that Dave’s bank is intended for those to get back what they once lost. There are some legal issues for Dave around this practice, especially with loan operations, and some minor deficits. Overall, there is a positive angle in all of Bank of Dave.

The film is filled with foundations, numbers, banking scenarios, and countless invigorating moments. Bank of Dave does lack in a few scenes, but its entrepreneurship and businessman vibes hold true and are excellent. It is truly a different type of film that is based on a true story. It does not try to over-analyze, be over dramatic, or misrepresent its characters or the nature of their issues. It is just neutral and faithful. Three out of four stars for Bank of Dave.

Film reviews

The Equalizer 3 Review

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I’m sure director Antoine Fuqua did his best to bring the Equalizer franchise to a promising conclusion with The Equalizer 3. And it does have some interesting twists and turns. But the film is far from spellbinding or exhilarating, it has a rushed conclusion, and it falls far short of bringing a monumental closing to the franchise.

The Equalizer 3 begins in Sicily, Italy. Denzel Washington is back in his role as Robert McCall. His new home and setting seem like the calm life he has needed, an atmosphere where the violence and mayhem he’s experienced are behind him. But finding peace and new beginnings takes an unfortunate and not very compelling turn for McCall. The mob shows up, via Vincent Scarduzio (played by Andrea Scarduzio), as well as drug cartels with the disasters that they bring. A CIA operative, Emma Collins (played by Dakota Fanning), is there to help McCall.

Unfortunately, the way the mobsters and drug sellers are introduced to us in The Equalizer 3 is awkward and poorly done. The film seems to care more about Washington’s performance than finding a interesting path through the story. I will say that his performance, and the joint performance of he and Fanning, were invigorating and poetic, and that was definitely the high point. The mob operations and the performances of Fanning and Washington make The Equalizer 3 feel almost like a reunion of Man on Fire (2004), which the both starred in. In that film Washington is assigned to protect Fanning. In The Equalizer 3 they are helping and protecting each other. The chemistry between Fanning and Washington in both films is excellent, but it’s not enough to carry this film.

The Equalizer 3 is relatively quick and sharp in its moments of action, but there are not as many action sequences as the first two films, which had one after another. The Equalizer 3 tries to set a foundation for its central conflict, but the writing is just poor in that regard. The beginning of the film in particular was boring and made me forget about previous events from the first two films. I found myself wondering how long it would be before there was something to grab my attention. The film is just all over the place. Many of the conflicts are presented without context, and the presentation is simply dull.

At one point in The Equalizer 3 McCall says there are “nine seconds to decide your fate”. There are more than nine seconds of entertainment in this film, but the action vibes start slow and steadily decline. My expectations were not set too high for this film, but I had faith that it would surprise me. But having faith did not help with this experience. Two stars out of four for The Equalizer 3.