Film reviews

Speak No Evil Review

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This is a clever remake. It paces itself and builds on the aspects of kindness. All in all, though, it is just average. Speak No Evil is a remake of the 2022 Danish film with the same title. The Danish version was more realistic. This version has some intriguing parts, but not enough to sell its building curiosities which keep the audience asking what and why are the events in the film happening. It is written and directed by James Watkins. This is his most recent feature-length film as a director since The Take (2016). Watkins’ direction of Speak No Evil is subtle, yet passable as a psychological and horrific picture.

The film focuses on a family. The family consists of a set of parents, Ben and Louise Dalton (played by Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis). Ben and Louise have a daughter named Agnes (played by Alix West Lefler). They are invited to spend a weekend getaway at a home offering solitude in the countryside. They are hosted by another family whose parents are Paddy and Clara (played by James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi). Their son is Ant (played by Dan Hough). Both the kids have struggles, and both sets of parents feel the getaway will be a great escape for everyone. However, unusual episodes begin to arise. 

The film has set of dynamics in which parenting plays into the disturbing suspense. Normalcy is part of the context in Speak No Evil, but there is not much in this film. Questioning conflicts and concerning patterns of behavior are looped into the storyline especially in the scenes where Ben and Louise realize that Paddy’s parenting towards Ant is belittling and abusive. They also find themselves clashing as parents. The egos and expectations hit points of conflict that are intense enough to boil into a mental and physical rampage.

The question being asked by viewers throughout Speak No Evil is, “Are these families safe?” Is there a reason for episodes of weirdness and bizarre behavior to continue? The fact that the family is overseas ends up being beside the point as more shocking discoveries are made. It turns out that there is evidence below the surface that Ben, Louise, and Agnes are not aware of. 

The focus of concern becomes the actions of Paddy, in an effective performance by McAvoy. He goes on an angry tirade over even the most minor actions in various scenarios. Paddy also takes many issues extremely personally. This happens frequently in the parts when Ben and Louise express concern. When they do that, he dismisses it. The flow of the characterizations is looped into misdirection which results in increased chances of peril.

Speak No Evil is one of those remakes that rapidly delivers disturbing suspense. In the end, it is quite predictable. However, it provides an escape for some entertaining action at the movies because it’s a fun thriller to kick off the Halloween season. Overall, I rate Speak No Evil three out of four stars.

Film reviews

His Three Daughters Review

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This film spotlights three sisters working to come together during a time of pain and grief– spiraling many emotions of regret, shame, jealousy, confusion as well as agreements, disagreements, and connections. His Three Daughters takes all those concepts and forms them into one life-changing and complex scenario. It does so with a flow of writing that is faithful to human feelings. His Three Daughters is a narrative that knows how to keep its focus—keeping the three sistersworking together despite their differences with the patterns shifting and spiraling authentically. Carrie Coon delivers many of the long speeches in the dramatic scenes. I have seen Coon in Steppenwolf Theatre productions in Chicago. Coon’s performance in His Three Daughters brings out her determined and theatrical presence to the finest level. Natasha Lyonne plays a role common to her quirkiness in The American Pie franchise. Lyonne though, shifts this one to have silly sides within her, while dealing with a serious situation. Then there is Elizabeth Olsen.  We are used to seeing her in Marvel films, but her breadth of roles has gotten more serious and fulfilling. After her performance in the HBO Miniseries, Love & Death, her monotone personality has shifted thought patterns in an exhilarating matter.

In His Three Daughters, Coon is Katie, Lyonne is Rachel, and Olsen is Christina. They are three sisters who are trying to be with their father at his home in New York to aid him until he passes. This is not an easy task, and one where tolerance and many moving parts are mentally taxing. Katie is the sister that is eager and setting all the blocks up to honor her father after his death. Rachel has always been in their father’s home and provided a lot for him before his health got worse. With Christina, she is just there to make each moment for their father comfortable. Their father is Vincent (played by Jay O’Sanders). The dynamics of the sisters take all kinds of paths. Rachel smokes weed and gambles continuously, Katie keeps being provoked by Rachel’s poor etiquette, and Christina is just trying to see things through properly. His Three Daughters is a revelation of how families can feel in the times where they are about to lose someone. Mindfulness flows through this film, with constant reminders of how the complexity of death lingers.

The sisters living in this limbo create the depth and perception of presence through the writing in His Three Daughters. The film rumbles like a dramatic stage production as the characters sit in unstable circumstances. The shaky feelings are a lot to take in mentally in the film and it’s seen in every conversation. This is where the writing blows its audience out of the water.  The truth is hard to hear—especially when it is around the subject of who has been more responsible or who is winning in the race of loyalty.

Audacious is the adjective that came to mind in the representation of His Three Daughters. It is  vivid in the way of being an open book. Writer and director Azazel Jacobs knows how to make dynamics of conflict have an intense sense of hurt and hatred. He also knows how to move it around and bring in acceptance.  Acceptance is not easy in His Three Daughters, but it does come around with connection in coming together. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

CUFF 31, Film reviews

Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage (CUFF 31) Review

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This is one of those rare experimental projects that channels real and inner thoughts. Artists: Depression, Anxiety and Rageexplores a new thought-process of how the world views mental health scenarios. Directed by Lydia Lunch and Jasmine First, their approach takes a deep dive into the realms of how people’s thoughts spiral out of control when they get into their own heads. Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage is a train ride of feelings that reminds its audience to keep the thought of resilience in the back of their minds.

Artists are the central focus of the film. Literary authors,composers, poets, visual artists —everyone has a way of telling how they feel and putting it into art form. The stories behind what unfolds in the lives of many of the artists is a lot to take in. Some of the information they share may be too much to bear, however, it keeps bringing up the inspirational factor despite thedark subject matters. The three feelings in the title are just the beginning, there is a whole lot more to the stories of the artists.

This was a two-year project by Lunch and Hirst. One that brings spellbinding realizations and connections in all their interviews. All of the artists featured have a dark background which correlates to how their art is expressed in their chosen medium. Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage is a film where audiences may have to have a thick skin to take in these stories. The world of truth has layers of meaning with a presentation that is haunting, yet mesmerizing.

The whole film is in black-and-white cinematography—a trait where the darkness feels appropriate. But it is also one where it feels questionable. Is there hope? Is there a light? How deep are the mental health issues for each artist? Can some crawl of their darkness and anguish? Can some learn how to use their artistic skills to help them grow out of this? There is light for everyone, but not everyone may see it through the film. Despite what may be unknown, Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage reminds its audience that the whole world is only human in a breathtaking narrative. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage will be playing in the 31stChicago Underground Film Festival. The festival runs from Wednesday, September 11th to Sunday, September 15th. Artists: Depression, Anxiety, and Rage will play on Saturday, September 14th at 4:30 pm, and Sunday, September 15th, at 2:30pm. Both showings will be at the Harper Theater. Go to https://cuff.org/for listings, tickets, and passes.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!