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Film reviews

Sorry, Baby Review

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This is a portrait that I was mesmerized by. It is a film that leads to curiosity as it explores human nature. Sorry, Baby leaves a trail of questions. Why do things happen? Why do people do what they do? Ultimately, how does the person who has been impacted keep a calm demeanor? Eva Victor is the writer, the director and the lead in Sorry, Baby. She gives everything to this performance. Her mental awareness and her ability to portray disconnect are impressive. Sorry, Baby shines in displaying matters of stress and relief. It is built upon a foundation of the steps it takes to go forward. The result is a landscape of trial and error that paints a clear picture of what it means to go with a gut-feeling.

Victor plays Agnes. She is working through the steps of completing her thesis to become an advisor. She shares a house with her close friend Lydia (Naomi Ackie), who is pregnant. Agnes and Lydia bond over their shared appreciation for hard work. For Agnes, however, her life takes a turn due to her thesisadvisor Preston (Louis Canceimi). Agnes is thriving the best she can her and then her world rotates once she meets Preston. While the audience does not see the tragic events, she has a harsh encounter with Preston involving assault.

Once the assault happens, the mood of Sorry, Baby understandably changes. Victor’s writing reflects the introverted mode caused by embarrassment and shame. Going forward, it begins to create a positive form of movement because Agnes keeps her head high and works through her emotions. She focuses on her thesis and leans on her friends, including Lydia. Then she finds herself at ease hanging around with her neighbor Gavin (Lucas Hedges). Sorry, Baby displays Oscar-worthy characterizations that soar with encouragement from the creative mind of someone who shows how growth from a harsh reality is possible.

The real-world scenario of Sorry, Baby leaves audiences with an influential reminder. Specifically, there is often something helpful to be learned from even a horrible encounter. At the same time though, it also shows how difficult it can be to talk about it. Victor’s writing showcases the sensitive layer of vulnerability that has the audiences hoping for better outcomes for Agnes. Her skills at writing, directing, and acting have led to a masterpiece.

With the harsh encounters creating anxiety in the film, the way Agnes deals with the post-event is thought-provoking. Does it scare her? Yes. Does it impact her? Yes. Does she open up about it? Not entirely. Her introverted personality and lighthearted attitude display that it is not about ruining one’s life, but about how one can move forward positively. Lydia’s pregnancy is one of the distractions for Agnes, and so is a cat she adopts. Slowly, the sweeter aspects of life fill the landscape in Sorry, Baby and light the way for an inspirational path.

There is turmoil, there is sadness, and Sorry, Baby turns despair into hope. Victor’s performance in all three roles (writer, director, actor) is one for the ages. The disconnect from reality is just the beginning and the steps to redemption are one-of-a-kind. Four out of four stars for Sorry, Baby.

Film reviews

Materialists Review

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Celine Song is a director with an eye for relationships finding faith. After the success of Past Lives, there is a sense of experimentation with her newest feature, Materialists. The perception of the film feels like a blur, but at the same time the characterizations have various conflicting dynamics. Despite those obstacles, it is stellar in its continuity and keeps its focus on what the hearts of the main characters want. Theinterconnection of flaws and frustrations weaves poetically because Song knows how to portray acceptance with Materialists.

The film’s main setting is New York city and the main character, Lucy (Dakota Johnson), is a matchmaker. She makes a living by matching individuals with their potential new mate. She assesses candidate’s chances by taking into consideration multiple characteristics—age, occupation, salary, and purpose. Lucy relies upon trial and error in her work but seems to maintain a healthy lifestyle although sometimes loneliness gets to her. She also experiences ups and downs with her friend Sophie (Zoe Winters).

Fortunately, she believes she has found luck with a wealthy match named Harry (Pedro Pascal). However, her biggest challenge remains mending her relationship with her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans). John is a waiter and a struggling actor. The film weaves together moments of their relationship from the past along with how it is in the present. At the same time, Lucy is trying to navigate the hurdles of being a matchmaker and figure out if her heart is set on Harry or John. The life of a matchmaker is an interesting process when trying to find one’s own true love.

The scenes alternate between finding momentum and then feeling dry. At the same time, the film maintains the pattern of a thought process for its audience. Song successfully creates an atmosphere for her audience to be inspired. The humanistic approach of Materialists carries the hope of happiness waiting to be found which is explored through the performances of Johnson and Evans. These two characters are the primary ones struggling even though one of them is one making bank by helping others find love. Money does not buy happiness. This well-known fact has a sensitive side that builds on the connection between reality and true love and is portrayed with a fulfilling light of aspiration in Materialists.

Materialists is relevant to real-life especially because it is set in the current era where finding love is harder than ever in a world full of advancements and easy distractions. The evidence of distress is clearly displayed by Song in the film. The collaboration between a woman helping people find love, a struggling actor, and a wealthy businessman is complicated. The question of whether each person can find happiness is handled vividly in Materialists.

This is not the greatest film from Song, but it is a solid steppingstone. Past Lives is still her most mesmerizing project. The brilliance of her style is within the dynamics that weave back and forth. Overall, Materialists achieves an experimental form of continuity. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Bring Her Back Review

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This is one of those psychological rides that takes a new approach with layers of uncertainty below the core. With terror that shocks and surprises, it has treacherous backstory behind it. The sense of authenticity sparks incredibly, as Bring Her Back justifies itself to being one that will truly creep out its audiences and inevitably horrify them. It is not only the plot though, it is the fact that there is depth and pieces to put together. They are predictable, but the promising side of speculation is what makes it so engrossing.

Written and directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. These two filmmakers try to move up the ladder to new levels of excruciating and immersive scares in their continued projects. It sure notches up a few in Bring Her Back. To compare, Talk to Her correlates to Bring Her Back, but the premise has been twisted, they have added more truths and secrets in Bring Her Back. This is a guardianship scenario that is ignited with wrongdoings, and it must be stopped before it gets more out of hand. What captivates me with the Philippou duo is their forms of writing. They have a craft for creating fake or disturbing characterizations that are bound to be a lie—that is their key approach to creating their invigorating suspense in Bring Her Back.

The film centers on a brother and a sister, Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong). Their father has passed, and Andy is still too young to be a guardian to Piper, who also happens to be blind. They get paired with Laura (Sally Hawkins), a foster mom that delivers an eerie vibe. She also has another boy in the house named Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), and he displays characteristics that are concerning. Andy begins to see the dangerous side of Laura, who has an intrusive nature and is always placing blame on him. She is doing it to turn Piper against him. After the death of their father, the pattern of the house creates a nightmare portrait for Andy. He can see it clearly, but Piper cannot due to her disability. Did Laura kill their father? Why does Laura have Oliver in concerning patterns of behavior? Why does Laura have bizarre rituals? Why is Laura encouraging abusive matters? Laura does have a motherly personality, but the writing is on the wall of the lies behind that façade.

The context of Bring Her Back presents itself as a truth that does not want to be believed. The audience will not want to believe all of what is happening, and neither do the characters themselves. The juxtaposition of terror disbelief drives forwarda unique brand of a nightmare in Bring Her Back. Many of the characteristics link to wrong choices, a lot of which are from Laura, who loops into action to create a more detrimental experience for Andy and Piper. 

 Bring Her Back delivers imagery that is hard to get out of viewers’ heads. Without giving away spoilers, I will say do not watch the film on a full stomach. It may leave some aching moments, however, it is also surreal, invigorating and inviting. Three out of four stars for Bring Her Back.