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Film reviews

The Son Review

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Depression is a normal human emotion. Some people struggle with depression and others are better able to handle it. Director Florian Zeller puts us in a world of depression in The Son which is an honest and faithful film that is about a teenage boy’s emotional distress. The filmis realistic in its portrayal of life as it authentically illustrates how feeling down can be a challenge to accept. The melancholy is highly saturated throughout the story.

I had difficulty with The Son at various times. The concepts of sadness and anxiety were the two factors that made me feel especially emotional. The Son reminded me of what it can feel like to be down about aspects of life. Given all the downer moments in the film, I wasalso reminded of how important getting help is.  It is clear, however, that the ones we love most may have to make tough decisions sometimes and those who are suffering may take offense to those decisions. By making these difficult decisions, the hope is to help the people we love ultimately live a better life.

In The Son, audiences are introduced to Nicholas (played by Zen McGrath). He is a teenage boy with divorced parents in New York City. He ditches school and begins to show signs that concern his mother Kate (played by Laura Dern). Nicholas then begs to stay with his father Peter (played by Hugh Jackman). Peter is remarried, and his new wife is Beth (played by Vanessa Kirby). Nicholas changes schools, and his dad tries to help him out. Nicholas acts like he is improving, but he is not well and hides his emotions. Peter and Kate do not know how to help their son. Even Peter’s father (played by Anthony Hopkins) does not know how to give Peter advice. Unfortunately, Peter’s father is self-absorbed and fails to admit to his own mistakes during Peter’s childhood. With all the tensions, frustrations, and worrisome factors, The Son is psychologically disturbing. The level of Nicholas’ sadness causes confusion and many questions for Kate, Peter, and Beth.

The Son paints a vivid portrait of mental health challenges and displays Zeller’s vision of realism as a director. Zeller knows how to grease the wheel of stress and apprehension in The Son. In a few fragments, Nicholas is shown in an average mood. There are moments where it seems he has more confidence in himself, and his father becomes immediately impressed. The essential ingredients to Nicholas’ mental health tend to come to a halt due to shocking discoveries by his parents. These scenes are portrayed with honesty and are familiar to those familiar with depression.  People who fight depression tend to keep covering their tracks and hiding their real problems. Can Nicholas stop lying to himself?

The Son left me with mixed emotions. I liked it for its realism, but its focus on mental health was hard for me to handle. Nicholas’ parents simply want their son to be happy. Despite how concerning Nicholas’s feelings may appear, tough love may have to come into play to help him recover.

The film left me quite down, but it reinforced the importance of my life. It reminded me of who has helped me to get my life back on track when I’ve faced troubles.  It also reminded me of the fundamentals of family. In the end, it is all about what people can do to help those they care about pick themselves up. Three stars for The Son.

Film reviews

Whitney Houston: I wanna Dance with Somebody Review

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Naomie Ackie is the right actress to portray Whitney Houston. Her performance soars in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Ackie has the voice, the looks, and the personality. She is ferocious and poised for success. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is an honest,compelling true story which shows how the stakes for becoming successful are high and the personal risks of fame can often be overwhelming. The tensions created on Whitney’s rise to the top are exposed throughout the film.

The movie is brilliantly displayed in chronological order of thecharacters in Whitney’s life. They include her parents John and Cissy Houston (played by Clarke Peters and Tamara Tunie). There is also Clive Davis (played by Stanley Tucci) and Bobby Brown (played by Ashton Sanders). John and Clive play the marketing and sales roles in promoting Whitney’s incredibletalent. Bobby, unfortunately, adds much of the damage to Whitney’s life. While Whitney reaps the rewards of her music and royalties, her careless behavior also leads to many irreparable consequences. The question is whether she can hold it all together by finding a way out the complicated stressors in her life.

The film begins with an early focus on Whitney and jumps right into her singing career. Fans will enjoy revisiting her true moments of fame, including when she sang at the Super Bowl, her successful movies, and concert tours. Her music, however, is when she displays the struggles in her life and creates moments of despair as well as inspiration. Whitney experienced fame, abuse, and neglect. The performance by Ackie is outstanding as she portrays the real Whitney regaining her faith. Clive helps her achieve renewed success as he builds a track record of contracts and associated fame.

What captivated me the most during the film was the working relationship between Whitney and Clive. Tucci delivers a performance that is encouraging and motivating. He helps Whitney find her voice and the meaning in her music. He also helps her to establish the public image that will help her sellrecords. Whitney’s life of turmoil is saturated in the film and Tucci’s performance provides the guide to Whitney’s redemption. The film has many sad scenarios, but it is powerful in finding hope for Whitney.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody was an experience of lightness and darkness surrounding the many stages of Whitney’s life. It displays an emphasis on reality and shows that money and fame do not buy someone happiness. The spiraling conflicts caused by her financial success sets off awhirlwind of mental stressors eventually causing the light to hit a sad plateau.

The film showcases many memorable songs, a history of Whitney’s accomplishments, and also various personality clashes. Despite the realistic and sad issues, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a stellar movie of musical appreciation. It will turn tears into joy and appreciation. Three and a half stars.

58th Chicago International Film Festival, Film reviews

Aftersun Review

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Aftersun is a film in which people look at their lives both past and present. Aftersun is filled with melancholy moments, but they display endearment. This may not be a feel-good movie. However, it is breathtaking in terms of its narrative.  Aftersun’s positive light is the struggle which involves mixed feelings between a father and a daughter.

The film focuses on a father, Calum, and his daughter Sophie. Calum is played by Paul Mescal and Sophie is played by Frankie Corio. They are on a vacation together and experience frustrations with each other and with themselves. They have their good days, but also bad days when their fun plans fall apart. Aftersun is about the struggle of accepting the hard life that Calum and Sophie lead. Calum has a rough past, and so does Sophie. Her father does the best he can to be a good father, although it is hard for Sophie to see that in him. It is also difficult for her to accept that he oversees her.

Aftersun is a film that feels experimental because it closely follows the dynamics of Calum and Sophie’s relationship. Their vacation is filled with tension and the intriguing narrative connects effectively with the film’s cinematography. Aftersun portrays true feelings of disconnect in a surreal tone of dramatic filmmaking. The conflicted relationship between Calum and Sophie is unique. It shows that they have hatred, but deeply want to feel connected with each other. In Mescal’s role as Calum, he displays a generous amount of love as a father. In Corio’s role as Sophie, she displays belligerent behavior as a daughter. Aftersun’s story of attempted reconciliation is deep with irreparable consequences.  The emotions between Calum and Sophie are purely sad, but purely engrossing.

With the complicated frustrations and tension between Calum and Sophie, Aftersun flows like a depressing story. However, it is about Calum and Sophie figuring out how to get on the same page to maintain their relationship. The story is about how they come to terms of acceptance, despite their dark past. Calum’s challenging childhood drags her into his suffering. Aftersun is ultimately about forgiveness and second chances despite the struggles between them.

Aftersun is hard to feel positive about. I did appreciate the movie for its realist portrayal of a difficult subject. I found reflecting upon how relationships tend to hurt so much with the ones we love most. The film’s direction and style of filmmaking is faithful to life and society. Three stars for Aftersun.