Tag Archives: Oscilloscope

Film reviews

Universal Language Review

Leave a comment

There is uniqueness in a setting that is seeking infrastructural change. The title of Universal Language is strong and meaningful. Countries are clashing and resources are limited in this portrait which dives into the recreational aspects of the subject matter.  In this film, bizarre moments of reality that seem to have no connection intersect. Matthew Rankin is the director, the writer and one of the lead characters in Universal Language. His role is essential to tracking the development andunderstanding of the story. 

The film’s projection is in 16 M which delivers beauty while painting an intriguing portrait that provides the foundation to this unique film. Rankin’s directing is spot-on as the film struggles in a quiet and twisted plot structure. It explores a path of politics and swerves between Winnipeg and Tehran. There is evidence and different signs involving languages in places where they do not belong. Rankin’s directing is not just layered with elements of surprise but also allows him to present his character as the one searching for answers.

In the film, Rankin is Matthew, a man who calls it quits with his job so he can visit his mother. The other reason he is leaving his job is due to his annoyance with working with the Quebec government. Another scenario in the film focuses on characters Negin and Nazgol (played by Rojina Esmaelli and Saba Vahedyousefi). They come across money frozen in winter ice, and they are tempted to fish for it. There is also a character named Massoud (played by Pirouz Nemati), a tour guide that truly is not the most enthusiastic about his clients. The settingsof Winnipeg and Tehran spark a host of deep thinking. The level of normalcy and the strange moving parts in societies which are searching for infrastructure beg for answers.

Rankin knows how to tackle essential questions in Universal Language. When politics are hidden, the audience sees what the characters care about most. In the weird era of the film’s setting, Kleenex and live turkeys are a priority. Thanks to the reference to tissues, it took me back to the COVID pandemic and the shortages of certain products. Rankin is skillful in adding what is not expected, and while also establishing an artistic portrayal of struggle. Universal Language is a fascinating puzzle with a euphoric taste. 

The film’s continuity helps drive it forward. The bizarre interactions between Winnipeg and Tehran have tangents that are surreal. It keeps audiences asking questions as the journey of the individuals proceed. Is Matthew glad he quit his job? Is Massoud happy as a tour guide? Will there be success for Negin and Nazgol with the money in the lake? A puzzle of questions flows authentically while also reminding the audience that it is not a place of normalcy. It is an auteur class project where brilliance is just underneath the surface.

Among the lands of mixed politics and quirky scenarios, the entire film has an extravagance to it. The projection moves the idea of artistry to heights filled with new curiosities. The world of Rankin is one-of-a-kind in Universal Language. It is one of the most eloquent movie experiences I have had in quite some time. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Wildcat Review

Leave a comment

Written and directed by Ethan Hawke, Wildcat follows the true story of the writer Flannery O’Connor. Through the direction of Hawke, he casts his daughter Maya Hawke as O’Connor. It is an adaptation gearing on the real struggles of O’Connor boil. Artistry is divine in capturing verisimilitude. Wildcat soars with abundance as it searches for the talent of O’Connor to be recognized. It brings in the 1950s era with mental difficulty. It brings in the narrative of Maya’s voice as she battles her errors in her evolving writing days. The subtleness is superb. There is a reality that an in-depth invigoration precedes Wildcat.

The film begins with Flannery creating a story in her mind. From that point on, it goes to the reality that she is in. With facing rejections from her writing, the support around her is not hopeful. Her mother is Regina (played by Laura Linney). Regina tries to encourage Flannery to focus on other aspects of her life. Flannery’s writing is what brings meaning to herself. Her emptiness is sad and hard to bear. She is living in an era of many classes and segregation among races. She also is dealing with lupus. Her theme of writing is her life. 

Wildcat is breathtaking on Flannery to build her name. As her disease lingers, she only continues to form her creative mind. With some hopes for love, acceptance, and having a voice, Wildcat parallels all those values. The sense of Flannery in a blur is because of her window closing due to her disease. The narration continues through her moments of aches. Maya’s performance is revolutionary. Her portrayal of someone real delivers vast characterization. “Characterization” with constant thinking of connection. How though? Does Maya want to feel loved? Does Maya have other ambitions? Her disease and her voice are her focus.

My appreciation for Wildcat is its realism of encouragement. The “encouragement” is finding your voice. I try to find my voice as a critic every day. Flannery did her work. The theme of love serves as an important as well in Wildcat. Flannery finds herself in a moment with a man named Manley Pointer (played by Cooper Hoffman). At that moment, boundaries seemed blurred. Will Flannery be taken advantage of? Is that what Flannery wants? The cinematics of trial and error set the course of there being no defeat for Flannery to publish her story.

The vastness of moments is only the beginning of a triumphant story. When watching Maya perform as Flannery, the younger days of her father came to me. Ethan’s days in The Dead Poet’s Society and White Fang connect to his daughter. It does in the sense of having a gift and dealing with receiving little recognition. That is the inspiring factor of never quitting a craft of meaning.

Wildcat will enthrall its audience with a story of purpose. It keeps its momentum in keeping Flannery the focus of what she is striving for. Where does the story take its audience? Find out in Wildcat. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.