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Ebertfest 2023, Revisited classics

Ebertfest 2023–Final Days

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This was my second time experiencing To Leslie in a festival setting. The first time was at last year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival. Director Michael Morris brings us a film that challenges the concept of making mistakes and having a fresh start. The film focuses on Leslie (played by Andrea Riseborough). Leslie is a single mother who won tons of money in a lottery and burned it all. She has hit hard ground with addictions and a world of problems. The whole town knows her for her errors in a small area of West Texas. With Morris directing a film based on true events, To Leslie displays that there are always second chances. With the help of a hotel manager named Sweeney (played by Marc Maron), Leslie starts to find more confidence in herself. Leslie’s troubles are intense, but inspiring. The approach the director takes with portraying her errors sends a message that Leslie just needs a little more faith in herself. The film is an astonishing independent work of art that I found mesmerizing.

From a PBS documentary comes one of the most honest films which is sure to touch viewers. The film includes much archived footage of Marian Anderson, and the title speaks for itself. Directed by Rita Coburn, there are loads of historical factors that are mentioned and carefully detailed. It is a journey of a woman with a voice who faced many conflicts due to segregation and other challenges of the times. Where I found honesty in this film was in how it raised awareness of many African Americans who faced rejection. The quote, “Her success is our success” resonated with me. Marian Anderson’s talent is worshipped through the artistic direction of Coburn. The era of the 1920s through the 1940s are depicted through an invigorating timeline of real events. I love the film for how it inspires people to shoot for their dreams, to not let rejection get them down, but instead allow it to encourage them.

Two short films were screened. Both display realism and talented voices in the shortened length of time. Team Dream is directed by Luchina Fisher and Club Alli is directed by Julien and Justin Turner. Team Dream is a true story about Ann Smith and Madeline Murphy Rabb, swimmers in the 2022 National Senior Games. The film covers background on their lives and displays empathy related to accomplishing their goals as athletes. It is touching and encourages its audience with the message that it is never too late to accomplish something you’re passionate about. It has its moments of trial and error but visits those concepts with passion and dedication through a compelling narrative that is unforgettable. Club Alli is a short film about a robbery operation with a retro vibe. The film challenges race but incorporates it into a story about having an operation not go awry. This is a dark short film from the creative minds of talented directors. I was blown away by all its cinematic elements. Both films covering the topics of race and segregation are mesmerizing well-laid out stories.

From director Boaz Yakin, Fresh is close to its anniversary of being two decades old. To this day, it is a masterpiece with significant depth that stirs the pot of conflict. It is a film that illustrates the obstacles of life for an orphan. That orphan goes by the name “Fresh”, and he is played by Sean Nelson. He spends his time among gangs and violence. At the age of twelve, he finds himself on a plateau of legal problems which put him in a risky danger zone. In the eyes of Fresh, he is bored and lonely, which causes him to get involved with gangs. The moments where he finds some joy in his life are playing chess with Sam (played by Samuel L. Jackson). With all the turmoil in the film, Fresh is a realistic example of life for younger kids in an environment that is toxic for them. The film’s message is that there is an opportunity to start somewhere new, even in the worst of times. The film’s compelling suspense makes for an invigorating ride. The audience knows that Fresh only wants to have a life that is good for him.

This was my third time experiencing this film.  The trails of storytelling come into play and are vital in achieving what this film is trying to portray. Director Wim Wenders challenges the cinematography with the story. He also makes his audience think about what his characters have on their minds. Wings of Desire is quite an experience. The plot is focused on two individuals, Damien and Cassiel (played by Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander).  They are two angels who are observing the world. In their observations, there are narrations involving how they feel about what they see, hear, touch, or feel. These feelings are presented in the most astonishing shots some of which are obscure or haunting. The realism and the mental capacity that Wings of Desire requires stirs up a range of inner thoughts that make its audience wonder about their presence in this world. I continue to be amazed by the experience of this film. The restoration of Wings of Desire is a triumph and among of the best cinematic masterpieces this world has to offer.

The beloved classic Forrest Gump touches my heart and always will. The life of one man with many struggles, Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks). However, his “struggles” are not the film’s sole focus. The film begins with him sitting on a bench telling stories of his accomplishments to others waiting for a bus. Then it jumps to his early childhood when he is explaining how his mother (played by Sally Field) had him observed. She is informed that his IQ is not the greatest. In a heartbeat, Forrest is found to have many talents and aspirations that emerge out of nowhere. His biggest focus is his love for Jenny (played by Robin Wright). His life of accomplishments spans real-life events which include American presidents, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and many more. Forrest has social problems, but he is one-of-a-kind with amazing gifts. It is not just because of Hanks’s performance that I love Forrest Gump. It is also because of how Forrest makes his priority and focus the people he cares about the most who include Lieutenant Dan (played by Gary Sinise) and Bubba (played by Mykelti Williamson). As an individual on the spectrum who is always working to grow and improve myself, Forrest Gump reminds me that there is always a bright side to life, in the good and the bad times. As Forrest says, “My Mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.”

Attending Ebertfest this year was one of the most rewarding experiences. There are many film festivals in the world, but none are quite like this one. A lot of festivals require attendees to pick which films they want to see. Not at Ebertfest!  I enjoyed getting to know everyone because it is a festival with a community who share a common love of movies, The critics, the audience, and the many people I know who attended the fest have been a positive inspiration to me. This experience truly encouraged me to keep watching movies and writing reviews. I hope this festival continues to be a unique community festival experience. I was so moved by Ebertfest 2023, and I hope to attend again in the future. 

Film reviews

To Leslie Review

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Trial and error go in many patterns for many people. For those who hit uncharted territory due to poor judgment and relapse problems, To Leslie is a drama that speaks to the heart of those who find themselves in a blur with life. To Leslie is one of those films that carries its emotions deeply with building up many distressing situations. There is a generous amount of lying of mental health in many fragments of the film. Director Michael Morris is one that is the right fit to direct this dark drama. With his credits of directing a few episodes of the Netflix shows ranging from 13 Reasons Why (which ran from 2017 to 2020), and a few episodes of House of Cards (which ran from 2013-2018), Morris knows reverse psychology in behaviors. For To Leslie to be his first full-length feature, it is one where he keeps it faithful in and of its realism for the emotions to sink with his audience.

The small-town setting of West Texas raises tons of questions for the many failures of a single mother. That is because in a town where much is cost-effective, much could have been reconciled earlier on. To Leslie has its environment surrounded of hard ground territory, and the levels of frustrations the film continues to have remains neutral. What I mean by neutral is that there are no changes in the beginning for Leslie. Leslie is the single mother with the problems, and she is played by Andrea Riesborough. Riesborough’s performance is the faithful representation of what it looks like to broke and suffer from relapse.

This the story of To Leslie. Leslie is a single mother who once won tons of money in a lottery. Sadly though, she burned through it already. Her judgments with her finances have led her to a world of hatred and feeling burdened. The ones who despise her the most is Nancy (played by Allison Janney) and her son James (played by Owen Teague). Leslie has a good heart, but her mindset is deteriorated from countless days of drugs and alcohol use, and only continues to make decisions which keep making her spiral into a downfall of even more emotions. With no home, being broke, and living in an environment where everyone despises her, Leslie feels she is a ghost in the small town of West Texas. Her life slowly starts to find some light when she is given a job at a motel by a hotel manager named Sweeney (played by Marc Maron). Not only does she get a job, but she also gets free room and board. Which means shelter and a bed at the motel. With a slow start and some rejuvenation. Sweeney begins to help Leslie find what there is for her to start fresh and work the way up to regain her life. More building towards a life of dismissing the drinking and drug usage days and reconnecting with her son.

The outline of conflicts in the film creates a puzzle of errors. The outline of frustrations for Leslie’s deficiencies leads to tough love. Overall, the hypothesis of the film’s breakdown is set where it makes it appear that Leslie may never improve. The emotions of To Leslie is pragmatic.  The cinematography and lighting appear to look like a film that is shot like a Vimeo production. Despite the low-quality of cinematography and lighting, that is the key to making the struggles of Leslie appear to feel realistic. It is Morris’s usage of a sad tale from a surreal mindset.

The feeling that Morris creates for his audience with To Leslie is having faith. Even though the film is set to make Leslie look like she is a failure and one that does not deserve to be treated equally, she can still do good with herself. As Sweeney helps her get back on her feet with the job and room and board he provides for her, he puts up with Leslie’s errors, he does so though, because he believes she can regain what she once lost. The patience of Maron’s performance is heartfelt and engrossing. The emotional acting of Riesborough’s performance is melancholy. The sorrowful mindsets of Maron and Riesborough is created where both start to have faith. That is Sweeney having faith in Leslie, and Leslie having faith in herself. To Leslie sees the light in many fragments, it is just out of focus as Morris continues the film to be dark with heartbreak.

Will Leslie regain her life? Will she reconcile with her son? Is To Leslie a masterpiece? I will answer the third question. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a drama that is compelling with honesty. The film is a representation of how many can struggle in today’s world. For Leslie, her struggles are endless. There is still tons of ways for her to reconcile and get her life in order. The negativity in the film though is just heartless. Three stars for To Leslie.