Mario Dhingsa's Blog, page 3
October 2, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'The Man Who Cheated Himself' (1950)
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
(1hr 21mins, USA)
📣Under the Skin: A police lieutenant begins sinking under a tide of lies, as he hides his lover’s murder from his rookie detective brother.
👍Lovers that soar:
One of the great doomed romances of film noir, up there with ‘Double Indemnity’ and ‘The Third Man’.
Lee J Cobb is brilliantly laconic under a cauldron of emotion.
And Jane Wyatt is mesmerising as the heiress with all passion and no heart.
👎Brothers at war:
Don’t be fooled by the title - there’s plenty of moral ambiguity here courtesy of our (anti-)hero.
Don’t expect ‘Body Heat’ levels of onscreen ardour, due to the Hays code.
And definitely don’t watch this if you’re giving up smoking…
🥇Best quote:
Det. Andy Cullen: “This is my first time out. How am I doing?”
Lt. Ed Cullen: “All right, kid. Do any better, and I'll be out of a job.”
🙁Best depressing quote:
“The truth can get you twenty years!”
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
October 1, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack: Press Review - 'Meek's Cutoff' (2010)
Filmotomy’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Oregon Trail was not a nice hike in the sun. In 19th century America, it was a 3,500 km ordeal across a harsh and barren wilderness. 400,000 pioneers attempted the journey in search of a better life. 4% of them didn’t make it. Some smaller parties would separate from the main wagon train to take ‘cut-offs’ or short cuts, after assuming they’d arrive earlier or avoid danger. And not all of these short cuts were a good idea in hindsight. Not everyone made it to the finish. And not everyone had the mercy of a quick death.
If you’ve seen 2019’s First Cow, then you’ll know the clout and calibre of director Kelly Reichardt; but if you’ve only seen First Cow, then you’re missing out on an incredible body of work and Meek’s Cutoff is perfect for your next watch.
The film is based on the true story of a lost party on the Oregon Trail, and their mounting, simmering desperation. For brevity, the original travelling party of 1,000 people is whittled down to seven, but the charismatic guide that led them into the Oregon desert is based on the real-life Stephen Meek, a man who is much more skilled at oratory and story-telling than he is at navigation and way-finding.
The grim reality of the journey is evident in the film’s opening scene, as Meek’s party attempt to cross an unremarkable river – a simple task that rapidly becomes incredibly tedious, immensely tiresome and potentially fatal. Reichardt is a master of unspoken characterisation, and this scene is a master class: Not only in how the characters try crossing, but also in how they conduct themselves on the other side of the riverbank. It’s a scene that’s also laden with tragic irony, as never again will the travellers be up to their necks in drinkable water.
There’s a wealth of great performances on show: My personal stand-outs include Michelle Williams, in a career-best role as a young wife whose confidence increases as the surrounding incompetence spirals. Paul Dano brilliantly captures how reasonable people under stress will reach unreasonable conclusions, which is as true in the time of COVID as it was on the Oregon Trail. Will Patton excels as the party’s voice of reason, but who is increasingly becoming isolated. And Bruce Greenwood as Meek himself, a man whose initially optimistic grandiloquence gradually gives way to something much darker, reflecting the prejudices of society and the rationalisation of genocide. Is it possible to see Meek’s Cutoff as a metaphor for COVID in America? While it may not have been Reichardt’s original intention, there is enough accurate symbolism there to illustrate the point.
Meek’s Cutoff is multi-awarding film – most notably at the Venice Film Festival – and it isn’t difficult to see why. Writer Jonathan Raymond and director Kelly Reichardt have crafted a swelteringly intense desert drama, the likes of which haven’t been seen since 'Ice Cold in Alex' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Unhurried, unforgiving and unpredictable, Meek’s Cutoff is not only one of the great historic survival tales, but also an incredible indictment on human, masculine, and Western fallibility. Reichardt deftly illustrates the paranoia, panic and cruelty below the surface of ‘civilised’ society, as whatever preconceived notions of self-importance her characters had when they began this journey, eventually wilt and perish under the scrutiny and intensity of the desert sun.
Reichardt has taken no short cuts in providing the best of slow-burn cinema. Meek’s Cutoff is well worth your time, with one of the most thought-provoking ending scenes in film history. So load up your wagon and bring that extra barrel of water, because this is one desert road trip that is going to leave you parched… for more!
Review published by Filmotomy.com [4/9/2021].
The Oregon Trail was not a nice hike in the sun. In 19th century America, it was a 3,500 km ordeal across a harsh and barren wilderness. 400,000 pioneers attempted the journey in search of a better life. 4% of them didn’t make it. Some smaller parties would separate from the main wagon train to take ‘cut-offs’ or short cuts, after assuming they’d arrive earlier or avoid danger. And not all of these short cuts were a good idea in hindsight. Not everyone made it to the finish. And not everyone had the mercy of a quick death.
If you’ve seen 2019’s First Cow, then you’ll know the clout and calibre of director Kelly Reichardt; but if you’ve only seen First Cow, then you’re missing out on an incredible body of work and Meek’s Cutoff is perfect for your next watch.
The film is based on the true story of a lost party on the Oregon Trail, and their mounting, simmering desperation. For brevity, the original travelling party of 1,000 people is whittled down to seven, but the charismatic guide that led them into the Oregon desert is based on the real-life Stephen Meek, a man who is much more skilled at oratory and story-telling than he is at navigation and way-finding.
The grim reality of the journey is evident in the film’s opening scene, as Meek’s party attempt to cross an unremarkable river – a simple task that rapidly becomes incredibly tedious, immensely tiresome and potentially fatal. Reichardt is a master of unspoken characterisation, and this scene is a master class: Not only in how the characters try crossing, but also in how they conduct themselves on the other side of the riverbank. It’s a scene that’s also laden with tragic irony, as never again will the travellers be up to their necks in drinkable water.
There’s a wealth of great performances on show: My personal stand-outs include Michelle Williams, in a career-best role as a young wife whose confidence increases as the surrounding incompetence spirals. Paul Dano brilliantly captures how reasonable people under stress will reach unreasonable conclusions, which is as true in the time of COVID as it was on the Oregon Trail. Will Patton excels as the party’s voice of reason, but who is increasingly becoming isolated. And Bruce Greenwood as Meek himself, a man whose initially optimistic grandiloquence gradually gives way to something much darker, reflecting the prejudices of society and the rationalisation of genocide. Is it possible to see Meek’s Cutoff as a metaphor for COVID in America? While it may not have been Reichardt’s original intention, there is enough accurate symbolism there to illustrate the point.
Meek’s Cutoff is multi-awarding film – most notably at the Venice Film Festival – and it isn’t difficult to see why. Writer Jonathan Raymond and director Kelly Reichardt have crafted a swelteringly intense desert drama, the likes of which haven’t been seen since 'Ice Cold in Alex' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Unhurried, unforgiving and unpredictable, Meek’s Cutoff is not only one of the great historic survival tales, but also an incredible indictment on human, masculine, and Western fallibility. Reichardt deftly illustrates the paranoia, panic and cruelty below the surface of ‘civilised’ society, as whatever preconceived notions of self-importance her characters had when they began this journey, eventually wilt and perish under the scrutiny and intensity of the desert sun.
Reichardt has taken no short cuts in providing the best of slow-burn cinema. Meek’s Cutoff is well worth your time, with one of the most thought-provoking ending scenes in film history. So load up your wagon and bring that extra barrel of water, because this is one desert road trip that is going to leave you parched… for more!
Review published by Filmotomy.com [4/9/2021].
August 14, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Val' (2021)
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
(1hr 49mins, USA)
📣The (VHS) Saint: Val Kilmer turns his camera on cinema itself, and redefines truth, illusion and success through 50 years of home video footage.
👍 Life supercut:
Poignant and poetic, melodic and melancholic, it's not only one of the most important records of modern film history; but also a tragic account of loss and fallibility, of industry vs artistry, and the wreckage in between.
(Plus there's the hidden sides to Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. Simultaneously.)
👎Knife haircut:
The film's 'no regrets' message may be problematic given all that's been witnessed.
And your favourite Kilmer film may be covered less than you'd like. Squeezing 800 hrs into just two is an incredible achievement, so please Amazon Studios, how about a series now on the Kilmer Archives?...
🥇Best quote:
"I don't believe in death.
My whole life, I've tried to see the world as one piece of life.
Because when you pull back from the planet, you see that we're all one life source."
🙁Best depressing quote:
"How do you heal a broken heart?
What are the words that heal a broken heart?
I know that's not the most important question in the world,
But that's the ball and chain around my memory tonight."
🦇Best Batman quote:
"Every boy dreams of being Batman,
Because it actually is possible to be him.
He's a superhero without any super powers.
When I was in second grade, our family was invited to the set of the 'Batman' TV show.
To this day, one of my dearest memories is that of my father lifting me into the Batmobile."
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
August 7, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Sink or Swim / Le Grand Bain' (2018)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
(2hrs 1mins, France)
📣The Big Blue (Blues): A synchronised swimming team of the broken and bitter find solace and success when they're suitably pooled.
👍 Aquatic kings:
An excellent cast who scale the hard-earned highs and the depression-fuelled lows of this multi-award-winning tragi-comedy.
Funnier than 'The Full Monty', more nipples than 'Magic Mike', this film has the best coaching scenes since 'Rocky', and the greatest swimwear heist ever...
👎Unspoken stings:
Some of the plot lines are resolved more satisfyingly than others.
And Philippe Katerine (who won a César for his role) is the butt of one too many jokes considering his character is a survivor of parental abuse.
🥇Best quote:
"You dive like potatoes!
I want you to scythe through air and water.
You scythe through neither!"
🙁Best depressing quote:
"People say, believe in your dreams, they'll come true.
It's a lie. I'm this far from going bankrupt. For the fourth time.
As my ex-wife used to say, it's not only your pools that are cracked."
⏳Best lockdown quote:
"I think we could all use a medal."
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
July 31, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: '1st Year Checking' (2020)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
(1hr 23mins, USA)
📣Hockey v Concussion: A youth hockey coach captures his 12-year-old's first year surviving full contact on the ice.
👍 Winning vision:
Director Michael Messner gets the puck in the net with this bold and brutally honest descent into the broken bones, bullying, betrayal and brain injury that plague youth hockey and beyond; and scores a game-winning goal with the young heroes interviewed.
👎 Open ice collision:
It's hard to come away loving a system that normalises violence and mental trauma, overlooks serious intentional injury, and rewards predatory players; but by not advocating for the elimination of 'checking' after the footage, the testimonies, and the accumulating permanent injuries to players past and present, the film risks falling short on its own convictions.
🥇Best quote:
"It isn't an easy game. You literally have to fall time and time again, in order just to stand up."
🙁Best depressing quote:
"We're seeing way too many concussions. A single player may have 5 - 7 concussions before they're even coming into Junior Hockey [16 yrs old]."
🤔Best reality check:
"The girls' game is still very physical, but the speed is emphasised instead of brute strength.
The actual skills shine through. The passing, shooting and skating.
It's almost like the girls' game has more confidence in the game itself than the boys do, who have to add the element of violence just because they think the game is lacking something."
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
July 24, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Memories of Murder / 살인의 추억' (2003)
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
(2hrs 10mins, South Korea)
Fright of the Hunter: A cop from the capital clashes with the local police on how to stop a serial killer.
👍No stone unturned:
Tense, harrowing, bleak and brilliant!
Leads Kim Sang-Kyung and Song Kang-Ho are stunning in what is modern noir at its finest - a forgotten town where good cops turn bad, and bad cops turn worse, in a world that won't allow luck or love to anyone.
👎Optimism burned:
In what is my favourite over 'Parasite', Bong-Jong Ho's striking script and direction create an unforgettable (and unforgiving) experience, as it illustrates the misogyny, chauvinism and violence that permeates not just the killer but society at large.
🥇Best quote:
"I may know nothing else, but my eyes can read people. That's how I survive as a detective, and why people say I have shaman's eyes."
🙁Best depressing quote:
"Once this mud dries, the stain will form the shape of the murderer's face."
🔎Best reality check:
"What kind of detective sleeps well?"
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
July 23, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack: Press Review - 'Marathon' (2021)
Filmotomy’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
At some point, everyone wants to be healthier. Everyone has tried to be a better version of themselves. Some of you will have thought of jogging; others will have done it and may still do. But what happens when you want to turn your five mile jog into the full 26.2? What happens when you see everyone else training for a marathon and reckon you could too? Well, according to the brilliantly funny Marathon, it could actually be the worst choice you ever make.
Writer-directors Keith Strausbaugh & Anthony Guidubaldi have crafted a stunning comedy that will have your lungs aching, thighs chafing, and bladder emptying far harder than any run around the block. It’s easily one of the best mockumentaries in the last ten years, and earns a place in that blinding pantheon next to What We Do in the Shadows and This is Spinal Tap. Marathon is what so many other classics have tried to be: There’s more underdogs here than Chariots of Fire, more insanity than Run Lola Run, and more pelvic close-ups than the mighty Spinal Tap.
Like all the best comedies, there’s a wealth of satire below the surface. As the characters explain their reasons for entering the marathon, they begin with the obvious like self-improvement, setting records, and competing with the best; and eventually arrive at more honest ones like wanting to escape your relatives, and proving your family wrong. Indeed the genius of Strausbaugh & Guidubaldi is the breadth of social commentary that it covers: product placement, class prejudices, toxic relationships, institutional racism, post-natal depression, existential loneliness, emotional abuse, acceptable masochism, and sport obsession. And all this from a film that had me in hysterics several times.
The majority of the film focuses on the three months of training that our four hopefuls endure (and ‘endure’ is no understatement). As the reality of the marathon’s demands becomes apparent, their bodies buckle and their wills break under the colossal pain and pressure. Well written and beautifully acted, these four protagonists – who are flawed on a scale ranging from ‘unfortunate’ to ‘irredeemable’ – are immensely fascinating and incredibly identifiable. Tavius Cortez (my favourite!), Natalie Sullivan, Andrew Hansen and Anais Thomassian are exceptional in their comic timing and heart-string pulling. For a quartet of characters whose only reason for entering this desert marathon is to fill an overwhelming void in their desperate lives, you may end up cherishing them long after the film ends, even if they themselves don’t make it out of the desert alive.
Special mentions must also go to Jimmy Slonina as the marathon’s organiser for 15 years (and who’s being doing this for 15 years too long); Andrew Jacobsen as the coolest Race Day volunteer (I found all of your questions relevant, Andrew!); Roberto Raad as Banana Runner #2, who’s running the same race but on a different planet; and Kimia Behpoornia, whose elegant slacking proves that you don’t need to run a marathon in order to finish a winner.
So if you want to the see the smartest satirical comedy of the year, the most hilarious foot massage committed to film, and the funniest carb-loading joke ever conceived, let Marathon take you by the hand and drag you across the finish line, one way or the other…
Review published by Filmotomy.com [5/7/2021].
'Marathon' is now available on digital and On Demand!
At some point, everyone wants to be healthier. Everyone has tried to be a better version of themselves. Some of you will have thought of jogging; others will have done it and may still do. But what happens when you want to turn your five mile jog into the full 26.2? What happens when you see everyone else training for a marathon and reckon you could too? Well, according to the brilliantly funny Marathon, it could actually be the worst choice you ever make.
Writer-directors Keith Strausbaugh & Anthony Guidubaldi have crafted a stunning comedy that will have your lungs aching, thighs chafing, and bladder emptying far harder than any run around the block. It’s easily one of the best mockumentaries in the last ten years, and earns a place in that blinding pantheon next to What We Do in the Shadows and This is Spinal Tap. Marathon is what so many other classics have tried to be: There’s more underdogs here than Chariots of Fire, more insanity than Run Lola Run, and more pelvic close-ups than the mighty Spinal Tap.
Like all the best comedies, there’s a wealth of satire below the surface. As the characters explain their reasons for entering the marathon, they begin with the obvious like self-improvement, setting records, and competing with the best; and eventually arrive at more honest ones like wanting to escape your relatives, and proving your family wrong. Indeed the genius of Strausbaugh & Guidubaldi is the breadth of social commentary that it covers: product placement, class prejudices, toxic relationships, institutional racism, post-natal depression, existential loneliness, emotional abuse, acceptable masochism, and sport obsession. And all this from a film that had me in hysterics several times.
The majority of the film focuses on the three months of training that our four hopefuls endure (and ‘endure’ is no understatement). As the reality of the marathon’s demands becomes apparent, their bodies buckle and their wills break under the colossal pain and pressure. Well written and beautifully acted, these four protagonists – who are flawed on a scale ranging from ‘unfortunate’ to ‘irredeemable’ – are immensely fascinating and incredibly identifiable. Tavius Cortez (my favourite!), Natalie Sullivan, Andrew Hansen and Anais Thomassian are exceptional in their comic timing and heart-string pulling. For a quartet of characters whose only reason for entering this desert marathon is to fill an overwhelming void in their desperate lives, you may end up cherishing them long after the film ends, even if they themselves don’t make it out of the desert alive.
Special mentions must also go to Jimmy Slonina as the marathon’s organiser for 15 years (and who’s being doing this for 15 years too long); Andrew Jacobsen as the coolest Race Day volunteer (I found all of your questions relevant, Andrew!); Roberto Raad as Banana Runner #2, who’s running the same race but on a different planet; and Kimia Behpoornia, whose elegant slacking proves that you don’t need to run a marathon in order to finish a winner.
So if you want to the see the smartest satirical comedy of the year, the most hilarious foot massage committed to film, and the funniest carb-loading joke ever conceived, let Marathon take you by the hand and drag you across the finish line, one way or the other…
Review published by Filmotomy.com [5/7/2021].
'Marathon' is now available on digital and On Demand!
June 26, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Angel / Un Ange' (2018)
(1hr 45 mins, Belgium)
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
500 Minutes of Summer: A cyclist and a prostitute discover an unknown perfection in the hands of affection and the smiles of each other.
👍African Queen:
Inspired and illuminating, ominous and unsettling, Koen Mortier delivers an astonishing vision of love, loss and loneliness. Fatou N'Diaye and Vincent Rottiers are phenomenal as their new love teeters between salvation and self-destruction.
👎Agony unseen:
The film sheds some much-needed light on the plight of workers in sex tourism.
And no one will be left thrilled to take up professional cycling, in what is 'Leaving Las Vegas' meets 'The Armstrong Lie'.
The movie is loosely based on the ill-fated life of the Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke.
🥇Best quote:
"I'd rather consider myself a gazelle.
I feel lighter as a gazelle."
🙁Best depressing quote:
"I've often thought: 'Is this the end?'
Once you've lost everything, you're left with nothing but your body.
It's your one and only possession.
My body is who I am, more than my spirit or anything else."
🤔Best reality check:
"Do you know who I am? The Euro Disney hotels know Thierry Brasfort!"
"Mickey Mouse probably knows all of high society, but you're in Senegal now, not a theme park."
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
June 19, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Blinded By The Light' (2019)
(1hr 53mins, UK)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
📣Denim Poets' Society: New Jersey's finest poet teaches Luton's unluckiest that the hand that's dealt isn't the hand that counts.
👍Thunder Road:
Wonderfully well-written and joyfully executed.
Despite the anger and alienation all around, it brings a sparkle to the streets of Luton, and a chance to dance for us all.
Special mention to Hayley Atwell (cool teacher), Kulvinder Ghir (England's most quotable Dad), and David Hayman (coolest neighbour ever).
👎Duty owed:
Tiffany fans won't be impressed!
Some parts may be a bit predictable, and the '80s references a little awkward; but this film has the power to turn Springsteen agnostics into true believers, and gives a voice to an all-too-common agony.
🥇Best quote:
"You think that this man sings for people like us?"
"But he TALKS to me!"
🙁Best depressing quote:
"Forty-eight years ago I marched into war with my friends to fight men in swastikas.
Today I see swastikas on young men on the streets of Luton.
That was a very brave poem, young man. You must write more and get your message out.
N.F. scum indeed!"
💡Best line of reasoning:
"This Bruce Springsteen, are you sure he's American?
I read his songs. He said work hard, don't give up, respect your parents.
This man must be Pakistani."
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
June 12, 2021
#SilverScreenBlack reviews: 'Sideshow' (2021)
(1hr 34mins, UK)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
📣Séance Heist: Vengeance and greed lead a pair of incompetent criminals into a psychic's den of danger and deceit.
👍Gold purses:
Haunting, hilarious and thoroughly entertaining, this is a comedy of escalating catastrophes and a tragic ode to the unlucky.
Another pinnacle for Les Dennis, a gifted supporting cast, and a beautifully impressive third act.
👎Black curses:
Some of the first act's characterisations, dialogue and plot may be a little predictable.
Mental health issues may be over-generalised.
But there's more chance of you being hit by a meteorite than not enjoying this film with a wide grin.
🥇Best quote:
"There are three things in life that I don't trust. Banks, the internet, and agents."
🙁Best depressing quote:
"Prove it. Read my mind then!"
"I'm sorry son, but there really isn't much in there to be working with."
😎Best '80s mention:
"Look at them. It's like the cast reunion of 'Cocoon'!"
Twitter: @mariodhingsa
