MISS SHARON JONES!

August 10, 2016

Dallas International Film Festival 2016

miss sharon jones Greetings again from the darkness. Being described as “the female James Brown” is a double-edged sword. On one side, the talent and stage presence must be obvious. On the other side, the burden of expectations that can never be eclipsed is always present. Soul/Funk/R&B singer Sharon Jones doesn’t much care about any of that … and in this documentary we witness both her strength in life and her powerhouse performances on stage.

Filmmaker Barbara Kopple is a two time Oscar winner (Harlan County USA, 1976 and American Dream, 1990) and here she presents not so much a music or concert documentary, as an intimate look at how a person can be inspired and driven by music to fight through life’s challenges – and even cancer. In 2013, Miss Jones was diagnosed and much of the film follows her through head-shaving, chemotherapy and the battle to regain her voice and strength.

Born in North Augusta, South Carolina, Sharon was raised in Brooklyn. Her background was anything but privileged, and as an adult she spent years working as a Corrections Officer at Rikers Island, while continuing to sing in her spare time. A record producer once told her she was ‘too black, too fat, too short’ to make it, but she just kept singing … releasing her first album at age 40.

Sharon’s spirit and energy are the core of the story here as even after her cancer diagnosis, she carried the pressure of needing to get back to singing and performing so that her band members in The Dap-Kings could earn a living and feed their families.

Her NYC comeback is impressive and life-affirming, but the highlights are clips of her earlier stage performances … and the most incredible in-church performance you are likely to ever witness. In 2014, she won her first Grammy for “Give the People What They Want”, and Ms. Kopple’s film shines a spotlight on an incredible talent and spirited lady who deserves much more than to have a cult following and be “underappreciated”. Perhaps the film will open some eyes, ears and hearts.

watch the trailer:

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

INDIGNATION (2016)

August 4, 2016

indignation Greetings again from the darkness. Quite often, Hollywood “period pieces” feel dated and somewhat irrelevant to our world today – as if they were a snapshot from an old magazine. But the best ones transport us to a different era while also serving up themes and characters that are just as interesting and germane today as then … and that’s what we have here.

First time director James Schamus (founder of Focus Features) is an Oscar nominated producer (Brokeback Mountain) and writer (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and he tackles the popular 2008 Philip Roth novel … one that the 83 year old novelist admits to being influenced by his own college years. Mr. Roth has been writing novels for more than 50 years and won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1997 “American Pastoral”.

Taking on the lead role of college-bound Marcus Messner is Logan Lerman … an actor who has been on screen since he was 8 years old, and seems to have the eternal youth DNA so sought after by Ponce de Leon. While his looks haven’t changed much since the “Percy Jackson” films or the excellent The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Lerman shines here as the working class Newark Jewish boy, smothered by his parents, and as naïve to the world as he is academically gifted.

It’s 1951 and too many neighborhood boys are arriving back home in pine boxes after serving in the Korean War. Marcus’ father (Danny Burstein) is a kosher butcher and is half of the hyper-cautious parental unit that is alternatively thankful and frightened that their son is avoiding serving in the military by heading off to ultra-conservative (and fictional) Winesburg College in Ohio.

Once on campus, Marcus discovers little of the hoped-for freedom. Mandatory chapel attendance, roommates assigned via religious leanings, and the expectations of joining the Jewish fraternity and hanging out with his own kind combine to be only a different kind of emotional stifling than what he had at home. A series of events serve to shake up Marcus and his beliefs. Date night with his dream girl from the library ends with him being both repulsed and enchanted by a sexually assertive Olivia (Sarah Gadon). An argument with his lughead roommates ends with his being given the worst dorm room on campus. Meeting with the College Dean (Tracy Letts) results in an exhilarating debate that will surely be treasured by all who adore wordplay and oratory sword-fighting. Finally, an emergency appendectomy brings a hospital visit from Marcus’ mother (Linda Emond), and a conversation that drastically alters the course of his life.

The conservative social mores of the 1950’s are on full display, as is the restlessness of the young who would change society forever. Fear would be replaced with daring, and the film does a terrific job of highlighting how revolution often comes at a high price. Bookended by war scenes that dramatize the fine line between civilized society and the brutality of war, it all comes together … bringing more power and poignancy to the two best scenes: as previously mentioned, Letts and Lerman go mano y mano in arguing the brilliance of Bertrand Russell, and their word battle highlights the age-old idealist vs. real world struggles; a mother-son scene towards the end is as heart-breaking as any we’re likely to see on screen this year. Mr. Letts, Ms. Emond and Ms. Gadon all work well with Logan Lerman in order to provide an excellent presentation of Roth’s novel and Schamus’ first film.

 watch the trailer:

 

 

1 Comment | Drama | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

GLEASON (doc, 2016)

August 4, 2016

Gleason Greetings again from the darkness. Heroes come in many shapes and forms. Steve Gleason became a cult hero when he blocked a punt for his New Orleans Saints team in their first home game after Hurricane Katrina. For this, the team erected a life-sized statue outside the Superdome. In his time since that game, he has suffered more than any person should, and he has provided hope and assistance to more unfortunate folks than just about anyone. By now, just about everyone would consider him a hero.

Director Clay Tweel takes a very direct approach to telling Steve’s story. He guides us through the life of the undersized Washington State linebacker who, against all odds, carved out a 9 year career in the NFL; married a remarkable woman who was his equal as a free-spirit; was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease); learned to live with the debilitating disease; established a foundation to provide assistance to others with ALS.

Tweel pulls no punches in showing the progression of the devastating disease, and equally as importantly, in the toll such a disease takes on the loving caregiver after so many years. Gleason retired in 2008, and was diagnosed in 2011. Six weeks later, he and his wife Michel found out she was pregnant with their first child. Staring down the disease and the impending birth of their child, the couple took a 2 month expedition to the Alaska wilderness. This could be interpreted as their way of leaving their “old life” behind, but this couple is so full of life and spirit, that it was in fact, merely a next step.

The diagnosis and the baby announcement motivated Gleason to begin filming video blogs/journals for his unborn child. His stated goal was to “share with you who I am”, since the odds weren’t good that father and son would ever be able to hold a conversation or play catch. Clips of these video entries are shown throughout and capture Gleason’s charm, humor, sincerity and sprit of life.

Son Rivers arrives in October 2011 just as the disease is creating severe challenges for Steve’s physical and verbal capacities. We watch as Michel transitions from free-spirited newlywed to full-time care-giver and first time mother. Her coping methods are on display, as are the effects on her energy and outlook over the next few years.

With the help of friends and family, Team Gleason is created as a foundation to provide assistance to ALS sufferers. The foundation finds its newest mission when Medicare announces that vocal/speech technology will no longer be covered for ALS. “No White Flags” becomes the calling card for the foundation, and these activities are blended with Gleason’s medical and family hurdles … including his religious father who drags him to a ‘faith healer’.

Moments with Eddie Vedder and Drew Brees, among others, lead us to the global phenomenon known as “the ice bucket challenge” for ALS and finally the Microsoft Super Bowl commercial featuring Gleason and new speech technology. The film and story are simultaneously gut-wrenching and inspirational, and provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at the emotional and physical impact of disease on both patient and caregiver.

watch the trailer:

 

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

RICHARD LINKLATER: DREAM IS DESTINY (doc, 2016)

August 4, 2016

linklater Greetings again from the darkness. He had the childhood dream of becoming a major league baseball player derailed due to a health issue. His dream of becoming a novelist fizzled because he preferred collaboration to solitude. So his dreams led to his destiny … that of being a ground-breaking filmmaker who “changed the landscape of independent filmmaking”. Director Richard Linklater is profiled by co-directors Louis Black (co-founder Austin Chronicle and SXSW) and Karen Bernstein (Emmy and Grammy award winner), two passionate and knowledgeable folks who are understandably fans of Linklater and the Austin film landscape.

The film kicks off with a scene from Slacker (1991) in which Linklater himself appeared as a taxi passenger rambling philosophically about the bus station. It then time warps to the red carpet event for the premiere of Linklater’s Boyhood (2014), setting the stage for filling the gap of more than two decades.

It might be best to think of this as a tribute to Linklater the filmmaker rather than an in-depth analysis of how he creates his art … though we do get to see him on set. Some of the time is spent watching Linklater and Black peruse old journals and early screenplays as the young director was honing his thoughts and talent. This type of nostalgia could be overdone, but instead it allows us to better understand the journey that has produced some outstanding work (along with a few forgettable projects).

Over the years, so much attention has been paid to the NYC vs LA preferences within the film industry; it’s a pleasure to acknowledge the “outsider world” of Austin, Texas … a film scene nurtured by Linklater and his cronies. There are plenty of family photos and home videos, along with the celebrity input of Jonathan Demme, John Pierson, Kevin Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, and Ellar Coltrane (the kid from Boyhood). Each speaks admiringly in regards to Linklater’s spirit and passion for the work. It’s especially interesting to hear of his budget/fundraising struggles on Boyhood – an understandable challenge since the project took 12 years, and required he return for funding each and every year!

Richard Linklater is auteur defined. He is his work, and his work is him. He’s been at the forefront of the indie wave with Slacker (1991), followed by the cult favorite Dazed and Confused (1993), the “Before” trilogy (Sunrise – 1995, Sunset – 2004, Midnight – 2013), box office hit School of Rock (2003), the oddball Bernie (2011), groundbreaking Boyhood (2014), and his most recent Everybody Wants Some! (2016). Linklater is proof that creative filmmaking can thrive in a place like Austin, Texas … even if he might still like to be a baseball player.

 

 

Leave a Comment » | Documentary | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

Next Entries »