THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE (2026)

January 23, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. One might believe that celibate communal living and worship would have been an easier sell in the 1780’s than today, yet this film from writer-director Mona Fastvold (THE WORLD TO COME, 2020) and co-writer Brady Corbet (THE BRUTALIST, 2024) proves otherwise. It turns out the second coming and extreme shaking while worshipping requires a bit more faith than many possess. The film is based on the true story of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers who, along with a small contingency, emigrated to the U.S. from England to spread their beliefs.

That small group of believers who followed Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried) included her brother William (Lewis Pullman), her husband Abraham (Christopher Abbott), and young Mary (Thomasin McKenzie), among others. Their life is not easy and recruiting a congregation proves challenging. Ann never loses faith and consistently stays true to her beliefs, allowing all to follow … well, except for her husband Abraham who doesn’t much buy into the pure life with no sexual relations requirement. Ann believes that this was Adam and Eve’s sin and is convinced a pure existence is the way to righteous living.

Probably the most unique thing about the film (other than the actual subjects of Ann and the Shakers) is the manner in which the hymns/songs are choreographed and performed. This makes for such an odd visual and there are quite a few of these moments. Tim Blake Nelson plays a pastor who crosses paths with Ann, providing an interesting sequence (as he typically does). The choreography is the work of Celia Rowlson-Hall and the music comes from Oscar winner Daniel Blumberg. Ms. Seyfried delivers yet another standout performance, although this movie certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s a long film that’s not easy to relate to. Ann Lee saw herself as the female incarnation of God, and the film attempts to show how some believed her.

Opens in theaters on January 23, 2026

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE BRUTALIST (2024)

December 20, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. Too many view WWII as just another page in history books, when in fact, so much changed around the globe because of that war. Almost 80 years later, the war continues to provide stories for filmmakers, and when it comes to storytelling, few do it better than this latest from writer-director (actor-turned-filmmaker) Brady Corbet and his co-writer (and romantic partner) Mona Fastvold. The two had previously collaborated on THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015) and VOX LUX (2018).

This is an old-fashioned epic on a grand scale with a few specific features that deserve to be highlighted. At 3 hours and 35 minutes in run time, Corbet included a throwback intermission (with a 15 minute countdown on screen). The opening credits run right-to-left horizontally, while the closing credits run diagonally. For true film geeks, the film is shot in VistaVision to capture the period feel. Part 1 covers 1947 through 1952, while Part 2 covers 1952 through 1960, and the Epilogue takes us to Venice in 1980.

Oscar winner Adrien Brody stars as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian architect who arrives in post-WWII America after using heroin “for the pain” on the boat ride over. Due to administrative and governmental red tape, Laszlo had to go ahead of his wife and niece, to whom he writes regularly. A familiar face from home greets him upon his arrival. Attila (Alessandro Nivola, FACE/OFF, 1997) has already been Americanized to the point where he’s married and running a custom furniture business. He offers Laszlo a room to sleep and a chance to help design furniture. When Harry Lee Van Buren (Joe Alwyn, THE FAVOURITE, 2018), the son of a wealthy Pennsylvanian tycoon, contracts for a re-design of dad’s library, Laszlo gets a chance to show his brilliance. It turns out, Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr (Guy Pearce) does not like surprises and tosses the workers out.

Soon, a cooler head prevails for the tycoon, and he tracks down Laszlo for a project of much larger scale – a massive memorial on a hill overlooking the city. The project builds an odd connection between rich Harrison and brilliant Laszlo – although the rich guy remains anything but stable, and his son flaunts his own arrogant annoying tendencies (an Alwyn specialty). Laszlo maintains one true friendship. He bonds with Gordon (Isaach de Bankole) after meeting him in the food shelter line. Despite the new World, Laszlo continues to struggle with poverty; however, one of Van Buren’s lawyers is amenable to assisting with the paperwork for bringing Laszlo’s family to the states.

Part two brings wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, 2014) and mute niece Zsofia (Raffey Cassidy, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, 2018) to America. Erzsebet is wheelchair bound after nearly starving to death due to the war. She’s a smart woman married to a creative genius, and yet the land of opportunity continues to toss hurdles in their path (not the least being Laszlo’s continued use of drugs). The moments of hope include a trip to the stunning Carrara quarry to locate the perfect piece for Van Buren’s project.

It should be noted that, despite the lead character’s name, this is a fictional account of the period, and the journey is both physically and emotionally draining. That’s also true for viewers, as I was exhausted by the end. Corbet uses the Epilogue to take us to Venice in 1980 for the first Architectural Biennal. It’s a fitting end after watching the battles of Jews versus Christians, and Immigrants versus American born, all while the United States is booming. I wasn’t ever able to understand the message Corbet was sending by exaggerating footsteps throughout, but I do recognize that Cinematographer Lol Crawley and Production Designer Judy Becker worked some magic along with Corbet and Fastvold … and yes, Adrien Brody, who along with Guy Pearce, deliver some of the finest acting we’ve seen all year. This is not a film so much about the brutalist style of architecture, but rather a film about character and personality during brutal times – and finding a way to utilize one’s true talent, while also remaining true to one’s roots. This is a complex story and one that fully captured me right from the unconventional opening credits.

Opens in limited theaters on December 20, 2024 and wide in January 2025

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015)

July 21, 2016

childhood of a leader Greetings again from the darkness. Brady Corbet has established a pretty nice career as an actor (Melancholia, Funny Games), and along comes his feature film debut as a writer/director (co-written with Mona Fastvold). In this day of remakes and reboots, this one is anything but. The “Overture” sets the mood with video clips of the WWI aftermath and the explosive score from Scott Walker quickly establishes itself as a character unto itself.

Subsequent title cards are broken into three “Tantrums”, as we witness the ever-escalating inappropriate behavior from young Prescott (Tom Sweet). In what on the surface could be classified as a nature vs nurture expose’, the film leaves little doubt that Prescott is rebelling against the monotony of his environment and the disengaged parents to which he is tethered. However, it also seems evident that young Prescott is inherently “off”. He seems to be cold and emotionally removed as he engages in battles of will with his parents … his father (Liam Cunningham) a US diplomat knee-deep in negotiations that will lead to the Treaty of Versailles, and his mother (Berenice Bejo), a self-described “citizen of the world”.

Two obvious film comparisons would be The Omen (1976) and We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011). The ominous music and settings leave little doubt that we are headed somewhere very dark here, though it’s not in the religious sense of The Omen and it’s more global than the intimacy of ‘Kevin’. Thinking of this as evil in the making would be a just description, though a different title might have held the ending a bit longer.

Support work is provided by Stacy Martin as the French teacher and Yolanda Moreau as the housekeeper who has moments of connection with the challenging Prescott, but Robert Pattinson fans will be surprised at how little screen time he has – especially for dual roles.

Young Tom Sweet is fascinating to watch in a very tough role for a child actor, and director Corbet proves he is a filmmaker we should follow closely. His visual acumen is something special, and offsets a script that could have used a bit of polishing. The movie will probably prove divisive – either you will find it mesmerizing and creepy, or you simply won’t connect at all. That’s often the case with a creative and bold project.

watch the trailer:

 

 

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Posted by David Ferguson