MASTER (SXSW 2022)

March 21, 2022

SXSW 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. With her first feature film, writer-director Mariama Diallo shows us that the terror of racism need not be blatant and obvious, and can be subtle and generational. Thanks to Jordan Peele, horror films have become de rigueur for exposing and exploring the many facets of racism. Ms. Diallo embraces the genre, while also mixing in the element of classism and entitlement.

Regina Hall is superb as Gail Bishop, the newly hired first black House Master at Ancaster College, a fictional, Ivy League-type school in the northeast that is as old as our country. Also excellent is Zoe Renee as Jasmine, a high-achieving black incoming freshman. A brilliant touch displays the symmetry of move-in day. Gail moves in to a creaky, dusty old home on campus, while Jasmine draws “the room” in dormitory. What is “the room”? Well, there is a legend tied to student deaths and long-ago witch trials … and 3:33am on the clock.

The supernatural forces attached to her room are only part of the challenges facing Jasmine. There is also her roommate played by Talia Ryder, the overall entitlement of other students, and another interesting character – her professor of Literature, Liv Beckman (Amber Gray). Ms. Beckman is friends with Gail, but Jasmine files an official complaint alleging she was targeted on her grade for a paper on racism in “The Scarlet Letter”. Complicating the matter, Ms. Beckman is also black and up for tenure, despite a shaky publishing record and a curious lack of background detail.

The multiple story lines become more intricate with the odd editing and threads as presented. Cinematographer Charlotte Hornsby works wonders with the creep factor, but the editing choices are often curious. Gail’s big career stepping stone introduces her to institutional racism at the institution where she’s employed. The three main characters each have their own story arcs, and the intersections are often quite advanced. However, the multiple stories do create some cinematic obstacles, and not all are handled smoothly, especially in the final act. Still, Ms. Diallo announces herself as a filmmaker to watch, and all three lead actors perform admirably.

In select theaters and on Prime Video beginning March 18, 2022

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

ONCE UPON A RIVER (2020)

October 1, 2020

 Greetings again from the  darkness. Haroula Rose is an extraordinary talent. She’s a singer, actor, writer, producer, and director, and she’s continuing to prove she’s very good at all of the above. This is her first time directing a feature length film, and she also adapted the screenplay from the popular 2011 novel written by Bonnie Jo Campbell. The film has a unique look and feel, yet is so accessible we are drawn in from the stunning opening shots.

Kenadi DelaCerna stars as Margo Crane, a teenage Native American living on the Stark River with her beloved father (Tatanka Means, “Banshee”). Taking place in 1977 rural Michigan, the film shows Margo’s father teaching her how to hunt and fish, and honing her sharpshooter eye with a rifle. We learn that a year ago, Margo’s mother left a note explaining that she had to “find” herself, though other rumors circulate through the small community. This abandonment is only the first of many unfortunate situations Margo must face. Two of these involve her father’s half-brother Cal (Coburn Goss, MAN OF STEEL), a demented, yet powerful man in town – and his two entitled sons. The most tragic event pushes 15 year old Margo to set off down the river by herself (with her “Annie Oakley” biography), in hopes of locating her mother.

At this point, it’s tempting to label this a ‘coming-of-age’ story, and while it is that, it’s also much more. Margo’s journey finds her crossing paths with Will (Ajuawak Kapashesit), a Native American researching his roots, and Smoke (John Ashton, BEVERLY HILLS COP), a grumpy old codger with emphysema. In the simplest of terms, Margo is a teenage runaway, but there’s nothing simple about Margo. Along the way, she’s discovering life lessons and finding out what she’s really made of. One of the most stunning moments (and there are a few) occurs when Margo tracks down her mother (Lindsay Pulsipher, “True Blood”), and calls her out on the lie she told to “find” herself a shiny new life. When the mother asks Margo, if Cal ever asks about her, I nearly fell out of my chair. That line carries so much weight.

The cinematography from Charlotte Hornsby delivers the breathtaking beauty of nature, as well as the pain and intimacy of the characters. Even the music of Zac Rae follows the travails of Margo as she continues on. We are accustomed to seeing grizzled men living off the land and making their own way, but not teenage girls. The closest comparison I can come up with is Debra Granik’s superb 2010 WINTER’S BONE, which introduced many of us to Jennifer Lawrence. Here, it’s Kenadi DelaCerna, with her first acting credit, who carries a difficult film. It’s fascinating to watch her skin a rabbit and soon after, figure out that sometimes blood has nothing to do with family, and making the best choices can be quite challenging. It’s not a fast-moving film, but it’s one that will stick with you.

Available via Virtual Cinemas on October 2, 2020

watch the trailer

 

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Posted by David Ferguson