In a Struggling Community, a Young Woman Has a Chance for Something More

Jessica Barden in "Holler"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

There have been many great modern films that have depicted small-town American life in one way or another.  Over the years, we’ve been given movies like Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone” and “Leave No Trace,” David Mackenzie’s “Hell or High Water,” Jeff Nichols’ “Take Shelter” and “Loving,” Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey,” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Wendy and Lucy” and “Certain Women.” All of these movies tell engaging stories that are so different from each other, yet offer a view into several worlds within rural America and emphasize that stories such as these can have as much of an impact as those that take place in bigger settings.

Now, writer-director Nicole Riegel contributes to this type of story with her filmmaking debut for the drama, “Holler,” a vivid look into a woman’s fight for everyday survival.

In a small community in Southern Ohio, Ruth (Jessica Barden) is a high-school student trying to make it by in a town that doesn’t hold much promise for her future.  When she finds out that she’s been accepted into college, she decides to join a scrap-metal crew to try and pay for her education.

Barden offers a strong performance as a young woman who must decide what to do with her future.  At the start of the film, Barden showcases her character’s streetwise mentality, the effect of an individual who has learned how to make it through the roughness of her impoverished community.  There’s a steeliness in her eyes that displays someone who has been through much, but continues to move on in order to get passed another day.  However, as the movie goes on, Barden exhibits the conflicted nature that Ruth faces as she must decide whether to stay in her hometown where she’s most familiar, or leave everything behind and go to college.  Ruth’s a compelling character, and Barden does superb work in not only presenting us with what Ruth is going through in the present, but also giving us a clear idea of the hardships she has experienced in the past.

The supporting cast does well in fleshing out the world that Ruth inhabits, and they all make an impression, whether they have just a couple of scenes, or several.  There’s Gus Harper as Blaze, Ruth’s supportive and protective brother; Austin Amelio as Hark, the shady individual with whom Ruth and Blaze go into business; and Becky Ann Baker as Linda, a compassionate friend of Ruth’s family.  However, the standout of the supporting cast is Pamela Adlon as Rhodna, Ruth and Blaze’s mother, who’s trying to go through drug rehabilitation.  With just two scenes, Adlon displays the dramatic potential of which she’s capable, and she’ll leave you wanting to see what else she can do in dramatic territory such as this.

Although Riegel’s screenplay might seem a little slim in terms of the central story, it nevertheless offers an intimate portrait of this corner of America through its array of characters.  Through those characters, we not only see how their everyday lives are, but we also see the notion of what it means to have to choose to either stay in a town to which you’ve become accustomed, or to venture out from what you know.  Through the interactions of these characters, we’re able to see glimpses of the different facets of their lives, whether it be school, their home lives, or their work lives, all of which provide us with an understanding of the challenges that these characters are always facing.

Riegel doesn’t try to go overboard with the drama for this movie, but rather scales it back in such a way that reflects the reserved, beaten-down nature of the film’s setting.  She makes you feel the uncertainty that the characters experience on a daily basis, drawing you into not only the physical environment of the movie, but also the emotional one.

“Holler” may be a quiet movie, but it has a loud voice underneath.

Grade: A-

A Family Ventures Further into a World Where Sound Brings Death

From left: Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, 
and Emily Blunt in "A Quiet Place: Part II"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Three years ago, actor-director John Krasinski made a stunning entrance into horror with “A Quiet Place,” a movie where he displayed a mastery of the genre that equaled what you would see in an experienced horror filmmaker.  With engaging characters, an intriguing premise, and an atmosphere that brought unending anxiety, audiences were given a ride that was both scary and thrilling.

Now, he returns to expand this story with “A Quiet Place: Part II,” a movie that not only continues to display Krasinski’s directorial skills, but is also one of the best horror sequels to come around in a long time.

Taking place right where the first movie left off, Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), her daughter, Regan (Millicent Simmonds), her son, Marcus (Noah Jupe), and her newborn infant leave their home to search for survivors in a world that’s overrun by aliens who hunt by sound.  They soon encounter Emmett (Cillian Murphy), who reluctantly takes them in.  As time goes on, Evelyn’s family and Emmett have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to outsmart the deadly creatures.

Blunt, Simmonds, and Jupe continue the rock-solid chemistry that they shared in the first film, delving into the material they’re given to deepen their family dynamics and portray characters in whom you can become engaged.  Their arcs are fleshed out further as these characters are forced to abandon their home, and the performances that the three of them provide show the strength that their characters must elicit if they’re going to survive an uncertain world.

However, out of all three of them, the standout is Simmonds.  Simmonds, who’s hearing impaired, delivers a performance for a character who taps into her bravery in order to save the ones she loves.  She manages to say as much with her impassioned sign language as her fellow cast members say with dialogue, and once this series reaches its conclusion, Simmonds will be remembered as a highlight.

Murphy, who isn’t a stranger to end-of-the-world horror, having starred in Danny Boyle’s film, “28 Days Later,” offers a compelling performance of a man who’s had his own share of experiences that continue to haunt him.  Murphy gives Emmett a mysterious aura where you’re not sure where his character will go, and the intrigue that we see in him makes Murphy a wonderful addition to the continued unfolding of the world within the movie.

Although Krasinski’s screenplay has a bit of an uneven structure, he offsets this by expanding the world of the first movie, introducing new elements that bring you further into the threats that the characters face and creating many possibilities in which he can take the story if he makes a third movie.  Just as he, Bryan Woods, and Scott Beck did for their screenplay with the original, Krasinski offers a fine balance between the tense set pieces and scenes that build the characters and add more to their relationships as they face constant danger.

One of the most memorable parts of his screenplay is the opening sequence, which takes place on the day that the aliens begin their attack.  Given the decent length of this scene, we’re provided with an idea of what the main characters were like before the apocalyptic event, showing us a view into their ordinary lives that change in an instant. 

As a director, Krasinski once again delivers scenes of unbearable tension.  His impressive handling on atmosphere is dynamite throughout, but is most notable in the opening scene.  We know that we’re being brought through the day that changed the world for these characters, and the way in which he employs a small-town, eerie calm will have you clutching yourself as you wait to see how the alien invasion will unfold within their community.  During this scene, he uses cinematography from Polly Morgan that utilizes well-choreographed long takes to show the invasion commencing, with one particular long take being a sequence that takes place inside Evelyn’s car as she weaves her way through the chaos to shepherd her children to safety.

While horror sequels aren’t always a safe bet, “A Quiet Place: Part II” makes it clear that Krasinski, his cast, and his crew have a firm handle on what they want this series to be.  So, if Krasinski continues on the trajectory that his filmmaking talents are taking him, it’s certain that he will be making much more noise in the future.

Grade: A-

During the Cold War, a Businessman Enters the World of Espionage

Merab Ninidze and Benedict Cumberbatch in
"The Courier"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

With the Cold War being one of the most contentious periods of the twentieth century, it’s not any surprise that there are still many stories that can be told about that point in history.  We’ve been given a couple of major films that have focused on this subject in one way or another, and they’ve shown how this era can be depicted in several genres.  While historical-thrillers have been the prime genre for such a story, like with Steven Spielberg’s 2015 film, “Bridge of Spies,” it has also proved to be effective in a very different genre, with this example being Guillermo del Toro’s 2017 romantic fantasy, “The Shape of Water.”

Now, director Dominic Cooke has found a riveting true story set during the Cold War with his new film, “The Courier,” a movie where, despite the tensions between the U.S. and Russia being at the forefront, there’s still a heartfelt story within.

The story follows Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch), a British businessman who’s recruited by the Secret Intelligent Service to carry messages to a Russian source, Colonel Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Cumberbatch offers a compelling performance as a reluctant hero who soon builds up the courage to put himself in danger.  His performance resembles what you’ll see in many of Hitchcock’s thrillers, with an everyday man thrown into significant circumstances.  Cumberbatch shows the palpable anxiety that such an undertaking has on his character, but also uplifts you with the newfound bravery that becomes stronger in him as he advances in his mission.  It’s an old-school type of performance that never gets stale, one that matches the strength of Cumberbatch’s acting abilities.

Ninidze is every bit as absorbing as Cumberbatch, also playing someone who must risk his life to dispel the threats of nuclear war.  He displays the courageousness of battling the oppressiveness of his country, risking everything to create a better life for his family and the rest of the world.

Cumberbatch and Ninidze offer genuine chemistry as two characters who are tasked with the same job, and it’s the similarities in their roles that immerse you in Greville and Oleg’s growing bond as the world hangs in the balance.  The scenes that they share express their humanity that was a saving grace in the Cold War, a hopeful glimmer that people from two opposing nations could work together for the betterment of their world.

Aside from Cumberbatch and Ninidze, we also have some fine supporting performances from Rachel Brosnahan and Angus Wright as the intelligence officers who guide Greville through his mission; and Jessie Buckley and Maria Mironova as Greville and Oleg’s wives, respectively.  Through these characters, we see how the stress of the situation impacts them in different ways, between those on the frontline and those who are in the dark and waiting for news at home.

Although the third act feels a bit rushed, Tom O’Connor’s screenplay is still a gripping Cold War thriller.  We have the typical scenes of the espionage plans as they’re planned and enacted, which are engaging; however, there’s more to the story than that.  Interspersed within the spy-thriller sequences is a more poignant story, one that deals with the friendship between Greville and Oleg.  These are the scenes that provide an effective human component to the mission at hand, absorbing us in Greville and Oleg’s growing relationship as their work becomes more and more dangerous.  The humanity of the characters is also exhibited in the scenes with Grevill and Oleg interacting with their families, which shed light on the personal stakes that the two characters have amidst the worldwide stakes.

Cooke’s direction has the espionage thrills that we’ve come to love over the decades in this type of historical film, keeping us tense when the movie brings us deeper into Greville and Oleg’s task.  But, an aspect of his filmmaking that’s even more notable is how he’s able to slow things down from time to time as we witness not only the bond that grows between these two strangers who have a common goal, but also the complications that their mission causes in their families.  Cooke establishes a balance between the tones of a spy-thriller and that of a friendship/family drama, making “The Courier” a compelling view of the deep connections that can be made in a tumultuous period.

Grade: A-

Trapped in a Pod, a Woman Must Find Out Who She Is

Mélanie Laurent in "Oxygen"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Over the years, director Alexandre Aja has built up a filmography of intense and bloody horror films, such as “High Tension,” the “Hills Have Eyes” remake, “Piranha 3D,” and “Crawl.”  While his approach to the horror genre has steered me away from his movies, I was intrigued that he would be directing a science-fiction thriller.  His latest movie, “Oxygen,” is a claustrophobic film that will keep you riveted as its mystery unfolds.

The story follows a young woman (Mélanie Laurent), who wakes up in a medical cryogenic unit.  Without any memory of how she got there, she must search for clues to piece together her past before her oxygen runs out.

Laurent delivers an emotional performance as her character must confront her past, while also dealing with the life-threatening nature of her situation.  We see how much the loneliness and hopelessness get to her, but we also witness the ingenuity that Elizabeth uses as she tries to find a way to survive, with Laurent showcasing both sides of this character to terrific effect that absorbs us in her character’s plight.  Seeing as this movie is all about one character, Laurent proves that she can carry a movie, using her abilities to immerse us in this disquieting, yet powerful journey.

Although the screenplay by Christie LeBlanc has some similarities to Rodrigo Cortés’ 2010 thriller, “Buried,” the sci-fi twist to this one-person survival story helps it overcome the likeness.  The story offers a slow build as we’re offered clues here and there that help us put everything together regarding the main character’s present situation and her past.  The deliberate pace that this movie takes to disclose the details keeps our hearts pumping as we stay connected to Laurent’s character and await what issue or revelation may arrive next.

As a director, Aja ventures into the sci-fi genre with a more-restrained approach than in his horror films, substituting his usual blood and gore with pure tension and atmosphere.  He makes the most out of the film’s single setting, using cinematographer Maxime Alexandre’s camerawork to roam around the pod, allowing us to become familiar with the main character’s confined surroundings.  Despite this being a thriller, Aja uses a couple of well-timed jump scares that heighten the tension without feeling like a cheap trick to scare us.

With its compelling lead performance, poignant story, and abundance of high stakes, “Oxygen” is a movie that will have you holding your breath.

Grade: A-

In a Manhattan Brownstone, a Woman Spends Her Time Inside Looking Out

Amy Adams in "The Woman in the Window"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Check out my review on SiftPop.com!

On Television, There’s a Street Where Everyone is Welcome

Jim Henson and Frank Oz in 
"Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

For over 50 years, “Sesame Street” has been a staple in children’s television, combining puppets and actors to act out educational, humorous, and sometimes emotional skits that helped teach their audience about life.  With its memorable characters and dedicated production staff, it isn’t any wonder why the show has lived for as long as it has since its beginnings on PBS.

Now, director Marilyn Agrelo brings the story of “Sesame Street” to life with her documentary, “Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,” which is based on Michael Davis’ 2008 book, “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street.” Through Agrelo’s lens, we’re given a layered view into the brilliant minds behind what became one of the television’s most iconic shows.

The movie invites us to several interviews, both old and new, with those who were most involved in making “Sesame Street,” with a significant subject being Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the show’s creators.  As she talks about the program, it’s clear how much this project meant to her in terms of constructing a show that counter-programed the commercialized shows toward which children tended to gravitate, being committed to having “Sesame Street” be a show that could both entertain and educate.

We also receive a view into the genius of “Muppets” creator Jim Henson, who helped create some the characters on “Sesame Street.” The movie dives into the richness of his mind that shows a person who had a boundless imagination and who could conjure up these distinctive characters.  We’re told stories about how certain of those characters came to be, showing us how much care and attention went into creating them and ensuring audiences would keep coming back to see what adventures they would have and which lessons they would teach.

Other than Cooney and Henson, we’re given plenty of other interviews, whether they be from previous cast members of “Sesame Street,” or from individuals who worked behind the scenes. Through the many discussions that are had, we’re shown all of the challenges and rewards that came with putting this beloved show together, as well as the family that came out of creating this cultural touchstone.

Much like another PBS show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” “Sesame Street” didn’t shy away from focusing on sensitive topics, including death.  This is displayed in a poignant scene that exhibits how the cast and crew handled the passing of Will Lee, who portrayed Mr. Hooper, a shop owner on the show. It’s a superb example of how “Sesame Street” was much more than a children’s show, and just like “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” it knew that its young audiences could handle these types of issues if we gave them a chance.

There are many reasons why “Sesame Street” has been around for as long as it has, and “Street Gang” shows why this show continues to endure. Through the many episodes that have aired over the last few decades, viewers have known that, no matter what, there will always be a lesson to be learned, and a home to have on Sesame Street.

Grade: A

In an Afternoon, a Simple Gathering Turns into So Much More

Rachel Sennott in "Shiva Baby"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Only four months into 2021, it’s safe to say that we have a contender for best directorial debut of the year.  This arrives in the form of writer-director Emma Seligman’s unbearably tense comedy-drama, “Shiva Baby,” a film that unravels at a pace that’s both careful and nerve-racking.

Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is a college senior who isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life.  One day, she and her parents attend a shiva in their Jewish community.  Not too long after arriving, Danielle will have to face questions about her future, while also confronting people from her past.

Rennott provides a career-making performance as a young woman whose life is clouded by uncertainty.  She gives her character some touches of humor, but always keeps a sense of panic in her eyes and facial expressions as Danielle tries to navigate her way through nosy friends and family.  Rennott makes it easy to sympathize with her character because we can all relate to it in one way or another with how we’ve dealt with family, and watching her navigate an afternoon-long inquisition while trying to remain calm keeps us immersed in Danielle’s challenge.  With the anxiety of the situation, Rennott also shows the emotional buildup that her character is facing, showing an individual who could crack under the pressure at any minute while also trying to figure out who she is.

There’s an extensive supporting cast, with the audience being given the chance to meet the many different personalities that have gathered under one roof, but there are a few standouts.  There’s Polly Draper as Danielle’s mother; Molly Gordon as Maya, a young woman with whom Danielle has previous connections; and Dianna Agron as Kim, the wife of Danielle’s latest romantic fling.  All three characters do superb work in being sources of tension for Danielle in their own specific ways, and seeing their interactions with Danielle never fail to make your heart beat fast from your frayed nerves.

Seligman’s screenplay is one that thrives on its dialogue.  Every conversation that takes place in the movie is its own whirlwind, tossing Danielle from one inquisitive acquaintance to another as she tries to answer and dodge their questions about her life.  With the story pretty much taking place in real time, we’re given a view into a single location and all of its details and inhabitants, witnessing a convergence of varying personalities where every interaction is distinct from the others.  

The cinematography by Maria Rusche uses an extensive amount of closeups and medium shots to have us experience the intrusiveness of the shiva attendees as they approach Danielle like vultures who are looking for every last detail about her life.  It all calls to mind the opening scene of Mike Nichol’s “The Graduate” when Benjamin Braddock must make his way through various awkward encounters at his graduation party; except in Danielle’s situation, it lasts for the full movie.  The camera pushes its way through the crowds, placing us in Danielle’s position as she feels the congestion of the crowds closing in on her.  We travel with it as we’re brought from room to room through handheld camera movements that offer the lens a freedom to explore the surroundings.

The score by Ariel Marx mainly uses the plucking of string instruments, which evokes an unsettling feeling throughout.  This use of pizzicato makes it seem as though you’re watching a horror movie, albeit an understated one that’s made all the more frightening because of how close to reality it is.  It’s not an overblown score, but one that matches the minimalist plot and its everyday relatability.  Marx’s score jangles your nerves more and more as the afternoon goes on, assisting the movie in winding the tension tighter until you can’t move.

The way in which Seligman is able to maintain the anxiety-inducing nature of the scenario at hand will have you marvel at how much she can include in a film that’s barely an hour and 15 minutes.  This is a movie that’s character-driven, with Seligman understanding that there’s so much tension to be had just in the way people interact, and this is highlighted in a memorable scene later in the film where you’re pretty much yelling “Get out of the house!” to Danielle.  Between Seligman’s direction, Rusche’s camerawork, Marx’s score, and Hanna A. Park’s editing, this is an effective descent into a congested setting where you’re not safe from the intrusiveness of others.  Despite the tension that keeps building, Seligman is able to uphold the humor of the film and help you relax a bit in the middle of the barrage of questions that Danielle experiences.

Although you might be rooting for Danielle to save her sanity and leave the party, “Shiva Baby” will have you, as a viewer, not wanting to leave these small-scale thrills quite so soon.

Grade: A