'By Design' A Review

By Design is a dramedy about Camille(Juliette Lewis) a woman seeking deeper meaning in her life. When her and her two pals(Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) go shopping after their regular lunch Camille is struck by the beauty and simplicity of a designer chair whom she trades places with.

Lewis, no surprise, is wonderful here absolutely locked in to the playful expressionistic tone conveying yearning, vulnerability, and subtely but effective explores identity. Mathis and Tunney are great to see and great, in this, providing some humor and further to bolster the unique and engaging tone. Melanie Griffith is a pitch perfect narrator and Mamoudou Athie as Olivier who becomes enraptured with Camille-as-chair is equally effective. All-in-all a stellar cast all focused and working together in service of this quirky yet stirring vision, gliding from drama to comedy to subtle poignancy with an assured deftness.

Visually the film is understated but expressive, with some dream sequences, magical realism, and symbolic editing that isn't flashy but is singular and effective. The costuming is stellar and razor sharp and the score is minimal but effective. Writer/director Amanda Kramer's vision is clear and fully realized, given the small scale she's able to actualize one of the best films of the year.

Women becomes chair: a meditation on the nature of being.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

Water Won't Save You

Over the last decade

the water bottle

has become

ubiquitous

everyone

everywhere

carrying their Owala

their Yeti

their S'well

fixated

focused

on hitting

their daily liter goal

as if

this nominal achievement

will prevent

the tumult and toil

of existing

in this world

'Queen Of Chess' A Review

Queen Of Chess is a documentary about Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár. Through talking head interviews, archival footage, and some chess match reenactments her life and career are explored.

Polgár and her sisters were an 'experiment' by their father, attempting to create genius from intense study from an early age. As her chess prowess grew so did her ambition becoming a trail blazer in crossing over to men's chess and climbing the rankings. The film loosely revolves around her various games with then world champion Kasparov.

Visually the film is relatively pedestrian but the content is so engaging it doesn't particularly matter and ultimately the subject doesn't necessitate any formal invention. It's nice to see somewhat of a classic documentary in form that simply engages thoroughly with a captivating subject.

Stirring in content if somewhat conventional in form.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

'The Moment' A Review

The Moment is a mocumentary about British musician Charlie XCC beginning in September 2024 at the tail end of Brat summer as Charlie grapples with her new level of fame, an upcoming arena tour, and commercial pressures.

Charlie XCX is compelling as this version of herself but much like similar projects I'm Still Here and The Nowhere Inn there's a bit of frustration in that who she actually is is still unknown. This 'character' is all artifice, this plot is all artifice and as a result any kind of artistic truth is hard to parse. The supporting cast is talented- Rosanna Arquette(love to see her), Alexander Skarsgård, Hailey Gates- to name a few. But the plot they all inhabit is all pretty meager and it appears much of the dialogue was improvised which gives the whole thing a pretty stilted feel.

Visually the film is rich with striking, colorful, intriguing imagery there's just not a ton under the surface. And there's a kind of a stunning lack of music. The production all works but there's ultimately just not much of a coherent vison for it to bolster up. There's feints at commenting about image, commercialism, and artistic vs. financial success but when you boil it down the film has no answers. For Charlie XCX fans that may be more than enough but as a standalone piece of cinema, much like last year's Pavements, there's not a ton for the uninitiated to enjoy.

Ambitious if underbaked.

Currently in theaters.

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Parable Of The Drowning Man

New Orleans, 2005, Katrina
A man stands on his roof
as the flood waters rise

a woman in a canoe paddles up

says to the man

"get in, the water is rising fast"

the man says

"no, God will save me"

she paddles on

a short time later a boy

in a 4-stroke motorboat comes along

"mister" he says "you gotta get in here"

the man says 

"no, God will save me"

the boy leaves

the water rises

it covers the mans feet

he hears the pulsing of a helicopter

a coast guard search and rescue team

shouts down

"HEADS UP, WE'RE THROWING DOWN A LADDER"

the man says

"NO, GOD WILL SAVE ME"

and after some argument

the helicopter flies off

to the next rescue

and the waters rise

and the pious man

is washed away

in the tumult

and the churn

In Heaven

the man stands before God

the man says

"God, I strived to live a devout life.

My faith in you never waivered.

Why did you forsake me in my hour of need?"

and God says

"I sent you two boats and a helicopter.

What did you want?

A gilded invitation!?"

'Send Help' A Review

Send Help is a survival horror/thriller about Linda(Rachel McAdams) an awkward and timid(but extremely competent) corporate strategist and her new boss Bradley(Dylan O'Brien) a misogynist nepo baby who get stranded on a tropical island following a plane crash. Their dynamic shifts as Bradley is injured and Linda is a surprise survival enthusiast.

McAdams is one of our great movie stars, her presence, authenticity, and versatility just grows with age and that is very apparent here. She's having a ball and giving this character all different kinds of dimensions- menace, humor, pathos- the whole gambit. In one pretty incredible solo sequence on the island she discovers a waterfall and baths, notices her skin glowing and hair shiny, she's transformed from her beaten down office drudgery into the woman she's always wanted to be. McAdams just conveys this ocean of history and subtext with an effortlessness that's just stupendous to watch. And O'Brien is good too! Out of all the crowded Hollywood leading-men hopefuls O'Brien is actually one I can get behind. He's got talent and good lucks but also a grounded approachability and naturalism that for my money puts him head and shoulders above the Austin Butlers and the Chalamets. And the two have magnetic chemistry. The support cast is limited, it's basically a two-hander, and as such a real pleasure just to watch McAdams and O'Brien work off each other.

Visually the film is relatively simple yet evocative with a couple pretty spectacular gore set pieces and judicious use of CGI. The score is subtle and effective, overall the production design is focused, effective, if not particularly flashy(which given the budget, works perfect). The film somewhat stumbles in the third act but the journey is fun enough it doesn't particularly matter. A near perfect January release, a welcome piece of well-done dimensional entertainment to offset the long shadow of overly serious 2025 awards flicks still in theaters.

McAdams for the win.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

Nor Wish To Shut The Door On It

Odd

when the past

reminds you

of its presence

like a hot breath

on the neck,

that improv creep

I hadn't thought of

in over a decade

I see on IG

getting me-too'd,

my college ex

I see outside

a pizza place

smoking a cig

background actors

in the story

of my life

and me

a footnote

in theirs