'Procession' A Review

Procession is a documentary that follows six survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy as they collaborate with the director Robert Greene as well as a drama therapist in order to create scenes, which they then produce and film, depicting/influenced by their trauma(ranging from literal to metaphorical) in their on going search for peace.

Through talking head interviews, archival footage, but mostly simple fly-on-the-wall documentation of the filmmaking process the stories, personalities, and truth of the six collaborators is revealed. In Greenes typical style(Actress, Kate Plays Christine) the film is a melding of both a classic documentary approach as well as a highly theatrical/magical realism type of staging that harmonizes beautifully, tragically here and is a perfectly imperfect mechanism for the six men to attempt to process their past.

The production itself is crisp and fluid and much of the nuts-and-bolts of the process are depicted- location scouting, scene construction etc. which the six men actively participate in. The abusers, although named, are not depicted and little to no time is spent on them. And although the six men share parts of their stories the actual particulars of the abuse are not depicted or particularly discussed. What is the overarching focus is compassion, the fellowship and strength these men share as survivors, how they feel, how they struggle to have their stories heard, their attempts to elicit some kind of satisfactory response from the Catholic church hierarchy, how they cope, how they(to greater or lesser degrees) have moved through and beyond.

Its incredibly powerful and the conceit of the documentary fundamentally gives power back to the six survivors. They struggle, they discuss, they disagree, they make mistakes, they triumph, and although it is clear Greene, as an established director, facilitates much of the productions minutia the men themselves are the ones that make the decisions. And this is what separates Procession from a more conventional documentary where someone simply and directly relays an individuals story. It is not an investigation of the facts of abuse, that is taken for granted, what it depicts is the lives of the people that abuse effected and how they are actively working to transcend it. 

Tough but not brutal. Intimate without exploitation. Perhaps sad but the courage, strength, and emotion displayed is ultimately divine.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

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Having A Catch

Tossing a novelty Green Bay Packers football
with my dad and 1 1/2 year old nephew

it is not quite Norman Rockwell

in its quintessential Americanness

as we are inside and my nephew 

can't exactly throw or catch per-say

but there is something resonant

in this simple game of catch

three generations playing

in this fundamental way

a connection that deepens 

the moment we all share

and links us back and back and back

I imagine myself as a toddler

playing peek-a-boo or roll-the-ball

with my father and grandpa Irv,

I imagine my dad as a kid

throwing a baseball around with Irv

and great-grandpa Mart

on and on

into the past.

This pattern is not dispiriting but affirming,

connected as we are by blood 

and time.

'The Rescue' A Review

 The Rescue is a documentary about the Thai soccer team trapped in a flooding cave in 2018 and the titular extraction. Archival footage, talking-head interviews, and reenactments make up the bulk of the doc with a few animated maps detailing the space and scale of the cave. The film focuses on the predominately UK based cave diving team which, due to their expertise, executed the bulk of the diving portion of the rescue. The survivors themselves aren't heard from as the rights to their story were sold separately to Netflix.

Edited and scored similar to The Cove the film has the pacing and dynamism of a thriller, with mysteries, close calls, a pumping score. It's an edge-of-your-seat ride even though most will already know the outcome. The subjects- mostly the cave divers but some Thai officials and military- all have a startling clarity and magnetism. The cave divers particularly are these odd, gangly, loners who have this uber-specific somewhat bizarre past time which makes them, in essence, the only ones who can do this particular job. And you get the sense in interviews as they talk a little bit about their interest in cave diving that there is some, if not outright spiritual perhaps cosmic, turning of the wheel happening here that put them in that cave. This is underscored and echoed by some of the spiritual connections the Thai people have to the cave itself and the surrounding mountains as well as a fortuitous visit from a holy man. This is not made particularly overt by the filmmakers but it is certainly there and it is quite powerful. There is a sense as the movie rolls along of Purpose. But that aside the simple mechanics of the endeavor are quite fascinating and just the succinct relaying of that story through people that were there is incredibly impactful.

Absolutely thrilling, unquestionably inspiring, and ultimately the celebration of international community(the Thai government and military ran the rescue operation but had many of their citizens volunteer as well as assistance from multiple countries in various capacities).

Currently streaming on Disney+.

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'C'mon C'mon' A Review

C'mon C'mon is a black-and-white drama about radio producer Johnny(Joaquin Phoenix) who agrees to take care of his nephew Jesse(Woody Norman) while his sister Viv(Gaby Hoffmann) attempts to help her estranged husband Paul(Scoot McNairy) who struggles with mental illness.

Phoenix is more relaxed and less mannered than some of his more recent credits, which is refreshing, he's charming and low key and effective, he's got great chemistry with Norman who also gives a believable if somewhat gratingly precocious performance(although that is mainly a result of the script). Hoffmann is in a class unto herself, as she always is, absolutely magnetic and entirely comfortable on screen. McNairy doesn't actually have lines and the character, unfortunately, is utilized mainly as a plot device. But all-in-all the three leads are all quite real and charming if hamstrung by the scripts lack of addressing the privilege afforded by the characters obvious class.

Shot in a lush black-and-white with a melodic fluid score, the production design is beautiful and understated the weaves pitch perfect with the performances. The issue, which may not be an issue for some, is with the script and it's sheen of upper-middle class white obtuseness. The film asks us to be interested in these relatively small problems of these characters that are insulated by their socio-economic position. And that position is never addressed, not that it needs to be necessarily, but the unspoken tone and implication of the film is that these are regular people which they most assuredly are not. That's the disconnect. Whether this is a detriment to viewers or not is the question, for me it most definitely was, but even so there is a certain heart-warming easy twee charm to the film that's undeniable even while the same quality prevents it from reaching any real emotional height.

A breezy relatively benign emotional drama if left uninterrogated.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.

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'Spencer' A Review

Spencer is a psychological drama about the Christmas weekend Princess Diana decided to leave her her husband and the Royal family. The movie opens on Di(Kristen Stewart) driving by herself in the countryside attempting to locate the estate the family is to celebrate at, which happens to be next to the manor where she grew up. She eventually makes it to the estate where tensions between her and the staff grow as her mental health seemingly deteriorates. 

Stewart makes a valiant effort but the performance is more full of breathy half sentences and facial ticks than real emotion or depth of character. Perhaps a fault of the script Diana is portrayed here as a mentally unhinged, somewhat spoiled, naïve victim without much variation. Regardless if that is the truth or not it doesn't make for a particularly compelling or sympatric lead. The supporting cast are all very assured but aside from half a dozen brief actual scenes(a great one with Diana's children played by Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry, one with Prince Charles played by Jack Farthing) the majority of the movie is taken up with solo scenes with Stewart where she breathes loudly and is fragile, it simply doesn't add up to much.

The cinematography is crisp and there are number of long, sweeping, beautiful tracking shots. The costuming is impeccable, the soundtrack effective in its evocation of claustrophobic dread. There is simply not enough meat on the narrative bone to match the expert production.

Compared to director Pablo Larraín 2016 offering Jackie, which has a similar tone and focus, it fails to grab perhaps because Stewart is unable to bring the electricity that Natalie Portman did or perhaps because the focus of Spencer is far too narrow and the character, as written, is far too weak.

Currently in theaters and available to rent on VOD.

Don't See It.

'Nine Days' A Review

Nine Days is a spiritual drama about Will(Winston Duke) who is an arbiter of perspective souls. When one of his former selectees, who he monitors via multiple television screens, passes away a group of newly formed souls comes to him in order to be evaluated for a chance at life.

Duke gives an incredibly restrained, thrumming performance. Compassionate, repressed, emotional, paternal, maternal, the whole gambit. He slowly, deliberately builds this utterly compelling, totally magnetic character without any flashy acting, just patience and honesty. It's really astounding and culminates in one of the best scenes of the year. The support cast, all with challenging roles as they are in essence pre-gestational beings, are all wonderful with a kind of uniform simplicity and naivete that works but doesn't distract or prevent them from differentiating their various characters. Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl, and Arianna Ortiz all play the perspective souls and though Beetz and Skarsgård have more of the focus the others contribute equally. Hale brings a necessary and breezy humor, Rysdahl is the over-eager student, and Ortiz the romantic. It all inexorably weaves together into a real surprise that packs a punch.

Visually striking if again, simple. Will's home is in the middle of the desert and that is pretty much where all the action of the film takes place. Even so its very beautiful and very effective. Particularly a number of practical theatrical sequences used to impart an experience to perspective souls, these moments look incredible and are almost magically transportive. The soundtrack is eerie and emotional without being overwrought or indicative. The 90's set dressing make the house pleasingly tactile but also appropriately out of time. For the bigness of the idea its all very remarkably assured.

Inspirational, moving, and emotional with an award worthy performance from Duke. The premise itself may be a barrier of entry for some but it is well worth the commitment.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

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Josh Pitts

Once in grade school
I missed the bus
so had to walk home

my buddy Josh

always walked home

because he only lived

a couple blocks away

and so we walked together

just him and I

and as we walked

some strong emotion

took control of his face

which was completely

out of character

usually a very funny

happy-go-lucky kid

he was clearly pained

so I asked him

"Is something wrong?"

and he began to weep

uncontrollably

and through his tears and gasps

he simply said

"It's excruciating."

at ten it was not a word

I'd ever heard

not a concept

I recognized

but in the moment

within the context

I understood

"Is something going on?"

I asked

he just kept crying

"I get sad sometimes"

I said

"But it passes. It'll be better tomorrow."

he shook his head

at his house

I walked him to his door

"I can play-uh-hang out if you want."

we were at that age

but he said "No, thanks."

tears still shining in his eyes

and closed his door.

I walked the rest of the way home

thinking about that word

excruciating

and the absolute sincerity

in which he used it.

We never spoke of it

and I never saw that side of him again.