The Unrepentant Cinephile

by Jason Coffman

  Fantastic Fest 2017: Day 7

  Originally published on Daily Grindhouse 27 October 2017

  Blue My Mind (Switzerland, dir. Lisa Brühlmann)

  15-year-old Mia (Luna Wedler) has moved to a new town with her parents. School is tough enough without having to be the new kid, especially coming into a place where the social has long since been established. But Mia has more problems than just fitting in with the cool girls: Her body is undergoing bizarre changes she can’t explain and that no sex ed class ever talked about. Just as she begins to gain some acceptance with the popular girls in her class, Mia is forced to start finding ways to cover up the ever-expanding bruises on her body. Tensions are running high at home, too, with her parents expressing increasing frustration with Mia’s odd behavior while Mia struggles to understand her own feelings for new friend Gianna (Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen). Blue My Mind takes a cue from a couple of recent Fantastic Fest alumni: Like Julia Ducournau’s Raw, it examines adolescent female relationships and burgeoning sexuality, and like Lucile Hadžihalilovic’s Evolution, the film uses body horror imagery as a metaphor for adolescent transformation. That familiarity is not necessarily a problem, as Blue My Mind is considerably different from both of those films--not as gruesome as the former, and not as quiet and contemplative as the latter. Much of this film focuses on Mia’s day-to-day life and “normal” interactions like going to class, smoking outside school, hanging out at a friend’s house, and partying. The beats are familiar, but the story unfurls at its own pace. Some viewers may find that admirable, while others may just be frustrated. Regardless, this is an impressive debut feature from writer/director Lisa Brühlmann, and certainly marks her as a talent to watch.

  Bodied (USA, dir. Joseph Kahn)

  Adam (Calum Worthy) is a grad student working on a thesis about battle rap. He manages to introduce himself to one of his idols, Behn Grymm (Jackie Long), and before he knows it Adam is enlisted in Grymm’s crew. Adam quickly develops into a formidable rapper, much to the dismay of his girlfriend Maya (Rory Uphold), who is horrified by the homophobia, misogyny, and racism she sees as inherent to the art. His successful writer father (Anthony Michael Hall) is also none too happy about Adam’s pursuits, and when a video of Adam battling Korean rapper Prospek (Jonathan Park) with some racial slurs (although as Prospek observes: “At least you realized I’m Korean and not Chinese, that counts as cultural sensitivity in battle rap.”) the lines between Adam’s life and work begin to blur uncomfortably. Joseph Kahn’s Bodied is absolutely one of the best, most exhilarating movies of the year--there is nothing out there like this beast. It’s hilarious and cutting, deftly dealing with some seriously heavy material in a totally unexpected manner. The cast is spectacular across the board, and Worthy’s incredible performance is just the anchor for a hugely talented ensemble that includes actors and real battle rappers. The battle scenes are deliriously entertaining, packed with both astonishing wordplay and so much outright offense that the film is destined/doomed to raise hackles. It’s also unquestionably one of the most vital theatrical experiences of the year, not because it’s a visual spectacle but because its energy is contagious; it’s crucial to see this film with a crowd. As unbelievable as it seems, Joseph Kahn has provided a more than worthy follow-up his instant-classic Detention. Bodied is one for the history books.

  Good Manners (Brazil, dir. Marco Dutra & Juliana Rojas)

  Pregnant, well-to-do Ana (Marjorie Estiano) lives alone in the apartment she shared with her ex, but she’s feeling overwhelmed. She hires struggling caretaker Clara (Isabél Zuaa) as a live-in assistant with the intent of keeping her on as a nanny after Ana gives birth. But Ana is having some unusual complications with her pregnancy that include wandering first her apartment and then the city during the full moon. As an undeniable attraction grows between the two women, will Clara be able to figure out what is happening to Ana before she harms herself or someone else? The scope of Good Manners is much wider than its claustrophobic first half would suggest, following through with its fantastical story set against the backdrop of people barely scraping by. The performances are excellent, and there are some amazing practical makeup and creature effects. As usual, the CGI effects in the film pale in comparison, but what really draws in the viewer are the characters and the sheer unpredictable nature of the story. what is happening to Ana before she harms herself or someone else? The scope of Good Manners has a number of genuine surprises, and to say much more about it would be doing the film a grave disservice. Suffice to say it’s beautiful, gruesome, funny, and heartbreaking. This is one of the top genre films of the year, and one of the best films of the year regardless of genre.

  Wheelman (USA, dir. Jeremy Rush)

  It’s night in the city, and a Wheelman (Frank Grillo) is cruising while he waits for word on the iffy assignment he’s been given by his usually dependable associate Clayton (Garret Dillahunt). It smells wrong from the start, and when a mysterious handler calls the Wheelman with instructions that go completely against his instincts, it quickly becomes clear that this is going to be a long night. The vast majority of the action in Wheelman takes place inside the car, and Frank Grillo is the only person with on-screen dialogue through most of the movie. It’s something of a more crime/action-oriented take on Locke, Tom Hardy’s one man show in a car, but Grillo’s Wheelman and the characters he interacts with on the phone give it a completely different feel. Both films rely on a ticking clock device to generate tension, but here some of that is broken up with expertly choreographed car chase scenes. Grillo gives a stellar performance, beginning as steely and intense and desperately trying to hold onto those qualities as the situation spirals out of control around him. It’s great that Netflix virtually guarantees Wheelman will reach the wide audience it deserves, but it’s also kind of a disappointment that so few people will get to see the film on the big screen with a very loud sound system. The crazy chase scenes and crashes are really best experienced in a theatrical setting for maximum impact, but it’s still the central character and his relationships that make the film stand out.

  Fantastic Fest 2017: Day 8

  Originally published on Daily Grindhouse 30 October 2017

  V.I.P. (South Korea, dir. Hoon-jung Park)

  In North Korea, Gwang-il (Lee Jong-suk) and his cohorts rape, torture, and murder a young woman and kill her family as well. They’re quickly captured, but just as quickly set free--Gwang-il is the son of a high-ranking government official and therefore untouchable in the DPRK. A few years later, a series of brutal murders plague South Korea and Detective Yi-Do (Kim Myung-min) discovers Gwang-il is behind them. Despite having incontrovertible evidence, Yi-Do is prevented from arresting Gwang-il by political machinations which include the participation of a sleazy CIA agent (Peter Stormare) and complications from the fact that Gwang-il’s killing spree has spanned multiple countries. V.I.P. is a sprawling serial killer police procedural spanning three countries, and much of its most interesting facets are the scenes depicting the confusion and frustration of such an investigation. It feels maybe a bit too familiar in places, but the addition of Stormare gives the film an unexpected jolt of offbeat energy. The scenes depicting Gwang-il’s crimes are gruesome and explicit, tipping the balance a little too far into the realm of gratuitous cruelty, and overall the film feels too long at 128 minutes. It’s not fun at all (although I expect a supercut of Stormare’s scenes to hit Youtube not long after the film is released on home video), but for a very dark police procedural with tension to spare, V.I.P. is worth a look.

  Haunters: The Art of the Scare (USA, dir. Jon Schnitzer)

  Director Jon Schnitzer’s Haunters takes a look at a number of very different people who run their own “haunted house” attractions: Shar Mayer, a performer who has appeared in everything from mom & pop haunts to Blackout; Donald Julson, a former makeup artist and horror enthusiast who spends months building a haunt for his neighborhood; and Ross McKamey, who runs the notorious McKamey Manor. While Mayer and Juls
on seem like people who genuinely enjoy the art and engagement with whom they interact in their haunts, McKamey just comes across as a sadist. McKamey Manor is not so much a “haunt” as it is a torture chamber, and McKamey makes no apologies for the fact that he enjoys terrorizing people. The sheer unpleasantness of McKamey’s work may account for why it feels like he’s given much more screen time than the other subjects--honestly, what he does is so far removed from their work that he should have been given his own documentary. Still, the film provides a compelling portrait of Mayer and Julson and their everyday lives in contrast to their haunt work, and McKamey is an interesting figure regardless of how viewers might feel about him. There are also interviews with a wide array of haunt and horror luminaries like the Soska Sisters, John Murdy (of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights), Josh Randall (Blackout), and many others who provide a peek behind the curtain. If you’re at all interested in “haunted house” culture, this is a must-see.

  Thoroughbreds (USA, dir. Cory Finley)

  Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) offers to help tutor Amanda (Olivia Cooke), her estranged friend from grade school. They meet in the house where Lily and her mother live with Lily’s wealthy stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks), who seems anxious to get Lily out of the house and back to private school as soon as possible. After Amanda reveals to Lily that she has no emotions possibly due to a dissociative disorder, Lily is free to be completely honest with her without judgment. While this is initially a great relief, Lily soon realizes Amanda’s brilliance and cold calculation could be put to use in solving her Mark problem. Thoroughbreds is a pitch-black comedy that relies on two excellent lead performances by Taylor-Joy and Cooke. Both expertly lead their characters through a number of major changes in the dynamics of their relationship through the course of the film. Cooke in particular is very funny as she matter-of-factly tosses out horrific and often devastating observations with an unnerving calm. Anton Yelchin is also fantastic in a supporting role as a local drug dealer Lily and Amanda rope into their scheme; it’s a shame he didn’t get to put his comedic talents to use more often. As far as teen horror/comedies on the festival circuit this year indebted to Heathers go, I’ll take the low-key pleasures of Thoroughbreds over the flashy meta-humor of Tragedy Girls any day.

  Bad Genius (Thailand, dir. Nattawut Poonpiriya)

  Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) is a brilliant student from a poor family. She’s near the top of her class but she has fierce competition in Bank (Chanon Santinatornkul), a fellow student in the running with her for a prestigious scholarship. When Lynn’s friend Grace (Eisaya Hosuwan) and Grace’s boyfriend Pat (Teeradon Supapunpinyo) offer Lynn cash to help them pass standardized tests, she reluctantly agrees. They succeed in spectacular fashion, and soon Lynn has a cottage industry helping students cheat on increasingly complicated tests. Inevitably, the situation spirals out of control putting Lynn and Bank on an outrageous international mission for one last cheat. Bad Genius is a slick heist thriller that just happens to be about cheating on tests rather than robbing a bank, with a fantastic cast of young actors who make even the most obnoxious characters fun to watch. The tests start off simple, but as they get more difficult to cheat, the tension ramps up nicely in a series of finely tuned set pieces. If the idea of a tense thriller based on academic fraud sounds ridiculous on paper, be assured director Nattawut Poonpiriya absolutely sells it.

  Mary and the Witch’s Flower (Japan, dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi)

  Young Mary is sent to live with her great-aunt Charlotte, and one day while out in the forest she follows a mysterious pair of cats. They lead her to a magical flower, which in turn leads her to the discovery of a magical school in the clouds which she accidentally visits on a runaway flying broom. She is mistaken for a new student and tours the grounds, where she begins to suspect something sinister is going on behind all the fun of broomstick riding lessons and wild spells. Based on Mary Stewart’s children’s book The Little Broomstick, Mary and the Witch’s Flower is the first production from Studio Ponoc. Ponoc consists of former members of the legendary Studio Ghibli, and their pedigree is on full display here. The film is beautifully and imaginatively animated, with character designs that recall Ghibli’s and plenty of small touches that make its characters and world memorable and endearing. Here’s hoping we see plenty more from Ponoc and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi in the future.

  Maus (Spain, dir. Yayo Herrerro)

  Alex (August Wittgenstein) and his girlfriend Selma (Alma Terzic) are driving deep in the forests of Bosnia to return to Germany when he realizes they are lost. Selma is understandably panicked, but Alex is reassured when they meet Milos (Sanin Milavic) and Vuk (Aleksandar Seksan), two men in a jeep who claim to be park rangers of sorts. Their arrival does nothing to calm Selma, however. The men are Serbian, and as a young girl Selma’s entire family was murdered by Serbs. Milos and Vuk insist on helping the couple avoid the countless mines left in the forest over the decades, but their presence sends Selma spiraling back into her unresolved trauma. Maus is an extremely bleak and unpleasant film, which is appropriate given the subject matter. Unfortunately, the fact that writer/director Yayo Herrerro hails from Spain makes the use of the Bosnian-Serbian conflict as a backdrop for a brutal horror movie feel uncomfortably exploitative. From a technical standpoint, Maus is impressive. It’s beautifully shot, the sound design is very effective, and the performances from its small cast are demanding and wrenching. But it’s a cruel film, lingering far too much on Selma’s pain. In the Q&A after the film, Herrerro repeatedly stated that his intent in making the film was to get people talking about the Bosnian-Serbian conflict. But the nonsensical finale cements the impression that this was not a story for an outsider to tell. In that way Maus sparks conversation, but probably not the one Herrerro intended.

  Downsizing (USA, dir. Alexander Payne)

  In the near future, a team of scientists have invented a process to shrink humans to action figure size in hopes of saving mankind. Their intent is to eventually “downsize” everyone over the course of a long period of time to save the planet’s resources, and by the time the process gets to America people from all walks of life are undergoing the procedure. Inspired by a “downsized” classmate at his high school reunion, Paul (Matt Damon) and his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) plan to take the plunge and live the high life. But nothing is that easy, and even with their modest savings translated into millions in downsized dollars, life goes on. Soon the downsized cities are just as segregated by race and income as any other, and a depressed Paul is forced to work in phone sales. Things start looking up when he is befriended by his neighbor Dusan (Christoph Waltz) and meets immigrant Tran (Hong Chau), whose tragic story was one of the first indications to Paul that not much would change in his new life. Downsizing is very much an Alexander Payne film despite its central sci-fi concept. The focus is not on the process of miniaturization, but how it impacts everyday life and how such a concept would realistically play out on a large scale. Waltz brings an unpredictable energy to the film, as does Udo Kier in a supporting role as Dusan’s friend Conrad. Damon is fine, but as a lead he’s eclipsed by Waltz, Kier, and Hong Chau’s funny and affecting performance. It’s smart and bittersweet, and a very unexpected (but appropriate) way to close out this year’s Fantastic Fest.

  Fantasia International Film Festival 2017: Dispatch #1

  Originally published on Daily Grindhouse 17 July 2017

  This year Fantasia, North America’s biggest and most influential genre film festival, celebrates its 21st birthday as it runs from July 13th to August 2nd. As every year, Fantasia is bringing dozens of high-profile genre films from all over the world to Montreal for the better part of a month of incredible programming. Fantasia is always a great way to learn about films coming out in the near and distant future, and this year the fest is presenting some extra-extra special repertory screenings including the world premiere of Synapse Films’s 4K restoration of Dario Argento’s Suspiria, and special tribute screenings of films f
eaturing the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners Cüneyt Arkin, Larry Cohen, and Mil Máscaras!