(USA, 84 min.)
Written and directed by Josh Mond
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon
The spirit of the angry young man endures in James White! This gut-punch of a drama
is independent filmmaking stripped and raw as writer/director Josh Mond makes
an auspicious directorial debut after producing strong films like Martha Marcy May Marlene. James White firmly relies on two
exceptional performances and a compelling script that engages the viewer from
beginning to end. It’s a quietly powerful film.
Abbott gives a breakout performance as the title character, who is a directionless ruffian fueled by a reckless drive for self-medication following his father’s death and the news that his mother (Cynthia Nixon) has little time to live now that her cancer has returned. Abbott takes the viewer through an emotionally exhausting coming-of-age tale as James White dabbles in sex, drugs, and all-around freeloading. It’s the move that Eden wants to be with its portrait of a lost generation, but James White finds its power through one key loss: that of the mother who has been James’s guiding light during his lost years. The film gets special strength in Cynthia Nixon’s subtly devastating performance as James’s ailing mother. One centrepiece scene sees James carry his mom to the bathroom as she weakens in her final days and it’s one of the most heartbreaking, yet breathtakingly intimate scenes of the year. This bare-knuckle drama hits straight to the heart.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
James White is playing now in limited release.
Creed*
(USA, 132 min.)
Dir. Ryan Coogler Writ, Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa
Thompson, Phylicia Rashad
From bare-knuckle punches to professional boxing, “Notes
from the Screener Pile” puts up its dukes for yet another Rocky movie.
But wait! This one doesn’t completely suck.
Yes, Creed brings
back the tired franchise of Rocky Balboa and the film gives the series new life
as Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)
devises both a sequel and a spin-off. Creed
puts Rocky (Sly) in the corner as the son of his former rival Apollo Creed
seeks Rocky out for training. That young whippersnapper is Adonis Johnson
(Michael B. Jordan) and he throws a mean punch just like his daddy did.
Creed doesn’t do
much to break from the mould of previous Rocky
movies and virtually every other boxing movie ever made, but the formula of an
underdog rising to the top through hard work and dedication offers a model that
rouses considerable spirit. The film differs, though, by bringing a notably
diverse cast to the screen in a major studio effort. Jordan gives an impressive
physical feat, although one never quite forgets that it’s a performance, as he
creates a scrappy new contemporary for Rocky. As Rocky, Stallone arguably gives
the most surprising work of his career as the character shows his age for the
first time. Creed is mostly memorable
for breaking away from films about unflappable heroes, for this film shows
Rocky as a vulnerable aging man. Rocky sets sick. Rocky stumbles. Rocky cries.
Stallone opens up more than he ever has before with Creed, and it’s to his credit that the Rocky franchise throws its most unexpected punch since the 1976
original.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Creed is now playing in wide release.
*Not a screener, but sometimes it’s nice to do award season
catch-up in a theatre!
Mustang
(France/Turkey, 97 min.)
Dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Writ. Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Alice
Winocour
Starring: Gunes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Elit Iscan,
Ilayda Akdogan, Tugba Sunguroglu
Mustang is France’s
official submission in this year’s Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film,
and it’s refreshing to see such a lovely and authentic film benefit from the
exposure. This feature debut by Deniz Gamze Ergüven captures the pulse of a
film scene that demands more films by and about women. It’s a revitalizing coming
of age drama set in Turkey in which five sisters grow up under the patriarchal
control of their family and culture. Mustang
sees this story largely through the eyes of the youngest sister, Lana (Gunes
Sensoy), as she watches her parents marry off her sisters. The girls all feel
the suffocating pressure they face as their elders ready them to be nothing but
servants for their future husbands, and Ergüven infuses each scene with a need
for release as the girls burst with life that cannot be contained by the
standards of their society. The performances by the five young actresses are
uniformly excellent, but Sensoy is especially remarkable as the young girl who
longs to run free and escape the life that awaits her. This deft, moving, and
lively film shows much promise for the future.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Mustang opens soon.
Also on tap for
catch-up: Macbeth, Carol and repeat viewings of The Danish Girl (holds up) and Brooklyn (gets even better!)
