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where faith and film are intertwined

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Argentina, 1985 – Historical justice

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“History isn’t made by guys like me.”

Justice is often elusive when it involves those who have abused great power. Santiago Mitre’s film Argentina, 1985 is inspired by the true story of the prosecution of the military dictators that ruled Argentina in a violent period, during which many were kidnapped, tortured, killed,  raped, or disappeared. Could those in charge of this reign of terror be brought to justice?  The film calls the Trial of the Juntas “the most important trial in Argentina’s history”, and “the most important trial since Nuremberg”. Argentina, 1985 is Argentina’s official submission for Best International Feature Oscar consideration.

After a democratic government came to power after seven years of military rule, the government wanted the military leaders tried. The leaders of the Junta declared that they could only be tried by a military court. But when the military powers refused to bring charges, it fell to the civilian courts to take jurisdiction, calling the national prosecutor, Julio César Strassera (Ricardo Darín) to bring a case to the court.

It was not something he looked forward to. Most believed the case was unwinnable and didn’t want to be associated with it. Others of experience supported the fascist ideals of the dictatorship. He was supported by his young, enthusiastic deputy, Luis Moreno Ocampa (Peter Lanzani). They recruit a number of young, very inexperienced attorneys to help them build a case. They spend months gathering testimony from victims around the country to show that this was a systematic genocide that could only happen if supported by those at the top.

Although many in the public supported this trial, many others (including Moreno Ocampa’s mother) thought the military had saved the country from terrorists and revolutionaries. The military leaders said that they were fighting a war. For them the end justified the means, even if innocent people were harmed in the process. When the trial commences in the film, we hear snippets from some of the over 800 witnesses who testified in the case. The stories they bring are horrendous. But will law and justice be able to prevail?

The film is not just a history lesson or a courtroom drama. It allows us to consider whether the pursuit of justice is a worthy endeavor even when it seem likely to be futile. Those involved in the prosecution faced threats to themselves and their families. Those who had been victimized by the dictatorship had to relive their pain yet again. Nothing the court could do would restore the lives that were lost or ruined. Failure to convict could empower future despots who could act without fear of answering to justice. Justice is often elusive. But God calls God’s people to seek justice always.

Of course, such fascist forces are not limited to Argentina. In countries around the world, including in Europe and the US, far right parties are thriving. Sometimes terrorism is not limited to revolutionaries. Often those in power use their power as a form of terrorism. The Trial of the Juntas is worth remembering for the power justice holds in the world.

Argentina, 1985 is streaming on Prime Video.

Photos courtesy of Amazon Studios.

Don’t Make Me Go – Finding life in death

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“Every man dies, not every man truly lives.”

That truism has several variations and possible sources. Often it is through the nearness of death that we begin to see what life is really about. That is the concept that Hannah Marks explores in Don’t Make Me Go.

JOHN CHO and MIA ISAAC star in DON’T MAKE ME GO Courtesy of: Prime Video © 2022 Amazon Content Services LLC

Max Park (John Cho) is a single father who is beginning to struggle with raising his teenage daughter Wally (Mia Isaac), who is herself struggling with who she wants to be. Max is diagnosed with a tumor that if untreated will be fatal within a year. The treatment has a large chance of killing him sooner. He decides to use his time to spend with Wally, so they take a road trip from California to New Orleans for his college reunion. Wally (who knows nothing of the diagnosis) is less than thrilled, but since Max is going to teach her to drive, she consents.

Max has another goal for the trip. He hopes to connect Wally with her mother, who abandoned them when Wally was a baby. Max doesn’t know where she lives, but hopes that the reunion will be a chance to find her. He also doesn’t know if his ex would have any desire to take on being Wally’s mother—or if Wally wants anything to do with the woman who left her.

MIA ISAAC and JOHN CHO on the set of DON’T MAKE ME GO Photo: TAMAR MÜNCH © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

The road trip gives father and daughter a chance to discover things about each other. Max promises to be truthful with Wally, but fails to confide the most important things—such as his impending death. But death really allows the film to think about what it means to live, and how one should live with the knowledge of the reality of death.

Philosophers and theologians have wrestled through the centuries about just these kinds of questions. For this film, the key lesson is to live fully—even if it means taking risks. It is to not let death define our lives, but rather for life to be meaningful each moment.

Wally frequently sees her father as being too conservative in life. Along the way, Max takes Wally to a casino. The lesson he has in mind is that the odds are against you. So he lets her choose his bets at a roulette table. One after another they lose. But there is also a lesson, that the bigger the risk, the bigger the payout.

When they arrive at the reunion and she meets some of Max’s old friends and hears their wild stories, she asks, “When did he get so boring?” They reply, “He grew up.” Adulthood carries responsibilities. For Max, part of that is to find a way to care for Wally when he is gone.

JOHN CHO stars in DON’T MAKE ME GO Photo: GEOFFREY SHORT © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Wally and Max both have lessons to learn about how to live knowing that death is a reality. It is in the ways they teach each other, that their relationship—even though it may be limited by impending death—will give meaning to both of their lives.

Don’t Make Me Go streams on Prime Video.

Photos courtesy of Amazon Studios.

I Love America – Love and healing

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“Forgiveness doesn’t heal the wounds of the past; it transforms them.”

Lisa Azuelos’s I Love America is structured as a rom-com, but that is really just the pretty clothing put on to attract us to a story of grief and healing. In a sense it is a story of being lost and not knowing it. So it makes it all the more important to have been found.

Lisa (Sophie Marceau) is a fifty year old film director who has come to L.A. to write a screenplay, although there is much more going on in her life. Her children are grown, and her mother, a famous singer who abandoned her for a career, has just died. But this trip is not just business. When she is asked at immigration what the purpose of her trip is, she replies “I want to start a new life.”

On arrival she connects with her best friend Luka (Djanis Bouzyani), who has thrived in L.A. as the owner of a drag night club. Luka is determined to restart Lisa’s sex life, and sets her up on a dating app.  Luka has his own dating issues and while finding many partners, never finding one who will love him. But soon Lisa finds a great match in John (Colin Woodell). Their relationship grows quickly, but of course in true rom-com fashion, hits a serious roadblock.

But the film also flashes back frequently to Lisa’s childhood and teen years. Each of those flashbacks show us a bit of her sense of abandonment by her mother. Although she speaks of not feeling anything when her mother dies, we see in the flashbacks the great love she had for her mother, even if it wasn’t returned. This has become an important part of who Lisa has become, even if she doesn’t recognize it. A telling line (that isn’t emphasized, but clearly matters) is when she tells a date, “I created my kids to make sure somebody loves me in this world.” Perhaps it’s said in jest, but it is a very real sentiment. It reflects both her love for her mother and the lack her mother’s love.

As the film plays out, it is by embracing the feelings—both love and anger—that Lisa held for her mother that allows her to move on into new relationships that are based in trust and being trusted. She and Luka each learn that there is more to love that just immediate experience and connecting sexually with others. It is more important, they find, to connect emotionally. It is then that love can have a chance to bloom.

I Love America is streaming on Prime Video.

Deep Water: Struggling to Stay Afloat

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The deeper you get into the water, the darker it gets.

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Deep Water invites the viewer behind the closed doors of a marriage in trouble. Even though Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda Van Allen (Ana de Armas) seem to have the perfect marriage, their relationship is one of manipulation and infidelities. As she proceeds with her sexual dalliances, Vic sits and broods about his wife’s behaviour, potentially plotting his own revenge as well.

Directed by Adrian Lyne, Deep Water is the unsettling tale of a couple whose marriage has disintegrated entirely, leaving a strange blend of mind games in its wake. Reminiscent of his role in Gone Girl, Affleck’s brooding beast of a husband is an uncaring monster with revenge on his mind. (Whether or not he’s willing to act on his anger remains to be seen.) Since leaning into lighter roles early on in his career, Affleck continues to evolve as an actor. His dark, brooding sensibilities have established him as a strong performer (and even a strong Batman). In addition, a similar sentiment can be said for Ana de Armas. Whether hero or villain, de Armas brings a spark of life to any film that can elevate the material.

Unfortunately, it’s Deep Water’s script that sinks the film. As the director of Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal, Lyne is well-versed in the erotic thriller and left his mark upon the genre. However, in Water, the tension between Vic and Melinda is written in such a way that it’s potential secrets simply lack impact. As a result, although the film wants to emulate the darkest of romances, it becomes somewhat of a tedious affair that comes up short.

At its heart, Water emphasizes the ennui of the higher class. Living lives of endless parties, Vic and Melinda may be the social centre of their community but they have also lost every spark and ember from their relationship. Melinda gleefully engages in multiple affairs with Vic’s full knowledge of her infidelities. Although her flippant attitude towards their relationship eats away at his soul, Vic decides that he will never let her know of his feelings, leaving him simmering quietly with rage that increases with each man that enters their home. At the same time, his perceived indifference drives Melina even further away emotionally, as she argues that he is a man devoid of passion for her. (What’s more, its worth noting that the tension between them is hardly in secret. Well-known by all their friends and family, even their daughter is aware that something is wrong in their home.)

In this way, the toxicity within their home becomes a double-edged sword. Whereas they yearn for passion, it stems from rage. At the same time, by giving into their anger, the consequences would be dire. As such, there is a recklessness to their relationship that becomes all consuming. Interestingly, an illustration of this comes when Vic talks about his work. Although he has invented drone technology that could be used to benefit others, it’s used by the military instead. When pushed by a friend about its use, he simply shrugs off the moral implications of how his tech is being used, arguing that it’s not up to him. In this telling moment, Vic gives some insight into his views on ethical responsibility—and that same sentiment shapes his marriage.

For both Vic and Melinda, both right and wrong mean little if it gets them what they want.

In the end, while the film has potential, Deep Water struggles to stay afloat. Although the performances of Affleck and de Armas are fairly solid, a weak script keeps the film from capitalizin on its interesting premise.  

In other words, this Water simply dries out.

Deep Water is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime on Friday, March 18th, 2022.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania – Trust and Transformations

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Every Hotel has to close its doors eventually… but hopefully, it gets to do so when the time feels right.

In its fourth film, Hotel Transylvania: Transylvania comes at a time when Drac (Brian Hull, formerly Adam Sandler) is considering stepping away from the hotel game so he can spend more time with his new wife, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). When word gets to Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg), Johnny is thrilled! But Drac still has his concerns about letting Johnny have free reign over his beloved resort and convinces him that only monsters can run it. Determined to win Drac over, Johnny uses Van Helsing’s ‘Monsterfication Ray’ to correct that problem. However, after the ray goes haywire, Drac and his friends get to see what the world looks like through human eyes as they try to find a cure before it’s too late.

Directed by Jennifer Kluska and Derek Dryman, the wild and silly Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is meant to be the final film in the franchise. Written by series creator Genndy Tartakovsky, the script feels like a worthy addition to the series’ legacy as it continues the character development from the previous films. Led by Tartakovsky’s unique voice, the story still offers the same frenetic energy that families expect from the franchise. Returning stars Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez (now with a producer credit), Fran Drescher and David Spade seem as enthusiastic about the series as ever. (In fact, Spade’s role is drastically increased this time around.)

Even so, something feels… off about this Transformania. 

Vibrant animation still pops with colour but somehow doesn’t entirely capture the magic of other entries. The most significant change, however, stems from its cast which has seen significant turnover this time around. Although several of the original cast remain, gone are franchise stalwarts Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and CeeLo Green. While their replacements do an entertaining job of mimicking their original cast members, the mix of old and new cast members is noticeable. (This is especially true in the case of Sandler who has remained the franchise’s focus throughout the previous films.) As a result of these changes, the film feels more like a transition away from its stars as opposed to any sort of wrap-up for the series. (In fact, for a film that’s supposed to be final chapter, the film’s ending doesn’t feel like they’re closing the book on the franchise at all.)

Although the franchise has always leaned heavily into the theme of ‘looking beyond appearances’, Transformania’s body-swap storyline manages to take it to the next level. As Johnny and Drac learn what it is to live in the other person’s [literal] shoes, so too do they also begin to understand the difficulties of each other’s experiences. While Johnny relishes the power of being a monster, so too does it almost drive him to madness. At the same time, Drac’s experience as a middle-aged man is a pain-inducing (and entirely relatable) nightmare but it also helps him to see the world from Johnny’s perspective. As the two men live with the strengths and weaknesses of the other, a deeper bond eventually emerges between them.

Because at the heart of this Transformania is trust. 

For example, in Transformania, trust stems from one’s ability to see their value. Prior to the switcheroo, although Drac has grown fond of Johnny over the years, he still cannot bring himself to entrust him with the responsibility of the hotel. Johnny’s different ideas simply don’t align with Drac’s and so, he concocts an elaborate lie to prevent him from taking over. However, as Drac begins to realize the purity of Johnny’s soul, he understands how important he truly is to him. This reframing allows Drac to celebrate Johnny’s strengths and accept his faults, opening the door for trust to break in between them.

Filled with monster mayhem and madness, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania should entertain both kids and longtime fans of the franchise. Although, this is not a Hotel that feels closed. Just ‘under renovations’. With that being said, even though there definitely pieces missing, one has to hope that there’s a more fitting finale to the franchise.

This Hotel needs one last ‘grand re-opening’ in its future.

To hear our conversation with producer Alice Dewey Goldstone, click here (YouTube) or here (podcast).

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is available on Amazon Prime on January 14th, 2022.

The Tender Bar – Learning “the male sciences”

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“Grandpa’s house was a revolving door of cousins and aunts, with a full complement of laughter and tears, with an occasional nervous breakdown. But above all, it’s where Uncle Charlie lived.”

The Tender Bar, directed by George Clooney and based on a memoir by J.R. Moehringer, can be characterized as a coming-of-age story, but it veers a bit into the philosophy of masculinity. While the film is very male-oriented, its story is appealing enough that women should find it enjoyable as well.

LILY RABE and DANIEL RANIERI star in TENDER BAR Photo: CLAIRE FOLGER © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

It begins in 1973 when nine year old, J.R. Maquire (Daniel Ranieri, later Tye Sheridan) moves with his mother (Lily Rabe) into her father’s house, an event she views as a sign of failure, but J.R. finds exciting. His father abandoned them long ago. He is a semi-nomadic radio DJ who J.R. refers to as The Voice—after all, that is about all J.R. knows of him. Grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) is a curmudgeon who seems to resent having his adult children back in his house. (But at least he is willing to help support them.)

J.R. finds an important role model in his Uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck). Charlie is a bar tender at a local dive, The Dickens. It is there that Charlie (and some of the barflies that are always there) teach J.R. what Charlie refers to as the “male sciences”, simple rules of how to live and especially how to treat women. (The prime directive in these sciences is “You don’t hit a woman, ever, up to and including if she has stabbed you with scissors.”) Charlie is something of an autodidact philosopher. He seems to have read everything, and makes sure that J.R., who wants to be a writer, reads it as well.

CHRISTOPHER LLOYD and DANIEL RANIERI star in TENDER BAR Photo: CLAIRE FOLGER © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

J.R.’s mother is laser-focused on him going to an Ivy League school, even though there’s no way she could afford it. In time he is accepted to Yale on scholarship, and the film explores his life there, and continues to build on Charlie’s life training. At Yale he falls in love with a beautiful and bright young woman (Briana Middleton). The relationship with her is something that teaches J.R. about trials that he cannot control.

J.R., with the help of family (which includes the patrons of The Dickens) and friends, slowly negotiates life without his father, life at Yale where he feels out of place, and entering adulthood with confidence—enough to face his father and to assert himself.

BEN AFFLECK and TYE SHERIDAN star in TENDER BAR Photo: CLAIRE FOLGER © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

For all the “male science” aspect of Charlie’s mentorship of J.R., the philosophy that he teaches is applicable to all people. It can be summed up is a few important concepts: kindness, honesty, and honor. I don’t think Charlie ever uses those words, but through the instructions he gives J.R.—and through his actions—those ideas are clear. Such a view of life is certainly in line with Paul’s comment: “…Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NRSV)

The Tender Bar is in theaters and is streaming on Prime Video

Photos courtesy of Amazon Content Services.

Being the Ricardos – Wanting a home

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“Lucy, I’m home.”

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez were the biggest TV stars (by far) of the 1950s. Their show I Love Lucy was seen by up to 60 million people a week. That show took us into the home of Ricky and Lucy Ricardo, a small apartment filled with hilarity. But of course what is on TV is not always the same as real life. Being the Ricardos is Aaron Sorkin’s look at what might have been the reality behind the scenes.

NICOLE KIDMAN and JAVIER BARDEM star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

The film is set in one week as the TV show goes from a script reading on Monday to the filming of the show on Friday. As is common in Sorkin’s films, plays, and TV, this is very much and ensemble piece. We meet most of the key players in that first reading. Lucille (Nicole Kidman) and Desi (Javier Bardem) are the stars and the power behind the show. William Frawley (J. K. Simmons) and Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) played their neighbors the Mertz’s. The show’s writers, Jess Oppenheimer (Tony Hale), Madelyn Pugh (Alia Shawkat), and Bob Carroll (Jake Lacy) are also at the table as the group starts the work on this week’s show. But this is not a normal week. It is beset with a number of stresses that could bring an end to the show—and the marriage.

There are three main stressors that complicate this week, all of which were actual events that threatened the show, but not all in one week as we see here: accusations that Ball was a Communist, Ball’s pregnancy, and Arnez’s philandering. This leads to a number of meetings with the network and sponsor about keeping the show on the air. Here we see Arnez much more in control of the business aspects of the show.

NICOLE KIDMAN, JAVIER BARDEM, NELSON FRANKLIN, and CLARK GREGG star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

There is also a great deal of rivalry among the other players. Frawley and Vance really don’t get along. Vance is resentful at having to play the older, frumpy Ethel Mertz.  Pugh and Carroll carp at each other over how the show should be. In the writer’s room, Pugh pushes for the character Lucy to have a bit more feminist influence. She doesn’t want Lucy to seem stupid. (Ball certainly was not.) Ball is constantly wanting to rework the show—all the way up to Friday.  All of this is brought out in the witty and acerbic dialogue that is Sorkin’s trademark.

This is not a film that tries to capture the comedy of I Love Lucy. It would be a disservice to the actors to expect them to recreate such icons, in part because we associate Ball and Arnez so much with their onscreen personas. Instead, this is a story about the real Ball and Arnez and the stress they had to work through as a married couple. As the story unfolds we learn a bit of their history together—their meeting, early marriage, conflicts of schedules that kept them apart until Ball demanded that Arnez play her husband on TV so they could be together (and hopefully save their marriage).

JAVIER BARDEM, J.K. SIMMONS, NINA ARIANDA, and NICOLE KDIMAN star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Ball and Arnez, as portrayed here, are a complex couple. At one point they’re described as “either tearing each other’s heads off, or tearing each other’s clothes off.” Arnez was very much in charge of the business side, Ball much more on the creative side (although they both took part in both). Arnez, who had been successful in acting and as a band leader, is now a second banana to his wife, and that may have caused resentment. Much of what drives Ball goes back to their meeting. At one point, Arnez asks Ball what she wants. Her answer is, “a home”. She doesn’t care about a large house. She wants the warmth and security and love of a home.

All through this difficult week, we see Ball struggling not just with all the threats to the show, both internal and external, but even more with the threats to her marriage. That marriage is in large part the reason for the show even to exist. And when we know that, it gives a new meaning to that line that Ricky Ricardo spoke so frequently.

NICOLE KIDMAN and JAVIER BARDEM star in BEING THE RICARDOS Photo: GLEN WILSON © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Being the Ricardos is in general release and available on Amazon Prime Video.

Photos courtesy of Amazon Content Services.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Caring and Connecting Through Cats

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Whether or not you consider yourself a ‘cat person’, there’s something electrical about the life of Louis Wain.

Set in Victorian London of the 1880s, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain tells the story of Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), an academy-trained artist who earns his keep by drawing portraits of animals from the county fair. Living with his mother and five younger sisters, Wain was committed to supporting his family yet constantly seemed to find himself at odds with the rest of society. However, his demeanor changes when he hires Emily Richardson (Claire Foy), a loving and inquisitive governess to care for his sisters. Despite their class differences, romance blooms between them. As such, their relationship frustrates his sister Caroline (Andrea Riseborough), causing tension within the family structure.

Directed by Will Sharpe, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is an engaging and heart-warming piece that celebrates one of arts most unique voices in the last 150 years. While the structure follows standard biopic structure, Sharpe’s use of colour helps give the film a very different style that blends reality with the art world itself. Backed by another all-around solid performance by Cumberbatch, Louis Wain feels surprisingly earnest for a film that focuses on a man that spent much of his life painting cats. Nevertheless, there’s something joyful embedded within the film that simply charms (and even makes you appreciate cats a little bit more).

It’s worth noting that Cumberbatch is having somewhat of a moment in his career this year. With Oscar buzz regarding his performance in The Power of the Dog and his upcoming appearance in this December’s Spider-man: No Way Home, his name is everywhere right now. However, in Louis Wain, Cumberbatch gives one of his most delightful performances in recent years. When given the opportunity, Cumberbatch can either sparkle or simmer and Sharpe’s script gives him the opportunity to do both. Although the subject matter may seem odd at first, the story allows him to show his range from silliness and flamboyance to idiosyncratic to quiet pensiveness. In light of this, while Dog is gaining much of the awards attention thus far, Louis Wain may be a better showcase for his incredible talents.

There’s simply a beauty in this story that blends the energy of art leading into the everyday. Through his use of brightly coloured matte paintings and filtered shades, Sharpe plays with reality consistently and thoroughly throughout the film. There is a moment early on where light hits a prism, allowing colour to burst forth everywhere. As this blast of colour brightens up the room, so too does Sharpe use this to become an accurate depiction of the life of Louis Wain himself. In many ways, he was a man who saw the ordinary and extraordinary ways. Although social conventions forbid it, he decided to marry a woman who is both older than him and of a lower class. At a time when cats were seen as common trash, he viewed them as treasured pets. His life was one that sparked a unique flavor of joy, even if it went against the customs of the day.

At the same time though, Louis Wain was a man who carried an incredible burden underneath the surface. Although those around him primarily focused on his idiosyncrasies, there was a much deeper resonance within his soul. Despite the fact that much of his art focused on cats, he himself had a profoundly unique way of viewing the culture of his day. Primarily, Louis Wain saw the world through relationship. It’s worth noting that the ‘electricity’ to which the title refers is not about a scientific experiment but instead points to those things that bind and connect us. Wain could feel the energy in the room and believed that that was the currency of life. In fact, his love of cats stemmed from his belief that they were creatures of energy and eclecticism that was a spark to the human experience. Like his feline artistic muses, he too carried an energy that was misunderstood by those around him. Even if he was the only one in the world who felt this way, Louis Wain understood the power of relationship and the vibrancy that can enliven people who are loved by others.

With a strangely cryptic title and enthusiastic adoration of cats, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is an unexpected joy that speaks to the value of everyone, especially the outcasts. By giving himself the freedom to bring Wain’s art to life, Sharpe creates a world that is energized by its style and invigorated by its star. In the end, Louis Wain becomes a film which begins with a love of cats and ends with a deeper appreciation for those around us. 

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is be available in theatres on Friday, November 5th, 2021.

Justin Bieber: Our World – The Boy Becomes a Man

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Let’s be serious. You’ve already decided how you feel about this.

For over a decade now, Justin Bieber has been both adored and despised by the general public. For some, it was because of his music. For others, his antics as a 17-year-old with the world at his feet. He’s been criticized, analyzed and despised but, at the same time, admired and adored by his fans.

But everyone had an opinion.

Now 27-years-old and married, Bieber is a man who wants to move past his impetuous youthful years. Admittedly he still remains a divisive performer, though primarily by those who refuse to forget those tumultuous years of his youth. (He even subjected himself to a Celebrity Roast a few years ago, allowing others to poke fun at his image.) With his new concert doc, Justin Bieber: Our World on Amazon Prime, Bieber wants to remind the public of his talent while demonstrating that he’s become a different man.

Set on the rooftop of the Beverley Hilton Hotel on New Year’s Eve 2020, Justin Bieber: Our World is the pop superstar’s first concert in three years. Performing an outdoor concert in the midst of the pandemic for 240 guests and millions more streaming online, Bieber performs an endless string of hits from his collection, old and new, while observing strict COVID protocols. Directed by Michael D. Ratner, Our World may focus on the music but it also allows Bieber to speak for himself through backstage footage and quieter moments with his wife, Hailey.

Whether you love his music or hate it, one can’t deny that the kid has loads of musical talent. (To be fair, there will be those who deny that… but they’re incorrect.) With this in mind, World proves exactly how prominent his musical dominance has been over all these years. Featuring hit after hit, the performance is a reminder that his pop dominance has been consistent and constant. (Be honest. You know more words to Baby and Love Yourself than you care to admit.) Despite his massive pyrotechnics and special effect, he has a grown as a performer in his ability to connect with his audience, even in larger scale performances. Most importantly though, there’s something about him when he’s onstage that feels so much more genuine now that he did in his youth. Professing his love for his wife or simply speaking to his fans feel honest and even humble.

While one wishes that the film offered more insight into the young man’s mind or his redemption tour in recent years, World does give a taste of who he wants to be seen as by the public. With the limited behind-the-scenes footage that we get, Bieber is portrayed as a young man who truly cares about those around him. The title ‘Our World‘ is deliberate in that there’s a connectedness and support of others that pervades the film. From his wife to his entourage and staff, Bieber has genuinely deep relationships with his team. (Further emphasizing this is the fact that the film goes out of its way to remind the viewer that Bieber’s performance went by the strictest of COVID protocols in order to ensure the safety of his fans and crew.) Carrying himself with maturity, the boy wonder has finally grown up into a man who is doing his best to live with honour. This portrait of Bieber is of a man who is going to prioritize things that truly matter, whether it’s walking with his wife, wearing masks, prayer or his mental health. This is not the youth we once [thought we] knew. He is hard working, loving and, most importantly, humble.

While Justin Bieber: Our World may not win any new fans to his music, it certainly does portray the pop prince in a new (and healthier) light. Though many of us have pointed to him over the years as an example of the destructive power of fame, maybe it’s time for us to admit that our view of Bieber has been tainted by his past. From the age of 15, this young man has been a bonified hit-machine and Our World is a reminder of just how truly talented he really is.

Hopefully, it’s not too late for us to say sorry.

Justin Bieber: Our World is available on Amazon Prime on Friday, October 8th, 2021.

One Night in Miami: History for Today

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Regina King flexes her incredible directorial skills for the first time in a feature film by bringing Kemp Powers’ stage play, One Night in Miami to the big screen (or little screen, as it were).

One Night in Miami is a fictional take on a meeting between real life friends, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) as they celebrate Clay’s title victory in 1964. At this time, these four very successful and world-renowned black men were at pivotal moments in their lives and careers.  Despite their stature, they continued to witness and experience the racism that was rampant in the 60’s, and still plagues us to this day.

Malcolm X was at a crossroads with the Nation of Islam and was in the process of pursuing his own branch of the Muslim faith.  As adversity continued to rise, he was growing weary from oppression, including numerous death threats.  Even so, he continued to be as passionate as ever about his activism and was invested in helping Cassius Clay transition to the faith.  

Clay, a confident and free-spirited man, was now a world champion boxer, and was quietly practicing as a Muslim under the teachings of Malcolm X.  He initially seemed timid about going public with his faith, and seemed to struggle when he finds out about Malcolm’s tribulations.

At the peak of his football career, Jim Brown was in the process of transitioning to acting.  We see a shocking hypocrisy with Jim’s backstory when he meets with a benefactor who is kind and welcoming to his face but then admits that they don’t welcome black people into their home.

Sam Cooke was the ultimate 60’s pop star who, according to Malcolm X, seemed to have his foot in the door of the white man.  Malcolm took issue with the fact that Sam wasn’t using his platform to speak on the civil rights issues facing the black community.

When these four men are in a room alone together, it sparks deep and passionate conversations about faith, civil rights, racism, and freedom.  As this was a stage play, we are blessed with numerous impressive monologues from each character.  This is an extremely emotionally driven piece and it certainly makes you think and compare the world they were living in with today’s culture.

One thing that Malcolm X said that struck me was that there is no reason for anyone to be on the fence anymore.  There are literally people dying in the streets everyday.  Black people are dying everyday and a line has got to be drawn in the sand.  This is so shockingly relevant to society today.  This is unfortunately the world we continue to live in and the world that we must change. 

One Night in Miami was a very impressive film that is not only entertaining but extremely relevant and important.  Each performance was incredible.  From the footage I have seen of these men in real life, the acting was spot on.  They had great chemistry on screen.  You believed their friendship but you also believed their disagreements.  And perhaps we can take a note from these men in the way that they support each other, yet don’t hesitate to call it out when there’s an issue and a potential for growth.

One Night in Miami is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.