ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Armie Hammer

7.04 The Power of Ghosts in REBECCA

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Amidst the stunning landscapes of Monte Carlo, a young woman (Lily James) is surprised to find herself caught in the midst of a sweeping romance with eligible bachelor, Maxim DeWinter (Armie Hammer). When the two wed quickly, he brings her home to his elegant manor of Manderley. As the new Mrs. DeWinter settles into their estate, she falls out of favour with housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), who remains devoted to the legacy of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca. This week, Miriam Ibrahim and Amanda Jane Smith return to talk about the film’s portrayal of the relationship between power and gender and being haunted by toxic memories.

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

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Hotel Mumbai: Abandoned By God

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In Hotel Mumbai, terror hold the heart of India in its grip as members of Lashkar-e-Taiba co-ordinate a series of attacks on the city, culminating in their occupation of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. In the midst of the chaos, a brave chef (Anupam Kher) and kitchen worker (Dev Patel) risk their lives in order to protect the hotel patrons. As terror grips the hotel, a desperate couple (Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi) fight to save themselves and their child from their attackers.

Directed by Anthony Maras, Hotel Mumbai is based on the real-life terrorist attacks that took place in India in 2008. Playing out more as a dramatic thriller than character piece, Mumbai is a sobering film that bears even more weight in light of the recent events of Christchurch, NZ. In this regard, Mumbai features solid performances from leads Dev Patel (who continues to impress as he grows as an actor), Hammer and Jason Isaacs. Still, it’s star Boniadi who steals the film, playing a Muslim mother with strength and ferocity.

Based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai, Maras’ primary interest is to throw the viewer into the moment. While there are some who would argue that the film lacks character development, his emphasis simply is focused upon the weight of the tragedy itself. In this moment, all victims are equal, regardless of race or social status. In light of this, there is a power to the film that showcases the horror of modern terrorism and the value of everyone affected by it.

In the midst of the tragedy, however, one of the most interesting motifs is Maras’ conversations about the nature of God. Throughout the film, God remains at the forefront of people’s minds, to various degrees of certainty. Interestingly, whereas one might expect that these circumstances may cause them to cry out to the Divine, instead the hotel patrons wrestle with the fact that these moments are proof that there is no God. By contrast, however, in the midst of their attacks, terrorists proclaim their violence in the name of God.

By holding these two differing views up against one another, Maras creates a world where the Divine leads directly to darkness. In Hotel Mumbai, God calls others to create chaos and fear in His name while those who follow are those who destroy. (Is it any wonder that those who fear for their lives would feel abandoned?) With this in mind, the film is a bold statement for a culture that is wrestling with the roots of evil in light of terrifying tragedy. After all, in the absence of light, what can we look to in order to break the darkness?

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As a gripping thriller, Hotel Mumbai delivers in just about every way. Though graphic at times, the film is haunting and powerful with strong performances from its entire case. However, the most terrifying aspect of the film is the reality of evil that continues to haunt our world.

Hotel Mumbai is in theatres now.

To hear our interview with actor Anupam Kher, click here.

 

1on1 with Anupam Kher (HOTEL MUMBAI)

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In this 1on1, Julie Levac comes to you live from the red carpet of the Toronto premiere of Hotel Mumbai on March 20, 2019. Hear star Anupam Kher tell her why Hotel Mumbai is one of the most important films of our time.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Spotify or on your Alexa device via. Stitcher! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

Hotel Mumbai – Sacrifices for God

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What is a worthy sacrifice to make for one’s gods? Does that sound like a basis for a action thriller? It turns out to be a very important part of Hotel Mumbai, the feature debut of director Anthony Maras. Based on the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai that created three days of chaos in that city, the film focuses on the assault on the famed Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, which was one of a dozen targets of the attack.

The Taj is a very upscale hotel, where guests are pampered, especially the VIP guests. That could entail drawing a bath to precisely 47° C, or making sure that a guest’s call girls for the evening are waiting in his room by the time he finishes dinner. As Chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) reminds his kitchen and wait staff at the start of their shift, “The guest is god.”

(From L to R) Armie Hammer as “David”, Tilda Cobham-Hervey as “Sally” and Nazanin Boniadi as “Zahra” in director’s Anthony Maras’ HOTEL MUMBAI, a Bleecker Street release. Credit: Kerry Monteen / Bleecker Street

The story revolves around groups within the hotel: the staff, including Oberoi and a young Sikh waiter, Arjun (Dev Patel); the hotel guests, including David (Armie Hammer) and Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) who are there with their infant child and its nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), and Vasili, a Russian millionaire (Jason Isaacs); and the Pakistani gunmen (Amandeep Singh, Suhail Nayyar, and Manoj Mehra). When the attack begins in a train station, the chaos of the city seems far removed from the peacefulness within the Taj. Indeed, many people run to the Taj to seek safety. But soon gunmen are inside the hotel, randomly killing whoever they come across, and eventually going room to room hunting more victims. As the battle engulfs the hotel, David and Zahra are frantic to know Sally and the baby are safe, but how can they go to get them?

The hotel staff do all they can to provide safety to the guests, eventually taking them a back way to a private club, the most secure place in the hotel. Although some of the staff have escaped to return to their own families, many remain because of the mantra “the guest is god.” The killing continues, the staff keeps acting nobly, the parents and Sally do all they can to try to protect and save the child. The tension is well developed as the story progresses.

But we also get time to know these gunmen who are terrorizing the hotel. They are more than one-dimensional monsters that we might expect. They have been radicalized and trained for this mission, but the more we get to know them, the more human they become. They are following the orders of their leader over the phone, but in time, they begin to question the brutality of what they are doing.

We also learn that a key part of their motivation is that their families are to get money. Just as the waiter Arjun is from a poor family and is trying to provide for his wife and children, these gunmen are doing what they feel they must to provide for their families. That similarity grows through the film.

The other important comparison between the staff and the terrorists is that they see what they are doing as acting on behalf of their gods. “The guest is god” takes on a deeper meaning when we see that the staff is willing to sacrifice themselves in order to protect the guests. For Arjun, it becomes very personal when one of the guests is afraid of him because he wears a turban (a part of the Sikh religious practice), he calmly explains its deep importance it holds, but offers to remove it because she is his guest. While the staff is serving their guests/gods, the terrorists are being told over and over by their leader (who is in constant contact by phone) of the reward their God has waiting for them.

Dev Patel stars as “Arjun” in director Anthony Maras’ HOTEL MUMBAI, a Bleecker Street release. Credit: Kerry Monteen / Bleecker Street

But if both the hotel staff and the gunmen are acting out of their commitment to their gods—even to the point of giving their lives, does that make them equivalent? Certainly not. But we are called on to understand how they differ and which group is offering up a sacrifice that is worthy of their devotion.

People of faith often speak of the ways we serve our gods. How do we judge that service? Is it how intense we are in our actions? Or is it seen not in ourselves but the way our service brings our gods’ love and compassion to the world we have been sent to serve? It is in this way that we can see the value of those in the film who are serving their gods in different ways.

Photos courtesy of Bleecker Street

 

On the Basis of Sex – RBG Fights the System

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“Courts ought not be affected by the weather of the day, but will be by the climate of the era.”

Before she became a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one who fought against sex discrimination. One the Basis of Sex focuses on her life from the time she entered Harvard Law School until she began to argue appeals to begin to break down the barriers to equality—law by law.

In the opening scene, as credits are shown, we see a sea of men all headed the same direction. It turns out that they are on their way into the law school. We see just one woman among them. Later we learn that there are nine new women law students that year. As the new students begin their studies, the dean addresses the new class by speaking about what it means to be a “Harvard Man”. That was the world at the time Ruth (Felicity Jones) began her journey towards being a lawyer. And it didn’t get better when she graduated. Not able to find employment at a law firm, she teaches law at Rutgers. As the turbulent 1970s dawn, she teaches a class focusing on sex discrimination, noting that under the law, women do not have rights. When her husband Martin (Armie Hammer), a tax attorney, brings her a case in which a man can’t get a deduction that a woman could, she sees it as a chance to chip away at the law.

The film speaks of sex discrimination not as an abstract, but as the reality in Ruth’s life. She serves as the victim of the systemic sexism of the day. Even though it is clear that she has the intelligence and the drive to be a good attorney, each firm she interviews with finds a different reason why they won’t hire her, ranging from we already have one woman, why would we want two? to the wives would be jealous. Martin recognizes her gifts and is supportive. But such male benevolence is hard to find elsewhere in the film. Even an old childhood friend, Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux), now at the ACLU, supports her in theory, but not so much in action. The male condescension reaches its highest point (or deepest depth) when one of the judges in her appeals case mansplains the three branches of government and how laws are made.

The film also spends time on the Ginsburg’s family life, with special emphasis on Ruth’s sometimes troubled relationship with her teenage daughter Jane (Cailee Spaeni). Jane at first feels as though her mother dismisses her, but in time the two come to appreciate each other. Ruth sees in Jane a new generation who will not accept the status quo and who will fight for change.

The film gets a bit dramatic at times. In reality, I doubt the arguments in an appellate court on a $270 tax case is very exciting, but for this film, it seeks to put us on the edges of our seats. As first Martin, then Ruth, make their case, it seems destined to lose, until Ruth comes up in the final moments to turn the tide. But that drama is what gives the film a sense of urgency to remind us that the battles for justice are not done.

Sitting close to fifty years removed from the time of the film, it may seem that the attitudes of that time were ridiculous. However, as the issues are discussed, arguments are often made that such changes in the laws will destroy the family and fabric of society. Often it is asserted that the male dominant society is the natural order of things. Should women be firefighters or combat troops? While some may find such claims out of date, they continue to be made in many gender related issues that continue to be struggled with to this day.

Fans of Justice Ginsburg (who knew judges would ever have fans?) will be happy to know that the real RBG does make a brief appearance atop the Supreme Court steps at the end of the film, which brought some applause at the showing I attended. That she is so recognizable is a testament to the role she continues to play as we continue to need champions of justice.

Photos courtesy of Focus Features

Call Me by Your Name – Moving Past Innocence

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“To make yourself feel nothing so you don’t feel anything. What a waste.”

Coming-of-age stories are often about discovery as characters emerge from childhood. They often harken back to the story of Eden, as Adam and Eve eat forbidden fruit and their eyes are opened to see and experience the world in new ways. In Call Me by Your Name, a young man spends his summer exploring new emotions and his sexuality. The process, like the Eden experience, is both painful and enlightening.

Elio (Timothée Chalamet) spends the summer with his family in their Northern Italian villa. It is a very intellectual family. His father (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a professor of Greco-Roman culture. His mother (Amira Cesar) is an interpreter who brings a variety of cultures into the home. Elio describes them as a mix of American, Italian, French, and Jewish. Elio is something of a musical prodigy, spends his days reading and exploring a relationship with Marzia (Esther Garrel).

Then Oliver (Armie Hammer), an American grad student, arrives to spend the summer with the family. As the summer progresses, their relationship evolves into friendship, but a sexual attraction also grows between them. Elio is unsure of how to approach his sexuality, which expresses itself in various ways. It’s not so much about forbidden fruit, but about being overwhelmed by the variety of possibilities before him, and finding the choice that will most fulfill him.

The Edenic association is enhanced by the sumptuous cinematography and lush settings of the film. (My wife thought each shot was like looking at a work of art.) The leisurely pacing of the story allows viewers to enjoy the beauty of the time and place. The locations are just as seductive as the relationships that Elio is developing.

I hesitate to say that this is a story about the loss of innocence. Even the story of Eden can be read not as about a fall and sin, but as a movement to a fuller life. That is closer to what Elio experiences in this summer romance. He is learning what it means to love. He may be unsure of how to express that love or even the relationship of love and his awakening sexuality, but he is discovering that essentially to love means to open oneself. He also discovers that in opening himself he is exposed to the possibility of being hurt and hurting others. That is very much like Eden—it is a two-edged sword that brings both joy and pain.

 

Cars 3 – We Need Each Other

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The film Cars opened with a blank screen as Lightning McQueen pumped himself up for the upcoming race: “Speed.  I am speed.”

The film Cars 3 opens with a blank screen as Lightning McQueen pumps himself up for the upcoming race: “Speed.  I am speed.”

If there’s nothing else you take from this review, know that the third installment of the Pixar animated series returns to its original roots, eschewing the 007-like escapades of the second film.

I’ve always been a fan of the anthropomorphic cars, but always felt cheated that the second film was more about the wisecracking sidekick Mater than Lightning and his role in the Cars universe.  Our Steve Norton felt the same way and recently posted a list of items that would make the new film a good one.  Happily, this version brings back the whimsy, excitement, and fun, along with a darker theme that will resonate with adults.  It’s pretty formulaic and sputters in places, but is still worth a theater viewing.  The kids, of course, will eat it up regardless of when and where they see it.

As I mentioned, the plot is reminiscent of the original film.  Lightning (voiced by Owen Wilson) is still quite successful on the Piston Cup tour and has even found a few friends along the way.  But he’s straight up blindsided in a race when Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) comes out of nowhere and wins, setting up a seven-race winning streak.  Jackson is part of a new generation of cars that are able to drive faster and train better than Lightning, forcing the older generation to retire.  Of course, Lightning wants to win at all costs, so he pushes himself to the limits in the last race of the season—and violently crashes (this scene caused one kid in the viewing to scream “Oh, no!” in panic).

Lightning has to figure out what to do, and instead of doing something, he throws a pity party in Doc Hudson’s garage.  Hudson (the late Paul Newman) ‘died,’ so Lightning is left with the lovable cast of characters in Radiator Springs to encourage him to keep going.  A phone call from the owners of the Rust-eze team convince him to train at their new facility in Florida, so he heads out and finds a state-of-the-art facility, spearheaded by new owner, Sterling (Nathan Fillion). Sterling loves Lightning, but secretly believes his days are up, seeing him as a way to market all sorts of products.  However, Lightning wants to keep racing and is willing to use the fancy technology to get faster, including a fancy high speed simulator.  The trainer for all the cars is a shiny yellow speedster named Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who sees Lightning as her senior project.  When things don’t work out in training, Sterling gives Lightning one chance to win—or retire to the life of a marketer.

Cruz comes along for the ride and endures the life of a car in a demolition derby where Miss Fritter (Lea DeLaria), a school bus on performance-enhancing-fuel (okay, not really), runs the show—and even steals the spotlight from Lightning and Cruz. Soon, Lightning realizes that Doc Hudson had to have a mentor, so he and Cruz travel to Thomasville GA to find Smokey (Chris Cooper), an old truck reminiscent of Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).  Once there, Lightning makes a discovery that may change his life.  Perhaps the race in Florida means more than anyone thought possible . . .

As always, Pixar continues to push the limits of technology with their animation, which is jaw-droppingly photorealistic throughout. While Cars 3 returns to the ways of the first film, it doesn’t quite reach its level of fun.  Laughs aren’t as prevalent and the subject matter is darker (the crash, for example).  You’re not going to hear Lightning yell “Ka-chow!,” but at least the tractors make a return.  Cruz is a fantastic addition to the ecosystem and little girls will gravitate to her character.  I also appreciated the nods to the first film—especially the loving tributes to Doc Hudson.  Chick Hicks (Bob Peterson) is still obnoxious and smacks Lightning down every chance he gets.  Thankfully, Mater is relegated to a minor character, as he’s best in small doses. But Sally (Bonnie Hunt), Lightning’s romantic interest, is basically a throwaway character for the second consecutive film.  This was an opportunity wasted.

Director Brian Fee provides a story replete with themes of overcoming obstacles, thinking outside the box, the need for others, and empowerment.  Regarding the need for others, it’s important to have people in your life who can laugh with you, cry with you, cheer you up, and push you to be the best you can be. The Bible has something to say about this topic in the book of Ecclesiastes: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NASB).  In the case of Lightning and Cruz, the two create a symbiotic relationship that pays dividends for each before the film’s credits roll. Without each other, the two fail in their individual pursuits and goals.  It’s a great reminder for us in our fast-paced, hectic lives.

There is an animated short before the film entitled Lou that will bring back memories of the schoolyard bully.  It’s well done (as the shorts tend to be). And don’t forget to stay through the credits!

 

3.2 Fighting for the BIRTH OF A NATION

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This week, Chris Utley and ScreenFish newbie Peter Adourian join Steve to tackle Nate Parker’s controversial BIRTH OF A NATION.  In this episode, they tackle issues of race and gender politics, owning the truth and even whether we can separate art from the artists.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

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A special thanks to Chris Utley and Peter Adourian for joining us this week!

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tiff16: THE BIRTH OF A NATION

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Released at Sundance earlier this year, the film sparked a bidding war the likes of which the festival had never seen before (and eventually settled at Fox Searchlight for an amazing $17.5M, the highest in the festival’s history.  With a timely subject matter (especially in the heat of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy) and buzz-worthy visuals, Nate Parker’s film was already being viewed as a lock for an inevitable Best Picture win at the 2017 Oscars ceremony.

Of course, a lot has changed in since then.

With the reveal of Nate Parker’s acquittal from rape allegations in 1999 (and the victim’s subsequent suicide in 2012), THE BIRTH OF A NATION has seen the shine taken off predicted Oscar trophy.  Still trying to salvage an awards campaign for a film that has garnered buzz, Parker’s personal life keeps taking centre stage and overshadowing his work.  (In fact, the entire situation has sparked conversation about whether or not a film should be judged on it’s own merit or whether or not the lives of those associated with it are inextricably tied to its success or failure.)

Which begs the question:  Is the film good?

No.

It’s very good.

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BIRTH OF A NATION tells the true story of Nat Turner, an enslaved Baptist preacher who lives on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of insurrection in the air, a cleric convinces Samuel that Nate should sermonize to other slaves, thereby quelling any notions of an uprising. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. On Aug. 21, 1831, Turner’s quest for justice and freedom leads to a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County.

Bound to be divisive, NATION is a visceral experience which knows it’s objectives from the beginning of the film and drives there unapologetically.  Nate Parker shows considerable creativity visually for his first outing as director, balancing slave drama with almost dream-like metaphors.  His use of colour bleaches the southern landscapes in heat, revealing a hopeless landscape yet fire burns off the screen in its brightness.  Bound to be compared with 2013’s Best Picture Winner, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, NATION has a higher level of energy that builds its intensity.

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While I also think it would be fair to say that most of the other characters lack the development of Turner himself, the film really is about one man’s journey from servant to leader.  The choice to emphasize the journey as opposed to the ensuing bloodbath (which is shorter than you’d expect) keeps NATION from viewing Turner as Braveheart or even Spartacus.  Throughout the film, Turner remains a committed man of peace and of faith until the revolution begins but, even then, there is indication that this is a struggle for him.  Yes, he is leading a violent uprising… but he hasn’t simply become a monster.  He simply sees no other option.

Interestingly enough, the film also has a fascinating conversation about the use of Scripture by both the oppressed and oppressors as well.  While he reads the passages on freedom and hope for himself, he is pressured to preach on the value of slavery while the people suffer in silence.  Parker clearly wants this to lead to a conversation about who really owns the truth  and, thankfully, he contains himself from directly monologuing on the subject.  (It is clear in the film’s construct who the villains are and such conversation isn’t necessary.)

It’s my hope that, as the Fall unfolds, this film finds it’s audience and, potentially, awards recognition.  With the conversation surrounding Parker having tainted what otherwise may have been a clear path to Oscar, I do feel like it would be a wasted opportunity for some real conversations that a film like this presents.

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The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – The Mission Is Greater

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Lately, Hollywood seems content to reboot or extend what has already been done. But the decision to reach back into MGM’s vault in the 1960s and draw from the Cold War seemed like a strange decision. With the casting of Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill as the U.S. agent Napoleon Solo, Warner Bros. set up the odd couple pairing by turning Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger, The Social Network) into a Russian spy Illya Kuryakin. [Seriously, he’s played the wooden masked man and twins, so why not have Hammer adopt a Russian accent?] The end result was surprisingly entertaining, and old school.

Entrusted with babysitting Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of a kidnapped ex-Nazi nuclear scientist, the two spies from opposite sides travel to Rome to pursue the Vinciguerras, husband and wife Alexander (Luca Calvini) and Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki). There, the two spies find themselves sparring with each other and various henchmen of the Vinciguerras, led by “Uncle” Rudi (Sylvester Groth), a sick little man. But will the two arguing, competing spies be able to stop the criminals from creating a weapon of mass destruction?

In the Blu-ray combo pack, the special features show how Guy Ritchie went about adapting the feel of the 1960s television show for the present day. It’s no small feat that he made it feel right, even having pulled off Sherlock Holmes 1&2 and RocknRolla. Ritchie’s style comes through without tearing apart the realistic tone of the show that came before it. Other special features take us further into the spy vibe and the action of the film as well.

In the end, this boils down to whether Kuryakin and Solo can get over themselves (or is it each other?) in time to save the world. Can they recognize what they have in common well enough to ignore their differences while they pursue a common mission? These are life lessons that all of us have to unravel (okay, maybe not saving the world) while figuring out how to live, love, and worship the Creator God of the universe who calls us all his children. While the world creates stereotypes and labels, dividing us from each other, God calls us into community, into a family or team, aimed at completing the mission.

Hopefully, we can be half as successful as these two spies, with or without the bickering.