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Colin Farrell

TIFF ’22: The Banshees of Inisherin

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Set upon a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of Padraic (Colin Farrell), a man who spends his days caring for the sheep and chatting with his pal Colm (Brendan Gleeson) at the local pub. But today is different. When Colm won’t answer his calls for their daily pint, Padraic is confused. When he confronts his friend, the only answer that Colm offers back is that he ‘doesn’t like him anymore’. But Padraic refuses to accept Colm’s rash decision and decides to do whatever he can to make up for… well… whatever it is that’s he done to offend his friend. But as Padraic continues to push, the gap between himself and Colm continues to widen, further shattering what was once a great relationship.

Directed by Martin McDonagh, Banshees is a surprisingly funny and heartfelt film to add to his catalog. Unlike his most recent Oscar-winning work, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but Banshees is far lighter in tone than its predecessor, allowing the quaint surroundings and quirkly conversations to lead the way. 

At least, at first.

Best known for unleashing man’s inner darkness, McDonagh allows his film to operate on a slow burn. Beginning with one man’s spontaneous decision to end his friendship with his best pal, the film open with such buoyancy that the viewer cannot help but be drawn into the madness of McDonagh’s world. But darkness looms on the horizon. By highlighting the humour of the film, McDonagh somehow makes the inevitable release of rage even more shocking and disturbing.

In this way, McDonagh unleashes the true terror of his Banshees. Although the reasons appear insignificant, the ghosts of the past refuse to allow the present to heal. With humour and a heart of darkness, McDonagh highlights the pain that is caused when people hold on to their hurt and how quickly the damage can escalate.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered at TIFF ’22. For more information, click here.

Artemis Fowl: The Ways of the Father

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Blues Brothers, where are you?

Since I’m not a huge fan of the Artemis Fowl series, I’ve decided to allow someone who is the ability to share their thoughts. In this case, it’s my daughter Rebecca.

Here’s what she had to say . . .

I started reading the Artemis Fowl series one day in my sophomore year of high school and immediately fell in love with the sarcastic criminal mastermind that the books are named after. I loved the way that Holly Short used her wits to make the best of every situation. I ravenously devoured the series and was quite delighted–and at the same time annoyed–with the ending. When I discovered that Eoin Colfer was writing a second series starring some of Artemis’ family, I was ecstatic. Then I heard Disney was making a movie and began counting the days until it landed on Disney+.

I was able to watch Artemis Fowl recently and was immediately struck with the remembrance that Colfer made changes to the film so it would fit what he had originally planned for the series. If you’re a fan of the books, prepare yourself in advance for some deviations. Overall, the movie has top-notch CGI and is a thrilling fast-paced adventure that leaves you hanging off your seat, waiting for more. Thankfully, the movie paves the way for a sequel and is a good reminder that, as we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day, we need to be thankful for the dads in our lives.

Set along the shores of Ireland, a place where magic seems to be present everywhere you look and home to Fowl Manor, where Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) and his father (Colin Farrell) live, this movie shows the majestic wonder that is the surface world. Artemis does not believe in the fairies and magic, but grew up being told tales of them by his father. Artemis’ father is captured by a mysterious person and the world seems to come to the realization that the Fowls are criminal masterminds (which isn’t far from the truth, actually). The mystery person calls and makes a deal with the young Artemis Fowl: his father in exchange for a mysterious artifact of the fairykind.

Peek-a-boo!

Cut to the underground world, where it is discovered that this artifact is already missing, and we meet the young (at least in fairy years) Officer Holly Short (Lara McDonnell), the daughter of the fairykind traitor, Beechwood Short. Holly is assigned a mission to the surface world by gravel-voiced Commander Julius Root (Judi Dench) and, at the same time, Artemis discovers that the world of the fairies is real and he begins to put together a plan to save his father. This part is almost identical to how it is in the books, with Holly being captured and used as bait by Artemis for the fairies. Mulch Diggums (Josh Gad) is brought in, ultimately finds the artifact, and Holly uses it to save Artemis’ father from the evil Opal Koboi, and return home safely. At this point, cue Artemis and the others becoming a team and preparing to kick Opal’s butt.

Despite the fact that he is indeed a criminal mastermind, Arty’s dad loves him very much and tries to spend as much time with him as possible whenever he is home. It’s pretty evident that Artemis’ father wants the best for his son–even to the point that he’s already prepared the way for Artemis so that, in time, he will discover everything his father has prepared for him. To this end, Arty’s father has provided his child a journal with all of his notes inside. In the same way, Arty’s father is like our father in heaven. God has prepared the way for those who love Him and His Son Jesus while providing resources like the Bible to read and put into practice. In addition, Artemis’ butler and his niece Juliet are there (just like fellow believers) to help Arty along the way–no matter how uncertain life seems. It should give us great comfort, therefore, to know God is always there for us. Perhaps it would be a good idea, on occasion, to tell Him “thank you” for all He’s done.

Of course, telling Dad the same thing (and giving him a hug) wouldn’t hurt either . . . 

The Gentlemen: In the Jungle, the Lion Eats Tonight

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Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, The Gentlemen introduces the world to Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), an American expatriate in London who built his empire by selling marijuana. When word gets out that wants out of the game, his enemies begin to salivate at the chance to take a bite out of his organization.

Having just finished his work with Disney on the live-action version of Aladdin, The Gentlemen is Ritchie at his free-wheeling best as he creates carnage and chaos in the mob realm once again. (In fact, it may be fair to say that that freedom may be exactly the point of this film, after working in the franchise pressure cooker that is the House of Mouse.) While the script may be a little too self-aware at times, the sheer joy expressed in the film-making and cast make the film a fun viewing experience. Having established himself with modern classics such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, his return to independent film allows him to spin narratives and bullet chambers in his own voice. Quick cuts, fractured storytelling and stop-time action sequences help the film to fit well into Richie’s uniquely stylized canon. What’s more, enthusiastic performances by Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Matthew McConaughey and, yes, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery keep the film wildly entertaining as well. 

The Gentlemen is a film that seeks to preserve the way things as they ‘used to be’. In Pearson’s drug-fueled world of money and mayhem, there are very clear rules about the way that things are handled between those in power. Despite the masculine bravado between players, this is actually a surprisingly ordered society that takes care of their business under guidelines of recognising boundaries, and old-school respect. (The film is called The Gentlemen, after all.) For example, as Mickey attempts to walk away from his drug empire, he offers the business for a ‘fair price’ that seems mutually beneficial. When a client seeks Mickey’s help after his daughter goes missing, he and his men take on the responsibility of bringing her home, even though it has little to do with them. Even the manner of storytelling within the film seems civil as two men unravel the narrative together over drinks and dinner, despite the fact that one of them has broken into the other’s home. Although their actions may be illegal, these men understand that their actions need not necessarily lead to violence (at least, initially). In other words, in this jungle, the animals know who the lion is and they offer him the proper respect.

With this in mind, what’s striking about The Gentlemen is its disregard for cultural conversations surrounding toxic masculinity. In a culture that continues to re-examine the nature of manliness in the light of changes in perspective and hoping to elevate the other, The Gentlemen appears to hit the reset button by throwing men back into the forefront of power.

For instance, the greatest threat to the legacy of the men in power seems to be youthful ambition. Time after time, as young men attempt to solve problems by taking matters into their own hands, they are met with angry words (or worse) from those responsible for them. Caring little for the rules of their elders, these up-and-coming but undisciplined thugs believe that their time has come to challenge for power, leading to chaos within their ordered society. 

Meanwhile, as the youth create anarchy due to their lack of respect, the women are resigned primarily to the sidelines. While Dockery’s performance as Rosalind Pearson is absolutely confident and powerful in her own right, she still requires the strength of her man to come to her rescue. In fact, while there are female characters with a voice in this world, few have the strength to survive. (In other words, this is a film has little interest in passing the ‘Bechdel Test’.)

In The Gentlemen, it is very clear that established men rule.

Even so, despite its over-reliance on strength through masculinity, The Gentlemen really is an entertaining return to form for Ritchie. Just as every great basketball player enjoys a game of pick-up ball with their friends when they’re not playing for the big leagues, so too does Ritchie enjoy begin back in the genre that made him famous. 

The Gentlemen spins its tale in theatres on Friday, January 24th, 2020.

GIVEAWAY! ROE Passes to THE GENTLEMEN! (Canada Only)

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ScreenFish is thrilled to be giving away 5 double Run Of Engagement passes to The Gentlemen, out in theatres on Friday, January 24th, 2020! (Passes are only applicable in Canada.)

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Hugh Grant and Michelle Dockery, The Gentlemen tells the story of Mickey Pearson (McConaughey), an American expatriate who became rich by building a marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business, it soon triggers an array of plots and schemes from those who want his fortune.

The Gentlemen begins its adventure on Friday, January 24th, 2020. Check out the trailer here.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook! For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter and Instagram.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020.

A special thanks to VVS!

5.13 The Mystical Science of DUMBO

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You’ve seen a horsefly. You’ve seen a dragonfly. You may have seen a house fly… but you’ve never seen an elephant fly… in live action that is. With the release of DUMBO, Disney continues it’s string of live-action remakes of it’s own animated properties (the first of in the next 4 months alone). Directed by Tim Burton and starring Colin Farrell, Danny Devito and Michael Keaton, the film is offers a different spin on the material but does it still carry the same endearing charm as the original? ScreenFish veterans Shelley McVea and Allen Forrest return to talk about family, the merging of science and mysticism and power within the film.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

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.

5.13 DumboDownload

Thanks Shelley and Allen for joining us!

Dumbo – Celebrating Our Flaws

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Dumbo is the latest Disney animated classic to be remade as a live action film. The original, a 64-minute feature film from 1941, can be visually identified by most people, but I wonder how many have actually seen it in its brief entirety. Now the story comes back to life in an expanded adaptation under the direction of Tim Burton—a master in telling stories about outsiders. And outsiders abound in this new version.

Like the original, the plot revolves around a baby elephant with amazingly large ears that enable it to fly with the help of a feather. And as in the original, the baby’s mother is locked away as a “mad elephant” after protecting her child, leaving the baby alone in the world. Unlike the original, there are no talking animals in this retelling. No crows (which in the original were something of a black-face minstrel show) or Timothy Q. Mouse, Dumbo’s mentor.

Instead, the remake builds a human story around Dumbo. The story is set in 1919, right after the end of World War I. A run-down circus, presided over by Max Medici (Danny DeVito) is setting off on a new season. Two children, Milly and Joe Farrier (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) have lost their mother to the flu. When their father Holt (Collin Farrell) returns from the war, he has lost an arm. He can no longer do the riding and roping that was his act. He is relegated to caring for the animals, which brings him into contact with Dumbo. (Actually, the animal’s name is Jumbo Jr., but because of his freakish ears, people yell Dumbo instead of Jumbo.) When another trainer is cruel to Mrs. Jumbo, Dumbo’s mother, she attacks him and ends up (as in the original) locked away. Meanwhile, Milly and Joe take care of the baby and discover that his ears give him the ability to fly.

Already we can see that the film is about families struggling with brokenness. Mrs. Jumbo and Dumbo are separated. (The film includes its version of the sorrowful nighttime visit of Dumbo to his mother with the song “Baby Mine” from the original.) The Farrier family is without a mother, and Holt is without an arm. And the circus as a whole serves as a family, but one going through very hard economic times. Each version of family is in need of healing, acceptance, and a future.

When word of a flying elephant gets out, it attracts the attention of V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) a slick promoter with arm decoration Collette Marchant (Eva Green) who swoops in to buy up the circus. He offers Max the vision of the big time, and the chance to take care of all his people—his family. He plans to bring Dumbo and the others to his new extravaganza park, Dreamland, where he will use the act to leverage new loans from banker J. Griffin Remington (Alan Arkin).

I found the vision of Dreamland interestingly similar to Disneyland, which seems like a small nip at the hand that feeds, given that Dreamland turns into a nightmare for everyone we care about in the film.

Getting back to the common Tim Burton theme of outsiders, each of the main characters fits such a category. Dumbo with his grotesque ears, Holt as a rider/roper with only one arm, Milly, a girl who wants to be a scientist, Joe, who loves the circus but is talentless, the whole range of strange circus performers, and Collette, a talented aerialist, who Vandevere treats as a toy. By making the physical or emotional flaws of each character so obvious, it ironically allows us to get beyond the surface to emotionally bond with each as they struggle for acceptance and search for happiness. That is one of the gifts that Burton brings to many of his films. He reminds us that humanity is not about perfection, but about the way all those flaws are what make us human.

I’ve been critical of Disney’s remaking animated classics as live action films. As with any endeavor, some will be better than others. My first reaction to the news that Dumbo was being remade was negative. After all, those animated classics were beloved because they told human stories in ways that touched us. However, Burton, screenwriter Ehren Kruger, and everyone else involved created a new depth to the story and all its emotional touch points. It becomes more than a story of separation and reunion. It is a story about the healing and enabling power of family. It is not about overcoming our flaws, but about making those flaws work for us and allowing us to soar.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Dumbo Filmmakers Meet the Press

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The filmmakers and actors from Disney’s upcoming live action Dumbo recently met with the press in a press conference format. This report is some gleanings from the two press conferences. The first included Grae Drake (Moderator), Derek Frey (Producer). Katterli Frauenfelder (Producer), Rick Heinrichs (Production Designer), Colleen Atwood (Costume Designer), Danny Elfman (Music by), Ehren Kruger (Screenplay & Producer), Justin Springer (Producer). The second session included Grae Drake (Moderator), Tim Burton (Director & Executive Producer), Colin Farrell (Holt Farrier), Nico Parker (Milly Farrier), Finley Hobbins (Joe Farrier), Eva Green (Colette Marchant), Danny DeVito (Max Medici), Michael Keaton (V. A. Vandevere).

Among the questions dealt with in a variety of ways: why do a retelling of the classic Disney animated film now?

DEREK FREY: In terms of the time, so much time has gone by since the original. And it’s a simple story. It’s a beautiful story. And I think a lot of the themes in the story that Ehren created, they’re universal things. It’s about family. It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about overcoming judgment and people looking at you in a certain way. Dumbo is kind of a bullied character. I know that’s something that we’re dealing with socially right now.

TIM BURTON: I just liked, it was just the idea of it. The idea of a flying elephant and the character that doesn’t quite fit into the world and how somebody with a disadvantage makes it an advantage. So it just felt very close to the way I felt about things. It was just a very pure simple image. Like all the old Disney fables had that kind of simple symbolism for real emotions.

In a somewhat related question, the second panel was asked similarities between Dumbo and his mother and the situation of children separated from parents at the border with Mexico.

TIM BURTON:  I think any family situation, but every family is different. I’m different. For me, I wish I had been separated from my parents. But that’s a different story. [Laughter]. But you know, most people would go yeah. You don’t want to separate anybody from your parents. Except me. But that’s fine. So I don’t think about. I think about things more in a spiritual simple way. There is news. I listen to the news and everything. But I always take things from a more like, I try to anyway, a human point of view that way. And because it’s like a fable. And all great fables tap into things that are true about today in human nature and other things. But it’s not literal. And all these people, it’s a period movie, it’s a fable. It touches on all of these things. But we try not to make it like ripped from today’s headlines, you know.

DANNY DEVITO:  The movie was made in 1941. And in 1941, if you remember the movie, 63 minute Disney movie masterpiece from that era, the baby was separated from his mom. So I don’t think it has anything to do with this unfortunate, horrifying thing that’s going on in our current news.

MICHAEL KEATON:  Two separate things. But I’m just going to say this. Thanks for bringing it up. Keep it in the consciousness. Because it’s criminal, it’s cruel, and I don’t think it borders on child abuse. I think it does. It is. [Applause].

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 10: (L-R) Director/executive producer Tim Burton, actors Colin Farrell, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins, Eva Green, Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton speak onstage during the “Dumbo” Global Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

There were also some questions about the changes made to the story, what was kept, and what was added.

EHREN KRUGER:  Yeah. I wanted to be a part of this movie for I think the same reasons that I hope an audience wants to see the movie that for me is a very personal experience of wish fulfillment. Dumbo is not just a Disney character. He’s a mythological character. And I wish he were real. I wish I could have been in the audience of that circus in the golden age of the circus and observe his story. And then to take the next step, not just observe his story, but imagine what it’s like to be Dumbo. And that leads you to a place where you say what would Dumbo want and is the end of the 1941 film truly a satisfying end for Dumbo of that story? And so that just organically led to expanding the story past where the animated film ends.

We made the decision that we wanted to transport an audience to a circus world, to Dumbo’s circus world. And they go and enter the circus. And that meant that it needed to feel real. So early on, we made a decision to not feature talking animals. And that the most important characters in the animated film, Dumbo, doesn’t speak. Mrs. Jumbo I think has one or two lines and that’s it. So that felt organic to the story to let Dumbo be a classic Charlie Chaplin Buster Keaton-esque expressive silent film performer. And make the circus around him feel real. So there are moments when we thought well, wouldn’t it be nice to have Timothy Q Mouse talk? He’s so cute. And we just don’t want to break the spell of where we were asking the audience to go to time travel with us to.

TIM BURTON:  I just like the fact that it’s obviously a very simple fable, very simple story. And it’s heart, about family. And what I liked about it was the human parallel story. This character Holy who comes back from a war. He doesn’t have an arm. He doesn’t have a wife. He doesn’t have a job. Doesn’t have a you know. He’s trying to find his place in the world. And all of the characters actually are in that way. Nico’s character. They wanted to be something. She wants to be something else. Every character in it. Eva is not… everybody is trying to find their place in the world. Like Dumbo. And using disadvantage to advantage. So lots of nice themes. But in a very simple framework.

There was also discussion of incorporating various images and ideas from the original film.

EHREN KRUGER:  Yeah. I just thought about things that I associated so strongly with the story. Pink Elephants, Casey Jr., Firefighting Clowns. And these were all things without going back and watching the 1941 film.

DANNY ELFMAN:  We all have firefighting clowns in our past somewhere. If we look at our own lives. I find.

EHREN KRUGER:  In your band. Yes. Yes. You had firefighting clowns. Just the things that I remember. It’s kind of like Danny talks about. Zeitgeist memories or things in the back of your head. I remember that moment. I remember that image. And of course, in writing the film, I went back and revisited the animated movie a number of times. But I really tried to get to that place of what are the core things that I associate with this? What are the simple things I associate with this story? And those have to be there?

JUSTIN SPRINGER:  Yeah. I think that kind of covers it. It’s not as if you sit down and make a list of all the things that we feel like we’re beholden to include. It’s really just you start from your own fandom and your own respect from the original and you just start to derive a story out of the stuff that feels like it’s in the essence of the movie. And those can be set pieces or visual imagery or fun little Easter eggs even or ways that music might eventually get used if you just put it on the page now and there’s lots of people who will take those ideas that are on the page and turn it into beautiful sets or costumes or music. Those things. But also just in the story, what’s in the DNA of that core story that feels like it’s allowed it to have this lasting impact for 80 years. If you have that foundation, then you can take the story in all sorts of directions. We can expand out and tell a broader human story. We can see where Dumbo goes after, he flies and what the impact on the world ultimately becomes. But it all kind of comes back to what are those original elements both visual but also in the story and then the themes that feel like are core to the original movie.

EHREN KRUGER:  And really quickly. I like to feel like you can, like these movies run on parallel train tracks. So that you can imagine that Dumbo’s conversations with Timothy Mouse are happening off screen in between scenes of this movie. Just wanted to honor the original.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 10: (L-R) Moderator Grae Drake, producers Derek Frey, Katterli Frauenfelder, production designer Rick Heinrichs, costume designer Colleen Atwood, composer Danny Elfman, screenwriter/producer Ehren Kruger and producer Justin Springer onstage during the “Dumbo” Global Press Conference at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

A question was brought up about what they wanted children to take away from this film.

COLIN FARRELL:  The same thing adults take away from the importance of not just accepting the inherent difference that people have from each other in relation to each other but celebrating it. I think just as Tim was saying, there are simple messages that are very complex it seems to live in as we go through our lives. And those messages are messages of kindness and inclusion and all those kind of things. So that will be cool. Or else if they’re just entertained for a couple of hours and take that as well.

TIM BURTON:  But also with just like the Disney movies. For me, the reason I wanted to do it was like the old Disney movies had all these elements. They had joy. They had humor. They had… [Laughter.] Okay. Let’s go nine rounds. So what was I talking about?

GRAE DRAKE:  Joy.

TIM BURTON:  Well, death. You know. Everything. Stuff that are taboo subjects.

COLIN FARRELL:  You skipped so deftly from joy and humor to death.

TIM BURTON:  Did I emphasize that one too much?

GRAE DRAKE:  Two sides of the same coin.

TIM BURTON:  But we always had the mixture of those things. So like Colin was just saying. We tried to present these things without overdoing it. And in a fable like way. But then let it present itself and not just sort of dictate it and just show these people for what they’re going through and who they are.

 

5.05 The Roar of the WIDOWS

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When four men are killed on a failed bank heist, their widows are drawn into the criminal underworld to complete the job. Featuring an all-star cast, Steve McQueen’s WIDOWS is a gripping tale of betrayal, courage and power… but why isn’t it making any money? This week, Steve welcomes Julie and Paul Levac to talk about the strength of women and the truth behind the lies.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic or on Spotify! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or more!

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.

5.05 Widows

Thanks Julie and Paul for joining us!

Widows: When Lionesses Roar

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What happens when those that are left behind are forced to clean up the mess of those that have left us?

Directed by Steve McQueen, Widows tells the story of a police shootout that leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows — Veronica (Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) — have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses’ criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, Veronica joins forces with the other three women to pull off a heist that her husband was planning.

Though Oscar-winner McQueen is best known for slower paced dramatic fare such as 12 Years A Slave or Shame, he brings a surprising depth to a film which could otherwise dwell in the sub-basement of pulp action films. Co-writing the script with acclaimed author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), McQueen’s thriller proves to be both gripping and engaging from the outset. Though on paper some may liken the film to this year’s ‘other female heist film’, Ocean’s 8, thankfully the comparisons end there. Widows is a smart, energetic thriller that makes use of an extremely talented cast led with ferocity by Oscar-winner, Viola Davis.

A tight, well-written thrill ride, what is most interesting about a film such as Widows is where it falls in the cultural spectrum. As female-led films have finally begun to be recognized for their success, there seems to have been a theme building momentum where women are encouraged to ‘find their voice’. Recent films such as A Star is Born, The Hate U Give to, yes, Ocean’s 8 have all provided opportunity for women to offer their stories in a male-driven culture. However, if these films serve as cries from the desert, Widows roars like a proud lioness. There is a beautiful but wild energy permeating Widows that reveals the strength, courage and power that women can wield when caught in a world dominated by male-oppression. When we first meet our leads, their identities are tied closely to the men that they love (especially Veronica). However, when threatened by mob boss Jamal Manning to recover the money that their husbands stole from him, they are forced to learn who they are apart from their spouses.

As a result, there is a complexity to these women as they both grieve the loss of their loved ones yet also begin to step out into the light and discover who they are.

From Davis to Debicki (in what may be her breakout role), each female character finds different ways to stand-up against the emotional and physical barriers that have been placed on them by men misusing their power and authority. (With this in mind, it’s no accident that Davis’ Veronica growls that ‘no one thinks [they] have the balls to pull this off.’) Although they find themselves trapped in a ‘man’s game’, these widows prove that their identity and inner strength aren’t decided by a man’s world.

Armed with a whip-smart script and excellent cast, Widows is a film that will surprise you with its depth and emotional punch. Though more popcorn flick than Oscar-fare, the film shows the power of discovering who you are when you’re forced to start over.

Widows is in theatres now.

The Beguiled – No Serpent Needed in This Garden

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“You’re our most unwelcome visitor, and we do not propose to entertain you.”

What is it that corrupts our lives? In The Beguiled, Sofia Coppola’s Southern Gothic film set in the Civil War, there seems to be a world that is pure and innocent. But is it really? Is this a fall from grace, or was there a state of grace to begin with?

The film opens as a young girl goes through the Virginia woods picking mushrooms. She is startled to find a wounded Union soldier, barely conscious. She helps him to Miss Martha’s Seminary for Young Women, a school with a handful of young women who have nowhere else to go. Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) agrees to take Corporal McBurney (Colin Farrell) in and nurse him to health before turning him over to the Confederate troops as a prisoner. (It is, after all, Christian charity.) But his presence in the school is the opportunity for lust and jealous to grow, particularly among Miss Martha, the school’s other teacher Miss Edwina (Kirsten Dunst), and the oldest student, Miss Alicia (Elle Fanning).

As McBurney regains his strength, he manages to endear himself to the women, perhaps playing them against one another. But things will not go smoothly. In time, the tensions will lead to an accident that will complicate the story even further and lead to a very dark conclusion. By the end of the story, all innocence has been stripped away from these young women.

Coppola makes great use of nature throughout the film. We often hear birds and insects that make us think this is a very pristine world. But even then we hear the far off sounds of warfare. We are reminded that this is already a fallen world. The very fact that McBurney is a soldier tells us that pain and suffering already exist. The fact that the women see him as an enemy shows that they participate in this reality, even as they use the language of Christian duty to justify their actions.

As I began to think about the film, my first thought was that McBurney was a serpent that brought corruption to this Eden. But I soon realized that all the seeds of sinfulness were already present and growing in Miss Martha’s Seminary. McBurney merely sped the growth. Of course it’s also possible to read Genesis in the same way. The Serpent didn’t bring evil into the Garden. That potential already existed within the Man and Woman that God had placed there. The Serpent simply brought out what was already within them. The depth to which all the characters descend in this story is not the work of an outside source of evil. It is the fruition of a darkness that already inhabited them.