• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Film
  • DVD
  • Editorial
  • About ScreenFish

ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • News
  • OtherFish
  • Podcast
  • Give

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Sharp Stick: Sex and Sensibility

August 16, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

In Sharp Stick, Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) may be 26-years old but her sexual inexperience plagues her mind. Living at home with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her sister, Treina (Taylour Paige), Sarah Jo has been raised in a home that has honest conversations about sexuality that many families are unwilling to have. However, this also leaves Sarah Jo feeling as though she’s missing out. When she begins an intense affair with the father of the child that she cares for (Jon Bernthal), Sarah Jo begins a personal awakening. But when the relationship begins to unravel, she also begins a heart-breaking emotional journey as she attempts to course correct her inexperience in the bedroom.

Led by a brave performance by Froseth, Sharp Stick is an unflinching portrait of modern sexuality and the pressure that we put on ourselves because of it. While the term ‘coming-of-age tale’ feels cliché, it is also an accurate description. Growing up in a family that speaks openly about sexuality, Sarah Jo believes that she has been missing out on an integral part of life. As a result, Sarah Jo attempts to mold herself into what she believes is every man’s desire. From watching pornography to becoming open to all types of sexual activity, Sarah Jo sees these opportunities as research into the male psyche. 

She believes that her romantic failures are due to her inexperience… and she is determined to change that.

Sharp Stick is incredibly open and honest with its conversations about sexuality yet somehow never feels exploitative. Despite its multiple bedroom scenes, there is no graphic nudity of which to speak of. As a result, despite its openness about sex, the film never becomes exploitative. Written and directed by Lena Dunham (Girls), Stick is willing to address topics that few others are willing to engage in a mature manner. From sexual shame and loneliness to the notion of changing ourselves to impress others, the film unpacks the complexities of relationships and how to deal with toxic sexual ideas.

In some ways, it could be alternatively titled Sex and Sensibility.

What’s more, the film shows its strength in the way that it speaks about the need for intimacy as opposed to frequency in our sexual exploits. Without giving any spoilers, Sarah Jo attempts to learn as much as she can about various positions and experiences because she believes that she is somehow inadequate for her lover. For her, these are growing experiences. 

But for the viewer, it is a period of sadness.

With each hookup and lover, Sarah Jo’s journey towards empowerment seems to have the opposite effect. While she may be bolder in the bedroom, she also becomes much more emotionally isolated. Even though she can check things off her (literal) board, there is something missing. In this way, Sharp Stick does an excellent job highlighting the importance of intimacy and connecting with one’s partner. Here, Dunham reminds the viewer that there is mutual trust and humility that is present within the healthiest of romances. Whereas most films choose to glorify the candlelit rooms and rose-covered bedsheets, Stick understands that sexuality is much more than a physical act. 

It’s a connection of souls.

In the end, Sharp Stick may be a film that feels intense in its encounters yet it also becomes an important film in many regards. Dunham has always fought to empower women in their sexuality and she uses Stick to help stir up dialogue that few others are willing to have.

Sharp Stick is currently available at FantasiaFest 2022. For information, click here. It will also available on VOD/Digital on August 16th.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jon Bernthal, Kristine Froseth, lena dunham, Sharp Stick, Taylour Paige

Fantasia Fest: Sharp Stick

July 27, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

In Sharp Stick, Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) may be 26-years old but her sexual inexperience plagues her mind. Living at home with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her sister, Treina (Taylour Paige), Sarah Jo has been raised in a home that has honest conversations about sexuality that many families are unwilling to have. However, this also leaves Sarah Jo feeling as though she’s missing out. When she begins an intense affair with the father of the child that she cares for (Jon Bernthal), Sarah Jo begins a personal awakening. But when the relationship begins to unravel, she also begins a heart-breaking emotional journey as she attempts to course correct her inexperience in the bedroom.

Led by a brave performance by Froseth, Sharp Stick is an unflinching portrait of modern sexuality and the pressure that we put on ourselves because of it. While the term ‘coming-of-age tale’ feels cliché, it is also an accurate description. Growing up in a family that speaks openly about sexuality, Sarah Jo believes that she has been missing out on an integral part of life. As a result, Sarah Jo attempts to mold herself into what she believes is every man’s desire. From watching pornography to becoming open to all types of sexual activity, Sarah Jo sees these opportunities as research into the male psyche. 

Sharp Stick is incredibly open and honest with its conversations about sexuality yet somehow never feels exploitative. Despite its multiple bedroom scenes, there is no graphic nudity of which to speak of. As a result, despite its openness about sex, the film never becomes exploitative. Written and directed by Lena Dunham (Girls), Stick is willing to address topics that few others are willing to engage in a mature manner. From sexual shame and loneliness to the notion of changing ourselves to impress others, the film unpacks the complexities of relationships and how to deal with toxic sexual ideas. Dunham reminds the viewer that there is mutual trust and humility that is present within the healthiest of romances. Whereas most films choose to glorify the candlelit rooms and rose-covered bedsheets, Stick understands that sexuality is much more than a physical act. 

It’s a connection of souls.

Sharp Stick is currently available at FantasiaFest 2022. For information, click here.

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Reviews Tagged With: Fantasia Fest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jon Bernthal, Kristine Froseth, lena dunham, Sharp Stick, Taylor Paige

Possessor: Plagued by our Shifting Selves

October 2, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

“Pull me out.”

Such is the plea of Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough), a corporate assassin who allows her consciousness downloaded into the minds of others so that can commit murders for the benefit of the company. As the focus of Brandon Cronenberg’s latest sci-fi horror Possessor, Vasya has a special gift for her craft. However, with each host that she inhabits, Vasya becomes increasingly broken by her experiences, leading to violent memories and urges that she must suppress in her ‘real’ life. When she accepts a mission to kill the head of a major corporation (Sean Bean), her host Colin (Christopher Abbott) begins to fight back against his unknown mental assailant, causing Tasya to lose control and potentially remain trapped in a prison of his consciousness.

Possessor is a visceral and unsettling sci-fi horror that explores what it means to suppress our darkest urges. While the cast does an excellent job encapsulating Cronenberg’s vision (Seriously, when has Andrea Riseborough ever left a role wanting?), the real story to Possessor is Cronenberg himself.  Featuring complex characters and stunning (and often disturbing) visuals, Cronenberg continues to show maturity behind the camera.  With each long take and slow pan, his slow-burning lens becomes a predator, carefully stalking its prey with an almost soothing intensity. Then, in times of violence, Cronenberg goes the opposite direction, forcing the viewer to watch the unflinching horror that sits in front of them. At the same time, his use of bleeding and blinding colour palette paints a primeval portrait of the inner tensions of Tasya’s victims that blurs the lines of reality. In doing so, Cronenberg’s use of colour and camera almost become visual narrators, not only providing a backdrop for the story but plunging the viewer within it.

With this in mind, Possessor provides Cronenberg the opportunity to explore the fragile nature of identity in a world where we can become anyone in a digital space. As Tasya moves in and out of her hosts, she must fully immerse herself in their world. Not unlike the digital identities that we inhabit on a daily basis, Tasya’s experiences allow her to explore the lives of her psychological victims. However, she also loses a piece of her soul in the process. As a result, though she is hardly in love with her work, neither can she fully separate herself from it either. With each mission, the damage that she has caused continues to take a toll on her. 

Plagued by violent memories, her experiences in the minds of others cause Tasya to struggles to understand what it means to be fully human (or fully herself) anymore. While her husband and son welcome her home, her family brings her little joy. Violence has become her vice and she uses it to feel alive. To Vasya, the ‘jobs’ have become opportunities to experience closer personal connections in the midst of a disconnect—and gruesome—life. (One particular example of this comes when, after a particularly brutal mission, Vasya is asked why she used a knife to kill her victim, as opposed to the recommended gun.) In this way, Cronenberg’s view of identity focuses less on how we mature and grow from experiences but rather the perils of losing ourselves in the process and the damage that we may leave in our wake.

Though terrifying in its brutality, Possessor is far more than another example of graphic body horror. Never one to shy away from complex issues, Cronenberg again is willing to explore the instability of the mind at a time when we consistently put on social masks. By following Vasya’s psychological descent, Possessor reveals what can happen when the foundations our identities are shaken by taking on the roles of others. 

Possessor is available on VOD and in theatres now.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews, ScreamFish Tagged With: Andrea Riseborough, body horror, Brandon Cronenberg, Christopher Abbott, horror, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Possessor, Sean Bean

4.13 Rebirth in ANNIHILATION

March 13, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/4.13-Annihilation.mp3

With ANNIHILATION, director Alex Garland has created a film which both dazzles its audience while dividing them at the same time. Starring Natalie Portman, the film offers gorgeous visuals yet it’s wild ending has polarized critics and science fiction fans alike. This week, Steve welcomes Patrick Hicks (co-host, Feelin’ Film podcast) to wrestle through Garland’s vision while discussing the nature of repentance and new life.

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.

4.13 Annihilation

Thanks Patrick for joining us!

For those of you in Canada who are interested, you can donate to ScreenFish by clicking the link below and simply selecting ‘ScreenFish’ from the ‘Apply Your Donation…’ area. 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/connect-city/

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Alex Garland, Annihilation, Ex Machina, Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Oscars, science fiction, Shimmer, Sonoya Mizuno, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny

The Hateful Eight: When You Go Looking For Trouble…

January 8, 2016 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment

hateful8c

Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film, a western that wasn’t a sequel to Django Unchained, focuses in on eight characters of ill repute who find themselves stuck in an isolated cabin in the midst of a snow storm. In true Tarantino fashion, the complexity of the characters will come to the forefront as bullets start flying, and sides are drawn. Who will be left standing when the smoke fades and the cards are all on the table?

The film opens as John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) violently transports the deadly outlaw Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) via stagecoach, just ahead of a blizzard. Along the way to Minny’s Haberdashery, a stopgap station along the way to Red Rock where he’ll collect his bounty, Ruth picks up Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Chris “The Sherriff” Mannix (Walter Goggins). They arrive at Minny’s just as the storm catches them, where they find themselves trapped with several other violent men.

In the cabin, Bob “The Mexican” (Demian Birchir) tells them that Minny and her crew have left him in charge of the cabin, while fellow travelers, Confederate General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), Oswaldo “The Hangman” Mobray (Tim Roth), and cowboy Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) are already there. Each of the men have weapons that Ruth goes out of his way to relieve them of, convinced that at least one of them has a connection to Domergue and plans to help her to freedom.

hateful8

Like many of Tarantino films, there is a beauty, a poetry, to The Hateful Eight. There are few other films that have made such wonderful use of snow, showing the beauty and danger of a blizzard; the witty dialogue and banter nearly lends itself to ‘rap battle’ status as many of the characters wield their tongues like weapons. And there’s also Ennio Morricone’s (Sergio Leone films, The Mission, The Untouchables) score that wonderfully connects our emotions and thoughts throughout the film.

But, also like Tarantino’s other films, this is also a violent, gory, explosive film with gunplay and violence that ends horribly. Seriously, I imagine that Tarantino and George R.R. Martin meet over lattes to discuss how they can startle us by whacking a character just when we’ve gotten comfortable with him or her. Nothing is sacred (even the crucifix depicted in the film was ‘snowed under’), and nothing is untouchable.

Most Tarantino films wear me out. The never-ending stream of epithets, racism, and violence seems designed to push the viewer to some extreme reaction. [Vomiting in this one almost made me gag.] But I have to believe it’s all for a purpose in Tarantino’s mind, even if I (or others) don’t quite get what the connection is. For Tarantino, it’s all tied together, even if the loose ends are sometimes frayed.

hateful8b

In The Hateful Eight, the action is broken into six chapters. The first four play out in “chronological” order, while the fifth flashes back to the moments prior to and concurrent with chapter one; the sixth chapter takes the plot to its conclusion. I’ve never felt the need to go and revisit a Tarantino film after seeing it the first time (probably due to oral and visual exhaustion) but it seems like there’s enough here to go back and check for marks along the way. Tarantino’s genius is in making the film tension-filled and suspense-filled; because all of the characters are knee-deep in their own “stuff,” we’re kept guessing about any conspiracies that might be in play.

While nothing that happens here will surprise you after the fact because it’s Tarantino, it’s still surprising! We’re exploring typical Quarantino territory, from racism, violence, greed, power, and relationships. You’ve got some ‘typical’ Tarantino actors like Jackson (sixth collaboration), Roth (four), and Madsen (four). His use of a female outlaw, and the North/South conflict, make this a political/social commentary even with everything else that’s going on about bounty hunting and revenge. With Tarantino, you just never know what point he is going to make.

But… is it too much? Is Tarantino so focused on offending that he loses his story in all of the “stuff” added on? Is he so clear that this is all hyperbole that we shouldn’t critique the violence, the abuse, or the abundant use of the n-word? His dialogue set up against the backdrop of the Civil War (and the resulting discord that wasn’t suddenly ‘fixed’) makes it more like Django than say Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction, but we’re still looking at a set up where every heart is corrupt, and death is just waiting for us all.

I’m always intent on finding out ‘the point’ of a film, and if I had to say what it was in The Hateful Eight… I’d change my mind five times. As I left the theater, I was finally resolute that Tarantino showed how enemies could be friends when faced with a danger or foe that was strong enough to unite them. We all bleed red blood; we all have a tendency to bear our grudges and seek revenge whenever we believe we have the upper hand. But those who live by the sword, die by it… right?

It seems like I read that somewhere before.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Bruce Dern, Inglorious Basterds, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kill Bill, Kurt Russell, Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, Samuel L. Jackson

Primary Sidebar

THE SF NEWS

Get a special look, just for you.

sf podcast

Hot Off the Press

  • Sharp Stick: Sex and Sensibility
  • Syndrome K – Life Saving Disease
  • Emily the Criminal: Dancing with our Dark Side
  • Ainbo: Spirit of the Rainforest – Investing in Spirit
  • Fall: Despite Dizzying Heights, Fall Still Stands
Find tickets and showtimes on Fandango.

where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

Footer

ScreenFish Articles

Syndrome K – Life Saving Disease

Emily the Criminal: Dancing with our Dark Side

  • About ScreenFish
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 · ScreenFish.net · Built by Aaron Lee

 

Loading Comments...