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Salma Hayek

SF Radio 8.07: Representing the World in ETERNALS

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With the release of Eternals, the MCU fully leans into its cosmic realm at long last. Spanning a story about ‘divine’ monsters over thousands of years, director Chloe Zhao unravels a narrative that asks profound questions about the universe and our place within it. So, why hasn’t it caught on with audiences? With the lowest RT score in Marvel history, Eternals has become one of the more divisive entries into the current cinematic canon, proving that (maybe) the franchise isn’t bulletproof after all. This week, the Marvel-out team of Dina Hamdieh, Miriam Ibrahim and Seun Olowo-Ake assemble to discuss the film’s strengths (and weaknesses), the relationship between leadership and power and the significance of representation.

You can watch the episode on YouTube and stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, Google Play 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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Eternals: Marvel Takes Itself Seriously

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Marvel’s Eternals has a Spider-Man problem.

No, the latest MCU entry does not contain direct ties to the next Spidey flick. But, in some ways, the oncoming Spidey-fest No Way Home is a great example of what will make Eternals so divisive. Although the third Home film promises multiple villains, wild crossovers and all the fun that most MCU films have to offer, Eternals offers something entirely different.

While I personally find it refreshing and engaging, Eternals is going to frustrate others.

Sent to our planet over seven thousand years ago, the Eternals are a race of immortal alien beings who have been sent to curate the Earth and protect it from Deviants, violent beasts who prey on humanity. After having defeated what they believed to be the last of their enemies, the Eternals decide to separate and live in secret amongst their human counterparts. Although, after the sudden return of half the population in the battle with Thanos the Deviants are revived with renewed hunger for blood. As a result, the Eternals must reunite once again in order to save humanity from their vicious counterparts. 

Directed by Chloe Zhao, Eternals spins an epic story that spans multiple millennia and bears her signature style. Epic in scale and beautiful, it does not put the emphasis on the pop and sizzle that has made Marvel the most successful film franchise in history. Instead, Eternals takes all of the MCU’s tropes and flips them on their ear. Never one for frenetic pacing herself, Zhao allows her love of long takes, reflective speeches and romantic interests to mark the film. Despite the fact that Eternals has the budget of other major Marvel products, it still seems to contain the beating heart of an indie film underneath. 

Similar to her work in Nomadland, Zhao wants the viewer to feel muted at the feet of an expansive world in front of you. As a result, she frequently makes her heroes seem small at the hands of an enormous universe and (literally) massive villains. Having worked on multiple MCU films, including Dr. Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, cinematographer Ben Davis brings something unique and different to this film. Leaning into Zhao’s vision, he creates some of Marvel’s most beautiful and immersive onscreen images here, helping the viewer to experience the awesome scope of the film’s universe.

What’s more, this global emphasis also extends to its use of characters and storytelling as well. While the Avengers have always been globe-trotting, Eternals wants the film to be fully inclusive. Featuring a cast that highlights its multicultural aesthetic, the film has a global feel more than any James Bond film. Eastern weddings, western arguments and Middle Eastern sensibilities all play a part within this sprawling epic. (This will likely be the only Marvel film that contains a Bollywood number, for example.) 

Now, having said this, it’s also these details that will cause many to struggle with Eternals. Unapologetic with its intent and style, the film is a drastic departure from the ‘zip and quip’ energy of other entries into the MCU and will challenge its more casual fanbase. This is not a film that goes out of its way to be funny—although Kumail Nanjiani is a national treasure—nor does it care to be. Eternals wants the viewer to sit in the midst of its philosophical conversations and engage them. But that’s not going to sit well for a number of people.

Whereas some will marvel (pun intended) at its scope, others will feel that it is ‘slow’. Although there are those who will celebrate its willingness to delve into its complex history, others will say it’s ‘overstuffed’ with too many plot lines. While credit must absolutely be given to Marvel for backing Zhao and her unique vision, Eternalsmay be one of the first films in a long time that will prove divisive amongst its fanbase for the same reason. 

In the most interesting of ways, Eternals seems to be Marvel’s foray into the realm of DC storytelling. Marked in recent years by their propensity to lean into the grandeur of Snyder’s vision, DC has always felt more comfortable treating their heroes as god-like beings than does Marvel. Led by Superman’s divine metaphor, DC views its characters as humanity’s saviours, whereas Marvel’s stories tend to focus on man’s quest to achieve greatness or overcome their brokenness. (In fact, the importance of Disney’s first references to Batman and Superman cannot be understated.) As such, Marvel rarely delves into the realm of supernatural help. 

However, Eternals is different. It unravels an epic tale about gods who choose to help as opposed to merely heroes who fall into their responsibility. This is a story about man’s interaction with the divine and beg for answers. While the film shows these god-like beings as benevolent and loving so too, it’s also unafraid to ask complex questions about why these supposed guardians would not intervene amidst the world’s greatest crises. (Where were they when Thanos was attacking, for example?)

What’s more, one of the most fascinating aspects of the film is that the gods themselves disagree on their mission. Without getting into spoilers, some of the Eternals view humanity as worth saving while others are not so sure. The fate of the world hangs in the balance of these beings who, for all intensive purposes, do not have to help those under their care. They have seen humanity’s flaws and must decide whether or not we matter enough to save… and what it means to do so.

Quite simply, these are not questions that Tony Stark ever had to answer.

Even so, while what makes Eternals so special to me, it will undoubtedly drop to the bottom of many’s list of favourite Marvel movies for the same reason. One hopes that Marvel does not get scared off by early response to this film and allows Chloe Zhao to continue the narrative. (And yes, there are two post-credit scenes worth staying for.) This is her story and it would be a shame for someone like James Gunn or the Russos to step in and make it more palatable to a wider audience. Personally, I believe this is a film that deserves to be re-watched, discussed and reframed. 

However, admittedly ‘fun’ is not the first word to describe it. And, that could be unfortunate for its box office returns.

Now, when is the next trailer for Spider-Man coming out…

Eternals debuts in theatres on Friday, November 5th, 2021.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard: Reynolds, Hayek and Jackson comedy goes Fast & Furious

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The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard brings back beloved (and unlicensed) bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), who is having an identity crisis of sorts. While taking a sabbatical from work, Bryce is thrown back into action when Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) drops back into his life and demands his help in rescuing her kidnapped husband, hitman Darius (Samuel L. Jackson). After freeing him from his abductors, the three are recruited by the FBI to prevent madman Aristotle Papadopolous (Antonio Banderas) from bringing his maniacal plans to reality. Though they can hardly stand the sight of one another, the three must set aside their differences in order to save Europe from total chaos. 

Wild and unruly, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is a fun but flawed ride that earns its credibility through sheer star power. Back behind the director’s chair is Patrick Hughes who kicks things up a notch from the last entry. Whereas the first film kept things (relatively) straightforward with its plot, the sequel goes for more… everything. More comedic banter. More gunfire and blood. Higher stakes and stunts. (In fact, the story has leaned into its own wildness so much that it borders on the type of mayhem that have made the Fast and Furious films a global success.)

However, while Wife’s Bodyguard may be over-the-top with its story and characters, it still remains a fun ride. Despite its madness, Hughes understands that the true building block of the film remains its leads and they receive the attention that they deserve. Even though Jackson and Reynolds have great comedic banter together, the most welcome piece is Hayek, whose role is increased significantly (as the title suggests). Though she has mixed up her acting choices throughout her career, Hayek’s comedic talents have always been her greatest strength and she bounds around onscreen with an energetic silliness.

Although the leads receive significant screen time, it’s worth noting though that the supporting characters feel like they’re given little to do. While Freeman’s role is more of a cameo, one would expect that Banderas would have more time to establish himself in a villainous role but his scenes feel minimal. (Having said this, it is fun to see him working again with Hayek. Desperado reunion!) However, one could argue that the actor who suffers most in the film is the stellar Frank Grillo. As FBI Agent O’Neill, Grillo’s character is set up with a significant introduction and then almost criminally underused within the film, despite his seeming importance to the script.

At its heart, Wife’s Bodyguard emphasizes the importance and impact of our parents. Here, all the characters are either feeling the damage left by their families or looking to begin one of their own. For example, the film highlights the pressure that Michael feels to live up to his father’s legacy. As one of the world’s best bodyguards, Michael’s step-father is respected by all. Although he loves his father, Michael constantly views himself as a comparative failure, especially without his AAA license. At the same time, as Sonia and Darius try to set out on their honeymoon, she yearns to be a mother. While the two try desperately to have children of their own, they have yet to be successful and Sonia is growing increasingly frustrated with the delays.

While the two stories seem to differ, the film holds them up against one another in such a way as to highlight what it means to choose your own family. Though the characters may not be related, Darius, Sonia and Michael continue to establish a bond of support for one another that draws them together. In a strange way, this creates a newly supportive (but dysfunctional) environment that becomes a family that we choose ourselves. (Again, this theme seems to echo the heart of the Fast and the Furious films…) By taking biology out of the equation, Hitman’s Bodyguard emphasizes the importance of our relationships and having people around us that have our backs.

To Wife’s Bodyguard, that is the nature of family.

With heightened stakes and antics, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard should entertain fans of the first film and its leads. Despite the film’s flaws, Reynolds, Jackson and Hayek have a zaniness about them that always makes them interesting to watch, even in moments when this Hitman misses the mark.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is available in theatres on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.

The Hummingbird Project: High-Speed Slow Down

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The Hummingbird Project follows Vincent (Jesse Eisenberg) and Anton (Alexander Skarsgard), two cousins who are players in the lucrative world of high-frequency stock trading. Looking for any advantage, their dream is to build a straight fiber-optic cable line between Kansas and New Jersey in the hopes that the extra milliseconds will make them rich. While Anton may be the brains, Vincent is the hustler and, as a team, they believe they can change the world (and their fortunes). However, when their vicious former employer Eva Torres (Salma Hayek) discovers their plans, she sets out on a mission to not only bring them down but also to crush their dreams.

Written and directed by Kim Nguyen (Rebelle, Two Lovers and a Bear), The Hummingbird Project is an engaging film that combines character drama with an intense race against time (and progress). While Hayek and Eisenberg’s performances are solid, it’s Skarsgard that steals the film as the anxiously-afflicted genius, Anton. As Anton, Skarsgard imbues the film with a charismatic strength that plays well off of Vincent’s wildly, erratic nature. Though both battling internal struggles, the two men have solid chemistry onscreen as both fight to protect one another from mounting pressures from the outside.

Focusing on the high-stakes world of stock trading, it would be unsurprising to many that The Hummingbird Project is incredibly interested in speed. Whether it’s the speed of out-selling the competition or attempting to outrun the speed of progress, the film exists in a world where a matter of milliseconds feels like days. However, it’s in the midst of these brief milliseconds that Nguyen emphasizes the need for space to slow down. Though tasked with shaving a mere millisecond off their download time, Anton gradually begins to lose touch with his own family. Meanwhile, obsessed with securing the land rights and the multi-million dollar contract that lies before him, Vincent completely ignores his own personal issues, putting his life at risk in the process.

Believing themselves to be digital Davids poised to bring down the Goliath of Wall Street, the two men fight tirelessly to stay ahead of the game in their efforts to find fiber-optic fortune. In the process, however, they run the risk of losing their souls. (Incidentally, the use of the term ‘soul’ is absolutely intentional here as the film bookends this notion beautifully through their interactions with a local Amish community that ‘stands in their way’.) While taking on Wall Street seems like the path to both financial and personal freedom, is the cost to Anton and Vincent too high?

Does David really need to slay Goliath to prove his worth?

Skillful direction anchored by strong performances from its stars, The Hummingbird Project   is an entertaining and sometimes intense look at what it means to take on the world—and whether or not it’s worth the risk.

The Hummingbird Project is in theatres on March 15th, 2019

For full audio of our interview with director Kim Nguyen, click here.

Dialing Up to High-Speed: 1on1 with Kim Nguyen (THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT)

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Directed by Kim Nguyen (Rebelle), The Hummingbird Project follows Vincent (Jesse Eisenberg) and Anton (Alexander Skarsgard), two cousins who are players in the lucrative world of high-frequency stock trading. Looking for any advantage, their dream is to build a straight fiber-optic cable line between Kansas and New Jersey in the hopes that the extra milliseconds will make them rich. However, when their vicious former employer Eva Torres (Salma Hayek) discovers their plans, she sets out on a plan to not only bring them down but also crush their dreams. Having previously written films set in Africa and the North Pole, Nguyen wanted to direct a film that examined the failings of our financial systems.

“I wanted to talk about the financial world, but I didn’t know how to do a movie that wouldn’t be stale,” he recalls. “We already have a lot of films that take place inside of a trader’s room and there [have been] some great successes. (Margin Call was one of them.) At the same time, I felt there was an urgency reading up on high frequency trading to talk about how we are being scammed [while] people giving themselves commissions off of weird transactions, which is a very complex thing to understand. So, then I read up on people who were digging these weird tunnels to gain a couple of microseconds off their transactions and making billions off of that process. I thought that was just mad and the one thing I thought was just cool as a filmmaker is that you literally had people digging in the dirt, swamps and across mountains to insert a wire that is not much thicker than a single hair. All of the madness of our financial system is represented through that tableau so I wanted to write about that.”

Since Hummingbird is such a character-driven story, casting the right actors in the key roles became even more crucial to the film’s success. While stars Jesse Eisenberg and Salma Hayek are up to the challenge (as usual), it’s Alexander Skarsgard’s Anton who steals the film. During the casting process, Nguyen says that it was Skarsgard’s ability to disappear into the role that convinced him that he was making the right choice.

“[My agents were] talking to me about Alexander and that he wanted to explore more of his range and I had seen his work on Big Little Lies[where] I really liked this work,” he remembers. “The one thing that convinced me [though] was that he made a movie called The Diary of a Teenage Girl. He had a small role [in it] but nobody knows that it’s him. He’s literally unrecognizable but he does a great job of doing this character. It just shows his range because it’s totally not the Alexander Skarsgard that we’re used to seeing.”

“The biggest surprise working with Alex was [that] I didn’t realize how much height difference there was between those two… I was so happy that Jesse and Alexander were open to, instead of trying to balance that out, to make it almost like an homage to Of Mice and Men. You have that big guy hovering over Jesse. Alexander worked a lot on his posture to make it feel like a he was a little bit introverted and doesn’t have a lot of contact with the rest of the world.”

Though set in the world of high-frequency stock trading, it’s the parallel journeys of Vincent and Anton that provide the film’s emotional core. As the two men race against time (and technology) to achieve their goal, they also experience an emotional crisis of sorts that causes them to re-examine what matters most to them.

“It’s a little bit complicated, but, when I started production, one of my colleagues who read the script said that this is a script that had double irony, meaning that their initial purpose (or what they think their initial purpose is) is wrong,” Nguyen explains. “Then eventually, throughout the film, the real quest is about them determining what they need to do in life and what is their real purpose. So, I hope that comes out in the film. There’s a big turn of events in the middle of the film that changes everything. In the end, I think what’s important is that what they thought was the real purpose wasn’t their real purpose. [In other words,] what they thought would make them strive and be successful is not exactly what they thought it was.”

In one of the film’s more unexpected twists, one of the greatest obstacles standing between Vincent and Anton and their financial future is… the Amish. Asked why he opted to give such prominence to this particular group, Nguyen claims that it stems directly from the film’s geographical landscapes.

“A lot of people asked my why it’s not based on a true story because it feels like a true story,” he says. “There was a lot of research into the movie to make it feel real and maybe that’s why people ask me that sometimes. We did a road movie from around Kansas in a straight line as if we were digging a tunnel all the way to New York. Looking at what kind of landmark and scenery we see and what kind of geography there was, because we didn’t know it if we were going to film it literally in Pennsylvania. So, the Amish came up and it was interesting because, in the end, give somebody who has unlimited financial means and put them in front of somebody who just has convictions and owns his own land and there you go. You’ve got the biggest conflict there because you know, money can’t buy happiness from time to time. Or maybe, it does.” (Laughs)

With this in mind, Hummingbird provides a fascinating contrast between the high-speed world of technology and the conflict that occurs when we’re called to slow down.

“At a certain point, when you’re making a movie, you talk about subjects and need to kind of find things that you relate to,” Nguyen emphasizes. “[Personally,] I relate to the elasticity of time. Things are accelerating so much and we think that we’re doing more things but, in a way, we’re getting away from doing the real things that… make a difference in our lives… For me, there is that important discussion [that] time is accelerating but are we really doing more things? Or are we kind of like moving away from what needs to be done and from the important usage of time?”

However, given the amount of time it takes to write and produce a film and the speed at which technology changes, one might also expect that it would provide a challenge to spin a narrative that still feels relevant and current. For Nguyen, this challenge was overcome by telling a story that occurs at a fixed moment in our history.

According to Nguyen, “This is a period piece. We’re actually placed in 2012 so that was one of our solutions [because] technology nowadays compared to what it was years ago can is completely transformed. Where technology is at the end of the movie is where we are right now. They’re now using lasers to transfer information to the stock market and they’re also exploring neutrino cannons to try to bombard information [as well].”

With the success of films such as Rebelle (War Witch), and Two Lovers and a Bear, Nguyen continues to carve out a career that’s worth watching. With The Hummingbird Projectnow in the rearview mirror, Nguyen is already looking to his next projects and beginning to discern which story he’d like to pursue first.

“Well, I haven’t decided yet on which film I’m going to do next, but I am working on a couple of scripts,” he admits. “I was offered a couple of superhero movies, which is kind of like every director gets offered a couple of superhero movies (laughs) which is interesting. I’ve got a couple of scripts that are circulating in LA. So, it’s weird because, this week, I’m kind of exhausted of writing and trying to find what is the right version. Sometimes, you’re writing and you’re trying to figure out when it’s time to go back to the very first draft, which was the best draft. Then, how do I just bring bits and pieces bits and pieces of the other drafts to the first draft.”

 The Hummingbird Project will be in theatres on Friday, March 22nd, 2019.

For full audio of our interview with director Kim Nguyen, click here.

Beatriz at Dinner – Visions of the American Dream

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F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.” That pretty well sums up the thesis of Beatriz at Dinner. I’ve read some reviewers who call this the first film to deal with the Trump era. There are certainly elements of the film that make it applicable to today’s political situation, but this film’s social commentary is really much more about the divisions that exist in society and the visions that compete for the soul of our culture.

Beatriz (Salma Hayak) is a holistic healer who spends most of her time dealing with sick and dying patients. One afternoon she drives a significant distance for an appointment with Cathy (Connie Britton), the mother of a patient Beatriz had worked with in the past to give a massage. When Beatriz’s car breaks down, Cathy invites her to stay for dinner, even though it is a business dinner at which her husband is hosting Doug Strutt (John Lithgow), a very wealthy developer who is starting a new project that has taken some political manipulation to gain approval.

While there are others at the dinner (all in the upper one percent), the real conflict is between Beatriz and Doug. They represent very different ways of seeing the world and how we are to relate to it. Beatriz is a very spiritual person, in a New Age manner; Doug is the embodiment of materialism. Beatriz views the world as needing healing; Doug feels comfortable destroying environments for his own gain or pleasure. Doug represents all the privilege that the wealth represents. Beatriz came to the U.S. as a child, in large part because a new resort displaced her family from their beautiful seaside town.

One might think this set up is destined to be a comedy, especially since director Miguel Arteta and writer Mike White are known for comedies (and it is listed as a comedy on IMDB). However, this is so dark that the term ‘comedy’ hardly seems to fit. It is uncomfortable to watch at times because the nerves of this film are so close to the surface. Beatriz is something of an empath and brings the suffering of all the people and animals she has comforted into the mix. Doug’s smugness seems to make him immune from any criticism.

This is really a film about the American Dream and two different ideas of what that means. For Doug (and the others who depend on him for their own fortunes), the American Dream is about the accumulation of wealth and being able to enjoy all the pleasures that wealth can afford. But for Beatriz, the American Dream means the ability to bring goodness into a world that is filled with pain and suffering. This American Dream is seen in her relationship to the goats she keeps (one of which was killed by a neighbor). It is about connections and care.

The election of Donald Trump did not create this conflict in our culture, but it certainly has brought it to the fore and perhaps even exacerbated the differences. This film is clearly on the side of Beatriz’s vision of the Dream. But Doug and the others are not just straw men set up as targets. Cathy in particular seems to want to be a good person, but is at a loss trying to understand what is bothering Beatriz. This is after all her dream life, how can others not want the same? That is really the crux of our societal struggle: how can others not see the American Dream as we see it? Beatriz at Dinner provides us a chance to think about the Dream and how we should bring it to reality—and for whom.

Septembers of Shiraz – Revolutionary Backlash

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“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” (Jalal ad-Din Rumi)

Revolutions can bring great advancement, but they often bring pain and chaos in their wake. Septembers of Shiraz is the story of an Iranian Jewish family that must cope with the uproar of the Iranian Revolution. The film opens with a wonderful celebration of family and friends shortly before the Revolution. Isaac (Adrien Brody), the patriarch, is a prosperous jeweler. They are preparing to send their son to America to boarding school. Soon, however, the situation deteriorates. One day Isaac is arrested and taken to prison where he is questioned, tortured, and held without trial. His family has no idea if he is alive or not. His wife Farnez (Salma Hayek) must protect herself and her daughter. In time the family must sacrifice all they have to escape from Iran. (So, of course, there is a tense mad dash to get to the border.)

While we often think of the cruelty of these events as tied in some way to Islam, what we see is not based in religion. Rather it is class warfare. That plays out a bit in the relationship between Farnez and her housekeeper (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Farnez has considered their relationship to be one of friendship, but we see that the role of servant is not the same as a friend. The persecution Isaac faces is not because he is a Jew, but because he has prospered in the system under the Shah that has been done away with.

I think it needs to be noted that this is not an Iranian film. This is a film made by American filmmakers about a country with which we have a history of trouble. That is not to say I think the film sets Iran in a bad light. What struck me in the film is not how barbarous the Iranian Revolution was, but how similar it was to so many other revolutions. The ones that especially came to mind were the Russian and French Revolutions. In both, after deposing the ruler, it soon devolved into a kind of mob rule which took on the trappings of equality. In France, everyone was “Citizen”; in Russia, “Comrade”. Here everyone is addressed as “Brother” whether they are oppressor or victim. The goal here (and I think this is true of the French and Russian Revolutions as well) isn’t some ideological standard, but vengeance for past inequality—punishing those who profited from past oppression, even if they were not an active participant.

Always these kinds of revolutions claim to be acting in the name of justice. Yet often the new order, as it tries to right past wrongs, ends up creating its own injustices. Perhaps that is why the filmmakers open the film with the quotation from Rumi above. It is calling up to look beyond those things we believe are right or wrong (or even of righting wrongs) and meet not in a battle, but as community.