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Serenity: Murder and Justice in the Open Water

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Living on an isolated tropical island, Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey) is a fishing boat captain who lives a peaceful life on Plymouth Island, an isolated island in the Carribbean. However, his world is soon shattered when his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway) tracks him down and, desperate for help, begs Baker to rescue her and their young son from her abusive husband, Frank (Jason Clarke). Offering Dill $10M to feed her husband to the sharks in the open water, Karen pleads with him to take on the job. Thrust back into a life that he wanted to forget, Baker now finds himself struggling to choose between right and wrong.

Although the film is fairly uneven—not to mention the wildest twist you can imagine—there are enough things to like about Serenity for those who are game. Directed by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Eastern Promises), Serenity is a neo-noir film laced with sci-fi sensibilities. (No spoilers.) Set on the isolated island in the Caribbean, Knight drops the audience into a steamy world of sex and betrayal. Using bleached colours and shadowy frames, the world is lush in vegetation yet colours bleed together, resulting in a bleak and lifeless atmosphere. Working together for the first time since Intersteller, McConaughey and Hathaway work well with one another, even at times when the material is lacking.

As with many examples of noir, one of the most interesting aspects of the film is its conflicted moral compass. Lost in his own pain and alone, Dill lives in poverty in a repurposed metal shack. His boat is owned by the bank and he can barely pay his first mate. He spends his days chasing his own ‘white whale’, a mysterious giant tuna that constantly escapes him. Named ‘Justice’, the tune is symbolic of the very justice that seems to elude him as he moves from day to day looking for hope to no avail. Though the island is beautiful, what begins as an Edenic paradise soon reveals itself to be anything but. (Case and point: The local tavern bar even changed its name from the ‘Hope and Anchor’ to the ‘Rope and Anchor’, citing that there isn’t much hope on the island.)

Still, in the midst of this dry moral time, Dill refuses to bend to Karen’s request. Despite the lawlessness of the area, Dill believes that there is something fundamentally wrong with the idea of killing anyone, no matter how hateful her husband may be. To him , there remains a dichotomy to life – light and dark, right and wrong – that continues to stand, even in the midst of a world of compromise. Inspired by the chance to be a father to his son, Dill fights hard against the pressures of the culture, even asking his first mate to ‘keep him from temptation’.

Even so, there is a sense of inevitability in Serenity that evil is constantly creeping in the background, waiting to strike. Can a man continue to try to be the man he wants to be, even when there is constant pressure to fall? Or does succumbing to our base impulses bring the justice that we’re looking for? These are ambitious questions for a film like Serenity and, without spoiling anything, the film’s twist reveals that this is also an ambitious film (perhaps tooambitious in that regard). Still, for those who are willing to take the ride and interested in the questions, Serenityis potentially intriguing enough to take the trip, despite its flaws.

Serenity is in theatres now.

The Funny Side of Sci-Fi: 1on1 with Mark Jackson (THE ORVILLE)

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Set on the titular U.S.S. Orville, a mid-level exploratory space vessel in the 25thCentury’s Planetary Union, The Orville is a sci-fi adventure that reveals the lighter side of the darkness of space. Airing on Fox and developed by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), the series follows a crew of lovable misfits as they discover new worlds while trying to hold themselves together as well. When offered the role as the ship’sartificial intelligence science officer, Isaac, star Mark Jackson couldn’t resist the opportunity to be a part of such a unique series.

“The Orville is set for 100 years in the future and we are in the world of the Union, which is a conglomeration of planets and the alien races that have gotten together,” he explains. “The action takes place on the USS Orville, a Union ship, which is set with the task of exploring the universe, greeting new races, and often doing boring things like dropping off cargo. But generally they do have fun times… [When the opportunity came,] I jumped at the chance, to be honest with you.”

One of the most attractive elements to the role for Jackson was the opportunity to work with comedian Seth Macfarlane. Filled with his unique blend of comedy and charm, Macfarlane is not only The Orville’s lead character, he’s also involved in every aspect of the show.

“Seth is everything on this show,” clarifies Jackson. “He’s written it. He obviously stars in it. He produces it, he show-runs. It’s entirely his baby and it’s incredible to work on a project where someone is the entire genesis of the project. That’s quite unusual. Usually, there’s so many different factors involved, which there are, but he sort leads on all of them. It’s amazing to see him work like that.”

With MacFarlane at the helm, one might expect that much of the comedy stems from improvised moments onset. However, Jackson insists that every scene is carefully constructed and relies heavily on the show’s tightly written comedic scripts.

“We haven’t improvised and I think that’s testament to just how precisely cleverly thought out the script is when it comes to us performing it on the day,” he states. “It changes and we will often have rewrites but that’s very common in TV and film. It’s part of the fun actually. Once you’ve got the script and you’re standing on set, [those lines are] what you’re going to say. That might sound quite draconian, but it isn’t at all. It’s pretty liberating, actually. When you’re standing on set in front of a camera, you need to have some sort of solidity in your life. So, a script that you can actually rely on is a very welcoming thing.

Much of MacFarlane’s unique brand of humor stems from his ability to highlight the awkward but human nature of his characters. According to Jackson, it’s this lovable messiness that gives the show its charm and relatability.

“In terms of the characters being awkward, it’s a closer reality to what we’re used to in most sci-fi shows,” he believes. “I think that’s where the charm of it lies. I mean, Star Trek is wonderful and I’ve always loved it but it’s a big glossy. You don’t see the ins and outs of daily routines and the kind of mundane things that we all have to deal with in our own lives…. it’s a great source of comedy in The Orville. People don’t really think about, but it takes a long time to get anywhere in space. There are several moments across the two seasons of The Orville where they have to go to a different part of the universe and it takes about seven days. So, they feel like, until the very exciting moment happens with lots of action will take place, we’re on the ship and we’ve just got to kind of got to get along with each other. So, you have people just going for a drink at the bar. You have people just passing each other in the corridor and trying to make chit chat in the elevator. It’s beautifully observed everyday life in a very unusual situation.“

Although it’s been referred to as a ‘throwback’ to other classic sci-fi series, he maintains that the show is also passionate about wrestling with current issues that matter to today’s contemporary culture..

“I think the show builds on all the giants of science fiction past and stands on the shoulders,” he asserts. “So, I think in terms of ‘throwing back’, I suppose The Orville takes all the best elements of those shows and combines them with something actually quite forward-thinking. This idea of looking to the future and trying to solve the problems of today, I think the show does really well. One of the great things about sci-fi is that you can take modern day issues and transport them to a place where it’s quite a safe environment to deal with them. We take the episodic nature of Star Trek: The Next Generationand the innocence and hope that you have with that show and we then bring that forward and deal with issues of today. If you think of that as a throwback in any way, it can only be a good thing”

“Sci-Fi allows us the opportunity to take issues which are a bit too painful or too complex to explore in the current socioeconomic environment and throw them onto a planet on the fringes of the galaxy 7,000 years in the future… It immediately throws a new light on the subject, but also potentially provides us with a way to tackle it in ways that we haven’t thought of yet. Distancing yourself from things can be very productive in a way.”

Playing science officer Isaac, Jackson has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the show’s incredibly talented cast. Asked what he finds most appealing about his character, he says that he can’t help but enjoy playing a character who is so wildly different than himself.

“It’s interesting when you play someone who’s considered a bit of a psychopath, when people ask you [how you connect to him] because you [wonder] how revealing should I be?,” Jackson jokes. “What kind of bizarre, disturbing facets of my own personality can I lay on the table here? [laughs] Quite frankly, the appeal of playing him is that he is so weird and different and is so unhuman. You get to go to places that you wouldn’t necessarily get to go to a normal, human character.”

As the premiere of Season Two fast approaches, Jackson asserts that he’s thrilled with the show’s ability to step up and deliver scripts that continue to develop and expand the world that it has created.

“Everything you loved from Season One is going to go into overdrive in Season Two,” he declares. “We just step it up again so much. Every time we got the new scripts, they just read like movies [in] each and every episode. There’s so much more action. There are new characters. The relationships develop in very unexpected and thrilling ways, and I can say that for Isaac as well. We get more aliens. The alien production workshop has been in overdrive this year, which has been great in the effects. And the music! I don’t know if you know, but the music is recorded with a huge orchestra for every episode. It’s absolutely beautiful and so rare to have that on a TV show. So, just expect super quality, great stories and a hell of a lot of adventure.”

Season Two of The Orville begins on Sunday, December 30th, 2018 on FOX.

For full audio of our conversation with Mark Jackson, click here.

Blade Runner 2049: Still Running

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Let’s get this out of the way quickly.  If you’re not a fan on the original Blade Runner, you will likely not be particularly interested or impressed by its sequel, Blade Runner 2049.

If you, like myself, are a fan of the original, however… maybe everything has led to this.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Blade Runner 2049 picks up thirty years after the original film.  Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner, a bounty hunter tasked with ‘retiring’ the final remnants of the old edition Replicants, androids in human form created to serve society.  However, when a routine raid uncovers a box containing the remnants of a deceased replicant, K begins to unravel a mystery that threatens the divide between humanity and machine.

Admittedly, when this film was announced, the idea was met with disbelief.  After all, Blade Runner is now largely heralded as a cinematic achievement as one of the most influential science fiction films ever made. Known for its in-depth exploration of humanity and its stunning visuals, Blade Runner was a film that was not in need of a sequel. Unbelievably, Denis Villeneuve seems to have done the impossible. Amazingly, 2049 actually manages to expand and enhance the world first created by Ridley Scott over 30 years ago. Rather than simply offer a retread of the original film as so many reboots have done in recent years, 2049 builds upon its predecessor’s themes and takes the story in a new direction. In fact, it somehow even feels… necessary.  Fans of Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard should be aware that his role is much smaller than the trailers would have you believe.  Still, Villeneuve makes good use of Ford and his appearance is worth the wait. (Approaching three hours in length, the film does feel a little long so be warned.) Visually, while the color scheme is much brighter than the original’s focus on shadows and darkness, Villeneuve and master cinematographer Roger Deakins succeed in making even the lightest tones feel claustrophobic and menacing.

Whereas the original Blade Runner is preoccupied with what it means to have life, 2049 takes the conversation further with its discussion of what it means to have a soul.  Even though he is a replicant, Officer K is in search of what is real. Despite his love for his digital assistant, he also understands the limitations of and falsehood within that relationship. When approached by a prostitute, he resists her, causing her to accuse him of “being afraid of real girls”. While he seems at peace with his android life, he wonders what life would be like if there (or he himself) were more. He continues to be drawn to things that are ‘real’, albeit nervously. In a subtle homage to Pinocchio, K too seems caught within the ambiguity of his own existence. Is he a replicant?  Could he be more? These are the questions that he needs to answer.  In many ways, this bookend to the original [or potential middle piece of a trilogy?] has within it a sense of hope that is missing from the first entry. Whereas Deckard in the original film feels like a man who is lost, 2049 presents K (and, potentially, Deckard) as a man who is found (or, at least, wishes to be).  2049 recognizes that humanity has something that no android can imitate.

They are missing something.

Interestingly though, 2049 also suggest that the replicant Creator himself is dissatisfied with his achievement. While other recent films have portrayed the Creator as relentless (Noah), distant (Alien: Covenant) or reckless (Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2), 2049 reveals him as restless.

As designer of the new breed of replicants, Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) remains constantly frustrated by his inability to create self-sustaining life. Although he has produced a being of perfect obedience, Wallace is unable to crack the code of procreation. As a result, 2049 presents humanity is viewed as something to withhold. Wallace wants to see life flourish (as long as it follows orders) but he struggles to find the formula to make life actually grow. There is a miracle to life that remains just out of reach. In this sense, while one could look at Wallace as god-like within the film, he remains largely ineffective. This is a Creator who doesn’t understand how to create… and he knows it. As a result, Wallace holds no love for his creation, despite his talk of it. He speaks of his creations as Angels but they still seem to pale in comparison to the reality of humanity.

In 2049, life itself is a miracle.

Herein lies the real heart of Villeneuve’s argument. Although Wallace believes himself to be the ultimate creator, the miracle of life is outside of his understanding. Despite his knowledge, there remains something greater than he. While the film never engages the question of what that something may be, it is a seed of humility that points to a much larger Creator in the end.

Blade Runner 2049 is a film that will require multiple viewings. While it is a little long at almost 3 hours, it’s a dense and beautiful piece that could spark conversations for years to come.

Special features on the Blu-ray combo pack include three prologues: the anime “2022: Black Out”, “2036:Nexus Dawn,” and “2048: Nowhere to Run”. There are also featurettes on the way Denis Villeneuve put the follow-up story together through “Designing the World of Blade Runner 2049” and “To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049.” Views of this strange, new world are also available in “The Replicant Evolution,” “Blade Runners,” “The Rise of Wallace Corp,” “Welcome to 2049,” “Jois,” “Within the Skies: Spinners, Pilotfish and Barracudas.”

The Shape of Water – Fable with Biblical Commentary

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“Decency is an export. We sell it because we don’t use it.”

Guillermo del Toro’s films are sometimes referred to as fairy tales, fables, or parables, but always much darker than we usually think of such things. Those characterizations are not just because of fantastic, mythical beings in the stories. It is also because these stories have a strong moral center that uses a fantasy world to challenge our understanding of our own world. All this is true of his newest film, The Shape of Water.

Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

The film is set in the Cold War, a time that some saw as a great battle of good versus evil. (Of course, which side you were on would affect which side you viewed as good.) In a secret government facility, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor, discovers a strange creature (Doug Jones) being held captive. It is amphibian and resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The creature is being held there by Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), who brought the creature back from the Amazon because it might hold secrets to give the US an advantage over the Soviets in the space race. In time, Elisa secretly forms a relationship with the creature and enlists the help of a co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) to free the creature from the lab to save its life.

Because of the setting, the film allows reflection on those “good old days” and how they may fall short of our golden memories of them. There are clear distinctions between classes, races, and men and women. But the story revolves around the differences between the marginalized and the entitled.

Michael Shannon in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Del Toro employs an interesting device to illuminate the issues: biblical stories. Strickland has a worldview that is informed by a particular understanding of scripture. That understanding revolves around power. He believes he can treat the creature as he does because humans are created in God’s image—and he sees himself more in God’s image than other people. When he learns Zelda’s middle name is Delilah, he brings up the story of Samson, which he also reads as a story about power and being the conduit of that power. As we watch we see that even though he knows scripture, he has a distorted view of its meaning.

But the key biblical story alluded to in the film is Ruth. Del Toro doesn’t tell us the story (as with Samson). He just gives us an allusion to the story and lets us find how to use that tool to read the film. Elisa lives above a movie theater that is currently showing The Story of Ruth. That biblical account is also about the marginalized. Ruth was a foreign widow (two forms of marginalization). Elisa has been abused as a child and is now mute. The creature is a prisoner and totally out of his element.

Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

In the story of Ruth, Ruth is rescued from her dire situation through finding a relationship with Boaz, a distant well-to-do relative. There is a bit of seduction in Ruth’s story, and in this one as well. But as l look at this story through the lens of the book of Ruth, I’m not sure which character is in the role of Ruth and which is in the role of Boaz. Certainly, Elisa rescues the creature from his imprisonment, but he also rescues her from her loneliness and pain. I have come to the conclusion that they each serve as Boaz to the other. They both bring a kind of salvation that give life to each other through their love.

It is good to remember that the biblical account of Ruth arose during a time of marginalizing those whose Jewish lineage was in question (even though the story is set much earlier). As we look at today’s world, we see many who are on the margins of society because of poverty, race, immigration status, sexual identity, and many other reasons. The Shape of Water provides a fable that calls us to act with decency (something that the powerful in this story see as unimportant) towards those around us. Today’s world still needs to live out that story of Boaz and Ruth.

Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

War for the Planet of the Apes: Hail Caesar!

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Hail Caesar.

Directed again by Matt Reeves, War for the Planet of the Apes picking up 2 years after the events of Dawn and shows that the battle between humans and apes has escalated tremendously.  With multiple casualties on both sides, Caesar (Andy Serkis) is determined to free ape-kind from the attacks of the humans’ relentless military leader Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson).  After a human raid on the ape compound ends in tragedy, an enraged Caesar sends his colony away and opts to seek revenge on the Colonel himself.

What has made these most recent entries into the Apes franchise so special has been their heavy emphasis on character.  Through his portrayal of Caesar, Andy Serkis isn’t just compelling as the Ape leader, he practically leaps off the screen as one of the more complex and, yes, ‘human’ characters in a franchise in the last two decades. More than a mere sympathetic character, director Reeves portrays Caesar as broken leader, torn between two worlds.  Despite the fact that he was raised by humans, he isn’t one.  What’s more, he doesn’t fit in with his fellow apes due to his human upbringing.  There is a tension within Caesar that seems to bring conflict into every decision he makes.  Will he succumb to his baser instincts?  Will he seek a path that will cause tension with his own kind?

All of these questions, however, point to Caesar’s very human struggle of wanting to do good but battling his own inner demons.  Unlike many other onscreen sci-fi characters, Caesar could be any one of us.  While there remains a safe distance with many current onscreen ‘heroes’—after all, who has the resources of Batman or the powers of the Hulk? – Caesar somehow remains accessible.  A survivor of abuse, he recognizes that evil has come as a result of a few and not all of humanity.  He has been damaged but struggles to move on. Through his obsession with focusing on the eyes of his characters, Reeves shows the    brokenness within Caesar with a simple glance.  (After all, wasn’t it Shakespeare that claimed that the ‘eyes were the windows of the soul’?)

War puts the conflict within Caesar on full display, as he wrestles with obsession and revenge.  Having endured incredible personal losses, Caesar’s battle with his inner demons takes on a visceral edge as he slowly slides into potential savagery.  Anchored by his visions of Koba, the treacherous ape who led a rebellion in Dawn, Caesar’s desire for peace gradually gives way to his desire to kill.  (In fact, there is even one particular dream sequence that plays out similar to Christ’s experience in the wilderness, with Koba’s voice inviting Caesar to give in to temptation and unleash his hatred.)  While Caesar’s life has been touched by grace through his human friends, the scars of war, hurt and hatred left by others prevents him from fully living.

Yet, in the midst of this dark descent, there lies hope.  Despite the apes’ incarceration in the ‘human zoo’, Caesar’s struggle against the Colonel provides a beacon of light for those around him.  His acts of courage and defiance show his ape family that rebellion against evil doesn’t necessarily mean combat.  It’s interesting to note that Reeves’ desire for this film was to depict Caesar as the ‘Moses’ of ape-kind, leading his people out of the hands of overwhelming oppression.  In this regard, War take on the structure of a biblical epic, buoyed by Caesar’s desire to see his people reach the ‘promised land’ of freedom.  (SPOILER ALERT:  In fact, the film’s destructive avalanche even seems to echo the plight of Pharaoh’s army at the hands of the Red Sea.  SPOILERS END)

Though, unlike Moses, Caesar’s hope is far less secure.  Whereas Moses believed that God would intervene, Caesar’s hope frequently lies within himself.  Aware that he bears responsibility for the ape capture in the first place, he places the burden of freedom upon himself.  However, in doing so, his inner brokenness becomes more evident and he remains paralyzed.  Ironically, it is only after his fellow apes remind him that ‘Apes. Together. Strong’ that Caesar remembers that true hope lies in something bigger than himself and he begins to move towards freedom once again.  (If that doesn’t sound like the beating heart of a Biblical epic, I don’t know what does!)

In the end, the power of this latest batch of Apes films lies in the audience’s relationship with Caesar.  Each film leaves with the question of whether we need a Caesar or whether or not we are Caesar.  His courage and love remain Christ-like at times, yet his brokenness and angst mirrors so much of our own.  With War wrapping up Caesar’s journey, Reeves believes that there are many more stories to tell about this iteration of Apes moving forward.  Still, regardless of where this franchise goes, the impact of Serkis’ Caesar will undoubtedly echo throughout the future.

After all, the life of any good ‘Moses’ would do the same.

Special features on the Blu-ray Combo Pack from Fox include audio commentary by director Matt Reeves, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reeves, and “Apes: the Meaning of It All,” the in-depth “Waging War for the Planet of the Apes”, “All About Caesar” (the star of the trilogy), “WETA: Pushing Boundaries” on special effects, “Music for Apes,” and “The Apes Saga: An Homage.” 

3.26 Waging WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

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This week on the show. Steve welcomes back Shelley McVea to battle Caesar and the WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES! While a part of the original franchise, these latest Apes films have gone in an entirely new direction with an intense energy and focus on what it means to be ‘human’. But does Matt Reeves’ claim that this particular entry is meant to portray Ape-leader Caesar as ‘their Moses’ add anything more? Shelley and Steve answer this question and more, only on ScreenFish.

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.

3.26 War for the Planet of the Apes

Thanks Shelley for coming back on the show!

Going Colossal: An Interview with Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis

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Colossal co-stars Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis and director Nacho Vigalondo

In her latest film, Colossal, Hathaway manages to channel all of her experience into her portrayal of Gloria, an alcoholic with a deep desire for belonging.  During the film’s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of last year, we had the opportunity to sit down with Hathaway and co-star Jason Sudeikis as they shared about the challenges to bring such complicated characters to life.  Having portrayed numerous emotionally-broken characters in her career (including her Oscar-winning role in Les Miserables), Hathaway says she is drawn to these characters because she can relate to them.

“I love them.  I have a lot of addicts in my life that I feel a great tender affection for. I think we’re living in a time of such exciting consciousness in terms of compassion levels.  Obviously, worldwide but within individuals, it’s been so inspiring and I love when stories present the opportunities to present groups that have been stigmatized, groups that have been judged, groups that have been looked at with very hard hearts, binary thinking, value-based judgment and I love going inside them and showing the human side of them because I always look at it and say ‘That’s me in there’ on some level… I want everyone to be treated with love”

“I know I began my career as a Disney princess but that wasn’t what my life was.  So, I know this character pretty well.”

In Colossal, Gloria (Hathaway) lives her life the only way she knows how… for herself.  Ruined by alcohol and partying, she finds herself out on the street after her boyfriend (Dan Stevens) tires of her behavior and asks her to move out of his apartment.  With nowhere else to go, she returns to her childhood home and reconnects with Oscar (Jason Sudekis), her childhood friend.  Meanwhile, seemingly unrelated events from across the globe involve a gigantic monster rampaging through Seoul, destroying everything in its path.  In the light of this global event, Gloria attempts to build a fresh start and soon discovers that she has a surprising connection with the beast itself.

Without question, Colossal is truly one of the most unique projects in recent years, spinning a story that has shades of warmth, fear, comedy, and even an homage to kaiju movies.  When asked what drew him to this film, Sudeikis argues that it was the script that compelled him to leave his young family to take on the role.

“It’s gotta be a story worth leaving the house for,” he states, matter of factly.  “[It needs to be] worth leaving this home that we’ve made for ourselves and this was one of those.  Six weeks in Vancouver?  I would’ve spent twelve weeks on Mars to because I think the story’s worth telling.”

Interestingly, instead of opting for the more traditional Japanese location of films such as Godzilla and Gamera, Colossal focuses its attention on Seoul, Korea.  Given that the film grapples with a battle for Gloria’s soul, Hathaway explains that she appreciated the connection between location and heart.

Says Hathaway, “It was just one of those happy things.  I loved saying those lines… ‘Seoul is behind that fence.  Giant monsters attacking Seoul… I loved the way that Nacho filmed the street scenes of people.  I got really moved seeing the depiction of joy in the streets.  So often the things that we’ve seen are of terror in the movies and in real life.  To see that was good for my heart.”

When asked whether or not she believes that the film industry contains a sense of toxic masculinity, Hathaway warns us to refrain from lumping all forms of masculine culture in the same box.

“I think it’s important to say that [toxic masculinity] is very different from male energy,” she reflects.  “Male energy is beautiful.  [It’s] welcome.  [It’s] necessary.  [It’s] half the reason that we’re here.  That said, there has been a perversion of this male energy into this macho ideal and I don’t think it serves anybody… I don’t think it serves love… In terms of this movie, what I think our director was saying was that he thinks this energy has no place in our world anymore.”

Taking on the villainous role of Oscar in Colossal is Jason Sudeikis, an actor known primarily for his comedic abilities.  While some might find it less than positive to be viewed as a villain, Sudeikis was excited to take on the challenge.

“I was flattered to be seen that way, which is a weird thing to say.  For me, I can view him now as a bad guy but there you have to feel this sort of empathy for this person.  He breaks my heart a little because he just doesn’t love himself.  He has so much self-hate that it’s spilling over.  So many grudges kept and holding on to so many things.”

Despite his obvious flaws, however, Sudeikis also believes that there’s more to Oscar than simply being labelled a ‘bad guy’.

“I’m not sure he is [a bad guy],” he argues.  “What makes that eight-year old boy do that thing?  What makes him feel so badly about himself?  What drove him to such self-loathing?  We don’t have the option of throwing each other away… We have to find a way to reach into people and not label them ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but just say ‘are you hurting?’ and ‘do you want to heal?’…  Let’s celebrate the grays.”

Of course, given that so much of Colossal focuses on the emotional journey of its female protagonist, it also seeks to set an example for other films to follow. Hence, Hathaway believes that the responsibility to show the strength and courage of women lies in providing alternatives to what could be, as opposed to the way things already are.

“What you want to do is create examples that people can site as to why the old model of thinking is old.  You want try to create examples that people can site so that they can take risks.  It can’t just be the filmmakers.  The media has to help out…”

“I think everybody is poised and primed for change.  And I think we just have to be kind right now because change isn’t perfect.  And there’s going to be disappointments and I think we just need to be patient.”

 

Colossal is in theatres now.

To hear our entire roundtable interview with Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis, you can download it from iTunes or stream it here.

To read our review of Colossal from TIFF16, click here.

To read our exclusive interview with director Nacho Vigalondo, click here.

 

3.16 The Meaning of LIFE

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This week, Steve is joined by special guest and friend to the show, Wade Bearden (Seeing and Believing) to talk about whether or not there’s a meaning to LIFE, the newest sci-fi actioner to hit the big screen.  Yes, the film is tense but does it have something to say?  Plus, the guys give their top 3 remakes since the year 2000!  Only on ScreenFish.

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.

3.16 Life

A special thanks to Wade for coming on the show!

2307 WINTER’S DREAM: Finding God in the Snow

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Directed by Joey Curtis, 2307 Winter’s Dream takes place in the distant future when Earth has become a frozen wasteland and humans live underground to survive the sub-arctic temperatures. With no “man power” on the Earth’s surface, scientists bio-engineer Humanoids that possess great strength, speed, and tolerance to extreme cold. When a rogue humanoid named ASH-393 escapes from captivity and leads a rebellion against mankind, an elite team of soldiers led by Bishop (Paul Sidhu) are dispatched onto the ice to brave the elements and terminate the threat.

Playing out like a hybrid of numerous entries into the sci-fi genre, 2307 doesn’t break any particularly new ice… er… ground. Still, the film is fun and does offer characters to root for, particularly the ragtag band of soldiers sent out into the icy apocalypse. (In addition, after Timothy Lee Depriest shared with me the challenges they faced while filming, I have a much greater appreciation for the visuals themselves.  You can read that interview here.)

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What I found most surprising, however, was the film’s search for the soul. Taking place 120 years ‘after man killed God’, the film begins to set itself up as an argument for mankind’s ability to survive as a testament to his own efforts. Feeling abandoned in their fight for survival, it is clear to them that they must be alone in the universe. Combined with their ability to clone the humanoids through their own scientific efforts, humanity has decided that the belief in God has become irrelevant. After all, with the power to create life in his hands, man has placed himself in a position to take on the role of God himself, despite his wintery wasteland.

Curiously though, 2307 isn’t content to leave the conversation there.

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In fact, much of the film makes a case that despite man’s delusion of power, there remains an element of life that can be neither contained nor eliminated. Although the humanoids may have been engineered by men, they begin to demonstrate aspects of a ‘soul’ that were not programmed into them by their creators. Through their ability to feel love for one another, bear children and even develop religious practices, the humanoids begin to reveal unexplainable spiritual fingerprints. For a world that unquestionably ‘killed God’, this creates a fascinating tension between man’s self-delusion and the reality of something more. Regardless of whether or not he believes there is a God, Bishop finds himself caught in the middle of this spiritual battle and forced to accept the truth. This new reality allows Bishop to reinterpret his entire understanding of the world and, more importantly, the value of the humanoids. What’s more, in doing so, Bishop also regains a part of his soul that has been missing for a long time.

While 2307 is hardly a game-changer in the Sci-Fi world, it does carve out its own space within the genre. More importantly, however, it also wants to have a conversation about the nature of our souls that doesn’t leave you cold.

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2307: Winter’s Dream is currently playing the festival circuit and is looking at a wide release in the spring.