"Wattstax" - review

A vibrant, powerful and heartbreaking cultural experience

The Watts riots in Los Angeles, which raged for an entire week in August 1965, were one of many urban uprisings brought about by the systematic suppression of the African American population in the United States.  Political, social and private power has long been exerted to subjugate and separate black communities, confining them to certain neighborhoods where they were further isolated and their prospects for improvement drastically reduced.  Through a varied and vile array of closed door conspiracies, black people nationwide were continually beset by minimal job opportunities and Draconian punishments while any avenues of assistance which might prove beneficial were firmly barricaded.

For a group of people who had been so cruelly and continually marginalized for so many generations, the riots were the last and least desired option.  Yet out of the fiery ashes of that destruction, a brilliant light and sound coalesced to show the entire world that while the anger, frustration and suffering was very real, there was also something else: strength, unity and music.  Stax records, an iconic black-owned record company famous for its superlative stable of soul, gospel, funk and blues artists, organized a benefit concert seven years after to commemorate the Watts riots, and the event was a beautiful and potent expression of black culture, identity and style!

Power to the People!

The Bar-Kays, resplendent!

Mavis Staples

"Wattstax", directed by Mel Stuart and nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Documentary Film in 1974, is part joyous celebration and part incisive social commentary.  The movie is a rightfully aggressive and contentious examination of the joy and pain of black people's lives in America and most of the world.  So many voices unheard, complaints long ignored and deep wounds to bodies and minds left to ache and torment the souls of so many human beings imprisoned within their own cities.  "Wattstax" brought all of this to the stage, and the cavalcade of talent was a wonder to behold.  More importantly, their musical message was ecstasy to hear.

The Rance Allen Group

Carla Thomas

Rufus Thomas

Isaac Hayes

I was not familiar with most of the artists who performed, but their presence and power was electric.  The music hit me in monumental waves.  Emotion after emotion, each one coiled with the kind of implacable tidal power that is irresistible and everlasting.  The exultant release, the euphoria of shared experience and the certainty of a collective desire for better days was transcendent. I wanted to dance to every song and add my ardent voice in tandem with and in fervent support of the assembled multitude.  My soul was captivated and my booty was shakin'!

Then the music finally ended and the credits rolled.  The modern world came slowly filtering back in and I was once again regretfully reminded that things have improved little in the decades since.  Our country feels more polarized than ever, and it seems a fool's errand to hope for a lessening of the fear and hatred which has driven so many to desperation.  Yet, there have been some positive changes and "Wattstax" shows what beatific things can happen when we come together to heal instead of hate.

The only thing standing in the way is us.

Can I get an "Amen?!"

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" - review

A fever dream of overheated nostalgia

I've usually enjoyed Quentin Tarantino's work, even when his later films started to extend their running times beyond the limits of my patience and my bladder.  Writers love to hear themselves talk, and I have always been willing to forgive such self-indulgence if the overall experience was worth it.  This has largely been the case until "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."  This 9th Tarantino film is far too long for its own good, and I really felt it dragging at multiple points throughout.  Quentin!  Cut it!  Let's MOVE ALONG, pardner!

I also had a problem going in because I'm not enamored with either of the lead actors.  For me, Brad Pitt's dramatic roles are all of a very similar piece.  I feel that they lack dimension and range.  However, when Pitt takes on a comedic role, he channels a childish, manic persona that is as delightful as it is whimsical.  Leonardo DiCaprio gave similarly energized performances as a younger man, but as an adult I find his acting to be theatrically exaggerated.  I feel like I'm watching DiCaprio act instead of being the character, as if he's self-conscious about his performance and winking at the audience for approval.

Perhaps DiCaprio's recent Best Actor Oscar has calmed him down a bit because in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" he turns in a fine performance as Rick Dalton, a washed-up Western villain trying to resurrect his flagging career.  Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth, a quiet, veteran stuntman who works solely for Dalton.  Together, their bromance provides an endearing and welcome balance to the usual Tinseltown seediness through which both must navigate.  Dalton's self-doubt and desperation is well-done without feeling pitiable, while Booth's streetwise urban cowboy is funny and witty without seeming like a too-cool quip machine.

Additionally, because both characters are fictional, there is more room for creative invention since the style of Dalton and Booth's story leans heavily into the ample satirical possibilities of an industry pervasive with venality and treachery.  Their symbiotic relationship and fluctuating fortunes provide plenty of dramatic heft and interest to make the entire film feel whole and satisfying.  Unfortunately, this makes the inclusion of the Sharon Tate and Manson family storylines feel largely unnecessary.

While these three stories do overlap at several points throughout the film, the Sharon Tate and Manson family sequences don't mesh nearly as well mainly because they're too long.  The characters are hastily sketched and more crucially, their threads aren't strongly woven around the struggles of Dalton and Booth.  It takes over two hours to get to the last act, and as the vast majority of that time is still spent on Dalton and Booth's misadventures, this overshadows the other two stories such that their intersection at the end feels coincidental rather than fateful.

I believe that this is intentional, but it also has the effect of lessening the sense of importance in the Sharon Tate and Manson family portions of the film, especially since you can't change those stories because they're actually based on fact, right?  Well, I can't say more except that while I was quite grateful for the final "twist" feeling somewhat rewarding despite the slog to get there, it was ultimately too little too late.  I anticipated a horrifically gory and unpleasant ending, and instead was given something slightly different.  It was a nice surprise, but the prolonged unwrapping was enervating to the point of actual boredom.

The production, costume and set design are superlative and detailed without being distracting.  The cinematography is also top-notch and combined with the aforementioned practical effects, the film becomes a sumptuous feast of the color-drenched landscape and intoxicating hippie culture that was still exploding in late sixties Los Angeles.  As usual, Tarantino's musical choices are unconventional but still perfectly align with the moods and themes of the individual scenes.  Quentin just needs an editor who will apply the same brutality to his extended running times as he does to the hyperkinetic violence which he adores.

"Enthiran" review

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!

In the United States, the 2010 madcap Bollywood action film “Enthiran” is probably most well-known for the absurd yet stunning action sequences which have been shared on YouTube and seen by millions.  I was gobsmacked when I first watched them, but nearly a decade passed before I tracked down a DVD to find out if the whole movie was as good as those clips.  When the disc arrived, I was quite shocked to discover that I was in for a three-hour feature!  Would “Enthiran” be good enough to be gripping for so long?  I am thrilled to offer a jubilant YES!

“Enthiran” is a screwball sci-fi delight!  While I am not very familiar with the Bollywood style of cinema, I can still unequivocally state that this is one of the most entertaining movies that I’ve ever seen.  I cannot recall any other viewing experience that has engaged me so completely despite the movie’s bladder-busting running time!  How is this possible?  Energy and creativity, both of which “Enthiran” has bursting from the seams.  It’s been a long time since I felt such genuine enthusiasm in blockbuster filmmaking!

 “Enthiran”, which means “robot” in the Tamil language, is a cautionary tale of creation, an adorable, doe-eyed romance and a blistering, bullet-ridden spectacle of destruction.  Yet all three seemingly disparate narratives are deftly woven together into a beguiling mélange of innocent whimsy and mature menace.  The virtuosic visual invention, color-drenched cinematography, myriad costume designs and elaborate sets are a fantastic feast for the eyes, and the story consistently moves at a snappy pace without being confusing or cryptic.

Brilliant scientist Dr. Vaseegaran invents a robot in his likeness with artificial intelligence whom he calls Chitti.  Vaseegaran hopes to have Chitti approved by his government to take the place of human soldiers.  However, Chitti will obey any order given by anyone, so the potential for collateral damage is too high and Chitti is rejected.

Aishwarya *sigh*

Vaseegaran’s professional woes are compounded when his girlfriend Sana wants to break up with him due to his obsession with his work.  However, once Chitti saves Sana from some leering thugs, she forgives her brainy boyfriend and even becomes friendly with his new creation.

Vaseegaran then gives his programmable progeny the ability to feel emotions, and things take a dark turn when Chitti falls in love with Sana!  This sinister situation is worsened when Vaseegaran’s former teacher, Bohra, jealous of Vaseegaran’s creation, obtains Chitti and gives him a malevolent military upgrade.  Sana refuses Chitti’s romantic intentions, and his new license to kill enables Chitti to exact his vengeance upon Vaseegaran and the entire world.  Chitti makes multiple copies of himself, and then abducts Sana, planning to use her to create a new hybrid race of “robo-sapiens” hell-bent on global domination.

“Enthiran” is full of familiar clichés and hoary old tropes, but there is so much genuine joy in the telling that it still works like gangbusters!  Even more impressive is that while some of the CGI is crude or clumsily, this doesn’t have a negative effect.  In fact, it works in the movies’ favor by being executed with such sheer vitality and zest that it actually becomes charming!

And the musical numbers!  Oh, my various gods, the musical numbers are SUMPTUOUS.  All the songs are irresistibly dance-able while also conveying important character exposition, and every shot is filled with eye-goggling costumes swaying to the beat with sparkle to spare!

All this mesmerizing choreography is often set in stunning locations such as the sand dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil and Machu Picchu in Peru!  Even the indoor sets are grandiose in scale and style because the camera movement, editing and lighting continually generates a rainbow blast of epic imagery.

Bollywood movies may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and I can understand how some might find the irreverent silliness and cartoonish mayhem too much to accept, but I’m personally ready to drink straight from the kettle after the phantasmagoria of “Enthiran!”

What flaws are present are completely overwhelmed by the fire-hose of visual invention that may strain plausibility but does not dampen pleasure.  There is an persistent and irrepressible sense of fun that is utterly seductive.  You can’t help but fall in love with “Enthiran!”

If you want to watch this film on DVD, this Amazon store has excellent copies.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GUOQT2M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

However, I do have a few caveats.  On several occasions the movie goes black for 1-2 seconds before continuing.  I'm unsure whether this is purposeful, but I suspect it may be connected to reel changes.  There is also a watermark that appears on the right side of the screen several times, although it is faint and mostly unobtrusive.

Finally, there are some elements involving the status of women in Indian culture which will feel a little cringe-y to certain eyes.  However, as the film is not meant to be taken seriously, I don't think it would be worthwhile getting into a twist over such archaic social mores.

"The Visitor" - review

Writer-director Tom McCarthy's first film "The Station Agent" is a subtle and disarming film about three disparate characters trying to connect and communicate.

It introduced future Game of Thrones fans to the talents of Peter Dinklage, and told a story about a little person that didn't focus solely on the fact that the main character is a little person.

"The Station Agent" was an auspicious debut, and McCarthy's follow-up "The Visitor", is an enthralling examination of the power of empathy and friendship set amidst turbulent and fractious global times.

Fans of "Six Feet Under" will immediately recognize Richard Jenkins as he played the dead-but-not-gone and wickedly wisecracking father figure of that series.

In "The Visitor", Jenkins is Walter Vale, an economics professor and widower who has been going through the motions for years.  His life is ordered, but it is without joy or meaning.

A chance encounter breaks the bonds of Walter's boredom and sets him on a new path to inspiration and joy.

Walter discovers Tarek and Zainab, a young, unmarried immigrant couple squatting in his often unused New York apartment.

It's unclear exactly how they were given keys to Walter's place, but he doesn't have the heart to throw them out in the street.  Instead, Walter finds himself drawn to the rhythms of Tarek's djembe drum.

Tarek begins to teach Walter, and the two men form a fast friendship while playing together in drum circles at Central Park.

Gloria Estefan was right!  The rhythm is gonna getcha, and it hooks Walter HARD.

He had been trying to learn piano because his late wife was an accomplished player with a library of CD recordings, but for Walter, the drum is the tool best suited to help him find his mode of self-expression.

But when Tarek is suddenly arrested by transit cops who wrongly believed him to be a fare jumper, Walter's new nirvana is threatened by the merciless application of law following the flood of immigrant fear after 9/11.

Tarek is taken to a holding facility, and Walter struggles to maintain his composure while navigating the legal nightmare of trying to prevent Tarek's deportation.

Walter's composure slowly crumbles while helplessly enduring the cold and callous treatment of his new friend, and this stress is somewhat alleviated by the appearance of Mouna, Tarek's mother.

Mouna cannot even visit Tarek for fear of being arrested herself because she is also living illegally in the United States.  As Walter and Mouna work together toward arranging Tarek's release, Mouna's beauty, grace, warmth and gentleness elicit feelings in Walter long neglected.

Their time together is sweet, cautiously flirtatious and achingly tender.

But even here, happiness is brief, as Zarek is suddenly deported without notice and Mouna decides that she must return home to Egypt to be with him.

Walter understands, but his newly stoked passions cannot be dampened so easily, so he takes his drum to the subway and begins to pound out his passion and anger for any who will hear.

"The Visitor" came out 6 years after 9/11, and it was a poignant and incisive criticism of the knee-jerk political and cultural reactions to that horrific event and the damage that they wrought upon countless families and friends.

Today, "The Visitor" has lost not one iota of its relevancy and significance in calling out the black-or-white dogmatism that often characterizes decisions made in haste and the heat of emotion and fear.

"The Visitor" is a beatific treatise on humanism, and the drumbeat of its intrinsic truth is impossible to resist.

"Dark Passage" - review

“Dark Passage”

An interesting but ultimately humdrum journey.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were one of Hollywood’s greatest pairings both onscreen and off.  Their love affair defied age, status and background.  When they met while shooting “To Have and Have Not”, Bogart was 44 years old, married, and already an industry icon.  Bacall was only 19, single and a complete unknown in Tinseltown.  “To Have and Have Not” was a major hit and was quickly followed by “The Big Sleep”, which also did very well.  “Dark Passage” was Bogart and Bacall’s third appearance together, but box office lightning did not strike again.

Bogart plays a man wrongly convicted of murder who escapes from San Quentin and gets plastic surgery to avoid detection while trying to prove his innocence.  Bacall is the artist who believes him and while trying to help Bogart find his accuser, they fall in love.  Bogart and Bacall’s crackling chemistry does justice to the romance, but everything that happens around the love story feels clumsy or cliché.

The first act of the film is unusual in that it’s shot from the POV of Bogart’s character since we never see his face pre-surgery.  Initially this choice is a fun visual variation, but once the bandages are off it gets dropped, so it ends up feeling more like more a sight gag than a story necessity.  While a new handheld camera was used to film the POV sequences, the movement is too slow and mechanical to feel natural, which breaks the immersion.

The cast of characters that Bogart meets are familiar archetypes, but unlike Bogart and Bacall, they are oddly paired.  First there’s the taxi driver who just happens to recognize Bogart’s character and also just happens to know a disgraced doctor who can fix Bogart’s face for a small fee.  The actor is great, but the character’s ghoulish bedside manner makes it very doubtful that any man, convict or otherwise, would submit his skin to the scalpel of a doctor who looks like Bela Lugosi channeling Henry Frankenstein!

How did the taxi driver and the doctor come to know each other?  What it is about their “working” relationship that works?  They seem to be from such totally different worlds, yet their dynamic suggests a history that might actually make a better story than the one being told!  Is there an underground specifically for escaped cons needing plastic surgery?  I’d like to see that!

Then there’s the character named Baker whom Bogart bums a ride from just after his jailbreak and whom we later learn is a small-time crook who wants to blackmail Bacall through Bogart.  How did Baker come to be driving by San Quentin that day?  This is also how Bogart meets Bacall’s character a little later after he knocks Baker out and steals his car.  These coincidences are too contrived, and no justifications are forthcoming.

Aside from Bogart and Bacall’s smoldering scenes together, part of what makes “Dark Passage” entertaining was director Delmer Daves’s insistence on actual location shooting in San Francisco.  This live-on-the-street style gives the film a visceral atmosphere that is quite welcome.  Many films shot on studio sets or backlots can feel quite claustrophobic due to the small number of locations and that sense of sterility can carry over onto the screen.  Being outside gives a real feeling of danger for the protagonist and his desire to remain undetected.

Another visually striking sequence is the psychological collage that occurs when Bogart’s character is sedated before his plastic surgery.  Many of the film’s players make an appearance, and the kaleidoscopic effect on their faces is used to great effect with the addition of some quite unusual images to establish the morose mish-mash of so many worries in his head.

“Dark Passage” is aptly titled, as it is a beautifully shot film with great performances, but the story is haphazard and the pacing erratic.  It feels like the narrative was written on the fly without considering any connections between the characters or developing an overall theme for the story being told.  It’s an intriguing puzzle at first, but it ultimately feels like many pieces are missing from the picture.