FILM REVIEW

Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 tragicomedy, the directorial debut of husband-and-wife team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, with a screenplay by first-time writer Michael Arndt. 

Upon receiving the news that seven-year-old Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) has been accepted to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, the Hoovers decide to travel together in an old van from Albuquerque (New Mexico) to Redondo Beach (California) to support her. This unconventional blended family consists of parents Sheryl (Toni Collette) and Richard (Greg Kinnear), children Olive and Dwayne (Paul Dano), the drug-addicted grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin), and the unemployed academic Uncle Frank (Steve Carell), who, after attempting suicide following a heartbreak, must not be left alone.

On the first day of the road trip, the clutch of the van is shot, and they often need to push the vehicle to make it go. After spending the first night in a motel, Edwin does not wake up, and an ambulance takes him to the hospital. The Hoovers are told that he has passed away from a heroin overdose and that they must stay to deal with the time-consuming paperwork. However, in order for Olive to make it to the pageant in time, Richard decides that they should smuggle Edwin's body into the van and leave the hospital. 

On the way to Redondo Beach, Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence until he enters flight school, discovers that he is colour-blind, which makes him unfit to be a pilot. He becomes very agitated and says hurtful things to his family, for which he later apologises.  

The Hoovers finally arrive at the competition venue and manage to have Olive registered in the pageant and Edwin’s body collected by an undertaking service. The amateur Olive stands out in stark contrast to the other participants, who are heavily made up and seem much more experienced. Richard, despite being a life coach who does not believe in quitting, expresses that he does not want the quirky Olive to participate in the talent show, to avoid her being judged by the audience. Sheryl, however, claims that their daughter should be true to herself and do what she loves. The Hoovers, whose journey has been anything but easy, will have to make a decision as a family. 

Little Miss Sunshine was nominated for four Academy Awards. Arndt won Best Original Screenplay and Arkin Best Supporting Actor, while Breslin was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. One of the best features of this road movie is its feel-good attitude; it shows the vicissitudes of a somewhat dysfunctional family whose members, despite life challenges, know how to support each other. The characters, played brilliantly by well-known actors, are unique and highly likeable. Little Miss Sunshine is a fun film with good performances, witty dialogue, uplifting music, and a positive message. 

You can borrow the DVD from the library.

FILM REVIEW

My Life Without Me is a 2003 Spanish-Canadian drama film directed by Isabel Coixet and based on the story Pretending the Bed Is a Raft by Nanci Kincaid.  

Ann (Sarah Polley) is a 23-year-old caretaker who lives with her family in a caravan in her mother's (Deborah Harry) garden. She has two young daughters, Patsy and Penny, and is married to her first boyfriend, the caring Don (Scott Speedman).

One day, Ann collapses in pain, and everything changes when, after medical tests, she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. She decides to keep it a secret, as well as the fact that she only has two months to live, passing her weakness off as anaemia. She draws up a "bucket list" of things she wants to do for her family and herself in the time she has left.

One of the resolutions Ann carries out is to record tapes with messages for Patsy and Penny’s future birthdays. In addition, she visits her father (Alfred Molina) in prison, a former alcoholic who has been incarcerated for ten years. 

Having only ever been with Don and wanting to experience a different life, Ann decides to get a lover and has an affair with the lonely Lee (Mark Ruffalo). Although they soon develop a deep connection, she hides her illness from him and eventually ends the relationship. She also sets out to find a kind woman to become Don’s new partner and take care of Patsy and Penny when she is gone. 

My Life Without Me is a great independent production. The best thing about it is the plot, which is uncomplicated but effective in articulating the narrative.  Coixet won a well-deserved Goya award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Sarah Polley and Mark Ruffalo give moving performances. In addition, the soundtrack is outstanding, with the classics "Senza Fine" and "God Only Knows" recurring throughout the film. Alongside this, Jean-Claude Larrieu’s cinematography is also one of the best features of Coixet’s film. 

If you feel nostalgic for the 2000s and like independent cinema, you will definitely enjoy watching My Life Without Me. Why not borrow it from the library?

FILM REVIEW

Made by the British director Sam Mendes and based on the novel Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, this is a 2008 romantic drama film set in Connecticut in the mid-1950s.

April (Kate Winslet), an aspiring actress, and Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio), a longshoreman, meet at a party and immediately connect. After a while, they marry. Frank starts working as a salesman for Knox Machines, the same company his father worked for, and April abandons her failed acting career. They buy a beautiful house on suburban Revolutionary Road and have two children. They seem like the perfect couple. However, they both soon feel trapped; April is unhappy with her domestic life, and Frank with his job.

On Frank's 30th birthday, April suggests moving to Paris, where Frank once enjoyed living. Her plan is to work there as a secretary so that he can be free to find his true calling. Frank hesitantly agrees, and the Wheelers announce their decision to their social circle. Soon after, Mr. Pollock, one of Frank's superiors, tries to convince him to stay, offering him a lucrative career opportunity.

April reveals to Frank that she is pregnant but still wants them to move to Paris. However, Frank dissents and wants to accept Mr. Pollock's offer. A series of disagreements ensue, leading to tensions between the couple and a tragic outcome.

Sam Mendes, who has a background in theatre, also directed the triple Oscar-winning American Beauty. The excellent performances and Mendes' directorial work successfully convey the inner world of the protagonist couple. The characters have distinctive voices. Their lines are sometimes mundane while at other times very profound (“We're running from the hopeless emptiness of all life here, aren't we?”).

The highlight of the film is Kate Winslet's performance, for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress. In addition, Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, and Michael Shannon, who plays the character of John Givings Jr., their neighbour’s son and a mentally ill mathematician, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Revolutionary Road is a film well worth watching. Feel free to borrow the DVD from the library.

FILM REVIEW

An adaptation of Sapphire's 1996 novel Push, Lee Daniels' 2009 film Precious won two Oscars: one for Best Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique) and one for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

The plot focuses on sixteen-year-old Claireece "Precious" Jones (played by Gabourey Sidibe), who lives with her abusive mother, Mary Lee Johnston (Mo'Nique), in a public housing project in Harlem. Claireece is pregnant for the second time by her own father. Her grandmother, Tootsie, cares for Claireece's first daughter, who has Down syndrome. However, when the social worker visits, Mary pretends that her granddaughter lives with them in order to qualify for food stamps.

Mrs. Sondra Lichtenstein, Claireece's school principal, offers her the option of continuing her education at an alternative school. Mary is disinterested in her daughter's education and insists that Claireece should get on welfare. However, Claireece decides to attend classes run by Ms. Blu Rain at the alternative school and becomes a motivated pupil, starting to learn to read and write.

After Claireece gives birth to Abdul, Ms. Rain encourages her to continue her studies. When she is discharged from hospital, Claireece returns to her mother's house with her baby. Mary blames her for telling Ms. Weiss, the social worker, about her mistreatment at home, which caused her to lose her social security cheques. She assaults Claireece, who flees with Abdul in her arms. With few options available to her, Claireece now has to find a place for her baby and herself and decide her next step in life.

One of the central issues present in the film is physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. As a young and poor African-American mother, Claireece suffers as a result of various oppressions by her parents and the system. Other relevant themes are personal aspirations, education, and motherhood.

There is a frequent contrast between Claireece's mistreatment and her fantasies of being loved, famous, and admired. The use of imagination to escape a harsh reality may be reminiscent of other works of literary fiction such as The Bluest Eye, whose protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, suffers similar abuse. Despite the seriousness of Precious' subject matter, it also includes comic elements.

It is a moving story with some memorable characters, most of whom are women. There are two particularly positive female role models in the story: Ms. Weiss and Ms. Rain. As for the performances, Mo'Nique's was highly praised and deservedly so, while Sidibe, who had no previous acting experience, is also powerful in her role.

All in all, this excellent drama is not to be missed. The DVD is available in the library.

FILM REVIEW

This film, directed by Lee Daniels, is a historical drama inspired by a true story. The protagonist, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), is an African-American man who works as a butler in the White House.

Cecil is born in 1919 on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When he turns eighteen, he leaves to avoid the same fate as his father, Earl, who was murdered by the plantation owner for trying to defend Cecil's mother, Hattie, from his abuse. Cecil meets Maynard (Clarence Williams III), a shop clerk who helps him professionally. Owing to Cecil's dedication, he is eventually promoted to a butler’s position in the White House, where he meets Gloria (Oprah Winfrey), a maid whom he marries. They have two sons, Louis (David Oyelowo) and Charlie (Elijah Kelley). As the boys grow up, they follow very different paths.

The plot covers the Gaines family's experiences and Cecil's employment in the White House over several decades, providing insight into the stance that the various presidents he serves, from Eisenhower to Reagan, take on civil rights.

Similarly, the film also alludes to various groups and leaders of the civil rights movement, including James Lawson, Martin Luther King Jr. (Nelsan Ellis), the Black Panthers, and Malcolm X. Interestingly, at one point Martin Luther King Jr. mentions to Louis that, although we perceive the butler as subservient, in many ways he is unwittingly subversive.

The Butler portrays relevant aspects of the social and political situation in the United States in recent decades. Fictional images of protests and riots are used in combination with archival footage to show events such as the Ku Klux Klan attack on a freedom bus or the Selma voting rights movement.

It is worth mentioning that Whitaker, Winfrey and Oyelowo deliver outstanding performances, while the star-studded cast also includes well-known artists and actors such as Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Robin Williams and Jane Fonda, among others.

Daniels' film succeeds in making visible the effects of racial oppression on all generations of a family. This thought-provoking film, released in 2013, is still relevant today, as many of the issues it highlights remain unresolved.

All in all, it is well worth watching. Why not borrow the DVD from the library?

FILM REVIEW

The Words is a 2012 mystery romantic drama written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal. 

The plot involves Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a struggling young writer living in New York. He marries his girlfriend, Dora (Zoë Saldana), and they honeymoon in Paris, where they purchase an old leather briefcase. Upon returning to New York, Rory realises the briefcase contains a manuscript about Jack (Ben Barnes), an 18-year-old from Philadelphia who, near the end of World War II, travels to Paris. He falls in love with Celia (Nora Aznezeder), a French waitress whom he marries. They have a baby girl who subsequently dies, sending Celia into a depression that distances her from her husband. Jack writes a novel based on his experiences in Paris, but Celia accidentally leaves the manuscript in a briefcase on a train, losing it. The relationship deteriorates further, and Jack leaves France by himself for good.  

Rory, captivated by the novel, types it into his computer. Dora reads the text and, believing it to be Rory’s, encourages him to try to publish it. An editor offers him a publishing contract, and the book becomes a success. The story reaches a dramatic climax when an old man (Jeremy Irons) comes into Rory’s life and informs him that he is the real author. Rory has to decide whether or not to reveal the truth.

The above stories are, it transpires, the fiction of writer Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid), who, in the main framing story, performs a public reading of excerpts from his book The Words. The film includes multiple layers of stories within stories, with connections between them. It introduces notes of ambiguity as it plays with the boundaries between literature and life and questions the narrator's reliability. 

Some of the themes the film explores are the price to be paid for success, heartbreak, and the love of literature. Professional success is set against the unorthodox means of achieving it. However, taking on somebody else’s story also means carrying a burden; as the old man states, “You take those words, you take the pain.” And, above all, literature plays a central role, with numerous references to Ernest Hemingway.

Two things especially stand out about The Words: the script and the cast. It is easy to be intrigued by the story and feel emotionally connected to it. The writer motif is pervasive, with novelists of different ages beautifully played by Barnes, Cooper, Quaid, and Irons. Alongside this, the directors’ skilful sense of pace also contributes to engaging the viewer’s interest in the film. 

If you love literature, you should definitely watch it. You can borrow the DVD from the library. 

FILM REVIEW

This independent film marks the solo directorial debut of actress Greta Gerwig, who also wrote the screenplay. 

Lady Bird is an endearing comedy-drama set in 2002. Christine McPherson, played by Saoirse Ronan, is coming to the end of her time as a high school student in Sacramento. She wants to leave California and move to New York. Christine calls herself “Lady Bird" and insists that others do too, which her mother, Marion (played by Laurie Metcalf), finds ridiculous.

The opening scene sets the tone for the film, with Marion and Christine bickering in the car after a visit to a prospective university. In the heat of the argument, Christine throws herself out of the moving car and, miraculously, only breaks her arm. Their complicated relationship is a constant in Lady Bird.

This coming-of-age story revolves around the feeling of wanting to move away, only to realise the positives of where you come from. Other relevant aspects are the search for one's own identity, some of life's milestones, privilege, love, family and friendship.

Money is an overarching theme in Lady Bird. Although not wealthy like most of her peers, Christine attends a private high school where she does well academically. To Marion's dismay, who reproaches Christine that nothing is good enough for her, she jokes about being "from the wrong side of the tracks". Her parents worry about money, as her father (Larry) is out of work and Marion has to support the family.

Throughout the film, Christine pursues various love interests that leave her disenchanted. She also tries to become a version of herself that is accepted by the popular kids.  

From an acting point of view, the cast is remarkable. Alongside Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones), it also features Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Little Women, Dune), and Lucas Hedges (Ben is Back, Honey Boy). 

One thing that stands out about Gerwig's work is its balanced combination of light-heartedness and sensitivity. It is an innocent film, with a well-written script, likeable characters and some great feel-good moments, such as the prom scene. Lady Bird offers a nostalgic vision through its plot and aesthetic. In Gerwig's words, she “wanted the film to feel like a memory”.

Lady Bird is entertaining while providing some useful life lessons. Awarded Best Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture at the 2018 Golden Globes, it is definitely a must-see film for indie film lovers.

You can find the Lady Bird DVD in our library.

FILM REVIEW

Based on the book by Jessica Bruder, Nomadland is an Oscar-winning drama (Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress) starring Frances McDormand and directed by Chinese-American Chloé Zhao.

The film tells the story of Fern, a widow who takes to the road after the closure of the mine in Empire (Nevada), the town where she used to work and reside with her late husband. She lives in her van and travels through the American West in search of temporary jobs. In Fern’s own words, she is ‘not homeless, just houseless’.  

Eager to work, Fern, who has previously worked as a substitute teacher, cycles through a variety of odd jobs. Temping for Amazon, working as a camp hostess or in a fast-food restaurant, the only constant in her life seems to be her itinerant lifestyle. As the story unfolds, she becomes attached to Dave, a fellow wanderer, and she has to choose between her wanderlust or settling down.

Covering many aspects of life, Nomadland manages to touch on basically everything that comes with being human. Some of its themes include freedom, connection to nature, relationships, the search for one's tribe, economic conditions, making the most of life and honouring the dead.

This feature film has been widely praised for its great acting and direction, and deservedly so. Its thought-provoking plot, coupled with pithy dialogue and evocative scenes of life in the wild, make it an introspective and extremely moving drama. Zhao's work comes close to documenting modern nomads, offering us a glimpse into the lives of the real-life wanderers who form part of the cast, Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells. As for McDormand's performance, it can be described as truly memorable. Another noteworthy aspect is the soundtrack, subtle but effective in playing with the audience's emotions. Finally, literary and musical references such as William Shakespeare's “Sonnet 18”, or the lyrics from Morrissey’s song Home Is A Question Mark contribute to the overall feel of the film.

There is no doubt that it is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, but what makes it truly unique is its sensitivity. All in all, it is well worth seeing.

You can find the Nomadland DVD in our library, why not watch it?

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