Capsule Film Reviews:

Lady Beverly Cohn

While SBIFF ended a few weeks ago, this is my first chance to write about it.  Two hundred films and shorts from around the world were premiered, and I could not review all of them.  However, I chose four that I particularly enjoyed and one I detested.  These will be “capsule film reviews” selected for their storyline, director, and cast.

MADU:  (United States, Nigeria, United Kingdom)

Opening night, he started with the screening of MADU, an adventure that began when 12-year-old Nigerian teenager Anthony Madu made a video of himself dancing in the rain.  It went viral and eventually morphed into this new Disney-branded television documentary, which tells the story of one young man’s dream of dancing ballet.  This compassionate, entirely lovingly shot film by Matt Ogens and Joel “Kachi” Benson is similar to the character in Billy Elliot, which starred Jamie Bell.  Like Elliot, Madu was born to dance, practicing daily on the streets of his hometown of Lagos.  In true fairy-tale fashion, he finds his dreams of dancing professionally are about to come true when he’s accepted into the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in England.  We see his arduous, sometimes discouraging training culminating in a powerful performance.  This is a feel-good, charming film about the power of perseverance in the face of unending obstacles to achieving one’s dream.  Running time: 100 minutes. Streaming on “Disney +

                                                  ***

EZRA (United States)

This delightful dramedy centers on the 9-year-old autistic son of Max Bernal, a stand-up comic brilliantly brought to life by Bobby Cannavale, whose performance is stellar.  Although he is divorced from his wife, well played by Rose Byrne, they co-parent their son, who is playful and presses boundaries of behavior, resulting in him being tossed out of a regular public school with recommendations that he be put into a “special school.”  On top of that, the doctor wants to put him on impulse-control pharmaceuticals, to which Dad is opposed, and what ensues is Dad taking his son (who kidnaps him) on an exciting road trip.  Backed up by a beautiful cast including Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Tony Goldwyn, and a delightful Robert De Niro, who plays Max’s father, a former chef, now a doorman,  EZRA is a heartfelt story about the challenges of autism and a parent’s unrelenting desire to protect his child him from being swept into a bin of misfits.  William A. Fitzgerald as Ezra gives an unforgettable, engaging performance.  Directed by Tony Goldwyn, the running time is 100 minutes and is scheduled for wide release in May 2024 via Bleeker Street.

                                                            ****

POINT OF CHANGE (United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Indonesia)

This film is a compelling, gorgeously shot documentary directed by Rebecca Coley.  It is the intriguing story of two Australian surfers who travel the world searching for the “perfect wave.”  In their quest, they stumble across Nias, an obscure Indonesian island boasting some of the world's most giant waves.  The surfers quickly adjust to the local way of life on this peaceful, almost secret island. Still, before long, the word spread, overburdening the island’s limited resources to accommodate the massive influx of surfers anxious to ride those enormous waves.  This once quiet, sleepy island is transformed into an unnatural tourism center, suffering the negativity that comes with a once pristine location unprepared for unexpected, burgeoning growth.  (Running time:  89 Minutes. No distribution information is available at this time.)

                                             ***

WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (United Kingdom)

 This film is an outrageously hilarious story based on an absolute scandal in 1920s England in Littlehampton, a charming seaside town.  Edith Swann, hysterically played by Olivia Colman,  is a duplicitous aging spinster living with her unpleasant father.  She is pious, prays day and night and jumps through the mean-spirited hoops he puts before her.  This storybook town's peaceful, pleasant existence is suddenly shattered by a series of notoriously profane letters that start appearing in the mailboxes of the unsuspecting, innocent townspeople.  Rose Gooding, a foul-mouthed, uncouth resident superbly played by Jessie Buckley, is the first person to be accused.  What ensues is her trial and a madcap attempt to find the natural guilty person led by Gladys Moss, a young, ambitious police officer immaculately played by Anjana Vasan.   The supporting cast of superb character actors, too many to list, add to the high-jinx activities speared on by Miss Moss.  Directed by Thea Sharrock, watch for this 102-minute, laugh-out-loud film distributed by Sony Pictures.

                                                 ****

MUCH ADO ABOUT DYING (Ireland)

I love films from Ireland and always rush to see anything coming out of one of my favorite countries.  But Much Ado About Dying, directed by Uncle David’s nephew Simon Chambers, is almost unwatchable.  It is the sickening story of a former Shakespearean actor, now in his twilight years.  He lives in abject squalor down to feces and urine either on the floor of his disgusting, tiny apartment or stuffed into plastic bags, making Grey Gardens look like a palace.  Every nook and cranny is crammed with other forms of garbage.  For some reason, Simon feels responsible and assumes a caretaker role, visiting his aging, verbose, flamboyant uncle, who is naked from the waist up throughout the film. I assure you, this is not a pretty picture.  As I watched the movie, and my creeping nausea, I kept wondering why the director/nephew thought there would be any interest in watching an aging, flamboyant gentleman living in unthinkable conditions that almost defy description, but alas, it is described through the lens of his camera. I’m unsure if this is streaming anywhere, but if you come across it,  don’t eat before watching this unwatchable film or bring your barf bag.   

Until next time, Happy Viewing to you.