Catch the Fair One is about a boxer, Kaylee (played by real-life boxer and world champion Kali Reis) who goes on a hunt for her younger sister, missing for two years. Kaylee suspects that her sister has been kidnapped and taken by a sex trafficking ring, and makes it her purpose in life to rescue her. With a (dubious, at best) tip in hand, Kaylee infiltrates the ring posing as a new worker, only to be double crossed by the people her gave her the tip. Kaylee is able to escape, but hides in one of her kidnapper’s trucks, riding along back to his house, where she can torture him and his family for clues. As she continues down the rabbit hole, it becomes quite apparent to the viewer, though not to Kaylee, that she is chasing a ghost. These people don’t care about nor remember some girl they picked up 2 years ago, so Kaylee may have to settle for revenge over redemption. Reis is strong in the lead role, surprising for a newcomer with no previous acting experience, but the film gets bogged down in its “war of attrition” as Kaylee finds more questions than answers, with each encounter inflicting a toll on her emotionally and physically. Super fans of action thrillers will find plenty to like. ★★★
Playground, a French film, follows little Nora, a child going to school for the first time, as she navigates an often-tumultuous life in the schoolyard. Like many, she doesn’t want to leave her dad on the first day, but at least has some familiarity as she shares a building with her one- or two-year older brother Abel. What she is most definitely not prepared for is school bullying. At recess on the first day, she tries to shadow Abel. He attempts to push her away, saying that the new kids are going to be bullied, but Nora doesn’t understand. What she comes to learn is her brother is one of the bullies, mostly because he is following the lead of the other, bigger boys. When Nora intervenes, she makes Abel a target, and his life at school becomes a living hell. Nora makes it worse when she tries to get parents and teachers involved, as the bullies just ramp up their ill treatment towards Abel. Her own association with him makes her a target as well, even amongst those friends she is able to make in her class. The film is hard to watch at times, and I certainly don’t remember bullying this bad when I was in school, but times have definitely changed. The whole movie is shot just over Nora’s shoulder or with the camera right in front of her, in a very Dardenne brothers kind of way (reminded me a lot of Rosetta). Nora is the sole focus of this movie, and too often child actors aren’t able to handle the scrutiny, but Maya Vanderbeque is up the challenge. She is fantastic as the naive Nora who has to learn some of the cruelties of life very quickly. ★★★★
Moving from France to The Czech Republic, Servants tells a story about the real-life time in Czechoslovakia in the late 70s/early 80s when the Communist government was clamping down on religious freedoms. The dominant Catholic religion in the country has publicly agreed to governments demands, moulding itself more in line with Communist ideology. Juraj and Michal, two theological students, are not on board, and join and underground movement to subvert the public teachings in favor of more traditional Catholic teachings. Unfortunately eyes and ears are everywhere, with some of the school’s own teachers and priests in the employ of the Communist party, whether by choice or, as is the case of one, by blackmail. Pulling the strings at this particular school is Ivan, a member of the secret police whose entire character oozes evil. And that’s really what this movie is about: good vs evil. Shot in black and white, director Ivan Ostrochovsky sets every scene up as a view of light and shadow. It’s a stark picture, with some quietly tense moments. Not much (any?) action, so many may check out before long, but I couldn’t help but get pulled into the delicately built story. ★★★
Moon Manor is a heart-wrenching film that will leave you in tears. Starring James “Jimmy” Carrozo as a fictionalized version of himself, it is about a man who has chosen to leave this world with dignity, on his own terms. Jimmy is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and has chosen to end his life. The film begins on the morning of his last day, as they prep for a “fun-eral,” which is going to be a lot more fun than a funeral. Accompanied by his longtime caregiver, a “death doula,” and a journalist charged by a newspaper to write a story about this unique day, Jimmy prepares for the party that night when many of his old friends will be there to see him off. Throughout the film, we hear stories of Jimmy’s life, and oh, what a life it was. A singer, performer, comedian, entrepreneur, and gay rights activist, Jimmy has done it all. He just wants to leave this world while he still remembers those stories and not be left as a shell of himself. The stories and video footage borrowed from the “real” Jimmy’s extraordinary life, but even as a movie on its own, it is one of the most touching films I’ve seen in awhile. Funny and poignant, and even better, memorable, this film will stick with me. ★★★★★
From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Man oh man, Last Survivors is a shitty movie. It’s about a man, Troy, who’s been raising his son, Jake, in a remote cabin for the last 20 years. Troy regales Jake with stories of World War III destroying society, and that the two of them need to watch out for each other, because all outsiders are dangerous. Whenever a wanderer sets off a booby trap on their land, Troy goes out to hunt the interloper down and kill him, while Jake guards the cabin. One time, a man gets a lucky shot on Troy, leaving him in need of meds to fight infection, so Jake needs to go outside their borders and find some. Jake heads out, and finds a farmhouse with a single inhabitant, a middle-aged woman named Henrietta. Jake is instantly distrustful of her, but she is kind, and, with the raging hormones of a young twenty-something, Jake finds himself returning to the farm on subsequent days. As Jake gets to know Henrietta, he begins to doubt some of the things his dad taught him. Completely predictable, awful dialogue, wooden acting: all the makings of a bad B movie. ★
- TV series currently watching: Yellowjackets (season 1)
- Book currently reading: Dragons of the Highlord Skies by Weis & Hickman
Jons Movie Takes 