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Two Cents Celebrates Christmas Miracles with TOKYO GODFATHERS
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to [email protected].
We all know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and all that noise, right? There are tons of Christmas movies from neo-classics like Elf to old-time favorites like A Miracle on 34th St to Hallmark’s 1000 new films each year to that Hot Frosty movie on Netflix that’s getting all the buzz. We have all seen these and we all have our favorites and least favorites. And, each year there are hundreds of film bros who tell you that Die Hard is their favorite Christmas movie, too. This is a valid selection, for sure… at least, in our eyes… as Christmas is in the eye of the beholder. So, this year, in the spirit of John McClane, we present some other films that are secretly Christmas films.
The Pick: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Satoshi Kon’s wintery urban comedy Tokyo Godfathers has stealthily become a Christmas mainstay for more than just anime fans. The madcap tale of three homeless friends who discover an abandoned baby could have leaned toward gripping melodrama like Kon’s earlier works. Instead, it radiates the chaotic, heartfelt magic of the Christmas season. Through moments of coincidence and acts of kindness, the film finds holiday spirit even in life’s darkest corners. It’s a Christmas movie under its grime and glitz, one that breaks free from cozy, Hallmark small-town clichés to remind us that true holiday magic shines brightest in those who give selflessly, no matter how much or little, to help others in need.
Featured Guest
Zoë Elizabeth
Zoë Elizabeth is a behavioral therapist (on hiatus) and fitness instructor with an abiding love for David Cronenberg and Jean Claude Van Damme.
Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers opens during a Christmas evening service in a church full of people, many of whom seem to be struggling (and possibly only in attendance so they can line up for the soup being served afterward), where the preacher declares to the crowd, “Jesus was born to offer those alone a place in which to be alive.” Enter our three unlikely heroes: Hana, a warm and loving trans woman with an endearing flair for the dramatic; the aptly named Gin, a (mostly) well-meaning but prickly middle-aged alcoholic; and Miyuki, a troubled, jaded teenage runaway. They discover an abandoned newborn baby on their way back to the cardboard box the three of them call home. Hana, driven by her desire to give the baby the motherly love she herself never received and to protect the baby from the nightmares of the foster system, convinces Gin and Miyuki that the three of them must take matters into their own hands to find the baby’s parents and figure out what happened.
The city of Tokyo (though intricately and dynamically rendered, as one would expect from any work of Kon’s) is washed-out, bleak, and cold. The hostility of the city’s aesthetics extends to its occupants: riders crowd to one side of a subway car to maintain distance from our group of undesirables; later, a group of teenagers drag Gin out of a tent to mug and beat him in the street. The warmth, color, and humanity that Tokyo so desperately lacks come in the form of our trio and the immigrants, drag queens, and working poor who come to their aid with timing that can only be described as divine, expecting nothing in return. If we’re talking about the “spirit of Christmas” in terms of proximity to its namesake, this may be the purest Christmas movie I’ve ever seen.
Tokyo Godfathers is funny, beautiful, and touching: a story about togetherness, selflessness, and redemption; a testament to the power of found family, the tendency of the universe (and/or God, if you like) to provide in mysterious ways, and the grace and connection that await us on the other side of shame; an assertion of the universal, irrefutable truth that we need each other.
The Team
Spencer Brickey
Up top, a confession; Anime has never been my cup of tea. It was probably a mix of being introduced to Toonami like 2 years too early and being creeped out by those horror anime ads in the back of Fangorias, but I steered clear of the genre for the most part. I’ve since remedied that in the past few years, trying to watch all the bigger titles, like the Studio Ghibli films and Akira, and anything else that catches my eye.
Particularly, the films that have wowed me the most since checking out the genre have been the works of Satoshi Kon. On a friend’s recommendation, I went and saw a screening of Perfect Blue back in 2019, and it was like a whole new type of film opened up to me. It was terrifying and propulsive and satisfying, in ways I hadn’t really thought animation could be. I vowed to see the rest of his (tragically short) filmography, and, in classic lazy cinephile style, I am just now seeing my second Kon film with Tokyo Godfathers.
And, just as I expected, Kon once again puts together an amazing world, trading in the thrills and terror of Perfect Blue for something much sweeter and funnier, while also being a level of heartbreaking I wasn’t fully ready for. Following 3 hobos who discover an abandoned newborn on Christmas Eve, we’re treated to a journey filled with chance encounters, adventures both comical and dangerous, surreal and magical interventions, and familial bickering that can be kind hearted or cutting. Throughout this trek through Tokyo to find the real parents, we are also introduced to each of these characters’ backgrounds; some are straight forward and tragic, while others take winding roads through white lies and embarrassing truths (while still being incredibly tragic).
By the time we come to the end, sitting with our 3 homeless heroes, we both feel like we know them inside and out, and that we have no idea where their story could go next. That was the strength of Kon; he was able to build worlds, and the people that inhabit them, in such a way that everyone is a fully fleshed out, living and breathing person, who also exists in fantastical worlds where things like heavenly intervention is real. Kon was truly a master of his craft, taken from the world way too soon.
It wasn’t like I was ‘surprised’ to love Tokyo Godfathers. After all, both Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress are masterpieces of the animated feature film form (say that five times fast, damn) so there was every reason to expect that Satoshi Kon would deliver another exceptional outing with this one.
But even with these expectations, I was still absolutely staggered by Tokyo Godfathers when I first watched it, and I continue to be staggered by it each Christmas season when I revisit it (it’s been in the regular rotation for a few years now). It’s just so wonderfully alive, and so fully in love with the great big mess that is the human race and all the ways we ruin ourselves and save one another.
The best Christmas movies are the ones that balance the schmaltz with an embrace of how the new year is also a time for loneliness and introspection. Capra knew that, and so does Kon. Tokyo Godfathers isn’t afraid of the squalid and seedy aspects of its setting and story, but owning those aspects so fully empowers the movie to reach for (and hit) profound levels of joy and hope. A Christmas miracle all around.
Elizabeth Stoddard
I can’t believe I have another excuse in a Two Cents entry this year to bring up John Ford’s 1948 western 3 Godfathers, but it is an obvious influence on Satoshi Kon in the Japanese filmmaker’s creation of Tokyo Godfathers. The premise of three random people finding an abandoned baby is perhaps all the two films share in common, however. Kon’s “godfathers” include runaway teen Miyuki and a trans woman Hana, who – along with homeless alcoholic Gin — find a baby girl in a trash dump. While Hana believes the baby, who she names Kiyoko, is a Christmas miracle, Miyuki and Gin want to take the child to the authorities.
Through a series of misadventures, the trio aims to take the baby back to her mother. The characters’ faces, especially when angry – which, let’s be honest, is a large percentage of the film – are overly exaggerated in their animation. But the film’s animation style otherwise tends towards realism, especially where the city scenes are concerned. When the trio walks by an ad for a Big Mac, it looks like a legit McDonalds poster. One dramatic moment near the end made me gasp in the sheer beauty of the animation; snow glitters the air through a sunbeam, and the viewer is filled with hope for these three.The humanizing quality of Kon’s storytelling leads the viewer to empathize with the trio, while most cinematic depictions of unhoused folks seem to aim for audience pity. Their caper though snowy Tokyo streets allows us time to get to know each of them, as well as the backstories which impacted their current situation. Tokyo Godfathers is emotionally intense in its depiction of families lost and found, yet action-packed at the same time. The story moves in unexpected directions, and the viewer is eager to follow. I appreciated Kon’s film even more on this second viewing. While Millennium Actress remains my favorite of his works, I am tempted to add this one to my regular holiday rotation.
Julian Singleton
It’s a refrain heard often, but Satoshi Kon was gone too soon. His films have such an offbeat sense of humor that provides viewers an unassuming gateway into cripplingly sharp insights about human behavior. While I still consider his TV series Paranoia Agent to be his multilayered masterpiece, Tokyo Godfathers literally sees Kon at his most miraculous.
In attempting to return an abandoned baby to her rightful parents on Christmas Eve, three homeless people–grizzled Gin, trans diva Hana, and young runaway Miyuki–encounter increasingly wild coincidences and twists of fate. Benevolent deeds are rewarded by reappearances of former foes or tucked-away lottery tickets. Becoming a hit man’s hostage leads to cozy respite with his wife, and communing over shared experiences of parent and child regardless of language barrier. There’s mistaken identities, circular crossed paths, and so much more–to the point where even Jesus’ birth seems like a tamer Christmas miracle by comparison.
The journey takes as much as it gives–as the trio use what little resources they have to take care of baby Kiyoko or pay for each other’s hospital visits with hard-saved cash or train tickets across Tokyo, often accompanied by the judgmental scorn of those in higher strata of society. But this flawed found family has forged the kind of deep bond that other blood families only tend to unpack with their Nativity scenes during the holidays. It’s that relationship between one another that, amidst the many divine interventions in this film leading them to Kiyoko’s birth family, forces Gin, Hana, and Miyuki to begin repairing bridges with the families they abandoned by choice or circumstance.
Because for as much loss, heartbreak, and downturn that can define our lives–it’s the ability to find meaning in one another that’s truly miraculous. To Kon in Tokyo Godfathers, The divine forces that interfere in our lives are gales that push us towards one another rather than keep us apart. No one should be discarded, or be made to feel like they’re trash. There’s still the opportunity to reconnect, to come together. Its Christmas setting only speaks further to this feeling of providence, second chances, connection, and rebirth–it’s a film that celebrates how, for all our good and bad actions, we all have the chance to come back in from the cold.
…YOU KNOW THAT’S ACTUALLY A CHRISTMAS MOVIE, RIGHT?
To ring in the Holiday Season, the Cinapse team has assembled all of our favorite movies full of Holiday Cheer–all while pretending to be anything but a Christmas movie. Our list for Noel Actually includes Sylvester Stallone action epics, Medieval twists of fate, a whimsical anime take on the Biblical Magi, the rebirth of Humanity, and of course, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman–ensuring December has a wide spectrum of cinema for the nice and naughty alike to enjoy.
Join us by contacting our team or emailing [email protected]!
12/23 – Children of Men
12/30 – Batman Returns
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Criterion Review: FUNNY GIRL
Barbra Streisand’s film debut gets the 4K treatment from Criterion
It’s been at least a couple decades since my college roommate introduced me to Funny Girl, the musical biography of comic actress Fanny Brice. And at the time, the lack of an HEA made me feel that it wasn’t a movie for me. Since Criterion Collection released this 4K restoration the same year another close friend and I have been streaming Streisand movies together, the musical was worth revisiting.
A young Barbra Streisand made her film debut in Funny Girl after the original theatrical version turned her into a Broadway star. As a famous name with the Ziegfeld Follies, a 30-something Brice looks back on her career in theater and her ill-fated romance with gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Streisand and Sharif have a heated chemistry, even during the silly “You Are Woman, I Am Man” number as Arnstein seduces the naïve Brice. Arnstein wants to support his family through his own means (however sketchy they may be) and Brice’s fame and financial success have him doubting his worth. God forbid a woman earns more than her husband.
Brice’s home life and career stand in contrast, as she asserts control in her theater work as much as she can. When boss Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon) rules she must perform a finale song which calls her “the most beautiful girl in the world,” Fanny makes a quick decision with hilarious results; the audience laughs because she wants them to. Funny Girl is heavy on self-effacing humor as neither Brice nor Streisand fall under the feminine ideal of their time.
Although when Streisand as Brice kicks off the film, saying, “Hello, gorgeous,” to herself in a mirror, the viewer believes it. The camera worships her. The costumes tell us about her character while giving her a flawless look. William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives) directed the film and a crew worked on it, but there is little doubt this is Streisand’s film.
And as I’ve grown older, I can recognize that the ending is happy enough as is. It’s better for Fanny to let go of a relationship that demands too much from her with little emotional reward. If Arnstein won’t accept her help due to stereotypical gender roles, then it’s better for Fanny to find her own way. With the ending number, “My Man,” Streisand goes against film musical production expectations and sings/records the song live (with Wyler’s approval); in this way, both character and performer claim space and voice on that stage.
The Criterion Collection Bluray package includes:
- a 4K digital restoration of the film
- 40-minute audio essay from Streisand (recorded in 2024 for this release) about her involvement with the original Broadway show and the later film. She speaks about her performance being informed by her reading of interview transcripts with Brice. She shares stories about producer Ray Stark and embracing the opportunity to collaborate with filmmaker William Wyler. On cinematographer Stradler: “He wanted to show me off.” On co-star Sharif: “He seemed real to me.”
- An informative 2024 conversation between David Wyler (son of William) and Alicia Malone on his father’s varied directing career (“He wanted to do everything”) and working with Streisand on Funny Girl.
- An hour-long documentary from 1986, Directed by William Wyler, includes Wyler’s last interview in 1981 and a star-studded group of interviewees (including Streisand).
- Clip from a 2003 conversation with Omar Sharif, with fairly cruddy audio quality.
- a deleted scene from Funny Girl where the married couple actually discuss how Brice might contribute to their shared living expenses (shock!)
- featurettes from the original theatrical release, including an introduction to Streisand
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AFFLICTION and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD Remain Paul Schrader’s Most Haunting Efforts
“No one asked you to suffer. That was your idea.”
Paul Schrader remains one of our most deceptively prolific filmmakers with a body of work so varied and unforgettable, that it’s hard to even picture the last few decades of film without him. His recent output saw him producing some of his strongest work through the unofficial Damaged Loner trilogy, which consisted of 2018’s First Reformed, 2021’s The Card Counter, and 2023’s Master Gardener. The trio of films wowed longtime fans of the writer/director and even earned him his long-awaited first Oscar nomination. Meanwhile, Schrader’s latest effort, the drama Oh, Canada, sees him reuniting with his American Gigolo leading man Richard Gere for this tale of a former draft dodger reflecting on his life in what looks to be one of the director’s most pensive films in years.
If Schrader has always been more of a cinephile’s filmmaker rather than a mainstream one, his ardent supporters continue to sing his praises, continuously revisiting his past films whenever possible. It’s therefore not so surprising that two of his most acclaimed titles from the late 90s, Schrader’s adaptation of the Russell Banks novel Affliction and the Schrader-scripted/Martin Scorsese-directed Bringing Out the Dead have been given new life on Blu-ray.
Affliction
In 1997’s Affliction, a deputy named Wade (Nick Nolte) finds himself at odds with most of the people in the small New Hampshire town he lives in. This includes his domineering father Glen (James Coburn), who has been a terrifying figure for him his entire life and greatly influenced the man he is today.
Affliction remains an incredibly American film thanks to its vast landscape, small-town sensibilities, and the story’s bleakness which comes across as salt-of-the-earth poetry with a decided edge to it. The film is full of broken people simply trying to exist and, just maybe, find some light in their lives along the way, not least of all Wade. Schrader’s film deals with the ghosts of the past, the ones that aren’t as evidently haunting, but which maintain a special kind of scariness. The increase in Wade’s temper and self-destructive nature with every subsequent scene begs the question: How much anger and pain can a man’s soul contain? Not even a loving relationship with Margie (Sissy Spacek) seems to help, despite her representing the chance to let go of the past that’s been holding him hostage and the father responsible for it. Affliction is hard to penetrate as a film at times, yet remains undeniably poignant throughout. The various story beats (each one more intense than the last) wash over as they would in real life, knocking the viewer back and reminding them of how a person’s world can change in an instant. While Schrader’s film almost becomes too hard to take with its levels of devastation, it’s still a searing and unforgettable portrait of the monster that lives inside of all of us.
Bringing Out the Dead
Schrader and director Martin Scorsese revisited New York with this gripping story of a paramedic named Frank (Nicolas Cage) who finds himself questioning his sanity thanks to the intensity of his job, the unpredictability of the city, and the various characters he encounters on a nightly basis.
If Affliction was Schrader exploring the monsters within us, Bringing Out the Dead, has him uncovering the ghosts inside of us. Underrated almost as soon as it debuted in 1999, Bringing Out the Dead instantly shows itself to be a film about those we feel have left never actually leaving. Scorsese brings Schrader’s script to life with very specific lighting that gives it a surreal edge, echoing the manic quality of the world Frank lives in. Meanwhile, the noirish narration provided by Cage only adds to the surrealness. Schrader’s New York remains just as haunted and isolating as ever. In Bringing Out the Dead, he paints the iconic city as a world full of death and despair. This is life for those who live in it, all of whom routinely treat the writer’s New York as if there’s no other world that exists beyond it. The environment in the film makes it hard to get a handle on the world because it’s so powerful and alien, yet still maintains compelling and fascinating elements about it. It’s such a rough world, that it’s hard to fathom that anything resembling hope can actually happen there and harder to recognize it when it does. This is certainly true for the mentally fragile Frank, who is forever longing for an atonement that will never come, existing as one of the most tragic figures Schrader ever brought to the screen.
Both Affliction and Bringing Out the Dead share more than a couple of similarities, not least of all is Schrader’s passion for each project. The deep compassion he shows for both of his complicated protagonists is surely felt in the way he presents the torturous nature of their inner selves in a manner that’s neither intrusive nor judgmental in the least. Wade and Frank are men who are desperately and hopelessly trying to find themselves again. While their respective journeys are compelling, the one theory that rises above all the others is that maybe the reason neither one can find himself is because they were both always lost.
Affliction is now available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory. Bringing Out the Dead is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Paramount Pictures.
Action, Affliction, American Gigolo, Blu-ray, Bringing out the Dead, Canada, Drama, First Reformed, Home Video, James Coburn, Martin Scorsese, Master Gardener, Movies, New Hampshire, New York City, Nick Nolte, Nicolas Cage, Oh, Paramount Pictures, Paul Schrader, Richard Gere, Russell Banks, Shout Factory, Sissy Spacek, The Card Counter, Thriller -
No One Will Ever Forget SEPTEMBER 5
“Ready, camera one.”
The story of the Munich Olympics has already been told. At least, that’s the line most people will use as an excuse to justify not seeing September 5, co-writer/director Tim Fehlbaum’s retelling of the events. Yes, we’ve seen the powerful job Steven Spielberg did with Munich and the way that the story was thoughtfully spotlighted in the Tom Hanks-produced CNN docuseries, The 70s. Yet, the point of view that September 5 takes is a different one. Through the lens of the television media, the film presents this tragedy in a way that makes us not only temporarily forget previous retellings, but makes us feel as if we’re witnessing the events in real time, giving a case for multiple perspectives when it comes to the act of storytelling while forcing us to hold our breath all the way through.
Based on the true story of the 1972 Munich Olympics, September 5 recounts the seizing of Israeli athletes by a terrorist group. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, the American television crew led by Producers Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro), and Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin) sent to cover the games instead ended up documenting one of the most horrific events of the 20th century.
September 5 may be the most technically sound film of the year with its frenetic camera movements and the way its creators make the behind-the-scenes space of a small German TV studio feel like an all-encompassing world unto its own. There’s a tremendous sense of place within the film that’s bolstered by the fierce intensity and desperation running through the physical space. Most of this is exemplified by the people who occupy room in that world, all of whom guard their roles with such unwavering protection. The tight staginess of the environment itself is apparent, but September 5 maintains its cinematic pedigree through some adrenaline-filled action that matches the quickness and pacing of the film, which includes some expert mixing in of vintage footage. If all of this makes it sound like Fehlbaum’s film gives its audience very little time to breathe, rest assured, a carefully measured amount of moments are given to allow everyone to stop to take in the astounding events taking place.
As heart-pounding as September 5 can be, it isn’t lost on the filmmakers, or the audience, just how monumental of a moment this was in the world of live television. Much like this year’s Civil War was a love letter to photojournalists, September 5 proves itself to be a similar testament to television crews. The film gives such an insight into the mental workings required to exist in that world, specifically the agility, instinct, and resourcefulness needed to get something out to the public and get it out first. We see several innovative techniques take shape during the film such as physically inserting the ABC logo into the frame when CBS insists they share footage with the former and sneaking reporter Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) into the compound not too far from where the hostages are being held. Meanwhile, an emotional and ethical side offered by the film provides key characters with the question: How much is too much to show the world?
What helps September 5 succeed to the level that it does is the fact there is not a movie star to be seen. While a high profile actor might have taken hold of the piece and fashioned it to suit their screen persona, the collection of character actors assembles all give themselves to the material with total abandon. The trio of Sarsgaard, Magaro, and Chaplin all work so well together as a unit, displaying an invaluable shorthand that helps give the movie its unique speed. At the same time, each one is given their own moments to show their character’s struggle with how to handle the history that’s unfolding in front of their eyes. Also turning in stellar work is Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch), a German TV assistant who manages an unforgettable emotional journey of her own.
Once September 5 is finally over, everyone watching will finally be allowed the chance to exhale along with the characters after an incredible and life-changing 90 minutes. Once everyone can breathe normally again, we’re finally able to sit with what we’ve watched and note either again, or for the first time, just how much of a history-making shift these events were. The tragedy that took place represented a turning point in the rise of terrorism with the instigators realizing that there was a global audience waiting for just them. It’s been reported that more than 900 million people watched the events unfold. September 5 brilliantly reminds us that the Munich Olympics weren’t just something that happened, but rather that they were a signal that the world would never be the same again.
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Two Cents Goes Medieval for Christmas with THE GREEN KNIGHT
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to [email protected].
We all know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and all that noise, right? There are tons of Christmas movies from neo-classics like Elf to old time favorites like A Miracle on 34th St to Hallmark’s 1000 new films each year to that Hot Frosty movie on Netflix that’s getting all the buzz. We have all seen these and we all have our favorites and least favorites. And, each year there are hundreds of film bros who tell you that Die Hard is their favorite Christmas movie, too. This is a valid selection, for sure… at least, in our eyes… as Christma is in the eye of the beholder. So, this year, in the spirit of John McClane, we present some other films that are secretly Christmas films.
The Pick: The Green Knight (2021)
The second part of our belated double feature this week, The Green Knight might be described as a fantasy-epic from director-writer David Lowery. There are mythical creatures, a journey and a young man on a quest to become great. But it is also a singular film in many ways, strange, sometimes inscrutable, and filled with unnerving imagery that delves deep into imagery of death and decay. Starring Dev Patel, it is a retelling (more a reimagining) of the Arthurian poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that centers on a Christmas party gone wrong, and the ramifications that grow from Gawain’s reckless youth. And as an added bonus, A24 did a one-night-only IMAX screening for the holiday season, but they too know that it is in fact a Christmas movie. This opportunity added some depth of appreciation for some of us for this odd but arresting film, just in time for our Christmas feasts.
The Team
Spencer Brickey
I feel like the Christmas tradition of “annual violent attack tit-for-tat” might take hold in
2024? Depends on what family is over.
3 years on, and I really feel like kicking myself for missing this one in theaters back inOne of my least favorite genres has always been fantasy, so this stayed in the
peripheral of my “must watch” list. Even after scooping the 4k years ago, it just sat on
my shelf. But, man, what an absolute trip!
Had half expected this to be an Excalibur clone, a film I find tedious (I know more than a
few of you just wrote off the rest of this review after that statement, and I can respect
that), but this ended up being everything I wanted out of my Excalibur viewing. It’s
weird! It’s violent! It’s kind of a horror movie! It’s seemingly the truest example of the
“just vibes” type of film! For large stretches here, I had no idea what was going on, but
was instead carried along by the visuals, the rad score, and Dev Patel doing a lot with a
little.
The one thought that I carried throughout, though, was that this feels like the absolute
perfect film to show to a senior in high school. Beyond just being a coming of age film, I
kept thinking about how perfectly this seemed to illustrate those specific years in your
early 20’s: you’re still having a bunch of fun being young and stupid, but responsibility
keeps nipping at your heels, and, in your quieter moments, you wonder if you’ll amount
to anything.
Then, you’re forced out into the world, unprepared for it all. You’ll get taken advantage
of, you’ll get yelled at when you’re trying to help, you’ll meet a lot of new people, some
cool, some weird (and some who’ll want to bed you). You’ll be forced to meet your
promises and obligations, and you’ll need to decide if you’ll honor or welch on them.
And, in your darkest moments, you can either take the easy, more familiar route, or
strike out on your own, and take the road unknown.
It’s all here, and, after having lived those years, I kind of felt a sense of historical
connectiveness, knowing that we’ve all had to live and grow in those years, be it now, in
2021, or in the Medieval age.Frank Calvillo
Who would have thought that the piece of ancient poetry that most people were forced to read in high school would become one of the best films of 2021? Leave it to director David Lowery, whose past efforts have ranged from the utterly sublime (The Old Man & the Gun) to the insomnia-curing (Pete’s Dragon) to adapt one of the most classic texts in such a bold and astonishing way. The Green Knight is chock full of the kind of grandness its legendary story deserves, wasting no opportunity to bring the time period and mystical world to life, and allowing the movie’s audiences to get endlessly lost in the breathtaking visuals and incredible effects. The way Lowery plays with the surreal aspects of the legendary poem is so intoxicating and lifts the story even higher and thrusts it into the realm of masterpiece. In spite of its epic qualities, The Green Knight maintains great intimacy as a coming-of-age story. We chart our main character Gawain(played incredibly Dev Patel) over the course of the year as he learns to shed the arrogance of what he knew before and embark on a journey that will define the rest of his life. The themes of honor and bravery, both crucial elements of being a knight, are wonderfully executed, as are the costs that come with them, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. But what continues to make The Green Knight so compelling is its illustration of fate and destiny, specifically the awe and the fear we have for both forces.
Jon Partridge
We’re all familiar with the general legend of King Arthur. The sword in the stone, the lady of the lake, the Knights of the round table. But there are other tales amid this rich slice of British medieval lore that are less well known. The Green Knight is one example. Primarily stemming from a 14th Century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon) shapes these tales into an enthralling feature.
In literature Gawain is often depicted as one of the core members of Arthur’s court, a brave warrior and chivalrous knight. This iteration is not yet that, instead a more free-spirited youth, more preoccupied with drinking and laying with his paramour Esel (Alicia Vikander). Surrounded by men who have proven themselves in trials of their own. Gawain is in the shadow of greatness, more so given his kinship to the King. Gawain’s journey is essentially a test of a man’s mettle. His yearning to craft a legacy befitting his surroundings, and how that is at odds with, or informs his own moral compass. Testing encounters with knaves, the horrors of battle, a supernatural mystery, mythical beasts, and the seductive allure of a couple residing in a castle, en route to Gawain’s ultimate destination, the Green Chapel. The film is mired in myth, but its themes remains resonant. Not just in terms of Gawain’s experiences and reflective journey, but the symbolic collision of man vs nature. The Green Knight, a remarkable creation with bark instead of skin, a creaking moss-hewn creation, vegetation sprouting in his wake, capped off with the deeply distinct tones of Ralph Ineson. Green for nature and decay, a primal and inevitable force to push back against man’s encroachment and bravado.
A recent revisit in IMAX drove home the intoxicating visuals (stellar work from cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo) and thunderous score (Daniel Hart’s). At the core of everything is Dev Patel. A captivating performance, showing Gawain running the gamut of emotions and experiences, ever flirting with temptation, ever grasping at redemption. The supporting cast offer perfect foils, from the maturity and nurturing presence exuded by Sean Harris (Arthur), Kate Dickie (Guinevere), and Sarita Choudhury (Gawain’s mother)to the transfixing (and often off-kilter work) of Joel Edgerton and Barry Keoghan. Vikander in particular, with a duality to her performance, serves a reminder of her talents and adds a female counterpoint to the more masculine themes that drive the plot. It’s another aspect of the film that reinforces writer/director Lowery’s grasp of his craft, as well as the mystic source material. A patiently built journey towards enlightenment that takes deep root in your mind.
@Texas_Jon on Xitter
Julian Singleton
Revisiting The Green Knight, it’s hard not to think of two other features, David Lowery’s own A Ghost Story and Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Like The Green Knight, both are intensely meditative films about purpose, action, consequence, and how time runs out for us all. (One’s also about Christ; the other features Christmas; all feature rebirth.)
Temptation has a man intensely burdened with purpose, dreaming of a life where he can escape to be a man like everyone else–and briefly experiences what might have been before blissfully accepting what will be. With A Ghost Story, such time for fulfillment escapes Casey Affleck’s mute ghost, who instead sees the world change both beyond him and before him. With the passage of time, of actions taken and not, rendered so passionately–it’s hard not to feel compelled to seize what betterment we can in ourselves coming out of both films.
The Green Knight finds Lowery equally fascinated once more with time. Gawain (Dev Patel) is an immature boy who thinks he has all the time in the world, only to realize at the cusp of adulthood that he may only have one year left as a consequence of his reckless actions. His return will bring him fame and glory beyond his wildest dreams; on the other hand, he may not return at all.
The journey beyond–of dueling greatness and goodness–inevitably confronts Gawain that such aspirations are as nebulous as they appear. Blinded by ambition, Gawain casts aside opportunities at home and abroad to put action to the virtues of Knighthood–morality tests that Gawain all but fails (save one–the retrieval of St. Winifred’s skull). Gawain never considers that, along the journey to proving himself, he has already done so–until his failings confront him on Christmas Day.
Like Christ, Gawain’s idealization of the life he aspired to becomes a mirror to his own vanity–ending in betrayal, heartbreak, and the same death he chose to run from. Like A Ghost Story, time marches on regardless of Gawain’s whims. “Is that all there is?” Gawain asks–and is met with the Green Knight’s ponderous, “what else ought there be?”
Gawain accepts death–rejecting any safeguards or ambitions in doing so. Like Christ and the Ghost, that choice earns Gawain the right to rebirth–and to earn the glorious sense of meaning and worth he feels entitled to.
Ed Travis
I had WATCHED The Green Knight before, but it turns out I hadn’t really SEEN The Green Knight before. After Jay had already programmed this title for our Two Cents series, A24 did a one night only IMAX presentation of The Green Knight, so I took that as an omen and got my ass into that theater (the biggest screen in Texas) and what I experienced was nothing short of a revelation. It turns out there really is a difference between sleepily watching a screener link on a laptop and watching Cinema as it was meant to be seen.
Entrancing in every way, David Lowery’s bold and beautiful iteration of the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight (a tale I’ve been mystified by since childhood) hit me most deeply as a potent and relevant morality tale of the importance, and cost, of living a life of character and being a human being that is worth a damn. Gawain is… lacking in character and substance when we first meet him, and the noble, aged King Arthur (Sean Harris in a piece of unconventional and wonderful casting) has a loving and slightly passive aggressive way of challenging Gawain (Dev Patel in a piece of brilliant and wholly successful casting) to perhaps attempt to make something of himself. Meanwhile his mother’s (Sarita Choudhury in a phenomenal piece of casting) way of getting her son to finally start paying rent is to straight up bewitch our guy.
And thus, the incredible visual and auditory journey of Gawain begins as the titular knight (Ralph Ineson in a piece of highly effective casting) appears, strikes his bargain, and binds Gawain to a quest he can’t seem to wriggle out of, and which will test his mettle to the breaking point. Told in fanciful chapters and featuring beguiling character tests, Lowery’s tale is otherworldly, but deeply explores many of the moral tests that humanity faces and allows Gawain to be a flawed but trying protagonist. Closing out with a “Last Temptation of Christ” style vision of an extended future of a successful life nonetheless lived at the expense of true honor and sacrifice, Gawain opts to be a man of truth and honor and sends us out of the theater inspired to be better people, willing to do the hard, right things on behalf of those we love. Convicting, endearing, entertaining, and a multi-sensory feast, The Green Knight is about as good as the cinematic medium gets.
I wrote extensively about Green Knight when it came out, with its central theme of the conflict between living a good life and living a “great” life really capturing me. It ended up being my favorite film of that year, and one I dearly love. But this is the first time I have actually gone to return to it as a Christmas tradition. After all, it is specifically set from one Christmas day to the next, with the central crux of being that King Arthur’s try-hard nephew ruins his Christmas party, and now must atone for it.
As such, for a film that I think is rich in thematic depth, I was focused most on “how does it function as a Christmas movie?” And I think the end conclusion I came to is that it is a bit of an Anti-Christmas movie. With its themes of the inevitability and necessity of death, and our pitiful, fleeting means we use to escape it, it stands in stark contrast to the ideas of life and charity coming to people in the midst of darkest winter. Green Knight is about confronting the very heart of winter and death and darkness, and accepting that no matter what, this is simply the way of things, and there is a certain chilled beauty to that.All of this may make for a movie that is kind of a bummer, but David Lowery makes sure to layer in scenes upon scenes that explore how life itself is a beautiful anomaly, the thing we are blessed to experience for a painfully brief amount of time, but expecting it to last forever is impractical and selfish. The allure of eternal life would inevitably lead to pain and suffering, as we practice cruelty to extend far past our bounds. Gawain’s strange, hypnotic journey is ultimately about accepting death, and whatever may lay beyond it. Therein lies the bravest act of all. The movie is also beautiful to look at, with it’s strange interludes and episodes, each moody and haunted in different lovely ways. It feels far more autumnal than wintery with its cool wisp vistas and dark reds and vibrant oranges, but the ultimate experience reminds us we are all lurching towards our own inevitable winters. A beautiful film that I do believe I will return to in future yuletide seasons as a sober meditation on death, life, and everything that lies between.
@jaythecakethief.bsky.social
…YOU KNOW THAT’S ACTUALLY A CHRISTMAS MOVIE, RIGHT?
To ring in the Holiday Season, the Cinapse team has assembled all of our favorite movies full of Holiday Cheer–all while pretending to be anything but a Christmas movie. Our list for Noel Actually includes Sylvester Stallone action epics, Medieval twists of fate, a whimsical anime take on the Biblical Magi, the rebirth of Humanity, and of course, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman–ensuring December has a wide spectrum of cinema for the nice and naughty alike to enjoy.
Join us by contacting our team or emailing [email protected]!
12/2 – Cobra
12/9 – The Green Knight
12/16 – Tokyo Godfathers
12/23 – Children of Men
12/30 – Batman Returns -
KRAVEN THE HUNTER is Probably Better Than You’re Anticipating
Kraven the Hunter | Sony Pictures Entertainment Kraven the Hunter, directed by J. C. Chandor, is an enjoyably heavy-handed action-fantasy based on a Marvel Comics villain whose source material arguably doesn’t offer a whole lot to hang a movie on.
Kraven, it turns out, is currently slated as the last entry in Sony’s mixed-results attempt at taking the premise of Garfield Minus Garfield and applying it to a Spider-Man Universe minus Garfield (or any other onscreen Spidey).
I’m well on the record as being a huge fan of the Venom trilogy despite my initial hostility to the concept. Those movies were such a blast and offered such a great dynamic between Eddie Brock and Venom that that they fully won me over, so I’m open to good things coming from Sony’s experiment. I had similar indifference to a Kraven movie which sounded even less compelling – but the red band trailers depicting a hard R action piqued my interest.
Kraven the Hunter | Sony Pictures Entertainment “Kraven” is the alias of Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the embittered son of a Russian mob boss (Russell Crowe). While on safari in Africa with his father and brother as a youth, Sergei had a near-death experience which unlocked superhuman abilities, and shortly after left the family to instead act as a vigilante taking down poachers, gangsters, and evildoers – basically people who remind him of his father. If this sounds a bit familiar, it’s a lot of the same framework as 2021’s MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The film opens with a killer prison break action sequence that introduces Kraven and his talents – as well as those of Aaron Taylor-Johnson who looks totally fit, is primed for the action, and speaks Russian beautifully (to my non-Russian-speaking ear). He’s quickly established as a fun character to watch.
Kraven the Hunter | Sony Pictures Entertainment Although he treats his father with contempt, Sergei still loves and keeps in touch with his sensitive and put-upon younger brother Dmitri (Fred Hechinger, who, shout out, is enjoying a heck of a breakout year with Gladiator II and Thelma). The film’s main plot deals with Kraven going to war when his brother is kidnapped by mobsters. He also tracks down Calypso (Ariana DeBose), a young woman who was instrumental in how he originally attained his powers, and whose current work intersects with his own.
The film’s best trait is that it goes harder on the action than most comic book fare, eschewing a PG-13 rating and serving up some fun and bloody kills. Kraven has honed instincts and superhuman strength and agility, but his skills as a “hunter” (of humans) are also Rambo-esque, wielding a knife and setting deadly traps.
Kraven the Hunter | Sony Pictures Entertainment This is, in loose terms, a Marvel movie, and the villains include The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) and Rhino (Alessandro Nivola). I did like how this version of Rhino was depicted, physically augmented rather than a guy in a costume.
Unfortunately the connection to Marvel Comics is perhaps the weakest aspect of the movie, simply inviting comparison and complaint – this mostly heroic version of Kraven seems to have little in common with the most recognizable classic version of the Spider-Man villain (though in more recent years he has apparently been fleshed out as something more like an anti-hero).
I did start to feel the weight of the film’s 2-hour runtime toward the end, but hypothetically, if this movie had come out in 1990 and been called Beastmaster 2000 or something like that, I think it would be well-loved as B-movie canon along with a lot of the other great pulp action stuff that came out around that time. Ultimately this movie is pretty entertaining. While not as successful Venom (which is hung on a superior concept), it’s certainly way better than I ever could have guessed when it was first announced.
If you watch one new movie this weekend, watch The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
But if you watch two, there’s definitely fun to be had with Kraven the Hunter.
A/V Out
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Two Cents Secretly Celebrates the Holidays with COBRA
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to [email protected].
We all know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and all that noise, right? There are tons of Christmas movies from neo-classics like Elf to old time favorites like A Miracle on 34th St to Hallmark’s 1000 new films each year to that Hot Frosty movie on Netflix that’s getting all the buzz. We have all seen these and we all have our favorites and least favorites. And, each year there are hundreds of film bros who tell you that Die Hard is their favorite Christmas movie, too. This is a valid selection, for sure… at least, in our eyes… as Christmais in the eye of the beholder. So, this year, in the spirit of John McClane, we present some other films that are secretly Christmas films.
The Pick: COBRA (1986)
This week, due to my busy schedule last week, we will get a double dose of our “Backdoor Santa” selections (I’ve been waiting to say that for a few weeks now), starting today with the tale of a badass and hard nosed (or perhaps fascist) cop, Lt. Marion Cobretti. In the wake of the hubbub about the UNC CEO murders, the capture of maybe killer/maybe patsy Luigi in Altoona, and an ever growing dialog around policing, inequality, and what’s right – I can promise this film will shed zero light on how to approach it. In fact, the only super positive thing I can say about the film is that it’s extremely entertaining… and it seems that’s one thing we all agree on here.
The Team
Spencer Brickey
Hoo boy; Cobra. Stallone, clearly peaking off the machismo of doing Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV the year prior, is Marion Cobretti, a renegade cop (some say “renegade”, some say “incredibly and dangerously fascist”) who plays by his own rules, shooting down killers, chasing down thugs in his rad hotrod, and making some of the most eye rolling one-liners of all time.
What is clearly Stallone’s take on both Dirty Harry and an answer to Schwarzenegger’s specific swagger (not a coincidence Commando came out the year prior), it is also, weirdly, a perfect example of a Poliziotteschi film. For quick context, Poliziotteschi films were a specific brand of police procedurals that gained popularity in Italy in the late ‘60s through the ‘70s. They were known for their insane car chases, usually through the streets of Rome, as well as incredibly gruesome, and usually sexual, violence.
Poliziotteschi films were also known for their intensely fascist politics. These films were always about a world on the edge, where bloodshed filled the streets, and if only those damn bureaucrats got out of the way, our protagonist could finally clean the streets. By the end, after some fools got wasted and some innocent people got butchered, our protagonist would be put into a position to either arrest our villains, or blow them away, and, you guessed it; they always blew them away. Now, while this isn’t too far off from what American cinema was putting out, we were never supposed to think Harry Calahan or Popeye Doyle were good people; the protagonists of Poliziotteschi films were always the hero’s, fighting against a corrupt system.
Now, what I’ve described above, is Cobra to a T. Cobra wants to blow all the sickos away, but soft cops like Detective Monte (played by Dirty Harry’s killer Andrew Robinson) want to keep him from cleaning the streets. Soon, though, the city is overrun with killers, and only Cobra’s unorthodox ways will put them down for good. It even contains a Giallo quality killer; a perpetually sweat drenched Brian Thompson, brandishing an insane knife/brass knuckles piece, while over annunciating “pig” with all his might.
Listen, I’ll admit, it does feel a bit strange being this enamored with a film so blatantly fascist after the election cycle we’ve had, but there’s something great about turning your brain off, and letting yourself get swept into something this deranged.
James Tyler
I had never seen Cobra before this viewing, and knew essentially two things about it: that it was a project that sprung from rejected idea of a more violent, less comedic version of Beverly Hills Cop that starred Stallone, and that Cobra cuts his pizza with scissors. I suppose that isn’t entirely true because thanks to this series, I also knew it was set during Christmas, though that final fact is definitely in the “blink and you’ll miss it” category. What I wasn’t aware of was that it features an axe-obsessed murder cult.
Despite being aware of its reputation for being violent, I wasn’t entirely prepared for just how brutish of a film Cobra really is. Essentially Stallone’s attempt at having his own Dirty Harry franchise (it even has Reni Santoni nearly playing his exact same character from Dirty Harry), it paints a picture of an America that is besieged by unimaginable violence, and the price that must be paid to stop that violence is more violence. Essentially Cobra the character is a force of rage and fire. He is the “cure” for crime in the sense that nothing can withstand his wrath that stands before it. Multiple times the film uses him as a vehicle to lament about the fact that criminals have to be treated as human beings. What a bother.
But of course Cobra’s idea of criminals barely constitutes anything resembling human beings. They are forces of pure malevolent endangerment, demons that have been unleashed to croak out their philosophy of hunters and hunted, and their moral obligation to cull the weak. It is an outsized version of the rolling crime over urban crime that has gripped the American psyche for over a century.
But the true contradiction about Cobra is despite all this ugliness, it’s kind of a beautiful film? It helps that Stallone himself had and has never been prettier than in this movie, a beautiful monument to mumbling masculinity. But director George Cosmatos’ use of shadow, especially in the climatic foundry action sequence, are so evocative that you kind of forget that this movie’s views on policing are pretty abhorrent. Plus it gave us the image below.So I can’t entirely be angry with it.
Ed Travis
“In America, there’s a burglary every 11 seconds, an armed robbery every 65 seconds, a violent crime every 25 seconds, a murder every 24 minutes and 250 rapes a day.” – Stallone’s opening narration/thesis statement for Cobra.
Morally reprehensible and paper thin, Cobra is an indefensible film that I love. Currently awash in awards season screeners of varying levels of seriousness and relevance, watching Cobra was somewhat of a palette cleanser of asinine entertainment from a bygone era that nonetheless trades on all the fear mongering and “good guy with a gun” narratives that still seem to frighten our masses and get leaders elected today. Political relevance and moral bankruptcy aside, Cobra is action cinema turned up to 11 and I just can’t be too mad about it. Marion Cobretti cuts cold pizza with scissors to eat it. He drives maybe the coolest car any cop in any movie has ever driven. He’s got a Cobra on the pearl plates on his gun. He uses a match as a toothpick. He never takes off his leather driving gloves. Like ever. Even to cut pizza with scissors. It’s the little things. He also hates bad guys and sees himself as existing where the law stops. And beds the criminal witness he’s protecting. And blames judges for ever letting felons back onto the streets. In other words, he’s not a good guy with a gun. I’ve always loved the villains in Cobra. They’re a murderous death cult with seemingly no actual ideology or even really a plan? They just go on murder sprees together and see no issue stalking Brigitte Neilsen (whose character begins the film being pressured for sex from a fashion photographer, and ends the film in a relationship Cobretti, the detective assigned to her case) until their entire gang is wiped out with the only motivation being… she saw them kill a guy once? I adore Cobra and it’s among the dumbest films of the 1980s action era.
I do take at least some issue with Justin considering this a Christmas movie. Despite being set in and around Christmas, with some Christmas decorations in the background, it’s hard for me to pull out anything that makes it feel thematically or tonally Christmassy. But hey, you know what, I can’t give Justin too hard of a time because this was the optimal palette cleanser. Sometimes, I just need the bad guy to be the disease, and Stallone to be the cure.
I actually discovered this one only a few years ago. I admittedly have many action blindspots. However, I was told that the opening action setpiece in this film was one of the best of all-time, so I dove in and was not disappointed. The opening sequence alone makes this one well worth a watch or five.
But, as everyone noted already, Cobretti is not a good dude. And, in today’s climate, he’s even more troubling a character. So, it’s important to watch this movie for surface level entertainment and not internalize the themes or be influenced by Cobra’s actions at all. AT ALL.
Ed notes that this isn’t “Christmassy” enough in his mind to warrant its inclusion here, but I have very broad and liberal definitions with my art and culture. For example, my favorite genre is horror – and, for me, often includes lots of films others would say aren’t “really horror”. Same goes with my Christmas genre film watching. Does it occur in December? Is there a single Christmas tree or mention of the holiday? GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
Either way, the insanity and fun of the action here is enough reason to watch again and again – and watch again, I will!
…YOU KNOW THAT’S ACTUALLY A CHRISTMAS MOVIE, RIGHT?
To ring in the Holiday Season, the Cinapse team has assembled all of our favorite movies full of Holiday Cheer–all while pretending to be anything but a Christmas movie. Our list for Noel Actually includes Sylvester Stallone action epics, Medieval twists of fate, a whimsical anime take on the Biblical Magi, the rebirth of Humanity, and of course, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman–ensuring December has a wide spectrum of cinema for the nice and naughty alike to enjoy.
Join us by contacting our team or emailing [email protected]!
12/2 – Cobra
12/9 – The Green Knight
12/16 – Tokyo Godfathers
12/23 – Children of Men
12/30 – Batman Returns
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Fiennest Hour: After 20 Years at War and Sea, Odysseus Comes Home in THE RETURN
A revisionist adaptation of the best part of Homer’s Odyssey
The Return | Bleecker Street Everyone’s familiar with The Odyssey, or at least with some of its most famous chapters: Returning home from Troy, King Odysseus and his army are waylaid by encounters with a vengeful Cyclops, enchanting Sirens, the six-headed serpent Scylla, a massive whirlpool, and an isle of sacred cattle. With each encounter, their numbers dwindle until only the King remains.
But my favorite part of The Odyssey is a lesser-celebrated part of the Homeric epic, his return home. Osysseus’ journey is a mix of adventure and horrors, whereas his homecoming is melancholy, nostalgic, and operatic. Incidentally, these are the least mythological chapters, focused on an entirely human situation. I have similar feelings about this tale as I do Edmond Dantes’ return in The Count of Monte Cristo.
The Return | Bleecker Street So it’s with considerable excitement that I watched Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, which adapts the bookending chapters of The Odyssey set on Odysseus’s home island of Ithaca, while reuniting Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Wuthering Heights).
While Odysseus (Fiennes) has been away for many years to fight in the Trojan War and is generally presumed dead, his wife, the Queen Penelope (Binoche), holds out hope for his unlikely return – or at least, she refuses to move on. She’s essentially a prisoner in her own castle, as many opportunistic and unworthy suitors have taken residence in her halls to vie for her hand. To quell them, the queen promises choose a husband once the shroud she is weaving is completed, but secretly undoes her loom each night.
Their son Telemachus, an infant when Odysseus departed, is now a grown man, bitter at his parents and resenting the impudent suitors who feast at the King’s table and seek to usurp the throne.
It’s to this bleak setting of faded glory and rising menace that The Return‘s Odysseus washes up, naked and nearly dead, on the shores of Ithaca, nearly unrecognizable after two decades of war and toil.
While The Return is an adaptation of the Homeric volumes, it’s not a direct one and seems to be a version events set more or less in the real world without any magical realism or mythical elements. It’s hard to imagine this version of Odysseus fighting cyclopes or sea dragons – his homecoming was delayed not by battling gods and monsters, but by brokenness, shame, and ultimately fear.
There’s currently some Oscar buzz around Fiennes’ performance in Conclave – and rightly so – but I find his work here just as incredible and deserving. He’s astounding as the broken King, returning not in glory but humility. Weakened and unable to simply march into the castle to claim his mantle – a strategy which would most likely get him killed by the suitors who vastly outnumber him – he instead recovers in the house of a sympathetic peasant, maintaining his anonymity, and listening to the goings-on to try to identify his enemies and allies and plan his next move.
I love this story and I was wowed by this telling of it, a gritty and down-to-earth approach to one of the world’s oldest fantastic mythologies, weaving in practical considerations and sexual politics of the story, presented as if it were simply a true history.
The Return | Bleecker Street Those familiar with the tale will know the significance of the climax involving Odysseus’ bow, and this sequence is handled quite beautifully.
I’ll also say, without elaboration, that there’s a specific scene involving a dog which is one of the best things I’ve seen in the cinema this year.
The Return | Bleecker Street
A/V Out
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A Yearning for Connection and Cannibalism in BONES AND ALL. [Shout! Factory 4K-UHD]
![A Yearning for Connection and Cannibalism in BONES AND ALL. [Shout! Factory 4K-UHD]](https://i0.wp.com/cinapse.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/image.png?resize=326%2C455&ssl=1)
Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell captivate in Luca Guadagnino’s cannibalistic romance
It all starts innocently enough. A teenage girl having a sleepover with a friend. Fun and laughter gives way to screams as an overexcited Maren (Taylor Russell) bites off her playmates finger and swallows it. This isn’t a new thing, or a one off, but the latest in a long line of compulsive behavior that her father (André Holland) has tried to temper, and shield from the world. Resigned, fearful, he abandons his daughter. Maren is left with memories of a long absent mother and some of her mementoes that may offer a clue to her location. She sets off on a cross-country journey to find her and hopefully learn more about the source of her compulsion. Along the way, she connects with a a flighty drifter named Lee (Timothée Chalamet). They bond over their shared isolation and cannibalistic urges. Together they cross the backroads of the US, grappling with their shared hunger as well as those they encounter on the journey, from potential prey to others of their own kind.
Back in 2022, fresh off the back of a remarkable reimagining of Suspiria, Luca Guadagnino took on this adaptation of the novel by Camille DeAngelis. The result was one of the best films of the year. A deeply moving exploration of disenfranchised kids with a hole in a corner of their soul that they’re looking to fill. Guadagnino, along with screenwriter David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash, Pet Sematary) manage a very difficult thing, to weave in acts of murder and cannibalism, while keeping you invested in this duo. You root for them in the same way you might for Bonnie and Clyde, Thelma and Louise, or Charles and Caril-Ann in Badlands. Maren and Lee are outsiders who don’t fit in, and a yearning for connection and acceptance is mirrored by their cannibalistic urges. Complementing this is the world around them. Set in the 80s, this was the closing chapters of the Regan era. A time when some people were certainly left behind, notably veterans, the poor, and the gay community (during the AIDS epidemic). We see derelict buildings, rusted pickups, and creaking carnival rides, reinforcing the neglect. In the darker corners we meet more “eaters”, finding space for solitude and to congregate with each other. Our pairing meet them along the way and learn more about the quirks, rules, and dangers within. The standout threat being Sully, a cannibalistic vagrant played by Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The B.F.G.), who leverages his winking charm into something truly terrifying.
While undeniably a love story, the real throughline of the film is Maren’s journey and development. A girl abandoned, ill fit with the world around her, looking for purpose and connection. We see her travels and the encounters on the way shape her, toughen her, and shatter her heart. It’s a breakout performance from Russell who shoulders all this with ease. Chalamet is a perfect partner as the charming, world-weary and oft combustible Lee. Their chemistry is palpable, you cherish their moments together, even amidst their cannibalistic euphoria. Bones and All balances horror and heartbreak, reminding you to seek and cherish connection, however you come to find it.
The Package
Bones and All is a trip through the backwater of the Midwest. The greens of the trees and fields are verdantly colored, the detail and dilapidation of the towns these drifters pass through is impeccably rendered. Even in darker scenes the range of palette and depth of detail impresses. Shout! have done a tremendous job with this 4K transfer. Along with the 4K disc, an included Blu-ray disc hosts several featurettes, all (sadly) just a few minutes in length
- “Outsiders In Love”: A framing of the love story at the core of the film
- “A Look Inside”: Complementary to the above, sketching out the relationship between Maren and Lee
- Luca Guadagnnino: The Vision of Bones and All: Short segment encircling the director’s approach and vision
- “Meet Lee”: Interviews from Russell, Chalamet, Rylance, and Guadagnino discussing the character
- “Meet Maren”: as above, but with a shift in focus
The Bottom Line
Bones and All is a distinct, and wonderfully wrought tale of a search for connection, albeit with a backdrop of cannibalism. It might sound distasteful, but it’s truly resonant storytelling lifted by standout performances by Russell and Chalamet, and their palpable chemistry. The 4K treatment from Shout! is a stunner, and is the perfect way to dive into a provocative, deep, and moving masterwork.
Bones and All is available via Shout! Factory on 4K-UHD on November 26th
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HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 [4K-Review]
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HBO’s return to Westeros continues to build up steam
The first season of House of the Dragon had a lot to achieve. Not just in terms of planting audiences in a time 200 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, but also with having to introduce a sprawling dynasty in House Targaryen, it’s fragmentation, and a time jump needed to make the whole setup and payoff work. With a lot of the heavy lifting done, Season 2 sees somewhat freed up to get to the meat of the story, but as anyone with a sense of history knows, a war doesn’t start overnight, and (to the chagrin of some, and delight of others) the show continues to build for it’s future.
At the end of season one we were on the brink of war. House Targaryen had split into two factions, the Blacks and the Greens. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), the usurped (and named heir) of King Viserys has gone into exile while her former friend (and current stepmother) Alicent (Olivia Cooke), has played a role in elevating her own son to the throne as Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). Season two continues this dance between the two sides, each accumulating allies, adopting strategic positions, and strengthening their positions for a war they (or at least most of them) seek to avoid. Why? Dragons. The nuclear weapons of the age that are guaranteed to cause wanton destruction and death if unleashed, the only problem is that now emotions are heightened after the death of Rhaenerya’s son by his cousin Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) as their dragons sparred at the end of season one.
You left season one with the sense that something had been awakened and unleashed, and its somewhat true. There is no going back, the emotions and fury that consume Rhanerya add to the propulsive air of the show, and give D’Arcy plenty to sink her teeth into. But largely, it is more of the same. Caution and tactics still come to bear even if decision making of individuals are clouded. Wars are not often won with a single battle and so the long game needs to be considered, including things like supply lines and fortifying positions. Simply put, this isn’t meant to be just an action spectacle, or dragon battle royale. Like Game of Thrones before, it’s about power and privilege, and about those without either being used as fodder. When the action does ramp up, the scale and sense of awe are certainly there, but this is more of a slow grind towards an inevitable doom. The show does suffer from a lack of levity at times, something that Games of Thrones was always able to deliver. A serious tone encircles the family strife, with foreboding, prophetic dreams, and even with the introduction of a witch of sorts heralding even darker turns ahead. No real respite is found within each faction either, as Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) contends with the ambitions of his brother Aemond and Rhaenerya butts heads with her husband (and Uncle) Prince Daemon (Matt Smith, who gets all too sidelined this season). There’s nowhere really to hide from all the doom and gloom. This dramatic fare gives the superb cast plenty to work with, and quieter moments are often the most impactful parts of the show.
The first season was saddled with a lot of setup, as well as the complications of a necessary time jump (and recasting of several younger players). Even with that settled, there are still more characters to introduce, stakes to be raised, meaning season 2 elicits some of the same criticisms. Even the closing shots tease of a battle to come, seeing the march of a number of forces (notably those of the Starks in the north) toward battle. Again, it speaks to setup rather than something more dramatic or conclusive. Some recent interviews have outlined how the season was originally planned to run 10 episodes, rather than the 8 we got. The logistics of pulling off such large scale battles, involving both hands on efforts as well as CGI make this sort of choice more understandable, and it’s arguable that the end does work with the ongoing undercurrent of the season being about the machines of war cranking up. Its likely that season 2 will be more appreciated within the context of the show as a whole when all is wrapped up.
The Package
Oh Sunday night streaming on HBO. A much maligned affair as for all too long the drop in quality combined with compression left these forays to Westeros to be all to dark and murky affairs. Watching Game of Thrones, and now House of the Dragon, on physical media really allows the whole production to shine. In 4K, this is one of the most resplendent TV shows on air right now with the level of texture and detail in this transfer showing off the costumes, set design, set dressing, and more. Colors pop, with strong representation, and the overall image quality is consistently high. Even the CGI heavier moments don’t show any drop in quality or offer up any artifacts.
The package itself contains 4 discs hosting all 8 episodes of the season, across 4 discs. A Cardboard coverslip encloses this, along with an envelope housing 8 collectable character cards showcasing the main cast from the show.
As with the old Game of Thrones home video releases, House of the Dragon is replete with Extra Features:
- Family Tree: A good recap/introduction to the various factions (and their ancestry) involved in the show
- Divided Kingdoms: Showrunner/co-creator Ryan Condal, along with select cast/crew members give their overview of the season and what it’s setting up for the future
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #1 Extended Version – an “inside the episode” featurette which cuts together interviews, analysis, and behind the scenes footage. This is what you see on HBO if you let the credits run after the show ends. A similar feature is present for the other 7 episodes in the release
- Defend Your Council outlines the makeup of, and rivalry between “Team Green” and “Team Black”
- Character Spots Rhaenyra and Aegon – brief overviews of select characters
- Fire Hot Takes: Team Green vs. Team Black is another look at the warring councils.
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #2 Extended Version
- Return to Winterfell: A short showcase for the rebuilt/revisit to the home of house Stark
- House Who? (House Stark): A recap on the famous family and the North
- Return to the Realm: Complements the above featurettes
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #3 Extended Version
- House Who? (Bracken & Brackwood) A short intro to these two waring houses
- Fire Hot Takes Case for Ruler and Daemon vs. Aemond playful interview segments to share opinions on posed questions
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #4 Extended Version
- Eve Tribute Piece – bids farewell to one of the main cast/characters
- House Who? (House Tully & House Frey) – Another look at the history between two rival houses
- Guess That Line – Eve & Steve – A little competition between two of the show’s stars
- Character Spots – Daemon and Corlys
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #5 Extended Version
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #6 Extended Version
- Character Spots- Alicent and Aemond
- The Curse of Harrenhal – Extended – A look at location and new character Alice Rivers
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #7 Extended Version
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #8 Extended Version
- Family Tree – offers some lessons in ancestry. This is actually a great place to start for those unacquainted with all the ins and outs of the series.
- Divided Kingdoms – is another “history lesson” of sorts concentrating on what is called an “arms race”, albeit with dragons.
The Bottom Line
For fans of the show, this is a no brainer purchase. Combining the best way to see the level of detail and high production values that go into the show, as well as getting a wealth of extras to help you dive even deeper into the lore of Westeros and how it was brought to life. House of the Dragon is a flawed but compelling show, and season 2 shows it’s clearly picking up steam and setting up some big payoff for its slow burn setup.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is available on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD via WB/HBO now
