Bear with me folks, as I know I’m late with these – but my second day of Tribeca Film Festival went much smoother than the first, to say the least. I forgot to mention that on my opening day of the festival, I casually held the bathroom door open behind me for someone who I thought to myself “Hmm…he looks kinda like Brenden Fraser…”, only to find that it was indeed Brendan Fraser! I’m not used to bumping into celebrities in the wild, and I certainly had to do a double-take before I realized “Holy shit, it’s him!”. I met with Big Tuna to hammer out most of today’s agenda between good food, brief city walks, and packed subways. I was able to make sure that I stopped by Spring Studios to check out the press space, which I always find welcoming…drinks on the roof, comfy couches aplenty, and random happenings to participate & engage in (including some screenings and premieres).
Downtown Owl
The first film of my second day of Tribeca Festival was Downtown Owl, co-directed by Lily Rabe & Hamlisch Linklater, starring Lily Rabe, Ed Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Finn Wittrock. I’m familiar with Rabe (and Wittrock, for that matter) from various roles on American Horror Story, and was looking forward to seeing her directorial debut. I initially found Downtown Owl to be upbeat and fun, yet grim and awkward at times. While I tend to enjoy films with tonal shifts, I felt that some choices were odd, and I wanted to spend more time with characters and their relationships than we ultimately did. I rather enjoyed the upbeat and fun portions of the film – particularly one scene that creatively stood out as charming and quirky – Julia (Rabe) finally musters up the courage to approach a crush at the bar and engage in conversation, and we are shown cuts between what she says for the sake of conversation versus what she wants to say. Overall, I enjoyed this film, and was surprised with an ending that caught me off guard.
Verdict: Decent Watch
The Secret Art of Human Flight
The second film I saw on day two of Tribeca Festival was The Secret Art of Human Flight, written and directed by H.P. Mendoza, starring Grant Rosenmeyer, Paul Raci, Maggi Grace, and Lucy DeVito. The synopsis says just enough of what you need to know going into the film: “After the sudden and tragic loss of his wife, Ben turns to a mysterious self-help book that will train him to learn how to fly”. This movie worked for me on many levels. I would describe it as quirky, eccentric, humanistic, humorous, existential, and full of heart and emotion. Very – and I mean VERY – few movies will bring tears to my eyes, and this ultimately took me there. We follow Ben after the sudden loss of his wife, and he is left stunned. Depressed, lonely, and seemingly unable to move on, we first see Ben seated in a chair, staring blankly as his sister attempts to encourage him to go outside and get some sun. She helps Ben relocate to the front yard, and a multi-day morning to evening time lapse occurs (a cinematic touch I loved). Ben is finally moved to do something after a detective interviews him and implies he may be a suspect in his wife’s death. As he searches random videos online, he finds one of a man who seemly jumps off a cliff and reappears…flying. Ben searches through the comments and connects with a user who claims to be the man in the video, and is led to purchase a $5400 self-help course on the Secret Art of Human Flight. After his book arrives, Ben begins to follow the steps, and is eventually approached by Mealworm (Paul Raci), an odd guru who appears to help Ben follow through on his training to learn how to fly. Adding to his compass bearing of healing is Wendy (Maggie Grace), a neighbor who has also experienced grief issues, who encourages Ben to immerse himself in something as a way to cope. I won’t spoil this joy of a tragic-yet-warming story for you, but I will say this movie does a tremendous job of exploring grief, loss, recovery, and sense of purpose in a sincere and endearing way. If you’re a fan of films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, I believe that this will appeal to you.
Verdict: Must See
Somewhere Quiet
The third film of the day was Somewhere Quiet, the directorial debut by Olivia West Lloyd, starring Jennifer Kim, Kentucker Audley, and Marin Ireland. Jennifer Kim shines here as Meg, a months-long kidnapping survivor, attempting to work through the trauma of her experience and readjust to a normal life. However, paranoia, fear, and unease settle in as Meg and her husband attempt a quiet getaway at her husband, Scott’s (Kentucker Audley) family home, where Scott’s cousin unexpectedly greets them, Madeline. This disruption leads to Meg struggling to grasp a sense of comfort and trust, and she begins to question her reality and the intentions of others. The presence of Madeline makes for some tension-building conversations and interactions, as we view the somewhat distorted world through Meg’s eyes. This film does a wonderful job of presenting the world through the lens of someone who has experienced dissociation through trauma…however, I feel it ultimately lost me a bit, as it started strong but couldn’t seem to stick the landing with regard to resolving issues presented in the plot in a satisfying or coherent way. I have a sense that this film will be a bit divisive; regardless, it left me thinking about the ending and events of the third act, and will likely be one that I watch again with a different perspective during the second viewing.
Verdict: Decent Watch
Final Cut
My last film of the day was Final Cut, a French remake of the much-loved Japanese film “One Cut of the Dead”, directed by Michel Hazanavicius and starring Bérénice Bejo and Romain Doris. I’d not yet seen “One Cut of the Dead”, which came with a strong recommendation from Big Tuna to watch blind before seeing this remake – which I attempted to do the day of this movie, but only made it about halfway through before I had to make my way to the theater to get in line for this one. Assuming there are others in my position (e.g., having not seen One Cut of the Dead), I’ll leave as little information here regarding the plot of the film, other than mentioning one word…Zombies! This movie didn’t disappoint, as it respected the film that came before it, while adding its own seasoning to the mix. Final Cut was a fun, charming, and humorous piece of entertainment that fans of cinema will appreciate.
Verdict: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy
Berkreviews.com 