rlculpepper Reviews

The Sandman: The Doll's House (2022) Season 1, Episode 7

What Just Happened?

[5/10 · 7 August 2022]

Did this become a different show? Stilted acting of bad, trite and phony dialogue and the visual splendor is gone. They're continuing one unfinished thread with the nightmare but the show is now without the tone or panache of the 1st 4 episodes and nuance of eps 5 and 6. They've apparently started a new story line midseason and it is shallow, phony and uninteresting to say the least. I'm at a loss for words. It's not the same show, it's become something from CBS in the 2000s with a few bad words, attempts at gore and badly written modern progressive characters.

Akron (2015)

Being Uncomplicated and Idealistic is The Problem

[5/10 · 17 January 2021]

My thoughts on this movie are a volley of contradictions. Overall the film is not really for me. I prefer filmmaking like God's Own Country, Looking, Moonlight, Pride and Call Me by your Name. So I may be inconsequential. The dialogue tells us Benny is a high functioning aspirational college kid who just happens to be a gay Mexican American from a progressive Mexican American family. He meets white, high functioning Christopher playing college soccer. Without affirmation of sexuality, Benny and Christopher strike up a romance. Things are perfect for these perfect guys living in a perfect world where they are unquestionably accepted by anyone else shown on screen; that is UNTIL - their connection to a tragic accident from the past comes to bear and Benny and his family must face the challenge this places on their life. I assert that although the film involves interracial characters, the narrative is in no way influenced by the character's identities. One could change any characters race, nationality, gender or anything about how they identify and it does not matter. If this sounds bland to you, so is the movie, as it was for me. On one hand it's welcome to see diversity in a story not centered on some strife of diversity. Yet, it feels whitewashed, unauthentic and actually, devoid of a depiction of diversity. The movie itself inspires similar contradictions. A simple narrative structure and script to show and tell it's story in refreshingly uncomplicated story telling. But, this also made it predictable and benign. The production values are fine; though uninspired. The acting is fine to good; but Edmund Donovan is a standout as Christopher. He brought authenticity and nuance to the uninventive dialogue for the character. He doesn't scene steal so much as outshine his scene partners. There is subtext and nuance, but the production limits it to passing dialogue in the script (What happened with Christopher's mom for instance). It sideswipes us with an unsupported pivot by Benny's father and his motivational speech with his wife. It's conventional which has a place and can have great affect. This is the kind of movie some will love and others will find bland. On a personal note to filmmakers; is there a vehicle to showcase relationship building rather than the Amorous relationship building montage; and showing freedom and/or connection with the scenes of lovers swimming together?

• I noticed this in 3 of 3 gay themed films I've recently seen. I'm not saying I hate it, but I see it too much.

Taekwondo (2016)

A line crossed

[5/10 · 5 May 2017]

In 2014 I thought and wrote of Berger's Hawaii... Berger's use of eroticism is a bit obvious in this. Perhaps because I've seen his moves before, they stand out as a bit contrived.

It seems for Taekwondo the only effort to stretch and evolve has been to up the ante of sexual tension with more men and more (much more) nudity. Again Berger shows us that eroticism is introduced by so much more than sex. Its still an animal notion of combined human attraction, contact and bond. The movie clings to his oft used narrative "will they or wont they" but here it felt reduced to teen angst. I recognized some effort to add questions of machismo, sexuality (as usual) and questions of the bonds of friendship. If you've seen Berger's wonderful "Plan B" or "Sexual Tension" "Absent" or "Hawaii" you've see most of the tricks and many of the shots also used in this movie as well as pacing, shot composition, and narrative exploration before, but in a better movie than this one.

All These Sleepless Nights (2016)

Good to Know, Pretty and Repititious

[4/10 · 5 May 2017]

This is a well photographed narrative film made by people playing characters who are acting out a life as if not being filmed. It's a moving photograph and not much more. People of this age like this are rarely interesting except to other people like this and of this age. The main character is exactly what he's supposed to be in his early 20s except he's a bit too destructive and self destructive. Kris is a self- involved early 20 something who parties every night of his life away. Cool - whatever, and boring. I felt that it's motivation was to show a glimpse of what it's really like when... I even had a few "Oh Yeah I remember when I ..." moments. I couldn't stay for the whole movie. I didn't care enough to hang in there. Those boys will be fine or not regardless of whether or not I care. It doesn't matter if I care and I didn't.

Moonlight (I) (2016)

Universal Themes in a Unique and Beautiful Package

[8/10 · 31 October 2016]

An artistic indie that is clear, deliberate and articulate, Moonlight is a quiet slow burn gem. The film is a triptych, the three acts give us defining moments in the life of the main character named Chiron. The child called "Little," the teen "Chiron" his actual name, and the man called "Black." The chapter titles said to me where he is in this life. Although I witnessed imposing forces of life from being raised (trapped) in an impoverished drug addled community, the character themes are universal. Where is Little's support system? He's becoming aware of self and his lack of place in the world. His young identity teetering on the balance in a world of few options. Chiron is becoming aware of who he really, though stifled and just when he needs to find his way, his world is literally beating it out of him. Black has made himself in the image of the only one he ever trusted, after being railed by the system. Chiron, though wounded and guarded is still in there. Nothing in the film felt gratuitous or wasted. It is rhythmic and artistically produced with purpose in scene composition and sound. Little learning to swim in that big ocean spoke volumes. Dialogue is more exposition than narrative, though a few scenes felt forced and a bit on the nose. The main actors especially the 3 Chirons are very good, award worthy performances. Each actor was very powerful in invoking the intentions of the filmmakers. A lot is left to the audience to decide for themselves. I don't always love that because I love storytelling that shows me a different point of view and doesn't rely on my point of view to shape it. But this worked for me in the way art should. It has a point of view and what I do with it, what I take from it, how I feel about it, is up to me. Good Stuff.

Hawaii (I) (2013)

Simple Complexities

[7/10 · 25 February 2014]

Marco Berger's Spanish language Hawaii is small with a simple story made into something more than the narrative. Boy meets boy, boy becomes attracted to boy but doesn't know what to do about it, there's a history; what's going to happen?) Berger uses long scenes of pause on scenery, character's processing, and body framing that evokes erotic tension, to evolve the story into an unfolding emotional journey. He's talented at using all the elements of film; character posturing, shot framing, scenery, music and dialogue to that result. The sparse dialogue incites and exhibits complication in human behavior rather than define everything. (Except a scene I thought was clumsy between Eugenio and a visiting relative where the dialogue makes perfectly clear the situation.) I read that disparity in character vocabulary is used to manifest class difference, which was lost in translation on me (subtitles ;-). Class or status is a component of the character's stories but I missed it as a struggle between them aside from Martin's shame of his situation. Intentional or not, Berger's themes are fodder for porn fantasy. However, he engages them as real world, contemplative journeys of discovery, though certainly sexually charged. Berger's use of eroticism is a bit obvious in this. Perhaps because I've seen his moves before, they stand out as a bit contrived. Berger might just be f****ng with you in using setups he's probably seen in porn and turning them into something else, he's a tease. I didn't get a powerful sense of chemistry between the leads. The guys are handsome real world types. Manuel Vignau gives Eugenio purpose and inner workings that make the character interesting. He radiates charm and warmth in simple shrugs and smiles. Mateo Chiarino's charming too. His angelic good looks and almost wide eyed innocence are engaging. He's good as the down on his luck Martin but he doesn't match Vignau's abilities so he's out classed in many scenes. Maybe intentional, but it made question any attraction beyond the physical. I suspect Marco Berger will be doing "bigger" things soon. I applaud him telling these small stories that he wants to tell. If you haven't seen his other films, you should. For me he's played out this toy box. But that said, I hope that he continues using his beautiful voice to tell stories of this genre.