GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI (2018)

Directed by Sophie Fiennes


Where & When: Los Feliz 3 Cinemas, Los Angeles, CA.  May 13, 2018 4:15 PM



After beginning her career as a model back in the '70's, Grace Jones went on to become a celebrated singer and actor, all on her own terms. She is far from a conventional figure. Despite an intimidating masculine presence, Jones is certainly all woman; soft, gentle and even flirtatious when so desired. With such a confident and striking personality, any documentary about her should have resulted with an effortlessly fascinating experience.

Yet with “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” ("bloodlight" is a word that her long-time producers, Sly and Robbie coined for the red light that comes on when recording is about to begin while "bami" is a Jamaican bread), director Sophie Fiennes  (and yes, she is related to English actors, Ralph and Joseph) has managed to present this powerful performer in a way that feels slight and ordinary. The film keeps to the surface, never lingering too long on any particular moment and doesn't get far enough beneath the colorful facade of Jones.

This documentary was filmed almost a decade ago during the recording of "Hurricane", which was her first album at the time in ten years which she self-produced and features many autobiographical songs. This is tied to a trip back to her home country of Jamaica with her son, Paulo to visit family and reconnect to the island she left when she was a young girl to move to upstate New York.

At seventy years old, Jones remains a marvelous eccentric as we watch her engaging in such activities as precariously shucking her own oysters, wearing a colorful shirt as a head wrap during a recording session or drinking champagne first thing in the morning in nothing but a fur coat. She speaks in a deep voice that mingles her native Jamaican patois with French and British English accents that adds to her mysterious allure.

There have been plenty of stories of her outrageous behavior throughout her varied career but you will find little mention of it here. Some events are brought up only in passing conversation like the time she slapped a talk show host for apparently ignoring her yet we are not given any backstory to this or any other incidents that have occurred in Ms Jones' life. Ms Fiennes has decided to simply observe the icon, offering no talking heads, voice-over or detailed introduction of the people we meet circling her orbit. Even a brief history lesson would have certainly benefited those who may not have even been born during the height of her renown.

It’s clear the director didn’t want to be intrusive and tried to help her subject feel more comfortable by using minimal lighting and inconspicuous sound recording. But there are too many underlit scenes (which is an unfortunate situation for people with darker skin tones) and muddy sound during the Jamaica trip that make many of the poignant moments there less than effective. The choppy editing by Ms Fiennes causes the film to meander with all the flourishes of a film school project.

However, the well-shot concert footage saves the day in helping bring the film to life. With the aide of extravagantly inventive hats by famed milliner, Philip Treacy, Ms Jones is in her element captivating an audience with her intense, otherworldly performances during the tour to promote her album.

A singular and provocative artist, Grace Jones has had a life filled with bold creativity and wild abandon. With "Bloodlight and Bami", the film celebrates the dynamic legend while attempting to reveal the unvarnished side of the woman from the Caribbean. But we ultimately end up with plenty of Ms. Jones, the entertainer and far less of Ms. Jones, the individual.

WINNERS OF THE 2018 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

When Spike Lee's new feature, "BlacKkKlansman" made it's world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, it was met with impassioned praise and a lengthy standing ovation. This comedy-drama is based on the unbelievable true story of an African-American police detective (John David Washington, son of Denzel) in Colorado who manages to not only join the local Ku Klux Klan but eventually becomes the head of this chapter with the help of a Jewish officer (Adam Driver). Lee had been very vocal about feeling robbed for not winning the Palme d'Or when his "Do The Right Thing" was shown in competition back in 1989. While it didn't receive the top prize this year, "BlacKkKlansman" won the Grand Prix, a runner-up award. It will be released in the U.S. later this summer on August 10th.

But it was "Shoplifters" by Hirokazu Kore-Eda that took the top prize of the Palme d'Or. This moving drama from the Japanese filmmaker (who won a Jury Prize in 2013 for "Like Father, Like Son") tells the story of a poor, struggling family forced to steal in order to survive. Pawel Pawlikowski, the 2013 Oscar-winner of Best Foreign-Language Film for "Ida", took the Best Director Prize for his latest, "Cold War". This black & white drama with music is loosely based on his parents' complicated yet loving relationship. And Gaspar Noé, the antagonistic film director from Argentina, said he was stunned by the glowing reaction to his new film, "Climax" and I'm sure he was completely floored when he won the Art Cinema Award for the film that screened in the Directors' Fortnight section.

Here is a partial list of winners from the 2018 Cannes Film Festival:

Palme d’Or: "Shoplifters"

Grand Prix: "BlacKkKlansman"



Jury Prize: "Capernaum"



Best Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"



Best Actor: Marcello Fonte, "Dogman"

Best Actress: Samal Yeslyamova, "My Little One"

Best Screenplay: (Tie) Alice Rohrwacher, "Happy As Lazzaro" and Nader Saeivar, "3 Faces"



Caméra d’Or: "Girl"



Short Film Palme d’Or: "All These Creatures"

Special Mention: "On The Border"

Special Palme d’Or: Jean-Luc Godard, "Image Book"

Un Certain Regard Award: "Border"



Un Certain Regard Best Director: Sergei Loznitsa, "Donbass"

Un Certain Regard Best Performance: Viktor Polster, "Girl"

Un Certain Regard Best Screenplay: Meryem Benm’Barek, "Sofia"

Special Jury Prize: João Salaviza and Renée Nader Messora, "The Dead and the Others"

Art Cinema Award: "Climax"

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY: AN ANNIVERSARY

When Stanley Kubrick's eighth feature film, "2001: A Space Odyssey" made it's world premiere on April 2, 1968 in Washington, D.C., it was greeted with polarized critical reactions. A few critics praised the film for it's mesmerizing innovation and compelling storytelling. A few others (including Pauline Kael) found it to be too obscure and pretentious. While the old guard was indifferent to Kubrick's progressive creation, it was the younger generation that responded to the film's offbeat rhythms and enigmatic narrative.

Before "2001" went on it's roadshow engagement across the country, Kubrick cut about nineteen minutes from the original one hundred and sixty-one minute running time to help streamline elements of the film. It went on find a broad audience and became a box-office hit. And time has helped form an even greater appreciation for what Kubrick has accomplished with "2001: A Space Odyssey" which is now universally considered to be one of the most influential movies ever made.

Inspired by the 1951 short story, "The Sentinel" by Arthur C. Clarke, Kubrick teamed with the writer to co-write the screenplay. Together, they inventively expanded on the themes of existentialism, technology, evolution and artificial intelligence which are depicted in ways that have become scientifically accurate.

One key move that Kubrick did was remove the planned voice-over narration during editing that would have helped guide viewers through the shifts in time and space. He had always expressed that he never intended to offer clear or straightforward meaning of "2001", preferring to allow the audience to find their own interpretation of the film.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of "2001", a new mastered 70MM print was made from the original camera negative and was supervised by director, Christopher Nolan who had recently made the 2017 Oscar-nominated WWII drama, "Dunkirk" in this format. The world premiere of this print was held during the Cannes Film Festival on May 12th before it starts a theatrical run in select U.S. theaters beginning on May 18th.

I have certainly seen the great "2001" but never on the big screen. So I'm looking forward to catching this at the Arclight Cinerama Dome  in LA which was made to screen the 70mm format. And to offer more insight in to this classic, Vulture takes an in-depth look on how "2001: A Space Odyssey" over the last fifty years has gone on to influence pop culture from everything to sci-fi films, visual effects and soundtracks.

Click below to read:

How "2001: A Space Odyssey" has Influenced Pop Culture

THE RACHEL DIVIDE (2018)

Directed by Laura Brownson


Available to stream now on Netflix


For my very first review of a Netflix streaming film, I am looking at "The Rachel Divide", a fascinating yet challenging documentary by Laura Brownson, which examines the life of Rachel Dolezal, one of the most controversial and polarizing figures to have emerged in this new century.

Her shocking story involves her rising in a short period of time to become the president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP but was forced to resign when it was discovered that she was actually born a blond Caucasian woman while using wigs and tanning solutions to alter her appearance. Dolezal has insisted that she wasn't trying to deceive anyone but that she simply has always identified as a black woman and decided finally to live her life publicly as one.

The reaction to this bewildering confession, particularly by African-Americans, was not surprisingly filled with outrage and hostility.  "The Rachel Divide" tries to offer a fair and balanced look at Dolezal as she continuously tries to explain herself to anyone who will listen. Yet considering the long, complicated history of race in America, it's impossible for this clearly intelligent and passionate woman to not come across at times as a little unstable and insensitive.

After a reporter essentially outs Dolezal as a white woman during a live 2015 television interview, we are shown the swift aftermath with an explosion of media coverage and angry opinions about what she had done. The film begins some time later after she has been dismissed as a teacher of African studies at Eastern Washington University and now struggles to find employment with braiding hair currently her main source of income.

With no one willing to hire her due to the scandal, this has also impacted the lives of the two young men Dolezal is raising; her adopted brother, Izaiah who she obtained legal guardianship from her parents in 2010 when he was sixteen and her biological son, Franklin from a previous marriage. It's heartbreaking as they reveal their loving support yet painful frustration with their mother's choices and we see how their lives have suffered from the fallout.

We follow Dolezal as she pursues several media outlets as an opportunity to tell her story while working on a memoir that will be called, "In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World" which details her experiences with racial identity. While she had publicly acknowledged that Albert Wilkerson, an African-American man, was her "step-father", the truth was that her biological parents were both white and came forward to tell the truth.

But their reason for coming forward may have been less about candor and more about discrediting their estranged daughter. The family had adapted four African-American children and their daughter, Esther has accused their biological son, Joshua of sexually abusing her as a child. Rachel supported her sister's claims, offering to testify against her brother who she said had abused her as well. There were also accusations that the parents had been psychologically abusive to all of the children. However, when Rachel's story became public, she was now seen as an unreliable witness.

The director has not taken any sides on this issue and allowed Dolezal free reign to her story. But she has not ignored the rumbling vocal opposition to Dolezal with many people speaking critically of her even being considered "transracial". What I see as the major problem to why so many are upset with her claim is that there is a clear lack of honesty and transparency. Even to this day, Dolezal has only halfheartedly admitted to her race deception, usually when she is cornered and too exhausted to keep spinning her wheels. If she would simply admit that she is a white woman who has deeply connected to the historic struggle of African-Americans and wants to be a part to do whatever she can to help, I think much of the harsh criticism may soften.

We see this in the film as Dolezal is taking questions during a speaking engagement at a college. She is taken to task by some African-American women in the audience by questioning how can she claim to be a black woman without having to endure any of the many hardships and indignities that come with being one in this world. Dolezal apologizes sincerely yet explains she can't stop being who sees herself to be. There seems to be some understanding, maybe because she appears to finally hear their concerns.

"The Rachel Divide" concludes with Dolezal legally changing her name to an African-sounding creation. Some may view this as delusional yet perhaps she truly believes that this attempt at a clean slate will help leave her troubled past behind. She might be able to start again with the hope of a new life, finally living as her authentic self on her own terms.

THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES AT THE 2018 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

This year’s Cannes Film Festival is set to begin today and there will be a wide selection of exciting new films from around the globe. With so much intriguing works available, it would seem hard to determine exactly what to actually go see. Kyle Buchanan and Emily Yoshida, film critics of New York magazine and will be the lucky ones reporting from the fest, have done us a solid by narrowing down to fifteen of the most buzzed about movies that will be making their debuts at Cannes. This will also bring attention to some films we common folk may want to check out later when they arrive at your local cinema or streaming service. Time will tell if these picks live up to the hype or prove to be unworthy of all this attention.

Click below to read:

The Most Anticipated Films at 2018 Cannes

2018 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

For the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Frémaux, the director of the fest, is laying down the law. First, he is outlawing selfies being taken on the red carpet. He feels it slows down the whole process of walking down it and delays getting in to the screenings (which is the real reason why everyone is actually there). But the biggest change will effect Netflix’s involvement with Cannes. The television streaming giant which is seeking film legitimacy by crashing film festivals, will no longer be eligible to compete for prizes. While the fest would allow them to participate out of competition, Netflix’s model of not releasing their films theatrically in France does not sit well with Frémaux. He has stated that after accepting two of their films (“Okja” and “The Meyerowitz Stories”) last year, he thought Netflix could eventually be persuaded to change their film release schedule but it did not come to pass. In response to this decision, Ted Sarandos, the chief officer of Netflix, has decided to pull their films completely from the fest. Both sides are apparently still discussing the matter so we shall see what will ultimately happen before the festival begins on May 8th.

A colorful, stylized image from Jean-Luc Godard's 1965 feature, "Pierrot le fou" serves as this year's poster inspired by the work of Georges Pierre, the late still photographer who shot behind the scenes of over 100 films during a thirty year career. The Opening Night Gala selection is "Everybody Knows (Todos lo saben)", the latest from Asghar Farhadi, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of "A Separation" and "The Salesman". Real-life couple, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz star in this drama about a woman who returns home to Madrid to visit her family with her Argentinian husband (Ricardo Darin) and children when dark secrets are revealed that upset the celebration.



Cate Blanchett will head the jury for the films competing for prizes in the Main Competition while fellow Oscar-winner, Benicio del Toro will lead the jury for the Un Certain Regard (for films that are "innovative and daring works") prize selections. Some of the films selected to compete for awards include new works from acclaimed international filmmakers like Spike Lee ("Blackkklansman"), Pawel Pawlikowski ("Cold War"), David Robert Mitchell ("Under The Silver Lake"), Alice Rohrwacher ("Lazzaro Felice"), Matteo Garrone ("Dogman"), Christophe Honoré ("Sorry Angel"), Kore-eda Hirokazu ("Shoplifters") and the eighty-seven year old French auteur, Jean-Luc Godard ("Le Livre D’Image").







Special Screenings included will be the world premiere of "Solo: A Star Wars Story", the highly anticipated, Ron Howard directed film about an early Han Solo adventure; Terry Gilliam's "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" which he finally finished after trying to complete the project for twenty-nine years but an ongoing legal dispute could prevent it from being shown at the fest and most shocking, the latest from Lars Von Trier, "The House That Jack Built". The Danish director had been banned from the fest back in 2011 after he made odd comments that appeared to be Nazi sympathizing during a press conference for his film, "Melancholia". I guess time can always help to find forgiveness for just about anybody.




There will be Masterclasses with notable figures of cinema to discuss their work and careers from Christopher Nolan (who will also present the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey" with a restored 70mm print), "Black Panther" director, Ryan Coogler, this year's Best Actor Oscar winner, Gary Oldman and John Travolta who will not only be on hand to introduce a 40th anniversary restored print of his hit musical, "Grease" but also for a special gala screening of his long-delayed biopic of the infamous mob boss, "Gotti".



The Cannes Classics section will include two documentaries on the legendary Swedish filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman, "Searching For Ingmar Bergman" and "Bergman: A Year In A Life" as well as a digital 4K restoration screening of his 1957 film, "The Seventh Seal"; "The Eyes Of Orson Welles" takes us on a journey through the filmmaker’s visual process and features never-before-seen drawings, paintings and early works; Jane Fonda will be on hand for the presentation of an HBO documentary about her amazing career by Susan Lacy, "Jane Fonda In Five Acts" and several screenings of new film restorations including Billy Wilder’s "The Apartment", Vittorio De Sica’s "Bicycle Thieves" and Luc Besson’s "The Big Blue".

2018 SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW

The summer movie season is about to begin very soon with a wide assortment of exciting new films for our viewing pleasure. There will be plenty to choose from and I’m going to once again place a spotlight on some of the upcoming features that have captured my attention:

All release dates are subject to change:

"TERMINAL"

Release date: May 11, 2018

Fresh off of her first Oscar nomination, Margot Robbie stars in the UK crime-thriller, "Terminal".  The story follows two hit-men (Simon Pegg and Max Irons) who are assigned to an odd mission that puts them in to contact with a variety of strange individuals including a mysterious woman (Robbie)  who may be more involved in their task than they realize. This is the feature directorial debut of Vaughn Stein who also wrote the screenplay.



"ON CHESIL BEACH"

Release date: May 18, 2018

Another recent Oscar nominee, Saoirse Ronan headlines this 1960's period drama, "On Chesil Beach". Adapted from the novel by Ian McEwan who also wrote the script, the film tells of a young newlywed couple, Edward (Billy Howle) and Florence (Ronan) who are spending their honeymoon at the southern England beach side of Chesil. While the couple are very much in love, they come from different backgrounds and share very different views on intimacy which threatens to tear their marriage apart. Dominic Cooke, who has had an extensive career directing for the English theater, makes his feature debut.



"HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES"

Release date: May 25, 2018

John Cameron Mitchell is best known for creating and starring in the acclaimed Off-Broadway rock-musical, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and then later directing the 2001 film version. After following that up by directing two intriguing films; the non-simulated sex-dramedy, "Short Bus" from 2006 and a 2010 film adaption of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Rabbit Hole", Mitchell is finally back with his latest, "How To Talk To Girls At Parties", a sci-fi, romantic comedy loosely based on a short story by Neil Gaiman. The film takes place in 1977 London when punk-rock was just beginning to rage and Enn (Alex Sharp), a shy teen, goes to a party with the hope of meeting a lovely girl. And he does but Zan (Elle Fanning) is far from your average girl. It turns out she's with her colony visiting from another planet and decides to run off with Enn to discover this curious planet. Ruth Wilson and Nicole Kidman also star.



"HEREDITARY"

Release date: June 8, 2018

After creating a collection of well-received short films, writer/director, Ari Aster delivers his first full-length feature, "Hereditary". This creepy horror flick (which received plenty of buzz when it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival) stars Toni Collette as a woman who discovers some long-hidden, supernatural secrets about her ancestry after her mother passes away. This leads to her own family being threatened to inherit a terrifying fate unless she can find a way to stop it. Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff and Ann Dowd co-star.



"HOTEL ARTEMIS"

Release date: June 8, 2018

"Hotel Artemis", the feature debut by British writer/director, Drew Pearce, is not some swanky lodging but actually an exclusive hospital that only treats injured criminals, usually on the run. Set in the near future, this unusual establishment is run by the tough, no-nonsense manager called "The Nurse" and played by Jodie Foster in her first acting role since the 2013 sci-fi thriller, "Elysium".  When a ruthless mob boss (Jeff Goldblum) arrives needing treatment after an attempt on his life, his presence causes a violent reaction among the other patients. This leads The Nurse to make a decision that will turn an already dangerous atmosphere in to an extremely deadly one. An impressive cast includes Sterling K. Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Sofia Boutella, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Day and Dave Bautista.



"THE INCREDIBLES 2"

Release date: June 15, 2018

It has been fourteen years since we last saw the crime-fighting, super-powered family, The Incredibles and we are finally being treated to a follow-up of the animated hit. Brad Bird returns to write and direct (and provide the voice of fashion designer to the heroes, Edna Mode) "The Incredibles 2" which continues where we left off with the Parrs trying to live like a normal family. While Helen (Holly Hunter) spends the day fighting crime as Elastigirl, Bob (Craig T. Nelson) cares for their kids, Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and baby, Jack-Jack as a stay-at-home dad. There’s a new villain in town called the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) with a plan to destroy the world which brings the family together along with Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) to stop him. Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener and Isabella Rossellini provide voices for some new characters.



"SUPERFLY"

Release date: June 15, 2018

"Superfly" was a 1972 blaxploitation crime-drama that was directed by Gordon Parks, Jr. and starred Ron O'Neal as a drug dealer trying to quit the business. Now Director X, who made his name in directing music videos, is remaking this classic film for a new generation. Moving the story out of Harlem and in to modern-day Atlanta, Trevor Jackson (from tv's "Grownish") is now playing Youngblood Priest. While this version follows the basic plot of the original, the focus here is on up-to-date action and thrills.


"ANT-MAN AND THE WASP"

Release date: July 6, 2018

Ant-Man, the Marvel comic-book character about a former petty thief turned super crime-fighter who can shrink to the size of an insect, was made in to a critical and box-office smash back in 2015. Paul Rudd, who played Scott Lang, and most of the supporting cast as well as director, Peyton Reed have returned for the inevitable sequel, "Ant-Man and the Wasp". Lang is given a new mission by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the inventor of the suit and former Ant-Man, to solve a mystery involving his past with the help of Pym's daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lily) who has taken on the name and costume of her mother, "The Wasp".



"THE WIFE"

Release date: August 3, 2018

"The Wife", an adaption of Meg Wolitzer's popular book, offers Glenn Close a long overdue, leading film role in far too many years. She plays Joan, the supportive spouse of professor Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) who wins a Nobel Prize for literature. During the trip to Stockholm to accept the prize, Joan begins to reflect on how much she has sacrificed her own hopes and desires to remain a good wife. Veteran Swedish director, Björn Runge makes his English-language feature debut.



"CRAZY RICH ASIANS"

Release date: August 17, 2018

Based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, "Crazy Rich Asians" is a romantic-comedy about Rachel (Constance Wu of tv's "Fresh Off The Boat"), an American-born, Chinese professor who goes off to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding) for his best friend's wedding. But when they get there, she discovers that the seemingly modest, Nick is actually incredibly wealthy. Then Rachel has to not only deal with jealous women trying to knock her out of the way to steal her boyfriend but also face Nick's disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh).