Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Ruth, a young woman who has been on the run for some time, trying to avoid being captured by a nefarious organization. They want to study her due to the seizures that she has which releases an uncontrollable powerful energy that causes destructive seismic shifts. Ruth lives in a dystopian world that's dry and crumbling because it has not rained in years, making water a valuable commodity. Overwhelmed and exhausted, Ruth makes her way back to the remote farm where she grew-up to her mother (Lorraine Toussaint) and the daughter (Saniyya Sidney) she left behind with her. While back at home, she slowly reconnects with her loved ones and discovers that her special abilities have been a part of the women in her family for generations. But the relentless scientists are closing in with the help of a local sheriff (David Straithairn) who has secrets of his own.
The compelling storytelling, striking visual effects and graceful performances would be enough to make this film exceptionally appealing yet what makes "Fast Color" really stand out is that the central characters are African-American and female which is a move that is unexpected and enlightened for this genre. "Fast Color" was released modestly last year and this smart, thrilling adventure didn't receive all the attention it certainly deserves. This is a film that you should definitely seek out.
"Sisters" (1973)
One of the earliest of Brian DePalma's feature films is "Sisters", an overwrought psychological thriller which also serves as a low-wattage homage (or to some, blatant rip-off) to the acclaimed work of Alfred Hitchcock.
"Sisters" (1973)
Loosely inspired by the true-life story of the conjoined Krivoshlyapova twins from the Soviet Union, ad salesman, Philip (Lisle Wilson) and French-Canadian model/actress, Danielle (Margot Kidder) meet while participating on a "Candid Camera" type game show in New York. He offers Danielle to be his date for his prize of dinner at a restaurant with the couple having a good time. As they continue the evening at her place in Staten Island, Danielle sees her former husband, Emil (William Finley) watching outside the apartment, realizing that he's been following them all night. Pretending to leave, with Emil departing not long afterwards, Philip sneaks back to Danielle so they can continue their date. The next morning, Philip awakens to hear arguing French-speaking voices. Danielle tells him that her twin sister, Dominique has arrived and it's their birthday. After returning from an errand to pick-up Danielle's prescription and a surprise birthday cake for the twins, Philip is brutally murdered by Dominique. Grace Collier (Jennifer Salt), a neighbor who lives in the building across the way, witnesses the murder (with remarkable detail considering her apartment doesn't look directly in to Danielle's) and calls the police. But when they arrive, a body is nowhere to be found. As a reporter for a small Staten Island newspaper and looking for a story to give her some notice, Grace is determined to investigate and solve this mysterious crime.
DePalma has never been known for well-constructed stories and the implausible holes in the plot here are miles wide. But what the director has been able to successfully achieve in much of his work is stylish production, thrilling suspense and first-rate performances, which can be found in this film. Voyeurism and feminism are prevalent themes in "Sisters" that the director has returned to many times in his films throughout his career, much like his cinematic idol. It's not clear if DePalma was attempting to make an earnest parody of Hitchcock or an actual horror film. In either case, neither idea was entirely successful. But that doesn't mean that "Sisters" is not entertaining, effectively delivering plenty of disturbing images, creepy scares and gruesome violence.
"Franca: Chaos and Creation" (2016)
This fascinating documentary, "Franca: Chaos and Creation" looks at the life of the late Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani (who passed away at the age of sixty-six shortly after this film was completed) whose groundbreaking artistic vision completely transformed how fashion was presented in the pages of the magazine. Francesco Carrozzini, a noted fashion photographer, video director and the son of Sozzani, directed the documentary, with this project beginning as a way for him to find out more about his mother, who could be elusive and coy regarding her past and creative process.
"Franca: Chaos and Creation" (2016)
Sozzani married young (which ended after three months) but knew she wanted more out of life than simply being a wife and mother. She soon turned to fashion yet it was what was happening in London at the time in the swinging '60's that captured her imagination instead of Italy which was fairly conservative during this era. Sozzani's first major job was as an assistant at the children's fashion magazine Vogue Bambini before taking over the Italian edition of Vogue in 1988. During her time at the magazine, Sozzani's editorial style was about creating mood and narrative through her fashion spreads by pushing the boundaries of the photography found on the glossy pages. Some of the more outrageous and controversial ideas to become fashion content included plastic surgery, domestic violence, mental illness, the BP oil spill and the most audacious; an entire issue devoted to the use of only black models.
With home-movie footage of Sozzani as a child and young woman, the colorfully chaotic images from many of the photo shoots and the big names of the fashion industry sharing stories of their collaboration and friendship with the editor, "Chaos and Creation" takes a candid look at an innovator who, for almost thirty years, boldly merged art, photography and fashion to create one of the most influential magazines in history.
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