SEAN CONNERY (1930 - 2020)

Sean Connery, who is probably best known as the first actor who played Ian Fleming's British secret agent character, James Bond on the big screen, has passed away today at the age of ninety. The Scottish performer, who had officially retired from acting in 2006, died of natural causes at his home in Nassau. Ruggedly handsome and effortlessly charming, Connery could captivate with his macho swagger and brute force yet would never seem out of place in a sophisticated setting.

He was born Thomas Sean Connery in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland. At the age of 16, he joined the Royal Navy but was discharged four years later on medical grounds due to a duodenal ulcer. Unsure of what he wanted to do with his life, Connery worked a number of odd jobs which included a coffin polisher and an artist's model. One job was working backstage at the King's Theatre in 1951 which was when Connery became interested in acting. He got small parts and was an understudy on stage before moving on to bit parts in television and film.

Connery received his first leading role in a BBC Television production of "Requiem For a Heavyweight" in 1957 and then a major role in a movie the following year with the melodrama, "Another Time, Another Place" with Lana Turner. But it would be the role of Agent 007 in "Dr. No" in 1962 that would make Connery a major star. He played Bond in the first five films which included "From Russia with Love" (1963), "Goldfinger" (1964), "Thunderball" (1965), "You Only Live Twice" (1967), returned with "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and finally "Never Say Never Again" in 1983. Although this franchise made him a recognized name, Connery grew tired of the role and resented how it typecast him.

The actor would get other opportunities to branch out as a performer and some highlights include Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie"; John Huston’s "The Man Who Would Be King" with his buddy, Michael Caine; "Robin and Marian" with Audrey Hepburn; "Murder on the Orient Express" and "The Name of the Rose" which won Connery a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in 1986. But it would be his performance in Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" as a hardened Irish-American cop that would give Connery newfound respect as an actor and sparked renewed interest in his career by a new generation. The role was considered one of his best and won Connery the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1987.

Some of the films he appeared in following his resurgence include "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ", "The Hunt For Red October", "The Rock", "The Russia House", "Entrapment" and "Finding Forrester". But during the filming of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", a 2003 film adaptation of the comic-book series, Connery was extremely frustrated with the director, Stephen Norrington and had such a bad experience that he was reluctant to ever go through that again, ultimately making this his final screen appearance.

Connery was married twice; first to actress Diane Cilento from 1962 to 1973 and they had a son, Jason Connery, an actor. He is survived by Micheline Roquebrune, a painter Connery married in 1975. Connery was a gifted actor who left us with many memorable and outstanding performances.

COMING SOON

The critically-acclaimed Broadway musical, "The Prom" is getting the Hollywood treatment by way of Ryan Murphy and Netflix. The powerhouse television and film producer has managed to lure such glittering stars as James Corden, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep to sing and dance for the movie version in which he also directs. "The Prom" tells the story of four New York stage actors whose careers are on the decline and hear about a high school student in a conservative Indiana town not being allowed to take her girlfriend to the prom. Realizing this could help bring them great publicity, the actors head to Indiana to save the day. However, these self-absorbed performers wind up actually causing more harm than good for these high-school lovers. "The Prom" looks like it could be a lot of fun which is something we are in desperate need right now.

"The Prom" is due in select U.S. theaters in November and Netflix on December 11, 2020

CUTIES (MIGNONNES) (2020)

Written & Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré



Available to stream now on Netflix



The arrival of "Cuties (Mignonnes)", the debut feature from French filmmaker, Maïmouna Doucouré, to these shores through Netflix has been met with raucous criticism and calls to remove the film from the streaming channel. This drama (which won Doucouré the Best Director award in the World Cinema section of this year's Sundance Film Festival) actually focuses on an eleven year old Senegalese girl being raised in a traditional Muslim home while trying to fit in her new country of France. But it is the images of pre-adolescent girls dancing in a sexually provocative way that has outraged some Americans, claiming the film is nothing more than child pornography and implying that it will somehow help fuel the sex trafficking trade.

Based on the hysterical reactions from these people (including some US political figures in a lazy attempt to get their name in the press), I'm certain none of them have actually seen "Cuties". Please ignore all of this absurd chatter. I have seen "Cuties" and can guarantee you that the attack on this film is not only unwarranted but highly inaccurate. "Cuties" is a brilliantly insightful drama which uses these provocative images to make it's point. With the film, Doucouré is actually trying to bring attention to the enduring sexualization of women in the media and how this sends out confusing messages to impressionable young girls who do not yet have the comprehension to fully understand what they are seeing.

Shy and insecure, Amy (a dazzling Fathia Youssouf) just wants to fit in with the rest of the girls at her school. Yet she is bullied or dismissed by many of the other students. But after watching Angelica (Médina El Aidi-Azouni), a fellow classmate and neighbor, in the laundry room dancing seductively with her beautiful long hair whipping back and forth, Amy becomes fixated on her. Angelica is part of a small clique of girls at school who perform together as a dance troupe called "Cuties". Admiring from afar while they rehearse for a talent show, Amy desperately wants to get closer to Angelica and become a part of this group. With fierce determination (and a few humiliating moments), Amy is able to win them over and hang out with these girls. After watching some music videos involving sexually provocative dancers, she slyly suggests they incorporate these moves in to their routine for the contest, certain that this will help them win.

What makes Amy feel even more isolated is the discovery that her father is returning home with a second wife. Confused by this custom, Amy is further frustrated as she watches her mother (Maïmouna Gueye), bravely announcing this marriage to friends and preparing for the wedding, while knowing she is completely devastated by this development and unable to say how she really feels.

The director Doucouré (who is French-born of Senegalese descent) has used her own experiences of growing up torn between her religious values and an increasingly hypersexualized world, which young girls are particularly vulnerable, to write the screenplay. She has no interest in moralizing but to reveal the internal struggles that her characters' face of learning what it means to be female in our current society. The film captures a time in young girl's life where she's grappling with understanding her self-image and curiosity about sexuality but trying to use social media for answers. One scene that perfectly captures the confusion and ignorance of the girls is when one of them finds an open condom, then proceeds to blow it up like a balloon. The others shriek and won't come near her, fearing she has contracted AIDS. Their solution to cure her is to wash her mouth out vigorously with soap.

With her desperate desire to feel acceptance and belonging, Amy begins to display outrageous behavior and commit rebellious acts, losing all sense of what is right and wrong. This leads to her mother and aunt (played by Mbissine Thérèse Diop who is best known for her role in the 1966 feature, "Black Girl", one of the first African films to receive international acclaim) to bring a healer in order to exorcise the evil spirits in her. Amy's body reacts, shaking and writhing violently, yet we are left feeling unsure if she's simply just playing along or actually having her childhood demons removed.

Part of what has stirred up the outrage over "Cuties" was Netflix's misguided attempt to promote the film using suggestive images and the seductive dance routines of these young girls without the proper context. The point of "Cuties" is not to titillate or exploit. Doucouré with her audacious film wants to provoke meaningful conversation on how women in many cultures continue to be undervalued and oppressed, voiceless in decisions that can effect their lives. I really hate the idea that "Cuties" may fall victim to a loud yet negligible group trying to have the film cancelled. The issues that the film raises should be discussed, addressed and supported.

2020 NEWFEST FILM FESTIVAL

NewFest, the 32nd annual LGBTQ+ Film Festival will be going forward as a streaming and drive-in theater event. This New York celebration of queer stories and storytellers will feature over one hundred films from across the globe, virtual social conversations and panels that will be available to anyone in the U.S. for the first time. 

The Opening Night film on October 16th will be the latest from Francis Lee (the director behind "God's Own Country" which has been dubbed a British "Brokeback Mountain"), "Ammonite". The screening will be held at the Queens Drive-In at Corona Park and this 19th century-set romantic-drama stars Oscar-winner, Kate Winslet as an unasuming fossil hunter along the English coastline of Lyme Regis. Having to rely on wealthy tourists for financial support, she ends up caring for a young wife (played by multiple Oscar-nominee, Saoirse Ronan) who is recovering from a personal tragedy. These very different women find an unexpected connection and begin a passionate love affair that will change their lives forever. Ms Winslet will present Mr. Lee (virtually, of course) with the first NewFest World Queer Visionary Award prior to screening.



Many of films that will be shown at NewFest are award winners from this year's Outfest Los Angeles like "Minyan", "Los Fuertes (The Strong Ones)", "Shiva Baby", "Cowboys" and the documentaries, "Your Mother’s Comfort" and "Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story".

"No Hard Feelings", which won the Outfest Grand Jury Prize for Best International Narrative screenplay, is the Closing Night film and will stream on October 27th. Writer-director Faraz Shariat's feature debut follows a young, second-generation Iranian-German (Benjamin Radjaipour) living with his conservative family. Working at a refugee center, he begins to explore a queer social life, only to discover that one of his new friends will soon be deported.

But there are some new titles that will be screened which includes, "Keith Haring: Street Art Boy", a documentary that looks at the iconic NYC graffiti artist that features never-before-heard audio and new interviews; "Killing Patient Zero", a fascinating doc that takes apart the myth of the gay French-Canadian flight attendant scapegoated for singlehandedly spreading the AIDS epidemic to North America; the latest from celebrated French auteur, François Ozon, "Summer of  '85" which explores the story of two teenage boys who meet and begin a life-changing summer on the coast of Normandy; "Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back", an intimate and honest look at the legendary Broadway performer’s life that also examines his complicated relationship with his brother, the late Gregory Hines and features interviews with fellow theater dance legends, Chita Rivera and Debbie Allen (who was an executive producer on this project); and "Sublet" from the Israeli filmmaker, Eytan Fox ("Yossi & Jagger", "Walk on Water") which is a comedy-drama about a New York Times travel writer (Tony Award-winner, John Benjamin Hickey) on assignment in Tel Aviv and when he arrives at his short-term rental, he discovers that a handsome young tenant (Niv Nissim) is still occupying the space.







For the complete list of films, venues and to purchase virtual passes and tickets, please click below: 

2020 NewFest LGBTQ Film Festival

2020 AFI FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY AUDI

Like many of the film festivals that have decided to carry on, the AFI Film Festival will be going forward as a virtual event. The fest, which is usually held in November to help kick-off award season, will be early this year and begin on October 15th and run though the 22nd.

The 34th annual AFI Fest opens with the world premiere of "I'm Your Woman", a 1970's set crime-drama from co-writer and director, Julia Hart. Rachel Brosnahan (from the Amazon series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") stars as a suburban housewife who enjoys a good life supplied by her husband (Bill Heck) who is involved in the criminal underworld. But after he betrays his partners, she and their baby have to go in to hiding, leading her on an unexpected and dangerous journey.



The fest will offer the usual Special Presentations, World Cinema, New Auteurs, documentaries, short films and Cinema's Legacy which focuses on the diverse and expansive history of filmmaking and this year will highlight the work of African-American filmmakers, The Hughes Brothers ("Dead Presidents"), Leslie Harris ("Just Another Girl On The I.R.T."), Mario Van Peebles ("Posse") and Cheryl Dunye ("The Watermelon Woman").





A new addition is called Meet The Shorts which is a partnership with NBC's "Meet The Press" news program. This showcase of short documentaries offers compelling stories on some of the most pressing issues facing our society today. Each shorts program will feature a Q&A moderated by an NBC News journalist.

There will be festival tributes that will celebrate the distinguished careers of writer/director, Sofia Coppola who has just recently released her latest feature, "On The Rocks" with Bill Murray and Rashida Jones; Kirby Dick, the documentary filmmaker behind the riveting films, "The Invisible War", "The Hunting Ground", "Sick" and his recent work, "On The Record" which looks at the #MeToo movement from an African-American voice and will be a free screening at the fest; starting with her debut feature, "Salaam Bombay!" in 1988, the filmmaker, Mira Nair has directed acclaimed films like "Mississippi Masala", "Monsoon Wedding" and AFI Fest will screen the world premiere of her six-hour series, "A Suitable Boy"; and EGOT winner, Rita Moreno, who began her illustrious acting career at the age of thirteen, will be next seen of the big screen with an appearance (and as an executive producer) in Steven Spielberg's remake of the musical, "West Side Story" which she won an Oscar for her role in the 1961 movie.





And the AFI Fest will close with the premiere of Academy-Award winner, Errol Morris' new documentary, "My Psychedelic Love Story". The film examines the strange, mysterious and complicated relationship between socialite, Joanna Harcourt-Smith and the high priest of LSD, Timothy Leary.



For the complete list of films and to purchase virtual passes and tickets, please click below: 

2020 AFI Film Festival