SUBLET (2021)

Written by Eytan Fox and Itay Segal



Directed by Eytan Fox



Where & When: Laemmle Royal, West Los Angeles, CA.  June 19, 2021  4:10 PM

The Israeli filmmaker, Eytan Fox was introduced to audiences with his 2002 breakthrough feature, "Yossi & Jagger". At only seventy-one minutes, this moving film, which tells the story of two soldiers stationed at the Israel–Lebanon border who are having a clandestine romance, brought the director international acclaim with an infrequent drama at the time involving a gay relationship. The openly gay Fox would focus on queer themes in his subsequent work in film and television, including his latest, "Sublet". The focus of this compelling drama is on two very different gay men -- culturally, socially and generationally -- who unexpectedly develop a profound friendship that is built without lustful desire or romantic passion but through mutual trust and intimacy.

Michael (John Benjamin Hickey), a middle-aged travel writer for The New York Times, has just landed in Tel Aviv for an assignment. He arrives at the apartment he has arranged to stay in for five days when Tomer (Niv Nissim), an aspiring filmmaker who is subleting his place, has completely lost track of time and unprepared to welcome his guest. Michael offers to find a hotel but the young Israeli man insists that he stay, confessing he really needs the money. After Tomer rushes out, Michael tries to settle in to the cluttered rental. He has a husband (Peter Spears) back in New York and during a video chat, we get a sense there is some unresolved tension between this long-term couple.

The next morning, Tomer returns to the apartment to pick-up something he left behind and the two begin to chat. Michael explains that he has come to write about his experiences visiting interesting places in the city, mentioning a few. After informing him that those places are hardly the best in Tel Aviv and knows of far more appealing destinations, an intrigued Michael asks Tomer to escort him to them. This begins their days-long journey involving discovery and self-discovery.

Carefree and fiercely protective of his independence, Tomer is a modern queer man who refuses to be clearly defined or tied down to anyone. He finds Michael's aspiration for a heteronormative lifestyle curious and a little sad. But as he gets to know more about Michael, this opens him to understanding the possibilities of a deeper connection with just one person. And watching Tomer's relaxed approach to living his life, a fussy, uptight Michael begins to reconsider what he really wants and needs in his own life and relationship.

The plot of "Sublet" may be slight and predictable yet the film still manages to charm and be completely engaging due to the intimate moments between these two men, sharing their dreams, fears, desires and disappointments. This the first film role for Mr. Nissim and Mr. Hickey is a recognized and celebrated character actor of stage and screen. The actors deliver wonderfully honest, lived in performances as these two strangers hesitantly begin to open up to trust each other.

"Sublet" is a safe yet fascinating character study set in a time post-marriage equality. The film gently touches on the rarely discussed conflict between domesticated gays wanting to be seen as "normal" by society and others continuing to embrace being proudly queer which means not following societal expectations. While there have been several gains made since the fiery explosion of the Stonewall riots, we certainly still have very long way to go before there is true equality for all in the LGBTQIA+ communities.

2021 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

After COVID brought down the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the 74th annual event is moving forward this year. Instead of the usual May dates, the fest has been pushed to July 6th to the 17th. This will be an in-person festival but with safety protocols in place which will include daily health pass checks that must show full vaccination or a negative test result issued no more than 48 hours prior and masks are to be worn during indoor screenings.

"Annette", the first feature film from Leos Carax since 2012, will be the Opening Night film. This is the fanciful French director's English-language debut and first actual musical which he co-wrote with Ron and Russell Mael of the art-rock band, Sparks. Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard star as a creative couple who give birth to a daughter, Annette who has a special gift. This dramatic musical has also been selected in the main competition for prizes.



Spike Lee, who was selected for the 2020 event before it was cancelled, will be President of the jury who will determine the winners of the awards. The impressive list of jurors who will be joining the American filmmaker (whose image also graces the 2021 Cannes poster) this year will be French/Senegalese director, Mati Diop ("Atlantics"); French-Canadian musician, Mylène Farmer; American actor, Maggie Gyllenhaal; Austrian filmmaker, Jessica Hausner; French actor/filmmaker, Mélanie Laurent; Brazilian filmmaker, Kleber Mendonça Filho; French actor, Tahar Rahim and South Korean actor, Song Kang-Ho ("Parasite").

Twenty-four films will be vying for these prizes and the competition is heavy with new works by some familiar names of international filmmaking; Mia Hansen-Løve ("Bergman Island"), Paul Verhoeven ("Benedetta"), Ildikó Enyedi ("The Story of My Wife"), François Ozon ("Tout s'est bien passé (Everything Went Fine)"), Joachim Trier ("The Worst Person in the World"), Sean Baker ("Red Rocket"), Jacques Audiard ("Paris, 13th District"), Asghar Farhadi ("A Hero"), Apichatpong Weerasethakul ("Memoria"), Sean Penn ("Flag Day") and Wes Anderson ("The French Dispatch").





There is a new section added to the fest called Cannes Première which will focus on putting a spotlight on the films they want to give special recognition but cannot accommodate due to limited space in the competition section. Some of the films featured include the latest from cinematic provocateur, Gaspar Noé with "Vortex" which is about the last years of a couple suffering from senility, "Cow" from British filmmaker, Andrea Arnold, "Hold Me Tight", a new feature from French actor/filmmaker, Mathieu Almaric and Arnaud Desplechin's "Tromperie (Deception)".

"OSS 117: From Africa With Love", the latest in the French spy comedy series starring Oscar-winner, Jean Dujardin, will be shown as the Final Screening of the fest. And Jodie Foster will receive this year's Honorary Palme d'Or for her outstanding contributions to cinema as a performer and filmmaker. The two-time Oscar winner plans to attend the event in person to accept the honor during the Opening Night cermony.

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (2021)

 

Written by Tracy Letts

Directed by Joe Wright

Available to stream now on Netflix

Back in 2018, Joe Wright, the adventurous British filmmaker behind such creatively thrilling works such as "Pride & Prejudice", "Atonement", "Hanna" and "Darkest Hour", was signed on to bring to the screen the number one best-seller, "The Woman in the Window" by A. J. Finn with Amy Adams and an impressive line-up of actors to co-star. And then the finished film was test-screened for audiences. It did not go well. 

This mystery-thriller had additional scenes added and was re-edited which ultimately did not help. "The Woman in the Window" was delayed several times and then the studio behind the film, 20th Century Fox was bought by the Walt Disney Studios. The pandemic caused the film's release to be delayed again with Disney deciding to have a fire sale and unloaded "The Woman in the Window" to Netflix.

After this long, sad road for the film, I wish I could say that it's really not that bad. But this story of an agoraphobic woman who thinks she has witnessed a murder in the building next door is really, really bad especially considering all of the A-list talent in-front-of and behind the camera involved. "The Woman in the Window" is a muddled thriller that is badly executed, lacking in a steady narrative structure and any clear logical sense.

Living in a large, Manhattan brownstone, Anna Fox (Adams) was a child psychologist before going through a terrible trauma, leaving her suffering from agoraphobia, deeply afraid to venture outside of her home. Separated from her husband (Anthony Mackie) and daughter (Mariah Bozeman) for an unknown reason, she regularly communicates with them. She has a tenant, David (Wyatt Russell) who lives in her basement and tries to help her out whenever he can. Trapped indoors, Anna spends her days watching old movies, taking meds, drinking heavily and observing (some might say "spying") her neighbors living their lives out of her window.

One evening, Ethan Russell (Fred Hechinger), a teenager who has moved in with his family directly across the street, arrives with a gift. Reluctantly, Anna lets him in, with the two bonding over movies and her cat. The next night on Halloween, Ethan's mother, Jane (Julianne Moore) pays her a visit. They spend the evening chatting and drinking. The next day, Alistair Russell (Gary Oldman) comes knocking on Anna's door, asking if anyone from his family had been over to visit. Feeling uncomfortable with his aggressive manner, Anna lies to him. Later, Ethan confesses to her that his father has been abusive to him and his mother.

Then one night, after hearing a scream, Anna looks out her window and sees Jane being stabbed in her home. After calling the police, two detectives (Brian Tyree Henry and Jeanine Serralles) arrive to question Anna who is convinced that Alistair has murdered his wife. However, the Russell family are with the police and that includes Jane (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) who is very much alive and has never met Anna. Since we know that liquor and anxiety medication probably shouldn't mix, there is the possiblity that Anna is hallucinating that she met Jane and could be the cause behind the other disturbances that have left her feeling jumpy and disoriented. As she begins to believe what she saw must be her imagination, a photo that Anna took of her cat reveals that something sinister is really happening.

Alfred Hitchcock looms large over "The Woman in the Window" with Wright paying direct homage to the influential director by attempting to recreate his style of suspense, even going so far as using clips from some of his celebrated movies throughout. Yet this move only serves to remind us that what we're watching is a poorly conceived imitation of the great work done by the Master of Suspense. What Hitchcock did to create his feature films was thoughtfully and meticulously planned out. And while it is certain that what finally ended up on screen with "Woman" is not what our director had originally envisioned, what exactly was his grand plan is also not clear. It seems that Wright had wanted to elevate the common psychological thriller with artful elements much like he did (with mixed results) in his 2012 boldly, stylized adaptation of the oft-revisited literary classic, "Anna Karenina". We see brief moments of surrealistic imagery throughout this film yet they feel oddly out of place when merged with the standard mystery-thriller tropes. Whatever the true intentions were by Wright with "The Woman in the Window" will remain unknown but I suspect that the director was attempting a more impressionistic approach to the film which probably would explain the confusion by viewers.

Another mystery involves actor/writer, Tracy Letts (appearing briefly in the film as Anna's psychiatrist) and the screenplay he wrote for this film. What we have is a fairly simple story that has been written in a way to make it become unnecessarily complicated and extremely confusing. The story is oddly paced, the dialogue is stilted and the characters' motivations are not sharply drawn. But I would still be very curious to read the original completed script by this Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright because I'm sure it had to be somewhat compelling in order to have attracted all of the talent involved.

One positive thing I can say about the film is that it looks great thanks to the stunning camera work by Bruno Delbonnel and production design by Kevin Thompson. Wright is usually a brilliant and confident filmmaker, always willing to push boundaries and never settling for an obvious approach in handling material, even if it's a revered classic. But with "The Woman in the Window" he seems to have lost his way, trying to push a slight narrative too far while also failing to keep the mystery reasonably intact.

2021 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The 2021 Tribeca Film Festival will be the first major US fest to have in-person events since the pandemic began as well as continuing with online screenings for those more comfortable watching from home or anyone unable to attend living in the USA. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of this New York celebration of indie cinema and will be held June 9th to 20th. The festival will also feature Tribeca Immersive which explores the art found in the virtual world; Tribeca Podcasts will deliver the best of audio-storytelling; Talks will have discussions on the business of entertainment, TV will showcase the best of the small screen on the big screen and the welcome return of live events. 

The fest will open with the world premiere of the big screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning musical, "In The Heights". The film, directed by John Chu, will be screened at various sites in outdoor venues across all five of New York's five boroughs and also indoors at the recently restored United Palace theater in the Washington Heights neighborhood where the story is set. "In The Heights" will be released on June 11th in theaters and HBO Max.

Another Warner Bros. film, "No Sudden Move", the latest from director, Steven Soderbergh, has been selected as the Centerpiece Gala with an outdoor screening taking place at the Battery on June 18th. Set in 1954 Detroit, a group of small-time criminals get in over their heads when a planned job goes terribly wrong. Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Hamm and Ray Liotta star in this crime-thriller that will be in theaters and HBO Max on July 1st.



There will be several retrospective outdoor screenings including the 25th anniversary of the Coen brothers', "Fargo"; "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Five Heartbeats" and the Charlie Chaplin classic, "The Kid". A restored version of "Raging Bull" will be screened followed by a pre-recorded conversation about the film's lasting legacy with star, Robert De Niro and director, Martin Scorsese.







The Closing Night film will be the new documentary which is being referred to as "Untitled: Dave Chappelle Documentary". Inspired by the difficulties of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd, the film follows Chappelle as he performs a series of outdoor, socially-distanced comedy shows done in his neighbor's cornfield last summer. The documentary, directed by Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, will make it's world premiere at Radio City Music Hall which will be the first time the venue has been opened for an event since last March.

And after having their planned 2020 Tribeca screenings cancelled due to the pandemic, those selected fifty-six feature films will be making in-person theatrical premieres during this year's event.

For the complete listing of films, additional information and purchase tickets, please click below:

2021 Tribeca Film Festival

96 MOVIES YOU MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO SEE THIS SUMMER

As we move in to Memorial Day weekend, this is typically the start of the summer movie season. But because there was no guarantee that people would even be able to go back in to theaters in any significant way, the number of films being released is not as robust as seasons in the past. However, with half of the country vaccinated and theaters being allowed to have them opened at full capacity, there is a good chance this could be a summer to remember.

And as for the movies? Well, there are a number of major films that were delayed from last year like the musical, "In The Heights", the never-ending franchise sequel, "Fast & Furious 9", one for the kids, "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" and the latest Marvel super-hero adventure, "Black Widow". The rest seem to be a mix of indie films, movies from streaming services that will get a brief, token release in theaters and lower profile features meant to be seen in cinemas the previous year that will get a theatrical premiere before heading to VOD. Overall, there seems to be very little to get really excited over. But I'm sure, like every summer, there will be a few movies that will create an unexpected buzz at the box-office.

Vulture has been kind to put together a list of the movies that will be heading to theaters this summer so you can see what to expect throughout this hot weather season.

Click below to read:

2021 Summer Movie Preview

THE BEST CHER MOVIE PERFORMANCES RANKED

Throughout her career and despite her many achievements, Cher has not always been taken very seriously. One probable reason is her style; wild, gaudy and over-the-top fashions that some would consider tasteless and too provocative. But it is her being an outspoken, no-nonsense woman who has lived her life by her own rules and values that just might be too much for some people to handle. And while she may not have always gotten the respect she deserves, Cher has remained incredibly beloved and admired by a great number of fans because of her uncompromising nature.

Now the one and only, Cher has just turned seventy-five on May 20th. With a fearless spirit and unrelenting determination, she has endured largely by avoiding to follow trends, only going by what inspires her and never being overly concerned about what people might think about her choices. 

As the story goes, an eighteen year old, Cherilyn Sarkisian met Salvatore "Sonny" Bono, an older, struggling musician and producer. He saw the potential in this shy, young girl, guiding her as a solo artist and later forming a pop music act together as a duo. It took some time but they finally hit, having several charting songs as a couple and just Cher. When the music success cooled, Sonny & Cher headed to Las Vegas which lead to them moving to television and becoming even bigger stars. And when their marriage ended, so did the variety show. 

Now on her own, Cher had to start over. She went back to music with mixed results before deciding to earnestly pursue acting. It was rough going before two major directors took a chance on her; Robert Altman cast Cher in the stage play, "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (and later the film adaptation) and then Mike Nichols (who saw her in the play) put her in a supporting role in his drama, "Silkwood" which starred Meryl Streep. And not long after that came the romantic-comedy, "Moonstruck" which gave her some real cred as an actress and an Oscar.

And to celebrate the acting career of this legendary diva, Vulture has decided to look back on all of the movie performances by Cher and rank them from her least successful to her very best work. Unfortunately, she hasn't done many films but what Cher has contributed to cinema are moments that have been truly magical.

Click below to read:

The Best Cher Movie Performances Ranked

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART THIRTEEN

 "A Little Romance" (1979)

"A Little Romance" doesn't appear to be a likely film for George Roy Hill to direct. A master craftsman who never relied on bold, stylish embellishment in his storytelling, Hill might be best remembered for his two celebrated features, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting" but he was also behind several interesting films that were not fully appreciated at the time of their release, like "The World of Henry Orient", "Slaughterhouse-Five", "Slap Shot" and "The World According to Garp" that have since gone on to be considered classics. And although this modest yet sweet romantic-comedy involving two mature teenagers falling in love might not have aged as well, the film still manages to deliver appealing moments that are wistful and lovely. 

Lauren (Diane Lane in her first screen appearance) is a precocious thirteen year old American living in Paris with her frivolous mother (Sally Kellerman) and her latest husband, a banker (Arthur Hill). While on the set of her mother's newest infatuation, an obnoxious film director (David Dukes), Lauren meets Daniel (Thelonious Bernard in his only film role), a young French boy obsessed with Hollywood movies, who snuck on to the movie shoot. And just like in the movies, the two teens quickly fall for each other.

One day, Lauren and Daniel literally bump in to Julius Santorin (a hammy Laurence Olivier), an elderly, aristocratic gentleman. He befriends them, sharing many fantastical stories including one where if lovers kiss in a Venetian gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset while the church bells toll, they will be forever in love. And after a disastrous meeting with Lauren's mother at a party, with her forbidding her daughter to ever see Daniel again, and announcing plans to return back to America, the young lovebirds set off to Venice with the help of Julius. 

Hill does capture the wonderous feeling of first love, the magical excitement of cinema and takes full advantage of highlighting the charm and beauty of two of the most romantic cities in Europe. But the real question remains; who is this movie for? "A Little Romance" is a little too stuffy and cultured for children to enjoy while adults won't really find much to connect with in this featherweight romance.

"Roxanne Roxanne" (2017)

"Roxanne Roxanne" tells the fact-based story on the rise of one of the early performers of 1980's New York hip-hop and it's in the unlikely form of a fourteen year old girl. Born and raised in Queens, Roxanne Shante (played by Chanté Adams in her film debut which won her a Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Performance at Sundance) is a teen with a tough outer shell that protects her sensitive, emotional center. She lives with her single mother (an excellent Nia Long) who has become angry, bitter and alcoholic due to the abusive men in her life, offering only tough love and leaving Roxanne to largely care for her younger sisters. Roxanne does have a special gift; she can effortless spit out rhymes, impressively as talented as the pros who rap on hit records. And although she wins local rap battles, even taking home some cash prizes, Roxanne doesn't think it will lead to anything serious.

Marley Marl (Kevin Phillips), who is a record producer, is working on a song with Roxanne that was inspired by the rap group, U.T.F.O's hit single, "Roxanne, Roxanne". They came up with a response track called, "Roxanne's Revenge" that becomes an immediate sensation and made the young teenager a star. And as Roxanne achieves some level of success as a musician, she is surrounded by men who cheat and exploit her including Cross (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer who becomes her lover, father of her child and emotional tormenter.

With his second feature film, writer/director, Michael Larnell shows great promise as a filmmaker, creating a sharply observed, character-driven drama of a teen emerging from poverty and abuse to fortuitously become a musician. But the music takes a backseat to the hardships and challenges in Shante's life. We do get to witness the strength, fierce determination, survival skills and (briefly) rapping talent of this young woman yet by the conclusion, it feels like the film was far more interested in Shante's harrowing journey of victimization than her contributions to hip-hop.

"Girlfriends" (1978)

"Girlfriends" was one of several feature films in the 1970's that focused on women chafing against the traditional roles expected of them, with a determined desire to forge their own path in the world that may not necessarily include being a wife or mother. But what made this movie stand out is that it was actually written and directed by a woman, Claudia Weill who made her narrative feature debut with this captivating comedic drama.

Melanie Mayron (who would later go on to greater acclaim appearing on the groundbreaking television drama, "thirtysomething") plays Susan Weinblatt, an aspiring photographer who wants to see her work displayed in galleries. But at the moment, she supports herself by shooting pictures for weddings and bar mitzvahs. And while her best friend and roommate, Anne (Anita Skinner) is trying to become a writer, she suddenly decides to marry her boyfriend (Bob Balaban), leaving her career aspirations and Susan behind. Trying to be happy for her yet disappointed with the decision, Susan goes on with her plans alone. As she struggles to sell her photos, Susan has a flirtation with a married Rabbi (Eli Wallach) and later gets a boyfriend (Christopher Guest). And as Anne (who has had a child) watches Susan make things happen with her life, she becomes envious of her friend's independence.

Weill began "Girlfriends" as a short in 1975, later getting some funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to expand it in to a feature. But she ran out of money and Weil had to find additional investors, making it take three years to finally complete the film. Warm, funny and engaging, Weill pointedly examines modern women and the complicated struggles in their lives, careers, relationships with men and other women that feels emotionally authentic.

Warners Bros. would distribute this low-budget indie, making the filmmaker an intriguing new talent. Her next effort was 1980's "It's My Turn", a romantic-comedy starring Jill Clayburgh and Michael Douglas, that was a critical and box-office disappointment, effectively bringing an end to her promising feature film career. Weill did find plenty of work later directing for television but it is shameful that Hollywood refused to give her another opportunity like they had given to numerous men that failed commercially after having a lauded film.