Category: Of Local (Quad Cities’) Interest Page 2 of 54

The category is self-explanatory, but it would include new or old businesses, political elections, trends, restaurants in town, entertainment in town, etc.

Five Interesting Oscar-Qualifying Shorts

By Connie Wilson

On October 25, 2024

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest

Five Oscar-eligible shorts have come to me recently. They are “Tea,” “Corpse Fishing,” “Anuja,” “Heart of Texas” and “Deck 5B.” There are more to come, but here’s how the first five struck me, listed in the order I enjoyed them:

Michael Gandolfini in "Tea., with Olivia Nikkanen.

Olivia Nikkanen and Michael Gandolfini in “Tea,” the Oscar-eligible short.

Michael Gandolfini, son of James Gandolfini, star of “Tea.”

“Tea” was directed by Blake Rice and starred Michael Gandolfini (“The Many Saints of Newark”), son of James Gandolfini. This hilarious short follows a young man rehearsing to ask out the girl of his dreams, when a sudden hornet sting throws everything into chaos.This offbeat comedy premiered at Cannes as the only U.S. film in the Short Films Competition and qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars®. It qualified for Best Short Film at the Nashville Film Festival, Tirana International Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival, Palm Springs and HollyShorts. I thought immediately of the 1999 film “Election” (Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick) where a bee sting renders Broderick into someone more closely resembling the Hunchback of Notre Dame than the previous smiling teacher supervising the school election. Similarly, young Gandolfini is immediately in dire straits after being stung, appearance-wise and health-wise. It falls to Olivia Nikkanen to save the poor guy. Olivia (“The Americans,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Little Foxes”) is best known for her work as a series regular on the Netflix hit series THE SOCIETY (2019) and for her recurring arc on SUPERGIRL (2015). This short spoke to me because it seemed to represent the growing portion of the U.S. male population defined as “incels.” Incels are involuntarily celibate, usually white and male, and often found online. They would like to have a girlfriend, but, for a variety of reasons, that isn’t happening, despite their best efforts. Some incels then become hostile towards all women, but in this amusing short, we hope that the two might actually connect, although it certainly takes a lot for young Gandolfini to get through to his would-be female rescuer that he’s suffering from anaphylactic shock and this is a real health emergency, not just a flirting technique.

“Corpse Fisherman:” Yan aboard the corpse fisherman’s boat in a home-made life preserver.

“Corpse Fishing” – Set in southern China in the Hubei Province, this enigmatic short follows a despairing girl named Yan as she strikes a deal with a stranger to go fishing for bodies in a desperate attempt to find her missing father. This incredible story is inspired by a real ‘corpse fisherman’, who scans the river looking for cadavers, which he then sells back to grieving families. This film was presented at the Tribeca Film Festival and was part of the official selection at HollyShorts. The 16-minute film has qualified for the Academy Awards and, indeed, the very thought that there is a job called “corpse fisherman” was enough to grab my attention. Wei Xinpeng, a real ‘corpse fisherman’, scans the river looking for cadavers, which he then sells back to grieving families. He charges $100 to look and $1,000 to bury the body. Yan—who has been futilely searching for her father who disappeared—speaks with the corpse fisherman; he is so grateful to have company (the odor of decomposing bodies on his boat makes him a social outcast) that he offers her the opportunity to travel with him down the river and, for each day she withstands the horrible smell of decomposing bodies aboard his small
Corpse Fisherman short
boat, she will earn a peek at a body. There are three corpses aboard the boat when Yan throws in with the fisherman, who puts a home-made life preserver on the young girl after she tells him that she cannot swim. We also learn that her mother disappeared and she was told that “the heat drove Mother mad and she went North to recover.” The film was written and directed by Jean Liu and is part of an initiative called “Rising Voices,” which seeks to give under-represented filmmakers a chance at success. Indeed’s “Rising Voices” was created in collaboration with Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Productions, and 271 Films. The idea was to give the financial production of a national TV spot and, instead, invest it in ten BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) directors creating short films. The directors each received $10,000 script payment and $100,000 to make their film. Through 4 seasons, over 2,000 industry jobs have been created in this fashion, with many of them going to people of color who have been historically under-represented. For a reviewer born in Independence, Iowa, on the Wapsi-Pinicon River, the idea of a corpse fisherman in central China was mind-blowing.
“Anuja.”
“Anuja” came in third for me, for many of the same reasons that “Corpse Fishing” grabbed my attention. It is a film set in Delhi, India, and the star of the film, Sajda Pathan, is, herself, an orphan from the streets of Delhi who lives in a home for children rescued from the streets. They are provided food, shelter and education and there are thousands of them. Anuja’s older sister is portrayed by Ananya Shanbhag as Palak. Ananya is employed in a sweat shop sewing clothing. She is very resourceful and hard-working and has figured out a way to use scraps of material to make bags, which she and her younger sister, Anuja, sell on the streets of Delhi. Anuja, however, is a 9-year-old math wizard. She is claiming to be 14 and working, illegally, alongside her sister in the sweat shop. If she will takeadvantage of the opportunity afforded her to break out of the yoke of illegal child labor she can take a qualifying exam and attend the Williams Boarding School, which will give her a chance at a better life, but also take her away from her older sister. Adam J. Graves is the Writer/Director of “Anuja,” which highlights the nonprofit organization the Salaam Baalak Trust in its efforts to rescue homeless children from the streets of Delhi. Watching young Sajda watch the film for the first time with the other children in the home was touching.
Deck 2B
“Deck 5B -This captivating film follows a mother who is torn between the needs of her young child and her own desires. The drama won “Best International Short Film” at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has qualified for consideration for the upcoming Academy Awards. Director Malin Ingrid Johansson was born and raised on a farm in the Swedish countryside and might be one of the few directors who knows how to operate a tractor as well as a camera. Malin’s previous short MADDEN premiered internationally at the Berlinale ‘23, claiming multiple awards at various international film festivals. Lead actress Alma Pöysti is an acclaimed Finnish actor who has made significant strides in Scandinavian cinema, earning accolades such as ‘Best Actress’ at the Finnish Film Awards for her role in TOVE and ‘Best Actress’ at the 2023 Gothenburg Film Festival for FOUR LITTLE ADULTS. Her recent works includes lead roles in Netflix’s A DAY AND A HALF and Aki Kaurismäki’s Cannes Film Festival’s Prix du Jury winner FALLEN LEAVES, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. It’s not that Alma Poysti doesn’t do a good job with the story of a mother aboard a boat (cars on boats that cross the English Channel, for instance) who is heading for a tryst with a new boyfriend who also has a child. The little boy is a typical little boy and not particularly cooperative in helping his mother connect with a potential new boyfriend. The short film was well done, but it was too ordinary. Nothing screamed, “Wow! Look at that!” I enjoyed it, but I wondered how much of its acclaim could be laid at the feet of the accolades the lead actress has garnered for other parts.

Heart of Texas”

“Heart of Texas” – After receiving positive news that she’s one of three song-writing finalists from a potentially life-changing radio contest, an aspiring country singer Janie May (Lauren Noll) races to the studio after her overnight diner shift when she collides with an undocumented worker — changing the course of both their futures. Gregory J.M. Kasunich’s THE HEART OF TEXAS has screened at HollyShorts, In the Palace International Short Film Festival and Sidewalk Film Festival, accumulating 14 accolades so far during its festival run. The film has “qualified for the 2025 Oscars®. Director and co-writer Gregory JM Kasunich is an award winning film, commercial and music video writer, director, and producer from Pittsburgh, PA. His body of work includes projects for Taylor Swift, The Pentatonix, The Summer Set, DreamWorks, Disney, Lucasfilm, General Mills, DirectTV, Mattel, iHeartRadio, and many others. Star Lauren Noll is a Los Angeles based actor and filmmaker with a Master’s Degree in Acting from Harvard University. Since arriving in LA post-grad school, in addition to acting in various films, commercials, and music videos, Lauren’s curiosity around other roles in filmmaking led her to write, direct, and star in her first award-winning short film, “Honor” (2020), a personal drama about the encounter of a queer student with Brigham Young University’s honor code office. She followed that filmmaking debut with “Gen V” (2021) for which she was granted a development deal with Adi Shankar’s Bootleg Universe, and “Clean Slate” (2022), which was awarded a grand jury prize at the Collaboration Filmmakers Challenge, and “The Heart of Texas” (2023), which has garnered her six acting awards to date. She is currently preparing for her feature film directorial debut.

Lauren Noll of “Heart of Texas” short

For me, (who lives near Waco), the end of the film, (which shows Carlos, bloodied, staggering around in a field) was not enough of an “ending.” The would-be singer who has the chance of a lifetime to sing on the radio DOES sing on the radio and she doesn’t seem all that concerned about the illegal migrant who may be bleeding out in her car while she is singing. I was much more concerned with the injured man in her car than she seemed to be. I felt that—since it was sheer luck she had not actually killed the poor guy—she should have taken the injured man any place where he could receive medical care, (but not be kicked out of the U.S. for having no papers.) Perhaps she knew a nurse or someone with a first-aid kit? This short film showed the talents of those involved and Noll’s earlier work recommends watching Lauren Noll (and her collaborators) for good work in the future.

“Nightbitch” Screens on October 21, 2024 at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival

By Connie Wilson

On October 22, 2024

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Uncategorized

Marielle Heller walked the Red Carpet outside the Music Box Theater on Monday, October 21st at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival in support of “Nightbitch,” which she co-wrote and directed. The screenplay is based on the book by Rachel Yoder. Heller’s previous directing forays include “Diary of a Teen-aged Girl” (2015), “Can You Ever Forgive Me” (2018) and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019). Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy play a husband and wife parenting a toddler, played by twin tow-heads Arleigh and Emmett Snowden.

“I’m never going to be smart, happy or thin ever again. And I’m pretty sure I’m turning into a dog,” says the Mother character. That line sums up the plot. All mothers in the audience will be able to relate—up to the dog part, anyway. The theme of a hassled Mom trying to cope with daily life at home with kids reminded me of Jason Reitman’s 2018 film “Tully,” but Charlize Theron had three kids and there was no werewolf-ian metamorphosis involved.

Marielle Heller on October 21, 2024, at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.

As she took the stage to accept her Visionary award, Marielle Heller said, “This is one of my most personal films. I’m just thrilled to be bringing it here tonight.” The 98-minute film’s tag line? “ Motherhood is a bitch.” The IMDB classification lists Body Horror, Comedy, Horror, and Dark Comedy. If you liked “Can You Ever Forgive Me” which earned Melissa McCarthy an Oscar nomination, you’ll like this one. If you’re a Mom, you’ll like it twice as much. (Amy Adams won a TIFF acting award for her role.)

Q&A

After the film screened, Heller shared some insights into the production. The feeling that this could be “any city” and “any Mom” was intentional. Specifics are missing on purpose, including names. Heller is delineating the marital playbook where the wife gives up her career and her dreams to stand by her man. She is thinking, “How many women have delayed their greatness while the men around them didn’t know what to do with theirs?” Adams’ character was a successful artist and worked in an art gallery before she and her husband decided to have a child. Now, as the script says, “The whole concept of motherhood that we’re sold is basically bull-shit.”

SCRIPT
One scripted exchange between the couple has her husband saying, “What happened to the girl I married?” to which Amy Adams responds, “She died in childbirth.” The absence of specific names for our married couple is intentional. One scene (that others wanted to cut) was “the kale salad scene.” Heller described it as a difficult one for Amy Adams to play and “the heart of the film.” As she explained, “It’s that feeling of becoming more and more invisible as you age.” (Tell me about it. No, don’t. I live it daily.)

In the scene, the waiter seems to disregard Amy’s order of a kale salad on more than one occasion. The actor playing the waiter asked the director why the waiter doesn’t seem to respond to Amy Adams repeated request for a kale salad, as she dines out with former work colleagues. Heller told him, “Your ears are not tuned to the sound of any woman over 40.” Adams declares herself a “sand cow” and says, “The woman that I used to be, she’s down here in my intestines, buried in kale.”

SETS/CASTING

Marielle Heller on the Red Carpet outside the Music Box Theater in Chicago during the 60th Chicago International Film Festival on October 21, 2024.

One interesting fact was that the team looking for a house to use for filming looked at over 60 of them. Heller said, “There was more effort to make the movie seem effortless than you could imagine.” (She stumbled upon the house at 2 a.m. on Zillow). She explained that the house they were seeking should demonstrate a certain level of good taste, but “with a layer of baby crap over the good taste.” The most difficult casting was that of the BookBaby Moms. Best BookBaby Moms scene is where each confides an anecdote about their failures as keepers of the household’s pets, whether a bird, a fish or a cat. The sharing occurred after Adams said, in response to inquiries from her BookBaby friends about the couple’s recent separation, “I just had to break out of it. And I killed the cat this week, which made me aware that I’m not doing well emotionally.”

HUMOR

It is dead-pan delivery of lines like the one about the cat that will amuse anyone with a sense of humor— especially any woman who is a new mother struggling to keep her head above water. The script (a collaboration between the author of the book and Heller) is particularly good. It conveys laughs that are truisms that hit home, as when Adams says, “I needed to dig around in the dark and just find myself again.” She salutes all women who have given birth, citing “That shared bond of all you’ve given up for the continuation of the species.”

One of the best and most humorous techniques that Heller uses throughout the film is to show the socially correct response, contrasted with the actual REAL response. One such exchange occurs in the produce aisle of the grocery store in response to a work colleague who asks Amy about being home all day with her new child. (REAL response, unsaid:“I would like to feel content, but instead I feel like I’m trapped within a prison of my own making.”) Instead, she trots out the socially and politically correct response. Scott McNairy as the husband finally admits, “I didn’t see all that you were giving up by being at home.” (An apology is tendered, which Heller said made some people feel uncomfortable. As for herself: “We need to see more men apologize in movies.”) Responding to the platitude “choose happiness” with a strong slap would be the real response. “I’ll try” is what women are conditioned to respond.

DIFFICULT SCENES

There are multiple dogs in the film. When asked about the difficulties of working with animals, Heller said, “With every dog there is a trainer who is talking off-camera. I didn’t know how chaotic that would feel.” She also embraced more unscripted spontaneity than in past films,
because of the small child (actually two twin boys) whose immediate responses needed to be captured. The twins were wonderful in their part and any mother of a small boy will be able to relate to the antics of the toddler.

Asked about one of her favorite scenes, Heller singled out the scene that was her favorite scene to watch with an audience. It involved Amy’s increasing feeling that she is somehow changing and becoming more animalistic. Heller’s brother, Nate, (who played the singing male leader of the Book Babies club) accused his sister of liking gross things. In the scene Amy Adams examines some changes her body is undergoing and takes action. As someone who has a friend who absolutely loves the “Dr. Pimple-popper” television segments, I’ll leave the specifics up to you to discover when you see the film in December (it premieres December 6th), but suffice it to say that it hasn’t been done on film in any movie I’ve seen.

Marielle Heller, Director of “Nightbitch,” onstage at the Music Box Theater during the Q&A at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival on October 21, 2024.

CONCLUSION
You’ll want to put this one on your “Things that make you laugh and cry at the same time,” —especially if you’re a Mom (as I am). If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I don’t want anything or anyone else needing me or touching me,” then this is the film for you. Remember this scripted line if you’re still just giving the politically correct response to those questions about life with a new baby, “Insist on your joy. Time is short.”
Words to live by and a good reason to see “Nightbitch.”

Director Antonio Piazza Discusses “Sicilian Letters” at 60th CIFF on October 20, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On October 20, 2024

In Interviews, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

Writer-Director Antonio Piazza (“Sicilian Ghost Story”), who spoke with me one-on-one on October 20, 2024.

Directors Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza, who directed “Sicilian Ghost Story” in 2017, return to the screen with “Sicilian Letters,” the story of an attempt to capture real-life Mafia crime boss Matteo Messina Denaro. The crime boss known as the last godfather was hunted for 30 years and was finally captured January 16, 2023 outside a medical facility in Palermo where he was seeking treatment for colon cancer under an assumed name. Over 100 police were involved in his apprehension that day. He was transferred to a prison with a cancer medical facility, where he died 8 months later (September 25, 2023), after slipping into a coma on September 24, 2023. At the time of his death, aged 61, it was estimated that Matteo—who had been sentenced to life in prison in absentia for the death of Giuseppe DiMatteo in 2012—was worth $4 billion dollars.

Lucia Rasso (Barbora Bobulova) with whom Matteo hides in “Sicilian Letters.”

Matteo, portrayed by Elio Germano, was known to be a cold-blooded adversary. He once killed a rival (Vincenzo Milaggo from Alcamo) and then strangled the man’s pregnant girlfriend. Matteo had been familiar with guns since the age of 14. At one point, he tells the woman harboring him (Lucia Rasso, played by Barbora Bobulova) that he was responsible for avenging her husband’s death and that he murdered the killer when he was only 17. Matteo also bragged, “I filled a cemetery all by myself.”

We see this early descent into savagery in the film’s opening scene, when Matteo steps up to murder a goat under the direction of his father, upstaging his older brother and foiling the attempts of his sister to grab the knife herself. Matteo’s father, Francesco Messina Denaro, known as Don Ciccio, died in November of 1998. By then, Matteo had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for 5 years, after a string of bombings in 1993 that killed two prosecutors, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

PLOT

The film begins by saying “Reality is a point of departure, not a destination.” In other words, as with most films, a certain amount of poetic license has been taken with real life. But, as Director Antonio Piazza told me in a conversation on August 20^th, most of the story is true. In order to capture the last godfather, the police attempt to turn the former Mayor and Headmaster Catello Palumbo (Toni Servillo), who was Matteo’s godfather, into a trusted go-between. Catillo has just spent 6 years in Cuneo prison. The police tell him, “Our meeting is your chance to get back in the game.” They want him to help capture the arch criminal, who has been on the loose for 30 years. and Catello suggests that writing notes (“pizzini”) might be the way in. It is known that Matteo likes to read and Catello offers up the truism that incarcerated prisoners might be the last real readers on the planet. (Sad, but potentially true).

Catello Palumbo and Matteo Messina Denaro in “Sicilian Letters,” screening at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.

Catello—an odd-looking individual with his comb-over hairdo—has returned to his long-suffering wife Elvira, who seems to take a dim view of her spouse. Catello’s hotel project is in jeopardy; it’s illegal because it’s in a nature preserve. His wife, Elvira (Betty Pedrazzi), is fed up with the circumstances the family has been reduced to during Catello’s incarceration. His daughter Latizia (Dalila Reas) is pregnant by the janitor at Catello’s old school, (a part well-played by Giuseppe Tantillo as the “simple and sweet” Pino Turino.) Elvira does a good job of defending Pino from Catello’s put-downs, but there were other instances in the screenplay where women are demeaned, but none stand up to their abuser. It was definitely a sign of those early 2000 times. One such scene has a male investigator, Captain Schiavon (FaustoRussi Alessi), screaming in the face of female investigator Rita Mancuso (Daniela Marra). There is a line in the screenplay that says,”It’s the men who make decisions at home.” Rita definitely seems angry and upset most of the time.

The police embrace Catello’s idea of using letters to ferret out Matteo’s location. The letters—known as “pizzini“—were small folded-up notes used to communicate with other members of the Cosa Nostra in order to avoid phone conversations. They look very quaint in the era of e-mail and pagers blowing up in Gaza. The pizzini remind of notes passed from student to student in schools from the forties through the sixties, now an anachronism. The idea is to use Catello’s relationship with Matteo as his godfather and the trust Matteo might have in Catello to “Let him hear his father’s voice from beyond the grave.” It seems to work—or does it?

TRUST & CORRUPTION

Investigator Rita Mancuso (Daniela Marra) and Catillo Palumbo (Toni Servillo) join forces to find Matteo in “Sicilian Letters.”

The issues of corruption and trust were huge in the film. One scripted line, “In this village we all spy on one another.” Matteo at one point executes a friend (Nando) who is suspected of stealing cocaine and tells him at the moment of truth that the issue is not the value of the drugs but that “It’s an issue of trust.” The female investigator Rita Mancuso (Daniela Marra) early in the investigation tells Catello not to trust the other investigators on the case. She suspects (correctly) that there is so much corruption that the police don’t really want to catch Matteo. Sicilian singer-songwriter Colapesce even composed a song for the film, “La mal vagita seve al mondo intero” which means “evil serves a purpose for the entire world.” Matteo is the center of an entire world using him for their own greedy purpose.

THE GOOD

The plot is complicated and there are quite a few characters to follow. The acting is compelling. Elio Germano, who plays Matteo, actually moved to Palermo for a short period of time to pick up the dialect and the culture (and some Sicilian mannerisms). The part of Catello’s wife (Elvira, portrayed by Betty Pedrazzi)) was particularly interesting. She was one woman of the era who spoke up. Elvira seems very fed-up with her ex-convict husband and says so. The comic touches helped lighten the mood, as when we learn that Catello’s nickname is “Straight-shitter,” which has to do with the circumstances of his arrest. Some found Catello’s odd hair-do and the comic touches distracting, but they were well-done and necessary to prevent a grim film from becoming too depressing. There is the jab at Matteo’s sister’s “taralli,” a pastry that Matteo warns is as hard as cement. The cinematography and music also served the film well.

SPEAKING WITH DIRECTOR ANTONIO PIAZZA

Matteo’s father takes his 3 children to kill a goat for the holiday meal in an early scene from “Sicilian Letters.”

The significance of the small statue described as being the most valuable in the town’s small museum was explained to me by the director, Antonio Piazza. Not only is it true that the statue was very valuable, but it demonstrated how the Mafiosa ripped off antiquities of the country for their own benefit. The statue was called “pupu.” As Director Piazza explained, the word has different meanings in Sicilian. It can mean “puppet” and it can mean “child.” Said Antonio, “In a way Matteo is a puppet and a child.” The director explained that the existence of the “Pupu” statue was absolutely true. As Director Piazza noted, “Reading the notes left behind in Matteo’s hide-out and seeing the personal items left behind opened up a whole world to us.” The puzzle in Matteo’s hide-away was one way he passed the time while in hiding for 30 years. The real Matteo actually did write a letter to the puzzle manufacturer complaining about the missing puzzle piece. Matteo also read voraciously and watched such television shows on DVR as “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City,” plus reading an Andre Agassi book, Baudelaire, and Dostoyevsky.

CHARACTERS

Pino Tumino, well-played by Giuseppe Tantillo, is the only character in “Sicilian Letters” who comes off as pure.

“Pino Turino (who is married to Catello’s daughter) is the only character in the movie who comes out pure,” said Antonio. “Somehow he was able to read the context, which protected him morally.” Police investigator Rita Mancuso, Antonio explained, “really wants to capture the fugitive. She’s honest and idealistic and blinded by her obsession to capture Matteo.” Asked about the accuracy of other names in the film, Antonio said that only Matteo’s name was true to life; most others were changed. We discussed the state of women at this time in history and in the world. Antonio agreed that Matteo’s sister would have been pissed off that she was a woman living in a man’s world at a time when, as the script says, “It’s the men who make decisions at home.”

Matteo was very close to his father, who died in 1998. However, his father was not the womanizer that Matteo chose to be. One small change that Antonio acknowledged was that the illegitimate child is said to be a son. In reality, the child who wrote the Father’s Day essay about her MIA father, was a girl. Matteo’s sister really did feel that Matteo should acknowledge his daughter, but the film—with its father-and-son dynamic, worked better with the child being male. The second-class citizenship of girls is made clear from the opening scene of the three children with their father and the goat. I wondered if the sunglasses perched on the small child’s head (Matteo’s illegitimate son, in the film) was meant to show a passing of the torch to the next generation in the film. Director Piazza acknowledged that the RayBan sunglasses were definitely Matteo’ signature and became iconic. Photos of him on driver’s licenses, old and young, show him wearing RayBan sunglasses. (Think Tom Cruise in “Risky Business.”)

CONCLUSION

Matteo’s father, Francesco Messina Denaro (Don Ciccio) on his deathbed in “Sicilian Letters.”

The primary themes of “Sicilian Letters” concern evil, corruption, and trust. Director Antonio Piazza said, “Your reading of the film is very much true. We are asking the audience, ‘How is all this possible?’” This continued exploration of Cosa Nostra in Sicily and the 30-year search for Matteo Messina Denaro, the last godfather, was an engrossing, well-written, well-plotted, well-acted and well-directed outing which I thoroughly enjoyed.

“Okie” Is Great Find @ CIFF This Weekend

By Connie Wilson

On October 19, 2024

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

The first thing that struck me about “Okie” were the gorgeous cinematic images. Kudos to Director of Photography Wojciech Kielar. There are so many panoramas and rural vistas that are shot with wide lens beauty. Creston, Illinois, never looked better. The music is good and the acting is top-notch, with Scott Michael Foster (“Greek,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “You”) playing the lead, Louie Mulgrin.

BACKGROUND

From “Okie,” which screens this weekend in Chicago at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival on both Saturday and Sunday.

Then I read up on the husband/wife team, Kevin Bigley and Kate Cobb, who are responsible for this truly outstanding indie film. They’ve been collaborating as a team for a decade and Katie, whose directing debut this is, is currently working on a residency at Princeton, providing visual content for a Princeton student working on his PhD in composition. She is also the female lead in the film, portraying Louie’s old girlfriend, Lainey Gamble. Katie has had acting roles in television’s “Shameless,” “Scandal,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” In 2014 she founded a production company called BigCobb productions and worked for “Funny or Die” producing content. Next up for the team will be a film called “Dirt,” which husband Kevin Bigley will also write. Kate Cobb, the director of “Okie,” graduated from Theater School at DePaul and was named Best Director at the UCLA Film Fest for her film “Dandelions.” Kate and Kevin make a dynamic producing team. I’ll be certain to watch for their next outing, because this one is great.

PLOT

Okie fair scene

Here is the plot line of “Okie” as released by the BigCobb team: Louie Mulgrin, a wealthy writer, returns to his beleaguered Oklahoma hometown after his father passes away. The town, a weathered setting, and its people have served as the subject matter for Louie’s writing. He has done relatively well writing fictionalized versions of friends and family. When Louie drops into town to pick up a few things from his deceased father’s house, he is reunited with his childhood friends, including Travis Young—who suggests that Louie ought to have enough time to hang with his old buddies for a day or so. The fair is in town and there are beers to be drunk at parties to be held.

CONCLUSION

This film is extremely well-done and professional.

Travis Young is portrayed by the writer and one of the co-stars of this indie film, Kevin Bigley (“Bojack Horseman,” “Animal Control,” “Upload”). Kevin is not only one-half of the creative team behind this expertly shot 82-minute indie film, Kevin is also the writer of wife Kate Cobb’s next film project, “Dirt.”

I’ll return to “review” more completely on November 5^th, with a few questions about plot points. I wanted to post this for any Chicago International Film Festival patrons who can still see this great flick this coming weekend (10/19 and 10/20) at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State St.) and 11:45 p.m. on Sunday at the AMC Newcity 14 on North Clyburn Avenue.

“The Piano Lesson” Opens 60th Chicago International Film Festival, October 16, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On October 17, 2024

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

John David Washington on the Red Carpet in Chicago on Opening Night of the Chicago International Film Festival (October 16, 2024).

Opening night of the 60^th Chicago International Film Festival kicked off at the Music Box Theater in Chicago on Wednesday, October 16th, with the appearance of John David Washington (“Tenet,” “Black Klansman”) and his brother Malcolm, who directed and co-wrote (with Virgil Williams) the screenplay for “The Piano Lesson,” based on an August Wilson play. Both sons of Denzel Washington (who produced) showed up in Chicago to promote the 125 minute film, which was released on August 31^st and will screen on Netflix after a November 22^nd theatrical release.

The synopsis for the film says that the film (based on the August Wilson stage play) follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano. Present this night to moderate the Q&A following the film was Ron O’Day Parsons, who has directed this particular play 4 times and was very familiar with the works of August Wilson and knew the playwright, himself.

THE GOOD

Writer/Director Malcolm Washington in Chicago at the Music Box Theater on October 16, 2024, at the Opening of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.

The cast was terrific, with John David Washington playing the male lead of Boy Willie. Samuel L Jackson is Uncle Doaker and Danielle Deadwyler (“Station 11,” “Till”) ably commanding the screen as Berniece, Boy Willie’s sister. Others supporting the two leads are Ray Fisher as Lyman, Boy Willie’s simple-minded friend, Corey Hawkins as Avery, the preacher-to-be who would like to marry Berniece, and Skylar Aleece Smith as Maretha, the young daughter of Berniece. Erykah Badu appears as Lucille. The films in which Samuel L. Jackson has appeared, including “Pulp Fiction,” have collectively grossed over 25 billion worldwide, making him, by some reckonings, the highest grossing actor of all time. Watching him work is always a pleasure.

In addition to the acting—which is good, (especially in the climactic scene depicting the blessing of Uncle Doaker’s house)—the music by Alexandre Desplat (“The King’s Speech,” “Argo”) is outstanding and the cinematography by Michael Gioulakis (“It Follows,” “Us”) is also top-notch.

FROM THE PODIUM

John David Washington and his brother Malcolm seemed genuinely grateful to be present this night to answer questions from the moderator and to show their film to an audience before it goes to theaters. While accepting an award from co-chairmen of the festival Mimi Plauche and Vivian Teng John David Washington seemed very genuine when he exclaimed, “I really love what I do, so thank you, Chicago, because this is a really big deal for me.”

(*Stay tuned for a transcription of the Q&A tomorrow. I’ll throw in my experience with August Wilson’s stage play “Fences,” before it became a big Denzel Washington film with Viola Davis.)

John David Washington (L) and Virgil Williams (R)

John David Washington and screenwriter Virgil Williams (a Chicago native) in foreground at the screening of their film “The Piano Lesson” on October 16, 2024, in Chicago at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.

Chicago International Film Festival: 2016-2023 (Con’t).

By Connie Wilson

On October 13, 2024

In Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

(*Photos are nearly all mine, taken at the respective film festivals. Installment #2 describing festivals of the past 21 years I’ve attended.)

Peter Bogdanovich.

2016: Damien Chazelle showed up to promote “La La Land.” He was very gracious and friendly. I anticipated “La La Land” winning for Best Picture (and so did most of the Academy when the team of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway somehow announced the wrong film as Best Oscar winner that year), but it did not. Peter Bogdanovich was given a Lifetime Achievement Award . Also present were Geraldine Chaplin as the head of the jury, a Tribute to Director Steve McQueen, and Danny Glover appearing with the Nigerian film “93 Days” about the spread of the Ebola virus epidemic in Africa. It was bloody disappointing. Both adjectives apply. Glover was presented a Visionary Award.

Geraldine Chaplin.

Chadwick Boseman of “Black Panther”

Sterling K. Brown

Damien Chazelle, Writer/Director of “La La Land” and “Whiplash.”

Closing night Tribute to Michael Shannon, along with showing of Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.”

Playwright/actor (“August: Osage County”) Tracy Letts, at the showing of “Lady Bird” in Chicago in 2017.

2017: The film “Marshall” was a big one this year, with Chadwick Boseman and Sterling K. Brown in attendance. I had the opportunity to speak with Vanessa Redgrave about her direction of the film “Sea Sorrow,” concerning the immigrants washing up on the shores of countries like Greece. Redgrave was there with her son and quoted former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, saying that the plan was to take countries like England to court to force them to deal with the immigrants flocking to their shores. The films that impressed me this year were “Lady Bird” (Tracy Letts in attendance), Ruben Ostland’s Swedish film “The Square,” and Michael Shannon appearing on behalf of “The Shape of Water,” as was Michael Stuhlbarg (“Call Me By Your Name”). I remember chatting with Michael Stuhlbarg in the lobby area. As I spoke with Michael Shannon on the Red Carpet, he asked me, “How did you like me in ‘Hud?;” I attribute this to Shannon’s puckish sense of humor, as “Hud” was a 1963 Paul Newman vehicle, which I well knew. I also asked him what his favorite role was, and he said, without hesitation, “Take Shelter,” which also happens to be my favorite of his many fine films. I was surprised that he would answer the question at all, as it’s a little like asking someone which child is their favorite.

Director Steve Gukas and star of “93 Days” Danny Glover.

Michael Stuhlbarg: Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (aka, Dmitri) in “The Shape of Water.”

Sir Patrick Stewart give Lifetime Tribute Award at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival on October 25, 2017.

William Friedkin (Oct. 15, 2018).

Viola Davis.

Ron Perlman in the background and Guillermo del Toro on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival. (2010).

2018: This year the U.K.’s Steve McQueen’s film “Widows” screened and he was given an award. Among those who appeared on behalf of the film were Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, and Brian Tyree Henry. (Seen more recently co-starring in the 2022 Jennifer Lawrence film “Causeway.”) William Friedkin—the GREAT William Friedkin—appeared and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. I had just heard him in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse on Lamar talking about his film project, “The Devil and Father Amorph,” where he went in, solo, with a GoPro Camera and filmed a demonic possession and an exorcism. It was a far cry from “The French Connection” (1971), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985), but it was a “local boy makes good” moment, as Friedkin began his career working for WGN and making documentaries. Carey Mulligan also received an Artistic Achievement Award and appeared to promote Paul Dano’s film “Wildlife.”

Helen Hunt at the screening of “The Sessions” on October 20th in Chicago.

Jason Reitman was on hand with “The Front Runner” about the ill-fated Gary Hart campaign for the Senate. When I spoke with Reitman in Nashville last month, where he was promoting his latest film “Saturday Night,” he made the humorous comment that I might be the only one in the theater during the Q&A who had seen “The Front Runner” and said, “I guess audiences are more enthused about SNL than about Gary Hart.” “The Hate U Give” showed this year as did Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased.” And—-most notably for me—Robert Forster was present with “What They Had,” a wonderful film that co-starred Michael Shannon and dealt with the effects of Alzheimer’s on the family unit. I took the opportunity to tell Robert Forster how much I had enjoyed his 1969 appearance in “Medium Cool” for Haskell Wexler and he was very gracious in saying I was too young to have seen it when it was new (wrong.) I will always remember this exchange with Robert Forster, because he died exactly one year later to the day on October 11, 2019, a fact which has stuck with me.

Vanessa Redgrave and son being interviewed by Connie Wilson

Interviewing Vanessa Redgrave on the Red Carpet in Chicago.

Steve McQueen and (founder) Michael Kutza

Michael Kutza (CIFF founder) points out that the Black Perspectives Artistic Achievement award is one inch taller than the Oscar while awarding it in presenting it to Director Steve McQueen.

Robert Forster, taken exactly one year to the day before his death.

Gael Garcia Bernal in Chicago to receive a Tribute and screen his second film on October 26th, 2019. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

2019: The thing I remember the most about the 55^th CIFF, besides the screening of “Clemency,” was the appearance of Gael Garcia Bernal with his directorial effort, “Chicuarotes.” This was the largest crowd I remember seeing crowded in to a theater, all to see Bernal. I had a seat, but others were sitting on the steps to the theater. I left before the film ended; I felt bad that so many didn’t have a real seat.

2020: This was the year of the pandemic. I watched “One Night in Miami” (Regina King) via streamer and others by streaming, like most of America.

Rebecca Hall, director of “Passing,” in Chicago in 2021.

Kenneth Branaugh on October 21, 2021, with his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.(Photo by Connie Wilson.)

2021: This was the year that Sir Kenneth Branagh showed up with “Belfast,” which seemed to have a good shot at winning an Oscar. Rebecca Hall also appeared, promoting her film “Passing,” about a Black woman passing for white. For that one, I actually bought the book and read it, as it was short. Todd Haynes “The Velvet Underground” also screened and the documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” which was a local success story about the election for Mayor.

58th Chicago International Film Festival logo

2022: The opening film was the documentary “A Compassionate Spy” by local director Steve James. His documentaries are great, but this one was a bit of a slog. Kathryn Hahn received a Career Achievement Award and the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was highlighted. The Al Sharpton documentary “Loudmouth” gave us a look at the activist’s life, while “For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign” was promoted by Katie Couric and detailed the harrowing journey of Chicago attorney and Obama supporter Brian Wallach as he is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and fights for himself and other patients in the same boat.

John C. Reilly and film critic Connie Wilson

Connie Wilson with John C. Reilly at the 2011 Chicago Film Festival.

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” (2011) brought John C. Reilly to the CIFF AMC screening. He sat one seat from me (empty seat in-between) watching the Tilda Swinton co-starring film about a psychopathic school shooter. Watching him watch this intense hard-hitting film reminded me of sitting across from Nelson Algren at the Englert Theater in Iowa City, Iowa, watching him viewing the adaptation of his book “Walk on the Wild Side” (1962) for the first time. (Later that night, Nelson had a small brush with the law when he was caught smoking what we used to call “ditch weed” on a country road, but nevermind about that.) Watching someone see their creative effort onscreen for the first time is unique. I’ve never seen any of my screenplays put on the screen, but I’ve been present when they were given table reads at the Windy City Film Festival and the San Antonio Film Festival, and it’s an experience I can’t convey or describe well enough.

2023: It was my 20^th anniversary. I was back where I started, which, was pretty much me buying my own tickets and attending and writing up my thoughts on the films (with memories of having done so for the past 50 years). In 20 years of attendance, I had only ever asked for one “free” ticket. I saw Michael Berg’s “We Grown Now,” which was fantastic in its recreation of the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects and Michael Shannon was present with his directorial debut, “Eric Larue.” Emerald Fennell appeared in support of “Saltburn,” which I liked very much. “The Bikeriders” brought Director Jeff Nichols to town, who directed Michael Shannon in “Take Shelter,” which he had told me many years before was his favorite role. Since Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols are close, it was a good year for the festival, especially in terms of the top-notch films secured, including “The Killer” (Michael Fassbender) and Clare Cooney’s full-length film “Departing Seniors.” My favorite film of the festival was “Dream Scenario” with Nicolas Cage, directed by newcomer Kristoffer Borgli. It was razor sharp and hilariously funny, while being a very smart satire on what sells in America. Cage deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance.

May December. (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in May December. (Cr. Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix). My least favorite 2023 film.

Carey Mulligan, appearing in support of “Wildfire” in 2018.

Emerald Fennell at the Music Box Theater in Chicago at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 20, 2023. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

Director of “Dream Scenario,” Kristoffer Borglii at CIFF 2023.

Jeff Nichols in Chicago at the closing night of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 22, 2023.

Jason Reitman in Chicago with “The Front Runner,” closing film of the 54th Chicago International Film Festival. (Photo by Connie Wilson in 2018.

John Papsidera, Connie Wilson & Jason Reitman

(L to R) Casting Director John Papsidera, Connie Wilson, and Writer/Director Jason Reitman in Nashville at the Nashville Film Festival showing of “Saturday Night” on September 21, 2024,

60th Chicago International Film Festival: A Stroll Down Memory Lane – 21 Years of CIFF

By Connie Wilson

On October 13, 2024

In Movies, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

My first memory of attending a Chicago International Film Festival was 2003’s “The Human Stain” at the Chicago Theater. The film was miscast from the get-go, featuring Anthony Hopkins as a (secretly) Black man and Nicole Kidman as a washer woman. I went to school with Nicholas Meyer (“Time After Time,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”) at the University of Iowa, who wrote the screenplay based on the Philip Roth book. [In fact, he dated my roommate.] Robert Benton directed. The film had problems, not the least of which was being badly miscast. The fun part of the night was watching Harold Ramis come down the aisle and take his seat. Leonard Maltin said it was “An exceptional film.” I agree with that. It was exceptional for all the wrong reasons. It reminds me of the couple whose wife sent her spouse a bouquet of balloons with a card that read “Thank you for 20 Interesting Years.” You can take adjectives like “exceptional” and “interesting” and interpret then any way you want. Remember that trick (from a wordsmith with over 6 decades of published writing).

“The Human Stain” was 21 years ago.

“It Came from the 70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now”

I began writing print reviews in the Quad City Times in 1976 with “Lipstick,” a film featuring the Hemingway sisters, Margaux and Marielle. A book emerged: “It Came from the 70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now.” The book contained my reviews of some of the best films of the decade, with interactive trivia and answers on the following page, upside down. It was published by a small Rhode Island press in 2016, long after my reviews went from real newspapers to digital, initially for Associated Content, for which I also covered politics during the Iowa primaries of 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016. (Yahoo Content Producer of the Year for Politics in 2008). After my first CIFF in 2003, I attended and wrote reviews that appeared on Associated Content and other defunct digital outlets. I remember reviewing 2008’s “Synecdoche” and Steve McQueen’s “Hunger.” I started blogging (www.WeeklyWilson.com) at my own blog in 2007 and began writing for www.TheMovieBlog.com soon after that.

2010: I met Alan Cumming, Guillermo del Toro and Forest Whitaker on the Red Carpet. Guillermo was also accompanied by his long-time friend Ron Perlman and were very kind and friendly at the after-party. Alan Cumming was not interested in speaking with those of us on the Red Carpet, but Guillermo could not have been nicer or more charming. I gifted Guillermo del Toro with a copy of “It Came from the 70’s.” He did not want to move on down the Red Carpet and began leafing through the book. At that point, he noticed that his shoe was untied and said, “Oh, no! Fat man with untied shoe,” and laughed. His handlers came and hurried him down the runway. Forest Whitaker was delayed for a very long time when his suit had to be pressed. He was much trimmer and smaller than he appeared onscreen.

Connie Wilson, film reviewer, at the AMC on lower Illinois

At the former AMC Theater headquarters.

2011: Claude LeLouch (“A Man and A Woman”, 1966) attended. He was accompanied by Valerie Perrine, to whom he has been married since June 13, 2023. Perrine is LeLouch’s fourth wife (He was divorced from wife #3 in 2009). LeLouch was 74 in 2011 and is 86 today. In 1975, Perrine was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress ^[⁴^] and the Golden Globe ^[⁵^] for Best Motion Picture Actress (Drama) and won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as comedian Lenny Bruce‘s wife, stripper Honey Bruce, in Bob Fosse‘s Lenny (1974). I recognized Valerie Perrine instantly. She was then 68 years old and as beautiful as ever. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015. Another interesting Perrine fact is that she was the first to show her nipples on television (and did a fair amount of nudity on film) and that she was to have been hairdresser Jay Sebring’s date at Roman Polanski’s home (which belonged to Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day) the night that the Manson family attacked and killed the residents, including the then-pregnant wife Sharon Tate on August 9, 1969. (She couldn’t go at the last minute). “The Last Rites of Joe May” featuring Dennis Farina was the Opening Night film. Farina brushed past anyone with a still camera to head directly towards the television cameras present, but Gary Cole (a co-star) was very gracious and spoke with us all.

Gary Cole at the AFS gathering of Risky Business' anniversary

Gary Cole (Photo by Connie Wilson).

2012: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin showed up for the premiere of “Stand Up Guys.” Lana and Lily Wachowski showed up for “Cloud Atlas.” Helen Hunt was present and was terrific in “The Sessions.” “Holy Motors” came to us from Cannes with talking cars, which was not my favorite. Cannes’ films have a different sensibility, and this one certainly did.

Michael Shannon.

2013: Bruce Dern showed up with “Nebraska.” He told a very funny story about working with Alfred Hitchcock, who got stuck in his chair when he attempted to rise. Dern was then 78 (he’s now 88) and was not as mobile as in his prime, but he is still working today. Oscar Isaacs had his breakthrough role in “Inside Llewyn Davis: that year and was one of the nicest celebrities I’ve met, especially at the after party, where he chatted very sociably. Dario Argento was also in town for the festival and “The Immigrant” screened. Michael Shannon was there, and often is, which is a wonderful addition, always.

Haskell Wexler gave a presentation about his directing of films beyond 1969’s “Medium Cool.” He was instrumental in George Lucas going to film school. Wexler, a Chicago resident, is one of the 10 most influential cinematographers in Hollywood history. I’ll never forget seeing him covering the 2012 NATO demonstrations (with his granddaughter handling the camera work) in Grant Park when he was 90. Wexler won Oscars for his cinematography on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Bound for Glory (1976) and over the course of his 60 years behind the camera and worked with directors as diverse as Mike Nichols, John Cassavetes, Hal Ashby, John Sayles, Elia Kazan, Norman Jewison, Tony Richardson and many more. He was a well-known liberal activist and did documentaries that supported his views, which I admired. He also has the distinction of having been fired by Milos Forman and Francis Ford Coppola.

Haskell Wexler, 90, and me in 2012 in Grant Park at NATO demonstrations

Famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler in Grant Park during the NATO demonstrations in May, 2012.

When I saw him in Grant Park covering the NATO demonstrations, I quit, mid-interview, to streak across the park and get a picture of us together. Among his films that I admire greatly (besides “Medium Cool,” 1969) are “The Best Man” (1964), “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), “The Conversation” (1974), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Coming Home” (1978). Haskell Wexler died in Santa Monica on December 27, 2015. He was a true visionary and his film “Medium Cool” (1969) featuring a young Robert Forster was set in the streets of Chicago in 1968 against the backdrop of the 1968 Democratic Convention.

2014: This was a banner year, the 50^th anniversary of CIFF. Liv Ullman came with “Miss Julia,” which she directed, and Colin Farrell and Jessica Chastain, the stars of the film, were here as well. I was sent over to Liv Ullman’s hotel suite to interview her. That morning, Rahm Emmanuel’s brother (the doctor) had written an editorial in the Chicago Tribune that advocated for everyone dying at 75. I took a copy to the interview and Liv and her elderly cinematographer and I had a spirited discussion of the piece. Also present that year were Kathleen Turner and Oliver Stone. Director Taylor Hackford came and reported to a headquarters temporarily rented for the 50^th. Hackford was the star of a round table interview and later told me he was glad I was there, because the young journalists present were mainly interested in hearing about “Ray” (2004), whereas I go all the way back to “The Idolmaker”(1980)and “An Officer and a Gentleman.” (1982).

Liv Ullman and I during an interview for "Miss Julie"

Liv Ullman and me.

2015: The famous guests who stick in my mind this year are Michael Moore with “Where to Invade Next?” (his first foray back to film in 6 years), Charlie Kaufman, and Howard Shore, the composer.

NEXT INSTALLMENT: 2016-2023

Walz versus Vance on CBS in VP Debate on 10/1/2024

By Connie Wilson

On October 2, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

J.D. Vance and Tim Walz debated on 10/1/2024 as Vice Presidential candidates on CBS.

I just watched the Vice Presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.The Talking Heads are suggesting that Walz may have been “in over his head” in debating the slick and chameleon-like Vance, who seems to have made a career of being all things to all people. Vance described Donald J. Trump as “America’s Hitler” in e-mail pronouncements of yore and severely criticized Trump’s performance in office, but tonight he was all in on supporting DJT.

Most people consider it a situation where the more experienced debater (Vance) performed better on style, but Walz did just as well (a tie) on substance. Vance’s statements were often duplicitous and that of a chameleon who takes the position that he says what he thinks people want to hear. It reminded me of the recent Supreme Court candidates who answered Congress the way they thought would win them lifetime seats on the Court and then went ahead and did exactly what they planned to do all along, overturn Roe v. Wade.

I did my usual copious note-taking. I want to resurrect a couple of moments in the debate that stood out to me, just as the “eating dogs and cats” remarks in the last Harris/DJT debate stood out.

THE 2 WORST MOMENTS: WALZ & VANCE

VANCE

J.D. Vance (GOP candidate for VP) and eyeliner.

For me, the worst moment from J.D. Vance was his failure to admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. As Tim Walz said,“A President’s words matter. It is not right to deny what happened. 2020 was the first time that a President tried to overturn the peaceful transition of power. The winner has got to be the winner.” Walz called it “a damning non-answer.” He was right.

WALZ

For Governor Walz of Minnesota, his weakest moment was when he was called out on having said that he had been present in China during Tiananmen Square. Rather than wade into that murky water and admit that he misspoke or was caught in a situation that caused Brian Williams to be removed from his post as chief anchor (and end up much less visible on our TV screens), he gave an answer that David Axelrod said would have been more comprehensible if given in Chinese.[When Vance at the outset after Question #1 was cornered, rather than answer the very first question that he was asked about Iran, he dodged and weaved and gave us 2 minutes about himself without answering the initial question.]

Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota and Democratic candidate for Vice President on 10/1/2024.

In the summer of ’89 Walz traveled to China, he told us. He also told us that he started a program to take kids to China. “My community knows who I am. I’ve tried to do the best job I can. I was elected to Congress 12 times. Governor of Minnesota twice. To make sure that I make this right. (*Wasn’t the question about whether he was at Tiananmen Square protests? So far Walz hasn’t explained the discrepancy.)

ABORTION

Vance said he “never supported a national ban,” a lie, because he DID support a national abortion ban. In 2022 in an interview when he was running for the Senate he said, “I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally.” On his website, he said he was “100% pro-life” and GOP ” has got to earn people’s trust back.” Tonight, he talked about how the GOP needed to “reach out,” which made no sense at all. This “softening” of his intractable anti-abortion stance was part of the plan to try to make DJT seem more “sane” and reasonable.

Here are a few lines that struck me beyond the ones mentioned above:

Walz on the Middle East and nuclear weapons: “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon because Donald Trump nixed the plan we had and left nothing in its place.”

Walz on Climate Change and our changing weather patterns (especially as they apply to farmers): “Our #1 export cannot be topsoil from these massive storms.”

Walz on statements that foster divisiveness: “This is what happens when you don’t want to solve it. The remarks about eating cats and dogs vilified a large number of people in Springfield, Ohio, who were in the country legally. The Governor had to send National Guard to escort first graders to school.”

I also enjoyed Walz’s response, “Just mind your own business. Things worked best when Roe v. Wade was the law.” Another good one-liner was when Walz gave an incredulous response to DJT’s “I have a concept of a plan” response about an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act that he now has had 9 and 1/2 years to develop. Walz said, ““I have a concept of a plan. That cracked me up. I have a fourth grader who wouldn’t have given me that.”

Margaret Brennan (“Face the Nation”) who moderated along with Norah O’Donnell on CBS.

After the scripture quote from Matthew (”What we do unto the least of our brethren,” etc.) by Walz, Vance commandeered the time and ranted on virtually uninterruptedly. The female moderators (Nora O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan on CBS) finally cut his mike. You go, Girls! Vance’s Ivy League polish showed; the man’s not a dummy. The split screen favored him, not Walz, even though Walz is without a doubt the more genuine and truthful of the two.

About the Democratic party: WALZ – “We’re pro women. We’re pro freedom. We are pro freedom for women to make their own choices.” He cited the Democratic Party’s $6,000 child tax credit and Amber Thurman, who was made to drive 600 miles to get health care in North Carolina.

Two Big Lies that Vance made were to say that DJT gave up power peacefully and that DJT saved Obamacare. Vance’s nose must have grown a foot, at least, after those remarks.

One good thing that everyone seemed to appreciate was the relative civility of the debate, “like the old days.” However, when one realizes that it was Vance’s Master Plan to lie to the public, just as happened with the testimony of the Supreme Court appointees who then went ahead to do what they had said, under oath, they would not do re Roe v. Wade, well—–

“Saturday Night” Lights Up the Screen at the Nashville Film Festival on 9/21/2024

By Connie Wilson

On September 22, 2024

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Uncategorized

Jason Reitman brought his newest film, “Saturday Night,” a re-enactment of the opening night (October 11, 1975) when “Saturday Night Live” went on the air “live” for the first time to the Nashville Film Festival on September 21, 2024. When “Saturday Night” played to a packed house at the Nashville Film Festival, Writer/Director Reitman brought casting director John Papsidera with him. That was a master stroke, because this re-enactment of the opening night of “Saturday Night Live,” boasts a star-studded cast. There are so many up-and-coming young talents (and established talents, like Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons) involved, that it is almost impossible to list them all. But it’s worth trying, so you can keep an eye out for the identities of the over 80 speaking parts, figure out who that individual was (in historical terms), and marvel at the job that casting them all must have represented.

THE CAST

The plot is told through the eyes of the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” Lorne Michaels. Michaels is played by Gabriel LaBelle, who was cast as young Steven Spielberg in “The Fabelmans” (2022). Jon Batiste plays Billy Preston; Kaia Gerber (daughter of Cindy Crawford) is Jacqueline Carlin; Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) portrays an unnamed NBC page; Lamorne Morris (recent Emmy winner for “Fargo”) is Garrett Morris; Tommy Dewey (“Casual”) is head writer Michael O’Donoghue; Nicolas Braun (“Succession”) handles two roles, as Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman; Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) is George Carlin; Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”) plays Dick Ebersol; Andrew Barth Feldman (“No Hard Feelings”) is Neil Levy; Taylor Gray (“Star Wars: Rebels”) is Al Franken; Rachel Sennott (“Bottoms”) is Lorne Michaels’ first wife, Rosie Shuster, and Dylan O’Brien (“The Maze Runner,” 2014) is Dan Aykroyd. I’m certain I’ve failed to properly mention all of the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow in the film about 1975’s up-and-coming stars of tomorrow, but you’ll want to see how close the actors come, appearance-wise, to the real stars of “SNL.”

John Papsidera, Connie Wilson and Jason Reitman at the Nashville Film Festival.

(L to R) Casting Director John Papsidera, Connie Wilson, and Writer/Director Jason Reitman in Nashville at the Nashville Film Festival showing of “Saturday Night” on September 21, 2024.

There are over 80 speaking parts in the film. John Papsidera (a sometimes Nashville resident), who also worked on “Oppenheimer,” described that as a huge number. The most difficult cast member to decide upon turned out to be Dan Aykroyd,(said the duo in the Q&A after the screening). Finding the right actor to play Aykroyd took the longest and turned out to be the most difficult. With the others, they said, they “tried to find the essence of the person. The movie is about who they are.” The key was to find one main characteristic per character, so Chevy Chase was primarily portrayed as egotistical. Garrick Morris was trying to identify how he fit in amongst the cast. O’Donaghue displayed the ability to say the nastiest things but have them come from a place of humor. Gilda Radner was always taking care of others.

THE PERFECT DIRECTOR FOR THE FILM

Back in 2007, right after “Juno” had made waves for Reitman, garnering Best Director and Best Picture Oscar nominations, Jason was asked what he wanted to do next. He mentioned his desire to write for SNL (as well as continuing to direct.) Jason was given a one-night stand opportunity to participate in the behind-the-scenes goings on writing for one SNL episode. He shared that Ashton Kutcher was the host (and starred in the skit Reitman wrote, entitled “Death by Chocolate”) and Gnarls Barkley was the musical guest “which gives you an idea what decade it was,” laughed Reitman. The cast members were discouraged from interacting with their real-life counterparts during shooting—(assuming the original was still alive.)

SETS

Writer/Director Jason Reitman.

Reitman shared this, “We rebuilt the 8^th and 9^th floors of Rockefeller Center from the original floor plans. We lived on that set for 2 months.” Various catastrophes present themselves in the hour leading up to the first broadcast. As the press notes say: “The writers are stoned. The sound system is f*****. The actors are physically assaulting each other. The crew is in open revolt. They have 90 minutes to get their shit together or the network is pulling the plug.” It’s just a good thing that Lorne Michaels “believes in his vision and he doesn’t really bend.” Many wonder if the fabled creator of “SNL” will bend after this season and pass the torch to a new generation. After all, it’s been a good year for creative visionaries who believe in their visions to step back from power and hand off the baton to their subordinates.

THE SCORE

Jason Reitman and John Papsidera in Nashville on September 21, 2024.

Jason Reitman: “Jon Batiste is a genius unlike anyone I’ve ever met in my life. He has a photographic memory of sound. We decided we should try to do the sound track the way they did SNL: live. There is music in the movie that would never have been there if Jon hadn’t been giving it to me like that.” Batiste’s rendition of “Nothin’ from Nothin” that kicks off the first show is electric. Batiste’s interpretation of the Afro-haired musician Billy Preston (who actually wore wigs for his gigs) was spot-on. Steven Colbert had Batiste for a short time as his band leader; he seems destined for much more greatness. Another recommendation for those who love great documentaries would be the new one by Paris Barclay about Billy Preston’s life, entitled “That’s the Way God Planned It.” There’s an entire feature film in there, for sure.

SCRIPT

The writing shows Reitman’s award-winning touch (Gil Kenan is co-writer.) Reitman’s film “Juno” won a nomination for Best Screenplay based on Diablo Cody’s collaboration on the script in 2007. “Up in the Air” won the Golden Globe in 2010 for Best Screenplay (based on the Sheldon Turner book). The script was also Oscar-nominated for an Oscar (2009) while winning the BAFTA that year. The script for “Saturday Night” has more zingers and one-liners than any film released this year.

Here’s just one quick example: “Let me know when my expectations exceed your capabilities” (to the light crew, after lights nearly fall on the performers.) Another good one, aimed at a meddling middle-aged female censor (Catherine Curtin as Joan Carbunkle; no relation to Jane Curtin): “I’ve heard that love is blind, and now I know why.” A continuing joke involves the cast trying to sneak sexual references into their scripts by misleading Carbunkle, the censor, as to what the phrases actually mean.

AWARDS

Writer/Director Jason Reitman of “Saturday Night” in Nashville on 9/21/2024.

Jason Reitman (born in 1977) was on the set of “Animal House,” which his father directed, in 1978 He has been involved in making movies ever since, beginning with 6 short films submitted to Sundance” in 1998. Reitman actually won the BAFTA in 2009 for Best Screenplay and has continued turning out truly enjoyable films like “Tully” (2018) and “The Front Runner,”(also 2018) a story about the ill-fated Senatorial campaign of Gary Hart of Colorado which starred Hugh Jackman. If I see it is a Jason Reitman film, I’m in.

When I spoke with Reitman and mentioned meeting him previously in Chicago the year of “The Front Runner” he suggested (ruefully) that I might be one of the few at tonight’s screening who had seen the film. (While I’m not sure about that, I have been reviewing since 1970, and that is 7 years before Reitman was born.) When I mentioned “The Front Runner” (Hugh Jackman starred) Reitman said, “It turns out that people were less interested in Gary Hart’s Senate campaign than in Saturday Night Live.” It’s a shame, as “The Front Runner” and “Up In the Air,” “Tully,” “Thank You for Smoking” and “Jennifer’s Body” are among my favorite films by any director working today.

More recently, Reitman directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (released on November 11, 2021) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), which co-writer and collaborator Gil Kenan went on to direct solo. Reitman also produced (but did not write or direct) the DuPlass Brothers comedy “Jeff, Who Lives At Home” with Susan Sarandon, Jason Seigel, and Ed Helms starring, an early film (2011) with a lesbian subplot (also remembered from the Chicago International Film Festival in 2011).

STYLE

John Papsidera and Jason Reitman at the Nashville Film Festival on 9/21/2024.

John Papsidera and Jason Reitman during the Nashville Q&A following the screening of “Saturday Night” on 9/21/2024 at the Nashville Film Festival.

There were discussions of trying to shoot the film in one long scene (as Hitchcock attempted with “Rope”). It didn’t work for Hitchcock in 1948, either. Instead “Rope” is made up of several 8 minute continuous shots. This was the length of film that fit onto one reel then. That ambitious idea had to be shelved in 2024 as well.

“Saturday Night” is shot using 16 millimeter film. The pace of the film is the pace of the production that night, as the cast struggles to make the project gel before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night. That was a great idea to assist the pacing, which is frenetic. As we learn, Johnny Carson was NOT supportive of SNL (originally called just “Saturday Night”). It represented the network (NBC) manipulating him during contract negotiations. The great (and oft-nominated Willem Dafoe) portrays David Tebet, the Chief Suit who will decide if “Saturday Night” goes on the air live or if canned re-runs of Carson’s “Tonight” show, will bump it. Like “Apollo 13,” even though we know how that plays out, it adds pacing and tension to the plot’s story and the show’s dilemma. (*I don’t know if that is true or creative license; it was a great idea and helps build the sense of confrontation.) Referencing the frenetic and often chaotic pace of the show on that night (and any Saturday night), the comment was made, jokingly, that the Michael Ritchie style was like “Robert Altman on amphetamines.”

KUDOS

Jason Reitman and casting director John Papsidera.

This is such an ambitious project. Hats off to all involved. “Saturday Night” is documenting the passing of the torch from one comedic generation to another. With the current political situation in the United States, movies about passing the torch from one generation to another are a hot commodity. With Jean Smart (“Hacks”) set to hostess the opening program of the 50^th year of “Saturday Night Live” on October 11^th, this edge-of-your-seat attempt to show who the original “Saturday Night Live” not-ready-for-prime-time players were yields a great movie that makes you feel something. As Reitman said, “It requires so much control to pull off the chaos.” He also pointed out “the distinction between simply telling a story and feeling something.” Paying tribute to his profession, he marveled, “It (filmmaking) draws on the talents of people in so many different disciplines.”

The film is “the prism that captures the light of an emerging generation.” The 50^th season of “SNL” is upon us; the release date of October 11^th is an homage to the television show’s debut date. Let the comedy begin

Does “Saturday Night” work?

Yes, it does. “Saturday Night” is hugely entertaining and never flags. Check it out at the theater on October 11, 2024,

“Will & Harper” At Nashville Film Festival on 9/20/2024

By Connie Wilson

On September 21, 2024

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

The Josh Greenbaum directed documentary “Will and Harper” is showing at select theaters now and will stream on Netflix beginning September 27th. It showed at the Nashville Film Festival on Friday, 9/20/2024 having premiered, originally, at the 40th Sundance Film Festival in January, 2024. The 114 minute documentary depicts Will Ferrell’s 17-day cross-country trip with his close friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, who has just come out as a transgender female. Over 250 hours of film was shot and then reduced to this 2-hour look at being transgender in America in 2024. Harper—who was head writer at “Saturday Night Live” and started the same week that Ferrell did in 1995—was born Andrew Steele in Iowa City, Iowa, one of five children of University of Iowa professors.

THE GOOD

The best thing about the unscripted 17-day trip from New York to Santa Monica, California was how authentic and genuine the emotional relationship between Ferrell and Steele is. Both of them are reduced to tears, and you will be, too. Viewers come away with the feeling that Will Ferrel in real life is very much like his character in “Elf:” one of the nicest guys you could know. I hope that is sincerely the real Will Ferrell because, as a stranger in an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma bar tells him, “I like your support for your friends. There’s not a lot of it out there now.” Many have commented on how brave Harper is to have come out. There should also be praise for Will Ferrell (and friends) for being so supportive of Harper in MAGA America.

The trailer for the film shows Ferrell reading from the e-mail he received from Steele. It informed him that his old buddy was undergoing transgender surgery and would now be called Harper. Ferrell realized, somewhat belatedly, that he didn’t really know much about the transgender community. He proposed a 17-day cross-country road trip in Steele’s vintage Jeep Wagoneer (remember the wood?) to re-acquaint the new old friends. They were followed, discreetly, by a camera crew. As the film defines the goal of the documentary, “What are the new ground rules? How much has changed? How much is the same?” Apparently Steele had a reputation as someone who loved to take cross-country trips that stopped at dive bars, diners, and other such places—all of which sound dicey for a transgender woman traveling solo in the United States in 2024. Will would be able to run interference for his longtime friend as they criss-crossed America.

The music (Nathan Halpern) is very good, including the idea of having Kirsten Wiig write a “theme song” for their trip (She sings it at film’s end). The cinematography—including a stop at the Grand Canyon—is also wonderful. Harper” is simply a real-life, honest comic gem amidst a sea of boring drek. Hopefully, it will do some good in the world in the ongoing fight against hate. We’ve had enough of divisive rhetoric and mean-spirited people who want to make themselves feel powerful and others feel fearful. Let’s hear it for inclusivity and the love and good will towards others we are urged to practice by all religions.

THE STOPS

The pair set out from New York and made stops in Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Iowa City, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Las Vegas and various other cities, most of them in “red” states. They were received well everywhere but Texas, where rude tweets follow the duo’s appearance at a steakhouse (Ferrell dressed as Sherlock Holmes and attempting to eat a 72-ounce steak). One Texas tweet that commented on the stop the pair had just made at Harper’s sister Eleanor’s house in Iowa City, called Ferrell “a Satanic illuminati pedophile in Iowa.” But the general reception was the opposite, although one critic has asked the obvious question if that is because a celebrity was running interference for his old friend. (Others wondered about product placement, since Pringles and Duncan Donuts get a lot of conversational time,)

IOWA CITY & SORROW

Harper’s sister, Eleanor, when she received the same e-mail that Ferrell got, responded to him quickly, “Oh, good! I’ve always wanted a sister.” However, when the pair actually stops for the night at her home in my old college town, Ferrell asks her what her reaction was upon receiving the news. She admits that “I was totally surprised” and defines the emotion she felt as “sorrow.”

I felt that sorrow, too, when Harper shared journaling snippets of the pain experienced for decades: “It wasn’t about body parts. It was about how I am in my head. Fix me or kill me,” is one entry. “A lot of transitioning is learning to accept yourself” is another truth shared in Peoria, Illinois, in a meeting with a 65-year-old transgender woman. “I dream of a world where I can lay my vulnerabilities out there for anyone…I knew something was weird in me growing up in Iowa, but it was impossible to think of doing anything about it.”

In a world where gay men are being executed in certain countries, you just want to repeat Rodney King’s mantra. May 1, 1992, King called a press conference in hopes of stopping the death and destruction after the L.A. riots. “I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”

CONCLUSION

This is a gem of a documentary, which contains so much pain and yet provokes so much laughter. One can’t help but smile when Ferrell, asked about his share of piloting the vintage automobile cross country responds, “I’m a narcoleptic and I’m not a good driver.”

As the theme song for the documentary goes, “a friend is a friend is a friend till the end.”

Catch this one when it streams on Netflix beginning September 27th.