#adambeach

I'm worried some will hear the premise of Reel Injun and be turned away. This documentary about the representation of Native Americans in film does not seek to guilt or shame anyone, only to educate and entertain. You don’t need to have a stake in the issue to find it enjoyable.

Directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond as well as Catherine Bainbridge and Jeremiah Hayes, Reel Injun shows Diamond traveling through North America, visiting film and historical locations to explore the way Native Americans have been portrayed on-screen throughout the years. To properly examine Hollywood stereotypes such as the Noble Savage and the Drunken Indian, and recent trends in movies, he sits down with people like Clint Eastwood, Adam Beach, film critic Jesse Wente and others.

This could have easily been a bitter, angry film, but it isn’t, which shows a lot of strength on the filmmaker's part. I don’t know if I could’ve watched hours and hours’ worth of footage of my people depicted as barbarians ready to be slaughtered by cowboys and come out with a positive attitude about it, but Diamond does. The film walks a delicate line, showing clips that are simultaneously funny and offensive. You find them off-putting but (like Diamond) manage to find the laughs in them.

As any good documentary does, Reel Injun enlightens. More importantly, it’s fun to watch. You don’t realize how much film influences people until you see a bunch of extremely white and thoroughly earnest children pay tribute to “Indians” by imitating characters they’ve seen in decidedly un-politically correct films. You don’t know if you want to correct them and possibly ruin their fun, or let them go along with their game of make-believe in the hopes that they discover what the people they’re so enamored with are really like on their own.

If you’re a fan of cinema, there’s a lot of interesting history here. I found a short segment about headbands downright fascinating. Headbands? Yes. One of the most memorable sections of this picture looks at the films of old and asks “Why do these people look like this in every movie?” The answers are alternatively embarrassing and hilarious. If you’re intrigued by Aboriginal films, there are some good recommendations throughout (though the picture is a little bit too much in love with Atarnajuat: The Fast Runner for my taste). It also makes you think.

At times, Reel Injun moves too quickly or doesn’t properly explain things, which might make those who aren't intimately familiar with Native American affairs feel a bit lost. It’s also prone to spoiling big events in the films it refers to, which I have mixed feelings about. With the occasional lack of context for people and events, this might make it more for those who already care than those who don't. It’s still worth catching and even if you have no idea what they're referring to, context mostly fills in the blanks.

If you’re passionate about the portrayal of Native Americans in film, you like movies, or you want to see someone speak about political correctness without making you feel guilty about what privileges you may or may not have, Reel Injun is a great pick. Rent it, along with some of the pictures it discusses, and you’ve got a combination of films that elevate each other. Invite a bunch of friends, set some time to discuss them and you’ve got a full day's worth of entertainment. (On DVD, July 8, 2016)

Having a film pop on one radar is normally enough for me... I had noticed The Power of the Dog on different lists of 2021 film releases, and of course, as a Netflix user, I saw it listed in my queue, but other than making the list, my interest was not piqued.  Then, earlier this week, the Golden Globes dropped their list of nominations, and The Power of the Dog was all over the film categories, and immediately, the film jumped up my list.  While prepping, I noticed that Thomasin McKenzie was a member of the cast, and after her performance in Last Night in Soho, I was fully hooked and on board for a viewing.

Maybe it’s just due to the fact that the Old West is a long bygone era, but outside of the highly stylized films in the Western genre, most Western movies have an ingrained sense of tension baked into them... perhaps it’s due to the sense of despair that comes with living by your wits in a world of have-nots, or perhaps it’s due to the built-in patriarchal code of ethics that comes with the gunslinger and cowboy era, but even the most mundane goings on feel potentially explosive.  That being said, there is something about The Power of the Dog that encompasses this aspect of the Western in spades, and all of this is present from the opening moments based on a combination of how the story arc that Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst share is set up both visually and purely based on physicality.  As the narrative unfolds, we get touches of classic Western aesthetics and practices thanks in large part to Cumberbatch’s all-in sinister nature as Phil Burbank that stand in stark contrast to the modernity and humanity that unfolds in the path that is shared between Dunst’s Rose Gordon and Plemons’ George Burbank.  While George displays good intentions, he seems much more aware of the rift between himself and Phil than he does how much he’s disrupted Rose’s world by putting her in the center of attention spot in a time where not only most women tend to “know their place” (at the risk of using an outdated term), but also by trying to steer her out of the deep protective focus for her son Peter without so much as asking her thoughts on it, which is doubly ironic when considered that the connection between George and Rose was sparked because of Peter and Rose’s shared hurt.

Seeing romantic and controversial aspects of Western life through the lens of Jane Campion adds new shades to the collected familiar tales we’ve come to be familiar with, and her passion as a writer/director shows in the work presented.  The romantic arcs in The Power of the Dog turn the concept of the Bechdel Test on its head by forcing the male characters to be the ones that deal with emotional waves on a raw and visceral level, while leaving Rose Gordon to be the tragic figure that falls apart under the weight of expectations and pressure.  George Burbank is propped up as the male of the future who is seemingly in-touch with his manhood and femininity, while Phil is put forth as a more stereotypical male figure who is unable to face their deep-rooted issues, and therefore, is prone to misplacing their aggression by way of verbal and physical lashing out.  In light of these initial setups, Peter Gordon is brought into the picture as a literal slap in the face to Phil based on how in-touch he is with himself at such a young age, and from Phil’s perspective, how the characteristics that Peter cherishes fly in the face of the male image.  Based on the triangular setup of the main leads with Phil as a satellite element, layers upon layers of conflict and tension emerges that not only brings the viewer lots of discovery, but creates a rewarding narrative ripple effect that moves the story forward. 

One of the immediate standout aspects of the film is the cinematography of Ari Wegner, whose highly stylized plains photography, multi-level focused wide shots and deeply uncomfortable close-ups not only capture beauty, but fuel tension right from the beginning, even when one can’t put their finger on what they should be uneasy about.  The score goes great lengths in keeping the tension palatable as well, with alternating small groupings of instruments and solo offerings that hit dissonant notes doing much of the heavy lifting while sparse symphonic interjections do the bridgework.  The Power of the Dog has some of the strongest capture of natural lighting and candle-based lighting that I’ve seen and years, and when night falls (or we find ourselves in less fortunate locations), the work done with shadows and sparse lighting is downright phenomenal.  While this film dwells in more of a low key world outside of the outlaw life, it must be noted how elaborate the costuming, hair and make-up is in the appropriate areas, with just as much focus given on the cowboy costuming in order to create a natural order that is immediately recognizable upon sight.  Breaking the film up into chapters helps pace things out beautifully, allowing for each particular element to get weighted moments before they shift into both predictable and unforeseeable directions.

Benedict Cumberbatch turns in one of the most moving and dynamic performances of the year, straddling the fence perfectly between posturing male toxicity and a man deeply afraid to face a true nature he tries to inwardly embrace while hiding it outwardly based on his societal positioning.  Jesse Plemons helps to fade the initial heat off of the Cumberbatch arc by playing the sympathetic white knight with an honest nature that is sadly unaware of any damage he does that doesn’t impact his pocket.  Kirsten Dunst goes to pieces under the pressure of expectation in a secret manner while displaying innate motherly instincts in the hopes of protecting her character’s son.  Kodi Smit-McPhee exudes shades of youthful innocence, but much like the motherly character Dunst portrays, McPhee’s son characterization also hides much of his truth beneath a public veneer that is partly self-aware and partly based on self-protection.  Genevieve Lemon and Thomasin McKenzie bring light touches of comedic joy to a deeply moody household.  The cast is rounded out by brief appearances for characters that hold weight in the Burbank world, including Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy, Peter Carroll, Alison Bruce, Sean Keenan, Adam Beach, Maeson Stone Skuccedal, Alice Englert and many more.

Flags of our Fathers is not your typical war movie. It’s a lot more thoughtful and intelligent than your typical Hoorah! about those army boys taking down the evil Axis empire. This is a war drama, with a heavy emphasis on the drama.

Returning home after the historical flag-raising on Mount Suribachi, the “Heroes of Iwo Jima” reflect on what brought them to that singular moment and where they go will now. Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), Private First Class Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Navy Corpsman John “Doc” Bradley (Ryan Phillippe) are applauded as champions and toured around the country to promote war bonds but none of them feel at ease with their newfound celebrity status.

The costumes, vehicles, special effects are all very good. Director Clint Eastwood convincingly transports you onto the battlefield that was Iwo Jima. The money is there on-screen, allowing you to see and feel the danger of the battlefield. There’s a lot of tension there and it's heightened by a sense that these people's lives extend beyond the conflict. The soldiers have families and contrasting opinions on what the war is, what they are supposed to do after, and about the propaganda campaign that sells them as heroes. You get a wide scope of what these people are really like, warts and all. This will leave you with mixed opinions about them, noticeable Native American soldier Ira. He has a lot of survivor’s guilt and his inability to deal with it becomes self-destructive. You sympathize with him, you understand his pain and you'll also get angry. The narrative that he and his comrades basically "single-handedly turned the tide" is exaggerated but their new “orders” to tour the country and raise money is important. It's made clear over and over. Can't he set aside his outrage for the greater good?

In a war film, you want that right mix of emotion and adrenaline. It's tricky to both show the excitement of dodging mortars and condemn war but it can be done. Just don't turn the military tactics and heroism into a video game where people dying is seen as good fun. This film achieves that delicate balance. Seeing all of these young men with bright futures get torn apart by bullets and explosions, tears you up inside because a part of you feels as though you know them. You know their exploits, you've "seen" them before. Finding out how most of their lives were so tragically cut short is eye-opening and a story worth telling.

You don't expect it going in but Flags of our Fathers has a surprising amount of hard questions for its audience. More than just the true cost of war. The screenplay by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis examines the concept of heroes, of what they mean to us, and what getting elevated to mythical status can do to a person that - at the end of the day - is no grander than we are. It explores the harsh realities soldiers like Ira Hayes faced when they returned home and shows him as someone worthy of both praise and contempt. Individuals we've all "known" since we learned about the war in class are examined closely through ample character development and complex emotions. They're given new humanity we never knew existed. The war itself is shown in all of its inhumanity. There is one character whose life is brutally, cruelly, and violently ended and you're never given the relief of even knowing what actually happened to him. We see the consequences of it all through the eyes of those who were there, and those left to pick up the pieces, like the parents whose sons left home and then died heroes. Paired with Letters from Iwo Jima (the preferred way to see it) or on its own, it's a powerful experience. (On DVD, July 18, 2015)

Swan Song 2021 AkulTalkies.com

Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close, Adam Beach, Nyasha Hatendi, Lee Shorten, Dax Rey, Aiden Adejuwon, Ace LeVere, Shema Cayden, Jessica Hayles

'Hostiles' is a haunting and emotionally engrossing Western which despite its depressing tone deserves a watch for its stunning landscapes, intriguing characters and strong acting performances. #AdamBeach, #BenFoster, #BillCamp, #ChristianBale, #Hostiles, #JessePlemons, #JonathanMajors, #QoriankaKilcher, #RoryCochrane, #RosamundPike, #StephenLang, #TanayaBeatty, #WesStudi

Synopsis – In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.

My Take –I’ve have been fan of Westerns for a long time now, even though the genre has now run its course, a few films do spring up as surprises in hopes to revive the long forgotten tales of the American West, stories that were so popular back in the 1950s and…