Another week with many new films to consider. So many that I reserve one for next week. Is called Last stop in Yuma County and I will highly recommend it when I get to it.
In the meantime, there are these:
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: 3 stars
Evil does not exist: 4 ½
Nanekawasis: 3 ½
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: I’m surprised to read that this is now the longest sci-fi film series in history. It’s movie number 10. These apes keep coming back with new wrinkles in their themes: human and animal conflict, longing for coexistence, rebellion, racism. And from Pierre Boulle’s original novel the assumption that humanity is always in control. Six movies ago he enslaved apes. They then rebelled led by Caesar, who through a trilogy of films attempted to build a better society while fighting against humans.
It’s already gone; His ideals, including his insistence on the rule of law, still linger in the minds of a few, but not many, and not in a new leader called the Next Caesar. He is a tyrant, powerfully played by Canadian actor Kevin Durand, and is obsessed with increasing his control. He believes the answer may lie within a sunken ship that humans had abandoned. He has not been able to enter and becomes obsessed with trying but makes two mistakes. He enslaves an entire clan of apes, but misses young Noa (Owen Teague), who becomes his enemy as he searches for his family. He teams up with a young human girl, Mae, played by Freya Allan, who is not at all “slow”, as Proximus describes all humans. She is key to getting more power. The film is purely good versus bad, leaving out the larger themes of its predecessors. So it’s not so clear what he says. He looks gorgeous though. The effects are excellent and the talking apes look real. Wes Hall, known for effects, animation and maze runner movies, he is the director. (In theaters) 3 out of 5
EVIL DOES NOT EXIST: Environmentalist, development activist, maybe just a nature lover. This movie will appeal to all of you. It’s from Japan and starts out slow and contemplative looking up through the canopy of a tree above us. He then watches a man chop firewood and then walk with a young daughter identifying all the tree species they see along the way. It is an idyllic image of a close connection with the natural world.
Then it is interrupted. A Tokyo company plans to develop a “glamping” site (referring to a “glamorous camp”) for the cities’ wealthy. The company has sent two representatives to explain it to the locals and it is clear that they do not know anything about the area or much about the project they are promoting. That comes to light at a public meeting where people ask questions and express objections. The rich will be noisy, unsupervised, threatening to start forest fires in the dry season and contaminate the area’s crystal clear waters because, as planned and to reduce costs, the septic system is inadequate. It is a perfect representation of those public hearings that cities hold to present development proposals.
The film takes a couple of twists and turns and gets darker with an ending so enigmatic that you’ll be thinking about it for some time. And about how fragile the natural world is when the builders are so insensitive. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, who wrote and directed it, won an Academy Award for his last film. He deserves another one. (In theaters) 4½ out of 5
NANEKAWASIS: My final recommendation from Vancouver’s DOXA Documentary Festival is more than just a portrait of an acclaimed artist. It tells of a whole series of problems that George Littlefield, who lives in Alberta, lives with. He is indigenous, he was picked up in the scoop in the 1960s, sent to foster homes, he was an outsider because he is gay (two-spirit, as he is known) and he survived well. One of the host families encouraged his art. An old man told him that he has the spirit of a horse. He learned that there were chiefs among his ancestors and the name he uses (as in the film’s title) comes from his great-grandfather and means swift child.
His paintings, many of which you can see, appear whimsical with their super bright colors, but there is also content that shows history, heartbreak, and trauma. They honor their ancestors and keep their stories alive. That places it within the narrative tradition that is so important in indigenous culture. Some of the paintings are amazing, anatomically correct, to depict homosexuality. As he says, he learned that in his culture “two-spirit” people were special and had an important place in the tribe. He is eloquent and even funny in this movie directed by Conor McNally and is worth getting to know. (One more presentation at DOXA+ coming soon in Toronto) 3½ out of 5
UNDER THE BRIDGE: This is a typical example of a common type of genre these days: true crime series. However, it’s not one of the best, even with Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough leading the way. And although it tells the shocking story from almost 30 years ago in detail and at great length in eight episodes, it still doesn’t tell us everything we want to know. That’s strange because it’s based on a book about the case and had input from the author while it was being planned. In reality, the film is too much about that author and not enough about the case.
It happened in Saanich, British Columbia, near Victoria. Reena Virk, 14, was beaten and then drowned under a bridge by other teenagers she had been trying to befriend, and apparently some she didn’t even know. How is it possible? Rebecca Godfrey tried to find out and then wrote a book about it. But there are things that prevent us from having a clear image. The teen action remains dark and appears to involve a group of mean girls with a queen bee leader. His followers misunderstand his wish. But is a child also involved? Because? What did everyone have against Reena? There are possible answers but they are few.
And Reena was in a stage of rebellion in her life against her immigrant parents. That hasn’t been explored enough, although one plot point absolutely demands it. And the big complication is Godfrey’s story. She is originally from there, is currently living in New York and has returned to write about the lost girls of Victoria. Played by Riley Keough, she may have been one herself and is reunited with another, an old friend, played by Lily Gladstone, who is now a police officer investigating the murder. They cooperate and clash. That’s interesting, but it takes attention away from Virk, played by Vritika Gupta, the teenage queen bee, played by Chloe Guidry, and the girl the press called Killer Kelly, played by Izzy G. She does a great psycho scene as a witness in a court. case. Most impressive is actress Archie Panjabi as Reena’s mother, famous for her forgiving nature. The series tells a lot but still not enough. (Disney+) 2½ out of 5
LET IT BE: It hasn’t been available for about 50 years. Welcome back, I say. This glimpse of the Beatles in action proved bleak when it was published in 1970 and underperformed. By then, the band had disbanded and people didn’t feel any joy seeing it. However, there is a lot of that in it. John, Paul, George and Ringo had a lot of fun recording, improvising and creating the songs that were part of their album of the same name and, incidentally, won an Oscar the following year.
They do a passionate jam session with several old rock and roll tunes, Paul talking funny on one song, John doing a whistling coda on another. Some songs are complicated because they’re not finished yet, but they’re all fun to listen to, especially at the famous rooftop concert that premiered them.
The film and sound have been crisply restored by Peter Jackson, who did the same for the documentary series he created with the same material and hours of outtakes. While it showed the tensions that were dividing the band at the time, this film only has a couple of clues. The most important thing is that Yoko Ono is there almost all the time. The film, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, is anything but bleak. For Beatles fans it is a must. (On Disney+) 3 ½ out of 5
WE GROW UP NOW: This is a very moving representation of friendship, in this case between two children. They play, sightsee, talk about life and what comes next (“I guess we’ll just leave,” says one), and endure the annoyances around them. They live in Chicago’s gigantic public housing project, Cabrini-Green. It no longer exists, but back then, in 1992, it housed about 15,000 people, mostly black. Gangs and shootings were common and the mayor ordered a cleanup. “The whole neighborhood is going to shut down,” we heard. Everyone needs an ID, even children, and in one scene the police break in and ransack an apartment looking for something. That’s what Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) experience. Writer-director Minhal Baig knows this well and the film feels authentic because of it.
After the police search, the boys shout “Leave us alone, damn it” and this: “We exist.” Malik says, “Eric and I have done everything together since we were born…this is where we come from.” This arises because his mother has dared to ask for a raise at work, she is offered a better job out of town, and she is thinking about moving. His mother did it years before, when she left Mississippi to escape racism. So the film is very moving in several ways: the feeling of home even in a housing complex like that, the need sometimes to move on towards a better life (“don’t be afraid to fly,” says one); and how that can break a close friendship. The final scene is particularly moving. (In theaters, Vancouver and Toronto now, Ottawa next week, and Saskatoon next month) 4 out of 5