Not much good has come out of this pandemic, so imagine my surprise when something actually awesome happens?! Film Festivals all over the world have either had to cancel or postpone, but now a large handful have caught onto the streaming bug, and this works out magically for me! Usually attended by locals or strictly critics, this change of events has given me an unseen advantage. I, just a lowly film fan, gets to watch potential Oscars films ahead of the masses!
For whatever reason this thought to check out the film festivals only just crossed my mind over the weekend, so I’ve missed out on some pretty solid opportunities, but there are still plenty to be had in the weeks to come! The first fest I stumbled upon was the AFI Film Festival. While I missed the boat on The Father (soooo bummed) and Ammonite, I was able to nab tickets to see two films I was really looking forward to: Uncle Frank and Sound of Metal.
Uncle Frank takes place in the early 70s and focuses on the strained relationship Uncle Frank has with the rest of his Southern Carolina family. That of course excludes his impressionable niece, Beth, who once moving to New York City for college, decides to meet up with Frank. It is here that she learns of his homosexuality, but that has absolutely no effect on her view of him. In fact, she seems even more awed with his life. Tensions rise though, as they have to head back home for his father’s funeral. It’s during the trip home that we delve deep into Frank’s tortured past. This film is supremely beautiful and I encourage you all to watch it on Amazon Prime in November!
Next up was the indie drama, Sound of Metal. This shows Ruben, a heavy metal drummer, who rapidly loses his hearing. Determined to get back to the life he had with his girlfriend and their band, he agrees to live in a community for deaf addicts. While at first Ruben is resistant and frankly overwhelmed by this new environment, after a time you see him start to thrive there. Of course, it wouldn’t be a drama without some conflict, but I think by the film’s end, Ruben reaches a serene point in his life. I applaud this film for taking it’s connection to the deaf community a step further by automatically adding subtitles and sound cues. Again, very moving and this should also be on your list to check out in November on Prime.
This was a fantastic start to my birthday week! If you could imagine, my arms were flailing with excitement when I learned that literally anyone could by tickets to see these films. I was especially pleased since theaters still aren’t really open and indie films usually have a hard time making it my way at all before awards season kicks off. Even though it’s a slower year cinematically, there is still lots I’d like to see and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to see these two gems early. Research and participate if this is something you’re into!