My membership with Film Independent is really pulling through with some awesome viewings! I was able to see a small handful of films this past week before they were available to the general public, so I figured I should share with you all on a high level what happened in all of them!
Pieces of a Woman – Now available on Netflix, this film does not flinch away from the process of a home birth, nor does it shy away from the almost immediate death of that child. What makes that first 22-minute sequence even more unique is that it was one long take and all of that action took place before you even saw the title card. The rest of the movie shows how Martha and Sean are coping with the loss of their child. Sean, for once, sides with his mother-in-law, in that the midwife who assisted with the birth is to blame for the loss, and wants to make sure she ends up in prison. Martha, however, really wants to move on from the whole ordeal and ultimately doesn’t blame the midwife for the death of baby Yvette. She expresses this with coldness and anger at those around her not really listening to her, but eventually it seems she is almost able to start over. Ellen Burstyn gives a gut-wrenching monologue about halfway through the film, but no one can ignore the sheer nuance and gusto of Vanessa Kirby’s performance in that first act. Don’t be surprised if you see her name among the Oscar nominees when the time comes.
I Carry You With Me – Ivan is a young man who is trying to aspire to his dreams and become a chef in Mexico, but is halted in his tracks whenever he tries. Aside from that, he is a father, but he is also gay. One night at a gay club he meets Gerardo and the two slowly start to fall in love. Being gay in Mexico can ostracize someone, and through flashbacks, we see that these two men had very different upbringings in correlation with being gay. Eventually, Ivan determines the only way he can live as himself and pursue his dreams is if he goes to America. Along with his best friend, the two cross the boarder in the dead of night and make it to America, only after some time his friend decides to go back to Mexico. Even though Gerardo knows of the risks, he crosses the boarder as well to be with Ivan. The two struggle throughout the years, but through present-day documentary footage, we see the successes that these two men have together. The biggest dilemma they face now, and is left somewhat open-ended, is that Ivan wants to go back to Mexico to see his now 20-year old son, but he won’t be able to come back because he crossed illegally. Gerardo also doesn’t want to uproot the life they have in America. I was truly mind-blown that this story was about two real people. It wasn’t almost until the end that I realized it and was able to determine that the filming quality was different because part of it was documentary footage. While the two young actors don’t totally look like their older, real-life counterparts, the chemistry they have mimics that of the real Ivan and Gerardo. Truly touching and eye-opening.
Blindfire – What a topical film this was! Two cops, officers Bishop and Wilkens arrive at the scene of an apparent hostage situation. When they hear glass breaking and a scream, Bishop heads around back to secure the perimeter and hear for more activity. Unfortunately, he is met with a man holding a broken bottle and he shoots in self-defense. The man shot was revered black football coach, husband, and father, Andre Hughes. At first it seems like a no-brainer that what Bishop did was called for, because he does not consider himself a racist (his partner, Wilkins is a black lesbian), and he was just reacting to what he thought was a violent situation. Naturally, the Hughes family is extremely distraught with what happened and continue to ask why Bishop shot Andre. On top of that, more evidence comes out that makes the distressed 911 call a fake. Bishop spirals as he is suspended from work and decides to find the kid that placed the bogus call. Eventually though, he comes to the conclusion that he is wrong and while he was surprised by coming face-to-face with Andre, the real reason he shot him was because of pre-conceived biases. This film has the conclusion most people wish would happen in real life, but we all would wish this stuff wouldn’t happen in the first place. Blindfire is very reflective of the environment we live in now, but perhaps the world could have benefited from its message a long time ago. Still, give this film your attention.