As I mentioned with my last movie review, I recently became a member of Film Independent, which features a lot of independent films. Those are usually the Oscars’ favorites, and they’re mine, too! It’s sort of crazy the amount of content that’s available for Film Independent members, and you’ll definitely catch me taking advantage of it. That being said, most of these films are available to me before they are to the general public, so I’ll keep these reviews as spoiler free as I can!
Last night I got the chance to watch two really lauded films, Minari and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Both were pretty different stories, although both featured a really unexpected moment in them! Towards the end of both films I caught myself out loud exclaim, “oh shit!” Now, neither were thrillers, in fact, they were both decidedly very dramatic, but it didn’t make those scenes any less jarring. I loved that little twist though!
First, I watched Minari, which tells the story of an Korean-American family that moves from California to Arkansas. Jacob’s goal is to start a farm to sell to Korean grocery shops, but his wife, Monica doesn’t like the change in location or the small trailer they live in. She also worries about their youngest son, David, who suffers from a hole in his heart. They end up asking Monica’s mother to move in with them from Korea. David shows a strong dislike towards her and continually claims that she’s “not a real grandma” because she is crass and doesn’t know how to cook. I really enjoyed watching the inner workings of this wrought family just trying to achieve the American dream. Sometimes, though, that comes at a great cost.
Next, was Netflix’s upcoming release (this Friday!), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The film was based off a play of the same name, and this has perhaps solidified that I’m not crazy about plays being adapted to film! August: Osage County is an anomaly for me because that was fantastic, but I also couldn’t even tell it was based on a play. Like the others I’ve watched this year, it was fairly obvious that the structure of this film was more conducive for a live performance. Anyways, the film focuses on prominent 1920s blues singer, Ma Rainey, as she goes to record a new album. The other main character is back up trumpet player, Levee, and his desire to make something out of his life. Both characters were pompous, but they were trying to prove a point. It’s also pretty apparent how little things have really changed today.
Both films were enjoyable, although I would choose Minari over the other in a heartbeat. With that being said, Minari is certainly not this best film I’ve seen this year. But it is nice to see such strong pieces coming out of Korea! I feel that both films will garner a lot of recognition during awards season, but I fail to see either of them taking home any wins. It’s a shame, because in any other year, these would probably shine bright, but there is some stiff competition on the horizon and I just anticipate these performances getting edged out.