HBO’s powerful new documentary short WE ARE NOT DONE YET, airing November 8thand produced by actor Jeffrey Wright (HBO’s Westworld), follows the stories of ten U.S. veterans striving to combat their traumatic military histories through art, poetry and performance. At a workshop led by poet Seema Reza and Community Building Art Works, they share their fears, vulnerabilities and victories, using the written word to heal, bond, encourage and empower. Their work culminates in a live performance at Washington D.C.’s Lansburgh Theater under the direction of Wright. As much of an activist as he is an actor, Wright produced the short and has been heavily involved with veteran organizations for years. He was so inspired by the group’s process and motivation during the workshop that he knew he had to get a camera crew inside and help share their stories.
There is something so cathartic about standing onstage and bearing one’s soul. When it’s your own written word it’s on another level. When the words are true, it’s the most powerful of all. WE ARE NOT DONE YET gives a literal voice to a group of veterans living with PTSD. They have used performance art to share their stories, lives, and emotions with an audience now far beyond the Lansburgh Theater. HBO has given us a gift in this short. It has opened the door for others to speak, hope, and feel connected in a new way. Watching these fine people is nothing short of breathtaking. I’m not sure you can sit back and hold back the tears as a human being as you experience their trauma through their writing. Not of a moment of this film feels exploitative from an observer with zero military background. I’m hoping it reads the same for those who might believe they are alone. WE ARE NOT DONE YET aired this evening and will be available on HBO Now and HBO Go. This is important filmmaking. The message is clear. We cannot ignore the trauma, we must embrace it and do better for all our veterans.
Cam is unique for so many reasons. First, it’s a genre-bending menagerie. You think you know what you’re in for with a sex worker vying to be in the top ten of her live sex show site. But the script is flipped several times and in completely unexpected ways each time. It’s difficult to categorize Cam and I do mean this as a compliment. It seesaws from horror to thriller and swings into surreal territory all while keeping the audience in the dark until the very end. Rarely do we see sex workers treated as human beings, but in Cam, there is a sense of empowerment attached to the storyline. Lead actress, Madeline Brewer, has the massive task of being more than two distinct characters and to explain further would ruin the plot. Brewer knocks it out of the park here. Her talent is undeniable. I will say that the commentary on social media and immediate gratification it can produce is front and center. The final scene renders the plot unapologetic. Cam is an all-around good trip.
One boisterous man was the driving force in Hollywood glamour and parties in the 70’s. He is also responsible for one of the most beloved movie musical of all time. Allan Carr was essentially a self-made PR maven. The irony of his eventual takedown by the critics that once thought he spun gold is not surprising. This film gives us everything from interviews with Carr during his ups and downs, intimate sit down interviews with friends and peers, and even footage from the infamous academy awards ceremony. But the best part of this film is feeling like you’re now part of the history of the best of Allan Carr. Who doesn’t love Grease?! La Cage is legendary. His love of the golden age of Hollywood combined with Broadway gave the world a plethora of entertainment that was someone’s cup of tea at any given point, regardless of the monetary success. Thank goodness for Allan Carr and his fabulousness. Cheers to Allan up in that malt shop in the sky.
This film is a sidesplitting winner. Outside of the documentary genre, we’re not often let into the world of adults on the autism spectrum. Keep The Change follows the beginnings of a relationship between two very different individuals who are ultimately seeking to be accepted and cherished for who they are. The issues of self-love, sexuality, class, are addressed in endearing and tongue-in-cheek ways. Newcomers and leads Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon have an insane chemistry. The two appear to be polar opposites making their banter all the more entertaining. Any time you pit a glum and cynical individual against an outgoing and seemingly innocent one, interesting things are bound to happen. The dialogue is biting, witty, and oftentimes offensive, keeping the viewer on their toes and thoroughly amused. Writer/director Rachel Israel has given us a true gem. This unique romcom will undoubtedly charm the pants off of you and teach you some much-needed tolerance.
Mamet gives a deliciously sardonic lean to the role that is funny and honest. The manic ways of Shoshanna Shapiro are nowhere in site. This should put Mamet on some serious casting lists. First-time writer-director Sophie Brooks shows us how a person can have a hold on your soul years after parting ways. The script is really smart and refreshing. It doesn’t glamorize the requisite navigation through adult relationships, those messy, real-life moments are the little things that stick with us in the end. Reality is much more awkward and The Boy Downstairs does not shy away from confrontation or feelings. It allows the audience to reflect on their own past emotional conflicts and in this film’s particular case, flashback sequences are the backbone of the plot. Strong performances from Matthew Shear and Dierdre O’Connell make The Boy Downstairs what it is. The chemistry is astounding. Being a grownup is complicated enough, so once you introduce the complexities of love and friendship, all hell will break loose, even if it’s a quiet thing. You can see The Boy Downstairs in theaters today.
Permission is one of the most honest portrayals of how awkward true intimacy is. When you are so comfortable with someone to the point of predictability, does that have the potential to become a death sentence for a relationship? Life’s ‘what ifs” are some of the most tempting ideas a person can entertain. The chemistry between the entire cast is palpable. You will find yourself falling in love with Hall and Stevens and definitely crushing on Arnaud, Gershon, Craig, Spector, and Sudeikis. This true ensemble of actors along with writer/director Brian Crano has given us a gift. What may appear on the surface as small moments in the script are incredibly impactful due to some really brilliant acting and writing. Permission has an authenticity that sneaks up on you. It’s those moments that define the story and make it so relatable. The music is perfectly paired with each scene, almost becoming its own fly on the wall secondary cast member. Overall, the film is a refreshing look at adult relationships and how to find 
Collier Landry brings us on a journey no child should ever have to go on. 27 years after a horrific crime by the hands of his own father, we learn that Landry had the foresight to keep all the correspondence between the two, adding to the real life, emotionally manipulative drama that endured. This doc has some of the most graphic details shown to an audience as we are privy to the actual crime scene photos alongside Collier. While he attempts to come to terms with the truth about his father, he also explores the greater effect that violence leaves on a community. Through interviews with friends and family, the hold this event still has on so many is more than evident. Landry not only had his mother stolen from his life, not only his innocence, but an adoptive sister. As a viewer, I mourned right along with him at every turn. His determination is contagious and brave. Director Barbara Kopple yet again delves into the lives of people making waves, big and small. A Murder in Mansfield displays a sorrow and engages the detective we all have buried inside. It is both an honest portrait of grieving and a peak inside the chilling mind of a murderer.
If you’ve ever been a victim, A Better Man feels surprising and cathartic. While this is Attiya and Steve’s story, Attiya becomes our emotional surrogate. With so many victims coming forward in this tumultuous climate, especially over the past year, this film is very timely. 1 in 2 women has experienced physical, verbal, emotional and/or sexual abuse in her lifetime. To have the opportunity to revisit an old relationship in a safe and constructive environment might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but I know from firsthand experience that I would gladly take part in such a chance… but perhaps that is a hasty statement. Until it is real, these are just words. Attiya is a brave woman. Steve is a remorseful man. Let it be known, I am not a fan of Steve here, but do acknowledge that not every abuser would be so open and willing to offer a public apology and seek counseling sitting directly across from his victim. A Better Man is a film that is important for audiences to see and I for one hope that they absorb it for the powerful piece it truly is.
With years of sexual assault/abuse allegations surrounding the current political administration and entertainment industry, let us not forget that this problem is pervasive anywhere and everywhere. The coverups go deep and pride and reputation often cause the guilty to go free. Shame is a killer of dreams and, as we see in What Haunts Us, it is also a killer of people. Unravelling the mystery that surrounds not even a well-kept secret in this particular story will anger and shock you. Along with intimate sit-down interviews with our subjects, both innocent and guilty, memories are illustrated in beautifully vibrant colors. What Haunts Us is a stunning film that will hopefully open eyes to the ongoing abuse so many face on a daily basis. We have to change our rhetoric and realize the consequences of staying silent.
Sometimes a documentary teaches you more than you ever expected. Sometimes a doc is so relevant to the present it’s shocking. Nancy Burski’s, THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR, caught me by surprise from the very beginning. I learned not much has really changed in the past 80 years when it comes to everything I hold dear with respect to racism and sexism.
Sean Baker‘s The Florida Project is easily in my top 5 films at this year’s NYFF. The entire film is so organic with an almost documentary-style feel. The story revolves around an often overlooked segment of the country; one that we tend to dismiss as low-class. The viewing experience is akin to being a fly on the wall during events we cannot unsee. Completely irreverent and oozing with charm, it’s also a film about children but not for children. Lazy summer days and trying to entertain themselves, more alone than in the presence of proper adult supervision, the children explore and wreak havoc on tourists and locals alike. The genuine chemistry between Willem Dafoe and rambunctious newcomer Brooklyn Prince is what makes The Florida Project so perfect. Dafoe becomes a universal father figure and will no doubt remind you what a chameleon he truly is onscreen. Bria Vinaite (Also a complete unknown until now) as Halley is frighteningly all too familiar, and I do mean that as a compliment. Her relationship with Moonee is as awkwardly earnest as it is heartbreaking. Our spitfire, six-year-old Prince steals every scene with her natural curiously and sass. She will not be contained. Sean Baker‘s use of real-life vibrantly colored backdrops screams for attention against the energy pouring from the entire cast of misbehaving children. You will be laughing out loud from the very first scene and find yourself completely engrossed in the lives of these characters. I will be putting forth a mighty effort come awards season on behalf of The Florida Project, as it deserves the widest audience possible.
In a complex and incredibly nuanced new film, sisters must decide if physical and emotional separation is what they need to survive. Indivisible is a story of exploitation and personal desire.
Angela and Marianna Fontana play conjoined twins Dasy and Viola. Sought after for their singing talents and local idolatry, everyone wants a piece of them. Born into a selfish family living off the girls’ fame, they are forced to perform, threatened by guilt and permeating greed. While one sister yearns to be surgically divided, the other feels devastated by the idea. In bold performances from these real-life twins, we are rooting for their ultimate happiness. Despite being attached at the hip, each young woman gives a brilliant performance. Full of dreams and determination, these ladies own the screen is presence and ability. Battling religious fanaticism and the seduction of escapism, our leading ladies ooze with charisma. Indivisible takes a heartfelt and intimate approach to dismiss the sideshow mentality. Every theme in this script is some sort of double entendre. With beautiful cinematography on top of a clever and unexpected script, Indivisible is one of a kind.
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