THE WAKE OF LIGHT
Mary (Rome Brooks) has spent her entire life caring for her widowed father after he suffered a stroke when she was a little girl. One day Mary meets Cole (Matt Bush, from TV’s “The Goldbergs”), a young man passing through her small town on a cross-country road trip, who falls for Mary and asks her to join him on his journey. Now Mary must choose between her deep-felt responsibility to her father or a chance at love.
Mary and her father survive by the clock. They thrive in routine. Cole is the opposite. He’s chatty, vivacious, and a traveler. Mary feels bound by the obligation to care for her father. She’s never allowed herself to grow. The anxiety that is palpable on Mary’s face is something I know all too well. Then this burst of energy comes barreling into their lives and it the best medicine they could have ever happened upon. Cole challenges everything she’s come to rely on. But she is not the only one who needs awakening.
Beautifully scored, with sharp and glorious cinematography, The Wake of Light is like nothing I expected to see. There is something about the intimacy of the handheld style that feels like the viewer is just out of frame. Boasting stunning and meaningful close-ups. alongside the slightly heightened audio, there is a familiarity that feels lived in.
The screenplay is so charming you will lose yourself in the genuine connection between two strangers. The rhythm of their dialogue is lovely and grounded. Performances are outstanding. Rome Brooks as Mary has the most intentional beats. Her emotional journey is written on her face. There is a complexity that sneaks up on you. Matt Bush as Cole is an open book, as well. Behind his manic but infectious energy is loneliness as thick as Mary’s. He nails this role with shades of unexpected nuance. William Morton as Mary’s father is wonderful. His ability to communicate without dialogue is hypnotic. The chemistry between all three actors is beautiful to watch. Writer/director Renji Phillip has given audiences a special film. It encompasses fear, regret, human connection, and finding peace. It’s an enchanting, must-see.
THE WAKE OF LIGHT has won over 20 Film Festival Awards during its festival run. The film is written, directed, and produced by Renji Phillip and stars Rome Brooks and Matt Bush (“The Goldbergs”). The film has a running time of 80 minutes and will not be rated by the MPAA. The film will have its virtual theatrical release on January 15, 2021 by Laemmle Theaters. It will open on digital platforms on February 15, 2021.
Laemmle Virtual site:
https://watch.laemmle.com/videos/thewakeo/5fb872b7e6c07b00011dcd0d
Based on the book of the same name by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump is an emotional rollercoaster. I was already welling up listening to the opening monologue. The echolalia, the sensory overstimulation, the hand flapping, and ear covering all punched me in the gut when presented on screen. I’m a lucky Mom. At 5 years old, my child is now very verbal, he’s hyperlexic which means he’s been reading since he was two. He loves hugs, sleep, and eats well. On the autism spectrum, he would be closer to Asperger’s, if that were a diagnosis recognized nowadays. None of these facts lessen the fear, frustration, exhaustion, and pure elation in raising an exceptional human being. The Reason I Jump is tailor-made from the words of a nonverbal 13-year-old boy’s experiences from the inside out. In film form, it’s simply triumphant.
In the doc, we are introduced to 5 unique young people with autism.
Joss -(UK)
Jestina – Sierra Leone
The narrated excerpts from the book directly correlate with whichever child is being highlighted at that time. Voiced by Jordan O’Donegan, they have a poetic feel to their profundity. Naoki writes, “Making sounds with your mouth isn’t the same as communication.” That quote did me in. When you hear that, truly hear it, you will be taken aback. Jestina, Ben, Emma, Joss, and Amrit all communicate in a different way, we just had to learn how to listen. The heightened sound design immerses you into the world of an autistic person. We do not understand what it is like to be utterly overwhelmed not being able to be fully understood. The cinematography is breathtaking. Quick cuts, predominantly in close-up form combined with a gorgeous soundtrack put you in an alternate headspace. The editing takes all these elements and blends them into a viscerally stunning documentary.
As a mother of a child on the autism spectrum, I feel like I can see I want to broadcast this film to the world so that neurotypical individuals can understand my son and every other person on the spectrum. The label of autism, whether people realize it or not, creates implicit bias. We are missing out on the potential and impact of an entire faction of our society. It is our duty to meet each other in the middle. The Reason I Jump is a captivating peek behind the autism curtain. Don’t look away now. Thank you Naoki Higashida for writing this book. Thank you David Mitchell for translating it for your son. Thank you Jerry Rothwell for directing such an important film. Thank you to the families that shared their lives. Watch this film, then choose to listen and learn in a new way.
If you are a cinephile with any sense of humor, The Twentieth Century will delight you to no end. It’s Monty Python meets golden era Hollywood musical mixed-media delicious. (It’s basically the most appropriate mouthful I can begin with… nudge, nudge, wink, wink) It’s the wackiest and most wonderful way to jump headlong into the holiday season in 2020. It’s easy to see why it won three Screen Canada Awards and jury accolades at TIFF and Berlin. Writer, director, and editor Matthew Rankin gifts us with one of the most unique and visually lush cinematic experiences. The attention to detail is flawless and the writing will bedazzle you. While I find the plot difficult to properly describe, that’s all the more reason to watch. I guarantee you have never seen anything akin to The Twentieth Century, ever.
The complete and total commitment from these actors is to be applauded. The laugh out loud absurdity of the dialogue fraught with overt sexual innuendo is pushed gleefully further with a large percentage of the cast being performers in drag. The scenery often consists of sharp-angled, backlit, triangular towers sometimes wrapped with black & white political iconography. I fully expected a Fred Astaire dance number but was too distracted by the fetish shaming and the nationalist propaganda. It simply goes from weird to completely batshit. Performances across the board are magic. Fun fact: The film is (loosely) based on a true story! What, what, what?! While I know zero about the dynamics of the Canadian government and identity, I can say that The Twentieth Century stands out from a line of great indie films that arrived on the scene this year. Even without the national connection, the story screams a global political familiarity in your face all while making you merrily cringe in fits of laughter. It’s one of a kind.
Vicky Knight as Jade is a revelation. Her expression of physical and emotional pain in all its nuance makes Dirty God as successful as it is. She just wants a bit of normalcy. From the fear her own daughter displays, to the reaction of peers, to confronting her ex and attacker in court, to feel loved, the daily battle screams from the screen. One of the most impactful scenes comes when she purchases a burka. Hiding the majority of her body gives her the confidence to act with freedom. It’s an exhilarating scene to experience with her. The emotional scars are as relevant as the physical ones. Knight, who was burnt as a child in real life, can represent the undercounted number of women that have been attacked in this manner.
Jade attempts to connect with others online. Those scenes are incredibly profound in the grand scheme of her arch. The most difficult thing is watching people treat Jade in a subhuman manner. It’s positively atrocious. The entire conversation around the importance of appearance in society, ableist behavior, and kindness, in general, is one for the ages. Dirty God is inspired and important viewing where the human divide and vitriol are so wide and prevalent. It’s an awesome statement on bullying and an even bigger one for self-esteem.
John Turturro as Mr. Silk is a masterclass. Like every one of his roles, he is a chameleon. He is slyly one of the evilest characters we’ve seen in quite some time. It’s the nuance that makes this performance so incredible. He is a representation of all that is negative and manipulative about the real world. Chris Messina as Paul’s father is a beautiful anchor. His care for this role is evident from the very beginning. Eve Hewson is a firecracker. Her shocking energy makes you smile wider than you thought possible. Sophie Giannamore is a wonder. She is the very person Paul needed to meet for innumerable reasons. Her chemistry with Jaeden Martell is electric. The ease with which she handles the dramatic and lovely nature of her character is perfection. Jaeden Martell is Paul. His quiet strength and vulnerable nature let us live in his shoes. I’ve seen every one of his roles and he is a star. His ability to breathe life into Paul allows the audience to sit back and let Martell take their anxiety and run with it. He represents the outsider we all felt like we were in some form or another.
It’s visually splendid, from the circus colors, the lush costumes, each character having a stand out color pop. And then, there are the chapter illustrations. They are gasp-worthy gorgeous. The brilliant combination of Olivia Dufault’s screenplay, DP Andrew Droz Palermo‘s camera work, Aaron Osborne’s production design, Donna Zakowska‘s thoughtful costumes, and director Martin Krejcí overall vision make for a stunning and important lesson in 2020. Not only does it serve as a lesson, but it endlessly entertaining. The True Adventures of Wolfboy is a film we can all get behind right now.
Unsettling, oftentimes ear-piercing sound editing mixed with a 1984-esque storyline makes The Antenna an eerie watch. Set in an unnamed city in Turkey, this film is clearly an allegory for the current (yet timeless) right-wing propaganda spreading like a disease throughout today’s politics. Oppression is the name of the game. The government is installing new tv antennas so that hourly bulletins can more easily be broadcast to citizens. Accompanied by an evil black sludge coming from the new installation that seeps into the pores of high-rise tenants. Once they come in contact with it, their indoctrination is viscerally permanent. The Antenna represents the death of free speech.
The attention to detail in editing (both audio and visual), close-up shots, are all carefully crafted to induce madness in the residents and the viewer. The inspiration writer/director Orçun Behram has taken from Cronenberg and Ben Wheatley is unmistakable. I don’t know how this film was made on a $200, 000 budget. I am genuinely impressed. The Antenna is a highly stylized dystopian horror that will excite genre fans. Its smart script and dark as hell visuals are a real meal unto themselves. I will be waiting with bated breath for whatever comes next from Orçun Behram. You can watch the film in Virtual Cinemas this Friday, October 2nd, and On-Demand/VOD October 20th. Check out the trailer for some more insight.
The opening credits give you a tiny preview of what kind of visual delight you’re in for. Writer/director Guy Moshe has crafted a frightening and dark film. All the more impactful in 2020, when everything we do has now become virtual, LX 2048 is terrifying because in theory, 28 years from now this feels completely plausible. Residents of this new world are ordered to take government-sanctioned antidepressants because the sun is no longer safe to step into. Once you die, you can upgrade to a clone that will seamlessly take your place. That might sound like a dream to some but when does the human experience end and technology take over completely? Is there where humanity goes to die? With the new countdown clock in Union Square now counting down to irreplaceable climate damage, is this film an omen?
The sets make you feel like these people are living in Ray Bradbury‘s play The Veldt. Backlit, padded rooms, where the human is visually connected to a virtual pair of glasses creating their reality. It’s fascinating but emotionally disconnected, which is entirely the point. Besides the look, the engrossing exploration of the meaning of life through technology advancement. LX 2048 could easily be an entire series. There is a lot that gets packed into roughly an hour and 45 minutes.
James D’Arcy‘s performance is riveting. As Adam, he must grapple with the notion that his children are part of this system, that his marriage has deteriorated past saving, and that a “better version on himself” could show up to replace him at any moment. We must sift through his depression, mania, hope, hysteria. It is a roller coaster of emotions for the audience. Many scenes require D’Arcy to speak to people at length that are not actually present. A lot of virtual meetings and calls. It’s like watching a masterclass in acting. Wait for the Shakespeare to drop. You’ve only just begun to see the full scope of his talents.
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