WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN
Disassociate with me, will you? Anabel is an artist who wears her emotions on her sleeves. She exists in a world that lets technology take away stress or pain by installing an app that manages your life as a checklist. Now you don’t have to feel anything. After Anabel finds a sudden proclamation of love rejected, she removes her heart, giving it to the man. The consequence being she becomes a disassociated drone. What happens when someone steals your heart? SXSW 2023 film from Kim Albright With Love and A Major Organ lets us feel again.
Quippy and biting dialogue plus a slick socially relevant plot (the reliance on technology) make With Love and A Major Organ one of the imaginative selections at SXSW 2023. The hilarious and somehow simultaneously romantic poetry from Anabel is captivating. Lighting plays a delightful role in the film. It is whimsical and gorgeous and underscores Anabel’s fantasies. The score sweeps you off your feet.
Hamza Haq plays George with childlike irrationality, and it is a masterpiece. Verna Sood is George’s mother, Mona. She is an unexpected anchor in this emotional roller coaster. Anna Maguire plays Anabel with both wild abandon and a dry robotic acidity. Julia Lederer‘s script allows her to soar, and she rises to the occasion at every turn.
“You can dedicate your whole life to something and still do it wrong.” This single statement punched me in the gut. The edited representation of unconditional love and their connection to memory is gasp-worthy. A very pointed opening credit sequence comes back to make sense halfway through the film. The visual metaphors in With Love and A Major Organ are exquisite.
With Love and a Major Organ has exceptional storytelling and visual style. It permits us to feel without stigma. It celebrates individuality and allows people to love what they love in peace. It’s a perfect match for SXSW audiences. It’s an absolute charmer.
Film Screenings
Credits
Director: |
Kim Albright |
|---|---|
Executive Producer: |
Lori Lozinski, Carol Whiteman |
Producer: |
Madeleine Davis |
Screenwriter: |
Julia Lederer |
Cinematographer: |
Leonardo Harim |
Editor: |
Tony Zhou |
Production Designer: |
Megan MacAulay |
Sound Designer: |
Matt Drake |
Music: |
Jeremy Wallace Maclean |
Principal Cast: |
Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Veena Sood, Donna Benedicto, Lynda Boyd, Arghavan Jenati, Enid-Raye Adams, Kerën Burkett, Ryan Beil, Laara Sadiq |
Additional Credits: |
Story Consultant: Anita Doran, Costume Designer: Nicole Swan, Casting by: Erin Lally, CSA, Annalese Tilling, Co-Producer: Nessa Aref, Production Manager: Shyam Valera, First Assistant Director: Rachel Rose, Art Director: Tiana P. Gordon, Gaffer: Yannie Yu, Sound Mixer: Coby DeGroot, Hair & Makeup: Alison Jeffreys |
Pure O
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As Carl’s chances for individualism seem to dwindle, augmented audio in transitional scenes complements visuals of deterioration. The primarily static 16mm camerawork gives the film a documentary feel, as does the often sparse dialogue and long takes. The intensely funny town gossip and local far-right ignorance come together to paint a picture of global tension. 
One of the most extraordinary and exciting cinematic experiences of the year, GRIMMFEST 2023 audiences got a taste of the uniqueness of Moon Garden. A five-year-old girl’s trauma manifests as bizarre and visceral images as she sits in a coma. The audience hears the real-time action as the doctors and her parents navigate their tumultuous relationship. Guided by her parents’ voices, Emma attempts to escape her mysterious prison world, wading through creatures of good and evil. Moon Garden is an industrial steampunk fairy tale that is relentlessly haunting and undeniably riveting.
Moon Garden is character and world-building at its best. Fascinating and terrifying all at once, we are right alongside Emma in this frightening in-between existence. A bit of Return To Oz with a touch of Pan’s Labyrinth, the magic of Moon Garden grows with each passing second. The editing is stunning. In addition to the monstrous action, writer-director Ryan Stevens Harris incorporates memories, giving Emma the tools to survive in her strange surroundings. It’s a beguiling screenplay tackling love and fear. 
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Alone in a cruel near-future world, 13-year-old Vesper experiments with what’s left of her surroundings to nourish her and her paralyzed father. Abandoned by her mother, Vesper keeps Darius’ body alive with her bio-hacking skills and uploads his full consciousness into a small droid. While she and others suffer immensely, the wealthy exist in private, enclosed spaces called “Citadels.” They produce seeds that the remaining poor vie for to survive in the harsh environment. After someone sabotages their generator, she reaches out to her Uncle, the leader of a group that cultivates children’s blood for seed trade. When Vesper discovers a young woman from the nearby Citadel passed out in the woods, she imagines a way out. VESPER is a gorgeous film about control and climate change wrapped in a glorious sci-fi narrative. 
Rosy McEwan plays Camellia with a complex mix of yearning and practicality. She is a slick foil for Vesper. McEwan’s grace and control are all the more stunning when given the opportunity to break. Our titular role comes to life with the sensational performance of Raffiella Chapman. Her raw vulnerability jumps off the screen. There is no denying she is a star. Her ability to carry this film from beginning to end is a wonder. 
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Six films we’ve seen at previous festivals and their reviews can be found below. Highly recommend each of them for a myriad of reasons.
Could we put together a cuddly list of family-friendly Easter films? Probably. But where’s the fun in that? Here is a list of films where a rabbit is featured in one way or another. Most are straightforward. A few, well, I guess you’ll have to watch them and figure out why they’re there. Happy Easter, and happy hunting for those pesky wabbits.
Peter Rabbit and his three sisters — Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail — enjoy spending their days in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden. When one of McGregor’s relatives suddenly moves in, he’s less than thrilled to discover a family of rabbits in his new home. A battle of wills soon breaks out as the n
In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new s
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