Tag: cinematography

We’re here to become human again. “Sing Sing” (2023)

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directed by Greg Kwedar
© 2023 A24. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, I shared a post about a documentary which focuses on the power of art in our life, despite the circumstances we’re currently in. Let’s continue this message and talk about “Sing Sing”, which was also nominated for the Best Actor (Colman Domingo), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Song (which was my personal favourite – I recommend you to listen to it while reading this post: “Like a Bird” by Abraham Alexander & Adrian Quesada). This film isn’t a documentary, but it’s based on a real-life program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison. So, you already know where everything takes place. We’re following Divine G (Colman Domingo), a prisoner who’s incredibly involved in Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. A group of incarcerated men form a theatre group, which is believed to help them express all kinds of emotions and use their time in prison in a more creative way. Besides being a fan of such activities, Divine G wishes to prove his innocence and get released earlier. Generally, this film shows a group of men with different personalities and backgrounds trying to cooperate, have fun and create something meaningful to them. We experience a true rollercoaster of emotions with the group, from excitement to anger, from frustration to grief, which seems to be therapeutical to the prisoners. It’s quite extraordinary to me – this whole concept of rehabilitation through art. Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s amazing, yet using art, which is free and unlimited, while working with people in prison, often with no hope for leaving this place… those are two opposites that somehow match, at least in this story. I think the pace of the film could have been a bit different, but in the end I find it worth seeing. Watching all those characters who finally have some purpose and goal to achieve, who use art to speak about the things that are difficult to say – it’s somehow moving. Find a moment for “Sing Sing” and I hope you’ll also enjoy their main song as much as I did.

My rating: 6/10
S.

You will no longer be a person. “It Follows” (2014)

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directed by David Robert Mitchell
© 2014 RADiUS-TWC. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve heard this line several times from people: “If I don’t like the first 5-10 minutes of a film, I turn it off”. I kind of understand because I wasted a lot of time on bad productions, but, on the other hand, I still try to see a story from the beginning till the end to consciously say “yep, it’s horrible”. When it comes to this film… I tried watching it twice. For the first time I managed to see about 15-20 minutes and I had to stop because of some reason, something distracted me. I didn’t feel like coming back to it because those 15-20 minutes weren’t that engaging, so after months I played it again. To waste even more time? Not at all. I checked its ratings and I was surprised that people either say it’s a mistake, or that it’s an underrated masterpiece. So, let’s discuss it, shall we? We start with a weird situation which you have to see yourselves, so I’m not spoiling it. Then we meet the main character – Jay (Maika Monroe), a university student that is about to have a date with her new boyfriend. During the date, the man is acting strange, which makes Jay ask questions, but she lets it go as an attractive guy can be a perfect distraction. Especially if that attractive guy shows a lot of interest and right on the next date those two are having sex in a car. Sounds like good old times? Well, not really. At least I hope you never had a chance to be incapacitated and tied to a wheelchair to wake up like this in an abandoned factory. Creepy suff begins… Jay is told that her boyfriend slept with her just to get rid of some curse. Now, Jay is the one struggling with it. And it follows… (see what I did there?). What IT is is for you to see (or not). And now, why the hell are people so confused about this film? I can understand. Because if you watch it with friends on a film night, then you all might be disappointed. There aren’t any exciting jumpscares, not that many occasions to scream and hide under a blanket. But if you like Ari Aster films (for example “Midsommar”, “Hereditary”), you should enjoy “It follows” as well. Visually this production isn’t breathtaking (except some interesting shots – for example in the factory, loved how the camera followed Jay in the wheelchair), but the story is a real well of interpretations. And here come *SPOILERS*. So, first we need to answer what this whole curse is? At the beginning I thought it’s quite tacky that you can pass it on by having sex with another person. But the longer I was watching the film, the more it made sense to me. Based on some ideas from other viewers, I have created my own interpretation – this “curse” is sexual trauma. As people, we’ve become more open-minded about discussing sexual preferences and experiences, but what about the things that we don’t talk about? Sex is a very enigmatic activity, even if in our times you can see it basically everywhere without feeling ashamed. At least not as much as, let’s say, 50 years ago. Now, here’s a little test from me – think of every sex partner of yours and now individually think of the sex partners of each of them. You might not know who they’d slept with before, you might not know what they had been through before passing this sexual energy onto you. Maybe I’m overthinking, but that’s an interpretation that speaks to me. Besides, one reviewer said that this film is also about how artificial relations in our times are. Instead of being affectionate and loving someone for real, we just pass on this “curse” of empty feelings. And that’s the kind of films I appreciate the most. Each of you may see something different and the story leaves several questions unanswered. The director hasn’t made that many films, but I really wish to see next works because there’s a big potential hiding there.

My rating: 7/10
S.