Composed of 4 chapters of approximately 45 minutes each, the docuseries brings emotional interviews with three elderly citizens who endured sexual abuse as children under Maciel and were the first to denounce him. While these interviews do not go deep into the horrendous acts, they remain chilling and highlight the courage of these men in their twilight years; speaking out about such trauma is triggering, as victims must relive it, and few men disclose their experiences due to shame and prejudice. These are the standout voices of the docuseries, showing that healing and processing aren’t the same and that trauma lingers.

The documentary highlights the abuses Maciel endured as a child, his erratic path as a seminarian, and his societal ascent through powerful circles of cardinals, politicians, businessmen, and wealthy widows. The series also exposes his quadruple life: founder of a religious order, family man in Mexico and Spain, and sexual tourist in Thailand who abused underage boys. He is believed to have abused at least 60 young boys, including two sons from a marriage and some members of his order, and some of them became abusers, resulting in the normalisation of a network of predators and victims.

The sexual predator Maciel had six children, had sex with four women, and maintained two marriages and families: one in Mexico, the other in Spain. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI, via the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, banished Maciel to “a reserved life of penitence and prayer, relinquishing any form of public ministry.” Maciel never faced a canonical trial, spending his remaining days in Jackson, Florida, USA, and refusing to confess his crimes, even on his deathbed.

A cult spreading its poison inside the Catholic Church

The Legion of Christ operated with a cult-like mentality, forbidding criticism or dissent of superiors in the hierarchy, thus silencing opposition to Maciel; brainwashing and gaslighting prevented reports of abuse; underlings laboured for little or no pay to promote the order and Maciel himself; and buildings featured prominent portraits of Maciel in many points in the buildings and houses, echoing cult dynamics.
In the horror movie ‘The First Omen’, a cult inside the Catholic church is seen, but what happens there is fictional, while Maciel behaved like an actual cult leader and not a priest. Although “cult” have become a slippery term as we’ve seen the rise of documentaries and fictional portrayals about them in media, to better understand the situation of Maciel and his followers I will quote a 2025 UOL (Brazil) interview that screenwriter and author Guinevere Turner gave to me about the similarities between cults independent of period or region: “It is about coercive control, and ultimately about making people give up their lives to work for someone for free and find their self-worth in their approval.”

Most of the time, the main victims of cults tend to be women and children. The boys endured the abuse and other maladies, but as if not enough, Maciel created the Regnum Christi movement with the excuse of bringing more women to the structures of Catholicism, but was, in fact, exploiting their work. The documentary has an interview focused on this chapter of his infamous life.

A Guinevere Turner quote from our 2024 Big Picture Film Club interview clarifies the link between cults and their practices: “The similarities across countries and decades of cults are kind of shocking sometimes. It is all just patriarchy on steroids, and in the rare case when there is a woman in charge, it is still power dynamics on steroids in which women and children usually suffer.”

Turner, once a child member of the Lyman Family commune, shares her harrowing yet endearing story in the memoir When the World Didn’t End (2023). Her account helps us understand how groups outside mainstream society behave.

‘Marcial Maciel: El Lobo de Dios’ is based on investigative journalism and in-depth interviews. By avoiding sensationalism and gratuitous attacks often present in other media portrayals of Catholicism and its followers, the series offers a more balanced perspective. HBO’s docuseries contributes to the conversation on sexual abuse, childhood trauma, religion, cults, and investigative journalism by showing that thorough investigation still matters and deserves resources to uncover dark stories and expose perpetrators.

The post Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God Review – HBO Investigates a Priest’s Legacy of Abuse appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Ms. Magazine was co-founded in 1972 by journalist and activist Gloria Steinem, along with editors Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Patricia Carbine, and Suzanne Braun Levine. The magazine challenged the usual woman-oriented publications that focused on housekeeping, suburban fashion, or recipes. These typical magazines were supported by brands and felt more like advertisements than journalism, let alone spaces for opinionated writing.

In reality, the debut of Ms. Magazine happened months earlier, on 20 December 1971. What is seen as the first edition was a 40-page insert in New York magazine, which had, in its ranks, founding editor Gloria Steinem as a staff writer. Considering that it could be their only shot to bring more serious conversations, the issue featured pieces on Black Family and Feminism, the need to review the roles of sex and gender in the English Language, and the strong story We Have Had Abortions which brought a list of 53 signatures by well-known American women, including Anaïs Nin, Susan Sontag, and Steinem herself. In eight days, the 300,000 available copies sold out. What followed was a successful story of a magazine founded and run by women, negating the voices rooting for its failure.

Having non-reader-friendly pages meant that announcers wouldn’t throw money at the magazine; still, it approached subjects that were avoided, and by its reception, the publication showed that society needed to face itself in the mirror.

“Domestic violence” and “sexual harassment” might come up every now and then in the media and at the workplace when discussing the trials that women go through in their daily lives; still, it is due to Ms. Magazine’s trailblazing that such terms for these dreadful situations are part of the lexicon. Although there is still much to be done regarding women’s and other minorities’ rights, the documentary features film and TV clips from that era and interviews with women recounting their experiences, showing what may feel like a different world but is still very present today. Thus, conforming to the defining work by such publications.
One of the highlights of the documentary is that, even though it uses archival footage and shows interviews from that time and period, it has never-seen-before footage of the period and interviews with the Ms. Magazine staff, allies, and collaborators, which makes it more valuable, considering that many of those voices are now in their twilight, thus giving more credibility to this work.

A precise look at the complexity of the feminist movement

By not turning it in a pinkish nostalgia dream, ‘Dear Ms.’ goes into the deep conversations between feminism and intersectionalities showcasing how with all the good intentions, White feminism can have it blind spots for Black women and other non-white women hailing from impoverished backgrounds that have to deal with their condition as women plus racial background and economic realities that push them downward in the stairs as they struggle for a better place in society and more respect from their peers.

The delusion of Black women can be seen in how the magazine Essence, which focused on Black women, didn’t flourish as its bigger cousin. Pain and frustration can be heard in these Black voices, but so too can the ways in which such hard and disappointing experiences can reinvigorate and be turned to other ways for female Blackness.

The documentary’s third act explores the difficult topic of feminism and sex work, showing that the movement is not a heterogeneous body. Some radical feminists oppose sex work, sometimes mirroring conservative or religious positions. Still, some women view sex work as part of their feminist expression, and it provides income for many disenfranchised women.

Former porn actress, sexologist and activist Annie Sprinkle shines in this section. She shares her decades-long perspective and offers a profile of sex worker life in America. In the end, Sprinkle speaks about her Ms. Magazine piece on cookies. While she does not mention sex work there, the piece serves as a metalinguistic microcosm of how sex work fits into society. It is controversial, but it won’t go away, much like cookies.

The trio of directors is competent and made good use of the subjects, themes, and interviewees to avoid having a bloated doc; on the other hand, giving Ms. Magazine a proper look through, and the helmer’s skills open up opportunities for other documentaries: one focused on Black Women Magazine Essence, and the other featuring Sprinkle as a character study. Sprinkle is a character from the 70s and 80s gritty New York and should have a biopic by now.

‘Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print’ should be available in physical form, and Journalism, Sociology, History, and Anthropology colleges, among other Humanities areas, would do their students and staff a favour by showing it to them. Ms. Magazine is still in print, and it has a younger sister, the Women’s Media Center (WMC), which counts Gloria Steinem among its founders. I’m glad that at the start of my foreign writing career, I was able to publish with WMC, where I learned not only about journalism but also how to approach and cover minorities and distressing realities.

The post HBO’s Dear Ms. Documentary Review: How Ms. Magazine Shaped Feminism and Media Culture appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The movie is directed by Zackary Drucker, a trans storyteller and prominent documentarist, whose background enables her to see both women through the lens of someone who has endured similar issues and has felt similar happy moments in personal life and career, thus making ‘Enigma’ feel more grounded and natural.
Ashley talks about her childhood during World War II in Britain, growing up in a blue-collar family, having a Royal Navy sailor as her father, and sharing the household with 9 siblings. Ashley’s narrative shows how difficult it was to navigate her blossoming identity during those days. The Black-and-White photos, alongside the editing and narration, reinforce how grim such a childhood could be. Ashley’s upbringing feels like a queer Charles Dickens tale.

The film transitions to the Le Carrousel de Paris cabaret in 1950s France, a club featuring crossdressers and later transwomen performing in shows. For years, Le Carrousel was one of the most disputed spaces in Parisian nightlife, visited by the likes of Josephine Baker, Edith Piaf, Salvador Dalí, and Elvis Presley. It was there that Ashley found solace and a “home” after being discharged from the British Merchant Navy. It was also the place and time when she became acquainted with Peki d’Oslo, a male-born art student who started performing at the club, and Ashley took them under her wing.

The ‘Enigma’ circles the claim that Peki d’Oslo was Amanda Lear’s previous identity, a claim Lear denies. However, Ashley exposed it in her memoir and in the interviews featured in this documentary. The vivacious Lear is evasive when talking about her past before modelling in the UK and enjoying a successful musical career that started in 70s France, during the high days of Disco Music.

On the other hand, post-Le Carrousel, Ashley had a renowned career as a Vogue model until being outed in 1961, an event that unravelled through a public and embattled divorce with her husband in 1970, infused with societal shaming and the judge declaring her sex as “male,” thus setting the standard to defining trans people’s sex in the UK after their birth sex. Ashley would take part in many public interviews to clarify about her case and identity, and became one of the country’s trans rights beacons.

Ashley had a life of glass ceilings and roadblocks; still, she became part of London’s gastronomy circuit with a successful restaurant, and the legal precedent started with her divorce case was overturned decades later by the UK’s Gender Recognition Act of 2004, allowing trans people to change their sex on their birth certificate. On the cusp of her 70th birthday, Ashley was able to change her legal gender.

Zackary Drucker conducts interviews with Ashley and Lear. Meanwhile, Canadian London-based trans historian and activist Morgan M. Page interviews two of Ashley’s colleagues from the Le Carrousel de Paris, Bambi (Marie-Pierre Pruvot) and Dolly Van Doll (Carla Follis), as well as burlesque artist and advocate Allanah Star, a protégé of Bambi. The veterans also tell their own stories of struggle and victories; they also attest that Lear was part of the roster of performers. Still, Lear rebukes such claims with conviction, but remains elusive about her background and connections. Throughout her career, she gave different answers when talking about her past, which makes her a compelling character.

The identities behind the names and trans walks of life

The alleged trans identity of Lear is considered an open secret within the LGBTQIA+ community and Parisian society, which is not a progressive safe haven for trans people. Still, it is less conservative than other European nations and the US. It is hard to imagine a trans singer achieving the success Lear had if they came out to the public.

Lear enjoyed a bustling life, having connected with the likes of surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and musicians David Bowie and Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, not to mention that Lear was a successful Paco Rabanne model. Those from Le Carrousel attest that Peki d’Oslo was her stage name, while Amanda Tap was how she identified in daily life. Through a marriage with a British architect in the 60s, she became Lear.
To this day, Lear denies knowing Ashley, let alone being close friends. Drucker sees in Lear’s stance a survival strategy employed by many from the trans community. Nevertheless, Lear’s songs may allude to her real identity. Her 1980 song “Fabulous (Lover, Love Me)” has the subjective lyrics: “Surgeon built me so well nobody could tell that I once was somebody else.”

It is interesting to see in ‘Enigma’ the relation between birth, current, and artistic names that all those involved in this documentary have, and how this translates into how rich and complex each of their personalities is.
Nonetheless, the documentary shows how journalists can be vultures in their attempt to sensationalise trans lives while not regarding the societal and psychological trauma they are inflicting on interviewees and other trans people. After their “work” is done, they will move out to the next story, while others have to swallow the harrowing aftermath. But when Ashley approaches such identity, it feels more like showing other members of the community and outsiders how bright they can shine.

Drucker brings a respectful yet down-to-earth eye to Ashley and Lear. While Ashley is the archetype of a serious activist for trans rights, Lear is the charismatic star with an interesting juggle between identity and public presentation. Page’s interviewees add by further showing how difficult it is to thrive in society, in a time when trans women would change towns or even countries and present themselves as a cisgender born woman to live a peaceful life, thus neglecting their identity, as is told by Pruvot.

It is through Drucker’s eyes that these parallel life stories are told, and Drucker brings gravitas to the film while not falling into the condescending traps that ooze through the cracks or into out-and-loud advocacy. We see these situations when such characters are approached by those who aren’t from the community and lack common sense.

Though I believe some outsiders can bring a humane, crafted look to a specific community, and they should be encouraged to do so, a significant example is the late Brazilian documentarist, Eduardo Coutinho. Still, Drucker’s sensitive approach is part of what makes this story unique. Drucker has directed before the competent ‘The Lady and the Dale’ about trans-American automobile executive Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael and her dark entrepreneurial story. Drucker can show light-hearted moments and others that are heavy; therefore, she never paints the queer community as one-dimensional characters nor makes propaganda. Drucker is a committed professional, and ‘Enigma’ is a fascinating portrait of transgender life and the times of Ashley, Lear, and others like them.

The post HBO’s ‘Enigma’ is a Layered Look at Defiance and Identity Among The Trans Women Community appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

This introductory scene serves as a résumé of what Brazil was like under the military dictatorship and what it is like to try to make it here today. Oppressive, improvised, comical, dramatic, paranoid, and charismatic all at the same time, these qualities are blended under the peculiar writing and lens of auteur Kleber Mendonça Filho, as well as the world-class acting skill of Wagner Moura.

‘The Secret Agent’ dialogues with Mendonça Filho’s memoir-documentary ‘Pictures of Ghosts’ (2023): both use Downtown Recife’s classic film palaces. In the documentary, these theatres are fading memories of a bygone, elegant era; in the Solimões saga, they become a character alongside the picture, with a blend of colonial, neoclassical, and art nouveau architecture. The same sun that gives the distinctive coloring and shades also touches the skin of locals, granting Recife a unique look compared to more well-known Brazilian cities like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, or Salvador. Mendonça Filho presents aspects of local culture that resonate abroad without losing identity—his film is a love letter to his childhood in Recife and its cinema culture.

Although Brazil has brought to the world many films depicting the dictatorship years, ‘The Secret Agent’ stands out. For the untrained eye, it feels like a B-movie, but this presentation is just a layer of a nuanced arthouse picture that can also entertain. The exploitation gene is more alive when the legend of the hairy leg is told during a friend’s meeting, and the narration is followed by scenes of an amputated hairy leg causing mischief in Recife’s night, which was, in fact, a way to expose the abuses of the dictatorial law enforcement agents during that era of suffocating freedom of expression. Not to forget that, according to the National Truth Commission, 434 people were killed or disappeared by the dictatorship. Nevertheless, experts like Eugênia Augusta Gonzaga believe this number exceeds 10,000 people.

Besides being another chapter of Brazil’s revisionism of its authoritarian past, ‘The Secret Agent’ follows the world success of Walter Salles’ ‘I’m Still Here’ (2024), in which a widow and mother of four defies the regime in search of her state-abducted, tortured, and murdered husband. Both films take place in the 1970s under the same government, but they feel very distinctive and showcase that Brazilian narrators have more stories from that period to tell, and ‘The Secret Agent’ keeps the Brazilian momentum in world cinema.

Since the last decade, Brazilian films have been gaining space abroad. To explore this trend, renowned Brazilian critic Sérgio Rizzo shared his perspective in an exclusive interview with The Big Picture Film Club. Rizzo explains the international award-winning picture in the global landscape: “For Brazilian cinema, the film’s successful international run represents yet another contribution to the self-esteem of audiovisual production in the country. Its international production and distribution alliances also help, following ‘I’m Still Here,’ to reinforce the image of Brazilian audiovisual production as a good partner, capable of creating works deeply connected to national culture and, at the same time, with the capacity to communicate with audiences in other countries, especially in Europe and the USA.”

Still, it is not an easy way to reclaim the role it had in the 70s and 80s as happened with ‘The Kiss of the Spider-Woman’ (1985) or the acclaim it got at the dawn of this century with ‘City of God’ (2001) and there is work to be done after ‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘The Secret Agent,’ according to Rizzo: “However, for the success of these two films to cease being merely episodic and become a permanent occupation of a space in the international spotlight, measures are needed in the area of public policies that strengthen the Brazilian industry in the medium and long term, which is not currently happening.”

A pool of international exchange under tropical weather

Brazilian pictures have attracted international talents like Italian legend Marcello Mastroianni in ‘Gabriela’ (1983), ‘My Hindu Friend’ (2015) with Willem Dafoe, and Frenchman Vincent Cassel, who has strong ties with the nation, was cast in ‘Adrift’ (2009) and ‘The Movie of My Life’ (2017). Late German veteran character actor Udo Kier was a collaborator of Mendonça Filho, playing the main antagonist in ‘Bacurau’ (2019), which also had a squad of foreign talents, and portraying a Holocaust survivor in ‘The Secret Agent,’ a metalanguage of authoritarian regimes and their everlasting impact on their survivors, and also his last role. These and other collaborations show that there is room for foreign talent in authorial and independent Brazilian films.
When asked what foreign talent can bring to the Brazilian table, Rizzo explains: “‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘The Secret Agent’ already feature foreign professionals, especially Europeans, in artistic and technical roles. These are concrete and successful examples of opening new avenues for internationalising work, which are fundamental to the audiovisual production system in the 21st century.”

‘The Secret Agent’ features impactful cinematography by Russia’s Evgenia Alexandrova, while ‘I’m Still Here’ has a rich soundtrack by Australian musician Warren Ellis. Rizzo further elaborates on these symbiotic international relations:

Just as the US audiovisual industry traditionally relies on the talent of professionals from other countries; the Brazilian audiovisual industry has its doors open to the participation of foreign ‘players’ in strategic positions. Actors and actresses, for example, can revitalize their careers by participating in auteur films with strong festival presence and high circulation on prestigious exhibition circuits, which, in turn, allows them to occupy spaces in the global media spotlight. Producers can associate themselves with local projects and benefit from this same privileged circulation.” – Sérgio Rizzo

In this current high-momentum period, Brazilian cinema can accommodate both veteran and emerging talents. Names like Academy Award-winning Melissa Leo, charismatic 80s leading man Philip Michael Thomas, and New Queer Cinema mainstay Guinevere Turner come to my mind as they can offer much on and off-screen. While actors that deserve greater leading status include Ireland’s Mark Ryder (Borgia) and local Alexandre Rodrigues, who brought ‘City of God’s Rocket to life. Although the future is uncertain, the Brazilian cinema community, alongside local and foreign talents and fans, should savour moments like the one unfolding in this unique, sun-bathed corner of the globe.

The Secret Agent is in cinemas now

The post ‘The Secret Agent’ Unveils Authoritarian Trauma and New Narratives For World-Cinema appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

This out-of-the-ordinary moment is a sample of how the dramedy ‘Rental Family’ portrays Japan from a unique light that appeals to locals and outside audiences as it approaches the business that gives the picture its name, where people hire actors to pretend that they are relatives, friends, or love interests, but doesn’t involve sexual relations, although there is a sensible approach to sex workers in the picture. The rental family is a “make-believe” connection; however, the picture directed by Hikari reveals how deep such relations can go, either on paths of tenderness or toxicity, while touching on hard themes such as queerness and neglectful parenthood in Japanese culture. The screenplay was written by Hikari alongside Stephen Blahut.

The protagonist benefits from Fraser’s everyman charisma, which blends his will to keep trying to improve even as life gives him a bad hand. Fraser won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a moment that crowned the beloved performer who had come from a dark and vulnerable personal period, and it is this appeal along with his acting range and skill to bring to life the characters that makes Vanderploeg more believable as a journeyman actor in a foreign land, who is very distant from the matinée adventurer from the Mummy franchise or the scoundrel lawyer from ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ asserting Fraser’s capabilities.

‘Rental Family’ unites a world-class cast, showcasing Japanese talent to the West and highlighting Japan’s cinema culture. Shannon Mahina Gorman plays the child who has Vanderploeg as her “father.” The young actress shows veteran sensibilities, making the character’s reactions natural and authentic. This stands out, as directing children to appear genuine is challenging and often results in performances that feel forced. Thus, further showing how Hikari is a capable director and the good worker that Gorman is.

Hira has a leading man vein that, alongside Ken Watanabe and Hiroyuki Sanada, makes him a successor to past Japanese cinema leading men such as Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, and Ryô Ikebe. Hira can be charming and, in a snap, can be toxic. Another standout from the cast is journalist turned actress Mari Yamamoto, who finds in Aiko Nakajima, a dramatic character in ‘Rental Family’ who, at the start, goes with the motions in a life that seems to be leading to nowhere great in terms of professional planning, but also in a personal aspect. Nakajima represents what women have to endure in Japanese society. Yamamoto is known for the series ‘Pachinko’ and is shining in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.’ She is leading lady material.
Akira Emoto delivers a tender, sad performance as ageing actor Kikuo Hasegawa, a once-important figure who is now ostracised by the film industry and society. Struggling with his memories, his story reflects how the cinema industry neglects those who were once celebrated, leaving them as forgotten names or mere answers in crossword puzzles.

The cinematography gives ‘Rental Family’ a distinctive appeal compared to other Tokyo-based productions. It uses lighter colour palettes while also evoking a sense of loneliness and longing to belong, themes central to the story. The film is suitable for families, but it is not watered down, as it dialogues with films like ‘Lost in Translation’ and has shades of the darker ‘Midnight Cowboy.’

According to the University of Southern California’s (USC) Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, ‘Rental Family’ is among the top 100 highest-grossing films of last season and one of only nine in this group directed by a woman, a confirmation that Hikari is a raising voice and ‘Rental Family’ is better enjoyed in a movie theater, still it can be cozy at home. The cast’s chemistry and Tokyo’s unique architecture create a story that is bittersweet yet comforting, like having lemon ice cream on a late Sunday afternoon.

The post Rental Family: Brendan Fraser Leads a Tender Drama Exploring Japan’s “Hired Family” Culture appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

HBO’s miniseries ‘Task’ is one of the best TV shows from 2025. It was created and written by Brad Ingelsby, who made the acclaimed ‘Mare of Easttown.’ The series has shades of Michael Mann’s crime drama classic ‘Heat’ (1995) in how it depicts Robbie and his crew on equal footing with Tom and his agents, making both main characters troubled men with honourable and likeable traits, and showing how their crafts can be similar to each other.

‘Task’ gives Tom Pelphrey the role of a lifetime, who gives humanity to Robbie, a man who can be at the same time vengeful and endearing, showing many layers according to his plans and interactions. Ruffalo is one of the finest actors working today, and ‘Task’ is another opportunity to confirm his position among his peers. Brandis is a middle-aged man who has a body beaten up by years of desk work and stress, who finds some “solace” in alcohol, and is still haunted by his time as a man of faith. Both actors and characters show different sides of being a father, male vulnerability, and the need to rely on friendship.

The show also presents how the dangerous lives of cops and criminals can take a psychological toll, as happens when a group of law enforcement agents enters a suspect’s house. One of them freezes in the middle of the action, leading to questioning of their own calling to serve and protect, displaying the human side behind the badge. ‘Task’ also portrays how unforgiving and nihilistic the underworld can be to criminals and to the innocent, as there is no safety net for the characters or the guarantee that they will make it to the end of the story.

‘Task’ is a physically demanding narrative, too. Before being an actor, Mark Ruffalo was a wrestler in his teenage years, and this art of combat comes to the screen in a visceral and dynamic scene. Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) shines in her action scenes as she plays a no-nonsense cop. In training sessions that she goes under personal trainer Gabriela Mclain, the same one who trains Viola Davis, helps to bring gravitas to her body language and movement, showing how important trainers and stunt coordinators are for this industry. Mbedu’s characters in ‘The Woman King’ and ‘Task’ have very action-oriented scenes, but they are very different personality-wise, showing that Mbedu is a very talented drama actress who we can expect to see in other major productions.

The series also features a cast of high-level professionals who help humanize and tell the story, which makes the viewer care for them and their motives, or loathe them. The cinematography stands out by showing rural environments and green landscapes that distance ‘Task’ from the clichéd nighttime modernist and art-deco buildings in noir stories. The miniseries is the proper format to tell this layered story that would have to be cut if made into a movie or would drag and have narratives and characters that didn’t need extra time if turned into a regular series with endless spin-offs; therefore, the experience we gained is more enjoyable.

The post The “Task” of Telling A Great Crime Story appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri’s short film ‘Reunited’ (2023) doesn’t hold back and gets out of the gates with a powerful start, stating its message against domestic violence and abuse perpetuated against women and children who immigrate to other countries to flee from abusive husbands and fathers. The story shows how flawed the Hague Convention is, which is a series of treaties and conventions that should protect those under abusive paternal figures.

‘Reunited’ is produced by White Ribbon USA nonprofit, with the Hague Domestic Violence Project at Berkley, and makes a strong point contesting the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry adoptions. The Hague Convention should operate to safeguard women and children who have lived traumatic experiences and are fleeing their abuses, still it is still flawed and allows them to return to the place they are trying to leave.

The White Ribbon USA-supported film states in an onscreen message that: “Under the Hague Convention, women and children refugees from domestic violence are being sent back to the dangerous men from whom they fled. This film presents a 2014 case: California Courts sent a Ukrainian refugee’s 3-year-old son back to an abusive father, despite acknowledging child and mother faced a ‘grave risk.’” These words make ‘Reunited’ even more chilling to absorb as they show what life is like for these broken families.

The short film features outstanding acting from Helena Howard, a ranged actress who was praised for having one of the best performances of the last decade by IndieWire and The New Yorker. Howard, who conveys pain and desperation as the mother trying to make ends meet in Los Angeles while barely speaking English, while also trying to hide her stress with sweetness from her son, Andriy Volesky, played with eagerness by child actor Jaden Joyner, who is convincing in the role.

The talented Reeve Carney plays the violent father, and director Indrani brings the best out of him to conceive a villain that hides his darkness under politeness and angelical looks, which makes him even more terrifying and someone who would fit in the world of David Cronenberg’s ‘Eastern Promises’ (2007). Other members of the cast also have sparkling turns by dancer-turned-actress Carlene Britch playing Arina’s roommate and main supporter, Maria Lopez, and ‘Superman’s (2025) Edi Gathegi as Arina’s lawyer Matthew McConnell, who gives her a stern but realistic scenario of her changes of avoiding her former husband.

Indrani, before becoming a film director, was an acclaimed photographer who moved up the ranks and directed videos for David Bowie, Beyoncé, among others. Indrani’s accurate eyesight comes into cinematography as she uses the environment to tell the tale in an intriguing way that deepens the story and the feelings those characters are dealing with or trying to convey to others. While Lopez’s house may be a humble residence, it conveys a sense of safety; on the other corner, Volesky’s mansion is a symbol of dominance and oppression, and the public buildings can feel more like dungeons than places that hold institutions to help those in need. Indrani also knows how to subtly incorporate the subjects of race, nationality, and gender in ways that are missed in modern cinema.

‘Reunited’ was released in 2023, but it resounds even more today, considering the push back on women’s rights and the anger towards immigrants that we are seeing around the globe, making it a recommended material for Law Schools, Human Rights organisations, activist groups against child and women abuse, and so on. ‘Reunited’ also has the characteristics of becoming a major live-action feature film or prestige TV series.

The post The powerful story of ‘Reunited’ stands against an international law that shields abusive husbands and fathers appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

‘The Vile’ takes a different turn on the troupe of the third person that inserts themselves into a structured marriage, as seen before in the figures of the babysitter, the seductress coworker, or the stepmother. The picture depicts a local culture that allows a man to marry more than one woman, enabling this mysterious figure to enter the household of the father, mother, and their daughter, all with the excuse that the patriarch wants a male heir. In fact, everything is balanced, and they had a happy life, but papa is a greedy rolling stone.

Amani (Bdoor Mohammad) sees her status being ripped as her husband Khalid (Jasem Alkharraz) brings the second wife Zahra (Sarah Taibah), who is younger, good-looking, and a vixen oozing sex appeal. The newcomer to the household also affects the life of the couple’s teenage daughter, Noor (Iman Tarik), who feels her position as the sole daughter being disturbed by the announcement that Zahra is expecting a baby boy, the promised son that Amani wasn’t able to bear for Khalid.

Their family might be well-off, but it doesn’t save them from psychological strife, and ‘The Vile’, by using horror movie techniques, shows how harrowing it can be to live in an abusive household and the suffocation it causes to those who can’t just simply pick themselves up and leave without looking back. In many real-life stories, leaving abusive relationships is one of the most struggling acts to the victims.
‘The Vile’ is courageous to show that although protected by law and an ancient tradition, polygamy can lead to a hazardous, competitive and abusive environment to the wives and their children and that even though it is part of a rich culture, it has points that can be argued, and that this idea of polygamy is way different than the fetishization that goes through Westerner ideas by displaying how questionable it can be considering gender inequality and consensual relationships.

Al Ansari is a student of the game and an admirer of ‘Fatal Attraction’ and ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’, but there are also elements of classics like ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ that come into play. Nevertheless, ‘The Vile’ shines by portraying how horror can have peculiar nuances when translated to the dry lands of the United Arab Emirates, away from Western cultures and well-known cities like Los Angeles, New York, and London.

The picture focuses on female relations and how they are subjugated to patriarchal choices. Although Khalil is not much into the scene, his decisions affect the main characters, and the narrative follows the downward spiral of Amani and the dark coming-of-age story of Noor.

The cinematography is a strong asset, as it makes the United Arab Emirates feel otherworldly, giving it a distinct personality. This is particularly evident in the desert scenes, which feel more like a different world than a dry part of the ecosystem we live in, thus affirming how far from reality their ordeal is. The spacious house architecture, which sets it apart from other localizations, highlights how isolated and vulnerable Amani and Noor are, and how they must rely on each other to understand what is unfolding under their roof. ‘The Vile’ effectively illustrates how different cultures portray horror while also holding a critical lens towards society and the hardships of being a woman.

The post Review: ‘The Vile’ and the everyday evil against women [BFI Film Festival] appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Some examples of these combos can be seen in the series ‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015) following the eating habits of cannibal Renaissance man Hannibal Lecter played by Mads Mikkelsen; in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), a display on how independent horror movies can become a cultural influence that transcends the silver screen, and Spain’s c with its social commentary covered in gore and apprehension.

To discuss the relationship between gastronomy and horror, the Big Picture Film Club interviewed Sarah Stubbs, a film critic and online content creator known for her passion for various aspects of pop culture and her in-depth knowledge of food and horror.

Stubbs’ passion for cooking blossomed in her early childhood when learning how to cook from her mom, who also introduced Sarah to horror pictures like ‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1959) and all the Universal Monster films before the tender age of 10, laying the ground for the merger of these subjects in the younger Stubbs’ brain.

In our interview, Stubbs discusses the different roles food can play in horror films, ranging from being the killer itself to social allegories that emerge as the fatalities pile up in the score counting. Stubbs revels in how eye-appealing food can be another storytelling resource, the meaning of dinner time in American society, and how it is subverted, or even perverted, in the classic series starring Leatherface and his feared chainsaw.

Gabriel Leão: How is gastronomy used in horror movies and series?

Sarah Stubbs: Gastro horror is kind of like this big, all-encompassing thing. Thus, when I talk about gastro horror, I break it down a little bit. Because we have gastro horror, where the food is the killer. Think of movies like ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,’ ‘The Stuff,’ ‘Ginger Dead Man,’ where you literally have killer food.
I did an article where, literally, the food is the killer. I broke down just about everyone you can find. For some reason, bread is a popular food used, producers like to make stuff about killer bread.
I think it’s because “bread” and “dead” rhyme, so people like to play with titles like ‘Evil Bread,’ or ‘Night of the Living Bread’. Then you have instances of horror using gastro elements, like dinner scenes, feast scenes, death by food, Et cetera. For example, in ‘Sleepwalkers,’ someone is stabbed to death with an ear of corn.
Therefore, elements of food, like in the movie ‘Thinner,’ in which there’s a cursed pie, enter the discussion. But food isn’t necessarily the main feature. And then you have things that have cannibalism. So, literally, people are eating people.

I think gastro horror is kind of an all-encompassing thing, because human nature is eating. We have to eat to survive; there’s no way around it, and what’s scarier than something we have to do, being the source of danger? I find that particularly fascinating, and there’s a lot of subversions of dinner and meals, because it is something that is a part of our lives. It’s how we connect to people. We talk to people over dinner, when you go out for dinner on a date, hence subverting all of these things that we do daily, and making them horrific is always scary.

GL: How do you evaluate the role of gastronomy in the series ‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015)?

SS: Admittedly, I am not a big TV watcher. Nevertheless, I am very familiar with Hannibal. That said, I think what draws people to Hannibal is that there’s something so charismatic about him, you’re drawn to this cannibal, you want to see what this cannibal is going to do. When it comes to the show, not only that, but you have beautiful-looking food. It’s not grotesque in the visuals of it. When you look at this plate of food, what’s terrifying about it is that it’s absolutely something you would see at a fancy restaurant.

(The characters) may not know, but as the viewer of the show, you know this is human. This is what makes it so terrifying. My husband and I have this phrase we call things that are kind of attractive but scary. We call it “sexy dangerous.” And I feel like this is that, especially with the TV show’s star, Mads Mikkelsen.
There’s something so charismatic about Mikkelsen. You just can’t take your eyes off him. You want to keep watching what he’s going to do. You want to see what Hannibal’s going to do, and how he’s going to do it.
This brings us back to how it is not like ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ or ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ where the cannibalism is primal, ghastly, or grotesque; it’s not a ‘Wrong Turn’ movie, where you’re just seeing someone get their limbs hacked off and barbecued. It’s presented beautifully. We eat with our eyes.
It’s hard to look away when it’s something so beautiful. You see this in movies like ‘The Menu’ or ‘House of Spoils,’ where it’s not cannibalism, but there are these horrific scenes and moments that use beautiful food to, for a moment, pull you out of that scariness and that horror, because it’s just so gorgeous.

GL: How influential is the dinner scene in ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)?

SS: The dinner scene in the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is great for so many reasons, and it’s important to gastro horror, in my opinion. It is not the first time we have seen a dinner scene in horror. It’s not even nearly the first time. But what’s interesting about the dinner scene in ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is that aside from it just being this awful moment, it has a history. That scene was filmed at night; they filmed it for hours and hours and hours. The scent of rotting meat was everywhere. Everybody was sweaty.

In every book about ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ they talk about this scene, and its history just being such an awful night of filming, the actors’ stress and grunge, and everything is real, and so it feels so visceral.
But also, in the 1970s and in the United States, we’re seeing this kind of push away from, the nuclear family ideal, whereas in the 1950s, we had family dinner, and they were really trying to push this notion of everybody at the dinner table, dressing nicely and having a fancy dinner where children should be seen and not heard, mother and father talk about their day, it’s this cookie-cutter image and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ absolutely turns that on its head.

You have this horrific meal, people are being tortured, people are tied to the chair, they’re poking fun at modernity in a way that subverts it so much, because it’s so far from the family dinner that we would expect and that we see in Hollywood, since family dinner is supposed to be this place of comfort and joy, you think about the Sunday dinner where you get together with your family, you catch up, and it’s nice, meanwhile this scene is not like that at all. This is horror. This is Sally trying to escape this dinner with every fibre of her being and her life. She literally jumps out a window to escape it.

This dinner scene is shown in various ways throughout the ‘Texas Chainsaw’ franchise, with the exception of the more modern remakes. Even ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation’ kind of removes it. There’s a dinner scene, but dinner isn’t the point anymore, and effectively, we see how family dinner throughout history in the United States changes through how it’s depicted in the ‘Texas Chainsaw’ franchise, which is really fascinating.

GL: The Spaniard horror film ‘The Platform’ (2019) touches on some social issues through allegories. How do you see the subjects of luxury food and cannibalism playing out in the product?

SS: In the ‘Platform,’ there’s not as much cannibalism (as in the others we previously discussed), if I recall correctly. It’s been a minute since I’ve watched it, but they do touch a lot on the social commentary, and you do see this in cannibalism movies. There is a lot of, eat the rich, or going the opposite way where the rich are taking advantage of marginalized people and communities, and, in essence, they are the ones doing the eating. There is a Norwegian film called ‘Kadaver,’ and the premise is rich people who are inviting people who aren’t rich and they deem to be below them to dinner, then the people they’ve invited are, in fact, the meal, and these people are trying to escape, similarly to the ‘Platform’. There is the social commentary of those “above” having more than those “below”. And I think that it’s a really fascinating look and way to examine society. Food is obviously something that, again, everybody needs, but not everybody has access to and so to use starvation and/or the removal of food as the means of horror is another way that we can give focus to these issues without necessarily making a movie that’s directly about those topics.

Sarah Stubbs

Interested in more Gastro Horror? Check out Sarah Stubbs’ official website.

Visit sarahstubbssays.com

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Director Vincent Grashaw tells the story of the retired “Bang Bang” Rozyski as he rekindles with his estranged grandson, Justin (Andrew Liner), and trains him in the sport that gave “Bang Bang” his claim to fame but also stole his happiness and innocence from a young age.

The movie doubles as a coming-of-age story for the supporting character Justin, who is played with diligence by Liner and represents a new opportunity at parenting for the lead. Still, it is primarily a character study for Rozyski that peels back the personality of boxers, straying from the clichés of an underdog aiming for a successful comeback to his previous status, thus bringing this fictional tale closer to the reality of the majority of the sweet science gladiators, whom I’ve followed as a boxing writer.

Rozyski’s grudge with former opponent Darnell Washington (Glenn Plummer) bleeds on the screen as an unhealed old scar pouring dark red blood. Washington is a loud boxer reminiscent of the great Black fighters of the past, a departure from Plummer’s more famous past roles. Washington gives a speech to Rozyski about the realities of boxing and life itself, mirroring the late Michael Gambon’s monologue in the British gangster classic ‘Layer Cake’ (2004), and forcing “Bang Bang” to mature.

Another stance where ‘Bang Bang’ avoids clichés is by humanising the cop character, Officer Flores, by not making her a die-hard hero nor a straight-out prejudicial villain, which gains nuance through the acting skills of Daniella Pineda, who Hollywood should consider casting in leading lady roles.

‘Bang Bang’ uses Detroit as its narrative; the movie is immersed in a city that is a far-cry from its glorious Motor City past, but the picture doesn’t go for easy emotions, like showing a ghost town. It presents a mostly blue-collar environment struggling amidst an America that has gone through too many socio-economic crises, thus too much pain. Still, there is room to love, as seen in how a trio of college-age youngsters receive ‘Bang Bang’ or the fondness that the local Polish community shows towards him, as many victorious boxers are a beacon to the places and people they hail from.

The clothing department also helps tell the story, and Rozyski’s golden Trans-Am automobile helps further his character presence as it is a signal to how people perceive their past to have been better than it actually was, how cars are extensions of their drivers’ personalities, and our never-ending addiction to 80s nostalgia, including its negative aspects. Not to forget that the Trans-Am looks gorgeous in the picture.
Another merit is that the feature doesn’t show “the fall of an icon,” a subject that media vampirizes as outlets like as much to make new idols as to destroy them and move on to the other, ‘Bang Bang’ performs the aftermath of the fall, the lingering destructive behaviours and patterns and how the opportunity for redemption can come late and is not guaranteed to be sweet.

The post Review: ‘Bang Bang’: A Gritty Boxing Character Study That Punches Beyond the Ring appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Britain’s Vicky Mather, an award-winning filmmaker and artist who is also a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion, Film and Digital Production course, in an interview with Big Picture Film Club says that “Fashion and cinema are visual conversations, and those conversations can amplify when these two cultural entities collaborate.”

In some stances, fashion helps tell a cinematic story while in other cinema assists in telling a fashion story, as high-couture houses also employ cinema talents to promote their art and products, and Mather sees an alignment in such relations as talents are bridging both worlds, such as stylist and film director Tom Ford and actress Chloë Sevigny.

“Fashion filmmakers are naturally good at aesthetics. Sometimes this style-first approach can lack substance, narrative, and meaning. Still, the language of cinema can help fashion expand its power through visual storytelling and can capture the essence of a fashion collection through creating a visual world for the clothing to exist within,” believes Mather.

Renowned Brazilian actress Isabel Fillardis started her life as a model at the tender age of 11 years-old becoming a professional at 15 operating in the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro venues for major brands like Coca-Cola, MacDonald’s L’oreal Paris, and was the first Black artist to star in a TV ad for Lux Luxo and its soap named Pérola Negra (Black Pearl) before enrolling in the upcoming talents of TV Globo and giving life to the character of Ritinha in the telenovela ‘Renascer,’ telenovelas are popular in the South American country and gave platform for talents like Sônia Braga, Wagner Moura, and Fillardis to jump to the silver screen.

Having experience and success in fashion and cinema, Fillardis explains how the symbiosis between cinema and fashion operate in an interview with the Big Picture Film Club: “Cinema is a great doorway to world culture, and fashion dictates an era, a period, or a season (where the story takes place), while helping and collaborating with the overall layout and conception of the film itself.”

A nuanced social climber and a trademark luxury brand

The collaborations between fashion and cinema have led to real-life friendships, such as the one that Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto enjoys with his compatriot, Takeshi Kitano, and German director Wim Wenders, both auteurs and respected artists in the cinema world who have employed Yamamoto’s creations in their stories. Tom Ford might be more known for his clothing prowess, but he is also an acclaimed director, having under his name ‘Nocturnal Animals’ (2016) and ‘A Single Man’ (2009).

There are movies where fashion plays a distinctive role, such as ‘Clueless’ (1995), and ‘Collateral’ (2004), in composing the characters, or are about aspects of the fashion world, such as ‘Blow-Up’ (1966), ‘Neon Demon’ (2016), and ‘Phantom Thread (2017). Among those that carved a legacy and influenced mainstream society are Audrey Hepburn’s tale of a social climber in New York ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961), Meryl Streep turn as a demanding fashion magazine editor in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006), and the African high-tech superhero ‘Black Panther’ (2018).

Fillardis sees a classic film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ as it “is a film with many layers but it is a film that brings sexist portrait of the 1961 society, where it portrays superficiality, portrays a woman who wants to be rich and believes that is happiness and is surprised when she meets a novelist, a writer, and falls in love.”
Some of the layers of the film, based on a homonymous Truman Capote novel, are in the way it deals with the character development of Holly Golightly (Hepburn) as “the film explores happiness and utilizes fashion as both a shield and a projection of what the main character aspires to be, representing what she believes constitutes happiness. Many people dress up to present themselves as someone else, but deep down, they aren’t like that. So, it’s an interesting film because it’s very layered.”

The Brazilian actress goes beyond to denote how relevant is ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s as “it marks a sophistication for cinema at that time, Audrey with that elegant posture and incredible wardrobe, the hairdos, the pearls, and Tiffany with all that ornamentation dictating the scales, and the way to see how fashion influences character development and contributes to a film.”

In the real world, the picture helped cement the status of the luxury store Tiffany & Co. to the point that it became an attraction for tourists, and their jewellery is coveted by those who want to impress or express their feelings to their loved ones. The picture also influenced the other storytelling products with its depictions of high class and taste, as believed by Mather. “The incorporation of a brand (Tiffany’s) into one of the most famous films of all time, plus Audrey, plus the art direction, the cinematography and New York, and so on presents us with a pure aspirational fantasy world that gives birth to contemporary series that are clearly historically influenced by the film, like for example, Netflix’s Emily in Paris.”

The elegant and funny hell that introduced viewers to the fashion world

Much like ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ and ‘Emily in Paris’ (2020 – ), ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is another story that uses comedy aligned with fashion to bring a tale depicting aspects of social class, image, and values also serving as showcase stage for Streep’s talent and skill while getting the average viewer closer to the life of a New York fashion magazine.

“The fashion magazine world in 2025 is more dynamic than in the version satirised in ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ a very funny film that is highly entertaining and watchable- so is ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ (2016). It’s the same thing, and I have met people who remind me of the characters portrayed, but I also remind myself of these characters, so who am I to judge! ‘Thats all!’,” observes Mather.

For Fillardis ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is also a cinema classic, to whom one of the highpoints of the picture is to talk about fashion and its “backstage corners, the pain and pleasures, its realities” while bringing it to the mainstream public “so we see cinema contributing and informing people, showing behaviours inside a society, inside a layer which is this world of fashion, showing complex and human figures which are behind each character.”

The former model sees a brilliant turn by Streep, who as Miranda Priestly “hides behind all that sophistication, all of that to protect a significant vulnerability, and it portrays exactly what many people have already lived through or are still living with, hiding their pain behind all these major labels, brands, and clothes.” The movie worked, and since we are in a period of legacy sequels and remakes, there is a second part of this story being prepared for cinemas, so Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci will engage in more power and ego disputes while well dressed and will be joined by Justin Theroux and Lucy Liu. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ will be in cinemas next year, 20 years after the original film’s release.

The African Panther that cuts through prejudice and brings self-esteem

If ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ brought power and ego with sharp-dressed people, Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ had it but also brought a new look at African fashion with its patterns, designs, and cloths in a picture that not only influenced fashion but also how societies identify Blackness with its bold visuals and narrative surpassing the limitations of the superhero genre with political and social consciousness. A long-time voice for Black civil rights, identity, and representation in Brazil, Fillardis sees in the Ryan Coogler-directed picture a milestone for Hollywood, world cinema, and even Brazilian cinema culture due to the societal changes it brought.

“‘Black Panther’ is another significant mark in national (Brazilian) cinema. ‘Black Panther’ is also a layered picture with many layers inside one film. ‘Black Panther’ brings Black empowerment, the intelligence, the technology and the contribution by Black people to humanity, the aesthetics of the movie for bringing Black royalty shows a new behavior and empowerment not only in fashion and for those who make fashion but to a whole Black populace to understand and reaffirm its identity in Brazil and the world. It is also a significant milestone in national cinema, bringing together diverse influences, a complex array of layers, and multiple directions, as well as vast political and social leanings, which have led to this great rediscovery of Africa,” says Fillardis.

Mather sees in the success of ‘Black Panther’ and the way it portrays Blackness and Black culture in the US and Africa, and part of it comes from the alignment between its fashion sense and cinematic choices. “Both film and fashion are storytelling vehicles that when available to a range of creative people, act as tools for creativity and self-expression, like for example: Afrofuturism, which expands Black narratives into aspirational futures utilising the codes and conventions of science fiction as a genre- so cool!”

For Mather, ‘Black Panther’ opens doors for cinema and fashion storytelling of marginalised groups and the need to have their truth on the screen: “If filmmakers are given the creative freedom along with the collaborators they need to make short form films with contemporary designers, fashion film can be a vehicle for visual activism. It can represent identities and ensure they are celebrated instead of watered down, and the medium can be used to authentically explore complexities and nuance through visual metaphors that widen representation and cultivate a deeper understanding and respect for one another.”

Still, for the results of ‘Black Panther’ to be achieved once more or even surpass the bar it has set, there is a need to have conversations about diversity in decision-making positions within both industries.

“If every story in the world was told by, for example, a middle-aged white man, we would end up living within the confines of that ‘way of seeing’ ultimately shaping our beliefs, values and assumptions for generations- how boring! Expanding representation both in front and behind the camera- as well as the sewing machine, is essential for us to deepen our knowledge of other cultures to develop a wider understanding of cultural identities and expand our global perspective,” exposes Mather.

Knowing more about each other’s craft

‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Black Panther’ are movies that show how fashion can help to build characters and tell a story through visual resources that are appealing to the eyes and senses, making cinema a memorable sensorial experience that can also have societal impacts, even leading to conversations and changes.

To achieve such results, it is interesting for people from cinema and those from fashion to not just acknowledge their siblings but also to study the craft of the other, as believe Fillardis and Mather.
“Fashion helps in the development of an identity, whether it be of a character or a movie. Fashion indicates which season we are in, the place we are situated, and the behavior of that character. Therefore, fashion contributes to the construction of a story, one that wants to be told,” evaluates Fillardis.

Mather corroborates Fillardis’ vision: “Fashion is wildly entertaining, super fun, can laugh at itself, but on a more serious note, it’s a reflection of who we are. When you can identify a specific point in time through a film, the styling, makeup, art direction, cinematography or soundtrack- your film becomes a cultural artefact- it’s the same for fashion.”

In addition, Mather who also teaches the subject at London College of Fashion exposes that: “It’s imperative at London College of Fashion that if we are going to be working in this area of branded filmmaking we have the opportunity to not only make it super engaging, but as filmmakers the students have the luxury of being able to just walk upstairs and talk to fashion designers who are trying to reimagine the production of fashion garments in an environmentally, socially and ethically conscious way, and as filmmakers we can do the exact same in terms of film production and storytelling.” Mather is focusing on the future of the fashion and cinema industries to make sure that more professionals know more about both areas, which are indeed forms of art.

‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ and ‘Black Panther’ have carved their way into the cultural lexicon and will continue to have an influence for years to come, being the subject of study for both veterans and those considering joining its ranks. These movies bring respect to both the silver screen and the closet.

Photo: Isabel Fillardis / Thaís Monteiro

The post From Prada to Wakanda: Movie Fashion That Changed Culture appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Danny is played by Luke McQuillan, who brings a passionate and credible performance to the story that he also wrote. Danny is an Afghanistan war veteran who lost his marriage, the custody of his child and his pride after a house accident and befriends teenager Will (Daniel Fee), a puppy-eyed member of Dublin’s underworld who is living on the woods after failing to pay his debts to the local kingpin, the feared Power who is played by the astonishingly talented Aiden Gillen, who is known for incarnating Littlefinger in ‘Game of Thrones.’

Gillen comes as a perverted Peter Pan leading a pack of lost rabid cubs, as ‘Amongst the Wolves’ serves as a coming-of-age story for Will, whose vulnerability makes him somewhat likeable. Without condescending speeches, ‘Amongst the Wolves’ briefly touches on the social dilemma that impoverished children look up to local criminals and see in illegality a way for a better life.

The first part of the picture is a slow burn, a character study of Danny, who struggles with PTSD and the shades of homeless life as he tries to find places to sleep, receiving help from social workers, presenting himself appropriately to his son while dealing with a wife who has her side of not wanting him around.
By the start of the movie, Danny picks up football boots and cleans them as best he can. We find them later wrapped up as a gift to his son, who still has the naiveté of small children, and doesn’t look to know where they were bought or which brand made them, a reminiscence of sweeter and less consumerist Christmases. These scenes mark that McQuillan is a competent drama writer, which is enhanced by the talented child actor.

The revenge thriller aspect is evident in the behaviour of the hoodlums and the skill of director Mark O’Connor, who is also a co-writer, having experience in capturing Dublin’s underbelly, as seen in ‘Cardboard Gangsters’. The cinematography proves to be an asset as the night colours and shades become characters in the picture, and the camera shoots the characters as wolves hunting after dark, adding another dimension to the city and distinguishing it from the dullness of daytime Dublin.

Although there are criminal elements and activities during daytime with drug dealing, threats and stalking, it is at night that punishment comes not sparing neither the bad, the good, nor the innocent, which, allied with the cast, makes these characters more believable. Gillen’s Power could be a descendant of Littlefinger with a larger-than-life bravado and dog-hating tendencies, but the underworld of capital cities around the globe has tales that are too outlandish for the ordinary person to believe, but not for those used for police reports or investigative journalism. Power is a small kingpin who got high on his own delusions, which makes him unhinged.

‘Amongst the Wolves’ delivers what is expected of a revenge thriller by its satisfying ending scenes, as Danny shows veteran combat expertise and strategy, delivering violence to those who perpetrated it against what was once a peaceful community. It is also through this performance that the main character, who seemed like an everyman at the beginning of the story, shows how capable those who go through military service can be, while not forgetting issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and being forsaken by a nation after bleeding for it. ‘Amongst the Wolves’ has more depth than usually seen in revenge thrillers or VOD products and is a valuable step for the writer and actor who is McQuillan.

The post Review: ‘Amongst the Wolves’ – Gritty Irish Revenge Thriller Roars in Dublin’s Shadows appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

A task that is already stressful for career criminals, let alone first-timers, becomes even harder due to Frankie’s condition and the arrival of the apartment’s owner. This well-orchestrated scene keeps the sense of looming danger and mystery in the indie neo-noir ‘Gazer’ (2024), which premiered in Cannes last year and is making its rounds in American and British cinemas this season.

First-time director Ryan J. Sloan shot his debut feature using 16mm film, which sets it apart from its contemporaries, giving it a unique charm while also paying homage to New Hollywood classics without becoming an adulation exercise. Sloan works as an electrician in his daily job, and his blue-collar vision comes to the screen, as seen in how he shoots and presents the characters, giving a feeling that is different and more mature than some pictures that come from college “wonderkids” that get lost in their excessive dialogues and condescending prejudice.

By having Frankie as the protagonist, a frail single mother suffering to make the ends meet, who yearns to spend time with her daughter while juggling odd jobs and facing the hardship of a mental illness that makes her lose tracks of seconds, hours and even days gives the picture written by Sloan and Ariella Mastroianni, the talented lead who plays Frankie, a compelling character surrounded by others who feel like everyday people pushed to violent deeds due to the possibility of making a score that will make their lives a bit easier. A feeling that is furthered by showcasing the dark corners of lower-middle-class New Jersey, avoiding the cliché of treating it as a poor cousin of New York City, while presenting the city with its own distinct personality.
The 16mm film also gives a sense of the rawness of a story of rugged people who have their backs against the wall without much to look forward to, as one can feel in the suicide survivors group reunions. ‘Gazer’ also shares some of Edward Hooper’s aesthetic elements with its intelligent cinematography, which showcases how a forgotten America copes with loneliness and depression through the darkest hours of the night.

The jazz-inspired soundtrack is another high point, as it helps set the mood of the story and its layered mysteries and motifs without becoming a distraction, but rather an enhancement to this intriguing story.
The nightmare sequences allow the authors to play with language. In these moments, ‘Gazer’ flirts with fantastical horror and Kubrickian nightmares resembling ‘The Shining’ (1980), giving an insight into Frankie’s psychological pain and how survivor’s guilt lingers through the years, which once again brings the subject of time and how illusory the idea is that people can control it.

With the nightcrawlers presented in ‘Gazer,’ Sloan and Mastroianni are setting themselves as one of the interesting storyteller duos for the public and critics to follow in the years to come and are showcasing the relevance of preserving independent cinema. If ‘Gazer’ was done by a major studio, it would have the boring tropes of mainstream cinema to sell popcorn and seats of which the public is relieved in this art piece which keeps it running smooth and closer to real life.

Gazer is available in UK Cinemas from 25th July.

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The account above comes from many of the student-athletes and regular students from Ohio State University, where serial abuser Dr. Richard Strauss worked from 1978 to 1998 and was exposed in 2018 when Adam DiSabato and other men who wrestled for Ohio State University in the late 80s and early 1990s brought their ordeal to the public and opening up about the abuse they were under the deceased Dr. Strauss after seeing the fall from grace by USA gymnastics team physician Dr. Larry Nassar who abused female athletes and was condemned for his crimes.

Ohio State University students and members are known for their nickname, “Buckeye,” and the HBO documentary “Surviving Ohio State” (2025) by Eva Orner shows how this troublesome ordeal shocks the “Buckeye Nation.”

Ohio State University has one of the richest university sports departments but was also the hunting grounds of Dr. Strauss, and his crimes linger on the adult lives of his victims even after decades as they cope with trauma, revictimization, shame, stigma, bullying, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, isolation, PTSD, neglect, and other maladies.

These complex subjects can be felt in the voices and expressions of the interviewees, which makes ‘Surviving Ohio State’ a singular document on abuse as there are many pieces of non-fictional and fictional media portraying sexual abuse against women, still when it happens to men it comes with a taboo, and even worse when those preyed upon are perceived as tough guys.

‘Surviving Ohio State’ is sensitive and respectful, allowing the viewer and even the interviewees themselves to understand and process the exploitation they’ve been put through. The actions of Dr. Strauss were an “open secret” at Ohio State University, and very few did anything to stop it. On the other hand, many worried more about Ohio State University’s image and its rich sports program, even if it meant discrediting the victims.
Although Dr. Strauss’s crimes were uncovered through Ohio State University’s wrestlers, his predatory gaze was not limited only to the mat, as he also served as a team physician for men’s lacrosse, swimming, diving, gymnastics, and fencing. Dr. Strauss also treated students from the hockey, volleyball, cheerleading, track, soccer, golf, baseball, tennis, water polo, and football teams. The health professional also perceived mature men as fair game, as opened by the disturbing testimonial by a male adult wrestling referee.

Dr. Strauss’ behaviour happened before talks on harassment or the advancement of sex education; the latter explains to youngsters how boundaries operate and how to identify malicious intent. The documentary highlights these period differences with accuracy. Although the students would discuss Dr. Strauss’s habits with their coaches, only Charlotte Remenyik, the female coach of the male fencing team, took a stance and, after ten years, was able to remove Strauss from her squad, a show that it took female eyes to feel empathy towards the athletes’ plight. However, Dr. Strauss was in charge of other teams and was later promoted to the Ohio State University hospital and started to have access to ordinary students. The piece briefly touches that he prescribed steroids for athletes, a subject also deserving of further focus.

According to the victims, Olympian and Ohio State University’s wrestling coach Russ Hellickson and his assistant coach Jim Jordan knew about the situation but turned a blind eye. Hellickson withdrew his support for the denouncing wrestlers after all came to light, while Jordan, who was the assistant coach from 1987 to 1995 and is now a US representative, denies knowing about Dr. Strauss’ pattern of abusive conduct.
The traumatised men rely on the camera, which they told Jordan that something was wrong, including the referee, who was harassed at the shower. He recalls Jordan telling him that that behaviour was expected from Dr. Strauss and not to make a fuss about it. ‘Surviving Ohio State’ presents a journalistic investigation that questions Congressman Jordan’s stance regarding his wrestlers’ lingering pain, although the a public servant.

A pain that lingers and the need to show empathy

A private investigation conducted by Ohio State University after the denounces showed that at least 177 young men were victimized by Dr. Strauss, and at least 48 of them were raped. In one instance, he drugged a student in his office and offered to drive him home, and the next morning, the patient woke up and noticed that he was raped by the professional that should be responsible for his wellbeing; this testimonial is one of the key factors in ‘Surviving Ohio State’ to understand who perverted and deceiving Dr. Strauss was. It is believed that the victim numbers go way past what the investigation found out.

As a wrestler who comes from a difficult upbringing while dealing with the aftermath caused by it, I understand how society can push wrestlers, fighters, martial artists, and other contact sports athletes to hide their feelings, the fear of exposing their pain and being targeted with homophobic attacks which aren’t aimed only at homosexuals because haters try to strip the masculinity of men who are courageous enough to open their vulnerabilities.

Detractors of wrestling have always used homophobia to dismiss it since it is a grappling form of combat where practitioners wear singlets, a behaviour seen in the recent picture ‘Unstoppable’ (2024) through the words from Anthony Robles’ stepfather. In my life, even with people knowing that I’m straight, I had to endure homophobic attacks due to my wrestling training, and for men who endure sexual abuse, it is even worse. And I leave here a reminder: it doesn’t matter the sexual orientation, harassment is harassment and abuse is abuse.
These conflicts are keenly captured by Academy and Emmy Award-winning director Eva Orner, who is used to dealing with men who have confronted toxic masculinity to bring to light wrongdoings while being bashed by the public. Orner won her Oscar for producing Alex Gibney’s ‘Taxi to the Dark Side’ (2007), which touches on the harrowing details of the USA’s torture and interrogation methods implemented during the War in Afghanistan. It is with this look that Orner further humanises the Ohio State University’s male students.

Orner is capable of portraying how these athletes breathe in the intersectionality of poverty and being naïve, hailing from rural areas and having few to no previous sexual experiences, making them the “ideal” target for Dr. Strauss’ grooming. The scales between the victims and Dr. Strauss get even more unbalanced when it is added that some were non-white or foreigners.

These profiles help to understand their fear of losing their scholarship, being robbed of their future as athletes, and others questioning their sexual identity. Orner also goes against the tide by avoiding clichés and identitarianism and showing that hard men can also be victimised.

The documentary reveals that Dr. Strauss’ perverted ways were an open secret, thereby helping the viewer to understand how predators operate, as they are shielded by enablers who fear the downfall would cause image and economic damages to the institutions to which they belong. This equation is seen in the disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, the silver screen Caligula, and in male film talents who didn’t mind that their female colleagues and friends were abused while their careers were moving forward, winning awards at festivals and ceremonies. Ohio State University failed these men back then, and it is still failing them just like Hollywood fails Weinstein’s victims.

In the classic ‘On the Waterfront’ (1952), Marlon Brando plays the washed-up boxer Terry Malloy and gives one of his most famous lines: “I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody.” The lingering pain in ‘Surviving Ohio State’s middle-aged and senior citizens can be felt in their voices, and they show how trauma can hinder professional and relationship futures, and how it can affect work and sports performances. Their reality hits crueller than Malloy’s iconic and tragic line.

‘Surviving Ohio State’ is a necessary documentary, not only for survivors of abuse, but because stories like this have to be told and retold to curb other predators that are out there. The sincerity and selflessness of these men deserve to be translated into a prestige drama feature and memoirs.

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Weeks before, the scene seemed more amicable at the City of God favela, as the same place was having an amateur football match between the local team and visitors. Around the pitch, people were having a barbecue, drinking beer, and listening to live samba music while they cheered on their players. Still, a misunderstanding between athletes was stopped when drug lord Bullfinch (Marcos Palmeira) shot some rounds of bullets to stop the fracas and assert his leadership.

At the quiet Gardênia Azul (Blue Gardenia) favela, inhabitants meet with reporters at a church to confide how the militia, a paramilitary group with ties to law enforcement and government agents in high places, keeps a tight grip over their daily lives while promising to protect them. However, they are shaking off their money and imposing conservative values through powder. The militia leader Bull (Otavio Linhares) affirms that the “mess” that is happening in City of God due to a drug dealer’s turf war wouldn’t happen at his territory.

These three scenarios help to understand how complex the situation in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas has unfolded, as portrayed in the HBO Original series ‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ (2024), which acts as a sequel to the quintessential world cinema picture ‘City of God’ (2002). The story happens two decades after the demise of the infamous drug dealer Lil’ Ze (Leandro Firmino).

It is a solid new chapter of the story from the movie helmed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles, based on the homonymous novel by Paulo Lins, as it is one of the best pictures out of South America and of the dawn of this century. ‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ adds depth to the characters and their social context, packed with strong storytelling and prestige acting, putting this series in a higher league on par with the best productions from the USA and England.

Produced by Meirelles, it still maintains the premier cinematography and smart editing, which makes the favela feel lifelike. The scenario production is also recommendable since the colour schemes and aesthetics give the City of God favela a warm and fluid image while Gardênia Azul feels cold and mechanical, which translates the unwritten rules of those places where the corrupt state apparatus never arrived or left them behind.

The dialogues make the characters feel more down-to-earth, which is enhanced by the acting of an ensemble cast with strong chemistry. ‘City of God’ has cinematic action scenes but is not only about shootouts between drug dealers, militias, and police units, it shines best when humanizes stories by showing characters’ motifs and decisions, their moments of bliss and love, thus breaking with the stereotype propagated in the media that the favela is a bottomless limbo of violence and poverty, which is represented in the newspaper editor that relishes when Rocket photos show the violence in his neighborhood.

Highlighting the stage for more competent stories from the favelas

‘City of God’ started an informal Brazilian genre called ‘favela movies’ where upcoming productions would try to be as relevant as the pioneering movie or even take over its crown. Still, most of them are forgettable because they aim to exploit the suffering of an impoverished and mostly Black Rio de Janeiro, pimping their poverty in attempts to profit on an industrial scale and grab attention in international festivals. Keeping true to its roots, the series tells stories without falling into the pitfalls of a politically correct diversity protocol, which would hinder the final product.

The highlight of the series is the narrator and leading man, Rocket, portrayed by Alexandre Rodrigues. His skill brings a nuanced profile on masculinity and Blackness while also straying from the typical protagonist of crime dramas by having a photojournalist as the main character instead of a police officer or a thug.
We find Rocket in the twilight of his young manhood as he is about to become a middle-aged man. To survive, Rocket had to mature faster than his contemporaries, a characteristic that Rodrigues plays well by representing his pain and tiredness of a job that is necessary but takes its toll while keeping a jovial attitude that reminds those watching of the boy he was in the film.

The series also shows cultural and societal shifts in the favelas as Rocket’s daughter, MC Leka (Luellen de Castro), sings sexually explicit Brazilian funk lyrics, which the photographer isn’t much keen on. Leka was raised by her grandmother as her father was working on his career and moving out of the favela. By making Rocket a neglectful parent, ‘City of God’ gives a flaw that adds layers to the protagonist.
‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ is not only a respectable series. It also serves as a stage to present once again to the world how talented Rodrigues is. The series screams to the industry that the youngster is one of the best leading men from South America and makes one wonder what directors like Spike Lee, Reginald Hudlin, Antoine Fuqua, Barry Jenkins, Dennis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson, and Michel Gondry could do with a world-class talent like him.

The post How HBO’s ‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ Delivers a Gripping Sequel to the 2002 Classic appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

2018’s ‘Shoplifters’ by Kore-eda can be perceived as a companion piece to South Korea’s Bong Joon Ho directed ‘Parasite’ (2019) as both tackle social class, economic oppression, and families struggling in the middle of it all; on the other hand, ‘Shoplifters’ and ‘Monster’ are portrayals of how it can be challenging to be a child in current days Japan which is different from how childhood is portrayed in British and American media and also displays Kore-eda’s proficiency to direct child actors straying them away from the acting more seen in TV ads and children’s TV shows.

‘Monster’ revolves around a mother demanding answers from a school and a teacher when her son shows erratic behaviour. Minato is a youngster facing hard times and is played with conviction by Soya Kurokawa, who can express anger, frustration, and enchantment like a veteran. As part of his narrative comes classmate Yori, an odd and introspective child interpreted by Hinata Hiiragi, who brings the sort of vulnerability that sets the pre-teen aside from his classmates and makes him a target to bullies.

Bullying is a disturbing reality in Japanese schools, which have a stricter educational culture than their Western counterparts due to societal demands and expectations. Still, Kore-eda doesn’t paint an easy picture, segregating characters into “good and bad” archetypes. Although presenting teachers and staff as fallible and sometimes even incompetent and immature, the director is empathic to the struggles of those responsible for preparing the future generations of their country and how they are sometimes suffocated by parents and even the media who also don’t respect their private lives and those who they choose to be their partners.

The movie also touches on the subject of neglect and parental abuse, which is still a taboo in mainstream media. Although more prominent with the debate of mental health and music movements like new wave and grunge, the hardships of parenting and how toxic parental figures can scar the young ones is hard to approach because it is not a viewer-friendly matter, and the result can be something corny, however, it is touched with a peculiar and masterful eye.

Kore-eda knows how to land on such complex grounds and deal with stomach-turning subjects without resorting to easy emotions and answers. Kore-eda leaves it to the viewer to interpret, and they won’t be able to grasp it at the exact moment they watch; hence, they carry the narratives to their homes.

The experience is furthered by the well-crafted and evolving soundtrack by Japanese legend Ryuichi Sakamoto in his last and posthumous film collaboration. The soundtrack acts much like another character, an observer that beholds the moments of drama and the joys of being a child or an adult enjoying a healthy relationship.
It is not only a great screenplay, but it also packs great images like showing the roles that fire and water play in telling this beautiful story and showing a side of Japan not much seen in samurai and yakuza films that for long have been the most contact Westerners have had with this country outside anime and gaming.

‘Monster’ is another solid entry in Kore-eda’s oeuvre and world cinema, and it can also be considered one of the best films of 2023. Kore-eda is a master of his art, and each film delivers a different experience of how complex human relationships can be.

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Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025, ‘Black Box Diaries’ is directed and narrated by Itō herself. It shines a light on a rarely discussed side of Japanese society: a system steeped in sexism and cruel to survivors of sexual violence, not to mention the country’s neglect of those suffering from mental illness.

Reportedly only 4% of rapes are reported to Japanese authorities, and even then they’re handled under laws that date back nearly a century. The conviction rate remains low. Law enforcement often stalls investigations due to outdated views on gender, and prosecutors abandon nearly 50% of the cases they receive. Professor David T. Johnson at the University of Hawaii notes, that the result is for every 1,000 rapes in Japan, only 10-20 result in a criminal conviction and fewer than half of convicted rapists are actually imprisoned.

Adding to the grim picture, Japanese society frequently silences, shames, and discourages survivors from pursuing justice. In ‘Black Box Diaries’, Itō shares the hateful voice and mail messages she receives regularly, while people close to her urge her to walk away or report the crime anonymously.
The documentary also shows the moral failings of Japan’s justice system. The one police officer willing to help Itō stays in the shadows, afraid to risk his career. His colleagues try to steer Itō away from pursuing the case, avoiding her, dismissing her concerns, and even cancelling the arrest warrant, leaving Yamaguchi free to enjoy life as if nothing had happened.

Yamaguchi was closely connected to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on whom he had written a biography. When the case was brought before Parliament, Abe dismissed its significance, thereby erasing Itō’s humanity. This moment illustrates how untouchable Japan’s elites can be, and how deeply the political, legal, and law enforcement systems are complicit in protecting the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.
‘Black Box Diaries’ is a testament to the aftermath of sexual assault. Itō’s struggle with depression, anxiety, and PTSD underscores the urgent need for Japan’s healthcare system to improve its support for mental health, especially for survivors and their families.

Shiori Itō is a central figure in Japan and Asia’s #MeToo movement, which still deserves far more attention, especially as momentum wanes in other parts of the world. One powerful scene shows veteran women journalists standing by Itō, sharing their own stories of harassment in a male-dominated industry where promises of promotion often mask a cycle of exploitation.

Itō reflects on how the fall of a “famous Hollywood producer” helped spark global awareness of abuse. She’s referring, of course, to Harvey Weinstein—the silver-screen Caligula now imprisoned while more allegations continue to surface. His downfall illustrates how powerful men are often shielded by a network of enablers who remain silent in exchange for career advancement.

Itō’s first book, Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan’s #MeToo Movement (2021), chronicled her journey. The documentary gives us a glimpse into the investigative work, interviews, writing, and editing that led to its publication. To share one’s trauma in a memoir or documentary is not an act of narcissism—it is an act of courage. It requires survivors to relive their worst memories and discuss them publicly, bringing much-needed awareness to how difficult it is to be a woman—or anyone vulnerable in this world.
Meanwhile, Japanese media barely mention ’Black Box Diaries’, and major cinema chains refuse to screen it. This is yet another act of silencing—a new chapter in the violence inflicted on Itō. And yet, ’Black Box Diaries’ remains an essential journalistic document and a remarkable entry in the storied history of Japanese cinema.

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Most of the time, Jane is dressed in the monkey costume, and she explains the differences between Jane and the Monkey as they form two separate entities. The Monkey is a long-time character of the talented ventriloquist Nina Conti, who plays the role of Jane/Monkey, directs and is the co-writer of ‘Sunlight’ alongside Shenoah Allen, who plays the troubled Roy.

‘Sunlight’ doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects such as mental health and trauma, creating a new persona to cope with pain, child abuse, sexual abuse, codependency relationships, depression, anxiety, and the disappointments brought when middle age arrives and life goals are not achieved. The allegory of “The Monkey” as a means of coping with psychological distress is very effective. The film’s writing shares similarities with Lenny Abrahamson’s ‘Frank’ (2014) and Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ (2016). Still, ‘Sunlight’ stands in a peculiar corner of indie cinema.

The sharp dialogue writing of Conti and Allen is fluid and vivid in the banters between the leads or their interactions with supporting characters. Jane and Roy are down-and-out losers, which makes their connection understandable from the get-go. The Monkey might be wearing a mask, but it is this plastic and fabric face that transmits the emotional state of such a hurt personality that it has to find a shield in a childish and iconoclastic persona to hide away from the burden much like Roy tried to find solace in a rope tied to the ceiling of a dilapidated pastel soaked room with tacky bed sheets and ornaments. Conti’s ventriloquism skills shine as they form the emotional core of The Monkey and its conflicts.

Allen’s Roy shares great chemistry with The Monkey and Jane, and their humanity is relatable even if they are too eccentric for the outside world and its ordinary people. Their sense of humor makes the dark subjects easier to digest while they still pack a punch for those who watch them, showing that there are different ways to tackle such harsh issues and relationships without resorting to trauma porn.

James Kwan effectively utilises his cinematographic knowledge by shooting the desert, which helps compose the story of a couple lost and isolated in their own minds, furthering the feeling that those who don’t fit in societal paradigms are pushed away but can also flow more naturally according to their own personalities. The soundtrack composed by Christoph Bauschinger helps set the scene and evokes a haunting Saturday morning cartoon theme, which complements The Monkey, the other characters, and the environment.

‘Sunlight’ is also a demonstration of the need to support and invest in indie cinema, as it tells the story of a neurodivergent middle-aged couple meeting at their lowest point. In contrast, the story where one who spends most of their time in a costume wouldn’t be viable in a major studio, and if so, they would have cast two A-listers, the moment’s pop act for the theme, still It would be forgotten as “the weird project” that those at the helm opted to take on to sound “cool” to young and diverse communities of viewers.

‘Sunlight’ also benefits from being an actual indie film, as it is allowed to employ a more experimental language, which makes it feel even more like Conti and Allen’s film, not just content. The Monkey brings fresh ideas in an era where even indie films are stale and safe. The scene has become just the minor leagues that young talents start to “play” while waiting for an invitation from a bigger studio or manager, while older and kidult names try to relive the glory of yesteryear festivals with endless “indie” sequels. This scene is a sign that the art of cinema is growing similar to competitive sports each day.

With its quirkiness and sincerity, ‘Sunlight’ has climbed its own spot on the tree of the art that is cinema, thus deserving to be talked about because it doesn’t lose its sense of what ‘Sunlight’ actually is, a good and quirky film with happy and sad moments and others where both emotions come into play.

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In a three-day event taking place from June 3-5, the London College of Fashion (LCF), part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), presents the UAL Future Fashion Film Festival, highlighting emerging talents in film and fashion. The festival showcases diverse and innovative voices from today by spotlighting work from students, staff, and alumni. The event will be held in at London College of Fashion’s new home on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will also feature workshops and talks with members ranging from BAFTA Albert to the Stanley Kubrick Archive, as well as special guests such as designer Maximilian Raynor, actor and activist Victoria Emslie (The Theory of Everything), and AI filmmaker Omar Karim. The judging panel will comprise recognized professionals, including the team behind NOWNESS. By showcasing the new crop of talent in fashion and filmmaking in the UK and connecting these talents with those who make the decisions, UAL will point towards the endless possibilities in the symbiosis between film and fashion.

Fashion plays essential roles in pictures like ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961), ‘American Psycho’ (2000), and ‘Miami Vice’ (2006), and there are those that portray its industry as ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006), ‘Neon Demon’ (2016) and ‘House of Gucci’ (2021) or major players like the Angelina Jolie’s TV movie ‘Gia’ (1998), to name a few. In real life, fashion designers have collaborative friendships with cinema auteurs such Yohji Yamamoto and his collaborative friendship with Wim Wenders and Takeshi Kitano, not to forget that Tom Ford is both a fashion designer and a filmmaker.  These examples and the names brought to the event are just a glimpse into how important the upcoming UAL Future Fashion Film is.

In an interview with the Big Picture Film Club, award winning filmmaker and artist Vicky Mather, who is also a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion, Film and Digital Production course and Co-Director of UAL Future Fashion Film Festival, talks about the intersection between fashion and film, the relevance of UAL Future Fashion Film for young and veteran talents, and how art is part of film and fashion.

Gabriel Leão: What is the London College of Fashion’s aim in hosting UAL Future Fashion Film? What do you expect to come out of the event? 

Vicky Mather: The aim of the festival is to go beyond the idea that fashion film is simply fashion advertising or clothing in motion. We want to explore what expanded conversations we can have through fashion and film, and to foster collaborative relationships between fashion designers and filmmakers. 

GL: Can you tell us about the logistics and demands of setting up a large-scale three-day film festival? 

VM: Setting up a three-day festival, much like a film production, needs a core team of people with complementary skills, a shared vision, trust and a commitment of time outside of the daily grind. There are three of us making this happen, Lindsay Pentelow Head of Cultural programming whose goals are in getting this lovely building on East Bank buzzing as this area of London transforms, Mirren Kessling, Events Producer, who is carefully curating the events and thinking about how people might receive the festival in a person-centred way. I’ve been lucky enough as a Senior Lecturer on MA Fashion, Film and Digital Production to bring in my industry network of filmmakers in all sorts of roles to share their skills and inspiration expansively in a fashion context. It’s a dream team, and we all have curly hair. 

GL: How are filmmakers incorporating fashion into their work? Are there any innovative technologies being used? 

VM: In this building (London College of Fashion’s new East London HQ), we’re lucky to be able to just walk upstairs and meet the new generation of fashion designers and costume makers. Many students are using Clo3D and Marvellous Designer for designing clothing and Fashion Film students might be using Unreal Engine to generate digital environments. They might use AI in conjunction with more traditional film techniques or our state-of-the-art cinema-standard photogrammetry suite where students are scanning themselves into incredible 3D garments. Some of the best projects are where students have engaged with multiple tools to complement their storytelling. We’re working with a great company called CUBE Studio who will be donating the use of their enormous virtual production screen for our grand prize, along with mentorship from Park Village Studios who will represent our winning director for commercials, fashion and music video. WHAT A PRIZE! 

GL: What does the festival offer to fashion students and attendees in terms of contact with renowned names from cinema and the fashion world (through workshops, seminars, and meetings)? 

VM: We’ve got a collaboration with the HI-FI initiative who are investing in and championing new fashion designers who may have access issues when it comes to launching a collection in the first iteration of their careers. Their creative agency, Hidden, are holding a live brief competition for UAL FFFF selected filmmakers to learn about a new fashion designer and to pitch their film ideas to contribute to the launch of their collection. The winner will receive a development period with Hidden Agency as well as a shoot sponsored by Panavision, Panalux and Island Studios, and when you zoom out, this prize would cost upwards of 50K in industry.  

So, providing unique opportunities like this, with industry practitioners that have a vested interest in new talent for example; NOWNESS are on the Jury and looking for a film to showcase on their platform, this kind of exposure is so important for filmmakers early on their careers to be noticed by wider industry.  

We’re lucky enough to have the Stanley Kubrick Archive at UAL and having them transport items from 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is so inspirational. There is a bit of a Kubrick throughline this year with a screening of ‘Who is the Painter?’ a film about a collaboration between Christiane Kubrick (Stanley Kubrick’s wife), and JW Anderson. The filmmaker, Jack Hobbs, is joining us to discuss his experience of capturing this collaboration between artist and fashion designer.  

GL: UAL is the highest-ranking arts university in the People & Planet’s University League. How important is it for fashion and film to care about environmental issues as part of their world-building, storytelling and production practices? 

VM: We must rethink the way fashion is produced and address waste in film production. This starts with education, where we can embed these values through the projects and the industry we choose to engage with, to shape the future. We’re so pleased to be hosting the Albert Scheme – the sustainable arm of BAFTA to host a costume hair and make-up workshop as well as Greenpeace who will be talking about social media in an environmental context.  

GL: What would you say to people who don’t consider fashion to be a form of art? Where do you believe this prejudice comes from and does fashion film help to change that perspective? 

VM: Fashion is a form of art, but it’s also commerce – it sits in that intersection. Fashion is whatever you want it to be, sometimes it’s art, sometimes it’s clearly commerce, sometimes it’s both. Ultimately, it’s a reflection of who we are – as is film. That’s why these two cultural entities are a perfect match! 

The post UAL Future Fashion Film Festival points Towards the Future of Both Industries in the UK appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Prime Video’s ‘G20’ is a competent action-thriller. Some critics point out that it has genre troupes, and the CGI could’ve been improved in some minor scenes. Nevertheless, it is a action-movie that works due to competent direction by indie veteran Patricia Riggen, the precise cinematography during the well-choreographed action scenes, and the capable cast led by Davis, who is opposed by Anthony Starr (The Boys) as the actor plays the leader of the antagonists with gusto and an Australian accent.

One of the aspects that makes Viola Davis an acting virtuoso is her engagement with the role. In a way that the Academy adores, Davis isn’t shy to go through a physical transformation to get into the character, as their bodies are part of their personality and expression, as the actress did in ‘The Woman King’ (2022). In ‘G20,’ Davis again shows a powerful and realistic physique as she achieved it through a transformation under the skilled coaching of personal trainer and nutritionist Gabriela Mclain. Davis is 59 years old, and this shows that with adequate training and diet, she can bring this side of President Sutton, a US Army veteran, and make it believable in an action picture that suspends reality. There is no problem with the outlandish scenes because it isn’t a documentary.

The picture also gives room for the supporting cast to shine; the family is composed of the reliable Anthony Anderson, playing husband Derek, with the children: the trustworthy Demetrius (Christopher Farrar) and the computer-savvy Serena (Marsai Martin); the latter has a relationship infused with attrition with President Sutton. The family and its extended member, Presidential bodyguard Agent Manny Ruiz (Ramón Rodríguez), compose the emotional core of the picture.

As a movie that revolves around the most powerful nations in a summit in South Africa’s Cape Town, ‘G20’ has prime international talent with Italy’s Sabrina Impacciatore, Britain’s Douglas Hodge, Korean-American MeeWha Alana Lee and American Elizabeth Marvel. The picture allows South Africans Theo Bongani Ndyalvane and Noxolo Dlamini to shine and show that they are capable action heroes in their own right.
Another strong moment in the picture is the shooting scene, which is followed by a fighting scene, all under dark lights. This shows the choreographic and stunt proficiency in high-caliber pictures and how to photograph dark-skinned talent in very few lighted scenes. For action film aficionados, this is the moment that stands out.

Patricia Riggen, Gabriela Mclain, and producers Julius Tennon and Viola Davis with ‘G20’ show that there is a market for this product and that Davis can go further with bigger budgets and cinema theater weeks. There are many action movies that are called B movies out there, but the attributes pointed out in this article, and mostly Viola Davis’s acting skills and dedication, push it above much of the “content” offered today and serve as a new direction for the revered actress.

“I don’t think every movie you do has to be considered for an Academy Award. I wanted to do something that families could watch together, something popular,” said Davis in an interview with The Times of London. Critics forget that sometimes, viewers want something to forget our mundane lives and that dramatic roles are psychologically demanding for actors and those involved. The EGOT winner Viola Davis shines in the entertaining ‘G20.’

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The biopic ‘Queen of the Ring’ (2024) tells the story of Mildred Burke (1915 – 1989), a three-time women’s world champion of pro-wrestling who had her heyday from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s. Burke started when this amalgam of sports and entertainment was illegal for women in the US, and she trailblazed her way to the top while being a single mother in a masculine environment to become the first million-dollar woman athlete in history.

‘Queen of the Ring’ has the competent direction of Ash Avildsen, who has also secured his territory as a music and comic books impresario. The period piece is enhanced by the reliable work done by the research and art department that recreated a long-gone Americana to the point that helps to understand the central character development. The cinematography has a sense of immersion that makes the viewer detach from the world outside and sense how it was to live with the technology and values of those years, the well-curated soundtrack also plays its role in the experience; these resources cause nostalgia even in those who never lived there. The film is based on Jeff Leen’s book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend (2009).

The great asset of ‘Queen of the Ring’ is its protagonist, Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow). The Canadian actress underwent an arduous body transformation to build muscle while prioritizing muscular definition. In addition, the performer went through pro wrestling training. The scenes where Rickards is training or wrestling have her as a ferocious predator eager to take any comers. All the preparation she went through makes it believable which is more valued by Rickards’ Golden Age star appeal.

It is a strong showcase of acting as Rickards feels like a countryside girl with fears and doubts who grows into a mature woman who has to accept her leadership role in a male-dominated world that is always were men and even other women try to ensure she knows her role. Rickards displays a lengthy range while traversing from hope, eagerness, fear, love, anger, and self-respect, and all that with a believable accent.

‘Queen of the Ring’ announces that Emily Bett Rickards is prepared for the upper echelons of leading ladies, be it in dramas, thrillers, action, or horror pictures. All the effort combined with her acting skills should set her up for bigger productions or at least get the attention of casting directors and producers. The supporting cast helps further this emotional story, which gains muscles with the professionalism of Walton Goggins (The White Lotus season 3), Cara Buono (Stranger Things), Francesca Eastwood (Juror #2), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Martin Kove (Cobra Kai), Damaris Lewis (The BlacKkKlansman), Deborah Ann Woll (Daredevil), Gavin Casalegno (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and Adam Demos (Rescue Special Ops).
Demos gives life to the legendary and flamboyant pro-wrestler Gorgeous George, one of the first celebrities with the advent of television and significant influence in the public personas of Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan, and Ric Flair. Although a supporting character, Demos’ George feels like an ever-shining diamond whenever he appears. Ann Woll’s Gladys Gillem starts as a naïve girl, then surrenders to resignation and ends as a stark reminder on how rough this scripted entertainment can be.

Alongside this respectable cast of supporting players is Josh Lucas (American Psycho), who gives one of his best performances as the problematic women-wrestling manager Billy Wolfe, a man who deserves his credit for helping usher the acceptance of women in the ring, as they were forbidden to wrestle among themselves.
Still, Wolfe is a philanderer and abuser prone to beating up women and those he deems weaker than him but acts as if he didn’t mean to wreak havoc. Once the damage is done, and as happens with abusive people, Wolfe reverts to a cycle of being nice again, which leads to further aggression.

Lucas cleverly portrays Wolfe as a good person who shows genuine interest in investing in others. However, this genuine feeling mutates into neglect or taking advantage of those in his inner circle, and once they are broken, he dismisses them, as he does with George, or uses full strength to destroy them.
The picture is improved by having world-class pro-wrestlers. Toni Rossall (Toni Storm) and Kailey Farmer (Kamille) portray wrestlers Clara Mortensen and June Byers, respectively. Both bring a different type of antagonist to Burke, being good scene partners for Rickards and complementing her narrative. Rossall and Farmer are world champions in real life. Their acting revolves around their physicality, not just the way they move in the ring but how they portray the personalities and motifs of their characters through their body language, making Mortensen and Byers very different from each other and from Burke.
The movie has so many rich characters that it could also be a limited series, but still, it wouldn’t have the same impact as ‘Queen of the Ring’ does, so showcasing them opens the doors for them to have their stories told, much like Mildred did for others.

‘Queen of the Ring’ comes after pro-wrestling biopics’ Iron Claw’ (2023) and ‘Cassandro’ (2023) and years after Darren Aronofsky ‘The Wrestler’ (2009), starred by Mickey Rourke, and the mainstream moment pro-wrestling is enjoying. ‘Queen of the Ring’ finds an identity of its own, which is straightforward, sometimes feeling like an endearing matinee piece from a bygone era, but it has moments of darkness as when it portrays husband-on-wife violence and how it was dealt with in those days, which packs a strong message and is another moment that Rickards’ chops flourish.

Avildsen’s movie gains by not being preachy, but it has messages of acceptance of women, Blacks, and queer people in society, and pro-wrestling owns a lot to these groups. The film shows the battles that Burke and her peers had to go through to have their artistic and entertaining craft respected, laid the road open for talents like Toni Storm, Kamille, Chyna, Mercedes Moné, Charlotte Flair, and others to be on the marquee of wrestling events and even headline the coveted Wrestlemania events which saw in its 35th edition Becky Lynch grappling with Ronda Rousey.

‘Queen of the Ring’ talks about the days we live in as women, queer people, and other minorities are having their rights threatened, if not terminated, in America and other parts of the globe. Nevertheless, it doesn’t forget that its focus is to tell Mildred’s story with skill, and it can entertain the whole family, but primarily girls at an age where they seek role models, much like those little girls on the ringside who projected themselves on Mildred Burke.

Rating: (4 / 5)

The post Review: ‘Queen of the Ring’ – Emily Bett Rickards is the New Leading Lady In The Ring appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

However, the smiles in movie posters don’t tell the struggle of Black talent to have their spot and then see some of their peers climbing to the top in an industry that wasn’t built for them and still is ruled by invisible grabbing hands, obstacles and glass ceilings that dictate the roles for Black people in a rigged game.

To tell this story, which recounts the uphill battles, failures, successes, and funny anecdotes, come the two companion documentary features, ‘Number One on the Call Sheet,’ which are produced by James Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, and Dan Cogan. Academy Award nominee Reginald Hudlin directs ‘Black Leading Men in Hollywood,’ and NAACP Image Award-winning Shola Lynch directs ‘Black Leading Women in Hollywood.’
The Leading Men Row features interviews with Foxx, Hart, and other heavyweights like Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Idris Elba, Morgan Freeman, and Quentin Tarantino, among others. The leading women’s chapter has interviews with Viola Davis, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tessa Thompson, to name a few. Although “siblings,” both pictures have a distinct feel and use the best that Hudlin and Lynch offer, all in favour of the Black history in Hollywood and the interviewees.

The expression ‘Number One on the Call Sheet’ marks the first actor to appear on a sheet with the cast’s names and what is to be shot. Being the number one shows that the actor is the subject of the narrative and not the object, as Tessa Thompson says in the doc. It is the top cat spot, the protagonist, and, on many occasions, the one with the higher paycheck. It is also a responsibility. In the end, it shows the talent, which is their status in the movie business.

‘Black Leading Men’ has a bold attitude, reflected in how the interviewees tell their truths. They share stories in which you can see them fluctuating from boldness to doubt and back to the mindset that led them to the top of their fields.

The documentary’s strength is its interviewee selection, which includes leading men with different levels of success. It showcases different archetypes and their pioneers to open roles that weren’t thought for men of colour in their original concept. Men like Washington, and before him Sydney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, are society’s standard bearers of Black masculinity, and within time, few Black actors crossed this barrier.

A welcome addition is Tarantino who has a vast knowledge of Hollywood, not to mention that he has created so many Black characters. Although employing crass and controversial humour, the director can translate to the screen nuances of the Black experience; therefore, his presence gives more gravitas to ‘Black Leading Men in Hollywood.’

Nevertheless, those who give Hudlin the most are Denzel, Freeman, Foxx, and Smith. They sit at a table of rarefied air for Black artists and the whole of Hollywood. Their stories of overcoming the struggles are vital to the picture; between the lines are those moments when they talk about their climb, seeing what they had to overcome and the modern challenges of being in the elite squad.
Reginald Hudlin appears as one of the interviewees. A mover and shaker of Black Hollywood, his presence is like that of a historian who has not only seen the events but also been part of them.

The emotional, deeper parts come from Denzel Washington’s interview. His lines make us understand why generations of actors from all ethnic backgrounds look up to him and even more why Black men look up to him. He is a paradigm of confidence and morality in a not-always-ethical landscape.

‘Black Leading Men’ uses a light and bright, colourful palette to tell a story and it highlights the skin tones of the interviewees, showing the consideration Hudlin and team had with the technical aspects that not only enhance the visual language but also further the narrative, which is contrasted with candid moments of vulnerability by these men and it prepares the terrain for its “sibling” documentary.

Mammies and watermelon women opened the path for the trailblazers of modern-day Black female Hollywood

Although it is a companion piece, ‘Black Leading Women’ has an identity of its own, given by Shola Lynch, staff, and her group of interviewees. There are fewer victorious smiles because, as Halle puts it, Black women are really at the bottom of the societal hierarchy, and not only in Hollywood.

Here, women discuss their career paths, those who came before them, and those who will come after. When it turns back to Hattie McDaniel and her 1940 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award win for playing Mammy in ‘Gone With the Wind’ (1939), there is a moment of pride which later turns into a sincere recounting that the talented McDaniel was pigeonholed to playing Mammies for the entirety of her career which is also a grim visage on how many in the industry perceive the very same interviewees of this documentary even after decades of McDaniel’s win where she couldn’t even celebrate among her peers for being Black.

The recount of the ‘mammies,’ nurses, sidekicks, and other stereotypical roles, testify to the fact that many producers can’t (or don’t want to) see these talented women due to their colour, and how they end up dying horrific deaths in horror movies to further the narratives of the white protagonist reminds the classic indie film ‘The Watermelon Woman’ (1996) by Cheryl Dunye where a young Black lesbian filmmaker research the life of The Watermelon Woman, an early 20th Century Black actress who played a set of ‘mammies’ before falling into oblivion.

Shola uses sombre colours and shy lighting to portray the interviewees so that they come naturally on the screen. This is how such capable women should be embraced by the industry, critics, and fans. They can interpret leads who are in love in a romantic role or psychologically demanding characters that are often relegated to white actresses. For example, Viola Davis is in the same league as Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Jodie Foster, and Annette Bening because Davis can go from complex dramas such as ‘Fences’ to epic pictures as seen in ‘The Woman King.’ Nevertheless, it feels that the world is only looking at her now. The fact that Black women are going strong in the Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress shows that the industry needs to take huge and courageous leaps to give them lead roles and match the grit these actresses have in a mechanism that wasn’t built to receive them properly.

Apple TV+ has an important documentary in both pieces because it documents Black Hollywood and how it interacts with Main Hollywood and other branches. It is of historical value considering the position cinema holds in American society and its influence around the globe.

‘Number One on the Call Sheet’ should be studied in universities as it is a recorded piece of history and testifies to Apple TV+’s commitment to cinema culture and its acceptance of people from different backgrounds.

The companion piece also opens Apple TV+ to explore other corners of Hollywood, like Latinos, Asians, foreigners, and queer community. For instance, a documentary with a similar format with interviewees like Colman Domingo, Andrew Scott, Hunter Schafer, and Guinevere Turner would serve as a historical document of the LGBTQIA+ artists in Hollywood. These communities are the backbone of cinema and entertainment, and these voices, such as those from ‘Number One on the Call Sheet’, are necessary to a healthier society than the one we live in today.

Rating: (4 / 5)

‘Number One on the Call Sheet’ premieres March 28th on Apple TV+.

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The Conclave is one of the world’s most ancient and secretive rituals; it happens when the cardinals of the Catholic Church stay secluded in the Vatican to elect the new Pope. The Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) picture is based on the homonymous best-seller by Robert Harris, who, to craft his fiction, consulted Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, a priest who was part of two conclaves in 2005 and 2013.
The protagonist is Cardinal Lawrence, who is tasked with leading the traditional event; still, he struggles with his faith while trying to keep the peace between the power-hungry cardinals and their humble colleagues who see themselves as servants of the religion. This is one of the best acting performances by Ralph Fiennes, who portrays self-doubt, scepticism, and wariness towards not only his future but also the one that lies ahead for the Vatican and its followers around the globe.

Isabella Rossellini finds one of her most powerful performances in Sister Agnes, as the world-cinema royalty operates on a different level from her peers. Agnes tries to show solemnness while burning inside by seeing how some of the cardinals behave as decadent politicians and businessmen. Sister Agnes represents the space reserved for women in this institution considering its current and possible future states. The writing presents the diverse groups inside the centuries-old institution, giving the picture more credibility. In an organization that has been around for so long, there are factions, cult-like units, people who have committed hideous acts, but also those who believe in serving and loving their brothers and sisters under the same God.

The prejudice and sins that plague the church aren’t forgotten or absolved by ‘Conclave,’ but there are also characters who embody the positive traits respecting its dogmas. The ensemble cast with names like Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, and Sergio Castellitto compose the skilled vessels to paint how complex can be the Catholic church on its stances towards modern societal themes. The Mexican Carlos Diehz is an architect and a late bloomer in the acting world who leaves his mark as the humble and warm Cardinal Benítez.

The humanization of an ancient institution

The Catholic Church has rich imagery and symbolisms that are matched by few religions in the world, not only its rites but also its wardrobe, objects, music, architecture, and other aspects that are opulent and create good images from which cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine makes the most translating into a modern reading of renaissance art.

The colour red plays a special role. It doesn’t translate as passion and desire as seen in Pedro Almodóvar’s movies. Still, it is a tone of red akin to the blood that pours out of Christ’s body, a reminder of unity and repentance, while signalling to old traditions inserted in a heavily industrialized world.
Like the Vatican scenarios, the surrounding soundtrack becomes another character, helping further the experience and reading those men and women’s motifs, fears, and wishes.
Maturity is a trait of ‘Conclave’ because it doesn’t go for shock value or graphic imagery to criticize the Catholic Church, thus avoiding treading on the yesteryear clichés that suck out the weight of other cultural products that approach the sins of the Vatican. ‘Conclave’ is a breath amidst the self-righteous spawl of pseudo-religious movies in streaming services.

Having characters who struggle with their faith or the hierarchy they are stuck in while trying to maintain their dignity shows that ‘Conclave’ is respectful to the viewers. Catholicism is given as one of its richest on-screen representations. Berger’s film humanizes the institution and comes from the point of an outsider who doesn’t treat the characters and the organization as infallible. Their human element is what makes ‘Conclave’ a truly beautiful film.

The post Review: ‘Conclave’ – Ralph Fiennes Leads a Spellbinding Vatican Drama appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Priscila went missing in January 2004, and the four-episode Disney+ docuseries not only presents to the viewer what transpired in those days at the dawn of the 21st century but also what has unfolded since then, considering the relatives and friends, the authorities, Brazilian society and its aftermath.

According to the 2024 Public Security Annual Report, in 2023, 80,317 missing people were registered in Brazilian territory. A rise of 3.2% from 2022, numbers that expose how deep this issue bleeds in Brazilian society. Through the picture ‘I’m Still Here,’ Brazil is getting a glimpse of what it is to have a missing one, and ‘Finding Priscila’ can be seen as a companion piece to Walter Salles’ masterwork ‘I’m Still Here’ (2024).

‘Finding Priscila’ tells the ordeal of Priscila Belfort, a young architect who was diagnosed with depression but with a happy social life and a talent for the arts. Priscila is also the sister of MMA champion Vitor Belfort, married to Joana Prado, a former TV personality. The couple are very popular in Brazilian society and were at the height of their fame in the 2000s, which ended up making the disappearance of Priscila reported by many media outlets, thus affecting Brazilian society and creating a curious feeling of false omnipresence as Priscila’s face could be seen in many places, her name was always heard, but she wasn’t at home.

Priscila’s face became a fixture in the news and TV shows, and the docuseries acts as a document on how the media could affect stories and people’s perceptions, and ‘Finding Priscila’ doesn’t forget the media dark side composed of exploitation. Outlets and media channels would reproduce many of the “hearsay” stories about the youngster, thus tarnishing her image and bringing more pain to the family, but all “in the name of journalism,” as such “professionals” usually utter.

The Disney+ production respects Priscila, the Belfort family, its viewers, and itself by avoiding such tropes and keeping seriousness and intelligence as the criteria. The soundtrack follows the narrowing and troublesome situations without having that cheesy appeal from lower productions, and in the end, it acts as a trump to ‘Finding Priscila’ as it doesn’t steal the focus from where it should be.

As a writer, I’ve covered the issue of missing Brazilian people by interviewing relatives who keep looking out for their loved ones. ‘Finding Priscila’ is very capable in representing the void that can be felt in those who are waiting for their loved ones or to at least bury their bodies. Their households also express such sensations; it is as if the air is heavier, the colors show a darker tone, and the rooms seem more spacious than they actually are.

Priscila was struggling with depression, and although it is a documentary and not a drama, ‘Finding Priscila’ is still able to capture this disease and reproduce its symptoms within the narrative as one can feel not only the sadness but the lethargy and despair that it brings not only to the person in question but also how it affects those around them.

The capacity to reproduce the sensations of absence and depression is due to the skill and craftsmanship of Finding Priscila’s team. The direction is precise, and the editing and photography complement each other, showing the beauty of Rio de Janeiro but also its shadowy corners while valuing the storytelling process and not resorting to being another “talking heads” festival.
Props also to the art department for the creative way it retells some parts of Priscila’s story, in particular her journals and artistic work, and to the writing team that sews the storytelling in a way that different threads connect and for finding light and endearing moments in a tragic story that makes the road for the viewer easier.

On the specialists’ side, the interview with journalist and researcher Bruna Rodrigues is among the best. The times that the mother, Jovita Belfort, appears are those that show how deep it cuts because, as in many stories of missing people, the one that does most of the search and takes the brunt of the suffering many times is the mother.

‘Finding Priscila’ shows a vulnerable and not much-seen side of Vitor Belfort, a cage legend, and the docuseries help humanize someone who is already so mediatized, hailing from a popular combat sport by showing a more intimate side. ‘Finding Priscila’ is haunting, urges Brazilian authorities to do more, and Priscila’s story would make a compelling live-action drama.

Rating: (4 / 5)

The post Finding Priscila: How a Family’s Tragedy Became Brazil’s Most Poignant True Crime Story appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

“Electronic music aurally mirrors the modernism often associated with science-fiction visuals and themes. Visions of strange new worlds benefit from complementary soundtracks,” says sci-fi writer Jon Frechette in an interview with The Big Picture Film Club. Alongside Todd Luoto, Frechette is the co-creator of BBC’s science fiction narrative podcast ‘The Skies Are Watching,’ which was lauded at the Tribeca Festival last season.
Electronic Music’s primordial roots can be traced back to the first instruments that came by the end of the 19th Century and the dawn of the 20th Century, like the Telharmonium organ that synthesized the sound of orchestral instruments with considerable precision. Some decades before, modern sci-fi storytelling was taking its first steps with the patched up corpse in the book Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley and the futuristic tales crafted by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.

In the 1920s, Soviet inventor Leon Theremin developed the Theremin, which produced a peculiar non-acoustic sound that would go on that feels like the soundtrack to its literature contemporaries Isaac Asimov and John W. Campbell and their visions of a possible future.

These worlds had their first on-screen contact with Bernard Hermann’s score for ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ (1951) which brought an unearthly howl by employing a radio wave antenna and knobs to control pitch and frequency, which was performed with a simple hand wave in its magnetic field. Hermann furthered the sense of strangeness to the story of an alien visiting Earth to warn its inhabitants that their warmongering ways are a threat to other planets, a theme that resounds with the world we live in now.

However, even after ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still,’ Hollywood pictures still used the new technology for particular moments while favoring traditional orchestral soundtracks. Nevertheless, in 1956 cinema arrives in the ‘Forbidden Planet,’ the first picture to have an electronic score from the beginning to the end, a game changer.

Its launching pad started to ignite when MGM producer Dore Schary met cutting-edge experimental artists Bebe and Louis Barron in a Greenwich Village Club and presented his idea of them providing 20 minutes of rare electronic sound effects. In the end, that third of an hour became the whole score as MGM’s music department opted to back the Barrons, and they worked in the New York studio to create their out-of-this-world sounds. It marked the first time MGM recorded outside its studio lot, thus carving a milestone in cinema and music history.

When sci-fi and synthesizers break barriers

That is how the culture got to the present moment, where electronic music and sci-fi pictures share a close bond. The Barrons would influence Vangelis’ work in ‘Blade Runner’ that has layered synth sounds and sinewaves, making the soundtrack a character itself as the viewer follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and his hunt for the replicants led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), who, in turn, just want to prolong their short lifespan, all in a dystopian Los Angeles stripped of its golden era glamour. Vangelis’ compositions for the picture are ingrained in many conversations about soundtracking in many different media formats.

For American musician KiNG MALA, “electronic music feels futuristic and often surreal, which serves the sci-fi genre well, but honestly, when a sci-fi movie has a primarily electronic score, I tend to find it boring and predictable.” This line resonates with the many “heirs” of ‘Blade Runner’ and their propagation in the “content production” era brought by the streaming services and echoing the straight-to-video days.

MALA is working on new music that is inspired by horror films such as ‘The Witch,’ ‘The Shining,’ and ‘Midsommar.’ Not only a musician but also a cinephile, her eyes and ears are also connected to the sci-fi world, including the ‘Alien’ saga that is a horror sci-fi classic.

“The ‘Interstellar’ soundtrack is one of my faves, it uses silence and simplicity in a really genius way. I really love that it’s mostly orchestral rather than using synths and samples. I also really loved the soundtrack for ‘Alien Romulus,’ it felt very horror inspired and unique. Also, obviously, ‘Dune 2’ was insane,” says MALA, which explains that there is still room for orchestral music in the genre as performed by Hans Zimmer, and although there is a symbiotic relationship with electronic music, synthesized sci-fi soundtracks have the challenge of bringing something new to the game.

For Jon Frechette, Russia’s Andrei Tarkovsky (1932 – 1986), a world cinema giant, is a director who mastered working with electronic music in sci-fi worlds. “The soundtrack to ‘Stalker’ (Tarkovsky) is so good. It’s strange, evocative and meditative, like the film itself.”

The 1979 picture tells the story of three future travellers crossing a forbidden area and finding a heaven where fantasies are fulfilled, and truth is revealed. All tuned with the poetry and symbolism from Tarkovsky’s mind. On the other hand, different from ‘Stalker,’ mediocre electronic soundtrack to a non-special sci-fi picture can become just noise in the background, mirroring the words by KiNG MALA.

Still, to those that are special, such as ‘Forbidden Planet,’ ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Tron: Legacy,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Stalker’ and others of its ilk, soundtrack becomes an aspect that not only aggregates to the narrative but has a life of its own crossing through genre and format barriers.

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