By 
By Roger Costa
180 DEGREE RULE
A celebrated, award-winning actress in her native Iran, Sahar Dolatshahi gives life to a determined woman tormented by her choices. Anchoring every scene with enigmatic skills, she intensely plays her character, Sara, a school teacher who, despite her husband disapproval, takes her feverish-ill daughter on a road trip to a family’s wedding in the North of Tehran. There, a tragic accident happens taking the little one’s life away and leaving Sara to deal with the truth of her death and the consequences: what should she tell her husband, once he is unaware of her “forbidden” trip?
Writer-director Farnoosh Samadi’s feature length debut investigates topics of women’s oppression through Sara’s grieving journey, crafting an alarming and highly tense study on the depths of loss and despair. Delicately and precisely shot with remarkable observational style, it is a thought-provoking moral drama that kicks off with another provocative theme: in school, Sara consoles a teen pregnant girl who must choose what to do with that, fearing what could happen if her family, society and authorities (all based on the Nation’s traditions and standards) would do. This involving subplot gets out of the focus, as Sara engages on her trip, and consequent tragedy, but surprisingly returns at some point, confirming the humanitarian power of the film: a marvelously structured narrative about truth and lies, loyalty, and the fractures of human justice, punctuated by suspense and sorrowful family dilemmas. Nominated for the Discovery Award at Toronto, it is also an extremely amusing display of actress Dolatshahi’s potential and versatility, leaving the audience wishing for more of her.
(Screens 7/25 as An Official Selection at First Look Festival 2021 at Museum of Moving Image, Astoria NYC.)
AILEY
Engaging and deeply immersive, Jamila Wignot’s acclaimed doc chronicles the ascension of one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th Century, Alvin Ailey, founder of the worldwide renowned dance company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Gathering personal revelations made by himself, archival footage, home videos, journalistic and TV material, as well as enlightening interviews from collaborators, dancers, choreographers and specialists, the film digs up a relevant, accessible and curiously detailed document on the genius, channeling his creativity process, his early moments of discovering his homosexuality during childhood, centering on the life-changing evolution and respect gained throughout the years with his unique and crowd-pleasing creations for the company. Lively and brilliantly edited, it highlights the efforts of artists seeking freedom and recognition through dance, all while navigating an era wounded by prejudice and intolerance.
(NEON. 7/23. Film At Lincoln Center and Angelika Film Center.)
HERE AFTER
An affecting and morbidly funny look at the strategies of modern dating in New York City, Award-winning writer-director Harry Greenberger’s rom-com sophomore project finds a writer in trouble at the purgatory. Recently dead, he must find his soulmate in order to continue the process to reach the “other side”- but is there such a thing as finding love in death?
A feel good, frenetic and irreverent romantic fantasy, the film stars Andy Karl, in an eccentric, hilarious turn as the deceased actor wandering the streets of the Big Apple in search of a death-long love commitment. As he goes on a series of failed encounters with his own kind- in a representation of the difficulties faced by modern singles in the urban zone- he finally can be “seen” by a woman who is actually alive. Crafted with candor and smart humor, Greenberger follows his alter ego through his desperate romantic odyssey with a nostalgic tone, reviving the soft, often magical and transparent rhythms of the 90’s. The always efficient and charismatically gothic faced Christina Ricci has a key role, as the “guidance agent” who coordinates his adventures in the afterlife. Rounding the cast is the irresistibly funny comedian Michael Rispoli, providing some of the funniest parts in the film. And the film manages to keep it cool and entertaining, while figuring out how the unusual romance will validate his passage.
(Vertical Entertainment. 7/23. Cinema Village and On Demand.)
BROKEN DIAMONDS
Two estranged siblings reunite for their father’s funeral in this charming, insightful and melancholic look at a modern dysfunctional family and their battles with mental illness.
Lola Kirke and Ben Platt play the protagonists, giving impressive representations of struggle, uneasiness and abandonment. They are both lost in the world, seeking stability both professional and emotional, (he is planning a career in Paris; she needs a kickstart, any job at all) grieving their father, while trying to forget the absent mother who left them alone; Neither can help each other, though they must sacrifice their own habits and perspectives in order to find a safe exit. When his sister is kicked out from the mental facility, he is forced to bring her home and to take care of her, constantly putting themselves at embarrassing situations, which somehow elevates the madly compassionate and cynically comic tone of the narrative.
Heartfelt and thoughtful in the depiction of the effects of such illness in the family field of “busy adults who must sacrifice their dreams for others”, the film brings a charismatic duet by two of the most promising young actors working today (both currently shining as well on TV). The pair demonstrates a perfect, sparkling chemistry, convincingly enough to keep the audience engaged and willing for their restoration. Director Peter Sattler’s sophomore feature is an upbeat and efficiently emotional portrait of the unexpected obstacles faced by Millennials and the strength necessary to challenge the effects of schizophrenia at home.
(FilmRise. 7/23. In Theaters, Virtual Cinemas and VOD.)
HOLY BEASTS
Geraldine Chaplin gives an entrancing performance as a mysterious filmmaker who comes to a Tropical island to shoot her late friend’s final project. The actress, whose birthday is next 31st July, is furiously enigmatic as a retired punk-gothic diva, who challenges her memory and health conditions, arriving at the exotic place to honor her friend, the multi-talented artist and filmmaker Jean-Louis Jorge, an activist who was murdered by teenagers in 2000. Blending aspects of Avant-Garde with the surrealism of Fellini, and delivering a fresh breathe into the Gothic-thriller genre, writers-directors Israel Cardenas & Laura Amelia Guzman conceive an utterly fascinating and exquisitely structured mind bending experimental look at the process of creating art as a form of healing wounds and scars. With the arrival of the rest of the crew, including the merciless producer played by another iconic performer, Udo Kier, the film-within-a-film explores the inner conflicts among them, her deeply emotional involvement with some of the dancers, and delving into obscure, mystical themes, giving a subtle and organic horror tone to the narrative, which includes vampires and lost, thirsty souls. Punctuated by lyrical moments of her imagination, filled with amusing imagery and angles, as well as the breathtaking natural landscapes of Santo Domingo, it is an immersive, profoundly melancholic and authentic homage to the dreams built through filmmaking.
(Film Movement. 7/23. Streaming on www.filmmovementplus.com )
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