★★★★ Directed by #KevinWillmott Written by #KevinWillmott #TraiByers Starring #TraiByers #MykeltiWilliamson Film Review by George Wolf Take at look at some recent writing credits for Kevin Willmott: Da 5 Bloods, Black KkKlansman (which won him a deserved Oscar), Chi-Raq. Impressive. Go back to 2004, and you’ll find The Confederate States of America, which he also directed. Without question, Willmott speaks eloquently and provocatively on the history of being Black in America. He’s back behind the camera for The 24th, a bold and clear-eyed take on the 1917 mutiny of the all-Black 24th U.S. Army infantry regiment after harassment from the Houston police department. Willmott, co-writing with first time screenwriter Trai Byers, again shows an uncanny instinct for making history crackle with the urgency of a breaking news bulletin. Humanizing the conflict through the fictional Pvt. William Boston (Byers, also taking lead acting duties), the film builds from a slightly impatient first act into a final third full of resonant rage and tremendous emotional power. Pvt. Boston’s education abroad and dignified air draw the ire of both his fellow soldiers and his white commanding officers, save for the thoughtful Col. Norton (Thomas Haden Church, playing impressively against type). Both Boston and Norton want the 24th to be the first Black regiment sent to the Normandy front lines, and the Col. recommends Boston for officer training. Aspiring to lead by the example of valuing service over ambition, Boston resists the promotion, laying down the first marker in a character arc of weighty heartbreak, resignation and sacrifice. The Jim Crow laws of Texas stop at nothing to oppress and brutalize the members of the 24th, even the private MP unit formed expressly to protect them. As Boston prepares to give his local sweetheart (Aja Naomi King) a promise ring, the night of August 23rd, 1917 cascades into violence, leaving policemen, civilians and soldiers dead in the Houston streets. The aftermath leaves Boston with a soul shaking choice, one made easier by an awakened and defiant resolve. He still aspires to be an inspiration, but for a completely different reason. And it is this journey – made so deeply intimate by Byers and a superb Mykelti Williamson as Boston’s frequent adversary Sgt. Hayes – that carries the film’s early 1900s setting into the streets of today’s Black Lives Matter protests. Making that leap with us, and not for us, is no easy trick, but The 24th is more proof of risk and reward. The ugliest corners of the mirror can be valuable teachers, and we need Willmott’s voice – as both a writer and a filmmaker – to keep us looking. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Written & Directed by: #NathanVass Starring: #MeaganKarimiNaser #AlysonScadronBranner #EleanorMoseley #MartynGKrouse #RossDestiche #KatherineGrantSuttie Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Beginning at the end as it were, Men I Trust opens ever so briefly with a man, Ashley, and a woman, Emma (Krouse and Moseley respectively) walking together in a serene and secluded woodland, a mere flash of a scene but even in those few moments, the palpable silence between them begins to hint at a certain melancholia that will permeate the rest of Nathan Vass’ #shortfilm. Then begins the first in a series of intermittent flashbacks, we as viewers now finding ourselves transported to the psychedelic mise-en-scene and pulsating beats of a French night club to witness the seemingly destined coming together of Sandro (Naser), partying with a younger Emma (Suttie) revealed soon enough to be her sister, and a younger Ashley (Destiche). Eyes meet across the crowded dancefloor which of course leads to a drink, then an exchange of numbers meaning before either of them truly know it, a certain destiny has been fulfilled and a life of unequivocal happiness together has been set in motion. However, as the narrative switches back and forth between the timelines, we learn (if we hadn’t perhaps already sensed) that Sandro’s was a life tragically cut short, an event that ultimately brings us back to present where Ashley and Emma find themselves looking to both honour Sandro’s memory while also trying to work through their own and each other's painful grief. Men I Trust may be a simple story, but it is one that is extremely well told and also one where almost every aspect of the piece is geared towards adding something of substance to the overall sentiment Vass is trying to achieve. One such example and perhaps the most striking is the effective use of flashbacks. These not only create a sophisticated throughway to cleverly incorporate the films lean but sufficient backstory, but the contrasting tones of the two timelines help keep the films pace at an engaging level, while also creating a delightful juxtaposition of moods, the frantic atmosphere of that past nightclub meet-cute exhibiting all the exuberance and hopefulness of youth and perfectly balancing the much slower and retrospective present where we find our characters dealing with lives lost rather than lives waiting to be lived. It is a film that asks a lot of interesting and pertinent questions about life, loss, purpose and death, but never assumes to really impose any specific ideals or opinions, allowing viewers to take away from it what they will to some degree. It is also a film that seems quite sedated in its approach, never afraid to take its time, with Vass seemingly more than happy to let silences linger and looks say the things that perhaps words couldn’t and for the most part it’s this steady hand that allows the emotion of this piece to really hit as hard as it wants to, even if it slows down a touch too much right at the very end. Finally, the cast play their parts to the nth degree as well, specifically Krouse and Moseley who are responsible for carrying the films substantial emotional heft and do so with aplomb, while their younger counterparts also shine in giving the film its welcome sense of hope. While Men I Trust may predominantly be a beautifully sensitive study of grief, pain and loss, it is equally an inspiring tale of destiny, hope and the importance of seizing opportunities, all wrapped up in a very accomplished piece of filmmaking and storytelling. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★★ Directed by: Joel Stockman Written by: Jenny Foiack, Sara Hagno, Joel Stockman Starring: Sara Hagno, Mikael Forsberg Film Review by: Jason Knight When people are in crowded places they tend to get in each other's way. What would happen if two people are walking towards each other and neither moves out of the way? Director Joel Stockman's short comedy Yield explores such a situation with humour. A woman (Hagno) is walking inside what appears to be a public transport hallway and a man (Forsberg) is walking towards her, in the opposite direction. After thinking and thinking, she eventually decides not to get out of his way. The film contains no dialogue, however Hagno's voice-over is constantly heard throughout as she contemplates the philosophies of moving or not moving out of people's way. Her narration is very entertaining and makes her character likeable. Hagno and Forsberg both deliver convincing performances. Apart from the ending, they both have poker faces on, indicating that they do not know each and that they are just going about their business. From start to finish, the film uses slow motion, making an event that would normally last maybe twenty seconds, last two and a half minutes. The use of slow motion is very well executed and Stockman does a great job with the closeups (of which there are plenty). This project earns a great deal of good qualities by Niclas Gustavsson's amusing and interesting score, that is heard from the beginning until the end and fits very well with the images and the narration. The sounds resemble constant clapping and they bring an uplifting tone to the film. Yield is less than three minutes long, but that does not stop it from being an impressive piece of filmmaking for all the reasons mentioned above. It is clear to see that it had a lot of passion and hard work put into it. #JasonKnight

★★ Directed by: #LauraTerruso Written by: #AlisonPeck Starring: #SabrinaCarpenter, #LizaKoshy, #KeiynanLonsdale, #MichelleButeau, #JordanFisher Film Review by: Corey Bulloch For a film whose main message is how dance can help express the uniqueness of one’s self, Netflix’s latest teen comedy Work It lacks any sense of individuality. Following the predictable structure of misfit leads band of misfits in underdog effort to win a popular competition, Alison Peck’s screenplay goes for every stereotype and cliché in the book, making the character’s journeys feel rhythmless. It’s not entirely hopeless though, with a few standouts in the cast and some marginally entertaining dance sequences. Work It is passable in the spectrum of Netflix teen comedies but it's not as if that bar was high, to begin with. Following the story of Quinn Ackerman, a bright overachieving student who in applying for her dream school, gives the impression she is participating in the Work It dance competition which has her stand out in her application. Pinning her academic future on this despite not knowing how to dance, Quinn teams up with her dancer best friend Jas to form a ragtag team to win the competition. Director Laura Terruso and Peck are going all-in with the formula but add nothing to make it their own beyond modern references (some coincidentally being to Netflix properties). The dance team itself is comprised of underdeveloped stereotypes (nerds, goths, a guy with mixtapes) with Jas being the only member to have any form of character development. Of course, there is a romance to try and make it interesting as Quinn begins a courtship with former dance champion now choreographer Jake Taylor and that also falls into the predictable traps of the genre. It’s a lack of authenticity, nothing reflected in the filmmaking beyond the overly sentimental notions of family, friendship and the importance of being yourself which just makes the only thing feel only more mediocre. Without realistic truth in its characters, the dancing can feel hollow; the choreography is impressive with its large group numbers and variety but Work It never finds its unique flow. The cinematography feels flat, keeping to mostly wide angles like a television talent show, making sure to capture all the action. The progression of the ‘TBD’ dance crew’s skills isn’t particularly noticeable either due to the lack of character development. The memorable moment for Work It comes from its diversity representation, where Quinn and Jake watch a dance routine by a troupe of disabled dancers. The scene is dynamic, captivating, excitingly displays the power of dance through perceived limitations being used in artistic expression. You wish that this was the focus of the film as its a more sincere and compelling take on the themes. However, it's used as a passing visual to further the romance subplot, with Work It always committing to the tired, uninspired ideas. The enjoyable moments are there however as Work It has bright spots in its performance with Liza Koshy as the passionate Jas and Keiynan Lonsdale as antagonistic rival dancer diva Juilliard stealing the spotlight with their comic relief. For its target audience of teenage girls Work It probably ticks all the boxes with its dance moves and heartthrobs to make it enjoyable, but it’s this formulaic approach that will make it forgettable right after. There’s no spirit to Terruso and Peck’s work beyond the Netflix algorithm predicting what combination of teen stars and clichés may entice a click. It’s not good, not terrible either, its caught in a dull middle that doesn’t inspire much of anything. #CoreyBulloch #Netflixfilm

★★★ Directed by: #LeeLynch Written by: #LeeLynch, #DougHarvey Starring: #DavidNordstrom, #CoryZacharia, #AlBringas, #EricHHeisner, #JamesGibbons, #EliasJimenes, #EvanEnos Film Review by: Darren Tilby Based on historical events, this true crime, drug-fuelled western details the last days of California's most notorious Indian hunter, Hiram Good (David Nordstrom). A man's whose infamous cruelty toward native American people resulted in his untimely death at the hands of his manservant, Indian Ned (Cory Zacharia). As far as historical documentaries go, this is an interesting one. Part documentary and part reenactment, The Murder of Hi Good is of unique construction. The documentary side of the film consists of interview footage with local historian, Richard Burrill and Native American Maidu, Jeremy Peconom. Lynch's method here is incredibly simple, but effective, also. We examine historical documents and relics – perhaps even bones – related to the story in an attempt to understand better the events surrounding Hood's murder - an aspect of the film I thoroughly enjoyed. The reenactment side of the film, though, is a bit of a mixed bag. Performances are a peculiar amalgamation of accomplished lead performances – notably from Nordstrom, Zacharia and Jimenes – being undercut by the amateur dramatics level competence of some of the supporting cast. The scriptwriting, however, is perfectly fine, and real effort has been made to ensure dialect and accent is as accurate as possible. The Murder of Hi Good is shot on 35mm, 16mm, Super 8mm and Mini DV, ably drawing parallels to the western pedigree to which it pays homage. It's a solid design choice, one that adds a lot of flavour to the film and seems wholly appropriate for the film's setting. There's just something about seeing the American frontier shot in 35mm that's timelessly beautiful. Unfortunately, the cinematography does, at times, feel a little rigid, stilted, even, and it tends to shine a little too much light on the movie's already poor production design. But perhaps more than that, I really can't get my head around what the point of the movie is. It may just be something as simple as wanting to shine a light on a small chapter of California's short but bloody history. It's undoubtedly a fascinating story, one from which I feel I've learned quite a lot. The issue comes from the mood of the piece: one minute it seems that Good's situation is a tragic affair; one deserving of pity, the next minute, we see him for the monster he was. This back and forth continues throughout much of the film's 70-minutes runtime and is occasionally a little disengaging. Lynch and Harvey's probing, true crime revisionist piece has an interesting premise built upon an even more exciting story. And while The Murder of Hi Good suffers from its share of issues, it reveals much about the founding of the United States and the implications of this for the native American people. I would heartily recommend this for anyone with an interest in US history.

★★★★ Directed by: #KubaMikurda Written by: #MarcinKubawski, #KubaMikurda Starring: #TerryGilliam, #LisbethHummel, #PeterBradshaw, #BertrandBonello, #MarkCousins, #NeilJordan, #NoëlVéry Film Review by: Darren Tilby Walerian Borowczyk - a writer/director of unparalleled sensuality, unequalled in the 1970s for his work on sexual freedom, but later labelled an erotic filmmaker, had a short but undeniably impactful career. By interviewing long-time collaborators, peers and fans of his work, Kuba Mikurda offers a rare insight into his art, which poses questions on society’s relationship with love and hate and the boundaries of artistic freedom, in a celebration of Borowczyk’s enigmatic and often controversial career. Unlike Borowczyk himself, Love Express follows a fairly conventional (documentary-film) formula: it’s constructed from archive footage of Borowczyk at work and in interview, as well as contemporary interviews from those who knew him or his work. It’s a safe choice, one that works well, but still, I feel more could have been done here to differentiate it a little. Long-time collaborator Noël Véry – who acted as a camera operator in many of Borowczyk’s films and was one of the people closest to him – leads and stays with us throughout the movie, which, at only 70-minutes in length, flows nicely and never outstayed its welcome. As an animator – an identity which he never truly shed – manipulating and fetishising objects. To a live-action director (now manipulating and fetishising his actors as he once did his animations). To his unfortunate and eventual pigeonholing as a pornographer, Mikurda takes us through it all. Throughout the film’s five chapters (each detailing particularly important years and movies) we hear from an eclectic mix of people, all with varying interests in Borowczyk’s work: Terry Gilliam, Bertrand Bonello, Neil Jordan, Andrzej Wajda and Patrice Leconte to name but a few. The interviews themselves are incredibly well-conducted; informative, absorbing, well-shot and with excellent sound quality. While small, almost playful, visual flourishes serve to illustrate the voiced opinion, in addition to keeping the viewer entertained. More importantly, the film’s entirely successful in bringing to light the unique and often misunderstood talent of one of cinema’s most infamous and enigmatic filmmakers. I knew very little about Borowczyk or his process going into this movie - having seen only a couple of his films. But by the end, I left feeling enlightened and determined. Determined to find his older works. And in the end, isn’t that the point?

★★★★ Directed by #MichaelAlmereyda Written by #MichaelAlmereyda Starring #EthanHawke #EveHewson Film Review by Matt Weiner Nikola Tesla is having a moment. Hot on the heels of 2019’s The Current War comes Tesla, another take on the inventor from writer and director Michael Almereyda. And while both treatments are anchored around Tesla’s rivalry with Thomas Edison over electrifying the country, Tesla is so far apart in style and tone that the subject could be a completely different person. Almereyda has already shown that he can handle big sci-fi themes on a small budget. His adaptation of Marjorie Prime was moving and challenging. Tesla also has the rhythm of a stage play, one where characters and dialogue take precedence over strict history. This is still a biopic though. The story begins as Tesla (Ethan Hawke) splits from Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan), and follows through his partnership with George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan) and his ultimate victory in the war of the currents. But as Tesla’s personal and professional lives unravel, Almereyda takes his film off the rails as well. From historical counterfactuals and modern-day interruptions to an arresting musical number, Tesla the movie surrenders all control over its title character—and does so gleefully. These big swings don’t always connect, but the attempts are always compelling. In Almereyda’s version, Tesla is a cipher. Hawke trades in his usual charm for a portrayal that blends tortured genius and mad scientist, and despite his quiet demeanor he fills every scene with an intensely heavy presence. It’s up to the supporting cast, especially MacLachlan’s flighty yet imperious Edison, to draw out whatever they can from the inscrutable Tesla. It’s an unusual effect for a biopic, but it works. Tesla is the rare adaptation that seems determined to obscure its subject rather than illuminate him. This Tesla is a man not so much ahead of his time but completely outside of it. Almereyda suggests that the enduring appeal of Tesla can’t be neatly captured in the war of the currents against Edison. There’s Tesla the pioneering genius who lit up the Chicago World’s Fair, and there’s Tesla who died penniless in a hotel room dreaming of death rays. And somewhere in between, there’s a man who raises the curiosity of everyone he meets. But in this telling, the closest we can come to unsolvable mysteries are a reflection here, a spark there. This Tesla is a brief light guiding us toward some greater understanding, one that vanishes just as quickly. #MattWeiner

★★ Directed by #ThorFreudenthal Written by #NickNaveda Starring #CharliePlummer #AnnaSophiaRobb Film Review by George Wolf Look, I know Young Adult is not the only genre to lean on a familiar blueprint, but we’ve reached the point where finding any YA film without voiceover narration or an essay-reading finale is going to feel like gazing upon the golden wonders of Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase. There’s little glow surrounding Words on Bathroom Walls. To be fair, writer Nick Naveda’s take on Julia Walton’s novel does at least try to develop an organic thread for the narration, as high schooler Adam (Charlie Plummer) talks to an unseen therapist about his struggles with paranoid schizophrenia. Director Thor Freudenthal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) manifests those struggles onscreen via three distinct characters (AnnaSophia Robb, Devon Bostick and the gloriously named Lobo Sebastian) whose voices are always lurking inside Adam’s head. It’s an early clue that the film’s handling of teen mental health will be an opportunity largely missed. After a serious episode during class injures another student, Adam is expelled from his high school in the middle of senior year. On the upside, he’s accepted into a trial for a new schizophrenia drug, and into a prestigious local Catholic school which promises to be discreet. Adam’s future plan to attend culinary college hinges on a high school diploma, which means Adam must make sure he a) takes his new meds, b) keeps his grades up, and c) passes a big exam which consists only of math questions and…..wait for it….an essay. The obligatory tortured romance is between Adam and his math tutor, a classmate named Maya (Taylor Russell) who also has some secrets she’d rather not reveal. And as with so many of these YA adaptations, all the narration and essay reading means the film is more tell, less show and nothing earned. Again, we get an invitation for teens to wallow in the angst of an inexperienced worldview simply by telling them what we think they want to hear. Adam’s “you don’t understand me” posturing with his mother (Molly Parker), her new boyfriend (Walton Goggins, wasted) and an easygoing priest (Andy Garcia) serve only the manipulative and convenient use of Adam’s condition. Both Plummer (All the Money in the World) and Russell (Waves) have impressed before, but they’re given little chance to develop their characters into anything real or resonant. All the familiar YA parts are here, and Words on Bathroom Walls keeps them comfortably close. But like those sentence-building magnets on the refrigerator door, just moving them around seldom leads to anything that makes much sense. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #BarbaraKopple Written by #FranciscoBello Starring #JimmyCarter #WalterMondale #TedKoppel Film Review by Rachel Willis It has been nearly 41 years since 52 American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage in Tehran, Iran. Coming on the heals of the Iranian revolution, in which the Ayatollah Khomeini took power from the U.S.-backed Shah, the hostage crisis was perhaps the single biggest catastrophe of the Carter presidency. Five months after the hostages were taken prisoner, in April of 1980, President Carter authorized a rescue mission, the subject of director Barbara Kopple’s (Harlan County, USA) latest documentary, Desert One. Drawing on previously unreleased audio recordings, extensive interviews with those involved in the operation, and archival footage, Kopple’s film is one of the most compelling you’ll see this year. Viewers may not be aware of the details of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, so a brief but informative overview of the situation in Iran paints a vivid picture. What led to the crisis is laid-out in clear detail. Interviews with many of the diplomats who were later held hostage help the audience understand the mood in D.C. as Khomeini came to power. Interviews with Iranian citizens further develop the picture of their attitude toward U.S. policy. The most remarkable aspect of Desert One is the sheer number of interviews conducted for the film. Kopple interviews hostages and hostage takers, Delta Force members, as well as former president, Jimmy Carter, and his vice president, Walter Mondale. Though the film is heavily skewed toward the American perspective, there is an attempt at balance by allowing some of the Iranians involved to share their perspective on the situation. However, as with most of history, memories of the incident vary wildly – prisoners describe being tortured; translator Hossein Sheikholeslam describes friendly relationships with the hostages. Hostage taker Faizeh Moslehi says the hostages were treated with respect, yet revels in the memory of seeing Americans defeated in brutal ways. Animations serve to emphasize the words of the interviews and as reenactments for events not recorded. However, the most effective aspects are the pictures and archival footage – at times, almost too gruesome to bear. It emphasizes the sheer tragedy of the situation, as well as the mounting pressure on the U.S. to resolve it. Removed from the situation by nearly half a century, it is still a critical moment in American history and not one to be forgotten. Kopple ensures it will remain fresh in our minds a little longer with her riveting piece of filmmaking. #RachelWillis

★★★ Directed by: Juggy Sohal Starring: Parvinder Shergill Short Film Review: by Rachel Pullen Colour Me Brown Movie Review Segregation is a bitch, no one wants to feel outside of the crowd, to be shunned, hell if that happened in the early years of man you were doomed to die, for to wander alone, was to be vulnerable to predators or the elements, and that has stayed with us, but instead of it affecting our mortality, now it takes a toll on our mental health. With all the tragedies that have surrounded race at this current time as well as the Black Lives Matter being at the forefront of racially driven movements, short film Colour Me Brown from director Juggy Sohal has picked a prime time to step into the light and present an interesting approach that racial abuse has on its victims. This short film takes place in the therapy session of a young man who has faced a lifetime of abuse because of his race; he recalls his youth, days being teased in the playground, the harsh nicknames thrown at him from the other children, how he has never felt at the forefront of the pack or group in adult life because of his skin colour. He recognises the impact but also the power it has given him to be a stronger person. We follow him down a path of enlightenment as he comes to conclude that he can be comfortable in his own skin, that he can move forward and overstep these hurdles. The entire short is shot without us being able to actually see the central character, we are never allowed to see his form, only his therapist is seen on screen, we just hear his feelings, we don't have access to judge him on appearance, something that he wishes others would do, a very powerful move on the part of Juggy Sohal. The film is a collection of black and white footage and PowerPoint-style animation, this chop and change approach sadly seems to throw off the flow of the short film, one or the other would have served to develop a more fluid and consistent feel to the piece cinematically, choosing two sperate styles to incorporate into a film is one thing, but they need to have some similarity in order to have consistency. Colour Me Brown is a short film that has taken an interesting and empathetic approach to the victims of discrimination and segregation, putting us in the hot seat if you will of someone who has taken a lifetime of abuse. #RachelPullen

★★★ Directed by #JayBaruchel Written by #JayBaruchel #JesseChabot Starring #JesseWilliams #JordanaBrewster #JayBaruchel #NiahmWilson Film Review by Hope Madden The last time I saw Jesse Williams get into a car on a road trip to horror, the journey delivered one of the most fun flicks of 2011, Cabin in the Woods. He’s back on the road in co-writer/director/co-star Jay Baruchel’s graphic novel adaptation, Random Acts of Violence. Williams plays Todd, creator of the adult comic series Slasherman. Though writer’s block is keeping him from finishing the final installment, Todd hits the road with his publisher Ezra (Baruchel), assistant Aurora (Niahm Wilson), and girlfriend Kathy, played by Jordana Brewster. (Brewster also starred in a road trip to hell—for character and viewer—with the 2006’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.) Their goal is to visit the landmarks associated with the comic’s inspiration, the gruesome serial killer dubbed the I-90 killer who terrorized a stretch of highway from 1987 – 1991. Todd and Ezra hope to drum up some publicity for their comic con appearances. Kathy is researching her own related project, a nonfiction and victim-centric book about the same killer. The film lands on ground fertile for horror examination. Most interesting and timely is the conversation around perspective. Are we beyond the point as a society where we make the serial killer our protagonist when we can instead take the point of view of the victim? (The popularity of the book and series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark suggests that we may be.) Too bad the film relegates this conversation to a single argument: men create horror and women hate that; meanwhile, women create something more wholesome. (Counterpoint: much of the best horror of the last decade was made by women, and if it’s gruesome you want, please see Julia Ducournau’s fantastic 2016 rumination on adolescence and meat, Raw.) The film does boast moments of provocative carnage, plus flashes of intriguing content. Rather than the traditional creepiness inspired by the Midwest rural route gas station—the isolated community somehow suggesting incest and cannibalism without every directly saying so—Baruchel conjures the far more realistic and modern blight of meth to achieve the same unhealthy atmosphere. Never a particularly compelling presence, Williams lacks the gravitas to shoulder the suffering artist schtick and Brewster’s presence doesn’t elevate the tensions. Both Baruchel (an outstanding purveyor of nerdy support in any cast) and the tenderly engaging Wilson offset this lack of chemistry in their brief screen time, but it’s not enough. Random Acts of Violence could have been an interesting indictment of the true crime phenomenon. It might have been an intriguing entry into the Writer’s Block Turns Horrific family (of which The Shining is patriarch). Instead, it’s a mainly competent but frequently lazy flick with gore to spare and some fun animations, but it could have been a lot more. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by: #JamesKicklighter Starring: #TobiasPicker #LuciaLucas Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas The Sound of Identity is a feature-long documentary that tells the story of Lucia Lucas, the first transgender opera singer to perform as Mozart’s Don Giovanni in a mainstage opera – and she does that in Oklahoma, one of the most conservative states in the United States! The director James Kicklighter assembles a crew that is nothing short of recognition – the Emmy-winning production company, local from Tulsa, Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions handled production alongside executive producer Josh Bachove. The cinematography, which goes back and forth between voyeuristic camera and stylistic interviews, was done by Jonathan Pope and the original score that hovers throughout the film was composed and conducted by Nicolas Repetto. Lucia Lucas is the face of the documentary, and she is followed through a period of six weeks from pre-production to post-opening night. Tobias Picker, Lucia’s mentor and legendary opera composer, is the mind behind the choice of Lucia as Don Giovanni – a licentious nobleman. The casting choice is what raises the stakes for Lucia herself, for Picker, and it is what Kicklighter highlights in his documentary. In the words of other actors, Don Giovanni is “awful” and “evil” but Lucia does not see it that way, she chooses to see the beauty in him and his personality and through her music she wants the audience to feel. There is purity in Lucia’s words and almost a naive vision of what her presence as a transgender woman brings to the role. There is a double-edged sword at play here that is explored at length in the documentary – on the one hand, it brings about a representation that lacks in the industry and people might be drawn to the project precisely because of the novelty it chooses to portray, but on the other hand, it might take away from Lucia’s performance. Through this issue, the documentary turns its attention to concerns around community, history and the love for arts. The history of opera is explored briefly in interviews, but what is left by Kicklighter and the interviewees is the struggle the art form is facing being one of the most expensive art spectacles to produce and one that doesn’t attract wide attention. The puzzle above is brought here again as Lucia’s presence might be key to bring new audiences to opera – but whether this will happen or not, one thing is certain: Kicklighter used this ground-breaking story to shine a light on the incredible talent present in the industry and The Sound of Identity might help to bring attention to the art form.