Shattering the Celluloid Ceiling
There are few characters on television that over the course of a series go through a major transformation and character development. “Schitt’s Creek” character Alexis Rose is one of those. When introduced in Season One, Alexis is a vapid rich young woman who has never had to struggle or work for anything. That is until her family loses their entire fortune and are forced to move to the only asset they have: a tiny town called Schitt’s Creek.
Anybody who knows me also remembers that I absolutely and utterly adore "Schitt's Creek." This Canadian television series created by Dan and Eugene Levy is a great, smart, and incredibly funny sitcom about a once-wealthy family who loses all their money and is forced to live in a small town called Schitt's Creek. Said town was once bought for the son by the father as a joke. In effect, it's the only asset that the Rose family possesses (and is ready to hang onto it as long as they find another buyer). Every single character created by Levys is mastered to perfection. Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) is a smart businessman and a proud creator of once incredibly famous Rose Video. Moira (Catherine O'Hara), a matriarch of the family, is a soap opera star. Their children - Alexis (Annie Murphy) and David (Dan Levy), although not experienced in adult life (let's remember that they are adults), they bring the most laugh. Besides this one family that we focus on, we are also graced by the presence of Stevie Budd (Emily Hampshire) - motel's receptionist, Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), and Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson).
It's highly contagious. Anyone could have it. It starts with a high fever. There isn't a known cure. It threatens mankind as we know it. You may be inclined to believe that what I am describing relates to the COVID-19 outbreak, but I am actually describing the condition that takes place in Neasa Hardiman's debut feature film, "Sea Fever". The film follows the crew of a fishing trawler who succumb to a strange infection, their only hope is the apathetic and analytical-minded marine-biology student Siobhán, played by the memorizing Hermione Corfield. This timely well-crafted science-fiction thriller is definitely one to seek out for Corfield's powerhouse performance alone. It's also a riveting story which builds on tension and suspense, proving that genre storytelling is very much alive and kicking.
Coffee and croissant in hand at sunrise, pearls, a beehive up-do topped-off with a sparkling tiara, over-sized sunglasses—the reflection of a woman in the glass of a jewelry store. A young girl sprawled out on a tree branch over-looking a party she’s not privy to, an off-duty princess taking a rogue scooter disruptively through a town. All of these simple moments are from films that star the iconic Audrey Hepburn. The percentage and likelihood that you have seen her image next to a cheesy inspirational quote or her face on a poster of a college age woman’s dorm room wall is absolutely certain, whether you have seen any film she is in or not. Maybe the quote was an actual quote she coined, maybe not. It is undebatable that Hepburn’s image, stardom, and influence has far outlived her life.
What do you do with a child so out of control that they are a danger to themselves and others? What if they are too young to be housed in a secure facility and no group homes will take them? In Nora Fingscheidt’s first scripted feature “System Crasher” (2019) we see innocence meet with blind violent rage in a story that is both infuriating and incredibly sad. This film was Germany's official submission to the International Feature Film category at the 2020 Oscars.
“Hava, Maryam, Ayesha” is a film about the everyday struggles of three Afghan women – specifically in relation to patriarchy, marriage and pregnancy – directed and co-written by fellow Afghan woman Sahraa Karimi. In its opening section, focusing on Hava (played by Arezoo Ariapoor), the film makes its focus on the everyday very clear with a documentary-like realism. A frequently handheld camera that shows the routines and chores Hava spends her days performing in full, unbroken takes. Her laboured, exhausted breathing makes up a large part of the film’s soundscape in this segment as she is belittled by the men around her and treated like a disrespected employee rather than a family member.
"Banana Split" is the directorial debut film from director Benjamin Kasulke, with a screenplay written by the film's main star Hannah Marks and Joey Power. The film follows April (Marks) who has spent the last two years of high school in a relationship with Nick (Dylan Sprouse), from the first frantic make-out session to final tear-stained breakup. In the aimless summer between graduation and college, the newly single April mends her heartbreak by striking up an unexpected friendship with an unlikely candidate: Nick’s new girlfriend, Clara (Liana Liberato). Our writer Mique Watson jumped at the chance to speak to Benjamin regarding the film after reviewing the film for ITOL. Below, we hear from Benjamin about how he became involved in the project, what drew him to this story and these characters, and his transition from the role of cinematographer to the director's chair.
“Wait, which Sprouse is this?” I asked myself as “Banana Split” began. The Sprouse in question here is Dylan--brother of Cole Sprouse (as seen on Netflix’s Riverdale); one of two twins who’ve left their Disney days behind. The Sprouse brother here plays Nick, yer typical high school beach blonde with long hair and a toned physique. This tale begins with him and his best friend, April (Hannah Marks); they instantaneously mutually decide to take their friendship to the next level. Within the film’s first two minutes, you see it all: their first date, their first fight, the first time they have sex (if seeing Zack Martin of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” in a sex scene served as a reminder of how old you’ve gotten: welcome to the club, I’m here for you), and their eventual breakup.
“Make Up” is the feature debut for English writer/director Claire Oakley. A horror/drama film about a teenage girl tangling with her own emotions and relationships in a Cornish caravan park as surreal occurrences start to untangle her sense of reality. The film starts very promisingly, as protagonist Ruth (played by Molly Windsor) arrives at the caravan park in the middle of the night. The film starts building a surreal atmosphere early, as many of the side characters speak in slightly odd, unnatural dialogue in a way that feels intentional. Wide shots and lateral tracks are frequently used to add to this unsettling air as Ruth starts to believe that her boyfriend Tom (Joseph Quinn) is cheating on her.
