Today’s movie is “The Daughter of Dawn” (1920), the 1920 silent film directed by Norbert A. Myles and written in collaboration with Richard Banks. The film follows the courtship of Dawn (Esther Le Barre), the daughter of the Kiowa Chief (Hunting Horse). Two suitors are vying for her attention. Black Wolf (Jack Sankadota) is a wealthy member of the tribe, offering a considerable dowry. White Eagle (White Parker) is the bravest member of the tribe, and also has the heart of Dawn.

Spoilers ahead.

First, some history. “The Daughter of Dawn” was one of many attempts to create films about Native American culture. This particular film boasted a cast of 300 Kiowa and Comanche tribe members, who brought their own costumes and teepees for the production. It was only shown a few times and then thought to be lost. But a private collector offered it for a modest price to the Oklahoma Historical Society, and once purchased, was restored from the original nitrate reels, with a new score from the Oklahoma City University Orchestra.

So, how is the film itself? Pretty romanticized, and slightly westernized. The story is a classic western love triangle, which makes for great storytelling, but isn’t accurate for either the Kiowa or Comanche tribes, where marriage is a socio-economic institution, not necessarily a romantic one. Also, I’m not sure how to take a test of bravery that involves throwing yourself from a high bluff, especially when you are responsible for helping to feed and defend the tribe.

The direction has all the difficulties of filming during the time, with a need for stationary cameras and to maintain a film economy. The film has some nice wide shots of the buffalo on the plains, but some scenes also felt directed towards a western audience, needing to communicate emotion with familiar, slightly forced or overwrought facial expressions. The original score was never completed, and I wasn’t really a fan of the symphonic score made for this restoration, which didn’t help combat the westernized feel.

“The Daughter of Dawn” (1920) is a pretty mediocre film on its own, but is an example of a much larger diversity of work with Native American cultures during the silent film era. It can feel westernized and forced, and while the sets and costumes have authenticity, the overall film only comes out okay. Viewers interested in silent films or to see some once forgotten diversity from the era will enjoy this film. 

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 6.4/10

“The Daughter of Dawn” (1920) is not rated and the restored version is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Come Sunday” (2018), the religious drama based on the life of Bishop Carlton Pearson (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a preacher ostracized by his congregation and peers for proclaiming that everyone has already been saved and that there is no hell. The film was adapted for the screen by Marcus Hinchey and directed by Joshua Marston, based on a culture segment broadcast on This American Life.

This film tackles a very important topic in western society: the changing meaning and purpose of religion, specifically Christianity in the case of Bishop Pearson. Theologians and philosophers have dealt with classic issues like the Problem of Evil and Pascal’s Wager for centuries, struggling with the many contradictions found within scripture and among denominations. And despite what some folks would like to believe, the meaning and purpose of Christianity has changed quite a bit over two millennia. 

“Come Sunday” deals head on with these issues through the story of Bishop Pearson, brought to life by an amazing performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor, but also with the support of Condola Rashad as Gina, his wife; Lakeith Stanfield as Reggie, the gay church keyboardist; Jason Segel as Henry, one of the church elders and founders; Danny Glover as Quincy Person, his uncle; and Martin Sheen as Oral Roberts. Each supporting cast member helps carry Bishop Pearson’s story through his fall and subsequent rise. 

The real struggle with this film lies in the script and the direction. Bishop Pearson’s story has well more than an hour and forty minutes of content, and as mentioned, a lot of supporting characters that never really seem to develop outside of Gina. Marston’s direction is pretty good, but sometimes overuses focus filters and slow shots, which was disappointing as I really appreciated his technique and style in “Maria Full of Grace” (2004).

“Come Sunday” (2018) is a film that is better as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. Critical messaging and an excellent cast help smooth over structural problems with the script and overwrought direction in execution. Some religious viewers may find this film too challenging in its messaging, but most biopic fans should enjoy it.

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

Metacritic: 65

One Movie Punch: 7.8/10

“Come Sunday” (2018) is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Amateur” (2018), the debut feature-length sports drama from Ryan Koo. The film follows Terron Forte (Michael Rainey, Jr.), a fourteen-year-old basketball phenomenon admitted on scholarship to a private academy with the help of Coach Gaines (Josh Charles), becoming the target of the seedy world of college and professional recruiters.

The trailer really undersells the story of Terron Forte, focusing on his basketball skills and making almost no reference to his dyscalculia, or number blindness, the number version of dyslexia. In fact, in one of the very first scenes, the film uses some neat editing effects to simulate dyscalculia on a blackboard, which took me by surprise, and then later when looking at a shot clock and scoreboard. In some ways it almost feels like a bait and switch, because his diagnosis ends up being way more interesting than his basketball skills.

Koo’s script and direction both have their strengths and weaknesses. I found Koo’s use of music and livestream montages to be great, in addition to the various forms of dyscalculia. However, I also felt there was too much story, once Terron’s diagnosis is included into the picture, and as the film heads towards the climactic confrontation with Coach Gaines, the overall tone goes from struggle to serious to almost saccharine.

Which brings us to the various meanings and messages to pull from this film, including a look at modern sports recruitment, the buying and selling of children by parents and coaches as a not so subtle slave metaphor, and the lack of focus on education over athletics. And with all that happening, I’m not exactly sure if the ultimate resolution is the right solution to the larger problems with sports recruitment.

“Amateur” (2018) is an overloaded, undersold sports drama, pregnant with meaning, but has troubles delivering. Michael Rainey, Jr. puts in a great performance, helping to carry the film to the end despite its shortcomings. Fans of basketball and sports dramas will appreciate this film, but may find it to be too much story for ninety minutes.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 6.6/10

“Amateur” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Road Movie” (2018), the Russian found-footage film from Dimitrii Kalishnikov, composed entirely of found footage shared from dashboard cameras, including car crashes, violent behavior, drunken revelry, and a meteor strike. If you were looking for something more than that, you’ll be sorely disappointed, and in some scenes, likely offended.

Nearly every driver in Russia has a dashboard camera (dashcams), and for good reason. Between dealing with corrupt law enforcement and insurance claims, the videos are a cheap means of protecting yourself, which means an insane number of cars on the road are nearly always recording, leading to the capture of some truly unique moments.

“The Road Movie” is a visual mixtape of dashcam footage, with a minimum amount of editing and soundtracking. The film has no real structure, outside of titles at the beginning and credits at the end. It is no better or worse than your basic YouTube playlist, except some scenes would likely be banned for containing offensive language and behaviors, often for nothing more than shock value, as far as I can tell.

It’s a real shame, to be honest, because there is so much potential here. The sheer volume of material being captured creates multiple opportunities for content creation, but also potentially turning every dashcam into a private reality television show. All the world would truly become a stage, a multi-opticon future, that takes advantage of this format for entertainment and, at least in Russia, very real social purposes.

“The Road Movie” (2018) loses a lot of points from me for the racist, sexist and homophobic elements in the scenes, often just slurs directed at other people. I was hoping for the best of the best and got a quickly edited playlist of content. Fans of found footage documentaries, or just folks who like watching bad things happen, will enjoy watching this film. Everyone else can probably check the clickbaiters.

Rotten Tomatoes: 87

Metacritic: 66

One Movie Punch: 3.8/10

“The Road Movie” (2018) is not rated and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s movie is “Orbiter 9” (2017), the Spanish/Colombian science-fiction drama written and directed by Hatem Khraiche Ruiz-Zorrilla. The film follows Helena (Clara Lago), a young solo space traveler heading between Earth and Celeste, a distant colony. Stopping for repairs, she meets Álex (Álex González), an engineer who knows the truth about Helena’s circumstances, and is determined to enlighten her.

Spoilers ahead.

So, I know it would have been near impossible, but I would have loved seeing this film not knowing Helena’s circumstances. It was my favorite part of Syfy’s “Ascension” limited series, and has become a pseudo-reality for folks training for private efforts to colonize Mars. We could have walked with Clara out into the open for the first time, and marveled at the world and what it has become.

But that’s not what this movie is about. And my major criticism of the film is that there is so much this movie could be about. Is the film about the intersection between scientific and situational ethics, utilitarianism and human dignity? Is the film about society’s unwillingness to fix problems at home in lieu of buying something new? Is the film about a weird kind of love between a sociopathic engineer and a human clone guinea pig? The answer is, sure, if you want it to be, but don’t expect the film to answer the question for you.

Aside from the mixed messaging and self-limiting story, I thought “Orbiter 9” had great sets and effects, although they don’t always mesh together into a coherent post-collapse dystopia. The film also had decent direction, a little too fast and aggressive at the end, but made great use of mixed media and remained plausible throughout. Clara Lago turns in a befuddled performance, which seems to fit, whereas Álex González has a more muted performance, one that for his character taking advantage of a human clone in a lifetime of experimentation feels extremely creepy.

“Orbiter 9” (2017) is a great debut feature-length film for Hatem Khraiche Ruiz-Zorrilla. It is not a perfect film, but an engaging one, full of bleeding-edge science and ethics at the surface level. Below that, there is a struggling story and a few pacing issues, but ultimately a good techno-thriller. Science-fiction fans will definitely enjoy this film, but fans looking for a strong romantic story will find it lacking.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.2/10

“Orbiter 9” (2017) is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Little Hours” (2017), the raunchy, irreverent medieval romantic comedy, written and directed by Jeff Baena. The film centers on Massetto (Dave Franco), a runaway servant hiding in a convent with less than pure nuns, including Alessandra (Alison Brie), Ginevra (Kate Micucci), and Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza). 

Spoilers ahead.

Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) is aided by Massetto while he is fleeing his former master, Lord Bruno (Nick Offerman). In return, Father Tommasso offers Massetto a place to live at the convent as long as he pretends to be deaf and mute. Meanwhile, the nuns are curious about the new arrival, and are pursuing their own desires with Massetto, hurtling towards a climax involving witches and a recounting of sins with Bishop Bartolomeo (Fred Armisen).

So, this film is definitely not for kids and not for anyone who is easily offended. I just want to say that up front. To some viewers, it will be seen as vulgar, blasphemous, violent, and graphic. Which is all quite correct, and intentionally so. It is a concept film, a what if journey into the life of a convent living less than holy lives. And it is really well done.

Baena has a great eye for camera angles that frame scenes well, adding excellent music from Dan Romer, and executing a brilliant, if raunchy script. The cast is great and the sets, props and costumes are all quite well done. A few scenes can feel long, but only because the remainder of the film is non-stop fun. 

“The Little Hours” (2017) is not a religious film, but a fun speculative journey into the past. Sure, it’s not for everyone. It has offended some viewers. And I wouldn’t repeat any of the humor in the workplace or in mixed company. But it is a great film, and one I would recommend to the right audience who can appreciate it for what it is.

Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 69

One Movie Punch: 8.6

“The Little Hours” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

It’s Marvel Monday and we’re getting close. In just three short weeks we’ll be in line waiting to take our seats, but until then, we are continuing the Road to Infinity War. Today’s movie is “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” (2017), the smash hit sequel written and directed by James Gunn. The film had a $200 million dollar budget and grossed $863 million dollars worldwide.

Spoilers ahead.

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” begins some time after they saved the galaxy from Ronan, and the whole cast is back in form, with the debuts of Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Stakar Ogurd (Sylvester Stallone), and Ego (Kurt Russell), who is the father of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). The team is definitely in the “storming” phase, working on their new identities after the last film, and with the arrival of Ego.

The film does stumble a bit in trying to recreate the same magic that blew people away in the first. Everything was so unexpected in the first film, being in an entirely new part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. James Gunn doubles down on the kitschy humor from the first film, sometimes to its detriment, but more often than not providing the right kind of comic relief. I also found the special effects to be great everywhere but on Ego’s planet, unless you have the benefit of an IMAX screen or a 3D television.

All that being said, it is still an above average film. All my criticism melts away towards the end, as Yondu (Michael Rooker) starts opening up and ultimately, sacrifices himself to save Peter, helping Peter to realize that while Ego might be his father, that Yondu will always be his daddy, the one who loved him and raised him. I bawled when he died, even knowing it was going to happen, and then bawled again when the Ravagers show up to give him a proper funeral.

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” (2017) is ultimately a film about family and the complicated relationships within it, but also about trying to understand who we really are. This film does not entirely capture the magic of the first film, and is overloaded with story to serve as a bridge for both “Avengers: Infinity War” and for the still to come third film in the series. It’s still a thrill ride, however, and with four post-credits scenes, it helps pave the way for the stories to come.

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 67

One Movie Punch: 8.4/10

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” (2017) is rated PG-13 and is currently streaming on Netflix or wherever you enjoy movies.

Today’s movie is “Pumping Iron” (1977), the sports documentary directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore, based on a book written by George Butler and Charles Gaines. This groundbreaking film was one of the first to delve into the world of bodybuilding, and also credited as the first major film appearance of both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.

This film is an obvious sell in retrospect. Bodybuilding magazines had been available for a while, and aside from the short documentary “Muscle Beach” (1948), there wasn’t much in motion pictures about the sport. “Pumping Iron” does a great job giving an overview of the sport, along with the structure of the competition process, but it also did something else.

See, “Pumping Iron” may be one of the first efforts at making a reality television like docudrama, as the film contains a sub-plot rivalry between Arnold and Lou for the 1975 Mr. Olympia title. The trash talking, the psychological games, all staples of modern competitive reality television. The film is a template for a genre, and deserves praise.

It’s been forty-one years, though, and the film reads a lot different. For the life of me, I can’t understand how the film received a PG rating, what with how slimy Schwarzenegger is throughout the film, which feels even slimier after all the revelations of sexual harassment and assault. I was actually disappointed he won, even knowing the outcome beforehand. I also can’t understand how he became governor of California. 

“Pumping Iron” (1977), however, is a landmark film that opened up a world to an entire new generation of bodybuilders. It has become a template for other sports documentaries and docudramas. Viewers interested in the sport from that era will find this documentary invaluable. And if you like good music, even if it doesn’t always fit the screen, you might like the soundtrack to this film. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.8/10

“Pumping Iron” (1977) is somehow rated PG and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “6 Balloons” (2018), the debut feature-length film from Marja-Lewis Ryan. The film follows Katie (Abbi Jacobson) on the day of her boyfriend’s surprise party, picking up her brother Seth (Dave Franco) and who has relapsed into a heroin addiction and currently experiencing withdrawals. Katie must drive Seth and his six-month old daughter Ella (Charlotte and Madeline Carel) around Los Angeles looking for a detox clinic.

Spoilers ahead.

I think this is the first really great Netflix Original film for 2018. Marja-Lewis Ryan creates a narrative about codependency that engages the viewer, building Katie’s anxiety with her own challenges, then adding the stress of Seth’s relapse on top of everything else. Ryan makes great use of Los Angeles, perhaps the capital of codependency, and structures the film with a wonderful meditation monologue, interspersed with GPS navigation, incredible underwater scenes, and beautifully edited real-time scenes.

Abbi Jacobson turns in a great performance, a slightly sardonic, introverted character that is a great match for Franco’s well-wrought, unfiltered withdrawing addict. The rest of the cast, as expected, fades into the background to keep the focus on the siblings struggling with immediate circumstances. The relationship feels so genuine, and therefore horrifying, which is a perfect description of codependency.

I found myself engaged the entire film, watching it make use of every second of its 75 minute running time. Key shots like the bathroom and skid row scenes keep the tension alive, and when we finally come to the final climactic scene, the tension is released, a welcome relief and one that, surprisingly, gives hope. If there is a criticism, it’s that there is probably more story to tell, but without making this film seem incomplete.

“6 Balloons” (2018) is a wonderful debut feature-length film for Marja-Lewis Ryan, a succinct look at modern codependency and the stress we place upon ourselves and that others place upon us. Some of the more graphic scenes and themes may be too intense for some audiences, but viewers looking for a gripping drama will definitely enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Metacritic: 70

One Movie Punch: 9.2/10

“6 Balloons” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “Happy Anniversary” (2018), the romantic drama/comedy written and directed by Jared Stern. The film follows Mollie (Noël Wells) and Sam (Ben Schwartz), who are reflecting on their current and past relationships on the day of their third dating anniversary. The film also stars Rahul Kohli, Joe Pantoliano, Annie Potts, and Kristin Bauer van Straten.

Warning: Ranty spoilers ahead.

Let me give you just a little background on Mollie and Sam. Sam works as a graphic designer for a large firm, but is secretly trying to start a fashion line. Mollie doesn’t appear to have a job, as far as I can tell, but does have a father who is dying of colon cancer. They currently rent a single-family home with a yard in Los Angeles. And Mollie is upset because Sam isn’t the same overly romantic person he was when they met.

Now, I’m not saying this concept can’t work. I’ve seen more than my fair share of films about privileged people, but the script is almost irredeemable, filled with unlikely scenarios and dialogue loaded with poorly-timed one-liners and forced wisdom. And given the roller coaster of events that are supposed to take place in one day, it is way too much story for a 78 minute running time.

Even worse, Wells and Schwartz lack chemistry as a couple, usually talking past each other, and lacking the maturity in their relationship. Stern also uses a lot of jump cut flashbacks, which can be both engaging and jarring. Additionally, the multiple car driving scenes were clearly cut out of sequence, and the drivers barely look at the road, both pet peeves of mine, especially in Los Angeles.

“Happy Anniversary” (2018) is privileged, raising the hackles on the back of my neck, as thirtysomethings very comfortably grapple with the meaning of life and love. The first question I wrote down while watching this film was, “Will they grow the fuck up?” and sadly, the answer was no. Romantic comedy fans may enjoy this story for a few laughs, but will likely be left screaming at the screen, wondering just how much better they could live their privileged lives.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 3.6/10

“Happy Anniversary” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.