The Briefly — everything reviewed, in under 200 words
‘Nickel Boys’
Film
It is a rare event when a film changes your very DNA, simply through the act of watching it. RaMell Ross’ cinematic interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is that magical, once-in-a-lifetime film which could unite audiences, critics and award voters with its sheer beauty and innovative treatment of a complex narrative. The story of two young men, Elwood and Turner and the friendship they forge within The Nickel Academy, a reformatory in Southern Florida (inspired by a hellhole which actually existed) where abuse and even killings go unpunished for those in charge, is shot from an intimate, first person POV by DoP Jomo Fray, in a specially 1.33:1 frame which changes the way you watch the story. Acted impeccably by all involved, including the three leads which are Ethan Herisse as Elwood, Brandon Wilson as Turner and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Elwood’s grandmother Hattie, this is a film that will have you beg the question “what are they talking about when they say American ain’t what it used to be”! So much wrong came out the 1960’s Jim Crow era, particularly for those who were then ‘walking while Black’.
‘The Apprentice’
Film
With The Apprentice, Ali Abbasi did lose me at “hello.” The image he shows, meant to be a 1970’s Manhattan skyline from the Queensboro Bridge, lacks the Twin Towers. Even if they hadn’t been opened to the public yet, you would have still caught sight of the iconic duo as the gaze veered left of the Empire State Building — CGI could have easily helped Abbasi in that task. What The Apprentice does possess instead is a kind of ambivalence for the character of Donald Trump, as an antihero who also helped change NYC for the better, with the help of his lawyer, Ray Cohn. The film is definitely sublimely acted by both Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Cohn. With his McCarthy era tactics of taping conversations to use them against those he tapped for favors, Cohn proved the Sensei to Trump’s apprentice and their collaboration changed the urban landscape of New York City but also the way business is conducted there. Does the film vilify Trump, enough to justify his knee-jerk reaction on SM? You decide. To me, it shows a clear pathway to his madness, which started as the son of an abusive dad, swimming in a tank of sharks while possessing the ambition to do great things.
‘The Room Next Door’
Film
Writing in a language different than our own can prove a daunting task. Yet some brilliant writers like Jhumpa Lahiri and Kazuo Ishiguro have written masterpieces — in Italian and English respectively. That’s not the case for Pedro Almodóvar who dives head first into his first English language feature. Previously the Spanish filmmaker made two shorts in English, but The Room Next Door is his first full length film, which he adapted from a book by Sigrid Nunez. Brilliant looking, perfectly cast and, on paper, sounding like yet another Almodóvar masterpiece, the film quickly makes itself known for its self consciousness. The thing with English is, and American English at that, that as a language it is very liberating and free. But not in this. Tilda Swinton talks at Julianne Moore, only to be answered back with a similar loftiness. The Room Next Door is the story of an ex war correspondent who is losing her battle against cancer. She asks a friend, another writer who is famously afraid to death, to help her end it all. Yet what is missing in this project is Almodóvar’s usual flair for the ridiculous, his ability to make us laugh through our pain.
‘Sister Act’
Theater
Where would you go to run away from someone who is trying to kill you? That may hardly sound like fun to you, but this basic premise has been the starting point for many a film, song and book. Now made into a West End musical, the adventures of wannabe singer Deloris Van Cartier as she enters a convent to save her skin is the kind of feel good, laugh out loud event that predictably plays to a packed audience, night after night. After Deloris witnesses her boyfriend, gangster Curtis Shank shoot someone he believes snitched on him and his crew, she runs to the police only to find old high school friend “Sweaty Eddie”, now a cop. He suggests the very last place Shank could find her, The Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith. Culture clashes, funny happenings and a whole lot of singing and dancing complete the package and audiences, myself included, go home happy night after night. What the musical may lack in originality, it more than makes up with talent — including lead Alexandra Burke, Ruth Jones as the Mother Superior and the ever-so-cute Lee Mead as Eddie.
‘The Substance’
Film
Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a bold, deliciously bloody body horror film which counts on the assumption that any woman over 50 would love to regress to her twenty-somethings. Well, I found the real horror in the film, which stars a stunning Demi Moore (who IRL is in 61 but plays 50-something) when Moore’s character Elisabeth Sparkle does actually turn into her 20’s counterpart, the equally beautiful Margaret Qualley. I wouldn’t go back to that time in my life no matter how bouncy my posterior or perky my bosoms were. When Sparkle gets fired because, as her crass boss (Dennis Quaid) points out, “at fifty, it stops,” she gives and experimental, mysterious treatment a go. Throughout the film, I was left wondering “what stops?” as Moore herself is toned, plumped and glam, much more so than her bare assed, gyrating, winking counterpart Sue. After injecting herself with a substance that looks like antifreeze, Elisabeth finds herself fighting for her sheer existence, as the rules that come with the rejuvenating liquid get cloudier than a dirty martini. Is this a feminist film? I felt myself regressing to a pre-feminist world actually, as women’s nudity became the center of the film. And the real horror IMHO.
Akub in Notting Hill, London
Restaurant
These are challenging times for the world. But, thankfully, not for the palate of those in the mood for some great Palestinian food, right in the heart of London. French-Palestinian Chef Fadi Kattan and entrepreneur Rasha Khouri teamed up to bring the people what they want, and that is some great Middle Eastern food with flair and flavor right from a tiny townhouse in Notting Hill. From their ‘Maftool Shomal Salad’ which features the surprising taste of preserved lemons jumping out of the hand-rolled wheat and fennel combo, to the ‘Short Rib Fatteh’ with meat so beautifully cooked it melts in your mouth, this is heaven on a plate. More things to try include a ‘Beitinjan Bil Tahinia’, the restaurant’s take on a classical Arab dish of eggplant with tahini sauce, and a divine ‘Mafghoussa’ dish, which mixes whole and squashed zucchini slathered in yogurt and garlic, and topped with a refreshing sprinkling of mint. Everything at Akub is balanced and soothing, enough to prove that old belief that if we could only get the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to sit down for a long, leisurely meal, we could very well achieve peace in the Middle East.
‘Kinds of Kindness’
Film
Yorgos Lanthimos knows how to ruffle our feathers. And in his latest, he pushes the boundaries of faith, control, and reinvention to the absolute limit. Told in three different tales, each featuring characters that don’t bleed over into the next chapter except for one, cryptically named RMF, the film is a return to form for the Greek filmmaker. In the first chapter of this film you never knew you needed until you watch it, a man is told what to do by his boss, Raymond. From who to marry, what to eat and wear, to who to kill and how, Robert seems content in being controlled — until one day he isn’t. In the second tale, Daniel’s wife Liz is rescued after having been lost on an ocean expedition. But is Liz really back, does Daniel suffer from paranoia or is there another angle to this story? And in act three, two devotees and their cult leaders dance a game of control, need, and want until a truly climactic ending that will raise the hairs on your arms. But also make you laugh, all at once. Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley shine in this absurdist tale.
Barbie
Exhibition
If we ever identified as girls, we probably played with a Barbie. Although, when I asked around I found a couple of my friends who hadn’t, preferring other activities. Personally, I grew up surrounded by the iconic doll, Ken and various accessories like horses and cars. I kept my collection under my bed, neatly tucked away in drawers that doubled as Barbie’s home. My parents never bought me baby dolls, as Barbie was meant to be empowering and I still remember Lucilla, their cool London friend, gifting me my first Barbie. As an aside, Lucilla was also the first in my parents’ circle to sport a mini skirt. I told you she was cool! Anyway, ongoing at the Design Museum in London is a fascinating exhibition focusing on Barbie, complete with a photo booth made up like a pink Mattel box and some paraphernalia from the 2023 blockbuster. While the exhibition provides never-ending delight for young girls and their moms visiting, I found it lacking in explanations — like when Barbie stopped having bendable legs, which I don’t remember reading there — and accessories. In one display, the text pointed to designer’s outfits by Margiela but none were shown.
‘Thelma’
Film
Thelma Post is not your typical 93-year old grandmother. Yes, she gets confused using the internet — who doesn’t — yes, she has a hearing aid, yes she loves hanging out with her kind grandson. But at the core, she’s really an Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible in disguise. When Thelma gets conned out of her savings by criminals pretending to be her beloved grandson in trouble, she enlists the help of an old friend to retrieve the money and off they go together on the adventure of a lifetime. What is extraordinary about Thelma is that the film — written and directed, but also edited by actor and standup comedian Josh Margolin — finally gives veteran character actress June Squibb her first starring role! Imagine being 94 and finally playing the lead, after being features in TV shows like Law & Order and Curb Your Enthusiasm as well as films like Meet Joe Black and Nebraska, which garnered her an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress. Funny, charming, extremely personal and wildly entertaining, Thelma is the quiet hit of this summer season and should be on everyone’s must-watch list.
‘Anora’
Film
Man or woman, you’ll get turned on by the hair tinsel sporting, acrylic nail wearing, elegantly naked Mikey Madison as Ani (short for Anora) gyrating in front of your eyes on the big screen. But should you be so lucky, you will definitely fall in love with her upon hearing the young American actress speak. She is smart, in a soft spoken, introspective kind of way which makes her turn as the foul mouthed, money obsessed sex worker even more of an act of bravura. Director Sean Baker delves deep into the heart of the skin trade, but also paints a portrait of the iconic Brighton Beach neighborhood, where the winds of war between Russia and Ukraine failed to reach. What he finds is a culture in isolation, during a typically hard NYC winter, and a story of a modern-day Cinderella, with a twist. No, make that many twists, including the appearance and disappearance of one Prince Charming, “Vanya” played by Mark Eidelstein, and the arrival of an unexpected one, played by Russian star Yura Borisov. So can a woman whose life is lived in the underworld of sex “rise up” to the world of the oligarchy? You’ll need to watch the Palme d’Or winning Anora to find out.
‘September 5’
Film
It is always the sign of a great film when you already know the ending of the story and yet the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. Like you, I know how it ended for the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and yet, watching Swiss director’s Venice Orizzonti Extra opening film September 5, I kept hoping the tragedy could be averted. While it may not be for this film that Peter Sarsgaard gets a well-deserved, long overdue Oscar, I’ll take it if it does happen, now that the film has been snagged for distribution by Paramount, which will begin streaming the film in November, ahead of a theatrical release in time for awards season. A stunning ensemble piece, also starring Ben Chaplin, the film takes the audience through the tense 20 hours on the air, when the ABC Sports crew there to cover the Olympics suddenly turned into a news source and Peter Jennings, along with sportscaster Jim McKay took the world on a rollercoaster ride that would end in the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and a German policeman. Even if you think you know this story, you must give this masterpiece a watch!
‘NAOMI in Fashion’
Exhibition
“She set an impossible standard.” I overhear a pretty, young woman tell her friends at the V&A exhibition on Naomi Campbell. She’s not wrong. In some way, an entire fashion exhibit dedicated to this supermodel of supermodels seems like a set up. Setting all of us “normal” women up to fail by comparison. Even the pretend catwalk installed front and center of the second floor of the show offers some horrible lighting and replays our efforts showcasing all our worst assets. I come away feeling depressed and demoralized, and that takes a lot! What is lacking is the messiness, the humanness of Naomi’s life, hinted at only in one dark corner of the ground floor, with a video of her walking out of the NYC Dept. of Sanitation after doing community service for having thrown a phone at her assistant. “You can’t sit with us,” is the caption of a photo of Campbell with Kate Moss and it’s unclear whether they said it to former Vogue EIC Edward Enninful, who curated the NAOMI exhibition, or it’s the image’s title.
Dumplings’ Legend
Food
While this image shows up when the name of this Chinatown eatery is googled, along with “crispy duck”, it is not what you’ll be served there. Inside what would be more appropriately named “Indigestible’s Legend” or “Mean Waiters’ Legend” we were served plate after plate of inedible, triple fried, unrecognizable food which even the staff could not explain. Fried puffs that looked phallic, a duck which last saw moisture in the late 1800’s and a fried concoction meant to look like a peacock, but which tasted like a toilet brush. And when we asked for a plate of simple, steamed dumplings or some veggies, we were told “no, we don’t have, too big a portion for you,” by the cranky, middle-aged, mask-wearing waitress, who seemed surprised I wouldn’t finish the duck. While I typically don’t write negative reviews, preferring that ol’ “the only bad press is no press” approach, this time I feel compelled to save fellow diners from the worst eating experience of their lives. And perhaps avoid them a trip to a hospital, sooner or later, for an inflamed liver — an unpleasant byproduct of too many fried foods.