ALL OF YOU
A labor of love from over the years for writer-director William Bridges and co-writer/star Brett Goldstein, All of You was the basis of a short film that’s now been expanded into a feature length film. A futuristic When Harry Met Sally, by way of Sleepless by Seattle, the film takes place in a universe where you can take a test and be guaranteed 100% to match with your soulmate. Goldstein, taking a break from his profanity laden Ted Lasso persona Roy Kent for a more somber down-to-earth performance, plays Simon who doesn’t believe in the test despite his best friend Laura (Imogen Poots) urging him to take it.
Simon and Laura clearly like each other and don’t work hard to hide their feelings. Laura, however, has taken the test and is married to Lukas (Steven Cree) and has a child though it’s obvious the powers of the universe want these two to be together. It results in a poignant, emotional journey about the power of finding your person no matter the cost.
The futuristic aspects are handled subtlety though it does open up more questions than answers (like, for example, if you feel a connection with someone and they have taken the test, wouldn’t you just say “screw the test?” And love who you want to love?). It’s a small, trivial thing, but Poots and Goldstein are the anchors in this beautiful tale about the unpredictability of life and they more than make up for some of the script’s shortsightedness. Oh, and bring the tissues.
Grade: B+
ALL OF YOU world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking distribution.
NIGHTBITCH
Much has been made in the last couple days about Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, the adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s bestselling novel, and whether or not Amy Adams should fire her agent. It seems a little overblown now considering the film isn’t the disaster online trolls might have you believe. It’s a solid vehicle for Adams who stars as Mother, a woman who has recently paused her career to be a stay-at-home mom while her husband (Scott McNairy - great) travels for work constantly and is hardly around.
The film explores the doldrums of motherhood through a very unique lens in that she starts to feel like she’s turning into a feral canine, hence the title. It’s an allegory about the perils of raising a young child and Heller’s steady direction offers an abstract worldview that is a celebration of how godlike women are. It’s slated to be released around December in an obvious bid to get Adams into the awards conversation and mileage will vary. I was on this movie’s weird, bizarre wavelength, but I have a feeling it’s going to be extremely divisive.
Grade: B
NIGHTBITCH world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release it in December.
THE FIRE INSIDE
The story of Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, who became the first boxer, male or female, to win back to back gold medals in the Olympics is given the cinematic treatment in Rachael Morrison’s The Fire Inside. Written and produced by Barry Jenkins, the rousing story follows all the usual sports movie tropes, complete with montages and sweeping sports sequences, but Jenkins script upends usual expectations by taking a pivot in the second half of the movie and showcasing the disparity in women’s athletics compared to their male counterparts.
Morrison garners exceptional performances from her lead stars and Amazon is guaranteed to have a crowd-pleaser on their hands when the movie releases at Christmas. Ryan Destiny, in her first major role, shines as young, 16-year-old Claressa who became a massive star during the 2012 London Olympics, eventually winning the gold medal under the guidance of her coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). Jenkins’ script makes the interesting choice of concluding the pivotal fight at the midway point and then showcasing the challenges women athletes face. Pay gaps are obviously one of many, but perhaps the most shocking is the lack of endorsement deals.
Claressa is told to compromise her values and adhere to the status quo (wear lipstick, and stop acting like a “bully”) but she’s headstrong and Morrison never loses sight of that. The script isn’t perfect (often leaving many elements, like her troubled relationship with mom and dad, a little undercooked), however, it hits all the right moments to deliver an enjoyable sports drama that wears its heart right on its sleeve.
Grade: B
THE FIRE INSIDE world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and Amazon/MGM will release it this Christmas.
-Nate Adams