Directed, edited, casted, and co-sound designed by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch, Red Rocket is the story of a porn actor who returns to his hometown in Texas in the hopes he can return to Los Angeles to resume his career while he falls for a seventeen-year-old donut shop cashier whom he believes he can put her in porn. The film is the story of a screw-up who has burned many bridges as he schemes his way to get back in the good graces in those he has fucked over while also making promises to a teenage girl. Starring Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son, and Brenda Deiss. Red Rocket is an intoxicating and riveting film by Sean Baker.
Set in 2016 in Texas, the film revolves around a washed-up porn actor who returns to Texas City trying to make some money in the hope of returning to Los Angeles where he meets a 17-year-old donut shop cashier whom he falls for and hopes to make her into a porn actress. It is a film that is largely a character study of a man who had burned many bridges with the porn industry in Los Angeles as he returns to his hometown for the first time in 17 years where he asks his estranged wife if he could stay at his home for a few days till he gets back on his feet. Still, he would take advantage of her hospitality as she was reluctant to let him crash at her house knowing about his own selfish habits. The film’s screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch is mainly a character study of this washed-up porn star in Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) who returns to Texas City as he would take up a job selling weed for an elderly drug dealer in Leondria (Judy Hill) though she and her adult daughter June (Brittney Rodriguez) do not trust him while they warn him to not sell any weed to the local hardhat mill workers.
The script plays into Saber as someone who is really his own worst enemy in not just hurting those who offer his help but also in not taking responsibility for his own actions. Throughout the script, he talks about a bunch of things as there is a lot of ambiguity into whether he is telling the truth or talking bullshit as he would befriend his neighbor Lonnie (Ethan Darbone) who idolized Saber only to end up in things that put him in trouble. In meeting the young donut cashier Raylee who calls herself Strawberry (Suzanna Son), he believes he has a chance to get back into the world of pornography as she they embark on a sexual relationship even though she is barely underaged. Saber’s time with Strawberry would create tension as his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and mother-in-law Lil (Brenda Deiss) become suspicious of his activities outside of the house as they know Leondria who is also becoming suspicious despite the money that Saber has been giving her. It would play into this sense of Saber not only overstaying his welcome but also getting caught up in his own bullshit where those around him realize what they must do.
Baker’s direction is stylish as it is shot in Texas City as well as areas at Galveston including its Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Nederland, and Kemah Boardwalk. Shot on 16mm film, Baker maintains a sense of grit and realism into the film as he shoots everything on location where it set in a small town in Texas where it is working class with a plant nearby where many of the local hard-hat workers are. Baker’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into this sense of a man who returns to his hometown where he does feel out of step with the times where some things had not changed since he left. Even as the home that Lexi and Lil live in is shambolic with a truck with no wheels and a home that does not have much but they are at least content despite a few financial struggles. Baker would use some hand-held cameras for some scenes while he would keep things steady as it plays into a man trying to get back into the world of pornography as there are a couple of scenes where Saber goes to a strip club. Baker’s usage of close-ups and zoom shots are a key aspect of the film as it play into Saber’s desire towards Strawberry as well as scenes where he has sex with Lexi to satisfy her sexual needs.
Also serving as the film’s editor where he employs some stylish jump-cuts, montages, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the humor as well as some of the drama that includes scenes of Saber riding a bicycle as it is the only form of transportation he has aside from rides from Lonnie. Also working as a co-sound designer with John Warrin and sound editor Andy Hay, Baker maintains an atmosphere that is realistic in the way sound is heard from afar inside a living room or on a location that is quiet and sparse. It all plays into the air of realism that Baker wanted as well as a scene late in the third act where Saber’s own bullshit on the people he fucked over finally come to ahead in a darkly-comical moment where humility comes to play. Baker does end the film on an ambiguous note as it relates to Saber’s own comeuppance as well as him facing this idea of the need to be truthful and own up to his actions or to continue to bullshit and hurt people he meets. Overall, Baker crafts an evocative and compelling film about washed-up porn star’s return to Texas where he meets a 17-year-old girl he hopes he can mooch from towards his return to the porn industry.
Cinematographer Drew Daniels does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on vibrant colors for some of the daytime scenes that includes the house that Strawberry lives in as well as some unique low-key lighting schemes for the exterior/interior scenes at night as it plays into the grainy 16mm film stock. Production designer Stephonik does excellent work with the interior look of Lexi’s home as well as the truck with no wheels outside of her home as well as the exterior/interior of the house that Strawberry lives in. Visual effects supervisors John J. Budion, Vico Sharabani, and Robi Thomas Vazhayil do terrific work with the visual effects as it is set dressing for some locations that play into the period the film is set in. Music supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith does wonderful work with the music soundtrack as a lot of it is played on location through a mixture of music ranging from hip-hop, country, nu-metal, electronic music, and pop from such acts as Puddle of Mudd, the Crossing, Saul Consentino, Dave Tough, the Like Thes, Mason Dixon, 2am, Dixie Crystal, Electropoint, Spida4eva, and ‘Nsync whose song Bye Bye Bye is the lone song that is not played on location with the exception of a piano covered performed by Strawberry.
The film’s ensemble cast that is assembled by Baker includes a voice appearance from Karren Karagulian as a voice at a strip club, Lindsey Fuller as a news reporter whose house that Saber uses to claim that he lives there as a lie to Strawberry, Sophie as Lil and Lexi’s dog, Shih-Ching Tsou as the donut shop manager Mrs. Phan, David Maxwell as Lonnie’s dad, Parker Bigham as Strawberry’s friend Nash who thought she was his girlfriend, Dustin Hart and Brandy Kirl as Nash’s parents who confront Saber, Marlon Lambert as Leondria’s son Ernesto whom Saber used to go to school with, and Brittney Rodriguez in a superb performance as Leondria’s daughter June who is wary of Saber as she is the supplier and run things for her mother as she is someone that has little tolerance for bullshit. Ethan Darbone is fantastic as Lexi’s neighbor Lonnie as a man Lexi used to babysit as a kid where he spends time together with Saber unaware of the trouble, he is getting himself into where he becomes an unfortunate victim of Saber’s bullshit.
Judy Hill is excellent as Leondria as a local drug dealer/supplier who is suspicious of Saber knowing about his life back in Texas as she reluctantly gives him a job only to become more suspicious about the money he brings in. Brenda Deiss is brilliant in the role of Lexi’s mother Lil, who is initially willing to give Saber another chance, but she eventually becomes suspicious of him while also becoming uneasy with his presence at the house. Bree Elrod is amazing as Saber’s estranged wife Lexi who is reluctant to have him around while using him for sex and to do some things where she becomes suspicious of his activities outside of the house and frustrated by his refusal to help her with other things.
Suzanna Son is phenomenal in a break-out performance as Strawberry as a 17-year-old donut shop cashier who is fascinated by Saber as she is also interested in him sexually where she becomes someone that Saber needs to get back in the porn industry although she is unaware of how manipulative he is. Finally, there’s Simon Rex in a tremendous performance as Mikey Saber as a washed-up porn star who returns to Texas needing somewhere to crash only to take advantage of their hospitality while wooing a 17-year-old girl in the hopes he can get back to the porn industry. It is a performance where Rex brings a lot of dark elements of a man that constantly lies while also wanting to avoid responsibility to the point that people had enough where Rex highlight some humility and humor as it is a breakthrough for Rex.
Red Rocket is a spectacular film by Sean Baker that features great performances from Simon Rex and Suzanna Son. Along with its supporting cast, compelling character study, and gorgeous visuals. It is a film that goes to great lengths to explore a man who has burned many bridges only to put himself in more trouble with the people he meets to the point that he has no one to blame but himself. In the end, Red Rocket is a sensational film by Sean Baker.
Written and directed by Wes Anderson from a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola, The Phoenician Scheme is the story of a wealthy businessman who names his only daughter as his sole heir as they deal with rival businessmen and other forces wanting to take over. The film is an ensemble comedy-drama that follows a man who built his empire who installs his nun daughter to become his heir. Starring Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Hope Davis, Mathieu Almaric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Rupert Friend, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Phoenician Scheme is a whimsical and heartfelt film by Wes Anderson.
Set in the 1950s, the film follows a wealthy industrialist who has named his only daughter as his sole heir as the two along with a tutor traveling around the fictional European country of Phoenicia to deal with various investors over money, he skimmed over to salvage a project that he hopes would help Phoenicia. It is a film that explores a man who had been through many near-death experiences involving plane crashes and assassination attempts on his life where he decides to bring his eldest child into the fold even though she is about to become a nun as she is reluctant to take part in his criminal activities. Wes Anderson’s screenplay has a narrative that is straightforward with some strange yet surreal sequences that involves its protagonist Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) often visiting the afterlife following every near-death experience. These events forces him to name his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as his sole heir as he has 10 other sons who are all adolescent and unable to help Korda in his schemes. Joining them on this trip through Phoenicia is a Norwegian entomologist in Bjorn (Michael Cera) whom Korda hired as a tutor in his own increasing interest in insects.
The script also has a unique structure into the group of people that Korda has to meet to cover his losses that includes a consortium led by two American brothers in Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), the heir to Phoenicia in Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), a French nightclub owner in Marseille Bob (Mathieu Almaric), an American investor in Marty (Jeffrey Wright), Korda’s second-cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), and his half-brother Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch) whom Korda believes killed Liesl’s mother many years ago. Korda would endure a series of challenges and events upon his journey as it would play into a character arc of his own as a man that is constantly dealing with assassins trying to kill him and other things while he gets to know Liesl. Liesl would have an arc of her own while also revealing her own quirks such as the fact that she carries a dagger and smokes with a pipe. Notably as she gains a view of the world though remains committed to her faith and becoming a nun. Bjorn is a character that is full of intrigue as he is fascinated by Liesl while he is also ambiguous in the things he talks about while often surrounds himself with insects as they fascinate him. The film also has a subplot relating to a government agent led by Excaliber (Rupert Friend) who is tailing Korda and his activities in the hope of disrupting everything for Korda.
Anderson’s direction is entrancing as it does play into his stylish usage of symmetrical compositions and diligence to everything he captures on film. Shot on location at the Babelsberg Studio in Germany and in a 1:48:1 aspect ratio format that is an unconventional presentation that is atypical with a lot of films. Anderson does maintain some unique compositions in some of the wide shots he creates to play into the fictional country of Phoenicia as it is a country between Europe and the Middle East. Anderson does maintain some stylish framing in the way he puts his actors in a medium shot or a close-up along with some intricate tracking shots where characters would move from one room to another. Anderson’s presentation of the scenes set in the afterlife are shot in black-and-white as there is an element of surrealism where Korda meet some people including his first wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a young Liesl (Beatrice Campbell) and a few others as it plays into his own brush with death.
The film also plays into the ideas of faith as it relates to Liesl who often prays during her journey while the sequence in which Korda meets with Bob at his nightclub that is being robbed by Communist revolutionaries led by Sergio (Richard Ayoade) as Korda, Liesl, and Bjorn would meet them again as they are all Atheists. There is a humorous take in how Anderson presents Atheism as it would help play in both Korda and Liesl’s character arcs as it relates to faith. Notably the former whose encounters with the afterlife through his near-death experiences forces him to contend with his own existence. The film’s climax relates to the final meetings with those he counted upon to help him save the project as well as confront Uncle Nubar who is the last investor who is also ambiguous into answering Liesl’s own questions about her mother. It would be followed by a ridiculous fight scene as well as other outlandish things followed by an epilogue that plays into the fate of Phoenicia, its project, and those close to Korda. Overall, Anderson crafts an evocative and enchanting film about a business tycoon trying to make amends with his estranged empire to save his criminal empire.
Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting for interior scenes in the day and night as well as in the way some of the exterior scenes are lit including scenes at night such as a scene inside a crashed airplane with the usage of lamps and available light. Editor Barney Pilling, with additional work from Andrew Weisblum, does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion shots, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense, action, and humor also knowing when to have shots linger on for around a minute. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Anna Pinnock plus art directors Marc Bitz, Neneh Lucia, Anja Muller, Esther Schreiner, and Mariana Vasconcellos, does brilliant work with the look of the Korda estate, the unfinished train tunnel, and other places including interiors of the planes that Korda flies in as it is a highlight of the film. Costume designer Milena Canonero does amazing work with the costumes in the design of the suits that Korda and Bjorn wears as well as the nun outfit that Liesl wears and the clothes of some of the other characters including the sweatpants and shoes that Leland and Reagan wear.
Hair/makeup designer Heike Merker and prosthetics designer Mark Coulier do terrific work with the look of the characters in the hairstyles that Liesl and Bjorn have as well as the big beard that Uncle Nubar has. Special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer, along with visual effects supervisors Craig Crawford and Steve Murgatroyd, does fantastic work with the look of some of the models and miniatures used in the film along with a few bits of visual effects as set dressing. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound in the way planes sound from the inside as well as the sounds of certain objects including weapons. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is wonderful for its low-key piano-based orchestral score that plays into the suspense and drama with some soft percussive and a low-key string arrangement to play into some dangerous scenes. Music supervisor Randall Poster cultivated a soundtrack that features classical music pieces from Igor Stravinsky, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Modest Mussorgsky as well as music from Gene Krupa and Dizzy Gillespie.
The film’s casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Beatrice Campbell as a young Liesl, Donald Sumpter as a chairman that Excaliber works for, Alex Jennings as Korda’s butler, Jason Watkins as Korda’s attorney, Stephen Park as Korda’s pilot, and in the roles of Korda’s 10 adolescent sons in Edward Hyland, Ogden Dawson, Kit Rakusen, Milo James, Hector Bateman-Harden, Benjamin Lake, Gunes Taner, Gabriel Ryan, Mohamad Momo Ramadan, and Jonathan Wirtz. Other notable small roles as figures of people that Korda sees in the afterlife include Charlotte Gainsbourg as Korda’s first wife, Willem Dafoe as an attorney in Knave, F. Murray Abraham as a prophet, and Bill Murray as God. Hope Davis is fantastic as the Mother Superior who arrives in the film’s third function as Liesl’s mentor who learns about Liesl’s journey as well as getting to know Korda where she decides to join him in his own scheme for the good of Phoenicia.
Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston are superb in their respective roles as the brothers Leland and Reagan as two American investors who are upset over their own financial loss as they would settle this dispute through a game of horse where Hanks and Cranston display their skills in the game. Riz Ahmed and Richard Ayoade are excellent in their respective roles as the Phoenician heir Prince Farouk and the guerilla leader Sergio with the former being an investor who believes that Korda will do good while the latter is a Communist revolutionary who decides to join Korda in the film’s third act in dealing with enemies of Korda. Rupert Friend and Mathieu Almaric are brilliant in their respective roles as the bureaucratic Excaliber and the nightclub owner Marseille Bob with the former being a government agent trying to disrupt Korda’s activities and the latter being another investor who has issues with what Korda wants only for his encounter with Sergio changes everything.
Jeffrey Wright and Scarlett Johansson are amazing in their respective roles as the American investor Marty and Cousin Hilda with the former being an investor who is also upset over what Korda wants while the latter is Korda’s second cousin who is unsure about wanting to marry Korda to save his business as she is also trying to handle things for herself. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Uncle Nubar as Korda’s half-brother who is also an investor yet remains mysterious in his own dealings while is also unwilling to answer questions about the death of Liesl’s mother. Michael Cera is incredible as Bjorn as a Norwegian entomologist who is hired as a tutor for Korda while also being an administrative assistant where he is full of humor and intrigue as he is also someone that is fascinated by Liesl.
Mia Threapleton is tremendous in a break-out performance as Liesl as Korda’s estranged daughter who is becoming a nun as she is reluctant to join her father on a trip through Phoenicia where she gets to see many wonders of the world while also being someone who smokes a pipe and carries a dagger where she has quirks of her own like her father. Finally, there is Benicio del Toro in a phenomenal performance as Zsa-Zsa Korda as a business tycoon who has created schemes to swindle people out of money where he is ruthless in his pursuits until a series of near-death experiences forces him to make some changes in saving a project for the country of Phoenicia where he gains some insights about the ways of the world. It is a witty performance from del Toro who brings a lot of complexities of a man with irredeemable qualities, yet he puts in things that would make him redeemable during his journey as he also has some amazing low-key chemistry with Threapleton.
The Phoenician Scheme is a sensational film by Wes Anderson that features a great leading performance from Benicio del Toro and a major discovery in Mia Threapleton. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, a sumptuous music soundtrack, and a story of redemption and meaning amidst bad decisions and near-death experiences. The film is an offbeat yet compelling film that does mark a newfound maturity from Anderson in its exploration of family dysfunction as well as characters trying to find redemption from their bad habits. In the end, The Phoenician Scheme is a phenomenal film by Wes Anderson.
I never thought I would live in a country where Fascism is in front of my face. It is embarrassing to realize that you are among a small percentage of people who are rational in a world where everyone is starting to act irrationally. It is embarrassing to be an American right now when the whole world knows that we are a country that has lost the plot as our dumbass dictator gets a free plane from Qatar as a bribe right in front of everyone. It is not just him that this country is dealing with but also people of Congress and who are heading the many departments in the cabinet as they are all a bunch of fucking imbeciles. Yes, this is the world we live in now, and I am waiting for when everything falls apart. Fortunately, we do have a new pope in an American in Pope Leo. At first, I was not happy about the idea of an American pope but Pope Leo has managed to piss off the MAGA crowd and those dumb overly-religious folk so there is some hope at least for the time being.
Last month, I mentioned getting tickets to see Nine Inch Nails this coming September but given how things are economically. I will be sitting out this time around mainly because tickets are too expensive and I feel like I would be overspending on not just for one ticket but also for the merchandise, gas, parking, and other things. It is bad that it is going to be at the Gas South Arena in Duluth as I do not like driving to Duluth as I went through that in 2008 as I just do like driving on the highway. Especially on Spaghetti Junction as I get very anxious about driving on one of those tall bridges as well as the awful traffic there. Plus, I get lost easily in getting out of Duluth as that is another reason I will not go. Honestly, it sucks that I will not be going as I was not only hoping to see NIN again but also get some t-shirts and merchandise for myself as well as my niece and nephew to show my love for the band to them. Plus, I wanted to freak people out in their reaction to a six-year-old and a four-year-old wearing NIN t-shirts.
This year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival I felt was lackluster in comparison to previous editions. The person I blame for this is its head programmer in Thierry Fremeaux as he is a fucking asshole who really loves to kiss Hollywood’s ass. Based on the coverage of the festival thanks in part to Indiewire and the Film Experience, this year’s festival lacked something that I noticed during all the coverage. Then I realized that it was the lack of booing and dramatic reactions to films which made Cannes in the past so fun to read about. This year’s festival had none of that as I read reports over long standing ovations as that felt odd and unnatural. It has me thinking about Wim Wenders’ experience back in the mid-2000s when he premiered one of his films at the festival where he got this long-standing ovation but after a few minutes. He got overwhelmed as he felt it was overkill. Personally, I would have rather gotten booed than get a standing ovation as I want to gain notoriety is more of an accomplishment than being praised.
Still, the festival did get me excited for a lot of the films that played at the festival such as Ari Aster’s Eddington, Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, and Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater. The directorial debuts from Scarlett Johansson, Harris Dickinson, and Kristen Stewart also got good notices as I hope to see them soon, yet it was the films that won the major prizes that has me elated as none of those films are American. This year’s Palme d’Or winner in It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi as Panahi is now the fourth filmmaker to win the Triple Crown of the 3 major European film festivals that includes Berlin and Venice. The Dardenne Brothers continue to be favorites at Cannes with their newest film Young Mothers as it won the Best Screenplay Prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize while Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value won the festival’s Grand Jury Prize. Oliver Laxe’s Sirat and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling shared the festival’s third-place Jury Prize. Nadia Melliti won the Best Actress prize for her performance in Hafsia Herzi’s The Little Sister which also won the festival’s Queer Palm award.
Finally, Kleber Mendonca Filho won the festival’s Best Director Prize for his film The Secret Agent which also won Best Actor for Wagner Moura, the AFCAE Art House Cinema Award, and the festival’s FIPRESCI prize. Another thing that happened at Cannes that has me excited is a sequel to the Dogme 95 movement in Dogme 25 founded by May el-Thouky, Milad Alami, Isabella Eklof, Annika Berg, and Jesper Just with the blessing of Dogme 95 co-founders Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg that include a new set of rules that can be seen here. With the lack of originality in cinema where everyone is making sequels and remakes of old movies. This is what the film movement needs even though it will not last like Dogme 95 did before but at least it is a step in the right direction in making original ideas.
In the month of May 2025, I saw a total of 20 films in 10 first-timers and 20 re-watches with one film directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. An improvement over the last month although it has not been easy trying to find the time and energy to watch a lot of feature films. One of highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Limite. Here are the top 5 first-timers that I saw for May 2025:
One of two shorts from omnibus films that featured the work of Victor Erice is a three-minute short film starring Ana Torrent from Erice’s first film The Spirit of the Beehive as his segment for the 2012 omnibus film 3.11 Sense of Home in which filmmakers make a 3 minute and 11 second short about the Tohoku earthquake and the tsunami that followed on March 11, 2011. Erice’s short has Torrent talking about humanity as she records her monologue on a laptop as she is about to get ready for a stage performance. It is a simple yet effective short that is about the power of solidarity and the human spirit.
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet-Lifeline
From the 2002 anthology film series Ten Minutes Older for The Trumpet section of the two-part film series is a rich 10-minute short film by Erice set during the Spanish Civil War. Shot in a small town, the short follows a family during a quiet day as children play outside while a woman sleeps while her baby is also sleeping until he cries. Originally shot in color, the film would be presented in black-and-white as it plays into the simplicity of a life as well as the things that bring a family together during the darkest of times.
Tram
As part of MUBI’s animation special is a short by Michaela Pavlatova about a trolley conductor who drives many men to their stops as she thinks about their penises. It is an 8-minute animated short that is not for children. Still, it has a lot of imagination as it plays into a woman’s desire and imagination in wanting to get laid.
Aqua
One of four short films by Gints Zilbalodis that I saw on YouTube as this one from 2012 is a 7-minute short that follows a cat boarding a boat during a flood. The short is a test-run for his 2024-award winning film Flow as it carries the same sense of raw computer animation and hand-drawn animation. The short is a showcase of what Zilbalodis can do with the limited resources he has as it is a must-watch for anyone that loves Flow.
The Keys to Freedom
From Wim Wenders is this four-minute and 19-second documentary short film that has Wenders travel to Reims, France at a place that is now a school. Inside the school is a museum where World War II ended in Europe where 2 German officers signed the surrender with 2 keys being the centerpiece of this short. The keys belonged to the mayor of the time as he lent them to the leaders of the Allies at the time and after the treaty was signed. The keys were returned to its mayor. Wenders comments on the symbolism of the keys as it relates to what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean here hoping that these dark times would end.
Inaudible
The second of four short films by Zilbalodis that I saw on YouTube is about a musician who lost his hearing after being struck by lightning. It is a short told in a non-linear presentation where it plays into a man who is a street cleaner that is unable to hear other locals play music as well as express himself through his trumpet. It is a touching short that shows Zilbalodis who knows what to do to tell a story. Not through dialogue but through music where it plays into this man’s despair as well as his own sense of longing to play.
Rush
The third of four shorts by Zilbalodis is a one-minute and twenty-five second short about a young man trying to cross the street during the Xmas holidays. It plays into the idea of patience and this man’s lack of patience where he nearly gets himself killed. There is an element of humor that Zilbalodis does while he also plays into the idea of why everyone should look at the crosswalk signals.
Followers
The fourth short by Zilbalodis that I saw from his YouTube channel is a 7-minute short about a thief who gets caught as he escapes from prison where he finds a young schoolboy pickpocketing a passenger on a bus. The short plays into the parallel journey these two take part in as they come together to escape from the authorities and those they stole from. It is an incredible short by Zilbalodis who knows about the complexities of human beings and behaviors that includes the difficulty of wanting to do the right thing.
Andor (season 2, episodes 5-12)
What Tony Gilroy and the writers and filmmakers of this series has created is something that I doubt will ever be topped in terms of what Stars Wars could be as it is the best TV program that the franchise has created. Notably in the third block of three episodes in episodes 7 through 9 as it relates to the events at the planet of Ghorman including its massacre and the aftermath in which Mon Montha denounces Emperor Palpatine for what had happened. Genevieve Reilly brings a lot of weight to Montha as a woman stuck between a world of materialism and the political turmoil that would eventually lead to her exile from the Senate and become a leader of the Rebellion. Diego Luna continues to be the drive of the series as the titular character while highlighting what made Andor into the fearsome yet complicated character that audiences would see in Rogue One. Reilly and Luna are not just the standouts in the series that has made the show great with Stellan Skargard’s Luthen, Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero, Faye Marsay’s Vel, Adria Arjona’s Bix, and Kyle Soller’s Syril continuing to deliver great performances.
The show also feature some breakout performances in Elizabeth Dulau as Luthen’s longtime assistant Kleya who is tremendous in the second season with the last 3 block of episodes displaying her willingness to survive as well as be a key player in the Rebellion. Even in making uneasy decisions where the 10th episode learn how she and Luthen met and what she would do for the Rebellion. Another actor who stood out is Anton Lesser as the ISB leader Lio Partagaz as he is a rare villain that does not seek glory or ambition but rather to ensure a job is completed. A man who is rational in an organization filled with irrational people such as Ben Mendelsohn’s Orson Krennic and other figures in the Empire. Lesser’s final scene as Partagaz is one of the best as he plays a man who has a revelation about the Rebellion based on Nemik’s manifesto from the first season where he realizes what is to come. It is a show that has raised the bar of what a TV series could be like as well as in playing a role in one of the most popular film franchises ever.
That is all for May. Next month, I will do a review of The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson with my Auteurs essay on Ryan Coogler coming in June as it is more than half-finished. While I am unsure which film I will make next for my Blind Spot film as well as whatever films I will review as it has not been easy to find the time to watch films. Especially as there are projects that I still want to do including something in July to celebrate my 25th anniversary in writing as I had done a decade ago with a list of my favorite films of the 21st Century so far.
Before I go, I want to express my condolences towards those who passed away this month such as Valerie Mahaffey, Loretta Swit, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Alan Yentob, Rick Derringer, Ed Gale, Peter Kwong, violinist Simon House, Michael Sumler of Kool & the Gang, Marcel Ophuls, musician Kenny Marco, James Lowe of the Electric Prunes, Michael Roemer, production designer Leslie Dilley, George Wendt, musician Chris Hager, songwriter Roger Nichols, Uruguayan president Jose Mujica, filmmaker Robert Benton, musician Larry Lee, Johnny Rodriguez, Jiri Bartoska, Joe Don Baker, filmmaker James Foley, makeup artist Greg Cannom, Jill Sobule, and the Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal Sabu! One of the greatest pro wrestlers that ever lived and is the embodiment of ECW. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Written, co-edited, and directed by Mario Peixoto, Limite is the story of two women and a man as they are lost at sea as they reflect on their past through flashbacks. The film is an experimental silent-film drama that explores three people on a boat as they think about their past and their uncertainty in their future. Starring Olga Breno, Taciana Rey, and Raul Schnoor. Limite is an entrancing and intoxicating film by Mario Peixoto.
The film is the simple story of two women and a man stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the sea as they contemplate their present situation as well as their own respective past. It is a film that does not have much of a premise where it plays more into the visuals rather than plot schematics. Mario Peixoto does not bring in a lot of dialogue aside from a conversation between a man on the boat (Raul Schnoor) and another man he meets at a graveyard over a shared lover. The usage of flashbacks allows Peixoto to bring in depth to why these people are on this lifeboat as the first woman (Olga Breno) is a fugitive who is still on the run while the other woman (Taciana Rey) has left her alcoholic husband over their unhappy marriage. The scenes would play into the many emotional turmoil that these characters would endure as they contemplate about their isolation on this boat in the middle of the sea.
Peixoto’s direction is stylish in not just his approach to the compositions he creates but also in the overall presentation where it is shot on location at Mangaratiba which is 50 miles from Rio de Janeiro. Peixoto’s usage of close-ups and medium shots added to the drama where he would also create some camera movements and repeated shots to play into the emotional states of the characters. Even in scenes at the boat where Peixoto uses some unique high and low angles to capture the sense of uncertainty as well as wide shots such as a scene of a woman looking afar at her surroundings on a cliff as the camera would then fly off in a disorienting state. Editing the film with cinematographer Edgar Brasil, Peixoto would infuse some unique stylish cutting that would become a precursor to the jump-cut that include some rhythmic cuts that add to the sense of chaos and turmoil that the characters go through. Brasil’s black-and-white photography would add to the striking visuals of the film as well as bringing a sense of mystique to the surroundings the characters are in.
The direction also has Peixoto use music to help drive the film with help from some original score music by Brutus Pedreira as it plays into the sense of despair that the characters go through. The film’s music soundtrack features pieces by Erik Satie, Claude Debussy, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Alexander Borodin, and Cesar Franck add to the visuals where it has this air of poetry into the images that Peixoto creates. The film’s ensemble cast that includes Peixoto as a man that the main male protagonist meets in a graveyard, composer Brutus Pedreira as a lover one of the women, and Edgar Brasil as a man playing piano at a movie theater. Other notable small roles include Carmen Santos as a woman eating fruit that the man meets and Iolanda Bernardes as a woman on a sowing machine. The trio of Olga Breno, Taciana Rey, and Raul Schnoor are incredible in their respective roles as the two women and the man stranded on the boat as they all lament over their situation and their past.
As part of the second volume of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project, the film is presented in a new 2K restoration on a print from the late 1970s in which its restoration was completed in 2010. Released both as a Region 1 DVD and a Region A Blu-Ray shared with Ermek Shinarbaev’s 1989 film Revenge. The Blu-Ray also features two special features with the first being a 2-minute introduction from Martin Scorsese about the film and its restoration with the usage of available footage including a few that have been damaged with one missing scene presented in an intertitle. The 14-minute interview with Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles as he talks about the film and what inspired Peixoto to make the film based on a photograph by Andre` Kertesz as well as the making of the film. Salles talked about its disappearance as it was a rare film to find until the 1970s as it was rediscovered by Saulo Pereira de Mello as its restoration took a long time despite the damage it endured due to poor storage conditions.
The box set featured a booklet that included an essay about the film entitled Memory in the Present by film scholar Fabio Andrade. Andrade’s essay talks about the film as well as Peixoto who saw this photograph and what inspired him to make the film as he would do it himself since other directors decided not to telling Peixoto to direct it himself. The essay also discusses its initial reception in Brazil where it was not well-received, but it was praised by other filmmakers including Orson Welles during a trip in the 1940s. The film would be lost due to the poor storage conditions in Brazil during the 1950s and 1960s where it would be confiscated by the police during a tumultuous period in Brazil’s political history. It would be Saulo Pereira de Mello who would save the film in the 1970s though its single nitrate print had deteriorated where it took years for the film to be restored in the best condition possible. Thanks to Pereira de Mello’s work, the film would find new life as well as be a major foothold in Brazil’s cinematic history.
Limite is a sensational film by Mario Peixoto. While it is not a conventional film in terms of its lack of plot and a traditional narrative. It is a film that is a ravishing look of three people stranded on a lifeboat as they contemplate the past, their present, and an uncertain future. Even where it plays into ideas that would become key elements that would influence cinema in the years to come. In the end, Limite is a phenomenal film by Mario Peixoto.
Directed by Victor Erice and screenplay by Erice and Michel Gaztambide from a story by Erice, Cerrar los ojos (Close Your Eyes) is the story of an actor who had disappeared on a film set where a TV show revives the case of his disappearance where those close to the man are forced to confront the past and piece together what happened. The film marks a 31-year return to feature-length film for Erice as it explores a man’s disappearance as well as the film that he was working on until he left and never returned. Starring Manolo Solo, Jose Coronado, Ana Torrent, Petra Martinez, Maria Leon, Mario Pardo, Helena Miquel, Antonio Dechent, Jose Maria Pou, Soledad Villamil, and Juan Margallo. Cerrar los ojos is a ravishing and evocative film by Victor Erice.
The film revolves around a novelist who is asked to participate in a TV show about an unresolved case in which an actor disappeared on set more than 20 years ago on a film the novelist was making that was never finished. It is a film about a man who is forced to return to the past about the disappearance of his best friend with many interested to find out what happened to him and why he disappeared. The film’s screenplay by Victor Erice and Michel Gaztambide is straightforward in its narrative though it opens with the actor Julio Arenas (Jose Coronado) acting on a film set, and it would be the last time anyone would see him. More than 20 years later, his best friend in novelist/filmmaker Miguel Garay (Manolo Solo) is asked to appear in a TV show to talk about Arenas’ disappearance as well as the unfinished film entitled The Farewell Gaze that Garay was shooting with Arenas.
The film’s first act is set in Madrid where Garay visits an old friend in editor/archivist Max Rocaq (Mario Prado) as well as talk to Arenas’ daughter Ana (Ana Torrent) and a former lover in Lola (Soledad Villamil). The film’s second act takes place in Asturias where Miguel lives a simpler life as he spends his time fishing, translating novels for publishing houses, and living in a trailer with his dog Kali and Romani neighbors. It displays a man who once had an exhilarating life with Arenas only to stop authoring novels in favor of a short story every now and then while preferring to live in anonymity with a few people. Then he receives news emerged from the people at the show about claims that Arenas is alive as it adds a lot more intrigue. The script does play a lot of references into Erice’s own life and career considering that his second film was only half-finished when it was released only to make a documentary 9 years later about an artist and spent more than 30 years making short films instead of a feature-length film.
Erice’s direction is majestic in not just its simplicity but also in the way he presents layers upon layers of ambiguity into the film. Shot on various locations in Spain including Madrid, Asturias, and the provinces of Granada and Almeria, Erice creates a film that is a somber and meditative film that follows a man coping with the past. The film opens with a scene from the film-within-a-film in The Farewell Gaze where Arenas plays a man asked by this old man (Jose Maria Pou) to find his daughter. It is in this scene where Arenas walks out of the camera frame and never returns to the set making that film unfinished. Much of Erice’s compositions rely on wide and medium shots in not just getting the depth of field into the locations but also to play into the different cultures of Spain whether it is the modernistic tone of Madrid to the more simplistic world of the beach towns. There are close-ups in Erice’s direction, yet it only plays into intimate moments such as scenes in The Farewell Gaze while much of his work has him using medium shots.
Erice also plays into the idea of the past where Garay’s time with Max has them talking about films in the old days and film projectors becoming nearly extinct while a scene at Garay’s home that he shares with his dog and gypsy neighbors has him singing a country/western song in English from a Howard Hawks film. Still, Erice maintains this sense of melancholia as it plays into regret when the film reaches its third act where Garay is given news about a man who might be Arenas. The film then becomes this study of identity where Garay would meet this man but with caution where he does not want to say anything that would be upsetting towards him but also for Garay. Erice also plays into the idea of what could trigger old memories as it relates to a picture this man is carrying as it is from the film that Garay was making. The film’s ending is an ambiguous one as it relates to the past with people who might know this man or had known him for a while witnessing something that is about loss, regret, identity, and the idea of miracles. Overall, Erice crafts a rapturous and enchanting film about a filmmaker trying to cope with the disappearance of his best friend and the past that continues to haunt him.
Cinematographer Valentin Alvarez does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key approach to lighting up some of the exterior scenes at night along with some sunny and naturalistic look for some scenes at the beachside areas. Editor Ascen Marchena does excellent work with the editing with some transitional fade-outs to help structure the story as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Art director Curru Garabal does brilliant work with the look of Garay’s home on the beach with the small trailer that he sleeps in as well as the hotel rooms he would live in with all its space. Costume designer Helena Sanchis does fantastic work with the costumes as it is casual in what many of the characters wear while the costumes in The Farewell Gaze are more refined to play into its look.
Hair/makeup supervisor Beatushka Wojtowicz does amazing work with the look of Garay as both a younger man in the 1990s and the look of this mysterious old man he would later meet. Visual effects supervisor Juliana Lasuncion does nice work with the visual effects as it is set-dressing for some of the film’s locations as well as scenes in The Farewell Gaze. Sound designer Juan Ferro does superb work with the sound in capturing the layers of natural sounds at a location including scenes on the beach or at the estate for the scenes in The Farewell Gaze as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Federico Jusid is wonderful for its understated and somber piano orchestral score that plays into the sense of loss and melancholia that looms throughout the film with a soundtrack that features available music on set whether it is tango-based music or the country/western song that Garay sings from a Howard Hawks film.
The casting by Pablo Ini and Pilar Moya is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Venecia Franco as the daughter of the old man in The Farewell Gaze, Jose Maria Pou as that old man in The Farewell Gaze, Juan Margallo as a neurologist Garay meets in the third act about the old man he meets, Helena Miquel as a news journalist in Marta that asked Garay to be on her show, Antonio Dechent as a gossip columnist in Tico Mayoral that Gary dislikes because of his thoughts on Arenas, Maria Granados as a nurse in Belen who works at a retirement home facility who believes that the old man who works there is Arenas, Petra Martinez as one of the heads of the retirement home in Sister Consuelo who is fascinated by the identity of this old man who works at the home, and Soledad Villamil as a former lover of Arenas in Lola who invites Garay for a drink as they talk about the past as well as lamenting over Arenas’ state of mind at that time.
Mario Pardo is excellent as Garay’s friend Max who is a film editor/archivist who kept Garay’s copies of his unfinished film while also providing some witty commentary about Arenas’ disappearance as well as saying a lot of things about cinema including a funny joke about Carl Theoden Dreyer. Ana Torrent is brilliant as Arenas’ daughter Ana as a woman who declines to take part in the TV special about her father as she is unsure about her father’s mental state as she is only seen once in the first and returns in the third act to meet the man who might be her father where she copes with his mental state. Jose Coronado is incredible in the dual role of Julio Arenas and the mysterious man called Gardel where Coronado provides this sense of liveliness as Arenas who would endure a mental breakdown that would lead to his disappearance while his performance as Gardel is restrained as a man who prefers to live in isolation. Finally, there’s Manolo Solo in a phenomenal performance as Miguel Garay as a novelist/filmmaker who was Arenas’ best friend as he laments over his friend’s disappearance and the past while confronts the idea that he is responsible for what might have happened. Even as he deals with the idea that this old man he meets is his long-lost friend where he ponders whether he should try to get this man to remember something or to just let him be as it is a somber and riveting performance from Garay.
Cerrar los ojos is an outstanding film by Victor Erice. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and its compelling study of memory, loss, identity, and the idea of the soul. It is a film that explores the idea of who people were and who they are in the present as well as the idea of loss and regret as it relates to the past. If this film is Erice’s final feature-length film, then he goes out with a winner. In the end, Cerrar los ojos is a magnificent film by Victor Erice.
Well, this year has been a total fuck-fest. Let us see, American citizens here in America including children are getting deported to other countries. Spain and Portugal have no power (hope you are OK Ruth). Tariffs brought by the U.S. have gotten out of control. A has-been pop singer, Oprah’s BFF, Jeff Bezo’s dumbass girlfriend, and other women set women empowerment backwards through a stupid stunt where they went to outer space for 11 minutes. Yeah, this is great. U.S.A. Greatest country in the world. Right… Boy are we the most hated group of people out there. We are beefing with the Canadians. We are just at war with everyone, which is proof of why democracy does not work. This is what happens when you allow the common and uncommon imbecile as well as the ignorant the right to vote and now, they are fucked. Let us also not forget those who voted the other way. Well, they too are fucked because they are not rational either. Al Gore was right. Manbearpig does exist and he is sitting at the White House having a dick-measuring contest with his buddy Elon to see how big it is though we all know it is smaller than the Crock’s own dick which is smaller than a pebble.
With spring, I often complain about allergies, but this year really takes the cake in terms of how bad pollen is this year. Last month, I went to my local urgent care for a cold and then weeks earlier. I went again as I was getting pink eyes of the worst kind. My eyes are better, but I caught the cold again this past weekend and my sinus is bad. There has not been enough rain, and it would often come on days when you did not need it. For my mother, the pollen allergies has been bad as she loves to have a clean house outside as there was one rainy day where a tree branch on the other side of our backyard nearly broke our fence. We just got it repaired along with the fence next to the garage. Now we are just dealing with this unexpected cold as my mother is focusing on her citizenship test.
In the month of April, I saw a total of 12 films in six first-timers and six re-watches. Yes, I have been slacking as I had to deal with things at home when I made the decision to postpone my Auteurs piece on David Lean as I have been stuck on it for months as it has not gone where I want to. Instead, I am focusing on Ryan Coogler who will be the next Auteurs piece as I have already gotten started on him. One of the big highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Love Streams. Here is the top 3 films that I saw for April 2025:
Benny Hill is a comedian that I grew up watching as a kid as this documentary from the BBC about the British comedian is about his life and career. The film features interviews from various comedians and a small panel of young people reacting to Hill’s comedy where some things that he did has not dated well Yes, there are moments where Hill played characters in blackface or squinting his eyes to play an Asian though his intentions were not racist as a black British comedian defends Hill while it should be stated that there were not a lot of comedians of black, Asian, or South Asian at that time and they would not have been presented by the BBC at that time. Despite some of the controversies, Hill remains loved by many including African-Americans while accusations that Hill was sexist is also untrue considering that he is the butt of the jokes while he allowed women to direct for him on set whenever he is performing. It is a well-made documentary for anyone that wants to know about the genius Benny Hill.
Locks
Having started my Auteurs piece on Ryan Coogler, there are two of the three shorts that are available online. Unfortunately, one of them in Fig is only available on Kanopy, which I do not have access to because my local library does not use the service. Fortunately, there is another short that is available on YouTube in this six-minute student film short Coogler made when he was in USC about a man contemplating about his identity through his dreadlocks. It is a simple short film that does not have any dialogue but there is a beauty to the way Coogler presents the film as it is shot on location in Oakland as it also features a beautiful music score by one of his future collaborators in Ludwig Goransson. It is a short worth seeking out with Coogler already becoming a made man with the success he is getting from his newest film Sinners.
Andor (season 2, episodes 1-4)
The second season of the Star Wars series is intriguing for not just the setting of events of what is to come but also how the Rebellion is starting on different areas with Cassian Andor still doing things for the Rebellion. Yet not everything is going well with Mon Montha realizing the sacrifices she needs to make with Luthen Rael trying to get information with the Empire focusing on a planet whose resources they need for the construction of the Death Star. There are a lot of things happening so far in the first four episodes as the show is aiming for a slow burn of characters struggling with the roles they play on both sides as well as planting seeds for a deadly conflict.
Well, that is all for April. Next month, I will be attempting to do a marathon of films that played at previous editions of the Cannes Film Festival from the past 15 years to celebrate this year’s edition. Along with theatrical releases such as Thunderbolts* and The Phonecian Scheme and the Blind Spot for next month will be Limite. I will focus much of my time on the Auteurs piece on Ryan Coogler that will be followed by James Gunn in anticipation for the release of Superman. Other than a few personal things including getting tickets to see Nine Inch Nails this coming September. That will be all that I am planning for next month.
Before I bid adieu, I must acknowledge on those that have passed this month such Pope Francis who has been an immensely important figure this century as he brought hope to many including a lapsed-Catholic such as myself. He was a humble and giving man that really did a lot to bring people together no matter what they believed in as there will never be a Pope like him ever again. Other noted figures who passed away this month include Clem Burke of Blondie, Mike Peters of the Alarm, Chicago Bears legend/Four Horseman Steve “Mongo” McMichael, Priscilla Pointer, Pere Ubu vocalist David Thomas, Lar Park Lincoln, game show host Wink Martindale, Sophie Nyweide, Jean Marshall, basketball legend Stan Love, pro wrestlers Hisashi Shinma and Black Terry, novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, music producer Roy Thomas Baker, filmmaker Ted Kotcheff, Nicky Katt, Mel Novak, those who died at the Jet Set nightclub at the Dominican Republic including singer Rubby Perez, Jay North aka Dennis the Menace, and Val Kilmer. You will always be our Huckleberry and wingman Val. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
