Blindspotting

Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada and written and co-starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, Blindspotting is the story of a parolee with three days left of his sentence as his freedom is suddenly threatened when he witnesses a police shooting. The film is an exploration of a man who is trying to stay out of trouble as he finds himself witnessing something he shouldn’t have seen. Also starring Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cepha Jones, Ethan Embry, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Wayne Knight. Blindspotting is an offbeat yet compelling film from Carlos Lopez Estrada.

Set in Oakland, the film revolves around a young man who is three days away from finishing up his probation sentence as he had witnessed a police shooting as he spends the next three days trying to stay out of trouble despite the presence of his reckless best friend. It’s a film that plays into a few days in the life of an African-American man who went to prison after assaulting someone outside a bar as he was in prison for 2 months and spent a year living in a halfway house as probation as he’s just 3 days away from finishing his sentence. Then one night as he’s returning to the halfway house, he witnesses a policeman chasing a young African-American and shoots him as it leads to not just terror but also paranoia leaving him uneasy for the next two days of his sentence. The film's screenplay by Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal doesn’t just explore a friendship between this African-American felon and his reckless white friend but also how this incident involving a police shooting would threaten their friendship.

Collin Hoskins (Daveed Diggs) is trying his best to stay out of trouble while working as a mover with his best friend Miles Turner (Rafael Casal) who has a wife and child but still likes to do reckless activities including purchasing a handgun. Hoskins is also trying to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend/boss Val (Janina Gavankar) who believes that Turner is becoming erratic not just because of his wild behavior but also in the growing gentrification of Oakland with more upper-middle class people emerging that includes changing the ingredients of his favorite fast food burger. Yet, Hoskins becomes more uneasy as he has bad dreams and hallucinations about what he had seen as the days of his probation ending starts to get him unsure.

Carlos Lopez Estrada’s direction does have elements of style yet also captures some realism as it relates to this growing gentrification of Oakland as it is shot on location in the city to showcase a loss of identity and changing times. Estrada does use a lot of wide and medium shots to establish the location as well as in some of the conversations in the latter where Estrada also showcase this ever-changing world where two men are struggling to hold on to their own identity but also deal with an incident that one of them had seen as he is wondering if he’s next to die in the hands of the police. Estrada also uses some close-ups to play into a few moments in the conversations as well as these moments that play up this growing tension that would agitate Turner such as a party held by a hipster where an African-American guest accost Turner for acting black unaware that Turner is who he is because he’s been living in the inner city for many years as the confrontation becomes violent. Estrada also play into Hoskins’ own guilt and fear as it would be unveiled in some strange and surreal dream sequences and hallucinations that include a daily routine of Hoskins as he wakes up at 6:25 AM, jogs into the same cemetery street, and then go to work.

Estrada does employ some humor in the way Turner tries to make some extra money but also in the way he reacts towards gentrification and some of the people Turner and Hoskins meet whose things they have to bring for the move. There is also this darkly-comic scene as it relates to how Hoskins got in trouble as it’s told by someone who recognized Hoskins from that incident as it is told in a humorous offbeat manner. Yet, it is a reminder of what Hoskins is dealing with as the film’s climax does relate to the incident he saw as the composition of the shooting is unique as the victim is shown from the perspective of the moving van’s side mirror with Hoskins on the driver seat seeing everything including the officer who shot this man. It also play into not just what Hoskins had been dealing with in the past few days but also an aftermath where he could mistreated unfairly by the police with Turner starting to get a dose of reality of what his best friend is facing with. Overall, Estrada crafts a riveting and evocative film about a man’s probation sentence coming to an end as he deals with a troubling police shooting he witnessed and his best friend’s erratic behavior.

Cinematographer Robby Baumgartner does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it does have some style in the way some of the interiors and exteriors at night are lit including a few bars and a car of one of the friends of Turner and Hoskins while a lot of the daytime scenes are straightforward. Editor Gabriel Fleming does terrific work with the editing as it does have some element of style in the rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and humor as well as its usage of montages. Production designer Tom Hammock, with set decorator Alex Brandenburg and art director Susan Alegria, does fantastic work with the look of some of the places Hoskins and Turner go to as well as the home of the latter and the bodega they often go to every morning. Costume designer Emily Batson does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with the exception of some of the more stylish clothing from the hipsters that Hoskins and Turner encounter.

Special effects supervisor Matt Heron and visual effects supervisor Takashi Takeoka do amazing work with some of the visual effects as it relates to the incident that got Hoskins arrested as well as bits of set-dressing in some parts of the city. Sound editor Andy Hay and sound designer Jeffrey A. Pitts do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations including a few parties as well as some of the sound effects that occur in Hoskins’ nightmares. The film’s music by Michael Yezerski creates a brilliant music soundtrack that largely consists of hip-hop inspired beats and electronic textures while music supervisor Jonathan McHugh create a soundtrack that play into the world that is Oakland that largely consists of hip-hop music from Mac Dre, Moe Green, Damey, Clyde Carson featuring the Team, J. Stalin, Kehlani, Max Schneider, Maxwell D, Mistah F.A.B., the Federation, Jenneh Bell, Thompson Davin Do D.A.T., Krazy Bone, D-Lo, and Fantastic Negrito along with pieces by Tower of Power, Anthony Hamilton, and Giuseppe Verdi.

The casting by Kimberly Hardin and Nina Henninger is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Wayne Knight as an art photographer, Tisha Campbell-Martin as a salon owner who is suspicious of what Turner is selling, Leland Orser as the judge at the film’s opening scene, Justin Chu Cary as a guy picking up something at the moving building, Ziggy Baitinger as Turner’s son Sean, Travis Parker as the young man shot down by the police, and Utkarsh Ambudkar as a moving customer who had witnessed Hoskins beating up someone outside a bar as he tells it in a comical manner. Ethan Embry is superb as the police officer who shot the young man during a chase as he brings a chilling presence in his brief appearance that would include the film’s climax.

Jasmine Cepha Jones is fantastic as Turner’s wife Ashley as a young woman who is trying to be a good mom despite putting up with her husband’s antics as she has a great scene that involves a handgun that Turner bought as it play into how reckless Turner is. Janina Gavankar is excellent as Val as Hoskins’ former girlfriend/boss who is reluctant to reconnect with him due to Turner whom she feels is going to get him in serious trouble while is hoping that Hoskins gets out of probation. Rafael Casal is brilliant as Miles Turner as a white man trying to do his job and provide for his family yet becomes uneasy by this growing gentrification of his town as he acts out while trying to make money despite the fact that he can be irresponsible at times though he does have some morals. Finally, there’s Daveed Diggs in an amazing performance as Collin Hoskins as a man trying to finish his probation sentence as he becomes troubled by a police shooting he witnessed as well as events in his past and his best friend’s erratic behavior as it is an understated performance that also has moments of rage and anger that showcase Diggs at his finest.

Blindspotting is a phenomenal film from Carlos Lopez Estrada that features two great performances from its writers Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. Along with its supporting cast, its study of racial identity in the inner city, its look on gentrification, a cool music soundtrack, and gorgeous visuals. It’s a film that explores a man trying to finish his probation as he copes with uncertainty in the inner city about himself but also his best friend who often puts him and himself into trouble amidst the gentrification of their home. In the end, Blindspotting is an incredible film from Carlos Lopez Estrada.

© thevoid99 2020

White Orchid (2018 film)

Written, edited, and directed by Steve Anderson, White Orchid is the story of a part-time social services investigator who takes on the identity of a dead woman to capture a serial killer who killed the woman. The film is a neo-noir film that has a woman help the police to catch a killer but becomes lost in the identity that she inhabits. Starring Olivia Thirlby, Jennifer Beals, John Carroll Lynch, Janina Gavankar, Raymond J. Barry, Brendan Sexton III, Rachael Taylor and Nichelle Nichols. White Orchid is an intriguing though underwhelming film from Steve Anderson.

Following the death of a woman who was beheaded and found naked on a beach, a part-time social services investigator is asked by local police officials to take part of the case as she would pretend to be the dead woman only to get way over her head. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into a woman being asked to investigate a murder in a small town near San Francisco yet it is also a film about identity where this shy and reserved part-time social services investigator takes more than she bargains for. Steve Anderson’s screenplay largely revolves on the protagonist of Claire (Olivia Thirlby) who is asked by a district attorney in Vivian (Jennifer Beals) to investigate this case and give out any information to the local authority figure in Sheriff Martin (John Carroll Lynch).

While Claire would learn about this mysterious killer and its victim, she also learns about the latter and her vices where she would wear wigs and such as Claire would inhabit a different identity. The script does succeed in Claire’s fascination for this victim yet it has a lot of tonal issues in what it wants to be as a story while it doesn’t do much to build up the suspense. Even as it prefers to be something low key which doesn’t bring in a lot of surprises as it’s one of the weaker elements of the film.

Anderson’s direction is largely simple in its compositions as it is shot largely on location in the Bay Area in California with a few shots in San Francisco where it is obvious there is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in one notable shot as well as a few references to the film in a few scenes. Yet, it’s among some of the issues the film has where it isn’t sure what it wants to be where it wants to be this suspense-drama but it also wants to be a film about identity. Anderson does know how to create intriguing compositions that include a scene of Claire trying out wigs in a stylish montage created by Anderson, who also serves as its editor, as well as moments that play into elements of eroticism. Despite the many tonal issues the film has, Anderson is able to create scenes that are intriguing that include this climatic meeting between Claire and the person she believes is the killer as it is a battle of wits. Overall, Anderson creates a messy yet worthwhile film about a young investigator trying to solve a murder mystery as she pretends to be its victim.

Cinematographer Patrick Meade Jones does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward with some stylish lighting for a few scenes at night including a club scene. Art director Erin Cochran, with set decorators Abra Brayman and Fernando Valdes, does fantastic work with the look of the home of its victim as well as the small motel room that Claire would stay in for all of the research of her case. Costume designer E.B. Brooks does nice work with the costumes as it has an element of style in the clothes that Claire would wear as the victim that is stylish and sexy as opposed to the more reserved look that she usually sports. Sound mixer David Beebe does terrific work with the sound as it is largely straightforward to play into its locations and in some of the places Claire goes to. The film’s music by Enis Rotthoff is wonderful for its score as it has heavy orchestral themes for its suspenseful moments along with low-key ambient pieces for the quieter moments in the film.

The casting by Rebecca Mangieri and Wendy Weidman is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Michael Rodrick as a famed surgeon Claire sees in San Francisco whom she believes is a suspect, Raymond J. Barry as the neighbor of the victim, Kelsey Sieper as a woman Claire meets as the victim at a bar, Rachael Taylor as a mysterious woman Claire meets late in the film, Brendan Sexton III as a motel owner that Claire knows in James who deals with a break-in, Janina Gavankar as a friend of Claire in the musician Tina that helps her gather the research for the investigation, and Nichelle Nichols in a fantastic performance as an elderly blind woman that the victim used to chat with as Claire would befriend her. Jennifer Beals is terrific in a small role as Claire’s boss in the district attorney Vivian who gives Claire the big case though Beals is severely underused in the film.

John Carroll Lynch is excellent as Sheriff Martin as the local sheriff who helps Claire with the case while he has some concerns knowing its severity and Claire’s inexperience. Finally, there’s Olivia Thirlby in an incredible performance as Claire as a part-time social services investigator who is given a major assignment in a murder mystery where Thirlby displays that confusion and determination in a woman knowing she is dealing with a serious case while trying to understand its victim to find the killer as it is an entrancing and radiant performance from Thirlby.

White Orchid is a good yet uneven film from Steve Anderson that features an amazing performance from Olivia Thirlby. While it’s a film that does have some nice moments and intrigue about identity and loss, it does suffer from being inconsistent in its tone as well as wanting to be all sorts of film without finding its center. In the end, White Orchid is an alright film from Steve Anderson.

© thevoid99 2019