Cinema Scholars presents a brief review and synopsis of eight more of the films currently showing at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. If you missed the first part of our coverage of the festival, Click Here
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
dir. Sophie Hyde
Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a 55-year-old widow with a boring, conventional life. In order to experience some adventure, she hires sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) to fulfill her needs.
The film hits on some fascinating themes, including (but not limited to) self-esteem, body dysmorphia, sex work, social stigmas related to sex, and plenty others. More than anything, it focuses on how sad a life with unfulfilled passion looks like. Thompson is her regularly magnificent self, while McCormack is pure sexual charisma and charm. Their chemistry is electric.
Hyde and writer Katy Brand limit the action to a single setting, but it never feels like a trick. Further, when the sex actually starts, it’s as hot as it gets. It may be patronizing to call actors “brave” but it is a soul and body-bearing performance that is given by both actors. Exceptionally delightful on every front. (4.5/5.0)
Emergency
dir. Carey Williams
Straight-laced college student Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and his laid-back roommate Sean (RJ Cyler) are ready for a legendary night of partying during spring break at college. Before heading out, they find a passed-out white girl (Maddie Nichols) on the floor of their house with their other roommate Carlos (Sebastian Chacon) oblivious in the other room. Afraid to call the police, the three men attempt to remedy the situation without looking down the barrel of a gun.
The “college kids have the night from hell” genre is well-worn, but this iteration is filled with new life. Characters feel real and the social/racial aspects are well incorporated. Sean is always aware of the optics while Kunle tries to balance it with logic. The film’s great trick: neither is wrong. There are solid reasons for both sides of the issue. The fear from systemic racism is palpable in the group, without feeling preachy.
Watkins and Cyler make a fun pair, while Chacon is the sensitive, yet funny third wheel. The film constantly delivers laughs as well, despite the serious subject matter. Williams delivers a memorable and highly watchable night with a strong message built-in. (3.5/5.0)
Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul
dir. Adamma Ebo
Trinity Childs (Regina Hall), the first lady of a prominent Southern Baptist megachurch in Atlanta, attempts to help her pastor-husband Lee-Curtis (Sterling K. Brown) rebuild their once-booming congregation after a sex scandal.
The film is presented in a faux-documentary with cuts between the documentarians and scenes outside the camera. The satire of capitalistic church practices and lavish church spending works for the first half, but peters out by the film’s second half. When the comedy goes away, so does the satire. Things get fairly serious and it derails the film.
Hall and Brown both give the film their all, fully committing to the pasted-on smiles and bombastic declarations. Nicole Beharie and Conphidance are also great as “rival” church pastors who are lucky enough to capitalize on the Child’s downfall. The film’s MVP is the costume team, led by Jazmine Maddox. Brown is tailored in the most ridiculous suits while Hall has some of the best church hats imaginable.
While overall the film is enjoyable, there was potential there for something special in the first half that missed the mark as a whole. (3.0/5.0)
Call Jane
dir. Phyllis Nagy
Joy (Elizabeth Banks) is slightly pregnant but faces life-threatening consequences if she keeps the child. The hospital board turns down Joy’s request for a termination, so she turns to an illegal abortion. After being scared away from a less-reputable establishment, Joy finds a flyer to “Call Jane.” Through a phone service, she meets her liaison Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku), doctor Dean (Cory Michael Smith), and Jane leader Virginia (Sigourney Weaver), willing to provide her with a safe, though illegal, abortion.
One might expect the film to be much more heavy-handed. That’s not to say it takes both sides of the issue. At one point, Virginia states, “We help women. We don’t judge them.” It’s the film’s true rallying cry. Some clients of the Janes are wildly unsympathetic, others are stuck in heartbreaking situations. Banks appears in almost every scene and nails the tone. She deftly balances the buttoned-up housewife while also realizing her true calling as a radical. She’s sympathetic and resourceful, and ratchets up the exasperation when the scene calls for it.
Though somewhat formulaic, this film is a great start for Nagy as a director. This astute, adult filmmaking should prove her well in the future. It will be interesting to see what she does next. (3.5/5.0)
Sharp Stick
dir. Lena Dunham
Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) is a naive 26-year-old caregiver to a young boy with Down Syndrome. Wanting to experience sex and pleasure, she begins an affair with the boy’s father (Jon Bernthal), which opens her eyes to a world of sexual experiences.
The highlights of the film involve supporting players Taylour Paige and Scott Speedman, while the rest of the film falters. Any attempts at humor, tone, or reality fall completely flat. There are times where one appears to be watching a psychological thriller, while at other times it’s a slapstick comedy where they forget to add the jokes.
The biggest problem is with the coding of the main character. Why is she sheltered and naive when her family is in no way protecting her from the world? Why is she so naive to the obvious things in the world? It felt wrong in a way that makes a person feel truly uncomfortable. A movie-watching experience that is best not replicated. (1.5/5.0)
892
dir. Abi Demaris Corbin
Marine war veteran Brian Brown-Easley (John Boyega) is out of options. Denied his disability check from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and effectively homeless, he walks into a Wells Fargo and declares he has a bomb. A pair of bank managers (Rosa Diaz and Nicole Beharie) are stuck in the middle, while a negotiator (Michael Kenneth Williams) is brought in to de-escalate the situation.
Boyega is once again able to shed his British accent and embody a desperate, but polite man in one of the best performances of the festival. Beharie continues to never miss a step as well as the more level-headed of the two hostages. Williams, in one of his final film roles, conveys the respect and seniority necessary to embody this character. No actor in the film misses a beat.
The only issue with the film is the pace. The setup and escalation of the situation are patient and boiling over with tension, then the film rushes to a conclusion. It’s an unfortunate mirror of the real-life situation, but there was an undercurrent of chaos that needed more control. Regardless, the film is an excellent watch because of the performances alone. (3.5/5.0)
I Didn’t See You There
dir. Reid Davenport
Director Reid Davenport lives his life lower to the ground. Confined to a wheelchair, he longs for perspective from his point of view. When a circus tent pops up outside his apartment, he compares his own experiences of being visibly disabled to that of the circus freak.
Davenport presents the world exactly how he sees it from his chair, but not how he sees it. It is generally a static picture, without judgment on the rest of the world. Many shots are rolling pictures of the ground or subway tiles. The narrative itself is fractured and unfocused.
A film with this subject matter is rife with potential, but it just completely misses the mark. Nothing is gleaned from watching it, besides the insight into the man himself. A prime example of missed potential. (2.5/5.0)
Girl Picture
dir. Alli Haapasalo
Best friends Mimmi (Aamu Milonoff) and Rönkkö (Eleonoora Kauhanen) are looking for different things. Mimmi has no desire for love while Rönkkö can’t understand why she can’t get pleasure from all the men in her life. The entrance of a tightly wound ice skater Sanna (Oona Airola) sets the friends towards unlikely paths of love and self-discovery.
It’s so refreshing to find a film with this level of trust in an audience. Despite Mimmi and Rönkkö being best friends, they have their own lives which are not expected to be completely shared at all times. They can be separate and still enjoy themselves. Much like Booksmart, the friends get each other on a level others don’t. Being seen is a major theme. There is much less comedy in this film, but the comparison still applies.
All three actresses are superb. They are flaky, fun, and unsure of what they want in life – like actual teenagers. All their experiences are memories instead of after-school specials. Nothing feels permanent. Without a doubt, one of the best films of the festival thus far. (4.5/5.0)
Cinema Scholars will return next week with some final thoughts on the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
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