Introduction
Cinema Scholars continues its coverage of the 2022 Tribeca Festival. We are pleased to bring you reviews and a brief synopsis of five more of the films that had their world premieres at this year’s event. Annually held in lower Manhattan, the Tribeca Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. If you missed the first part of our coverage of the Tribeca festival, click here!
God Save The Queens
dir. Jordan Danger
[3.5 out of 5]
“They need you more than you need them,” Jordan Michael Green says to his own reflection at the top of God Saves The Queens. This is as he prepares to go to a job interview that ultimately doesn’t go well. That sentiment ends up being a thesis statement of the film: they need you more than you need them…and they really need you!
Jordan Danger directs this film that focuses on four different drag queens. All of them are struggling with different aspects of their careers and personal lives. Additionally, each of them wrestles with this theme in some way and it all comes to a very fulfilling end. If you are not familiar with drag queens, this film may not impress you. If you are, then you will be delighted.
God Save The Queens stars high-caliber drag queens like Alaska Thunderfuck, Laganja Estranja, and Kelly Mantle. All of them show off their acting range in admirable ways. Drag queens, in general, tend to take on campy approaches to acting, which happens a lot in this movie. Again, to someone unfamiliar with drag queens that might turn you off of the film. Fans of drag queens, on the other hand, will be VERY impressed with Kelly Mantle who delivers the most compelling performance in the film, portraying Louis/Marmalade.
As an aging comedy queen who is trying to compete with much younger talent, Kelly deftly delivers humor and a nuanced emotional landscape as we watch Kelly attempt to stay professional and funny despite career frustrations. The way God Saves The Queens handles that storyline is also very impressive.
We lead up to a climax in Marmalade’s story where she sticks up for herself in front of a dismissive talent agent, but prior to that Marmalade’s story kept getting interrupted. It was very clever storytelling that really paid off in the end. While drag fans may be most excited about Laganja and Alaska (who were a delight to watch) or a wonderful cameo from Michelle Visage, it is Kelly Mantle that will leave an impression.
God Saves The Queens is a film about accepting yourself at all costs. It shows us how these characters rise to challenges, overcome setbacks, and still manage to put their heels on and walk out onto that stage. Luenell, as God, says to the queens at the end:
“Don’t ever stop. Because people need you. We need you.”
God Save The Queens is written and directed by Jordan Danger. The film stars Jordan Michael Green, Kelly Mantle, Michelle Visage, and Peter Facinelli. Its world premiere was held at the Tribeca Festival on June 11, 2022.
My Love Affair With Marriage
dir. Signe Baumane
[4 out of 5]
My Love Affair with Marriage is a multi-layered animated feature about a Russian woman’s experience growing up as a woman in a society that teaches young girls to seek male approval above all else. In this adventure, our main character Zelma enters into an abusive marriage and ultimately leaves the marriage and the country to marry a Swedish artist. That also doesn’t solve her problems and it challenges her beliefs in womanhood.
Overall, the themes of the film felt important but they certainly felt like well-worn territory. I found myself yearning for deeper analysis, especially at the end when Zelma’s second husband does not conform to gender norms and Zelma does not know what to make of that. That being said, the film is incredibly creative. The storytelling incorporated narration, original music, and more.
The biggest reason to praise My Love Affair With Marriage is the animation. Additionally, the film has STUNNING animation. The animation offers a sumptuous array of textures onscreen, making each and every frame alive. In a world oversaturated with Pixar-style animation, this mixture of different animation styles finally delivered something unique and gorgeous. The film is ultimately a creative and thoughtful meditation on what it is like to grow up as a cis woman – physically, emotionally, and hormonally.
My Love Affair With Marriage is written and directed by Signe Baumane. The film stars Dagmara Dominczyk, Stephen Lang, and Matthew Modine. Its world premiere was held at the Tribeca Festival on June 11, 2022. New Europe Film Sales is handling world rights
Dreaming Walls
dir. Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier
[5 out of 5]
Is any hotel in the world more infamous than The Chelsea Hotel? The hotel which had long-term guests like Dylan Thomas, Oscar Wilde, Sam Shepherd, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Sid Vicious, and many more titans of the 20th century has been making intense renovations for about ten years. During that time, many of the residents have chosen to stay at all costs. That is where Dreaming Walls begins.
We are told the greats of the 20th century all stayed here. Then we see The Greats of the 20th century living there in the 21st. This fascinating film does not show us heroes or villains. It does not point fingers or make sweeping, thematic statements. Rather, Dreaming Walls simply shows us life in the hotel. It feels like someone just turned a camera on and let life happen. This documentary offers a raw look at the current residents of this extremely famous building that is also a construction site. The construction is intending to make the historic hotel a luxury resort with a spa – a far cry from the artistic haven that it has been for over one hundred years.
There are a lot of compelling conversations that we are privy to such as a conversation that a resident has with a construction worker about ghosts that he has seen in the building. It is absolutely captivating to watch one resident with a walker dance in an empty, construction-laden hallway while she bends down to look at open notebooks on her walker seat.
It becomes clear watching these people who choose to stay in the hotel during the hotel’s construction, that these people are the remnants of another time in New York City. The viewer goes from wondering why the residents stay to wondering where they would possibly go. The city is no longer friendly to low-cost artists. This is the last place that someone could spend $300 (!) to stay in the middle of Manhattan, no matter how small or broken-down the room is. The spirit of the place overcomes its deteriorating realities. The Chelsea Hotel is the last gasp of bohemian life in Manhattan and Dreaming Walls shows that off beautifully.
Dreaming Walls is directed by Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier. The film is executive produced by Martin Scorsese and had Its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 17, 2022. Magnolia Pictures is handling US distribution rights.
