Author Archives: basiltsiokos

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 1:
AMERICAN DHARMA

Director:
Errol Morris

World Premiere:
Venice 2018

Select Festivals:
Toronto, New York, IDFA, Chicago, Sidewalk, Denver

About:
A conversation with Steve Bannon.

In his latest encounter with a controversial figure, acclaimed director Errol Morris sits down with the man who arguably made it possible for Donald Trump to reach the White House, Steve Bannon. The investment banker turned Breitbart News co-founder also had a career as a film producer, and his love of classic era Hollywood strangely informs Morris’ profile, with numerous film clips, discussions of titles like THE SEARCHERS and TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH, and even an interview set taken from the latter. This is part of the myth-building Bannon has indulged in, not only for America and for Trump, but, of course, for himself as some kind of populist champion. Morris occasionally asks some pointed questions, or expresses his concerns or fears about the xenophobia and racism at the core of Bannon’s backwards beliefs, but these are fleeting moments that never feel developed sufficiently. Instead, the viewer must sit through his subject’s self-aggrandizement, fear-mongering pronouncements that a revolution is coming, and continual refusal to address the contradictions between his stated causes and the administration he still supports. It makes for a frustrating, maddening watch that makes one question why Morris gave Bannon yet another platform.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 1:
GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH

Director:
David Charles Rodrigues

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2019

Select Festivals:
Traverse City, AFI Docs, Montclair, Telluride Mountainfilm, Nashville, Maui, Sidewalk, Revelation Perth, Southern Circuit, Provincetown, Frameline, Outfest, Inside Out, QDoc, LGBT fests in Tel Aviv, Zurich, Calgary, Hartford, Kansas City, Honolulu, Washington DC, Atlanta, Vancouver, Durham, Taipei, and Austin

About:
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus tour the Deep South to try to change hearts and minds about LGBTQ rights.

Witnessing a rise in anti-LGBTQ laws in the guise of so-called “religious freedom,” the organizers of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus form a bold plan to reach beyond their core audience and try to build bridges to communities in the very places where this legislation is most rampant. Far from simply seeking out pockets of progressive, like-minded individuals within these Southern states, the Chorus – uniting with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir – make a concerted effort to have concerts in churches and to audiences who may not be quite so accepting. In addition to following their tour, director David Charles Rodrigues profiles a handful of chorus members, some of whom have connections to the South and have experienced rejection because of their sexuality. As a whole, the film skirts the overtly negative to instead offer a more hopeful, if a bit simplistic, tone, as stereotypes are confronted on both sides.

Coming to HBO tonight, Wednesday, October 30 and to theatres this Friday, November 1:
THE BRONX, USA

Director:
Danny Gold

World Premiere:
LA theatrical release (October 2019)

About:
A nostalgic love letter to the NYC borough.

Danny Gold’s very old-fashioned doc revels in nostalgia, following octogenarian Hollywood producer/manager legend George Shapiro back to his old neighborhood to reminisce about the good old days, reunite with members of his “Bronx Boys” group of childhood friends, and meet with present-day students of his beloved DeWitt Clinton High School. But first, viewers must suffer through a terribly conceived opening musical number, and it’s likely many will choose to tune out before it’s finished. For those who soldier on, they’ll still have to endure a near-constant, always distracting background score, unfortunately. Leaving that aside, Shapiro is supplemented by a chorus of celebrities with fondness for The Bronx, including Hal Linden, Alan Alda, Melissa Manchester, Colin Powell, and Rob Reiner, also sharing heartfelt and amusing memories of the past, and, to balance out their general homogeneity of age and race, profiles of the more diverse present-day Bronx students. While there are occasional interesting anecdotes or bits of history, the film aims for a naively positive take, skimming past the borough’s dark days of the 1970s and ’80s. As a result it feels overly simplistic, and it’s hard to imagine a non-NYC audience taking much of an interest.