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FALL ARTS 2018 FILM: ‘Lizzie,’ ‘A Star is Born,’ ‘Boy Erased’ for starters

Fall film slate includes festivals, competitions, remakes and plenty of queer content

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film festivals, gay news, Washington Blade

Nicole Kidman in ‘Boy Erased.’ (Photo courtesy Focus Features)

Some of D.C.’s coolest film festivals are already underway. The Smithsonian Theaters are hosting the “Totally 80’s Film Festival” at the Warner Bros. Theater. The DC Shorts Film Festival will be showing the “Best Of” showcases this weekend. The AFI Latin American Film Festival, running through Oct. 3, features lots of great LGBT content, including “Retablo”; “The Heiresses”; “Señorita María, La Falda de la Montaña,” a documentary about a trans woman living in a rural town in Colombia; and “Good Manners,” a Brazilian werewolf romance.

On Sept. 15, the amazing 48 Hour Film Project will hold a networking event for the 2018 Filmmaking Weekend which will be held from Oct. 12-14. Filmmakers from the region will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. Required elements are revealed on Friday evening and teams submit their film on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, HBO is airing “Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age,” a controversial new documentary about searching for love on your smartphone. “Jane Fonda in Five Acts,” a documentary about the legendary actress, activist and LGBT ally airs on Sept. 24.

The Hollywood fall movie season kicks off Sept. 14 with the release of “A Simple Favor” a comedy/thriller set among the PTA crowd. The movie stars Anna Kendrick (“Into the Woods” and the “Pitch Perfect” movies), Henry Golding (“Crazy Rich Asians”) and Blake Lively (“Gossip Girl”) and features out actor Andrew Rannells (“Girls” and Broadway’s “The Book of Mormon”) as a PTA dad.

Also opening Friday is “Pick of the Litter,” the family-friendly documentary about puppies training to be guide dogs for the blind.

D.C.’s LGBT film fans will face some difficult choices on Sept. 21. Some of the films opening are:

“Bel Canto,” a thriller starring Julianne Moore as a world-renowned opera singer who becomes trapped in a hostage situation; “Lizzie,” a retelling of the Lizzie Borden story with a lesbian twist starring Kristin Stewart and Chloë Sevigny; “Love, Gilda,” a documentary about the late comedian Gilda Radner; “Life Itself,” a drama about a young New York couple written and directed by Dan Fogelman (TV’s “This Is Us”) and starring Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Mandy Patinkin, Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas; “Fahrenheit 11/9,” Michael Moore’s provocative documentary about the Trump administration; and “The Children Act,” with Emma Thompson as hard-driven Justice Fiona Maye, Stanley Tucci as her long-suffering husband, and Fionn Whitehead as a young man whose life hangs in the balance.

Kristen Stewart and Chloë Sevigny in ‘Lizzie.’ (Photo by Eliza Morse; courtesy Roadside Attractions)

Another major film event scheduled for Sept. 21 is the one-night regional premiere of “Paternal Rites,” a deeply moving “film essay” by acclaimed Baltimore filmmaker Jules Rosskam. Filtered through Rosskam’s trans and queer subjectivities and inspired by filmmakers like Marlon Riggs and Jenni Olson and podcasts such as “Radio Lab” and “This American Life,” this highly personal documentary examines the secret underbelly of a contemporary Jewish-American family as they grapple with the aftereffects of physical and sexual abuse on their present-day lives. 

Nureyev: All the World His Stage,” a documentary about the gay man who has been called the best male ballet dancer of all time (he died in ’93), opens Sept. 25 and is said to feature avant garde and “very sexually provocative” previously unseen footage. 

Issues of creativity, gender, sexuality and professional jealousy are at the center of “Colette” (Sept. 28), starring Keira Knightley as the famous French author. Also opening that weekend are the documentary “Science Fair” and “The Old Man & the Gun,” an all-star heist movie with Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tom Watts and Tika Sumpter.

October brings the best of spooky cinema to area screens. Special programming at the creatively restored SNF Parkway in Baltimore (home of the Maryland Film Festival) includes “The Eyeslicer Halloween Special,” along with screenings of “The Candyman,” “The Shining,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Hills Have Eyes.” A home for independent and classic cinema, the fall calendar at the SNF Parkway also includes screenings of the homoerotic Hollywood classic “Spartacus” on September 20 and 22 as part of the “Kubrick 90: A Would-Be Birthday Retrospective.”

The Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market will celebrate “Hitchcocktober” by screening several classic Hitchcock movies including “Psycho,” “The 39 Steps” and the homoerotic thriller “Strangers on the Train.” Spooky programming at AFI will include the “Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival” (Oct. 4-7) and “Halloween on Screen” starting Oct. 26. The Landmark E Street Cinema marks the holiday with special screening of “CinEinsomnia: A Very RHPS Halloween” Oct. 26-28.

Finally, the “Halloween” franchise returns for a final installment. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode for one last battle with Michael Myers on Oct. 19.

October (and November) also mark the return of several excellent regional film festivals. The Washington Jewish Film Festival begins its fall programming on Oct. 3; the Middleburg Film Festival starts on Oct. 18; and, Reel Affirmations, D.C.’s LGBT film festival returns on Nov. 1. Monthly screenings for Reel Affirmations include “ManMade,”(Sept. 28), “The Breeding” (Oct. 19) and the early AIDS drama “Buddies” on Dec. 6.

The most highly anticipated release of the fall season is undoubtedly the fourth version of the Hollywood classic “A Star Is Born.” Bradley Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a country singer who mentors a young singer named Ally (Lady Gaga). As her career skyrockets, his career fizzles in a downward spiral fueled by alcohol and age.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in ‘A Star is Born.’ (Photo courtesy Warner Bros.)

LGBT audiences will also be drawn to two other movies opening that day: “Tea with the Dames,” a documentary featuring interviews with Dames Eileen Atkins, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright; and “The Happy Prince,” an Oscar Wilde biopic written and directed by openly gay actor Rupert Everett who also stars with Colin Firth and Emily Watson.

Some of the other LGBT releases on the schedule for D.C. theaters include “1985” (Oct. 26) about a closeted young man (Cory Michael Smith) who visits his family to discus his sexuality and his health; “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Nov. 2) about openly gay singer Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) and his Queen bandmates; and “Boy Erased” (Nov. 2), a drama about conversion therapy starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe and featuring Joel Edgerton (who also wrote and directed), Cherry Jones, singer Troye Sivan and filmmaker Xavier Dolan; and, “Suspiria,” a film about the mysterious happenings at a Berlin dance company directed by Luca Guadagnino (“A Bigger Splash,” “Call Me By Your Name”), starring Dakota Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz and Tilda Swinton.

Some of the other releases to be on the lookout for include “Beautiful Boy” starring Timothée Chalamet (Oct. 12); family drama “What They Had” starring Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon and Blythe Danner (Oct. 26); “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” starring Melissa McCarthy in a well-received dramatic role (Oct. 26); “Widows,” a crime drama starring Viola Davis; and Eddie Redmayne in the Harry Potter-adjacent “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” 

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Neo-noir ‘Femme’ offers sexy, intense revenge fantasy

A work of real and thrilling cinematic vision

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George MacKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett star in ‘Femme.’ (Photo courtesy of Utopia)

They say “revenge is sweet,” and it must be true. Why else would so many of our popular stories, dating all the way back to “Medea” and beyond, be focused on the idea of getting “even” with the people who have done us wrong?

It’s a concept with obvious appeal for anyone who has felt unjustly used by the world – or, more accurately, by the people in it – but that has particular resonance, perhaps, for modern queer audiences, long used to being relegated to the status of “victim” in the narratives we see on our screens. In “Femme” — the new UK indie thriller helmed by first-time feature directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, now in limited theatrical release and expanding wider over the next two weeks — it provides the irresistible hook for a gripping tale of calculated vengeance in the face of anti-queer violence. Like the best of such stories, however, it’s as much a cautionary tale as it is a wish-fulfillment fantasy.

Set in London, it centers on Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), aka Aphrodite Banks, a popular drag performer in the city’s queer club scene who, after a performance one night, steps out in full costume to buy a pack of cigarettes and becomes the victim of a traumatic “gay bashing” incident at the hands of a young man goaded to violence by a thuggish gang of friends. Months later, though he’s recovered from his physical injuries, he is still deeply affected by the inner scars that linger. Robbed of the confidence that allowed him to perform, he’s withdrawn into a reclusive life, until concern from his friends and housemates prompts him to finally venture out into the world for a night of cruising at a gay sauna – where he encounters his bully doing the same thing. 

Unrecognizable and anonymously masculine out of his drag persona, Jules finds himself beginning a dangerous and duplicitous game in which he plans to “out” his former attacker – whose name, as he learns, is Preston (George MacKay) – in the most humiliating way possible. As his scheme begins to play out, however, he encounters an obstacle: in getting to know the closeted Preston, he is surprised to discover not only empathy for someone living their life in terrified camouflage, but a mutual attraction that develops despite the horrific history between them.

Framed as a self-described “neo-noir” story, a designation that implies a certain flavor of moral ambiguity as much as it does a tense and shadowy tale of intrigue or a psychologically complex tone, it’s a movie that relies heavily on style in order to sell its conceptual premise. Realistically, we might question the boldness that permits our protagonist to enact such a potentially hazardous scheme, but in the context of its genre trappings we are lulled into accepting it. And while most of us are likely “jaded” enough to question the possibility of tenderness between its two leading characters, the accepted conceits of the film noir form are enough to sell it to us – or at least allow us to grapple with it alongside Jules, whose righteously Machiavellian master plan is threatened by the feelings he “catches” in spite of himself.

That, of course, is part of the whole point. “Femme,” though it establishes itself by virtue of its very title as a testament to the struggle to “pass” for straight in a world that places a value judgment on perceived adherence to a strict norm for gender and sexuality, hinges on the idea that such things aren’t quite as clear-cut as we want to make them. Despite the black-and-white certainty we cling to when it comes to the subject of abusive or toxic relationships, there’s an emotional component that can only be ignored or dismissed at our peril, and even our most resolute intentions can be undermined by the shades of gray we discover in our hearts. 

Freeman and Ng – who also wrote the screenplay, adapting their own BAFTA-nominated short film from 2021 (starring Harris Dickinson and Paapa Essiedu) into a feature-length expansion – seem bent on challenging our snap judgments, on forcing us to sympathize with our oppressors by showing us the ways in which they, too, are prevented from living a fully authentic life by the expectations of their cultural environment. Even more challenging for many modern audiences, perhaps, may be the unavoidable observation that, in enacting his plan of revenge, Jules crosses the line between being a victim and being a victimizer – a fine point that may trigger uncomfortable implications in a social environment that has become marked by divisive moral constructs and hardline ethical posturing.

Before we scare you off with discussion of high-concept themes and “culture war” rhetoric, however, it’s crucial to bring up the elements that lift “Femme” above and beyond the level of so many such narrative films and makes it a somewhat unexpectedly potent piece of cinematic storytelling – and all of them have to do with the skill and intention behind it.

As to the former, the movie’s first-time directors manage a remarkable debut, steeping their film in moody, genre-appropriate visuals and murky morality. They pave a path beyond the easy assessments proscribed for us by conventional thinking, and force us to follow our sympathies into a disquieting confrontation between what we “know” as right and what we feel as true; at the same time, they push back against any natural sentimentality we might have about the situation, stressing the toxicity of the relationship in the middle of their film, the ironically-reversed insincerity of its dynamic – and, perhaps most importantly, the reality of the defining circumstances around it. While we might find ourselves longing for a happier resolution than the one we expect, the film makes no pretense that these two men might overcome the deep denial and traumatic associations – not to mention the calculated lack of honesty on the side of its de facto protagonist, to achieve some kind of “happy ending” between themselves. Nevertheless, we hope for it, in spite of ourselves.

That delicate dynamic works largely because of the movie’s lead actors. Both Stewart-Jarrett (“Candyman”) and MacKay (“Pride”, “1917”) deliver fully invested, utterly relatable performances, finding the emotional truth behind their interactions with as much palpable authenticity as they bring to the chemistry between them. They force us to abandon our preconceived ideas about each character by finding the human presence behind them, and it makes the story’s final outcome feel as heartbreaking as it does inevitable.

As for intention, “Femme” – which premiered at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival and went on to gather acclaim across the international film fest circuit – might be a little hard to take for the easily triggered, we won’t deny it. Still, it’s a work of real and thrilling cinematic vision that goes beyond easy morality to highlight the tragedy that comes from being forced to live behind a mask for the sake of societal acceptance. It’s also exciting, smart, and unexpectedly sexy – all of which make it a highly- recommended addition to your watchlist.

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Tommy Dorfman makes directorial debut in ‘I Wish You All the Best’

Film premiered at SXSW

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(Courtesy photo)

Editor’s note: Jack Morningstar attended SXSW.

Based on Mason Deaver’s novel, “I Wish You All the Best” follows Ben DeBacker (Corey Fogelmanis), a nonbinary teen who is thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister and her husband.

The film premiered at SXSW last week and stars Corey Fogelmanis, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Alexandra Daddario and Cole Sprouse, Lena Dunham and was produced by Matt Kaplan and Tommy Dorfman. In addition to directing and producing, Dorfman also adapted the screenplay. 

“I had never read a book that centered on an experience that mirrored mine so vividly — just being a queer kid from the South — so I immediately was interested in adapting it and was putting myself up for that,” she said.

The heartwarming film brings awareness to the plight of LGBTQ kids who grow up in conservative families and communities, while also emphasizing that, as Dorfman noted, “safety can be found in many places.” In this case, the main protagonist, Ben, finds refuge in their friendship with Nathan. Fogelmanis, who plays Ben, explains that “together they have so many first-time experiences. Learning to let your walls down with someone that is a stranger, or that you don’t have a biological bond with is really scary. And then just to see all the stuff that comes up and have that person still accept you is just the greatest thing for Ben.”

Fogelmanis and Gutierrez-Riley were obvious choices for the roles of Ben and Nathan.

“It was really clear to me from a filmmaker perspective. There were a couple of people for each role that I was interested in and enjoyed working with, but Fogelmanis, from that first tape to the last chemistry read made it so clear who Ben was, who Ben is, and who Ben could be. Miles, who plays Nathan, is so amazing as well,” Fogelmanis added. “It was really effortless in a way. Reading Tommy’s words was super easy to find my way into.”

Dorfman found it particularly easy to work with Gutierrez-Riley as well since they attended the same acting program at Fordham University. 

“I remember when I was working with Miles in the audition process, I was like, oh, I know how to talk to you. That’s huge. It helped me as a first-time director,” she said.

Dorfman wanted to be careful “not fall into the trap of dramatizing Ben’s gender or coming out too much. It is important to remember that viewing people solely through the lens of their gender or sexuality diminishes their vast and complex humanity. For instance, my life extends beyond my trans identity. I’m an artist, a wife, a mother to two dogs, a sister to four siblings, an avid reader of classic literature, 10 years sober, have ADHD, enjoy arranging flowers and charming tableware, to name a few things.”

“Similarly, my film’s protagonist, Ben, doesn’t have an identity exclusive to being a queer teenager. Although their coming out experience is crucial and worth exploring, an obvious jumping-off point in my film, it’s what happens after they’re able to open up that inspired me to make ‘I Wish You All The Best,’ Dorfman added. “My film examines the discomfort of being seventeen, falling in love with a classmate, forming friendships, finding a voice through painting and self-expression, learning to love and be loved, navigating anxiety and depression, and coping with the pressures of growing up. These are universal and very human experiences that shape Ben beyond the limits of representation or perception.” 

Dorfman describes being one of the few openly transgender directors as “an honor and a disappointment.” She added, “I wish there were more of us, but there will be. It’s exciting, though, to be part of this next generation of creators and filmmakers entering this space and telling more human experiences.”

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Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells want to adopt baby in ‘I Don’t Understand You’

Film premiered at SXSW in Austin

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(Courtesy photo)

Editor’s note: Jack Morningstar attended SXSW in Austin, Texas.

“I Don’t Understand You” focuses on a couple whose romantic Italian getaway devolves into bloody chaos while they prepare to adopt their first child. 

The film, while veering into hilariously gruesome hijinks, tells the story of a gay couple who is willing to kill for a chance at fatherhood. It sheds light on the hurdles that same-sex couples often go through in the adoption process: Financial burdens, time constraints, fraud, and in this case, a rural Italian family.

The film premiered last weekend at SXSW in Austin and stars Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells along with Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector and Eleonora Romandini. It was written and directed by Brian Crano and David Craig, who are married. They sourced inspiration from their own adoption struggles and an Italian vacay gone wrong. 

“We were about to leave for Italy when we found out that we had matched with a birth mother and our son would be born in about six weeks,” said Crano. 

According to Craig, the trip was tense and it culminated in their car getting stuck in a ditch on their way to an anniversary dinner.

“We ended up at an old lady’s house after she rescued us in her Fiat. Her family cooked us a meal and we stayed up drinking with them until 3 a.m., not understanding a word they were saying,” he said.

Without spoiling anything, the couple in the movie go to absurd lengths to ensure that their adoption goes through. Craig explained that the theme of the movie was “what would you do for your kid.” 

“We were three years into our own journey at the time and realized we would literally do anything to make that dream a reality. It’s really a love letter to our son,” he said.

The film is hard to relegate to a single genre. 

“When conceiving the story, we saw it as different parts — romantic comedy, horror movie, murder play — but I think by bringing in Nick and Andrew that blend actually became much more of an organic mix where the comedy sustained throughout. They elevated it in a more elegant fashion,” said Craig. 

“I Don’t Understand You”was produced by Pinky Promise, a women-led production company with the mission to elevate diverse voices in their storytelling. Kara Durrett, Pinky Promise’s current president was a champion of this script from the beginning. Founder Jessamine Burgum recounts that when Durrett was onboarding, she said “If you don’t get [“I Don’t Understand You”] I don’t know if this is going to work.” 

It ultimately became one of the first projects Burgum and Durrett collaborated on. 

Kroll and Rannells’ chemistry carried the film. 

“There was a desire to work with each of them because they had both separately been in such amazing comedian teams — like Andrew with Josh Gad and Nick with John Mulaney. Nick and Andrew’s characters are in almost every scene of the movie together, so they needed to be adept to basically doing a shared performance. There was no one more well-positioned to do this as naturally as possible,” said Crano. 

Their characters are easy to root for, yet also deeply flawed. 

“A big thing we wanted to do with this movie, and with all of our work in telling stories, is avoid telling a cliched gay trauma film. We’ve never ascribed to the idea that there is a subcategory to film that is LGBTQ, rather — movies are for everyone. We want to make a movie where gay characters are flawed, not for being gay, but because of who they are. They can be villains, but they are our protagonists,” said Craig. 

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