Judas and the Black Messiah walk through Nomadland on the way to the Trial of the Chicago 7 while listening to The Sound of Metal and reading the News of the World - Home Theater #4
Whee, that was a long title. Welcome to the latest edition of the Renegade Home Theater, where we discuss not one, not two, but five modern classic movies! This is our award-worthy episode, with Chloe Zhao's Nomadland, Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah, Aaron Sorkin's Trial of the Chicago 7, Paul Greengrass' News of the World, and Darius Marder's The Sound of Metal all taking center stage for this installment of our movie review podcast! All of these films are great in one aspect or another, and made with passion and artistry, and that's a great accomplishment! Let’s get this going!
Let’s get to the reviews, featuring yours truly and the Captain (for most of them)! A quick word of warning, we do discuss some spoilers in our capsule reviews and on the podcast itself.
News of the World (Premium VOD and in theaters)
Neoplasmic’s thoughts: Tom Hanks stars in News of the World, a bona fide western directed by Paul Greengrass. The film depicts the journey of Captain Jeffrey Kyle Kidd, a Civil War veteran living in the 1860s who becomes a storyteller of sorts after his time as a soldier. Kidd travels around and relays the news of the day to people, who each pay a dime to listen to him read newspapers from far and wide. Hanks is a great showman, and his charisma is in full effect in these scenes. One day while traveling, Kidd comes across Johanna, a young girl who was taken in by the Native American Kiowa tribe after her parents were tragically killed. She barely speaks English, but she does, interestingly, speak German. Kidd reluctantly agrees to take her to live with her aunt and uncle, who are her sole remaining relatives. As he watches out for her during their journey, they discover the road is fraught with danger, including gangs of thugs and natural disasters. It’s a beautifully shot film, with a fantastic score by James Newton Howard and amazing production design! I honestly think it’s my favorite of the bunch this week. The film is available to rent on premium VOD. A beautiful film that’s worth watching!
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Neoplasmic’s thoughts: The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a masterwork of courtroom drama by writer-director Aaron Sorkin. In 1968, seven individuals were charged with inciting a riot a few miles away from the Democratic National Convention, and the film depicts the events of the trial from the point of view of the defendants and their legal team. What Sorkin does so well is the intercutting of events within the courtroom and flashback sequences that show us what truly happened. Dialogue is as snappy as ever, and the way the film is edited puts us in the mindset of the jurors who had to sit through 151 days of testimony and cross examination. Performances by the utterly stacked cast are uniformly great, with Sorkin displaying a deft hand at direction as well as writing. I loved John Carroll Lynch, Michael Keaton, and Frank Langella, in particular. This film is available on Netflix, and was released last year, so it was very timely, as well. I really liked this one; go watch it! The one caveat I have is to encourage audience members to do their own research on the real life trial, and don’t take the film as gospel truth.
The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)
Neoplasmic’s thoughts: The Sound of Metal is an intense drama about a heavy metal drummer who discovers that he is quickly losing his hearing and attempts to come to terms with it. As it’s clear that his time as a musician is finished, and he stays in a rehab center for the deaf and hearing impaired, where he learns American Sign Language. As the film goes on, it’s obvious that he has a decision to make: either stay in the community and make a new life for himself there, or get an operation to install a hearing implant that he can use to reconnect with his girlfriend, who still performs as a singer. The film is quite good, with excellent performances by Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone, the drummer, Olivia Cooke as his girlfriend, Lou, and Paul Raci as Joe, Ruben’s mentor at the rehab center. I truly felt for Ahmed’s character as he faced the challenges life threw at him, and his anger and desperation was deeply relatable as the film moves on. Towards the end, when he must face the inevitable, Ahmed’s face tells us all we need to know about his character. The movie is available to stream through Amazon Prime. It’s a good film, and definitely worth a watch.
Captain’s musings: Sound of Metal is a film directed by Darius Marder, and co-written by Marder and Derek Cianfrance. It's the story about Ruben Stone, a drummer in the heavy metal duo Blackgammon, whose life is upended by the loss of his hearing. He's now forced to adjust to a new normal, filling the gaps with silence. Two things that stood out to me the most were Riz Ahmed's incredible lead performance, and some of the best sound design ever put to film. These two elements go hand in hand, as we're put right in the same headspace as our protagonist. As someone who was born with a hearing disability that required surgery at an early age, I couldn't help but sympathize with everything that Ruben was struggling with. And because music plays such a big part in my life, the thought of losing that is terrifying. But this isn't all doom and gloom, the script does an excellent job weaving the five stages of grief into Ruben's arc, from his denial upon first losing his hearing, to accepting and appreciating the sound of silence in the final scene.
Judas and the Black Messiah (in theaters and on HBO Max)
Neoplasmic’s thoughts: Judas and the Black Messiah is a riveting drama featuring the story of Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and William O’Neal, the car thief the FBI utilized as an informant who infiltrated the Party and ultimately sold Hampton out. Masterfully directed and co-written by Shaka King, a filmmaker I’m completely unfamiliar with, but shall now watch for in the future. Daniel Kaluuya is perfect in the lead role here, with a performance that pays tribute to Hampton and captures the essence of who he was. Lakeith Stanfield also deserves loads of kudos for playing O’Neal and bringing a layer of pathos and tragedy to his performance. I love movies that present a different perspective about topics I’m only vaguely familiar with, like the history of the Black Panther Party and their goals. It was also very intriguing to see a film that presented another side of the conflict that was touched on in Trial of the Chicago 7, as that film also depicted the brutal murder of Hampton and the fate of Bobby Seale, another member of the Illinois Black Panthers, who was bound and gagged in the courtroom during the trial. There may have been a few minor liberties taken in the dramatization of Hampton and O’Neal’s relationship, but Judas is nonetheless a powerful and tragic story about the abuse of power, the fragility of life, and a betrayal that cost a man his soul. The film is streaming on HBO Max until March 14th. See it as soon as possible!
Captain’s musings: One word that best describes this film would be electric. A movie with this much passion and anger doesn't just come out of thin air. With everything that's been happening over the past 7 years involving the Black Lives Matter movement, it's crystal clear what Shaka King is trying to say about police brutality, and the ongoing fight for equality. And yet at no point did I feel like I was being lectured, because the film felt incredibly authentic. There's other way to say it, this movie is a masterpiece. Everything, from the writing, to the incredible direction, to the powerful co-lead performances from Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, is firing on all cylinders. There's also a great romantic subplot between Hampton and his girlfriend Deborah, played by the wonderful Dominique Fishback, that honestly moved me to tears. I highly recommend checking out Judas and the Black Messiah while it's available on HBO Max as soon as you can!
Nomadland (in theaters and on Hulu)
Neoplasmic’s thoughts: Nomadland is the story of a woman named Fern, who was forced to relocate after her town’s factory closed down in 2011. After facing economic ruin, she decided to join a community of people who live in their vans and RVs and travel across the nation. There are hardships to the life she chooses, but the connection to nature and the sense of healing the long journey can bring is a fitting tradeoff. It’s a movie about living with loss, and dealing with it on a deeply personal level. Everyone who chooses the nomad lifestyle is going through it, and the film’s melancholy and world-weary tone tells you all you need to know about Fern’s character and the meaning behind her choice to continue on her path. There’s a loneliness to it, and yet, a kind of peace, as well. Director Chloe Zhao has made a deep, meditative film here, and Ludovico Enaudi’s beautiful piano score matches the tone perfectly. I loved Frances McDormand and David Strathairn’s performances, and the cast of authentic vandwellers are excellent in the film, as well. Nomadland is available to stream on Hulu. Such a beautiful movie that I found extremely relatable on a profound level. Please watch it!
Captain’s musings: Nomadland is a Neo-Western drama written, directed, edited and produced by Chloé Zhao. Based on the 2017 non-fiction novel Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, the film stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a woman in her sixties who embarks on a journey through the Western United States after losing everything in the Great Recession, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. I think what makes Chloé Zhao such a special filmmaker, aside from her DIY approach to the medium, is her complete understanding of the human condition. Most filmmakers won't go the extra mile the way she does, by filling out the rest of the cast with non-actors essentially playing versions of themselves. For example, one of the characters we meet is a real life vandweller and YouTuber named Bob Wells, whose final scene had me in tears. As for our lead, McDormand of course is terrific, and she has such wonderful chemistry with everyone, but especially the kinda-sorta love interest David, played by David Strathairn. Nomadland is now available to watch in theaters or on Hulu. Please seek this out ASAP!
One quick note about Bob Wells, a real-life nomad featured in the movie: A new interview at Vulture was just posted which states that Wells did in fact improvise a scene toward the end of the film wherein he detailed his own grief surrounding the tragic death of his son. It’s a powerful scene in the film, and we were not aware that it was in fact a true story at the time we recorded our episode. We apologize for any confusion this may cause, and our hearts go out to Wells and his family as they go through the healing process.
One more special note: The Captain’s very own hometown of Utica, New York will be featured in the upcoming romantic thriller, As Long As We Both Shall Live, directed by newcomer Ali Askari and starring Josh Helman, Yael Stone, Jennifer Allcott, and Paul Sorvino. Co-executive producer Emily Sinnott Ramraz was responsible for shepherding the production to Utica, NY, and made certain that the film showcases her hometown. The film is available for preorder on iTunes, and the summary reads as follows:
“Malcolm is thrust into depression after his wife, Sarah, tragically dies. When he meets Nya one year later, he finally allows himself to give over to new love. And that’s when he starts seeing his dead wife, telling him how abandoned she feels, terrorizing him at every turn. Every time she appears, debilitating headaches cripple him, as well as doubts about his sanity. With the help of his sister-in-law, Dee, and his mentor, Jim, he must reconcile his past with his present in order to forgive himself, mourn properly, hang onto his new love - and not lose his mind in the process.”
This is an awesome showcase for our Captain’s home, and we’re so thrilled that they’ll be featuring the actual place in the film! Shout out to his friends and family back in Utica! Now let’s just hope the film turns out to be lots of fun!
We’ll see you all on the next episode of Home Theater, Renegades! Be safe out there!
-Neoplasmic
Greetings, fellow movie fans, and welcome to a very special episode of the Renegade Home Theater! Today Mike, Jacob, and Keona welcome a very special pair of filmmakers to RPC’s Remote Headquarters: Taylor Morden and Zeke Kamm, director and writer (respectively) of The Last Blockbuster documentary, which is currently streaming on Netflix! Yes, we know, it’s ironic. Alanis Morisette wrote a song about it once. Enjoy the episode!