Movie Review

A scene from 'Radioactive'

Never-before-told revelations regarding The Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 28, 1979 are the subjects of Stony Brook University Professor Heidi Hutner’s new feature-length documentary “Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island.”  The documentary will be shown at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Avenue in Huntington on Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m. and will also include a Q & A moderated by Kelly McMasters with stars Beth Drazba, Paula Kinney, Linda Braasch, Joyce Corradi, Joanne Doroshow, and editor and producer Simeon Hutner followed by a reception.

In addition to actress Jane Fonda, whose fictional film about a nuclear reactor meltdown, “The China Syndrome,” opened twelve days before the meltdown at Three Mile Island, “Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island”features: 

  • four concerned mothers who worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of their families; 

  • a two-woman legal team who took their battle for the rights of area residents to the Supreme Court

  • a local doctor who maintains many of her patients may be sick because of the accident; 

  •  a scientist who has initiated a new study regarding the impact of the meltdown on the health of the community; 

  • a reporter who recounts the confusing information reporters received  

The film re-examines the official claim by government and company officials that the accident — the worst commercial nuclear reactor meltdown in U.S. history — caused no injuries or deaths. The documentary examines the implications that continue to this day for the community, its residents, and their descendants.

 Watch the trailer here.

Hutner, an associate professor of  ecofeminism and environmental justice in the Department of English,  produced, wrote and directed the documentary, which focuses on people directly affected by the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant meltdown-the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history.

“Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island features: Linda Braasch, Beth Drazba, Joyce Corradi, Paula Kinney, Jane Fonda, Heidi Hutner, Joanne Doroshow, Michelle  LeFever Quinn, Lynne Bernabei, Aaron Datesman, Mary Olson, Dan Steele Braasch, Lake Barrett, Dr. Renu Joshi, Aileen Mioko Smith.  Martijn  Hart serves as director of photography and co-director,  Simeon Hutner serves as producer, and executive producers include Richard Saperstein, Christopher Hormel and Heidi Hutner.

Tickets are $19, $14 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org. For more information, call 631-423-7610.

'I Like It Here'

This April, the 1st Annual Long Island Jewish Film Festival will make its debut at Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington, from April 14 to 16 and will include screenings of films at the forefront of Jewish cultural storytelling. 

The festival will feature films that include powerful documentaries, riveting dramas, and rarely seen pieces of film history, all curated by David Schwartz, Manager of Theatrical Programming at Netflix.

The Long Island Jewish Film Festival was organized to help celebrate the rich cultural traditions and history of the Jewish community in America, as well as abroad.  The featured films embody the vanguard of modern Jewish cinema, and will introduce Long Island audiences to the artists creating work most representative of leading Jewish filmmaking in the 21st century.

The Long Island Jewish Film Festival will begin on Friday, April 14 with a screening of the touching documentary I Like it Here, which features a Q&A with filmmaker Ralph Arlyck, and will run throughout the weekend, concluding with on Sunday, April 16 with a screening of the rarely seen 1924 silent film City Without Jews which features a live score performed by acclaimed musicians Alicia Svigals & Donald Sosin, as well as a screening of the Yiddish language Ukrainian film, Shttl, which will include a discussion with the film’s star, Moshe Lobel. 

Other films featured in the festival include My Neighbor Adolf, starring veteran German actor Udo Kier, America from award winning Israeli filmmaker, Ofir Raul Graizer, and the award-winning film, Farewell, Mr. Haffmann.

The Films:

Still from ‘I Like it Here’. 2022. Timed Exposures. Courtesy of Argot Pictures.

I Like It Here
Friday, April 14th at 7 PM

With Director Ralph Arlyck In Person

$15 Public | $10 Members
A meditation on aging, survival, memory, and the connections we build with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, Ralph Arlyck’s utterly charming personal film asks, “How do we make the most of the precious time we have?” What started as a movie about his neighbor, a reclusive Hungarian immigrant, ended up as something universal, capturing the moments in daily life that reveal the pitfalls and pleasures of getting old. While always aware of mortality, it is a movie whose ultimate message is “L’chaim.” (2022, 88 mins)

Promotional Image from ‘My Neighbor Adolf.’ 2022. Courtesy of 2-Team Productions & Film Produkcja.

My Neighbor Adolf
Saturday, April 15th at 1 PM
$15 Public | $10 Members

In 1960s Colombia, a cantankerous Holocaust survivor passes his time tending to his garden and studying chess. His routine is interrupted by the arrival of a German man who he gradually becomes convinced is none other than Adolf Hitler. A surprisingly touching tale of loneliness and misunderstanding, it is also a master class in acting, with nuanced ‘performances by the Scottish actor David Hayman and veteran German actor Udo Kier, who has worked extensively with top directors including Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Gus Van Sant. (2022, 96 mins)

A scene from ‘America’. Photo courtesy of Beta Cinema

America
Saturday, April 15th at 3:30 PM
$15 Public | $10 Members

When an Israeli man returns home after ten years in America, an emotional encounter with a childhood friend and his future-wife will change everyone’s lives. An engrossing drama that unfolds in lush landscape, America absorbs its characters, and the audience, in matters of life, death, and love. After the success of The Cakemaker, writer/director Ofir Raul Graizer returns with a film full of emotion and moral complexity, and beauty that is held together by three indelible performances by its young stars. (2022, 127 mins)

A scene from ‘Farewell, Mr. Haffmann’ Photo from YouTube

Farewell, Mr. Haffmann
Saturday, April 15th at 7 PM
$15 Public | $10 Members

Occupied Paris,1941: as members of the Jewish community are instructed to identify themselves to authorities, a jewelry shop owner (Daniel Auteuil) arranges for his family to flee the city and offers his employee (Gilles Lellouche) the chance to take over his store until the conflict subsides. Adapted from an acclaimed play, Farewell, Mr. Hoffmannpresents a world where lives are irrevocably shaped by the occupation. Rich in moral complexity and empathy, with several twists too good to spoil, this is grand, big-screen adult entertainment at its finest. (2021,115 mins)

Still from ‘City Without Jews’. 1924. Walterskirchen und Bittner. Public Domain.

City Without Jews
Sunday, April 16th at 2:00 PM
With live accompaniment by Alicia Svigals & Donald Sosin
$17 Public | $12 Members

Directed by H. K. Breslauer, and based on the novel by Hugo Bettauer. City Without Jews predicted the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. Set in the fictional Austrian city of Utopia, the story depicts the consequences of an anti-Semitic law forcing all Jews to leave the country. Shortly after the film’s premiere, Bettauer was murdered by the Nazis. Shown in public for the last time in 1933 as a protest against Hitler’s rise to power, the film contains ominous and eerily realistic sequences, such as shots of freight trains transporting Jews out of the city. (1924, 80 mins)

Still from ‘Shttl’. 2022. Forecast Pictures, UP Hub & Wild Tribe Films. Courtesy of Bron Releasing.

Shttl
Sunday, April 16th at 5 PM
With star Moshe Lobel in-person

$15 Public | $10 Members

A Jewish village in Ukraine is on the verge of being invaded by Nazis. Evocative and visually compelling, Shttl draws from the vibrant canvas of a community with many differing reactions to the impending tragedy. Filmed in Ukraine, and edited to appear as one continuous shot, the camera never stops as it explores the rich world that it creates, and the vitality of lives about to be destroyed. Featuring a remarkable cast including Moshe Lobel (Broadway’s YiddishFiddler on the Roof revival) and Yiddish-fluent actor Saul Rubinek. (2022, 114 mins)

Tickets are $15 per screening with the exception of the film “City Without Jews,” which costs $17. A full festival pass is also available for $60, granting access to every film in the festival. To order tickets, visit www.cinemaartscentre.org. For more info, call 631-423-7610.

The Lion King. 1994. Walt Disney Pictures. Courtesy of Disney Entertainment & The Walt Disney Company.

A hit since its reopening in 2022, the Cinema Arts Centre’s Cinema for Kids series has continued to draw crowds for its weekly screenings of beloved family films. These affordable showings have been a hit, with recent screenings of family classics such as The GooniesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe NeverEnding Story, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory drawing crowds exceeding 100 people.

This Spring, Cinema for Kids will feature screenings of treasured classics such as The Princess Bride, Steven Spielberg’s E.T.The Muppets Take ManhattanLilo & Stitch, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Mighty Ducks. The Cinema will also screen Disney’s The Lion King for Father’s Day, and Disney’s Brave for Mother’s Day.

With its Cinema for Kids series, the Cinema Arts Centre hopes to expose a new generation of movie-goers to some of the great animated and family films that were beloved by previous generations and to provide parents with the opportunity to see some of their favorite films back in theaters with their kids. Attendees are encouraged to share suggestions of films they want to see screened.

Upcoming Screenings:

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Sunday, April 9th at 12PM

An American Tail (1986)

Sunday, April 16th at 12PM

Shrek (2001)

Sunday, April 23rd at 12PM

The Princess Bride (1987)

Sunday, April 30th at 12PM

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Sunday, May 7th at 12PM

Brave (2012)

Mother’s Day Screening!

Sunday, May 14th at 12PM

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Sunday, May 21st at 12PM

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Sunday, May 28th at 12PM

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Sunday, June 4th at 12PM

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Sunday, June 11th at 12PM

The Lion King (1994)

Sunday, June 18th at 12PM

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Sunday, June 25th at 12PM

Location:

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743

Fees:

$12 Public | $7 Cinema Arts Centre Members | $5 for Kids 12 and Under

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. To purchase tickets, visit  www.cinemaartscentre.org

Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman in a scene from 'A Good Person' Photo by Jeong Park/MGM

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Zach Braff is best known for his acting work, most notably for his nine seasons as Dr. J.D. Dorian on the sitcom Scrubs. Additionally, his extensive work behind the camera includes producing, writing, and directing. The works encompass short films, television, and, most notably, the feature film Garden State (2004), a quirky but effective rom-com featuring Braff and Natalie Portman. Unfortunately, his follow-up, the domestic comedy-drama Wish I Was Here (2014), was not well-received.

Braff’s third offering, A Good Person, is a drama of dysfunction and addiction. The film opens with Morgan Freeman’s voiceover as he works on his model trains, wistfully proffering the idea that life is neither neat nor tidy. Then, the idyllic moment shifts to the raucous engagement party of Allison (Florence Pugh) and Nathan (Chinaza Uche). Allison sings an original song to her future husband, much to the delight of the guests.

The next morning, Allison drives her future sister-in-law and brother-in-law from New Jersey into New York City. Checking the map app on her phone, Allison involves them in an accident where her prospective in-laws die.

A year later, Florence is an unemployed pharmaceutical rep addicted to pills. She lives in a perpetual state of conflict with her mother, Diane (Molly Shannon), who lacks the insight or emotional resources to help her struggling daughter. Florence has run through her oxy, and none of her doctors will refill her prescription. After a failed attempt to blackmail a former colleague, she ends up in a bar where she smokes with two low-lifes with whom she had gone to high school. Florence has hit bottom.

She attends an AA meeting, running into Daniel (Morgan Freeman), the man who would have been her father-in-law. She leaves, but Daniel stops her, suggesting fate has brought them together. They form an odd bond that becomes a tenuous friendship. 

Retired Daniel was a cop for forty years and a drunk for fifty. Sober ten years, he grapples with raising his orphaned granddaughter, the now rebellious Ryan (Celeste O’Connor). He accepts that he does not know how to raise a teenager, having left that to his wife. The worlds collide as Allison and Ryan accidentally meet at Daniel’s house and also form a strained connection. Ryan shares her late mother’s feelings that Allison was the best thing to happen to her uncle Nathan. Ryan lets slip that her grandfather blames Allison for the accident.

The film is rife with revelations and the sharing of histories. An alcoholic father abused Daniel. In turn, Daniel became a blackout drunk, mistreating his own children. In an inebriated rage, Daniel beat Nathan so severely that the boy lost hearing in his right ear. Estranged, the adult Nathan and Daniel have only the slightest of relationships. 

While the film covers no new territory, the narrative contains the makings of a dramatic and interesting story. Sadly, the gap between intention and execution can be the distance between Perth Amboy and Perth, Australia. 

The film tackles difficult subject matters—guilt, addiction, withdrawal, forgiveness—but somehow manages to avoid depth. Director Braff works from his screenplay, which seems a patchwork of acting class scenes. The occasional smart quip—“the opiate of the masses is opium”—is lost among aphorisms and cliches—“Comparison is the thief of joy.” 

Daniel’s Viet Nam veteran cap is jaw-droppingly unsubtle. In a film brimming with life and death issues, the result is often tensionless and pedestrian. The metaphors—the model trains, Allison’s father’s watch, swimming, songwriting—even a haircut—are heavy-handed. 

However, while Braff the writer might have failed, he cast well and brought out strong performances. Florence Pugh finds the anguish and ugliness in Allison’s spiral. She is mesmerizing rawness in every moment, alternating between a hyper-aware ferocity and a disconnected stupor. Morgan Freeman is incapable of shoddy work and remains one of the most watchable cross-genre actors. While Daniel sits in the center of his range, he manages to nuance the darker moments, contrasted with Freeman’s often-seen “wise” humor.

Molly Shannon’s mother is a bit shrill, but her brittleness and immaturity are not misplaced. Chinaza Uche is given little more than shades of pain, but what he does is imbued with sincerity. Twenty-something Celeste O’Connor embodies the angry teenager, Ryan, and easily holds her own against Pugh and Freeman. She proffers fire, grief, and even joy, while hovering on the verge of implosion.

So much of A Good Person feels manipulated, if not downright manipulative. Ultimately, Braff confuses messy lives with sloppy filmmaking. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

Woody Harrelson, far right, stars in the new comedy, Champions. Photo by Shauna Townley/Focus Features

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

After being ejected for shoving the head coach, disgraced minor league basketball coach Mark Markovich (Woody Harrelson) goes on a bender, hitting a police cruiser. Given a choice between eighteen months in jail or ninety days of community service, he opts for the latter. His sentence is to work with The Friends, the local recreation center’s intellectually challenged basketball team.

“What do I call them?” Mark asks the judge. “I suggest you call them by their names,” the judge replies.

Therein lies the heart and head of Champions, a sweet, predictable, but sincere comedy. 

Woody Harrelson in a scene from ‘Champions’. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Champions is based on Campeones, Javier Fesser’s 2018 Spanish film which was inspired by a team created with people with intellectual disabilities that won twelve Spanish championships between 1999 and 2014. 

Bobby Farrelly (working solo for the first time) takes a straightforward approach in directing Mark Rizzo’s workmanlike but satisfying screenplay, resulting in a simple but heartfelt story. Thematically, Champions trods no new ground. Mark is a man who “can’t stick” anywhere, bumping from job to job—Ohio to Greece to Turkey to Iowa—his inability to connect results from a combination of anger and almost terminal self-absorption. 

While working with The Friends, Mark is more transformed than transforming. As much as he affects the team, he learns to see the players as human beings—something absent from both his personal and professional lives.

Harrelson’s performance offers nothing surprising, but that does not make it ineffectual. He shows restraint, an ability to listen, and seems fully present. His metamorphosis from ambivalence (texting during their first game) to commitment (running up and down the sidelines) is obvious but acceptable. He manages to make Mark’s retreat from self-destruction believable. 

There are the inevitable plot bumps and the requisite speech about what it is to be a champion. A particularly clumsy comedic interlude involves raising money for the trip to Canada. But these are to be expected. Champions is a light narrative, not a revelatory documentary.

Mark becomes involved with Alex, player Johnny’s sister. An actor of a certain age, she tours in her van, presenting Shakespeare to middle school students. The Shakespeare piece integrates later in the film but is a bit forced. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson makes Alex mildly tough and likable in a mostly limited role. Her fear of Johnny moving into a group home offers an alternate familial insight and provides her with her best moments.

The film triumphs in its small moments. The center’s director, Julio (beautifully methodical Cheech Marin), describes the players, and we are shown moments of their day-to-day lives. One works at an animal shelter; another is a master welder. These glimpses are gentle, tacit, and entirely real. Whether seeing them at work or home, these slivers are wonderfully honest and exposed without feeling intrusive. 

Woody Harrelson, center, with the cast of ‘Champions’. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

The soul and driving force of the film are the ten intellectually challenged team members, played not as victims or outsiders but as wholly realized individuals. Whether it is Casey Metcalfe as savant Marlon, expounding a wide variety of trivia, or James Day Keith’s Benny rehearsing a speech to request time off from work, they are riveting in their presence. 

Madison Tevlin is delightful as the team’s sole female, the no-nonsense Consentino. Kevin Iannucci mines Johnny for dimension and heart. The most powerful scene involves Joshua Felder’s gifted Darius. A car crash survivor, the confrontation with Mark addresses the horrors of DWI. If a bit facile, the validity cannot be denied.

Is Champions exploitive? 

For over a decade, Matt Nelson has worked for Evanston Special Recreation. He has coached basketball, track and field, powerlifting, swimming, volleyball, softball, and flag football. In addition, he has been the assistant athletics coach for Team Illinois at the 2013 USA Games (Seattle) and the 2022 USA Games (Orlando). 

In speaking with Matt on this question, he responded: “Champions is super realistic in its portrayal of a Special Olympics team with regards to their athletic abilities and the individual personalities of each athlete. Each one of my athletes comes from a different living situation—group home, living with parents, living on their own. The movie is no different and stresses how each athlete has a unique story to tell. My teams always succeed the most when they work as a team which Champions accurately portrays. And both my team and I loved the ending and thought it was PERFECT.”

The film’s climax occurs at the North American regionals during the Winnipeg Special Olympics. In agreement with Matt and his players, The Friend’s final shot has a reverberating emotional justice. 

Those looking for great depth and searing truth will find this a slight outing. But for a feel-good sports movie that gently celebrates a unique group of underdogs, Champions delivers. Ultimately, the moral comes not from Mark but from the team. “We play for each other.”

Rated PG, Champions is now playing in local theaters.

'Everything Everywhere All At Once' is the clear favorite to nab an Oscar for Best Picture at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
The Academy Awards will air live on ABC Channel 7 this Sunday at 8 p.m.

By Tim Haggerty and Jeffrey Sanzel

The 95th Academy Award contenders comprise a wealth of options. Better films provide excellent performance opportunities, so the fields are tight ones. As always, there is the potential for a great number of upsets. Who will take home the statues on March 12 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre remains to be seen. But here are a few thoughts.

While all the actors up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role turned in stunning performances, the clear favorite is the once-in-a-lifetime performance of Ke Huy Quan from Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan gives a dimensional performance that mines both the humor and the day-to-day struggle of the many-faceted character. This he accomplishes with a jaw-dropping facility, finding beauty in sadness but shining in the fantastical shades of the character. While all the other nominees are first-rate, none display Quan’s multiple sides. Barry Keoghan won the BAFTA for The Banshees of Inisherin but is unlikely to bump Quan.

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is in line to win Best International Feature Film.

Longshots for Actress in a Supporting Role are Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Hong Chau (The Whale), both presenting excellent work but will be overshadowed by a year of showy performances that had surprising depth. Also unlikely is Kerry Condon’s stern sensibility in The Banshees. Finally, it will come down to Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, both offering simultaneously eccentric and grounded work in industry favorite Everything Everywhere. It is a toss-up, but veteran Curtis is probably favored, receiving the award for both the film and her body of work. 

Much like Supporting Actress, Actor in a Leading Role comes down to two equally worthy possibilities. While Austin Butler gave a good performance as Elvis, the script was weak and did not provide the dimension that would put him on a fast track to winning. Bill Nighy’s Living was too subdued and reserved to receive the Academy’s highest accolade. Paul Mescal’s Aftersun was powerful, but the film did not reach a wide enough audience. 

Actor in a Leading Role comes down to Colin Farrell in Banshees and Brendan Fraser in The Whale. Given the raw, heart-breaking performance—and a range unseen in Fraser’s previous oeuvre—the Oscar is his to lose. However, the fact that it is unlike anything in his career gives him an even stronger edge. 

Ana de Armas’s Marilyn in Blonde falls into the same problematic situation as Butler. She gives a sympathetic performance in an apathetic and unnecessarily exploitative film. The controversial nomination of Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) earned her and the film little support—most likely taking the spot from Danielle Deadwyler’s flawless mother in Till. Michelle Williams is always good, but The Fabelmans does not display any surprises. It is a shame that Cate Blanchett’s searing composer (TÁR) and Michelle Yeoh’s multi-universe laundromat owner are up against each other. These are two exceptional performances, and both actresses deserve to stand on the Dolby stage—these are career bests. While a tie would solve the problem, the never-awarded Yeoh has a slight edge over the Oscar-winner Blanchett. 

The now glutted Best Picture field includes fillers: the bloated Avatar: The Way of Water (visually stunning but overlong), the ultimate popcorn Top Gun: Maverick (an improvement over the original but still popcorn), and Elvis (clumsy and wrong-headed). Triangle of Sadness was a fascinating exercise, and Women Talking was emotionally gut-wrenching, but both played below the radar. All Quiet on the Western Front will win Best International Feature Film. The critically lauded TÁR and Banshees would have had better chances last season. In another year, Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical The Fabelmans would score the top prize. But the clear favorite is the mind-bending, startling, and outrageous Everything Everywhere All at Once.

As for Directing and Writing (Original Screenplay), the path reflects the Best Picture. In this case, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert will go home with the Oscars for their exceptional work in both categories for the historically unique Everything Everywhere. All Quiet or (possibly) Women Talking will take Writing (Adapted Screenplay). 

A few shoutouts:

Animated Feature Film should go to the glorious Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio—the third Pinocchio film of the year—but the only one of any weight (or value). The moving meditation on mental health, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, will take home Best Short Film (Animated). The quirky Christmas Day orphanage Le Pupille will most likely win Short Film (Live Action). The Whale demonstrated true artistry in the transformation of Brendan Fraser, making it the most deserving for Makeup and Hairstyling. Music (Original Score) could go to either the chilling strings of All Quiet or the bombast of Babylon. Avatar’s only hope for an award is Visual Effects, with Sound going to Top Gun: Maverick.

When all is said, 2022 will be remembered as a strong year for original stories. In a business that thrives on remakes and sequels, this year’s films are a wealth of standalone tales.

The award-winning documentayr A House Made of Splinters will be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School on March 20.

By Tara Mae 

Documentaries are artistic passion put into practice. They require the fervor and drive not only of subjects and crew but also of those who seek to share their stories. 

The Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) has been honoring and matching such moxie since 2005 and advances the plot this season with the seven films on its spring roster. Held at 7 p.m. on every Monday in March, from the 6th to 27th; April 10 and 17; and May 22, each showing is followed by a Q&A session featuring either the director or producer of the project. 

Emceed by Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB, the Series is a labor of love for all involved, giving both filmmakers and festival organizers the opportunity to revisit what initially drew them to these stories and share it with an attentive public.  

“I like seeing the films again. With most of these films, we have been working on arranging the screenings for at least 3 months. I really do enjoy being in the audience, seeing the films again, thinking about them for the Q&A, and noticing what the audience reacts to. And then, meeting the documentarians and hearing their stories is one of the most exciting parts of the whole process,” said PJDS co-director Lyn Boland. 

This season starts with Dr. Tony Fauci, which explores the professional and private life of a man striving not to be blinded by the spotlight as he does his job. 

Immediate Family highlights the harmonies of five star session musicians whose notes, if not their names, are famous.

A House Made of Splinters chronicles the efforts of intrepid social workers on the front lines of the war in Eastern Ukraine as they endeavor to create an orphanage oasis for children displaced by war and woe.

I Am Not  follows the journey of Oren Levy, a young adopted Israeli man who travels back to Guatemala in search of his identity. 

Lift illuminates the invisible story of homelessness in America through the experiences of a group of young homeless and home-insecure ballet dancers who are selected to study their craft at the New York Theater Ballet.

Bobi Wine: The People’s President traces the career evolution of a man from musician to politician as he heralds the opposition to Uganda’s 35-year regime. 

Lastly, Unfinished Business offers an inside look at the creation and legacy of the WNBA, as exemplified through the champion New York Liberty’s dramatic 2021 season.

“We try to balance it between serious and entertaining documentaries,” explained PJDS co-director Wendy Feinberg.

Screenings, held either at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson or John F. Kennedy Middle School in Port Jefferson Station, are arranged and organized by PJDS’s co-directors: Boland, Feinberg, and Barbara Sverd. Known as the “Film Ladies,” they are dedicated both to spotlighting the art form of documentary filmmaking and the often lesser-known stories that they champion.  

“When I choose a film to be reviewed by the film board, I feel it must tell a story, have an emotional connection and appeal to a general audience. When I view a documentary for the first time, regardless of its subject matter, I want to feel like I am taking a class and learning something new,” Sverd said. “The greatest pleasure is sharing this experience with our audience and having the director, producer or someone from the film there for the Q&A to enhance the learning experience.” 

Such an opportunity for more informed dialogue is part of the appeal for the documentarians as well; it acts as an avenue for deeper understanding between audience and artist.  

“A smaller series or festival offers a unique and intimate connection with those who come to a theater and watch your film. It’s not about the publicity, or agents, or distributors. It brings us, as filmmakers, back to the fundamental reason we made this work: to listen for an answer back,” said David Peterson, director of Lift. 

In addition to personal, there are also practical reasons that the PJDS and other such events are vital to the endurance of documentaries, a genre that generally has far less star power and thus less funding than its cinema siblings. 

“These films would never have a chance if it was not for festivals and documentary series…to get distribution is really hard. That is where PJDS and other festivals can help.  You have to show distributors that you have an audience,” said Denny Tedesco, director and executive producer of Immediate Family.

After each viewing, audience members are given the opportunity to rate the documentary: Excellent, Very Good, Good, or Poor. At the end of the season, the votes are tallied and the Audience Award winner is announced. 

The members of the Film Board, which in addition to Boland, Feinberg, and Sverd, includes Honey Katz, Lynn, and Lorie Rothstein, then chip in money to donate to an organization of the winning director’s choosing. 

Sponsored the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, Maggio Environmental, Port Jeff Storage, Inc., and Covati and Janhsen, CPAs, with funding from Suffolk County, PJDS is seeking volunteers to assist with screenings, marketing, and social media. 

Theatre Three is located at 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson. John F. Kennedy Middle School is located at 200 Jayne Blvd, Port Jefferson Station.

A season pass for all seven documentaries is $56; single tickets are $10 online or at the door. To purchase passes, tickets, or for more information, visit www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.

A scene from ‘Lift.’ Photo courtesy of PJDS
Film Schedule:

■ The season begins with a screening of Dr. Tony Fauci at Theatre Three on March 6. This intimate film chronicles Fauci at home, in his office and in the corridors of power as he battles the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the political onslaught that upends his life and calls into question his 50-year career as the United States of America’s leading advocate for public health. Guest speaker is Director Mark Mannucci. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club.

Immediate Family will be screened at Theatre Three on March 13. If you listen to 1970s pop music, you’ve undoubtedly heard these guys play, but do you know their names? The documentary highlights five talented men—Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel and Steve Postell—who shunned the spotlight for themselves, yet enjoyed decades of success as session musicians on iconic tracks. Guest speaker is Director Denny Tedesco. Sponsored by Danfords Hotel & Marina and The Waterview at Port Jefferson Country Club and the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook.

Next up is A House Made of Splinters at JFK Middle School on March 20. As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontlines, a small group of strong-willed social workers works tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state decides the fate of the child and family. The film is nominated for a 2023 Oscar in the documentary film category. Guest speaker is Director Simon Lereng Wilmont via pre-recorded Zoom.

I Am Not will be screened at JFK Middle School on March 27. Oren Levy, a young Israeli man, who is an adopted child with Asperger’s, faces challenges adapting. Suddenly, his life changes with the help of the camera, which becomes an extraordinary therapy tool assisting him on a long journey which takes Oren and his family to Guatemala in search of his identity. Guest speaker via Live Zoom will be Ehud Levy, Oren’s father and subject in film. Sponsored by North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station and Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook.

The season continues on April 10 at Theatre Three with Lift which shines a spotlight on the invisible story of homelessness in America through the eyes of a group of young homeless and home-insecure ballet dancers in New York City. The story centers around ballet dancer and mentor Steven Melendez, who was a seven-year-old boy living in a Bronx homeless shelter who had his life turned around when he was the recipient of the New York Theater Ballet (NYTB) Project LIFT’s generosity. Guest speakers will be Director David Petersen and Steven Melendez, Principal Dancer & Artistic Director at the New York Theatre Ballet and subject in the film.

Bobi Wine: The People’s President heads to JFK Middle School on April 17. First-time co-directors Christopher Sharp and journalist Moses Bwayo tell the story of Bobi Wine, the musician-turned-politician leading the opposition to the 35-year regime in Uganda. Withstanding arrests, torture, and violence from the government, Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie risk their own lives and the lives of their children to lead their country towards freedom. Bobi Wine: The People’s President is a brave exposition of an authoritarian government that highlights the power of documentary journalism. The film won the Hamptons Film Festival 2022 Best Documentary Audience Award. Guest speakers via Zoom will be Co-Directors Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo. 

Unfinished Business, the final film of the season, heads to Theatre Three on May 22. An intimate look at the formation and legacy of the WNBA, and its flagship team, the New York Liberty’s, dramatic 2021 season, as they play for acceptance, respect, and the future of basketball. The film is named for a song “Unfinished Business” written for the New York Liberty basketball team in 2001 by Joan Jett, a Liberty super-fan who appears in the film. Guest speaker is Director Alison Klayman.

Fathom Event’s Big Screen Classics Series continues with an exclusive screening of the 1942 Best Picture-Winning WWII classic Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman at select theaters nationwide on Sunday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 8.  Fans can experience the enduring romance and heart-rending drama of one of cinema’s most influential films.

Warner Bros. and Fathom Events will present a newly restored and remastered copy of the film in striking 4k digital. Taken from nitrate fine grain film elements, the 4k scanned digital images were put through an extensive digital restoration process by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, meticulously cleaning and repairing the picture to deliver an ultra-high-resolution presentation.

Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as an American expatriate whose world is turned upside down when his former flame, Ingrid Bergman, walks into his gin joint accompanied by her husband. As the conflict begins to brew on the warfront, Bogart is faced with a battle of his own—one that will force him to make a devastating choice between his own heart and the burgeoning war effort at large.

Though stars Bogart and Bergman were famously dubious about the quality of the film and its chances for success, the script ultimately won the Oscar® for Best Writing and was dubbed The Greatest Screenplay Of All-Time by the Writers Guild Of America in 2006—fueled by instantly-quotable lines such as “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “We’ll always have Paris,” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” and many more. Casablanca would go on to achieve unprecedented status among critics and viewers, alike, with many considering it to be the greatest film ever made. Don’t miss your chance to witness this masterpiece in all of its Golden Age glory.

The Fathom event also includes exclusive commentary from feature film historian and critic Leonard Maltin who will provide insights into the films, sharing his one-of-a-kind expertise with fans.

Locally, the film will be screened at AMC Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook, Island 16 Cinema De Lux, 185 Morris Ave, Holtsville and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas, 1001 Broadhollow Rd, Farmingdale on March 5 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and March 8 at 7 p.m.

For more information or to buy tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Scottish actor Alan Cumming launched to prominence with the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret. Having first played the role at London’s Donmar Warehouse, the Sam Mendes-directed production shifted Cumming from working actor to star. He returned to his award-winning role in the 2014 revival. In the course of a three-decade career, he has amassed a huge list of acting credits: onstage (everything from Noel Coward’s Design for Living to a one-person MacBeth), screen (Titus, GoldenEye, Spy Kids), and television (The Good Wife). 

In addition, Cumming is a director, an LGBTQ+ activist, and a gifted writer. Unlike many celebrities who have found their way onto the printed page via “as told to” or ghosted autobiographies, Cumming’s first work was the novel Tommy’s Tale (2002). The book was a darkly comic and highly revealing roman a clef. He followed this with a fascinating and complicated look at his relationship with his abusive father, Not My Father’s Son (2014), directly resulting from his appearance on the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? 

His next work, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: My Life in Story and Pictures (2016), presented a mediation on his life through his personal cache of photos. The book served as almost a sketch for his powerful memoir Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life (2021). 

In all his works, he is forthcoming about his struggles, triumphs, doubts, and desires. Baggage is a clear-eyed, sometimes outrageous but always honest account of a career with many highs but also an equal number of challenges. He is forthcoming about his substance use, his relationships, and his struggles. 

Unflinching accounts of partying are juxtaposed with revelations about his family and those closest to him. Whenever possible, he praises his artistic collaborators. He reserves overwhelming gratitude for friends who have stood by him in dark times. He shares his joy and appreciation for meeting his husband, Grant Shaffer. (Cumming discusses the difficulties of his first marriage to actor Hilary Lyon, with whom he planned on having children.) 

Throughout the book, his wit shines through, often in gallows humor when describing particularly difficult outings (such as his work as Nightcrawler in X2). The details in his stage and screen work beautifully portray a performer’s life, recounting and dissecting everything from  auditions to closings. He offers insight into film shoots, red carpets, and press junkets. 

Cumming balances self-deprecation with a sense of accomplishment. He reveals a strong survival streak in a man who has grappled with and overcome his demons. Even his meditation and views on the term “making love” are revelatory. “The more my life has changed, the closer I have come to a place of authenticity. Although I began this book by refuting the notion of having triumphed, I do see great victory in becoming yourself.”

Cumming will appear at the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington on Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The sold-out event will include a screen of the documentary My Old School. 

A scene from ‘My Old School’

The 2022 documentary deals with the Brandon Lee scandal. In 1995, authorities discovered the supposedly seventeen year-old Bearsden Academy student, Brandon Lee, was actually a thirty-year-old former student, Brian MacKinnon. The film explores the bizarre story with a combination of present-day interviews with MacKinnon’s fellow students and teachers, animated recreations, and archival footage. While MacKinnon agreed to be interviewed, he declined to appear. Instead, Alan Cumming stands in for him, lip syncing the audio of the interviews. The film premiered virtually at the 2022 Sundance Festival. 

Following the film and a discussion, Cumming will sign copies of his book, Baggage, at a reception that includes a live jazz performance by guitarist Mike Soloway and drummer Mike Leuci.

For more information, call 631-423-7610.

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Brendan Fraser in a scene from ''The Whale' Photo courtesy of A24

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2012, Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. It won both the Drama Desk and the Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Play. Hunter has adapted his play for the screen in a compelling film directed by Darren Aronofsky.

The film opens with Charlie, a morbidly obese college professor, teaching online from his Idaho apartment. While Charlie urges his students to write from a place of truth and honesty, he leaves his camera off so they cannot see who he really is. His friend Liz, a nurse with personal ties to Charlie’s history, urges him to go to the hospital as he is bordering on congestive heart failure. Charlie refuses, citing a lack of health insurance and the fear of incurring huge debts.

Charlie spends his days grading papers, eating, and struggling with declining health. Thomas, a missionary from the New Life Church, visits, attempting to bring him to God. Charlie’s only other outside interaction is with the Gambino’s pizza delivery man, Dan, with whom he speaks through the closed door.

Knowing that his time is limited, Charlie reaches out to his estranged daughter, Ellie. Charlie had not seen the girl since he left her and her mother, Mary, for Alan, one of his continuing ed students. 

A dysfunctional family drama ensues that touches on depression, suicide, religion, money, and homophobia. For the screenplay, Hunter hewed closely to his original work. The play was set entirely in Charlie’s living room, and Aronofsky wisely opts to keep most of the action in the dark, cluttered room, only opening up to the apartment’s additional rooms and the porch (though Charlie never goes beyond the threshold).

The film is not subtle in its storytelling and metaphors. The titular “whale” refers to Moby Dick—both Charlie and a student essay he rereads obsessively. Nevertheless, The Whale derives strength from exceptional performances from its ensemble cast. 

The connection between Liz and Charlie is central to his survival, and Hong Chau balances her love and frustration as Charlie’s only direct contact with the outside world. She frets over his health but is a not-so unwitting enabler. Sadie Sink brings multiple shades of anger and darkness to Ellie, showing her pain but also an almost sadistic need to manipulate. 

Ty Simpkins, as Thomas, avoids cliché and makes the later revelations valid and believable. Samantha Morton appears in one scene, imbuing Mary, the alcoholic ex-wife, with the right sense of hurt and damage. But, at the center of the film is Brendan Fraser as Charlie.

Fraser’s early career included Dogfight (1991), Encino Man (1992), and School Ties (1992). He is best known for The Mummy series (1999, 2001, 2008), with other movies ranging from Dudley Do-Right (1999) and Blast from the Past (1999) to Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) and No Sudden Move (2021). Certainly, none of these prepare audiences for the heartbreaking depth of this performance.

Going beyond the physical challenges, Fraser makes Charlie a complicated figure. He alternates between a resigned need to apologize—his litany of “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry …”—and a passionate desire to see the good in people (specifically, the mercenary Ellie, who may or may not warrant this faith). 

Harrowing moments include a choking fit and a pizza binge—each horrifying and gut-wrenching in its own way. But they are no more painful than Ellie’s malevolent, “I’m not spending time with you. You’re disgusting.” And his cry, “Who would want me to be a part of their life?” Even his struggle to stand and cross the room resonates with a deep hurt. Fraser never loses sight of Charlie’s humanity, creating a dimensional, unforgettable performance. 

Fraser has already won twenty awards, an equal number of additional nominations, and another dozen pending, including the Oscar for Best Actor.

However, the film has been in the crosshairs of two controversies. Fraser’s casting required him to wear nearly three hundred pounds of prosthetics. This raised questions about why a more appropriately sized actor was not selected. (Shuler Hensley, who appeared in The Whale off-Broadway, was also heavily padded for the role.)

In addition, the character itself has stoked ire in various sectors. “Some of the film’s critics believe it perpetuates tired tropes of fat people as suffering, chronically depressed and binge eating.” (Time Magazine, December 9, 2022) Appropriately, Aronofsky’s career has included a range of controversial films, including Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Noah, and Mother!

These challenges aside, the film and its key performance are more than worthy of viewing. At its heart, The Whale asks: Can anyone save anyone? The Whale is a disturbing, extraordinary exploration that leaves the question unanswered. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.