Authors Posts by Jeffrey Sanzel

Jeffrey Sanzel

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Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have always been fair game for adaptation. Whether it is Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889), Lerner and Loewe’s Broadway musical Camelot (1960), or the gritty but entertaining film Excalibur (1981), the story has embraced (or at least stood up to) revisionism. As a result, the legends have endured over seven centuries, from The Sword in the Stone (1963) to Spamalot (2005).

The Green Knight loosely draws on the fourteenth-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and other sources. Knowledge of the story and history is not necessary to view the film. Clearly. David Lowery has written, directed, edited, and produced the film. So, he can be considered the responsible party.

Gawain (Dev Patel) awakes on Christmas morning in a brothel, having spent the night with Essel (Alicia Vikander). His mother, sorceress Morgan le Fay (Sarita Choudhury), sends him on his way to celebrate Christmas with King Arthur (Sean Harris) and Queen Guinevere (Katie Dickie). 

Unbeknownst to Gawain, his mother performs a ritual, raising and sending the Green Knight to the feast where the tree-like titular lord issues a challenge: If anyone can land a blow on him, he will win his green axe. However, in exchange, the victor must meet the Green Knight on the following Christmas to receive a reciprocal hit. For some reason, Gawain, a bit of a slacker, volunteers. He decapitates the Green Knight, who then picks up his head and leaves. Sort of a hah-hah-see-you-next-Christmas.

Fast-forward a year. Gawain has become something of a celebrity; he is even featured in a puppet show. He sets off to the Green Chapel, and throughout, he encounters a handful of challenges, mostly unsatisfying blips. He also meets a fox who joins his journey. “The Quest” is a well-known, often-trod trope and can be exciting, engaging, and enthralling. Unfortunately, it can also be an epic slog into scenery, mumbled dialogue, and symbols. Oh, so many symbols. The Green Knight is full of meaning and “meaning” and meaning and MEANING. 

One suspects that Lowery’s goal was a rumination on the nature of heroism and honor, with a few nods to the dangers of celebrity. But this is all lost in a meandering and pretentious narrative. There are a few dramatic strokes, but these do not add up to a film.

In the theatre across the hall, the sounds of The Suicide Squad could clearly be heard. Sitting at The Green Knight was like attending a lecture that you suspect might be good for you, but next door, there’s a barnburner where everyone is having a good time. “I’ll bet it’s fun over there,” you think. “But, no, this is going to make me a better and smarter person.” You have plenty of time to think these thoughts because, in The Green Knight, the pauses are longer than the dialogue. There are pauses and scenery. Lots of pauses. Lots of scenery. Then a monologue. Please note the singular: monologue. While there are multiple long speeches by various characters, they all sound like the same monologue. Followed by some pauses. And then some scenery.

The filming itself is impressive, highlighting the vast expanses of wilderness as Gawain travels towards his destiny. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo has done beautiful work capturing the natural/supernatural world. But landscape only goes so far. In this case, it seems to go really, really far.

Dev Patel is a fine actor, and he does what he can. But he is offered the emotional range of dissipated to slightly less dissipated. The script’s Gawain is painfully passive; Patel ultimately struggles to show the character’s evolution. The rest of the talented cast is saddled with dialogue that is spoken in harsh whispers with a great deal of meaning and “meaning and … (One suspects the CGI-ed fox called his agent mid-filming to see if he could get out of his contract.)

The ending—one of the only brisk moments in the film—has been much discussed on the internet. Suffice it to say, the denouement owes not a little to t, the well-crafted story by Ambrose Pierce later made into a memorable short film.

As a public service and attempt to salvage the reader’s time, the balance of this review is given over to something of value. Here is the beginning of a recipe for a good vegan pound cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Rated R, The Green Knight is now playing in local theaters.

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Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

“Good friends, a hot summer day, on their way to the beach, and not a care in the world.”

Author Robert Lorenzo

It’s never too late for an engaging summer read. Sunday Gravy by Robert Lorenzo is a sincere, brisk novel that is just the right blend of naivete and coming-of-age. Dealing with the day-to-day heartaches of adolescence and greater issues, the book is a page-turning adventure exploring the chasm between childhood and maturity and the burgeoning self-awareness.

Set in the fictional Heatherwood, in the very real Setauket of 1974, the streets sit on what were once potato fields. The setting is Suffolk County, post-pastoral but prior to the siege of condos and developments. 

The story depicts the highs and lows of summer in the height of a heatwave, viscerally painted throughout. Here, boys gather in a fort made from abandoned crates, ride their bicycles to get ice cream, and dream of girls. Lorenzo shares the universal yet is always specific. While the boys’ experiences are easily recognizable, they are uniquely detailed. 

Eastern Long Island is a world of fathers who work in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens and mothers who stay home: 

“Their long days of chugging to work on the train and fulfilling their forty-hour work weeks kept them away from home for too many hours […] Up before dawn and home after dark, the task of disciplining the kids fell onto the sturdy shoulders of their loyal wives. Tired from running their households every day and raising their kids virtually on their own, a lot slid by the moms, who were very willing to ignore minor infractions.”

At the center of the story is thirteen-year-old Eddie Ragusa, who idolizes his brother, Tommy, two years his senior. Good looking and self-assured, Tommy has his first girlfriend, the beautiful and slightly older Maria. “Maria was another puzzle piece, but more like a silky one he’d found unexpectedly on the floor that didn’t quite fit anywhere in the current puzzle. She was unexpected, but welcome. The way he felt about her was new and exciting. This was his first real relationship, and he had real feelings for her.” 

Tommy and Maria are Our Town’s George and Emily for a savvier time. While they are actively intimate, there is still innocence and awakening. Tommy is in the rush and flush of first love, where every moment means something: hours of phone calls, of anticipation. Lorenzo writes with accuracy, of hormones and hope, but also with kindness. His young people wade through their own truths and struggle with hypocrisies. There is sex and drugs, but there is also a genuine connection.

Joining the brothers in the narrative are Eddie’s buddies Darren O’Leary, Michael Dorazio, and K.K. Krause, a ragtag crew of mixed ethnic backgrounds, enjoying the freedom of being young in the suburbs. Whether fantasizing about the divorcée on the corner or sharing an illicitly “borrowed” magazine, their bond is genuine.

Lorenzo introduces a range of characters into the mix, creating a landscape of family and community. The recluse Anne Clarkson is notable in the roster. Dubbed “Old Lady Annie” by the kids, she is a smart blend of bogeyman and tragic figure. Her introduction to the narrative bears interesting fruit.

There are plenty of local references —Smith Point County Park, Carvel’s, the Port Jefferson Firemen’s Carnival, West Meadow Beach, The Dining Car 1890, Mario’s restaurant, Ward Melville High School, Comsewogue High School, etc. — that ground it in its Long Island locale. 

The fort, central to the story, is cleverly shown through three different perspectives: the adolescents who embrace it as a refuge; the young adults as a haven to cut loose; and the adults who regard it warily. Best of all, Lorenzo understands the fine line and great divide between ages thirteen and fifteen.

Ultimately, the Ragusas are the driving force and center. Lorenzo insightfully explores both functional and dysfunctional domestic dynamics with a revelation that separates and reunites the clan. Finally, in the wake of a terrible accident, there is a portrait of the power of neighborhood, where disparate people set aside their differences and come together to help their children recover.

With Sunday Gravy, Robert Lorenzo has fashioned an honest, entertaining tale of the joys and heartaches of youth. He celebrates the untidiness of life and what it means to hurt and heal, to live and forgive.

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Author Robert Lorenzo was born in Queens and grew up in East Setauket.  He spent his childhood playing outside, riding bikes, exploring the woods in and around his home, and visiting the beautiful beaches all over the region. He began his first career in the advertising industry in New York City and now teaches high school English in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Lorenzo is currently working on his second novel, inspired by the recent worldwide pandemic. 

Visit his website at www.robertlorenzobooks.com and pick up a copy of Sunday Gravy online at Amazon.com.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Author Bruce Stasiuk

Everything you need to know is on the copyright page: “Maybe some of the names have been changed to protect the identities of certain characters. Maybe not.” The “Non-Dedication” follows.

This book defies categorization. It almost—but not quite—defies description. 

With Something to Remember Me. BYE, Bruce Stasiuk has created a work that is edgy, raw, and darkly comic. There is not a word wasted; the writing produces chills because it is, quite simply, brilliant. 

Subtitled “Short Stories about a Long Life,” the over three dozen interconnected pieces find extraordinary depth in even the most everyday topics. His stark prose captures a deeper essence. The stories could be read individually—or perhaps randomly—but the underlying structure gives strength to the whole. And while they are not chronological, the order possesses an indescribable logic.

The book is a memoir—of a sort. It is also a collage, a reflection, and many more things all at once. As a young man, Stasiuk was a first-rate athlete: stickball, baseball, diving, and basketball. He covers them with a keen eye. Girls are discussed in almost pastoral terms. And yet, Stasiuk makes everything “other” and somehow “more than.”

At age seventeen, a devastating trampoline accident changed his life’s trajectory. A long recovery set him on a different path, eventually becoming a teacher. Yet, he is never self-pitying, whether describing the hospital, the rehab, and the many losses that ensued. He has not overcome challenges; he has transformed them. Somehow, his struggles manage to be simultaneously germane and tangential. It is never less than personal and self-revelatory, and yet there is unique and contradictory objectivity that only enriches his account.

“The war ended and new customers were marching home, toting duffle bags over their shoulders, and the Spanish flu in their lungs.” Few authors possess the art and the skill to be both simple and unnerving in the same sentence. Stasiuk possesses a remarkable elegance: “Marie buried her daughter and took her grandchild in.” The synthesis of the rhythmically poetic and the prosaic reality weaves throughout the slender volume.

Succinctness is not just a strength but a gift. In “The Apology,” a picturesque father-son venture to a baseball game builds to a coda, both sad and inspiring. Stasiuk’s family exists within the pages as painted shadows, hovering around the edges, peeking in, sometimes coming into bright focus, but then receding.

One of the finest pieces is “Uncle Jack”:

He spoke fast, compressing conversations, rarely offering the courtesy of a comma. As he flooded the air with words, his eyes scanned the room like an oscillating fan, hunting for a larger audience. Uncle Jack was always trolling to see who wasn’t listening. Since the adults weren’t, he aimed for us, his nieces and nephews; little pairs of ears to be filled.

In a trip to Provincetown, his ruminations on seemingly absolute truths of childhood are revealed to be anything but. He offers nostalgia laced with tension. In “Knuckles,” whimsy and death go hand-in-hand in astonishing ways. The book is rich in dark humor. The final sentences of “Consanguinity” are hilarious and epiphanous. He refers to his colonoscopy as “the age of the medical scavenger hunt.”

In describing his second career, he states: “Nothing spectacular. Nothing extraordinary. No heroics.” The self-effacing statement resonates throughout the entire book. He never touts his accomplishments; he presents them.

He poses the rare direct messages with eloquence and subtlety. The thoughts, ideas, and musings sneak up, land, and then quickly retreat. His one nod towards commentary references the assistance he received: “Sometimes, if the government invests in a person, especially one trapped in a difficult spot, it might be the best investment the government could ever make.”

The report of a close friend, remembered on his death, is not a hagiography but a detailed and heartfelt portrait. A celebrity encounter. An autopsy. Nothing is arbitrary, with seemingly candid narratives turned into almost twisted parables. The piece titled “The Happy Ending” is subtitled, “This is a true story up to the point where it is not.” In some ways, this is the perfect bookend to the copyright page.

Sometimes a piece of writing defies description. Something to Remember Me. BYE does not ask or beg to be read. Instead, it demands to be experienced. And shared. Such is the case with Bruce Stasiuk’s book. Purchase. Read. Repeat.

A resident of Setauket, author Bruce Stasiuk presently teaches a workshop at Stony Brook University’s OLLI  program. Something to Remember Me. BYE: Short Stories about a Long Life is available through the publisher, bookbaby.com, Book Revue in Huntington, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Will we be intrigued? Engaged? Frustrated? Homicidal? These are the questions that revolve around any M. Night Shyamalan release. The Sixth Sense made an indelible mark on twisty cinematic thrillers. The Lady in the Water made us appreciate the high level of integrity in reality television. 

In his newest offering, Old, Shyamalan has used Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters’ graphic novel Sandcastle as his source. The premise is intriguing. A group of people staying at an exclusive tropical resort are given access to a private beach. Beautiful sand, clear (and notably fish-less) water make up this idyllic cove. 

The first problem is that there are not actual people but more the idea of people. It is as if Shyamalan jotted down quick notes and called it a day. “Let’s see … we’ll have a doctor who is struggling with paranoia. Let’s give him a vain wife, and let’s throw in a daughter and his mother.” Like in a teen slasher movie, they are less human and more cannon fodder.

The focus is on a couple with marital problems (Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps) and their precocious children (Nolan River and Alexa Swinton). They are joined by the aforementioned doctor (Rufus Sewell), his almost skeletal wife (Abbey Lee), his mother (Kathleen Chalfant, one of the great actors of the American theatre, given about six lines), and their gifted daughter (Mikaya Fisher). Added to this is another couple (Ken Leung and Nikki Amuka-Bird), a nurse and a psychologist, respectively; the latter saddled with some of the most cringeworthy lines. Finally, a mysterious rapper named Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre) is there when they arrive. 

Also, there is Shyamalan himself as the driver who drops them off. The meta-beyond-meta is both annoying and unnecessary. (One assumes he fancies himself Hitchcock. He is wrong.)

There is a potential for a range of dynamics, genuine psychological interaction, personal growth in the face of challenges, tension, plot development, and insight into the human condition when facing challenges. The operative word is “potential.” 

Revealed is that one person in each of the groups has a physical or mental illness. (Not so much revealed as proclaimed.) And very quickly they realize that they are aging rapidly—at the rate of two years an hour.

So, by this calculation, the movie is just shy of four years long.

Spoiler Alert. This is not a good movie.

There are a few (very few) clever twists. The children’s maturation is more noticeable, with them hitting hormonal teenage years rather quickly, resulting in a serious problem that is dealt with and dispatched rather quickly. There are a few scares and a few gross-out moments. But for the most part, they talk, they attempt to leave, and then they pass out. And then they die.

Maybe this would all be fine if the ending were satisfying. Things are explained (sort of). And resolved (kind of). But, by that point, we don’t care (nope).

The film includes accomplished, and even some gifted actors, and they do their best. But it is a struggle that they are not going to win. The dialogue is so wooden that they could have used it to build a raft and float away.

The blame lies squarely with Shyamalan as director, screenwriter/adaptor, and producer. His work seemed to have been wedging every cliché about time and aging, jamming them into the first ten minutes, and then panning the camera in circles on the beach for the next hour and forty minutes. As a result, the “surprises” are few. Old gets old … really, really fast. Or, in this case … over four years.

Rated PG-13, Old is now playing in local theaters.

'The Vision Experiments'

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Videre cras ante alli vivere: being able to see tomorrow before others live it.

Author John P. Cardone

John P. Cardone’s The Vision Experiments (Waterview Arts) is an entertaining thriller with a unique premise: What if the great minds and movers in history could see into the future? Speculation about figures such as Alexander the Great, Leif Erikson, Oliver Cromwell, Jonas Salk, J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, and Madam C.J. Walker form the hypothetical core of this unusual thesis. Explorers, inventors, and financiers—even the Oracle at Delphi—are part of the theoretical nucleus. 

And while these individuals are referenced, the center of the novel focuses on the present-day work of the shadowy Fisher Research Institute, located in Los Angeles. Founded by Southampton billionaire Lawrence Fisher III, the medical lab uses homeless men to perform experiments to understand the phenomenon, all connected to various eye treatments. When the procedures fail, the clinic dispatches the men by making them seem victims of a satanic cult.

The Institute has employed Professor William Clarkson to recover documents throughout the world to prove and  further the ideas. Clarkson began his work at the Penn Museum before taking a position at Stony Brook’s Southampton’s campus. From here, he was recruited by the Institute with “what was, in his mind, the possibility of altering the world in every possible way.” As an archaeologist and an expert in parapsychology, he presents the ideal “modern day Indiana Jones.”

Dr. Melissa Speyer, a speech-language pathologist, is dealing with her mother’s passing, a marriage ended by her husband’s departure, and both her father’s deterioration and refusal to go into much-needed care. While dealing with a possible eye infection, a pharmaceutical error provides her with eye drops that enable her to have visions of the future. This fluke comes to the attention of the Institute, resulting in Clarkson’s assignment to find out more. He approaches her, unaware that they will become emotionally involved. 

Here the story kicks into high gear as Los Angeles detectives, as well as the FBI, begin an investigation of the Los Angeles laboratory. From Oxford, England, to Los Angeles to New York City to Long Island, the book zooms across the world in brisk, succinct chapters, intercutting the action in a cinematic fashion. There is a sizeable roster of well-developed characters revolving through the action, with Speyer and Clarkson’s burgeoning romance at the center.

Cardone has done his research, cleverly integrating the ideas behind the all-seeing eye symbol (best known for its placement on the dollar bill). In addition, there are connections to the Eye of Horus and the Staff of Asclepius, associated with the medical profession. Whether Cardone is imparting the background of symbols such as these or explaining forensic examination, he keeps the narrative moving briskly forward.

Elevating the novel is the ethical considerations in the use of knowledge: whether used for gain or good. Because there is the ability, does it justify the action? The Institute does its work in the name of science but in complete denial of any sense of humanity. Cardone addresses the moral dilemma of power, the individual, and society as a whole.

Those who enjoy speculative fiction and a solid, quick summer read will enjoy John P. Cardone’s The Vision Experiments.

Author John P. Cardone is the founder of the Long Island Authors Group, a nature photographer, a wildlife photography instructor, and a lecturer on nature topics. The Vision Experiments is his fifth book and is available at Book Revue in Huntington, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

A scene from 'Roadrunner'. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Not since Julia Child has a chef had a higher profile than Anthony Bourdain. Smithsonian Magazine labeled him “the original rock star” of the culinary world. Gothamist referred to him as a “culinary bad boy.” His uncensored television persona was known for its profanity and sexual references. 

Born in Manhattan in 1956, Bourdain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1978. He ran several high-end kitchens, notably serving as executive chef of New York’s brasserie Les Halles. Bourdain’s memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000) became a bestseller, followed by additional works of both fiction and non-fiction. His television work included A Cook’s Tour, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, The Layover, and appearances on a variety of television programs. 

A scene from ‘Roadrunner’. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

On June 18, 2018, while in France filming Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, he committed suicide. He was sixty-one years old.

In Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, director Morgan Neville explores the controversial celebrity chef through extensive video and interviews with friends and associates. While his childhood and early career are mentioned, the timeline begins with his rise to fame with the publication of Kitchen Confidential. 

With a two-hour running time, the expectation is a complete look at Bourdain. Fans will embrace the documentary, showing the subject in a sympathetic, if complicated light. Those who are less enamored will find it unsatisfying. Bourdain talks, smokes, eats, smokes, preens, and smokes. It touches on his drug use and hedonistic lifestyle. But mostly, the film consists of watching him smoke, talk, and preen. He ponders about life and his purpose. He travels. He smokes. In one particularly ghoulish cut, he eats a beating cobra heart. But mostly, he talks and smokes.

Neville almost ignores Bourdain as a chef for highlighting the man “hooked on travel,” describing him as “always rushing (thus the title). Bourdain was on the road at least two hundred and fifty days a year, covering hundreds of thousands of miles. The film emphasizes the exotic places: Lebanon, Port-au-Prince, Laos, and most dangerously, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his Apocalypse Now/Heart of Darkness moment.

This would all be fine if it did not feel so posed. Neville constantly presents a brooding Bourdain, looking lost and despondent, or walking alone on the beach. Whether this reflects Bourdain or the filmmaker cobbling together footage to support his thesis, it is hard to parse. Particularly squirm-worthy is a clip of Bourdain in therapy that rings false and hollow.

There is a nod to his nearly thirty-year marriage to Nancy Putkoski that dissolved with Bourdain’s rise in fame, which “burned down [his] previous life.” His second wife Ottavia Busia (to whom he was married from 2007 to 2016) is interviewed extensively and has mostly kind things to say (whether this is fact or editing …). It was with Ottavia that he had his only child, Ariane. 

A scene from ‘Roadrunner’. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

In 2017, he began seeing the much younger Italian actress, Asia Argento. She became heavily involved with and perhaps manipulative of his professional life before ending the relationship. The film less than subtly speculates that this contributed to his suicide. Argento declined to be interviewed, leaving a large hole in the accounting of his final days.

Neville alludes to Bourdain’s controlling side, illustrated by Bourdain’s range of obsessions, including taking up jujitsu at age fifty-eight. He became outspoken during the #MeToo movement, but this might have been due to Argento’s activism more than his personal beliefs. (One fascinating detail references him speaking ad nauseum about Argento’s skill at parking.) But nothing lasted with him—“not a person, place, or thing.”

The talking heads range from his producers and travel companions to various artists and musicians who became confidants. They seem to speak freely and appear devastated by his death. What is missing are interviews with people outside in the inner circle, who might cast light on the less sensitive behaviors and actions of which there are only hints.

There are multiple clips of Bourdain referencing violence against himself or others. His talks of self-doubt may be real or just part of the façade. Given the myriad footage, these could be passing comments. Even more damning is Helen Rosner’s interview with Neville in The New Yorker. Neville admitted to using A.I. technology for the construction of some of Bourdain’s voiceovers: “There were three quotes there I wanted his voice for that there were no recordings of … I created an A.I. model of his voice.”

Roadrunner feels incomplete, vaguely disingenuous, and almost rigged. And while all documentaries have a point-of-view, one wishes for a more objective and whole look at an unusual individual with a troubling legacy.  

Rated R, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is now playing in local theaters.

Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In the summer of 1969, a series of concerts was held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park. A celebration of African American music and culture and an opportunity to promote black pride, the Harlem Cultural Festival (sometimes deemed the Black Woodstock) was held on Sundays at 3 p.m., from June 29 through August 24. Performers included Nina Simone, B.B King, Sly and the Family Stone, Chuck Jackson, The 5th Dimension, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, among many others. Over 300,000 people attended the free events.

Director/producer Hal Tulchin filmed the concerts, but they were never commercially released. As much as he tried, he could find no interest in the films of the concerts. Whether this was due to its focus on the African American community or that Woodstock had overshadowed it is hard to say; most likely, it was a combination of the two. Segments were broadcast on Saturday nights by WNEW-TV Metromedia Channel 5 (now WNYW). After that, the footage languished in a basement where it remained for five decades.

Gladys Knight & the Pips perform at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson makes his directorial debut with the documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The multi-hyphenate Thompson—musician-composer-disc jockey-author-journalist-producer—is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the hip hop band The Roots. With Summer of Soul, he has created an exceptional cinematic experience that resurrects both the performances and the driving forces behind it. In addition to a treasure trove of first-rate artists, interviews with festival attendees offer insight into both the event and the world surrounding it. Some of the surviving performers share perspectives of their experience; Chris Rock, Shelia E., Rev. Al Sharpton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and his father, Luis, are just some who offer brief and pointed contemporary commentary. 

The first song shows nineteen-year-old Stevie Wonder moving from keyboards to drums in a jaw-dropping percussive display. His performance sets the tone for all that follows. There is a party atmosphere, a perpetual sense of anticipation, and the feel of a true communal gathering. The appreciation of culture is celebrated by a community that is unifying but also in the midst of great change and revolution. These elements are flawlessly blended.

Lounge singer Tony Lawrence hosted the Harlem Festival and served as producer, director, and promoter. His assistants speak of him with wry awe as a man who knew how to talk big and deliver. The film delves briefly into the overwhelming technical aspects of scheduling, contracting, equipment, and the myriad challenges the producer faced. The budget was such that the concerts needed to face west so that the sun could light the stage. Maxwell House underwrote the Festival, and liberal Republican Mayor Lindsay was in complete support and even appeared on stage.

With Viet Nam raging and general political disharmony, there was an underlying potential for violence that created a certain amount of anxiety. As a result, black Panther volunteers supplemented the limited police security presence. All of this serves as a background for the true joy: the celebration of identity through music. The performers range from the well-known to the more obscure. 

There are many highlights: The iconic Mahalia Jackson is an overwhelming and unique powerhouse. Up-and-coming Gladys Knight and the Pips perform “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” In an interview, Knight remembers being taken aback by the magnitude and energy of the crowd.

One of the more delightful moments is watching Billy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn McCoo watch the videos of themselves performing. It gives them a chance to revisit as well as reflect on their status at the time. They felt it would help “the black group with the white sound by appearing in Harlem.” Their blending of “Aquarius” and “Let the Sun Shine In” has become a classic.

The Edwin Hawkins Singers, part of the Pentecostal movement, felt that they spread the gospel to the people in song. Religious aspects of the Christian church were core to many performers, and this was “an eruption of spirit.”

The audience goes crazy for Sly and the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song” and “Everyday People.”

There was jazz, blues, gospel, rock, and Motown. Music also reflected both African and Cuban influences, showing the Harlem melting pot.

There are musings on hair and clothing changes that established distinctiveness. Difficult questions dealing with racism and economic disparity from the heroin epidemic to black militancy are explored. A good portion of the ending highlights the connection to Africa. New York Times writer Charlayne Hunter-Gault states that it was in 1969 that “Negro” died and “Black” was born.

One of the most enlightening sections features attendees questioned about their feelings towards the moon landing. The majority skew negative, expressing the belief that the money could have been used to feed people on this planet. Whether this was the consensus or just the opinions shown is hard to parse.

The place of honor goes to the extraordinary, versatile Nina Simone. In 1969, she was at the height of her popularity and most present in her outspoken advocacy for Civil Rights. Three full numbers are in the penultimate placement. “Backlash Blues” is followed by the more pastoral “To Be Young Gifted and Black,” inspired by the off-Broadway play that was running at the time. She finishes with the confrontational “Are You Ready?”—the strongest and most direct call to action. The final song is Sly and the Family Stone’s “Higher,” unifying the crowd in genuine delight.

Questlove has done incredible work creating Summer of Soul. His vision for the film shows unerring instinct. There is a seamless integration of interviews, both past and present, juxtaposed with news footage, historical context, and stock video footage of Harlem of the era. He knows when to present a song in its entirety or show a clip, cutting in with complementary material. His structure is subtle, and he has matched the excitement with peripatetic energy that builds the overall narrative. He smartly circles back to the individual experience, highlighting what it meant personally to both the performers and spectators. One man, who was a child when he attended, says, “It took my life from black and white into color.” Summer of Soul is more than a concert film, and the crime has taken fifty years to reach the screen.

Summer of Soul could not be timelier in its offering of the work done in the Civil Rights era—and a powerful reminder of the work yet to be done. Director Questlove offers a rich film preserving exceptional musical artistry and advocacy through the prism of a sadly forgotten event. 

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

Dev Patel stars in the medieval fantasy ‘The Green Knight’. Photo courtesy of A24 Films

By Jeffrey Sanzel

A year ago, studios were deciding whether to release their summer slates. Would theaters open to limited seating? Should movies be offered on streaming platforms? Does it make sense to delay a few weeks or even hold off to the fall? Many films announced for July did not appear until September or even later. Disney+, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and others hosted a range of new releases. For the summer of 2021, it is notable that some will continue simultaneous theater and home viewing releases. 

Some of the more anticipated films are already out, so we will focus on what is coming up in July and August.

There is never a shortage of sequels, especially for those who like numbers in their titles: The Forever Purge (July 2); Spacejam: A New Legacy (July 16); Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania (July 23); Escape Room 2 (July 16); and Don’t Breathe 2 (August 13). This list could also include the Candyman reboot (August 27) and the “soft reboot” of The Suicide Squad (August 6).

Summer of Soul

While Woodstock has become the cultural icon of music events, the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival had huge attendance. It featured legendary artists (Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Nina Simone, among many others.). Director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary explores the music and its influence with exceptional archival footage. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 2

Black Widow 

For those looking for a superhero blockbuster, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as the Avengers super-spy in a prequel that takes place after the events of Captain America: Civil War. The character has been seen in over eight different films (including her death in Avengers: Endgame) in a ten-year span. This origin story is part of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 9

Old 

Few cinematic auteurs cause as much anticipation and frustration as M. Night Shyamalan. In Old, a family on a tropical vacation realizes that they are aging rapidly. The basic premise was suggested by the graphic novel Sandcastle, but in Shyamalan(d), nothing is ever straightforward. Whether this will be The Sixth Sense or The Lady in the Water remains to be seen. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date July 23

Stillwater 

Matt Damon stars in director Tom McCarthy’s thriller about an Oklahoma oil-rig worker who travels to Marseille, France, to clear his daughter’s name when imprisoned for a crime she says she didn’t commit. The preview offers Damon in rugged protective father mode, emoting shades of Liam Neeson. The cast also includes Camille Cottin from Call My Agent.

Rated R · Release date July 30

The Green Knight 

One of the summer’s most anticipated movies is writer-director David Lowery’s take on the 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The always excellent Dev Patel stars as the titular lord in an epic fantasy with horror-movie overtones. The Green Knight is definitely something for those who have been missing Game of Thrones: The film is replete with quests, romance, giants and beheadings. Also starring Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, and Sean Harris.

Rated R · Release date July 30

Respect 

Jennifer Hudson stars as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Earlier in 2021, National Geographic’s Genius: Aretha received the ire of Franklin’s family, having been cut out of the production’s development. Conversely, the family has embraced the upcoming Respect, claiming that Hudson was the only person Aretha considered right to portray her. The exceptional cast includes Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, and Audra McDonald. 

Rated PG-13 · Release date August 13

Coda 

In a remake of the French-language La Famille Bélier (2014), Emilia Jones plays a teenager torn between musical aspirations and a devotion to helping her deaf family in their fishing business. This mix of coming-of-age romance and topical family drama received accolades at Sundance. Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and Eugenio Derbez co-star.

Not Rated · Release date August 13

Free Guy 

Ryan Reynolds plays “Guy,” a bank teller who discovers that he is just a background player in someone else’s video game. This realization drives him to make a life for himself. The clever premise of this action-comedy could be a breakthrough experience or just another been-there-done-that.

Rated R · Release date August 13

Reminiscence 

Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy makes her directorial debut with a sci-fi drama starring Hugh Jackman as Nicholas Bannister, a veteran living in climate-ravaged Miami. Bannister provides an unusual service: He gives clients an opportunity to relive any memory. His course is derailed by an affair with Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), leading to twists and turns in both the past and present.

Rated PG-13 · Release date August 20

The Night House 

This psychological thriller follows a recent widow (Rebecca Hall) living alone in the lakeside house built for her by her late husband. In true horror mystery fashion, the night brings nightmares that drive her to delve into the dark secrets of her husband’s past. The film also stars Sarah Goldberg and Stacy Martin.

Rated R · Release date August 20

The Beatles: Get Back

 Peter Jackson has created a documentary that focuses on the making of the Beatles 1969 album Let It Be, using footage captured for Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 film (also called Let It Be). The creation of songs such as “The Long and Winding Road” and “Get Back” is played against the clashes and carousing of a band on the verge of dissolution.

Not Rated · Release date August 27

This article first appeared in TBR News Media’s Summer Times supplement on 06/24/21.

Rita Moreno in 'West Side Story'. Photo courtesy of MGM/Roadside Attractions

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

At age 89, Rita Moreno has shown no signs of slowing down. The actor-singer-dancer’s seventy-plus year career spans from Hollywood to Broadway to London’s West End, from clubs to television to regional theatre. The documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is a fascinating glimpse of this iconic figure.

Rita Moreno in a scene from the film.
Photo courtesy of MGM/Roadside Attractions

The film, made around the time of Moreno’s eighty-seventh birthday, is a revelatory exploration. Moreno is candid, whether speaking of the highlights of her career or her personal demons. She is one of the most award-winning performers, including that rare EGOT — Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. (Only fifteen people have achieved this honor.) Moreno also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has received a Screen Actor’s Guild Life Achievement Award, and was presented with a National Arts Medal by President Barack Obama. 

But in all her fame, the documentary shows a warm, humorous, down-to-earth individual who has never let discrimination or gender inequality from stopping her. She faced some of the worst mistreatments common to young women in Hollywood. She braved setbacks and disappointments as well as violence. Moments of self-doubt have plagued her for seven decades. And yet, in all of this, she maintains a remarkable and inspiring sense of self.

Born December 11, 1931, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano was brought to the United States by her divorced mother when she was only six years old. (She never saw her brother again.) While barely into her teens, she began performing in New York City before a talent scout brought her out to Hollywood, where she began a film career that would span well over half a century. 

Landing a contract with MGM, Moreno was given the look of a Latina Elizabeth Taylor. Subsequently, her roles consisted of playing “ethnics,” often with darkened skin and thick accents. One exception — and an experience that she clearly prizes — was playing Zelda Zanders in the Golden Age musical Singin’ in the Rain. Here, she was allowed to eschew the stereotype that had been and would continue to dominate most of her career.

She achieved cinematic immortality (and an Oscar) for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story. She expresses deep gratitude for the opportunity to play what she saw as an empowering role. She hoped that it would lead to more varied roles, but the offers that followed were much the same type — gang-related films and the like. 

Moreno continued to work on stage and in film and television, garnering praise and accolades. For many, she is the “Hey, you guys!” cast member of the PBS children’s show The Electric Company. The show ran from 1971 to 1977 and led to her Grammy Award.

The 1990s saw her as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo on the prison series Oz, something she credits with bringing her back into the public eye. Most recently, she featured as the grandmother in the short-lived reboot of One Day at Time. In addition, Stephen Spielberg created a role for her in the remake of West Side Story, due out on Dec. 11. 

Rita Moreno as a young girl with her parents. Photo courtesy of MGM/Roadside Attractions

Moreno shares openly about her personal life. Her Hollywood agent raped her; to her horror, she continued to use him as her agent. She speaks of her emotionally abusive seven-year on-again-off-again relationship with Marlon Brando, by whom she became pregnant. (Brando insisted she have an abortion.) Her heartbreak over the actor led to a suicide attempt. 

Equally as revealing is the frank discussion of her marriage. In 1965, she wed cardiologist Leonard Gordon, to whom she remained married until he died in 2010. To the world, they were the perfect couple. However, she admits that she was never truly happy with him and wished she had left him. Nevertheless, she remains close with their one daughter, Fernanda Gordon Fisher, and her two grandsons.

Throughout the film, her colleagues give insight into her success. Morgan Freeman (with whom she appeared on The Electric Company), producer-director Norman Lear, playwright Terrence McNally (for whom he wrote her Tony-Award winning role in The Ritz), her West Side Story co-star George Chakiris, fellow EGOT-winner Whoopi Goldberg, and one of the film’s executive producers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, marvel at her talent and tenacity. Film historians chime in with commentary about how she managed to rise above what were often dimensionless roles.

The film emphasizes Moreno as a social trailblazer, including her involvement in fighting racism and sexism. She is shown with Sammy Davis, Jr. at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech in August 1963. She continues with her social activist work to this day. 

Director Mariem Pérez Riera has constructed an elegant and eloquent film that celebrates not just Moreno’s fame but, more importantly, her humanity. The story is of a life both rich and challenging and one that led to the fullest. Any biography is a “version” of the subject. Riera presents Moreno in the strongest and most positive light. But there is something so completely present and unpretentious about the dynamic Moreno that one would be hard-pressed to doubt her sincerity.

Moreno’s recent remarks defending Lin-Manuel Miranda and the casting of In the Heights overshadowed the film’s release. Shortly after, she walked them back, but the controversy still hovers. It would be sad if this affected the documentary’s success. Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is an honest look at an important figure: a survivor, a role model, an exceptional talent, and a vibrant and valued human being. 

In her own words, “You always have to be able to get up, dust yourself off, and move forward.” Hopefully, viewers will keep this in mind and embrace this incredible portrait. Rated PG-13, the documentary is now playing at local theaters.

A scene from 'Breaking Boundaries'. Photo from Netflix

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Netflix’s Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet explores the idea that humanity has pushed the planet beyond survival and sustainability. While ably hosted by the ever-reliable Sir David Attenborough, the dominant voice is Swedish Professor Johan Rockström, an informed and articulate scientist with a range of facts and concepts that he introduces over the one hour and fifteen-minute running time.

Swedish Professor Johan Rockström

There are few topics — if any — more important than the future of Earth. And while some make claims against it, climate change, global warming, and other man-driven destructions are real and present dangers, ones that seem to be growing geometrically. This documentary attempts to explain these issues by setting down a theory of boundaries. It then proceeds to explain how they are being crossed.

Breaking Boundaries opens with a discussion of the stability of Earth’s temperature and climate for 10,000 years; this allowed for the development of the modern world. The documentary then proceeds to cite examples of our destructive behaviors and how they have negatively impacted various ecosystems, including the Amazon, the Great Barrier Reef, etc. Rockström’s refrain is, “It is not about the planet. It is about us. About our future.” Perhaps he is trying to appeal to our self-centered nature rather than our desire to correct what we have broken. Unfortunately, his slightly skewed sense of humanity is probably well-founded.

The film starts with a glimmer of hope, but five minutes in, the bad news is announced: over the past fifty years, we have pushed ourselves out of the norm that existed the previous 10,000 years. And there may be no fix for this situation. 

Over the next fifty minutes, a disjointed narrative attempts to explain the nine planetary boundaries — the distance from the safe zone to the danger zone to the high risk/critical zone. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has caused droughts, heatwaves, forest fires, and flooding. Ocean acidification, the dangers of aerosols, and novel entities of human pollution are just some of the ideas introduced. Thus, there is an immediate need not just to reduce but to fossil-free within three decades.

‘Breaking Boundaries’. Photo from Netflix

Scientists meditate on the destruction of the icecaps, evaluate the reduction of flora and fauna to the point of extinction, and offer a great number of numbers that sometimes seem like … a great number of numbers. (Overwhelming statistics and an extraordinary list of theories make for a bit of confusion.) Finally, the film circles back to the four boundaries that have been crossed and possibly irrevocably (but maybe not?): climate, forest loss, nutrients, and biodiversity.

Every bit of this is important information. But the problem comes down to this: Breaking Boundaries is a documentary dealing with a life-and-death topic in a clumsy and wrong-headed approach. Director Jonathan Clay has underestimated his audience, deciding that an MTV assault is the only way to connect. As a result, the bells and whistles drown out the material. Yes, they are alarm bells and fire whistles, but this is an onslaught, not an explanation. 

One talking head goes so far as to refer to the “Mad Max future.” A drinking game based on the repetition of “tipping point” and “irreversible” would put the players out in under twenty minutes. There is probably truth in every statement and comment. But judicious editing would have allowed for a variety of tactics, rather than what comes across as a relentless, one-note attack. 

The effects are overwhelming and non-stop, with even the most sedate moments backgrounded with a strange light show. (Was this Mr. Clay’s first time with a green screen?) The graphics seem to be inspired by the 1980s’ Tron. Or perhaps Saturday Night Fever. Everything explodes on screen, making for restless, jittery filmmaking. The result wholly lessens the film’s integrity.

Many moments succeed in capturing the beauty of nature. If a bit generic, they serve as a strong reminder of what is being destroyed. Some disturbing images are not sensational but instead are telling: wild animals who now live close to settled and “civilized” areas are shown in droves on highways and the environs of cities. While we are always warned not to anthropomorphize, there is a palpable fear in their eyes.

‘Breaking Boundaries’. Photo from Netflix

There are two moments of resonating humanity. First, a scientist discussing the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef becomes choked up, clearly a spontaneous and honest reaction to what he has seen. Second, a conservationist revisits one of the sites where she had studied birds before its incineration. The destruction of fifty million acres of Australian land caused the displacement or death of an estimated three billion animals. While she looks at the bleak landscape, she says, “This is an ecological catastrophe.” But this is also highly personal and, again, powerful in its simplicity. 

If only the director had trusted moments like these. Instead, he chose window dressing that makes the experience a late-night infomercial for the predictions of Nostradamus.

After fifty-nine minutes of apocalyptic prognostication, there are twelve minutes of “but-it-can-all-be-saved.” We need to bend the global curve of emissions, cutting 6 to 7% per year. We can draw down the carbon by planting more trees. Changing our diets to healthy foods will contribute to the saving of the planet. We can eliminate waste by turning the linear cycle into a circular one by recovering raw materials (and benefit the economy). Finally, we must turn towards renewable energy. “The window is still open.” Rockström believes that 2020 to 2030 is the decisive decade: what happens in these ten years will determine what happens over the coming centuries.

Perhaps there is no longer a way to make people listen — and more importantly, take action — without being sensationalist. However, this film will win no converts and will probably not engage the already aware and committed. The call is to act as “earth’s conscience — it’s brain — thinking and acting with one unified purpose — to ensure that our planet forever remains healthy and resilient — the perfect home.” It is not just a noble purpose but an essential one. There have been, and there will be many valuable examinations of this subject matter. Unfortunately, in the end, Breaking Boundaries is not one of them.