31st Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Coverage

Philadelphia Film Society
Producers of the
31st Philadelphia Film Festival
Oct 19- 30, 2022

DAY 1

TICKET TO PARADISE was not shown at PFF31, but I went over to AMC Fashion District to see it on day 1 of the festival because I’d already seen a preview screening of The Banshees of Inisherin the week before.  I rejoined the Festival in time for the Q&A and the Opening Night Party.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN | Searchlight Pictures | Writer/Director Martin McDonagh |Composer Carter Burwell

Tinsel & Tine #MiniMovieReview – Martin McDonagh’s (In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) latest film takes place on a tiny island off the coast of Ireland in 1923, as the Irish Civil War plays out in the background. Long-time drinking buddies Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) have been meeting and walking down to the only pub on the island by the sea, for as long as I’m sure either of them can remember. When suddenly one morning Colm decides  Pádraic is dull and never wants to speak with him again. Pádraic’s done nothing wrong, he’s the same man he was the day before, but Colm wants to spend his remaining time on earth doing something he feels is significant, like making music. And he thinks Pádraic is too much of a boring distraction. So much so, he warns Pádraic that if he doesn’t leave him be, he’ll cut off one of his own fingers every time Pádraic bothers him. Instead of giving Colm his space for a while and seeing if it’s just a phase, which it probably was, Pádraic just keeps pestering the hell outta Colm, needing more clarity on why they’re friendship is at an end. He even goes so far as to sabotage the relationship between Colm and his new musical acquaintance. 

Pádraic’s sister Siobhán Súilleabháin (Kerry Condon) is the loveliest character in the story.  She and Pádraic still share their childhood home.  She’s very soothing and tries to calm the waters between the two and asks her brother to respect Colm’s wishes, but it’s all to no avail, as the whole thing spins completely out of control for both men.

I’m not certain what McDonagh is ultimately trying to express in The Banshees of Inisherin. Perhaps just a commentary on living a small life. Both men have only ever lived on this majestically beautiful (every landscape shot is an Instagrammable moment) but remote island all their lives. Pádraic seems content with his miniature donkey, his sister’s cooking and his nights at the Pub, but that’s because he hasn’t allowed himself to think beyond that.  Once Colm did some self-reflection it seems he found his life too trivial and insignificant to bear and needed to create some drama for sheer satisfaction.  Personally, I think I’m ready to retire to a small island and fritter away the rest of my days on beautiful scenery and nice, polite company over a couple of ales.  T&T rating: 4 outta 5

CARTER BURWELL The Composer for all of Martin McDonagh’s film as well as the Coen Brothers and many others, talked to the audience via Zoom after the screening.  It’s surprisingly much more interesting than you’d think.  For my 5 Questions Series Question 2 is always “Tell us about the music of your film”  Yet at the same time, I’d never given a lot of thought about the ins and outs and nuances of being a composer for film scores. It was quite a treat to hear Carter talk about his movie career.  CLICK IMAGE ABOVE FOR VIDEO

Opening Night Party at Film Center

Dancing On My Own

#PFF31 Opening Night Party @PhilaFilmCenter @PhillyFilmSoc pic.twitter.com/fTbSOF7ZfS

— Tinsel & Tine – Marvelous Movie Maven (@tinseltine) October 20, 2022

DAY 2

TILL | United Artist Releasing | writer/director Chinonye Chukwu |Co-writers Michael Reilly &  Keith Beauchamp

Click above image for T&T short red carpet interview with Chinonye Chukwu. Then the video goes into her extensive and informative Q&A on the making of TILL

Tinsel & Tine #MiniMovieReview TILL – Chinonye Chukwu, is a Temple University alumna, where she received her MFA. She is the first black woman to win the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for her 2019 film CLEMENCY starring Alfre Woodard – which also screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival along with her first feature 2012 ALASKA-LAND.

When I first heard the story of Emmett Till was going to be its own feature film, I worried it would be too hard to take.  This young boy’s life and horrific death has been a huge representation of racial hatred, especially in the bigoted south, for my whole life, can’t even remember when I first learned of him.  His story has often been a part of other movies, documentaries and TV series when examining racial discrimination, lynching and the Civil Rights movement, but to my knowledge, there’s never been something solely about his murder.

Thankfully, this movie centers around Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley played with stunning truth and clarity by Danielle Deadwyler. We will definitely be seeing her everywhere in the fast approaching Awards Season.  I didn’t realize until I looked up her IMDB that she’s the same actress I was so impressed with in THE HARDER THEY FALL, she played the non-binary-ish Cuffee inspired by the real-life Cathay Williams.  She’s a tiny dynamite in that film, which in no way resembles the genteel, grace of Mamie in TILL. 

We meet a smiling, music loving Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) living in Chicago with his mother and grandmother (Whoopi Goldberg, also a Producer on the film). He’s quick to laugh, make jokes, be the center of attention.  He wants to spend the summer with his cousins in Money, Mississippi.  His mother Mamie doesn’t think it’s a good idea.  We feel her portent of danger in the worry behind her calm features, and the lightness of the music being just off enough to give you a sense of foreboding.  Mamie knows Emmett, whom everyone calls Bo, doesn’t really understand just how racially charged everything is in the South compared to the North, which was completely racist, but more polite about it.  Like the department store security guard who tries to steer Mamie to the basement to bargain shop instead of going to the main counters.  Mamie tries to impress upon Bo that he needs to make himself small while there, don’t engage with anyone white and if you must just be polite and keep your head down. It’s awful that mothers today still have to give their black sons this talk – warning them what not to do when engaging with the police, still having to be afraid for their children’s lives.  Bo says he understands, but you can tell by the innocent light of happiness on his face, he’s got no idea this kind of darkness exists.

Also thankfully and deftly, Chukwu does not show the beating and torture of Bo/Emmett, yet it’s still chilling and enough of a reminder of a past that’s not so far in the past, as we witnessed recently with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.  Yes, his murderers were sentenced to life in prison, but their hate crimes were nearly swept under the rug.

There’s beautiful detailing in the production of TILL, from costumes to the homes and stores both in the north and south. I read where a reviewer felt the vibrant coloring of the film should have changed to depict the differences between the two places, can’t decide if I agree.  But I do agree that it’s a story worth telling and seeing.

T&T Rating: 4.5 outta 5

THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH |Cinema De France | Filmmaker Dominik Moll

Click Image for Trailer

BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY | Reading Rainbow Documentary |
filmmakers Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb

Click Image for Podcast Interview

DAY 3

GLASS ONION: A Knives Out Mystery | Netflix | Writer/Director Rian Johnson | Costume Designer Jenny Eagan

Tinsel & Tine #MiniMovieReview GLASS ONION –  As a filmmaker how coveted would it be to discover you’ve created a franchise?  I suppose it would depend on how much you love the world you’ve built. Well, Rian Johnson is more than fond of his knives out mystery verse and lead character Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and if Glass Onion does half as well as 2019’s Knives Out (PhilaFCC Best Picture winner) then they’re both happy to keep the franchise going.

When it comes to movies and COVID what I’ve mainly seen so far is either the movie is steeped in it or ignores it all together.  Johnson decided to address it as the elephant in the room for a beat at the beginning and then cleverly shoots the elephant and rids the rest of the movie of this actuality.  We are introduced to the cast or rather soon to be suspects: Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) a vacuous, self-centered music legend, with a fabulous wardrobe.  Her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), has the difficult job of keeping Birdie from being cancelled again on Twitter. Kathryn Hahn, whose career is super hot these days, plays Claire, a democratic politician. Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) is a Joe Rogan type influencer. Cody’s girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) seems to be just a pretty face who looks hot in a bikini, but she’s much smarter than she looks (this is not a clue).  Lionel (Leslie Odom, Jr) is a brilliant scientist. Andie Brand is a corporate CEO (Janelle Monáe) who steals the movie, she’s so watchable.  And all of them revolve around Miles Bron (Edward Norton) a compilation of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and any other billionaire with too much excess and no sense of reality.

We’re introduced to them individually in their own worlds, but soon we have them all on Bron’s island for a little reunion, as all these characters know one another from their early days before their careers took off.  I won’t tell you why or how Benoit Blanc is on the island, but I do like that we get to see a bit of his home life too before going.

For me, Rian Johnson has done it again!  I enjoyed it almost as much as Knives Out, although it’s impossible to recapture the element of surprise I felt back then, realizing Johnson had modernized the Whodunit to so much good effect. For Glass Onion my expectations were already set. Knives Out was also a darker comedy; the mood and location for this one is much lighter with less layers, which is ironic that it doesn’t have as much to peel.  But in terms of staging, pacing, engagement it’s right up there with the original.   T&T rating: 4 outta 5

Four members of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle  LeAnne Lindsay (me), Dan Tabor, Stephen Silver & Rich Heimlich, got the opportunity to sit down with Rian Johnson in Philly, the morning before “Glass Onion” screened at the festival. His interview is part of our Film Scribes Podcast –  LISTEN BELOW:

FILMADELPHIA SHORTS Program:

DEERWOODS DEATHTRAPS James P. Gannon | 9 MIN
50 years ago, Jack and Betty were hit by a train and survived. This is their story.

I (HEART) JACK LALANNE: A CARTOON MEMIOR LeAnn Erickson | 14 MIN
In this animated short documentary, the filmmaker (a lesbian, feminist baby boomer) shares her coming out story with the help of exercise guru Jack LaLanne.

MEMNON Cameron Clay | 15 MIN
Haunted by his recent death, a rapper’s younger brother struggles to finish his last verse.

RO & THE STARDUST Eunice Levis | 18 MIN
A free-spirited teen fulfills her terminally ill grandmother’s dying wish of building a rocketship to launch her into outer space.

SHE GOT BALLS! Cheryl Hess | 19 MIN
A South Philly cooking competition ends in controversy when a rumor spreads that the vegan entry has won. Sometimes a meatball is not just a meatball…

THE STAND Andrew Bilindabagabo | 8 MIN
Based on a true story, this short film captures a singular moment in a mother’s internal struggle to overcome her abuser and fight for

I (heart) Jack Lalanne: A Cartoon Memoir
LeAnn Erickson: Co-Producer, Writer/Director/Animator/Editor University film professor and independent filmmaker

Her latest film will premiere at the 31st Philadelphia Film Festival.
Two screenings:
Friday, October 21, 9:00 PM, PFS East A
Sunday, October 30, 5:30 PM, PFS East B
Location: PFS East (formerly Ritz East), 125 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Tickets: purchased through the festival website

I (heart) Jack Lalanne: A Cartoon Memoir uses animation and a memoir structure to weave a comedic and dramatic coming out story. Employing a playful visual aesthetic and humorous tone, the film tackles serious issues, including coming out as gay in a less tolerant era, the impact of role models on children, and dealing with a late-in-life disability- issues that hold contemporary resonance in America’s current culture wars.

Co-produced with her son Jake Rasmussen, Erickson wrote, directed, animated, and edited the film. Emmy winning composer and Philly native Patrick de Caumette created the original music for the film.

And Here’s LeAnn Erickson’s 5 Questions Interview:

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for I (heart) Jack LaLanne: A Cartoon Memoir and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

LeAnn Erickson: I have been making personal documentaries for many years but they were all serious in tone. A grad school friend said to me- LeAnn, you’re a funny person. Why don’t you ever make funny work?  READ MORE

DAY 4

NEXT EXIT Writer/Director Mali Elfman | USA | Magnet Releasing |103 Min

Synopsis: The world is forever changed when Dr. Stevenson (Karen Gillan) announces that she has discovered undeniable proof of the afterlife and invites those eager to leave this world to partake in her new, ethically questionable Life Beyond study. For Rose (Katie Parker), the experiment offers a chance to leave behind her guilt-ridden past. Yet for the often self-deprecating Teddy (Rahul Kohli), the unusual opportunity means finally finding a purpose in his aimless life. When the two find themselves driving a rental car westbound across the U.S., they will have to continually challenge not only the reasons for the trip, but also why the bickering travelers remain together. In this intimate film with big, celestial ideas, Elfman perfectly balances levity and the macabre as Rose and Teddy must first deal with the absurdity of this life before reaching the next one.

CAST: Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa

BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND | Writer/Director Trevor Anderson | Co-writer Fish Griwkowsky

DECISION TO LEAVE | CJ Entertainment | Writer/Director Park Chan-wook | Co-writer Jeong Seo-kyeong | South Korea

THE WHALE | A24 |Director Darren Aronofsky | Writer Samuel D. Hunter

DAY 5

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE: Filmadelphia World Premiere | Writer/Director Brandon Eric Kamin |Producer PFS Exe. Dir. J. Andrew Greenblatt |Assoc Producer FirstGlance Founder Bill Ostroff

Anthony Riley was a Philly street performer who rose to short-lived fame on NBC’s “The Voice”.  All 4 chairs turned and he picked Pharrell – his outlook for success looked eminent. But he left the show abruptly, went into rehab and a short time later committed suicide.  Such a sad story, but I believe it was most-likely the inspiration for @BrandonEricKamin‘s film “Rittenhouse Square” – although I didn’t get a chance to ask him during the Q&A. 

For non-Philadelphians who may not know, Rittenhouse Square is an upscale neighborhood in Center City with a park in the center.  It’s a nicely designed park, in constant use by all walks of life and creative events, but it’s also got its fair share of rats and homeless population.  Kamin’s film in no way follows the downward trajectory of Riley’s life, but it does feature KJ (Dharon Jones – nice pipes) a kid in his early 20’s who gets discovered performing in Rittenhouse Square Park, by a writer of a local Philly paper, allowing him the means to audition for an American Idol/The Voice type competition show.

KJ however, is not just a busker who plays for tips during the day and heads home to a warm bed at night. No, his mother, a Church Minister (Carmen Ruby Floyd) throws him outta the house after catching him smoking pot, such a small, really non-offense, I would think even for a preacher; but mainly  she’s frustrated with DJ’s inability to commit to a calling for the church, the family business, as DJ’s deceased father was also a Minister.  So KJ rides the bus from the Mainline (suburbs) to Center City (by the way, the Septa bus would never announce Rittenhouse Square as a stop. If anything they’d just say 18th or 19th street).  And why KJ would have and pack enough rope to tie a small schooner to a dock, is unclear, but it is the reason why he meets Barry (Nick Nolte), a seasoned homeless individual who takes a shine to KJ and a deep bond of friendship ensues. 

There’s a reason that writers are given the advice of write what you know. It allows for nuances, tones and moments of truth movies need to set them apart.  But it’s always great to see local filmmakers working their craft and to see my city depicted in a story of love and pursuit of one’s dreams.

Click above image for red carpet photos of the cast & crew. Along with post-screening Q&A featuring Brandon Eric Kamin, Dharon Jones and Nick Nolte in from LA to attend the premiere!

Post Update from the Filmmaker:

CORSAGE | Alamode Film |Writer/Director Marie Kreutzer | Cinematography Judith Kaufmann

WHITE NOISE | Netflix | Writer/Director Noah Baumbach |
Based on Book by Don DeLillo

WOMEN ARE TALKING |Universal Pictures | Writer/Director Sarah Polley | Based on book by Miriam Toews

DAY 6

A NIGHT WITH THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE &
PFS SENIOR PROGRAMMER TREY SHEILDS

Members Dan Tabor @danthefan  & @StephenSilver interviewing Sr. @PhillyFilmSoc Programmer Trey Shields for a #BehindTheScenes look into the fest.  Check out the Podcast below:

DAY 7

MISTER ORGAN | Madman Entertainment | Director/Producer David Farrier | Cinematography Dominic Fryer |Documentary

An investigation into the mysterious culprit behind a bizarre parking dispute unexpectedly leads journalist David Farrier down a rabbit hole of manipulation and deceit in this darkly fascinating documentary.

I don’t really wanna go too deeply into this film.  It’a a fascinating doc, but I truly feel David Farrier stumbled upon an actual demon in human form as his subject matter and should have renounced the whole project early on. It’s obvious this whole experience has taken a terrible toll on the filmmaker, who was once rather cute and is now a disheveled mess.  Along with what he revealed in the Q&A, which I’ve decided not to post.

DAY 8

CALL JANE | Roadside Attractions | Director Phyllis Nagy |
Screenplay Hayley Schore & Roshan Sethi

Stay Tuned for T&T #MiniMovieReview

Day 9

CAUSEWAY |A24 |Director Lila Neugebauer | Writers Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, Elizabeth Sanders | Producer Jennifer Lawrence

Got a chance to interview director Lila Neugebauer on the red carpet and capture the Q&A with Moderated by Michael Lerman. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry, Linda Emond, Jayne Houdyshell, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Russell Harvard.

Synopsis: Lynsey (Lawrence), a U.S. soldier, experiences a traumatic brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan which forces her to return home. She struggles to return to her daily life with her mother as she waits for her eventual redeployment.

Tinsel & Tine #MiniMovieReview: “Causeway” feels like a short you make to get funding for the feature length. Neugebauer talks about cutting the flashback scenes during editing, but it feels like either a lot more than that got cut or they didn’t shoot enough footage. Mainly, I suppose it’s a bare bones script. The movie hinges on a deeply felt friendship between Lynsey and James (Tyree Henry) but not enough takes place between them to invest you in this bond of friendship. He should have been her physical therapist, not her mechanic, that would have given them many more scenes together; well, that is if her healing process from the brain injury weren’t rushed, which it is. There’s so many repetitive scenes, too many of her running, going to the doctors, swimming. 

It’s not a great vehicle for Jennifer Lawrence’s return after her hiatus from movies. And I’d like to see Neugebauer get another chance at film directing rather than stage directing with a more fleshed out screenplay.

WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY |The Roku Channel |Director/Co-writer Eric Appel | Writer Al Yankovic

“What then proceeds is a completely fanciful mock biopic in which we see young Al Yankovic (played as an adult by Daniel Radcliffe) wounded by his working-stiff father’s (Toby Huss) refusal to let him follow his dream of making up fake lyrics to existing pop songs. He rebels and learns to play the accordion in secret, becoming the outlaw toast of his town’s wild teenage “polka parties.”…It of course makes sense that a Weird Al biopic would simply be a spoof of other music biopics. Not just because parody is his whole thing, but also because, well, the true story of his rise doesn’t appear to have been all that interesting…” READ MORE Vulture

Day 11

LOUDMOUTH: The Al Sharpton Doc |BRON Releasing |
Filmmaker Josh Alexander

Josh Alexander’s Loudmouth documents the winding road that is Al Sharpton’s life story as an iconic activist and spiritual leader. Viewers peek under the fold and witness the unrestricted details of Sharpton’s development from an 8-year-old preacher to a (sometimes painted as controversial) civil rights figure. Along with his history in the public eye, the good and the bad, the film offers behind the scenes insight into Sharpton’s experience as a presidential candidate advisor and racial justice advocate during the volatile climate of 2020. 

Audiences will be drawn in by Sharpton’s depth of knowledge and unpublicized details about police brutality in the United States, in particular, New York. Scenes with Andrew Cuomo and other influential figures highlight what makes Sharpton so special as a storyteller and agitator. Viewers are introduced to a new side of the activist and politician, who many have mixed feelings about. Loudmouth makes one thing clear – there’s no one like him. —Shakira Refos (Tribeca 2022)

Click above for interview with Josh Alexander and Rev Al Sharpton taken after PFF31 screening

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:

JURY AWARD WINNERS (IG Video):

ORIGINAL POST LEADING UP TO THE FESTIVAL

Attended the preview event at the Philadelphia Film Center where members of the Philadelphia Film Society’s Panel of Curators discussed the programs, events and films to be screened for #PFF31 – Click Image for Video

Festival to Open with Martin McDonagh’s THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN 

and

Close with Laura Poitras’ documentary, ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED

More Than 130 Films from Over 40 Countries

 Will Screen During the 12-Day Event,

Wednesday, October 19 – Sunday, October 30, 2022

LIST OF FILM FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

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PFS on Us Initiative
Offers Complimentary Tickets – See the List of FREE Films on the Schedule

Important!  Free Screenings Still Require Reservations

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Check out last year’s Coverage of the
30th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival

Click Image to View All the films/reviews/events