Movies Extravaganza 17: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, SHOW HER THE MONEY, THE COVID1619 PROJECT, SEARCHING FOR NIKA, TOTALLY KILLER, THE CREATOR

Originally Posted November 4, 2023

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON | Apple Original Films | Writer/Director Martin Scorsese
Co-Writer Eric Roth |Book David Grann

Synopsis: When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

What did I (LeAnne) think? 3.5 outta 5 – Definitely a story worth telling, definitely could have been told in 2 hours and some change. It’s a simple story of murder and greed. There’s no twists or turns, no mysteries, it doesn’t span a great many years. The characters are not that complex. Scorsese please stop stretching things out just to compete with Marvel! INFINITY WAR & END GAME needed 3 hours because they were wrapping up a 10 year saga involving a great many characters and storylines. Otherwise, whether you are an institutional director or Marvel Studios, you don’t need more than 2 possibly 2.5 hours to tell a captivating and involved story. If you need more time than that, then make it a streaming show.

Anyway, Molly (Lily Gladstone) is so captivating. I love her restrained demeanor, and shape of her face. And I think those blankets could become a fashion statement again. But so terrible that the white men just referred to these Indigenous women as that, “Blankets”. But what I didn’t understand is why these women wanted to marry these interlopers anyway? It was so obvious the town was just crammed with no goods, looking to cash in anyway they could. None of them seemed on the up and up and of course they weren’t. These Colonizers figured out many ways of stealing these people’s wealth, but at the very least, don’t make it easy for them by making them family.

I would have preferred more scenes involving Molly, her mother and sisters and other members of the Osage tribe prior to Ernest’s (DiCaprio) arrival. They say the book is told from the prospective of the FBI, but this film is told through the prospective of the killers. The film is sympathetic to the Osage, yes, but it’s not from their point of view.

Bottom line – it was far from boring like THE IRISHMAN, but being reminded of what Indigenous and Black races have lost over the years, with little to no justice, makes me so angry that I can’t imagine ever watching this again, well, that and you know, the time thing.

SHOW HER THE MONEY | The Women’s Film Festival | Filmmakers Ky Dickens, Catherine Gray, Liz Kaar
Executive Producer Sharon Gless

SYNOPSIS:  Women have been shut out of the financial world, making it almost impossible to get their ideas and inventions funded. SHOW HER THE MONEY pulls back the curtain on the extreme underfunding of women in the Venture Capital world, with less than 2% of venture capital going to women. Featuring female entrepreneurs who have boot-strapped their companies and those who helped them scale into success stories. SHOW HER THE MONEY is a compelling and crucial reminder that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality.

The film follows four visionary entrepreneurs as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality. In spite of their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even more determined, resourceful and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each business has the potential to become a “unicorn” … a billion dollar business.

Vicky Pasche aspires to change the world of fashion with Dapper Boi, a gender-neutral, body inclusive apparel line. Jasmine Jones, founder of Myya, wants to make shopping for mastectomy bras empowering, convenient and sexy for breast cancer survivors. Diipa Büller-Khosla, founder of indē wild, creates beauty products influenced by ancient Indian medicine known as Ayurveda. She is empowering South Asian women to celebrate their brown skin in a country that historically markets skin lightening products. Marian Leitner’s company, Archer Roose, sells luxury wines in cans, reinventing the image of wine drinkers while lowering the carbon footprint of the wine industry.

Trailblazing wealthy and connected women are funding these female funders. The film gives us a peek into the exclusive lives of these gate keepers including: Dawn Lafreeda, a waitress turned millionaire, who owns more restaurants than any woman in the United States; Pocket Sun who is the youngest woman ever to start her own VC Fund and recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the country; and Wendy Ryan a powerhouse investor, who is using her generational wealth to empower women and BIPOC entrepreneurs. Each of them, along with other female angel investors, are rewriting the rules of the American economy by funding companies led by women – knowing that funding women is a winning investment strategy. More ABOUT THE FILM

What did I (LeAnne) think? 4 outta 5 – This comes in 3rd of my favorite docs so far this season, close behind “Invisible Beauty” and “The Space Race” both of which I saw during BlackStar23.

What I like is the fact that the movie focuses less on why women don’t get funded and more on what they can do and how far they take things when they do!  The filmmakers truly make you connect with these women and care about their businesses and each of the Funders, in a way that feels organic and not too voyeuristic. 

Not sure of Distribution for this film. I did capture the post screening Q&A at The Women’s Film Festival in Philadelphia (click image to view)

While You’re Here Check Out SIFTMedia 215 THE COVID1619 PROJECT
Post Screening Q&A also during #TWFF23

The COVID1619 Project is an anthology of four distinct films by four SIFT director/producers that are packaged for broadcast and online screenings which promote new ways of examining the stories from Black and Brown Philadelphians and foster a sense of community while advocating for social change. Each speaker tells their story of how they moved from sadness or rage to service in their community during the global pandemic. You never get to hear everyday Black and Brown people like this in mainstream media.  And they affirm that we have the power to help solve problems within our communities.

What did I (LeAnne) think? Not fair for me to review this doc, as I’ve been working with the Filmmakers/Producers on it for the last 2 years, as a member of SIFTMedia 215  But we are all extremely proud of the piece!  SEE MORE on the Making of COVID1619

SEARCHING FOR NIKA| FishCorb Films | Filmmaker Stas Kapralov | Documentary

Searching for Nika Synopsis: Returning to Kyiv to search for his missing dog during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, director Stas Kapralov documents his journey as he joins forces with volunteers and becomes part of a movement to rescue animals caught in the crossfire of war. TRAILER

What did I (LeAnne) think?  We’re all the same species and yet, what allows some to cruelly, senselessly burn, drown, shoot, starve and torture animals, while others will risk life and limb to save, protect and rescue these same creatures? 

I respect animals as God’s creatures and would never harm one, yet I’m not a PETA type person, not that I’m against them either, they are doing amazing work, if not at times a bit over-zealous, but what I meant was I don’t think a lot about animals on a daily basis.  I haven’t had a pet since I was a kid and don’t feel the need for one.  I hate being on a walk and someone and their huge pitbull are taking up the whole sidewalk and won’t pull the dog to them for me to pass.  And yes, I would wear a real fur coat if gifted one. So it’s a little difficult for me to understand why Stas Kapralov (Director) would escape the Russian invasion of Ukraine only to go back to the war zone to search for their family dog Nika, a very old dog.  As sad and horrible as it sounds, I completely understand those who in a haste to save their own lives had to abandon their pets during the hurried evacuation. But the whole war is beyond sad and horrible.  I still can’t believe in this modern age that a dictator with a Napoleon complex actually invaded and destroyed another country and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him. I know they’re doing their best with sanctions, but really it makes NATO seem inconsequential.

Anyway, as you can imagine Kapralov’s search for Nika is a nearly impossible undertaking, the dog could have died or been killed by soldiers or shrapnel or is hiding under all that rubble and destruction or God knows…  However, in his determination to find his childhood pet/friend/family he encounters other volunteers who stayed to rescue animals of all kinds, including a nearly starved lion!  It’s fortuitous that Kapralov’s mission also makes for a compelling documentary on the War in Ukraine, highlighting local heroes. He’s great with a camera and it’s very well edited.  I wouldn’t however, recommend it for PETA type people, they may not be able to sleep for weeks after seeing the atrocities so many animals suffered in the days and weeks following the invasion.  I myself keep seeing burning horses in my head even though we’re only shown the charred remains.  No, it’s not an easy doc to watch, but an important lens on the senselessness of war, told from the prospective of those left behind on two legs and four.

Searching for Nika, an on-the-ground account of rescuing animals in Ukraine, will have its North American premiere at DOC NYC, America’s most prestigious documentary festival. Our premiere will screen on November 14, 2023. Additional in-person and online screenings will take place on November 15.  Get your tickets here: https://www.docnyc.net/film/searching-for-nika/

TOTALLY KILLER| Amazon Prime Video | Director Nahnatchka Khan
Co-Writers David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, Jen D’Angelo

Synopsis: Thirty-five years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer“ returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. Seventeen-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ignores her overprotective mom’s (Julie Bowen) warning and comes face-to-face with the masked maniac and, on the run for her life, accidentally time-travels to 1987…

Patty Henderson, Costumer Designer: “Since the 80s already have a major place in pop culture history with its myriad of references to big hair, neon colors, and synthesizers, we tried to steer clear of the obvious 80s style cliches in creating their 1987 setting. I hit every vintage shop, every vintage market. Everything that you see, save for the stunt pieces in the film, is true eighties fashion and true to 1987,” she says. “By the time we got to certain spots on our drive, everybody
that was a vendor in and around the area had brought in all of their eighties items out, anticipating that we were coming. We had people reaching out to us on social media, we went into people’s homes and their studios. I had a great time.”

“It’s not that jokey version of the eighties that we’ve seen in so many movies and shows. I didn’t want that to be the joke,” Khan says. “You have a Gen Z-er in this world, that’s what’s funny, you know? It’s not like ‘look at the crazy hair.’ We really wanted to take a subtle approach with that and make it feel like these people live here.”

THE CREATOR| 20th Century Studios | Writer Director Gareth Edwards
Co-Writer Chris Weitz

Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.

Good video review by Chris Stuckmann discusses why it’s hard to get an original movie made without using tropes from other movies which had success at the box office…

What did I (LeAnne) think? 4 outta 5 based on Visuals, not story engagement- although the story is engaging, it’s just doesn’t deliver that sense of awe. All the scenes are perfect and yet none of them are memorable.  It is the first thing I’ve seen John David Washington (Blackkklansman, Malcolm & Marie, Tenet, Amsterdam) in where he’s almost got personality. The little sim/Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) is bringing it.  She could be another Jacob Tremblay (Room) and be a very young nominee come awards season.  I want to remark on the future of AI and the religious aspect of The Creator with some thought provoking insight, but I got nuttin.