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The movie Sometimes I Think About Dying made it’s debut in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival last week. The film stars Daisy Ridley (Star Wars, Murder on the Orient Express) in one of the performances of her career. The official synopsis is as follows:
Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran (Ridley) wastes her daylight hours in the solitude of a cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates, occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life unable to pop her bubble of isolation. And then Robert (Dave Merheje) starts up at the company. He is new to town and the dynamics of the office. He is a naturally friendly person who keeps trying to chat with Fran. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance.
Directed by Rachel Lambert (In the Radiant City). Written by Stefanie Abel Horowitz (Launchpad), Kevin Armento (Spa Day) and Katy Wright-Mead (Stop the Bleeding!). Based on the short film Sometimes, I Think About Dying.
The title of the film, Sometimes I Think About Dying, lets you know the tone but it’s maybe not as depressing a film as you may expect. There are sweet moments and some uplifting moments, as well as plenty of portrayals of depression. It is an accurate portrayal of anxiety and depression, it’s a quiet and restrained film that stays away from dramatics. Fran’s daydreams about dying aren’t graphic, they don’t need to be to portray how she feels.
Daisy Ridley is impressive as Fran, utterly convincing as a depressed woman who doesn’t know how to break out of her patterns of behaviour. She spends much of the first 30 minutes in the movie in silence but still manages to grab the audience’s attention. This is the best performance I have seen Ridley give, an understated yet compelling screen presence.
Dave Merheje (Ramy, Mr. D) also gives a strong performance as Fran’s new co-worker, Robert. Their budding relationship is awkward and sweet, with the pair getting both closer and further apart during the movie. It’s not a straightforward relationship and one that is portrayed well by the two.
Some of Fran’s other co-workers are played by recognisable actors Parvesh Cheena (Shining Vale, Connecting), Marcia DeBonis (Heels, 13 Going on 30) and Megan Stalter (Hacks). The group are all charming enough to make you feel like they’re a close knit group, which makes it understandable that Fran would want to be closer to them.
Sometimes I Think About Dying is beautifully shot by cinematographer Dustin Lane (Still Life, Dayveon). His photography captures the depressing dreariness of Oregon whilst always showing its beauty. Something that correlates with the lead character Fran. The production design by Daniel Maughiman adds to this look with lots of muted colours. Dabney Morris’ (Kevin Can F**k Himself, A Teacher) music is haunting and dreamlike. All elements of the film come together to help the audience feel the emptiness that Fran feels.
Sometimes I Think About Dying isn’t for everyone, it’s a slow burn that is very sedate for much of its runtime. Socially awkward and/or people with depression will be able to relate to Fran and will likely get more out of it than others. It isn’t as linear or predictable as I expected it to be after reading the synopsis. I would highly recommend the film as I think it offers an insight into what socialising is like for so many, especially after the pandemic. It is a surprisingly beautiful film. Sometimes I Think About Dying doesn’t have a release date yet but look out for updates on a distribution method.
The post Sundance: Daisy Ridley Impresses in ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Here’s the first entry in the ‘Hidden Gem Anime Series to Enjoy’ series for you all to enjoy in the new year of 2023: The Case of Hana & Alice. I randomly came across this animated film while looking through the Tubi app and jotting down some of their anime offerings. I glimpsed and saw an animated film with two girls. After watching, I knew I found a gorgeous and offbeat film about random happenings and friendship that I wanted to write about.
What is it About:
When Alice transfers to a new school, she soon hears about a local urban legend: a male student who disappeared the previous year and is suspected to have been killed by his fellow students. The new house that she and her mother have moved in is the one he used to live in. To make matters worse, she now lives next door to a supposedly haunted home now occupied by a reclusive girl who ends up being one of the classmates of said student whose name is shrouded in mystery. Her name is Hana, and with Alice’s help, they decide to investigate this “murder case.” Yet, their lack of detective skills, bad timing, and overall carefree attitudes prove to be obstacles in solving the case and means for a great adventure in the making.
It is important to note that The Case of Hana & Alice is based on existing material: not manga but a 2004 film titled Hana to Arisu. Directed by Shunji Iwai, a Japanese film director, writer, and documentary maker perhaps best known for his filmography centering Japanese youth, especially young women .( Fun Fact: he was a writer for 2018’s Fireworks, which was based on his 1993 live-action TV drama Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?) While the original live action film runs more rom-com than mystery, Hana and Alice was first introduced with a big emphasis on their friendship and the hi-jinks they get involved in due to a boy. Here in this animated feature also directed by Iwai, the two titular characters do the same with a different narrative lens: solving a mystery and in a different format: animation.
Get in Loser, We’re Solving a Mystery:
Folks that The Case of Hana & Alice could appeal to include:
- Folks who are looking for coming of age anime
- Folks looking for anime based on existing works such as film
- Folks who are looking for anime centering on girls and their friendships
- Folks who are looking for a single, self-contained animated film, not a series
- Folks looking for an oddball but charming piece of animation to watch
What Makes this Film Standout:
Here’s the thing, The Case of Hana & Alice is a slow starter. It is a film that took me by surprise. It is an animated film that is subtle until it isn’t. Fourteen-year-old Tetsuko (who will soon be nick-named Alice in her new town) is experiencing an upheaval: she’s moved with her mother to a new town in the boonies. They have moved there without her father as her parents have called it quits. She’s starting at a new school where she doesn’t know anyone, and she instantly finds herself the target of a group bullies.
Alice is just trying to get her bearings in a new place and survive. It is when she is given the seat of a student that she has been told was murdered, she realizes nothing will change if she keeps her head down. Determined to find out what happened, Alice begins investigating the death and the strange happenings around it. The audience and Alice may see a glimpse of Hana just a few minutes in but the two don’t speak and truly interact for the first time until about forty minutes in, when the rising action leads to their meeting face to face for the first time, finally.
What can NOT be understated is how The Case of Hana & Alice points to being hilarious, bizarre, oddball, and heartwarming all in one film. It is a difficult thing to categorize this film: sure it’s drama but not quite slice of life. The girls set off to solve a mystery, but there’s more to the story than that. Unexpected encounters, random acts of kindness, and failed stakeouts all find their way to these two girls, and it all colors the overall narrative.
There’s something really beautiful to behold in the silliness of losing rock paper scissors and having to dance down the center of a train car to an unassuming audience. Watching students scream and chant a not-exorcism in the classroom with no adults anymore makes more a bizarre and hilariously unexpected scene. The ante is upped when Hana and Alice leave home to find out more about the missing boy and what’s become of him. Every leg of the journey to uncover the truth leads them further from the truth and closer to the true heart of the matter. The film deals with guilt, speculation, gossip and failure with steady hands. Hana and Alice are just teenagers caught up in something bigger than them but also a mystery that is much closer to home.
The Case of Hana & Alice features rotoscoping, a technique used in animation to trace over live-action motion picture footage frame by frame. This was a surprise to see and honestly made me fall down a rabbit hole to see what films I had watched that used rotoscoping. I found a plethora of films and not just animated! Everything from early Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to a favorite of mine, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
I really, really love the visual look of this film. At times, the lines are simple, minimalist even. But combined with the backgrounds? The film features these really stunning, water-colored inspired backgrounds. There’s a depth to some backgrounds like Alice’s bedroom and the front of Hana’s house that are too beautiful to not drink in with my eyes that I recommend you taking a closer look at. Some of my favorite scenes in the entire film are the ones where Hana is in motion: the dancing and running scenes in particular. There’s a measure of grace and sophistication spread throughout especially the scenes where she’s sprinting with purpose, like this one. Simply put, The Case of Hana & Alice is worth watching and dissecting for the artwork and animation alone.
The Case of Hana & Alice heavily emphasizes the weird and offhand everyday life of teenagers and the shenanigans they get into when they put their minds to accomplishing something: Whether that is solving a local mystery, trading stories on whose mom is more embarrassing, or changing your social status at school by reinventing yourself. This is a film I’d recommend watching to see why stories about the friendships between girls are always worth watching. Iwai ‘s animated version of Hana and Alice is a charming addition to the animated film. It is also an animated offering that serves as a reminder that the most offbeat stories have characters to belong in them and lessons we can all learn from them.
You can find The Case of Hana & Alice streaming on the Tubi app.
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The post Hidden Gem Anime Series to Enjoy: ‘The Case of Hana & Alice’ appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Among the big announcements from James Gunn about the future of the DCU was news of a new Batman in a film called The Brave and the Bold. This movie would have our first big-screen Robin in 25 years. But that Robin won’t be Dick Grayson, but Damian Wayne, Bruce’s biological son. Gunn described Damian as “a little son of a bitch.” This might confuse some out there who remember Robin as just a fun kid in a colorful costume. But before we get into the history of the fifth Robin, we’ve got a brief history of his four predecessors.
A Brief History of the Robins
Robin has been synonymous with Batman since 1940. The original Robin, Dick Grayson, became a household name thanks to the Batman ’66 TV show. He filled the sidekick role for 44 years. Until DC finally allowed him to grow up and become Nightwing in 1984. His successor as Robin, Jason Todd, had a far more brief career. Fans disliked him, and actually voted to have him killed in 1988. But only a year later, Batman had another new Robin, in the form of teenage genius Timothy Drake. That Robin proved popular with fans, and remained as the main one for 15 years. For a brief time, his girlfriend Stephanie Brown was Robin too. This brings us to Robin #5, the only Boy Wonder who is Batman’s biological son.
Son of the Demon: The Early Origins of Damian Wayne
Although he did not officially appear until 2006, Damian Wayne’s origins actually go back further. They began in the 1987 graphic novel, Batman: Son of the Demon. In that story, Batman and Talia al Ghul, the daughter of his enemy Ras al Ghul, finally became an official couple. She got pregnant, and Bruce Wayne vowed to quit his Batman career and raise the child. But realizing that the world needed a Batman, Talia fakes a miscarriage and asked Bruce to leave.
The epilogue of that story showed that nine months later, Talia gave birth to a baby boy, who she gave up for adoption. The child was never seen or heard from again in any Batman title. Eventually, one of DC’s multiversal crossovers, Zero Hour, erased this whole story from continuity. Although a few Elseworlds stories and alternate futures would feature different characters as grown-up versions of Bruce and Talia’s child. None were named Damian, and remained out-of-continuity characters.
Batman and Son: Damian Wayne Enters Mainstream DC Continuity
In 2006, writer Grant Morrison began an epic run on Batman, starting with the story “Batman and Son.” In this story, Talia reappeared and revealed to the Dark Knight that their tryst a decade prior had resulted in her becoming pregnant. Whether or not that tryst was consensual remains the subject of much debate, as the implication was that Talia drugged Batman. That child was Damian Wayne, trained by Talia and her father’s League of Assassins to be the ultimate warrior. By the age of ten, he was one of the world’s deadliest killers, and worthy of inheriting the al Ghul legacy. But she wanted him to know his father, so she left Damian in the care of Bruce Wayne.
Damian was rude, entitled, and ready to kill an enemy at the drop of a hat. He believed his intense training since he was a toddler meant he was the superior Robin. He beat the snot out of the then-current Robin, Tim Drake, and essentially took on the Robin mantle without his father’s permission. Bruce agreed to train him, and guide him away from becoming a horrible little murder brat. But not long after that, DC Comics’ God of Evil, Darkseid, killed Batman (spoilers: not really). During the time the world believed Batman dead, Dick Grayson became the new Caped Crusader. He took on Damian as his Robin, and the two formed a special bond, despite Damian’s initial dislike for his father’s original partner.
The New Dynamic Duo
Damian and Dick made for an interesting Batman and Robin. After all, Dick was essentially Damian’s older brother. And unlike Bruce, he was a Batman who understood what it was like to be a Robin. Even when Dick returned to his Nightwing role, their time together as partners forged a bond between them. When Bruce returned from the grave, he and Damian officially became a father/son Dynamic Duo.
But Bruce always kept a watchful eye on Damian, fearing he might give in to his original training and kill one of his enemies. Batman and the whole Bat-family did everything they could to curb Damian’s natural tendencies toward killing. Not to mention his propensity to just be a selfish little brat. He even talked back to Alfred. Under their watch, Damian truly became a better person, and ultimately rejected the ways of his mother and grandfather, choosing his father’s path in life.
Damian Wayne’s Death and Rebirth
Batman and Robin became a real team, both as superheroes and as father and son. It’s during this time that fate took Damian away from Bruce. Realizing that her son had chosen her father’s ways over her own, Talia created a clone of Damian’s who was force-grown into an adult. The clone, named Heretic, does battle with Damian, and he killed the younger version. A broken Bruce Wayne buried his son, but before long, his mother and grandfather stole the body, hoping to resurrect him in one of Ra’s’ Lazarus Pits.
Although Bruce stopped then from bringing his son back, during this time he was given the choice to use the Chaos Shard, a crystal that once belonged to Darkseid. Fueled by the power of the Omega Sanction, it allowed Bruce Wayne to make a terrible “Sophie’s Choice” — to bring back his parents, whose death caused him a lifetime of pain, or bring back his son. He realized he loved his son more than he missed his parents, and Damian Wayne returned, restored. (He also had superpowers for a time, but they faded).
Making Friends His Own Age
Realizing that Damian needs friends close to his own age, Nightwing suggested he join the Teen Titans. Despite being younger than his teammates, he quickly became team leader. While his partnership with the Titans was always fraught with tension, he found a true friend in Jonathan Kent, the son of Superman and Lois Lane. The kind-hearted Jon saw past Damian’s rough exterior. Much like their respective fathers, they saw past their night and day differences and became best friends, known as “the Super Sons.”
Recently, Damian, now a teenager, split from his father and went off on his own again, making Tim Drake Batman’s partner once more. But it won’t be long, in our humble opinion, before Damian Wayne is back at his father’s side. We are pretty sure that this is one Dynamic Duo that is in for the long haul. Especially once he makes his cinematic debut.
The post Damian Wayne, Batman’s Son and the Current Robin, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.