Wrapping Up the 2024 Chicago Film Festival
With this year’s 60th edition of the Chicago International Film Festival in the books, I’ve completed my screenings for 2024. And here's what I thought.
‘Sing Sing’ explores personal resurgence through the arts
When everything gets taken away from one’s life, it must be nearly impossible to find something that provides a meaningful reason to carry on. The pervasive sense of hopelessness that sets in makes it difficult to establish a purpose in one’s existence. And so it often is for the incarcerated, individuals faced with an uncertain future of indeterminate duration. Under conditions as difficult as these, realistically speaking, one can’t help but wonder whether even the prospect of rehabilitation will actually pan out as a viable option.
‘Rock Hudson’ explores life in two worlds
Living one’s life in two disparate worlds can be quite a challenge, perhaps even perpetually confusing to some making the attempt. Having one foot firmly planted in one existence and the other ensconced in another means always having to be “on” and aware of which reality one is in at any given time. That can be particularly demanding if the differences between them are significant, especially if one of them involves harboring and maintaining a potentially volatile secret. But, with practice and a dedicated commitment to keeping up appearances, it’s entirely possible to pull off such a feat.
‘Framing Agnes’ recounts an alternative community’s history
All too often, we think we know an individual or community when, in fact, we don’t understand them well or at all. There could be various reasons for this – a lack of information volunteered by the subjects in question, preconceived notions on our part, widely circulated commonly held misconceptions, or even so-called, generally accepted urban legends. It’s unfortunate when these developments occur, because they frequently present us with an inaccurate, misleading perception. That makes setting the record straight a prime consideration.
‘Brighton 4th’ celebrates love, compassion, selflessness
How far can one’s sense of compassion and helpfulness extend? In an age of rampant self-absorption, that’s a good question. So many individuals today are preoccupied with their own needs, wants and whims that they may be wholly dismissive of such commendable qualities. At the same time, though, there are also remarkably sympathetic souls who will readily go to the wall for others, gestures that those who are less considerate may look upon as strange or even unfathomable.
‘Far From the Tree’ explores the extension of our roots
“Far From the Tree” (2017 production, 2018 release). Cast: Andrew Solomon, Jason Kingsley, Emily Perl Kingsley, Jack Allnutt, Amy Allnutt, Bob Allnutt, Loini Vivao, Leah Smith, Joseph A. Stramondo, Howard Solomon, John Habich Solomon, Derek Reese, Lisa Reese, Tyler Reese, Rebecca Reese, Charles Kingsley (archive footage). Directors: Rachael Dretzin and Jamila Ephron. Book: Andrew Solomon, Far from the Tree. Web site. Trailer. When a couple settles down to start raising children, the parents-to-be generally assume that everything is going to turn out “normal,” that their hopes and wishes for the typical “mainstream” family are going to materialize free of challenges and difficulties. But what happens when things don’t pan out as expected? Significant differences in any number of areas, from physical [...]
‘David Crosby’ celebrates an icon’s quest for creativity, redemption
“David Crosby: Remember My Name” (2019). Cast: Interviews: David Crosby, Jan Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Cameron Crowe, Henry Diltz. Archives: Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Cass Elliott, Joni Mitchell, Christine Hinton, Jimi Hendrix, Dick Cavett, Jerry Garcia, Don Everly, Phil Everly. Director: A.J. Eaton. Web site. Trailer. It’s amazing how someone can embody both the best and worst of what we’re capable of. These qualities, polar opposites to be sure, seem incompatible with one another, yet, on occasion, they sometimes wind up residing within a single individual. Learning how to reconcile these extremes can thus prove to be quite a challenge for those of us who [...]
‘What We Left Behind’ charts the struggle for creative survival
“What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (2019). Cast: Interviews: Ira Steven Behr, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Terry Farrell, Nicole de Boer, Alexander Siddig, Colm Meaney, Rene Auberjonois, Michael Dorn, Armin Shimerman, Cirroc Lofton, Wallace Shawn, Jeffrey Combs, Andrew Robinson, Penny Johnson Jerald, Marc Alaimo, Chase Masterson, James Darren, Aron Eisenberg, Max Grodénchik, J.G. Hertzler, Casey Biggs, Robert O’Reilly, Hana Hatae, Ronald D. Moore, Rick Berman. Archive Footage: Cecily Adams, Louise Fletcher, Rosalind Chao, William Sadler, Levar Burton, Michael Piller. Directors: Ira Steven Behr and David Zappone. Web site. Trailer. It’s often sad when a favorite television show goes off the air. But it’s even more regrettable when a series reaches its end without having [...]
‘Late Night’ celebrates the joys of reinvention
“Late Night” (2019). Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Denis O’Hare, Max Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, John Early, Jia Patel, Luke Slattery, Ike Barinholtz, Marc Kudisch, Amy Ryan, Bill Maher, Seth Meyers, Jake Tapper. Director: Nisha Ganatra. Screenplay: Mindy Kaling. Web site. Trailer. No matter how much we may enjoy something, be it food, entertainment or our wardrobe, sometimes we want to shake things up a bit, trying out new offerings to stay fresh and invigorating. For that to happen, however, we often depend on others to make those new options available to us. Meanwhile, the purveyors of those commodities who fail to change with the times may easily be left behind when innovators step [...]
‘Pope Francis’ leads by belief – and example
“Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” (2018). Cast: Pope Francis, Wim Wenders (narrator). Archive Footage: President Donald Trump, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli President Shimon Peres. Director: Wim Wenders. Screenplay: Wim Wenders and David Rosier. Web site. Trailer. In an age as cynical as ours, it’s rare to come upon someone who genuinely appears to say what he means and mean what he says. That’s especially true for those in positions of authority; their statements often ring hollow or are rife with hypocrisy. So it’s indeed refreshing to find out that there are those [...]