Category: Documentary

By Joe Bendel. Kit Latimer could have been a Marian McPartland from New Orleans. She was a proper lady who played a mean piano and married a trumpet player from Chicago. Unfortunately, the Hollywood of 1942 would only give a woman character limited time on the bandstand. While Latimer spends most of the film cheering on her future fiancé, the fictionalized jazz creation story in which she appears is still pretty progressive for its era and swings quite nicely. Jazz musicians get one of their better big screen treatments in William Dieterle’s Syncopation, screening in its DCP restored glory this coming Monday, as part of a special day of jazz programming at Film Forum.

As a little girl, Latimer loved New Orleans, especially the music. She could pound out boogie-woogie piano at a tender age and as fate would have it, her nanny is the mother of Rex Tearbone, a trumpet phenom transparently based on Louis Armstrong. During those early days, the young Tearbone is taken under the wing of King Jeffers, a clear King Oliver analog, played by longtime Ellington band member Rex Stewart.

At first, Latimer resents Chicago, but on her twenty-first birthday a chance meeting with scuffling trumpeter Johnny Schumacher changes her opinion. He takes her to her first rent party, where she hears Chicago-style jazz in its infancy. That rent party nearly ruins Latimer’s reputation, leading to her acquittal in a bizarre “jazz trial.” Regardless, Latimer and Schumacher are meant for each other, but her childhood sweetheart and WWII complicate matters.

It is easy to nit-pick details, but Syncopation deserves credit for getting so much right, starting with the opening montage depicting slavery and the subsequent hardships endured by African Americans. It is an evocative sequence not unlike the Ellington short Rhapsody in Black and Blue, playing as part of Film Forum other special Monday jazz program. One can also discern a good deal of Bix Beiderbecke in Schumacher, who learns how to really swing when jamming after hours with Tearbone, but finds himself stuck blowing in a symphonic so-called jazz orchestra unambiguously modeled on the Paul Whiteman outfit.

The performances are mostly rather earnest and engaging, as well. Jackie Cooper has the right balance of innocence and street smarts for Schumacher (whose solos were mostly played off-screen by the tragic Bunny Berigan), while Bonita Granville’s Latimer makes a glamorous and largely credible hipster (with Stan Wrightsman handling her bluesy piano). Todd Duncan also adds considerable energy as Tearbone, playing him as an unflaggingly cheerful figure, but in a way that is sociable rather than servile. Although not a jazz musician, Duncan the opera baritone will still be of interest to jazz fans for originating the role of Porgy in Gershwin’s opera. Plus, Connee Boswell appears as herself (and convincingly so), sitting in with Schumacher’s band.

Syncopation is a very good film that holds up for contemporary viewers surprisingly well, considering it addresses (albeit gingerly) issues of race in the early 1940s. Granted, the appearance of an all-white all-star band in the closing scene is problematic, but evidently someone made the decision to assemble the winners of a Saturday Evening Post readers’ poll. Frankly, we are probably lucky they voted for legit swingers like Benny Goodman and Charlie Barnett. If only Dieterle and company had used Downbeat instead. Still, the film is quite sensitive and inclusive for its time and swings rather hardily. Recommended for fans of jazz and classic Hollywood, Syncopation screens this Monday (6/8) at Film Forum, along with the Jazz on a Spring Day collection of musical shorts.

LFM GRADE: B+

Posted on June 5th, 2015 at 2:51pm.

By Joe Bendel. He looked like Archie and gave advice like Dr. Drew. For decades, the children of the former Yugoslavia and independent Croatia looked to the fictional advice columnist to guide them through the grossness of puberty and the challenges of growing up. Irena Škorić documents the lasting influence of the iconic teenage counselor in Dear Lastan, an opening night selection of the 2015 Bosnian Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York.

Modra Lasta (“Blue Swallow” in English) was like Yugoslavia’s version of The Weekly Reader, but somehow it was hipper, despite being part of the state media apparatus. In 1969, they created “Lastan,” hoping kids would open up to a cooler older brother figure. It worked, as mailbag after mailbag quickly proved. Several writers assumed the Lastan persona, but only a few of their identities have been recently revealed. Many of Škorić’s interview subjects argue Lastan was the best kept secret in publishing history—and they are probably right. After all, Lastan predated Woodward & Bernstein’s “Deep Throat” and remained shrouded in mystery well after Mark Felt outed himself. Yet, that is really the least of the Lastan story.

Even if you are a Yankee who never read Modra Lasta, listening to former readers’ affectionate reminiscences will bring on waves of nostalgia. Some of the letters are a quite funny, reflecting teenagers’ peculiar predilection for melodramatic self-importance, while Lastan’s often curt responses are wickedly droll. However, readers also wrote in with real problems that received thoughtful answers.

It is fascinating to see how the Lastan column evolved to reflect the tenor of the times. Although it never rocked the boat politically during the Communist era, it was one of the few outlets that provided teens frank sexual advice. As one would subsequently expect, there was often tragic subtext to the early 1990s wartime-era correspondence. In fact, many soldiers and homefront survivors kept reading and writing Lastan well into their twenties to maintain a sense of stability.

Škorić interviews dozens of grown Lastan fans, whose stories range from the eccentrically goofy to the surprisingly profound. She immediately taps into the universal essence of the Lastan phenomenon, so non-Balkan viewers will quickly feel like they too are well acquainted with his columns.

This is one of the biggest sleepers you could ever hope to find on the festival circuit. The story of a children’s cartoon advice columnist in the former Yugoslavia might sound narrowly specialized to potential viewers and programmers alike, but it is actually a film just about everyone can relate to. Consistently entertaining and often quite moving Dear Lastan was a real discovery at this year’s Bosnian Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York. Don’t pass up a screening, should the opportunity arise.

LFM GRADE: A

Posted on May 28th, 2015 at 9:50pm.

L'ATTENTAT DE SARAJEVO from CMCA on Vimeo.

By Joe Bendel. Many historians believe Archduke Franz Ferdinand was far more progressive than your typical early Twentieth Century aristocrat. He generally advocated for greater decentralization of power and provisionally lent his support to the unlikely concept of a “United States of Austria.” Unfortunately, he was the perfect crowned head to kill if you wanted to ignite a war. Eastern European history professor Paul Grandvohl will re-open the Archduke’s cold case in Nedim Lončarević’s The Sarajevo Assassination, which screened during the 2015 Bosnian Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York, proudly celebrating its twelfth anniversary as one of the most welcoming fests in the City.

The way textbooks typically dismiss the Archduke as a historical footnote is problematic in its own right. Even more dubious are the frequent descriptions of the assassin, Gavrilo Princip and his accomplices as Dostoyevskian pan-Slavic revolutionaries. While Grandvohl probably does not collect enough evidence for a court indictment (nearly 101 years after the fact), he makes a strong circumstantial case, suggesting a certain government played an instrumental role planning and financing the attack. Needless to say, it was not Bosnia (where the Archduke was particularly popular).

As a sidebar to the historical inquiry, Lončarević also follows Grandvohl as he researches his own family history in Sarajevo’s traditional Jewish quarter. What he discovers is much more satisfying than the roots of Ben Affleck’s family tree. Through the process, viewers also get a sense Sarajevo was an unusually tolerant and cosmopolitan city, especially by the standards of pre-WWI Europe.

Although Assassination clocks in with a TV-friendly running time just under an hour, it is chocked full of interesting historical background and context. It is particularly eye-opening to see how Princip was venerated as a revolutionary hero under the Communist regime and remains a celebrated figure in Serbia today.

PBS really ought to pick-up Assassination for broadcast in America. Frankly, the murder of the Archduke and his morganatic wife, the much-maligned Sophie, Duchess of Bavaria is something everyone has heard of, but very few really understand to any significant extent. While the film never feels drily academic, Lončarević and Grandvohl shoehorn in a good deal of informative and telling history. Highly recommended for those fascinated by WWI (and the ultimate origins of WWII), The Sarajevo Assassination screened Saturday (5/23) as part of this year’s Bosnian Herzegovinian Film Festival, which has become an annual tradition both for the expat community and a growing number of cineaste supporters.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on May 26th, 2015 at 3:54pm.

By Joe Bendel. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were way too classy to ever appear in a reality TV show. However, for decades racing fans were able to get a good close look at Newman that was entirely different from what one could glean from the glossy entertainment magazines. He was a competitor through and through, who is fondly remembered by his colleagues and teammates in Adam Carolla’s Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman, co-directed by Nate Adams, which releases on VOD this Friday.

Winning was a 1969 Newman-Woodward vehicle that was reasonably successful at the box office, but it had special significance in Newman’s life. In preparation to play Frank Capua, Newman was sent to racing school, where he quickly discovered a real aptitude for driving. It quickly became a passion. As a successful movie star, Newman could indulge an eccentric hobby, but it eventually became a bona fide second career.

Throughout Winning the documentary, Newman’s former rivals give him credit for putting in the time and effort to develop his skills. He was willing to lose a lot of races before he started winning. He was legit, coming in first in his class and second overall at the 1979 Le Mans (the subject of the 1971 Steve McQueen movie). Frankly, it is really cool how to hear how Newman became an accepted and respected part of the racing world.

Believe or not, Carolla is building an impressive portfolio as a filmmaker. Following up the solidly entertaining Road Hard, the comedian (who collects and restores Newman’s former vehicles) has assembled a first-rate sports doc. Fans should understand, there is not much material concerning Newman’s film career here, besides Winning and the Pixar animated film Cars, for which Newman voiced the character of the Hudson Hornet. However, Carolla did score a sit-down with an old Newman friend and co-star by the name of Robert Redford.

Winning (2015) also features interviews with Winning (1969) co-star Robert Wagner, Cars director John Lasseter, both Mario and Michael Andretti, and trailblazing African American driver Willy T. Ribbs, who credits Newman’s support for his big break in motorsports. Sometimes amusing and other times revealing, their anecdotes paint a compelling portrait of Newman the sportsman.

It is just great to have a new Paul Newman film nearly seven years after his death. However, Carolla’s interview subjects make it pretty clear Newman’s zeal for racing necessarily resulted in fewer films for posterity. On the other hand, he therefore chose projects with a discernment that well served his cinematic legacy. Wholly entertaining and surprisingly insightful, Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman is highly recommended for fans of the man and the sport when it launches on VOD this Friday (5/22). Fittingly, it will also have a special screening at the Indiana State Museum IMAX Theater in Indianapolis on the same night.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on May 18th, 2015 at 10:06pm.

By Joe Bendel. Probably no other Swiss dude ever creeped out as many people as Hansruedi “H.R.” Giger—and his fans loved him for it. His ominous visions of sexualized dystopias are uniquely distinctive and immediately identifiable as Giger. He was an artist with a rabid fanbase who was also steadily gaining stature in the proper museum world, like a Warhol with talent. One year after his death, almost to the date (5/12/2014), documentarian Belinda Sallin introduces fans into the cult figure’s private life in Dark Star: H.R. Giger’s World, which opened last Friday in New York.

Giger’s designs for Jodorowsky’s oh-so-close-to-being-realized Dune could have stood the film world on its ear, but that is a lament for another documentary. However, connections initially made through the celebrated non-film subsequently led to Giger’s Oscar winning design work for Ridley Scott’s Alien. Giger’s fate would not be denied. Perhaps Giger’s most recognizable album cover is Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Brain Salad Surgery, but arguably just about every 1980s Heavy Metal cover owes him a debt of gratitude.

It is hard to make a dull film about someone who is regularly asked to sign body parts (as we see from time to time), but Dark Star quietly gets off to a slow start. There is a lot of milling around Giger’s Escher-esque house, as he graciously hosts friends and family. It is nice to know Giger’s final months were pleasant, but the film only starts getting interesting when it explores the psychological roots of his macabre, futuristic images. Much of the film’s psychoanalyzing is appropriately done by Czech psychiatrist and Giger crony Stanislav Grof (a good head-shrinker name if ever there was one).

It is fascinating to contrast Giger’s nightmarish images with his genial presence. Physically, the artist had clearly lost a step or two, but he was as sharp (and eccentric) as ever. Of course, his art is really the main attraction and it has lost none of its potency. Sallin’s basic strategy was to hang out and capture as many telling moments as she could. It is not a radical approach, but it will suit Giger’s fans (many of whom are large tattooed men you should not antagonize).

Dark Star is a reasonably compelling and wholly respectful portrait of an artist in his final days. It is nice to have it for posterity, but everyone would prefer Jodorowsky’s Dune if that were somehow an option. Recommended for Giger fans, Dark Star: H.R. Giger’s World opens today (5/15) in New York, at the Landmark Sunshine.

LFM GRADE: B-

Posted on May 18th, 2015 at 10:05pm.