Robert Kojder looks ahead to the Chicago Critics Film Festival…
While Flickering Myth is predominately a UK-based website (although our American readership may have eclipsed that base now), I would be remiss not to draw attention to another year of the Chicago Critics Film Festival. For full disclosure, yes, I am a member of the CFCA but am not involved with putting the festival together. I attend as a lover of movies just like you or anyone else would. Time after time again, I’m also blown away at what festival organizers (CFCA Board Members Brian Tallerico, Erik Childress, Steve Prokopy, Peter Sobczynski, Collin Souter, and something of a new sensation in the film criticism world, Robert Daniels) consistently put together. The festival has produced my favorite movie of the year (Eighth Grade and The Power of the Dog being a few recent examples) multiple times.
The ninth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival will be no exception, with city premieres of white-hot festival darlings such as the humanly messy and beautifully empathetic romantic comedy Cha Cha Real Smooth, the story of a sexually adventurous 55-year-old woman (Emma Thompson) with Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, some good old-fashioned disturbing horror with Speak No Evil and Resurrection (having already seen the latter, I guarantee it will scar you for life whether you like the movie or not), some family-friendly fun from A24 with Marcel The Shell with Shoes On, a 35mm and 4K presentation of classics Boogie Nights and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, a splendidly curated shorts program, and (in keeping with the recent theme of grossing people out on closing night, as last year ended with Sean Baker’s Red Rocket), the true story of a father catfishing his son to improve their estranged connection in I Love My Dad (another movie with a sequence I guarantee you will never forget).
There are also a handful of celebrity guests scheduled, including writer, director, and star of Cha Cha Real Smooth Cooper Raiff, Hold Your Fire director Stephen Forbes (the film goes into detail on a 1973 robbery the robbery that resulted in the longest hostage crisis in New York Police Department history and how it has affected modern policing), and I Love My Dad director/star James Morosini bringing along his co-stars Claudia Sulewski and the always hilarious Patton Oswalt. For a full list of scheduled guests, see the image below:
Also, here is a personal selection of seven films that I have seen and that you should seek out at the festival should you choose to go.
7: EMILY THE CRIMINAL
Aubrey Plaza brings a transfixing ferocity Emily the Criminal that is hard to look away from. Naturally, the rookie criminal becomes the hungriest criminal, with her mistakes resulting in superbly crafted tense sequences placing her in peril. None of it deters her; she’s determined to take it all. Every step of the way, somehow, it feels right to be on her side. At a short 90 minutes, Emily the Criminal is a suspenseful and riveting watch
6: RESURRECTION
When advising on a toxic relationship in the opening scene of Andrew Semans’ sophomore feature Resurrection, Rebecca Hall’s Margaret asserts that “a sadist never understands why others aren’t enjoying the sadism as much as they are,” an eerie remark that seems to come from the character’s personal experience. The majority of this speech is one Rebecca Hall delivers off-camera, but her unmistakable voice is nonetheless full of sharp wisdom that sucks the viewer into the conversation. It’s also not her only monologue in the movie, as she crushes another that reveals how, well, sadistically fucked up Resurrection is and what twisted psychological game is being played.
5: I LOVE MY DAD
Take yourself back to the days of middle school pre-public presentation anxiety. I Love My Dad feels like that for every one of its gloriously awkward and uncomfortable 95 minutes. This is hilarious cringe to the max, anchored by genuinely terrific performances from Patton Oswalt and James Morosini.
4: TO LESLIE
It bears repeating that Andrea Riseborough is one of the most dedicated, underappreciated working talents, so the prospect of her playing a struggling alcoholic seeking sobriety and redemption following a six-year stint of blowing almost 200 grand in lottery winnings is exciting. With that said, it’s not much of a surprise to report that she is outstanding in To Leslie, giving a vulnerable tale of two halves turn, equal parts pathetically humiliating and inspiring ones she hits rock bottom, acknowledges her shortcomings and tries her damnedest to turn the ship around.
3: THE BLIND MAN WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE TITANIC
Jaakko (much like debut actor Petri Poikolainen) is an older blind man with MS. Right from the beginning, the direction from Teemu Nikki (who also serves as the screenwriter) immerses us into his world, whether it be from voice assistance coming from his phone or entirely blurring the world around him. The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic is committed to his perspective. It transforms into a harrowing thriller about the despicable lows some members of society will stoop to taking advantage of the disabled; this is a heartbreakingly realistic, tense watch.
Of course, it’s all heightened by the artistic vision of sticking with a third person and obscured perspective, elevated by a fresh brand of suspense (I had an idea of how it would end but no clue how the story and character would get there). Petri Poikolainen is also outstanding, delivering a captivating performance from both his condition and the horrifying situation Jaakko finds himself him.
2: PALM TREES AND POWER LINES
While the central icky relationship here is textbook grooming, what causes Palm Trees and Power Lines to hit harder is that skilled manipulators like 30+-year-old Tom (Jonathan Tucker delivering a master class performance in intentional cringe; the kind that gets under your skin because you know his words are hollow, and you can call his bluff around anyone naïve enough to be taking him seriously) work that evil magic on anyone. He slowly turns 17-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny, a revelation in what could be the most daring, bold, and challenging performance from a newcomer all year) further against her mom and convinces her to hang around her friends less (an obnoxious bunch that feels real even as they try helping Lea in ways that backfire), and plants the idea in her head to run away together.
These isolation tactics are horrible and go beyond teenage years, and one of the worst feelings in the world is seeing them work on someone you know in real-life as they ignore every red flag you point out. Child or adult, the dynamic at the center of Palm Trees and Power Lines is an examination of subtle manipulation that’s meticulously measured every step of the way, with every verbal suggestion fine-tuned for effect just as much as body language. Hopefully, if Lea doesn’t get out of the relationship (salvaging a bond with her mother might be the only way out), the horrors of Palm Trees and Power Lines save someone else from becoming another victim
1: CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
There isn’t a better rising young filmmaker out there today exploring modern love and the tangled, messy knots of relationships better than writer and director Cooper Raiff. However, what elevates Cha Cha Real Smooth (the follow up to his underseen debut gem Shithouse, a college-set story that examines ghosting with empathy for both sides of the equation) above similar tales of post-college 22-year-olds searching for purpose and love is its willingness to understand every character here without vilifying anyone (especially when the plot here could have quickly devolved into something formulaic and conventional while still functioning as a winning crowdpleaser). More specifically, Cooper Raiff is not afraid to simultaneously tell multiple love stories. Cha Cha Real Smooth is a charming and bracingly honest movie about the roughness of planning for the future and the anxieties of relationships. It refuses to slip into clichés or betray any of these characters, keeping them grounded, hilarious, honest, and smartly written until the end.
And those are just recommendations from what I have seen. I also strongly encourage you to check out Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the new film from Claire Denis, Both Sides of the Blade, Speak No Evil, Hold Your Fire, and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, as will I be doing so there. So check out the full lineup below and whether you are out of town or not, consider checking the festival out, especially considering it means visiting the historic Music Box theater. Should you travel to Chicago, there are also discounted hotel rates at Wrigleyville’s Hotel Zachary, one of the festival’s many partners.
I also reached out to CFCA Board Member Steve Prokopy for a statement on what separates this festival from the rest and what excites them about this year’s slate of titles:
What I’ve grown to love about our festival is that, in addition to the higher-profile titles from the festival circuit, we’re always trying to find films that are not on people’s radar that should be. In many ways, we are a “Trust Me” festival, asking audiences to let us guide them through a unique experience. They don’t have to choose between multiple films with each showtime. There is one set of films, you could see everything we play if so inclined, and in the end you’ve hopefully been taken on a journey in which you will experience every emotion imaginable, and even a few you haven’t imagined.
Adding on that, trust both of us. The Chicago Critics Film Festival is always one to check out. Click here for the full schedule, and hopefully, I will see you there!
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
