“The Pod Generation” (Roadside Attractions) is a good example of a high-concept movie that runs out of juice just as it’s about to say something profound. It wants to be edgy but it’s dull. It also can’t decide if it’s meant to be funny or serious and ends up being neither.
These days, it seems that gay romcoms are as prevalent as right-wing religious fanatics protesting said movies. There is even a preponderance of gay Christmas movies.
Trans filmmaker D. Smith has done something incredible with her first film, the documentary “Kokomo City” (Magnolia). She has given voice to black, trans sex workers, a segment of the population that has something to say after remaining silent for too long. Focusing on four individuals – Liyah Mitchell, Dominique Silver, Daniella Carter, and the late Koko Da Doll (who was murdered in April 2023) – Smith offers us insight into both the trans and sex worker communities in equal measure.
If Fin Argus, who stars as Derek in the movie “Stay Awake” (MarVista), now available on VOD, looks familiar to you, you may recognize them from their portrayal of Mingus in Peacock’s 2022 revival of “Queer As Folk.” Depending on how old you are, you may also recognize them from the time they spent as a member of “Kidz Bop.”
Based on the autobiographical novel by Makoto Takayama, director and co-screenwriter Daishi Matsunaga’s “Egoist” (Strand) is one of the most original and moving gay movies of the year. Slightly reminiscent of Hong Khaou’s 2014 “Lilting” (starring out actor Ben Whishaw), in which a mother and her son’s lover bond following a calamity, “Egoist” finds the perfect balance between eroticism and emotion.
As a writer and director, Greta Gerwig (whose best work is done behind the camera) has a history of making movies with strong messages of female empowerment, including the Oscar-nominated features “Lady Bird” and “Little Women.”
‘Kokomo City’ at O Cinema
Miami native D. Smith makes her directorial debut with the award-winning documentary, “Kokomo City,” opening Aug. 4 at O Cinema South Beach in Miami Beach.
There’s so much wrong with “Theater Camp” (Searchlight), the co-directorial debut of actress and writer Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, it’s difficult to know where to begin. As a character in a much better movie once said, “Let's start at the very beginning/A very good place to start.”
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