As if the folks in Southern California didn’t have enough natural disasters with which to contend, including wildfires, earthquakes, and mudslides.
Film
“Plainclothes” (Magnolia), the directorial debut by queer filmmaker and screenwriter Carmen Emmi, is not as simple as the title might suggest. There is also a double-meaning at play as neither of the main characters – Lucas (Tom Blyth) and Andrew (out actor Russell Tovey) – is dressed in their respective “uniforms” when they first meet.
Paul Thomas Anderson appears to be incapable of making a movie under two hours in length. “Boogie Nights” (1997) and “There Will Be Blood” (2007) were more than 2.5 hours long. “The Master” (2012), “Inherent Vice” (2014), and “Licorice Pizza” (2021) were almost 2.5 hours long. “Magnolia” (1998) was three hours long. Get the picture?
Confusing conclusion aside, “Straight Up,” gay actor/writer/director James Sweeney’s 2020 feature-length debut, was one of the best movies of that year. Five years later, Sweeney has returned with “Twinless” (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions), a queer, dark black comedy/drama that is hard to shake.
The timing of the release of Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl” (Kino Lorber), about actress/filmmaker/Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl, is particularly notable. As far-right politicians and some followers spout hateful rhetoric, stirring the pot, regardless of the consequences, “Riefenstahl” is a reminder of what can occur in the wake of such blatant disregard for others.
In 2023, Alexander Payne redefined and reinvigorated the modern Christmas movie by taking us back to the 1970s with his Oscar-winning dramedy “The Holdovers.” With the humorous and poignant “The Baltimorons” (IFC), director and co-writer Jay Duplass (Josh from “Transparent”) does something very similar.
Just a few years after Austin Butler became a household name in Baz Luhrmann’s meh “Elvis,” he’s finally been given a lead role in a movie worthy of his gifts. Darren Aronofsky’s “Caught Stealing” (Sony/Columbia), with its double-meaning title (baseball and theft), flashbacks, ultra-violence, and tangled twists, appears to be the one.
As late-summer thriller “Relay” (Bleecker Street) opens, whistle-blower Hoffman (Matthew Maher) is meeting in an NYC diner with pharma bigwig McVie (out actor Victor Garber) for a transaction arranged by fixer Ash (Riz Ahmed).
While it wouldn’t be unreasonable to dismiss gay filmmaker and co-writer Samuel Van Grinsven’s “Went Up the Hill” (Greenwich Entertainment) as style over substance, there are still enough elements, including the performance of Dacre Montgomery (of “Stranger Things” fame), to make it worth watching.
Non-traditional married couple Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke (Google it!) are on a roll with the queer noir film “Honey Don’t!” (Focus/Working Title).
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