science – Smaller Pictures

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Another film that I have been meaning to see since its release, Sorry to Bother You is a brilliant study of capitalism in modern day America. Written and directed by Boots Riley in a fantastic debut, we follow Cassius “Cash” Green (Lakeith Stanfield) as he starts a career in RegalView, a telemarketing centre and his rise to the top after using his “white voice” to appeal to white middle-class America. His friends at RegalView, Squeeze (Steven Yeun) and Salvador (Jermaine Fowler) start a union to get basic benefits as the workers only receive commission. Cash quickly becomes a “Power Caller” and is taken to the top floor where he is tasked with selling slave labour on behalf of corrupt company, WorryFree, to large corporations around the world. In a society where money talks, we see Cash’s struggle intensify as he has to choose between security and his relationship with his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson). The film flits between genres flawlessly, drifting from comedy to drama to science-fiction in a matter of seconds. It’s refusal to slot into a specific box and the ability to feel relevant shows Riley’s talent for screenwriting. There is so much going on in this film that adds layers and layers of subtext and it’s a testament to the racist and classist struggle that underlies modern society.

First thing to discuss is the direction and script. Despite the film being his directorial debut, Riley brings a film that looks as though he has done this for years. His vision is crystal clear right down to the colours of the doors. The film opens on Cash’s interview at RegalView as he attempts to blag his way to the entry job. He unsuccessful carries out a flamboyant lie which sees him take a huge trophy and employee of the month frame that he had made to make himself seem more impressive. From the get go, Riley establishes Cash as someone who is willing to do what it takes to achieve the American Dream. The capitalist aspect of this film is at the forefront but there are the racist undertones which are made more explicit as Cash finds himself among a rich, white society. Even at the point when he has achieved more than his colleagues on the bottom and top floors, he is still viewed as an outsider.

This brings me onto the cast who all do a brilliant job, particularly Stanfield and Thompson. The chemistry they have is so natural and the audience feels the intensity when the relationship becomes strained. Cash’s conflict with identity and finding a purpose is one that resonates with a lot of people. He doesn’t fit in with any particular group of people and any stereotypes that society has of black people don’t fit at all. Detroit is an artist who is certain of her identity and has a clear view of the world. There is a literal divide for the characters as the morally sound people populate the bottom floor and live for pennies and the corrupt group working upstairs live extremely privileged lifestyles. We see in a matter of seconds Cash’s life shift as the material items are replaced more luxurious goods such as his car. The film’s dynamic editing is quickfire and snappy to portray the large scale changes that money can make. These material items and the apartment Cash buys detaches him further and further away from his friends. He soon begins to use his “white voice” without realising as his work persona starts to take over and change his personality.

The point of view in the film is fairly radical in its ideas and the issues it raises are important. We see a Leftist group attempt to fight a large corporation who deal with trading weaponry and slave labour to other countries. Modern society looks at the history of slavery with disgust and yet those at the top are competing to have a slice of the pie when WorryFree’s plan for slave labour piques the interest of the powerful due to low cost and high productivity. Riley is quick to remind the audiences that the problems society had in the past haven’t truly gone away and that it merely embarks a different and more modern disguise. The idea of the call centre and sticking to the script literally brainwashes its employees and forces them to conform to an ideal that fits a white middle-class America. The Leftist group are made to look wild and are even mocked when they throw cans at the staff who try to enter the building with one particular can hitting Cash and giving him a huge cut on his head throughout the film. The wound becomes symbolic of his betrayal to the cause and the physical and metaphorical damage that has been caused by his willingness to partake in the selling of slave labour.

Overall, this is a very strong film with a clear point of view that is important and relevant. It’s a shame that this didn’t get a wider release as I think this is a film that explores difficult themes in a unique way that pushes boundaries in a similar way that Get Out did.

What did you think of Sorry to Bother You? I’m assuming it’s positive because the film is bloody incredible! Let me know in the comments below!

High Life (2018)

As part of an initiative to bring lesser-known films to Wrexham, 73 Cinema aim to show a variety of films that would otherwise have required a trip to bigger cities to view. Based in Ty Pawb, the second chosen feature was High Life (2018), Claire Denis’ first English-language project starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role as a death row inmate who is sent to space with other inmates in order to conduct experiments for those on Earth. Their major mission is to venture to the far ends of the Solar system and the minor mission is to attempt reproduction in space. Denis is a filmmaker who refuses to follow the rules and the brilliant use of non-linear structure reflects this. The film opens with remaining survivor, Monte (Pattinson) repairing the ship as his baby daughter, Willow, cries hysterically, causing him to lose a piece of equipment. There are moments of deep isolation in Monte’s eyes that are soon swept away when Willow starts to laugh and play. Willow becomes his driving force to survive.

Denis’ direction is outstanding and the film is beautifully still. The use of one major primary location is genius because it allows us to feel the claustrophobia. What is brilliant is how small the ship looks from the outside but it seems so big inside with each segment of the ship looking as though it is in an entirely different space. It’s difficult to believe that the same ship contains the garden that grows their food also contains the aptly-named “Fuck Box”, a room where the passengers go to obsessively masturbate. Monte is the only passenger who avoids the room, choosing to lead a celibate life and making him appear alien to the others. Pattinson knocks it out of the park with his performance. Monte is quiet and subdued, allowing the action of the film to be carried out by the more extroverted characters but he is also the most resilient of the bunch. Despite his crime, he has a strong moral compass and doesn’t lend himself to the violence easily. Pattinson carries this film and his performance as Monte appears natural. It’s a role that he was born to play.

The supporting cast are also strong with stellar performances from Juliette Binoche as the sinister Dibs, the ship doctor who is determined to complete the reproduction mission for her moment of glory and Mia Goth as troubled passenger, Boyse who is reluctant to participate in the experiment. Dibs is a character who can never be trusted and her presence onscreen immediately brings unease. She is unapologetic for her actions and what she does to Monte and Boyse is hugely upsetting and she shows no remorse. She is aware of her crimes and the monster she is but chooses not to linger on it with the exception of an emotional scene between her and Boyse in which she confronts her crime. It’s a moment in which Dibs becomes human and seems equal to the others. On the other hand, Goth is an actress who has shown much promise and fearlessness in her film choices since her debut in Lars von Trier’s sex-fuelled Nymphomaniac (2013). Her performance as Boyse shows a clear growth from her earlier work and I predict that she will have a long career. The scene in which she escapes in a ship to enter a blackhole is deeply disturbing and makes for one of the craziest death scenes I have ever seen in film.

As ever, the screenplay is what I pay attention to the most and the film has so many qualities that I admire. Written by Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau, the film could be described as a sci-fi horror set in space and yet is one of the most human features I have seen. It’s a claustrophobic study of human nature and the strength to survive in unknown conditions. As discussed, it is hugely intense and the script relies heavily on the actions rather than the dialogue. A lot of the time, the physicality and expressions of the character take us through a scene rather than what they are actually saying. Like the mission, the script also takes us into the unknown with twists and turns at every scene and motives change or emerge. There are only a couple of scenes based in Earth to give us a contextual glimpse into the background of the mission and the ship is used a primary location.

It is important to note that High Life is not a film for everybody. It doesn’t hold back in its grittiness with excessive violence, explicit rape scenes and suicide but it’s also a film that creates an intricate study into the human mind when thrust into impossible situations, demonstrating just how far people will go to ensure their legacy. Even in the vacuum of the universe, there is an obsession throughout the film with the idea of legacy and being heroes but in the end, it doesn’t matter. It is Monte’s refusal to engage with such ideals that has meant he is the last survivor. The final scenes between him and teenage Willow (Jessie Ross) bring the film to its hopeful conclusion as they venture into a black hole.

What did you think of High Life? Let me know in the comments below!