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CODA (2021)

There are some films that have humble begins and then grow in publicity and popularity unexpectedly. This year’s dark horse is undoubtedly, comedy-drama CODA, which has had a huge awards’ presence, and even been grabbing some unexpected wins. The film follows Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), who is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), and her experiences as the only hearing person in her family. As Ruby discovers that she loves music and singing, complexities arise, especially as her family set up their own fishing business. CODA’s achievements shouldn’t be ignored as 40% of the film is American Sign Language, which is a brilliant way of raising awareness and promoting inclusion within the film industry. The cast of Ruby’s family consists of Daniel Durant (who plays Ruby’s brother, Leo), Troy Kotsur (who plays Ruby’s father, Frank), and Oscar winner Marlee Matline (who plays Ruby’s mother, Jackie).

The film is written and directed by Siân Heder and is her second feature following her 2016 debut, Tallulah. CODA is a remake of the 2014 French film, La Famille Bélier, which did exceptionally well in the French box office on release and was nominated for numerous César Awards. Heder’s script relocates the story to a fishing community in Massachusetts, but maintains the main story element that the protagonist discovers that she loves singing and wants to audition for a place at a prestigious music school. What Heder’s script does really well is bring a great level of characterisation to each member of the Rossi family as the film chronicles the familial relationships and conflicts that Ruby has with each member. The direction shows life through Ruby’s eyes and rarely diverts from this with only a handful of scenes not involving Ruby included in the film.

Emilia Jones takes on the lead role of Ruby and proves to be the perfect casting choice. Jones has been slowly adding to her resume in recent years, providing brilliant performances such as the lead character in Catherine Linstrum’s 2019 film, Nuclear. It is this film, however, that has proven to be her big breakout performance and even garnered Jones a BAFTA nomination for Best Leading Actress. Ruby is a great central character thanks to her relatability as an awkward teenager trying to fit in, but her situation as a CODA makes her the prime target for bullies in school. When she realises that she can sing and wants to embark on a music career, familial conflict ensues as she won’t be able to act as her family’s interpreter. Jones perfectly captures Ruby’s dilemmas and internal conflict as she strives to follow her own dreams.

One of the big reasons why CODA was able to secure financing was thanks to Marlee Matlin, who stars as Ruby’s mother, Jackie. Matlin made history as the youngest winner of the Best Leading Actress Oscar in the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God and her career has proven to be vast, spanning across film and TV. Jackie and Ruby’s relationship is highly turbulent throughout the film, as they don’t seem to have a lot in common. When Ruby realises that she loves to sing, Jackie can’t understand as she had planned Ruby’s role in the family business. Although the role is fairly small, Matlin makes the most of every second she is onscreen, and it’s clear that she is having a lot of fun in the role. What is great is how developed Jackie’s characterisation is as the mother-daughter relationship goes through highs and lows.

The highlight of the film is undoubtedly Troy Kotsur in the role of Ruby’s father, Frank. Every time Kotsur is onscreen, he commands attention thanks to the amount of heart and depth that he brings to the character. Frank’s financial and social turmoil are brilliantly chronicled in the film. What makes Frank such a brilliant character is the mix between humour and drama that he goes through, and his scenes are among the most memorable in the entire film. The scene in which Frank lectures Ruby and Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) on safe sex is among the funniest moment in the film. The scene following Ruby’s school performance, in which Frank asks her to sing the song from her recital while feeling her vocal cords. Through doing this, he is able to experience the emotions of the song, and it’s one of the best scenes in this Oscar race and is why he is deserving of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

One important aspect of CODA is its soundtrack. The score is composed by Marius de Vries who incorporates calming, whimsical instrumental tracks that invoke the small fishing community which is then contrasted by an array of song covers that are beautifully sung by Emilia Jones and fellow members of the choir. The film’s climactic moment, in which Jones sings a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now” as part of her audition for college will bring tears to your eyes as she notices her family in the audience and begins to sign the lyrics for them. The music is imperative to the plot of the film and in the end, is made inclusive for all characters and the way that this is done helps to bring the family together.

CODA has proven itself to be The Power of the Dog’s main competition and may even cause a huge shock by taking home the Best Picture Oscar next Sunday. Heder’s film is one that is filled with a lot of heart and amazing performances, especially by Kotsur, who is the favourite to bring home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and Matlin. Although some may find that the feel-good nature of this film is overwhelming, CODA has the performances and writing to back up a great story with a wonderful message. Although Ruby’s situation is not experienced by the majority of families, the familial conflicts and way that the relationships are portrayed feel universal and relatable.

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

CODA is available to watch on Apple TV+ now!

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London Film Festival 2021: Mass

One film that has a great reception at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is Mass which has subsequently generated a lot of buzz among critics at various film festivals since. Making an appearance at this year’s London Film Festival, Mass shows the meeting between the parents of a high school shooter (Reed Birney and Ann Dowd) and the parents of one of the shooter’s victims (Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton). What follows is a beautiful film that allows each actor to showcase their emotional range as the characters attempt to come to some sort of resolution by recalling memories of their respective sons and question why the events happened. The film explores a variety of topics from universal issues such as grief and loss to more timely issues such as gun control but at no point does the script feel weighed down or forced as the conversations flow naturally.

Written and directed by Fran Kranz in his directorial debut, Mass feels reminiscent of an onscreen stage adaptation but what is interesting is that it is a completely original screenplay. Despite the entire film taking place within a Church, we can sense the outside world and don’t feel claustrophobic or bored at any point. This is thanks to the intensity in Kranz’s direction and how well the plot points unfold. We don’t know why these people are meeting initially which makes the situation more natural as Kranz does not force feed the audience. This leaves us wanting to learn as much as we can about the situation and we feel the pain and anguish that each parent is feeling and the different reasons why this is the case. Kranz’s decision to cast veteran actors who have performed on stage a lot means that the characters are fully realised in a way that sometimes can be missed by actors who have never acted on stage before.

Playing the parents of the high school shooter are Reed Birney and Ann Dowd who portray Richard and Linda, respectively. The first thing we notice about Richard and Linda is the differences in body language. Linda is very forthcoming, offers a pot of freshly grown flowers, and very eager to start a conversation whereas Richard is much more guarded and reserved. We can see that Richard has a lot to say but is biding his time and biting his tongue until the time is right. Dowd’s performance in particular is arguably the driving force in the film as her character begins the majority of conversations and brings out the reactions out of the other couple, especially when she bursts into tears at the start. What makes Dowd such a fascinating actress is her ability to bring out a humanity in her characters. Linda is a woman who has clearly struggled in her role as a mother and she is now facing the consequences of her son’s actions and wears her heart on her sleeve. Her forthcoming nature may come across as unsettling and uncomfortable, especially as we learn more about the situation, but this serves to help Jay and Gail open up.

Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton portray Jay and Gail, the parents of one of the shooter’s victims. We see them arrive at the church first and the trauma of the past events is evident, even if we don’t know why at this point. Isaacs, in particular, brings out a career best performance which will no doubt result in much awards acclaim and even possible wins. Jay tries to remain level-headed, but unlike Richard, he is unable to move his emotions to the side and eventually we see him breakdown. The monologue in which Richard recalls his visit to the scene is absolutely harrowing to watch and Isaacs paces the story beautifully so we can really picture the story without actually seeing it ourselves. Gail on the other hand is initially more reserved and less open than Jay but she is determined to ensure that this meeting will help them find some resolve and allow them to move on. Plimpton has proven herself to be incredibly varied in her performances having acted in comedy such as Raising Hope as well as dramatic roles such as The Good Wife. Her turn as Gail is deeply complex as we see her wanting to open up but feeling uncomfortable about the situation.

Mass is an absolute masterclass in acting and boasts career best performances from its cast, especially from Dowd and Isaacs who I think will see success come awards season. Kranz has achieved a lot in his debut as he has delivered a film that is fantastically written and beautifully directed and showing that you can provide a gripping drama with deep storytelling in a restricted location. Mass is definitely a film that stays with you long after it ends.

Mass is showing at this year’s London Film Festival!

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Censor (2021)

One of the most anticipated British films of the year is finally here. Censor has been the subject of much discussion since its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and it’s easy to see why. The film takes place in the early 1970s during the height of the Video Nasties craze and follows Enid Baines, an employee at the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), who is put under public scrutiny after it is alleged that a film she allowed for release may have inspired a real life murder. Paired with an incident that sees her watch a film that looks like her missing sister, Enid’s sanity and knowledge between fact and fiction begin to merge together into a horrorshow that will see you falling down the rabbit hole with Enid.

The film has been directed by Prano Bailey-Bond who also cowrote the script with Anthony Fletcher. What is fantastic about Bailey-Bond’s approach is how authentic and well-researched every aspect of the film feels from the time period setting to the quality of the film and the methods that they would be shown to the censors. What separates a good horror from an excellent horror, especially in modern times, are their ability to merge the genre with social commentary and despite its early 1970s period stamp, Censor feels as timely as ever. Bailey-Bond’s fearless depiction of mental health deterioration as well as questioning the relationship between entertainment and media takes you on a journey that is unpredictable and highly rewarding to watch.

Niamh Algar is definitely one of this year’s stellar breakouts. Her turn as Enid Baines is a masterclass of characterisation as we see the character’s downward spiral into chaos and madness until the lines between reality and fiction become blurred. Filling the character with plenty of mannerisms such as her fidgeting as well as the detachment from the films she has to watch every day. The horror genre has brought us a slew of iconic characters in recent years, especially strong female characters and Enid Baines can sit confidently among them. The audience’s attention is captured from the beginning all the way through to the end and with horror acting as a groundbreaking genres for rising filmmakers to delve into, Censor works fantastically as a character study while subverting the horror genre and ripping the rule book.

The supporting cast do a great job of backing Algar and adding to the suspense and tension. In particular, Michael Smiley does a brilliant job as Doug Smart, a controversial producer whose films have garnered a negative reputation with the general public. Smart immediately takes a shine to Enid and insists that she reviews his latest project which sets the film in motion, Smiley brings a subtle and subdued quality that makes every movement and line unpredictable. Making the most of every second he is on screen, Smiley can always be relied upon to bring an unexpected performance.

One of the many highlights in this film is the score that has been composed by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch. Much like the script, cinematography and editing, the score merges a modern horror score with music that feels reminiscent of the 1970s horror music to create something that feels unique and distinctive. There are many scenes where it feels as though the music is its own character such as the scenes where Enid ventures through the train station and sees a woman who looks like her sister. The score in these moments feel as though it is Enid’s past creeping up on her and haunting her every move.

What makes Censor such an appealing film to watch is how brilliabtly crafted the cinematography and editing is. Edited by Mark Towns and cinematography by Annika Summerson, the film flits between a 1970s aesthetic and how a video nasty would appear on VHS. With the video nasty VHS quality becoming more prominent later on, it seems that the film itself is reflective of Enid’s state of mind and actually questions whether the film is a video nasty in itself as it blends between the fact and fiction. The dark colour palettes of the film add a disarming effect and blur those lines between sanity and madness.

If there is one horror that you plan on seeing this year then make sure it is Censor. Wickedly original with a script and direction that is filled to the brim with creativity and ambition. From beginning to end, you are transported into this world and the mind games that it plays with you mean that it’s merging of genres works so well. Bolstered by an amazing cast and with every aspect of the film so well thought out, Censor is by far one of the best films of the year and it’s exciting to see where Bailey-Bond’s career goes following this incredible feature debut.

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

Censor is out in cinemas now!