Nomandland

          Directed by Chole Zhao (who also wrote the screenplay) this is a glimpse into a fabric of American life, unfortunately becoming far too common in today's world. Through the eyes of Fern, a fictitious character played beautifully by Frances McDormand, we meet real nomads, displaced people carving out a life on the fringes of society. 

           Sometime after Fern's husband dies and she loses her job when the plant in her town goes bust, Fern packs her meager belongings into a van and hits the open road.  The film has a very loose narrative as it weaves its way across the American west following Fern as she moves state to state and job to job meeting various people and hearing their stories. She becomes friends with Linda May and another woman named Swankie. They share time together as their lives crisscross on the open road. Both women play a fictitious version of themselves but their lives and stories are real.

          The only other "actor" in the film is David Strathaim, playing a nomad who shares a minor mutual attraction with Fern. Both actors blend so easily into the landscape, the film feels more like a documentary than a scripted feature. Ms. Zhao's shoots the film in an unassuming and gentle way, letting the people and the landscapes fill in the narrative. The cinematography by Joshua James Richards is just wonderful. Close-ups on faces and still life appear like paintings come to life, lingering both on taut skin and beautiful scenery.

 

           In a film like this nothing really happens and yet everything does. These people may have been forced into their circumstances but they have learned to adapt to a new way of surviving the harsh realities of today's America. It is a tribute to their tenacity and quiet dignity.

Judas and the Black Messiah

 

      This new drama written (with Will Berson) and directed by Shaka King, is based on the true story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers Party in the late 1960's. It stars Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neill, forced by the FBI to become an inside informer and ultimately betray Mr. Hampton.

      Mr. Hampton was a powerful, charismatic leader thoroughly committed to "power of the people" to lead a revolution in America. Mr. Kaluuya, while older than the actual Hampton was at the time, is no less charismatic and powerful in the role.  The film's focus is primarily on the rise of the Party and Mr. Hampton, but it is Mr. Stanfield who is mesmerizing as the conflicted O'Neill that makes for the more interesting character.

      A petty thief with no interest in politics, O'Neill is arrested for car theft and impersonating an FBI agent. Facing a long jail sentence, he agrees instead, to "join" the Panthers and become an informer for the FBI. Jesse Plemons, in his usual understated performance, plays Roy Mitchell, the agent that "runs" Mitchell. He fills his head telling him the Panthers are no better than the Klan, buys him expensive dinners and pays well for his information. At first, O'Neill enjoys the role but as his position in the Panther Party grows, things become more dangerous and much more of a conflict as his friendship and admiration grows for Mr. Hampton.

      Martin Sheen has the small but pivotal role as J. Edgar Hoover, whose ultimate decision seals the fate of the two men. Also co-starring is Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, Mr. Hampton's love interest.  Ms. Fishback continues to shine as her roles continue to grow in film and TV.

      Mr. King's direction is taut and economical. He doesn't waste a frame and the film moves at a quick pace.  The music by Mark Isham and Craig Harris is an explosive jazz score that compliments the story well but can be grating at times. 

          This is an important piece of American history and its story, brought to the screen, is made that more compelling by the work of its two lead dynamic actors.

Martin Eden

          

         This is a throwback to great Italian cinema. The drama is loosely based on the novel by Jack London and is a star making turn for Luca Marinelli. As the title character, Mr. Marinelli brings Mr. Eden to life as a young man determined to become a writer as his way out of poverty and a chance to rise above his station in Italian society.

         A chance meeting with the rich socialite, Elena, played by Jessica Cressy, is love at first sight but to be accepted, Martin must become a member of the bourgeois class he detests. This is at once a love story and a story of social and class struggle in an Italy of an earlier time. It follows Martin's social and political awakening in a compelling way. 

        The direction by Pietro Marcello and cinematography by Alessandro Abate and Francesco Di Giacomo is fantastic, giving the film a visual flair to earlier Italian cinema. The film looks and feels like a product of the 1960's, rather than today. Mr. Marcello enjoys "the close-up", at times having the characters speak directly to the camera or by bringing the camera right up to their expressive faces. He intercuts scenes with metaphors, flashbacks and various archival footage that fill out the film and gives it more depth. 

        The film is in Italian with subtitles and is an Apple+ exclusive.

Palmer

      

     Rising just above a "Lifetime" movie, this new drama stars Justin Timberlake as an ex-convict trying to put his life in order after serving 12 years in prison. He returns to his small southern town and moves back in with his grandmother played by June Squibb. 

     What saves the film from sinking into melodrama is the terrific performance by Ryder Allen as "Sam" the young son of Palmer's neighbor, a "trailer trash" drug addict played by Juno Temple. Mr. Timberlake gives an understated performance but once Sam comes into his life, the film takes on a new life. When Sam's mother disappears for an extended period, Palmer gets an opportunity to bond with Sam in an unusual friendship.  Sam is "different" from other boys his age, preferring to play with dolls and watch fairy princess cartoons on television. What make him unique though is his early acceptance of who he is and that strikes a chord in Palmer.

      This is a story of acceptance and redemption that while honest, is far from subtle.  You can telegraph the entire story as it unfolds, from predicting the actions of the stereotyped characters to the final outcome. Young Mr. Allen is a revelation however, and a joy to watch.  There is true chemistry between him and Mr. Timberlake and their scenes together convey real emotion. 

          Fans of Mr. Timberlake will enjoy him in the title role but the film is an Apple+ exclusive and if you don't have Apple+, you really won't be missing anything. A far better film with similar themes of acceptance and redemption is "The Peanut Butter Falcon".