Actor George MacKay has gone far since we took this picture in 2014. Black and Paper interviewed the young actor in Berlin at the Shooting Stars event. A nice guy with a lot of charm. MacKay has starred in Sam Mendes’ World War 1 Drama “1917”. Currently his new feature “Munich-The Edge of War” is in cinemas.
A seemingly straightforward two-hour documentary of Pope Francis, Francesco otherwise manages to compel. Directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, the film is noteworthy for mostly competent direction and production values.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936. He is the first Pope to be born outside Europe since Gregory III (731–741). As the new Pope he took the name of Francis. His untimely succession to Pope Benedict XVI was the result of the former’s ill health. Francis was also following a conservative Pope with outspoken and often controversial values.
Francesco follows Fernando Meirelles’s dramatization The Two Popes (2019). Jonathan Pryce played Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins was Pope Benedict XVI. The Two Popes imagined a bromance of sorts between the outgoing conservative and incoming liberal. There was also Wim Wenders’ documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018). This film lauded Francis’ concerns with issues such as the climate crisis, refugees and inequality. Likewise, Francesco shows he is an outspoken critic of unbridled capitalism and free market economics, consumerism, and over development. Since 2018, he has also been an opponent of populism. At the same time, he has welcomed tolerance for the LGBT community in the Church.
On the global stage, Pope Francis has helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. He also supported the cause of refugees during the European and Central American migrant crises. Furthermore, he has tackled child abuse, particularly a case in Santiago, Chile. Juan Carlos Cruz wrote to the Pope detailing his abuse from Father Fernando Karadima. After initially dismissing this claim, Francis eventually defrocked Karadima and apologized to Cruz.
Francesco also remains respectably (or, perhaps, forcibly) distanced. At times it raises the question of how much the director had direct access to his subject. For example, included is some footage of Francis talking to someone off-camera. There are also excessive drone shots, and Francis only seemingly gives interviews to friends and colleagues.
On the whole, Francesco is a worthwhile and at times enigmatic portrait of Pope Francis. Despite occasional editing flaws and questionable one-sidedness, it opens a window on the head of the Catholic Church.
By Steve Yates
Pooling to Paradise
Indie Road Flick Pooling to Paradise is an engaging and often fun critique on contemporary living. Married mum and step-mother Jenny (Lynn Chen) plans to travel to Las Vegas for a professional Blogger conference. Involuntarily she chooses the Car Pool option on her app. This means she will subsequently miss her flight. Joining her in the car are Kara (Dreama Walker), Sean (Jonathan Lipnicki), and driver Marc (Jordan Carlos).
Such an inclined space demands our attention. It’s also interesting to see how characters play off one another. Here are four strangers at different stages in their lives. We have already learned that Jenny is a highly-strung mother. The younger Kara is a struggling and deluded actor. The even younger Sean wants to kill himself after breaking up with his girlfriend, Dawn (Taryn Manning). Meanwhile, driver Marc is a casualty of activist parents. He now drifts through life with the help of numerous narcotics.
During the trip they inevitably get to know each other better. At one point Sean pulls out a gun. However, he reassures everyone it’s to kill himself, despite not being loaded. Kara tries to convince everyone she’s on her way to stardom. Jenny constantly talks domesticity like everyone would somehow be interested. Marc, having undoubtedly been in this situation before, goes with the flow.
An increasingly distraught Sean offers to pay Marc to drive him to Dawn’s home in Paradise, Nevada. With Paradise being near Vegas, and that she’s already missed her flight, Jenny agrees to Sean’s plan. Kara, with nothing better to do, also agrees to this to help Sean.
Pooling to Paradise is worthwhile but does not contain an abundance of laughs. It is more of a light drama with funny moments that continually raises the bar. The fun is in getting to know these characters better. There are also regular respites as they leave the car at different points in the journey.
The denouement has Jenny speaking at a conference. This somewhat feel-good sentimental ending is out of synch with the tone of the film. However, this minor flaw aside, it’s worth staying along for the ride. Writer Caytha Jentis shows good pacing and sympathetic characterization, while the dialogue rarely feels scripted.
~ By Steven Yates
I screened the short film The Women’s Revenge on the International Film Festival Rotterdam platform. The work packs a punch. Listen to the Chat Cinema conversation with Director Su Hui Yu explain his work and influences.
Click below:
Look out for our features on these films unspooling at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Click on a link to enjoy a preview.
Chat Cinema Podcast with the film’s directors coming soon.