At this point last year, the weather was calm and we were enjoying all the season had to offer. It was also the height of the summer movie season. “Avengers: Endgame” was still at number eight at the box office. And I am sure most had just taken their grandchildren to “The Secret Life of Pets II”, as it was the top movie for the weekend. All this feels like a distant memory however. The loss of the cinema, that communal experience, has given us questions as to how can we move forward culturally?
A great experience that I have taken part of has shown me that this has still isn’t gone: “We Are One.” This film fest was put on through the cooperation of several international festivals like Cannes and TIFF as a way to raise funds for COVID through the World Health Organization. Everything from shorts to features and animation, all were contributed as a free gift to film lovers. A celebration indeed, one of my favorite parts were the interviews with actors like Julianne Moore and directors like Francis Ford Coppola. That insight into their process was better than any feature film they could have shown. Some of the videos are still available through YouTube. For those who would like enjoy these on your big screen, you can add YouTube through an Amazon Fire Stick.
This immersion into film made me realize we can still have this at home. Netflix has been working with major filmmakers to bring the best of cinema on your television. Spike Lee, the Oscar winning director of “BlacKKKansman,” is back with “Da 5 Bloods.” The film follows four members of an Army troop from Vietnam going back to find treasure they hid with their fallen leader, played in flashback by Chadwick Boseman(“Black Panther”, “Get On Up”). Also this month, international filmmaker Oliver Assayas is bringing his film “Wasp Network” on June 19. Starring Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez, this taut thriller tells the true story of a group of Cuban spies infiltrating terrorist groups out to bring down the Castro regime. An interesting point of view, the film was reworked after its debut at Cannes.
Available on VOD and Hulu, “Shirley” comes not a moment too soon for lovers of biopics. Telling a fictional take on her life, the author of The Haunting of Hill House and The Lottery is presented to us fully realized. It is great to see Elizabeth Moss take on a much different role after “The Invisible Man”. The scenes between her and Michael Stuhlbarg are absolutely electric.
On the cable front, TCM has curated a lineup of jazz inspired films like “Lady Sings the Blues” and “The Glenn Miller Story.” Their other monthly theme History of the Swimsuit makes for an intriguing way to display summer in film. We all need a bit of beach fun in lack of it this year. Happy viewing!
