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The Verge
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
40 years later, Brazil is as prescient as ever
Brazil opens with a bureaucratic error. A fly gets stuck in a typewriter, changing the surname of Archibald Tuttle to Archibald Buttle, a misprint on a form that dictates the government forcibly detain a suspected terrorist (Tuttle) but instead leads to the arrest of an entirely innocent man (Buttle). If the inciting events of our great science fiction films have been hostile aliens, seductive robots, and reckless technologies, Terry Gilliam begins his with a humble typo. Rewatching Brazil in 2025 — nearly four decades after its release — it's hard to understate how well this movie holds up. Wildly inventive at every turn, Gilliam's satirical vision of a cruel and violent bureaucracy rings eerily true of this political moment. The film finishes a weeklong run at New York's Film Forum with a new 4K restoration, which you can also get on Blu-ray. (And honestly, the non-4K version of Brazil that you can perennially stream on The Criterion Channel still looks great too.) A lot of that has to do with Gilliam's hysterical dystopia — Mad Men by way of Wolfenstein. Brazil also imagines a hyper-efficient future that never made the leap to digital. Pneumatic tubes shoot paperwork between offices; seas of typists clack forward the cogs of an industrial machine. Everything in this world is an Orwellian/Kafkaesque melange of forms and stamps and obtuse experience of watching Brazil is at once being impressed by how it looks while also being horrified by what's depicted. The ominous cityscapes have wonderfully art deco touches, yet the gargantuan buildings cast long, haunting shadows; many of the sets take inspiration from Nazi iconography, complete with gigantic eagles and massive lobbies guarded by stormtroopers. Also, look at this logo: Isn't that the best movie logo you've ever seen? A perfectly cast Jonathan Pryce inhabits Sam Lowry, a mid-level bureaucrat. He lives in a small apartment, complete with dysfunctional Rube Goldberg gadgetry that ends up pouring coffee on his toast. (The film has no shortage of Gilliam's adoration of slapstick, a carryover of his Monty Python days.) Lowry's mother and friends push him to be more ambitious. Yet he resists the rat race, turning down a promotion to a much more prestigious branch of the government simply because he isn't interested. In this dystopian world, oppressed by the hierarchical structures of capitalism, the only hero is a slouch. A fantastical/horny dream plotline is the most Lowry gets activated, and as he chases down the culprit for the Tuttle and Buttle mix-up, he encounters several different departments foisting the blame off on other offices. 'Information Transit got the wrong man. I got the right man,' says one bureaucrat. 'The wrong one was delivered to me as the right man; I accepted him on good faith as the right man. Was I wrong?' There is no accountability in this government, and characters act with self-interested careerism in mind over any semblance of morality. After Buttle is killed, Lowry has to deliver a receipt to his widow. Earlier this year, as part of the Trump administration's attempt to deport undocumented immigrants, ICE illegally deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He was sent to El Salvador before the government admitted it had made an error. Then the agency backtracked, claiming it had never made a mistake. In response to calls to return Garcia to the US, the Department of Homeland Security claimed it had no authority to do so. The deflection of responsibility, the ludicrous reasoning, the deferential loyalty to the state — these are the things Terry Gilliam satirized in Brazil. Most science fiction films emphasize the dangers of technology; Gilliam saw the sinister machinations of bureaucracy. Watching Brazil 40 years later, it's even clearer what we were being warned about. Some of that clarity is literally the 4K restoration. But even through all of Gilliam's gags and elaborate sets, we see all the twisted incentives that eventually normalize fascism. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Kevin Nguyen Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Film Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Movie Review
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘An Officer and a Spy' Review: The Dreyfus Affair as an Allegory
In France, Roman Polanski's 'An Officer and a Spy' was released in 2019 as 'J'Accuse …!' — I accuse. On its face, the movie is an account of the Dreyfus Affair, in which a Jewish-French army captain named Alfred Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of passing military secrets to the Germans in the late 19th century. The movie shared its original title with Émile Zola's published defense of Dreyfus, which changed both public opinion and history. The accused in Zola's denunciation is unmistakable. Yet who is the movie — and Polanski — accusing, and of what? Now, six years after its French run, 'An Officer and a Spy' is opening in New York at the Film Forum. It's the first new Polanski movie to play in this country since the 2014 release of 'Venus in Fur.' In the years since, Polanski — who fled the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor — became effectively persona non grata here. Film Forum has posted a programming note to its website that refers to the assault, and also states that the movie is 'a well-crafted, dramatic depiction of the Dreyfus Affair' and 'an important contribution to cinema's crucial role in historical storytelling.' 'An Officer and a Spy' is well-crafted; Polanski's movies generally are. Its contribution to cinema's role in historical storytelling, though, seems largely as an allegory about Polanski. The movie opens with cinematic sweep, with Dreyfus (a de-glammed Louis Garrel) being ostentatiously stripped of his miliary rank in a degradation ceremony. It's 1895 and the setting is a vast, austere courtyard of the École Militaire, which was founded by Louis XV. Soldiers and bystanders are in attendance; in the near distance, the recently built Eiffel Tower pierces the gray sky. The tower was built to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution, whose universalist principles — liberté, égalité, fraternité — were extended to all French Jews in 1791, granting them full citizenship. Questions of identity, patrimony and antisemitism are among the issues swirling through 'An Officer and a Spy.' After Dreyfus's degradation ceremony, he is separated from his family and imprisoned on Devil's Island, a penal colony in French Guiana where he is the lone inmate and ordered not to speak to the guards. With each affront, Dreyfus is progressively isolated from France, a point Polanski underscores with a stunning series of long shots of Devil's Island that show it at a greater distance until it disappears from view, like its prisoner. It's a denigration that, at least symbolically, evokes the Nazis' methodical dehumanizing actions toward Jews in 'The Pianist,' Polanski's towering 2002 film about the Holocaust. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Film Forum Director to Step Down
When Karen Cooper, the longtime director of Film Forum, the nonprofit art-house cinema in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, stepped down from the role in 2023 after 50 years, she had an eye on her successor years in advance. That was Sonya Chung, 52, the theater's deputy director. She took over the top job from Ms. Cooper in the summer of 2023. But now, the position is unexpectedly open again after the organization announced on Monday that Chung would be stepping down at the end of the year. No reason was given for her departure, and she declined an interview request. In a statement, she said she was stepping down 'for much the same reasons I accepted the position: I love Film Forum and want it to thrive, mature and remain deeply anchored as a N.Y.C. gem that means so much to so many people.' She added, 'This is the right and best time for the next evolution of leadership.' Chung began working at Film Forum in 2003 as the director of development. She oversaw the organization's fund-raising before leaving in 2007 to write two novels. (She also taught literature and writing for three years at Columbia University and for nine years at Skidmore College, both in New York.) She returned in 2018 as a programming consultant and a member of the advisory committee, and was hired as deputy director in 2020. It was her cultivated eye that impressed Cooper, who took over the nonprofit cinema that was founded by two film buffs, Peter Feinstein and Sandy Miller, and beginning in 1972 transformed it into a $6 million-a-year operation. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Charliebird' First Look: A Children's Hospital Music Therapist Struggles to Find Hope Through Song in Tribeca Premiere
There is a certain ballad that carries over when dealing with a shared trauma: It's a resonance that only those who are attuned to woe can understand. In the highly-anticipated film 'Charliebird,' that song is amplified to a volume that no doubt will be heard by audiences everywhere. 'Charliebird' stars Samantha Smart (who also wrote the script) as a music therapist at a children's hospital. During her shift, she is assigned to work with one patient whose story triggers her own past. The film will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the narrative competition section. This Libby Ewing's directorial feature debut. More from IndieWire Akira Kurosawa Event at Film Forum to Debut 4K Restorations of 'High and Low,' 'Stray Dog,' and More 'It's Dorothy!' Review: The 'Wizard of Oz' Heroine's Cultural Impact Is Closely Considered in This Energetic Doc The official synopsis reads: 'Working as a music therapist at a children's hospital in Texas, Alyse aka Al (Smart) is deeply devoted to her patients and has a rebellious spirit. She's masking her struggle to face a violent, past trauma. Her world is challenged when Charlie, a resistant 17-year-old patient, is assigned to her. Unlike her other kids, Charlie has no interest in working with Al. She doesn't trust her at first, but there is something about Charlie that reminds Al of her past and she is drawn to her, determined to break through. Their sisterly bond grows with an unexpected force. As professional lines blur, Al moves through her past, as Charlie confronts her unknown future.' Gabriela Ochoa Perez, Jeffrey Grover, Gabe Fazio, and Maria Peyramaure co-star. 'Charliebird' is produced by Ewing, Smart, and Elliot Gipson. The film was developed in Ewing's female writers collective, which she started in 2020. 'Once the characters became clear to me, they kind of steered the script- as woo as that sounds. In that way, I don't feel like I wrote it: I feel like I listened and typed,' Smart said. After then after director Ewing's own father suddenly passed away in 2023, she knew that it would be cathartic and healing for them both to bring the story of 'Charliebird' to the screen. 'It was a life altering experience,' Ewing told IndieWire of making the film. 'Sam and I had been working on 'Charliebird' for a while at that point and the only thing that made sense to me [after losing my dad] was to make this film. Funding was a long, oftentimes discouraging journey and ultimately we were able to fund our film because of individuals who were touched by this story. Our beloved community, including League City, San Leon, Dickinson High School, and The Houston Film Commission, were tremendous resources for us. We kept production as small as we could without losing the integrity of the story. If there were financial limitations, that's where the creative problem solving pushed me and the team into making bold and meaningful, story driven choices. Sam and I were relentless in our mission and I'm convinced making a movie is a miracle.' Ewing added that it was 'serendipitous' to be at Tribeca 2025, especially during a year where the festival program has a strong music theme with debuts of Billy Joel's 'And So It Goes' documentary and Miley Cyrus' own directorial debut, 'Something Beautiful.' 'We all know that music is transcendent and transformative; it has the power to heal,' Ewing said. 'My hope is that 'Charliebird' highlights how vital the work of music therapists and creative arts therapists are as part of the healing journey. These individuals are dedicating themselves to not only providing an outlet for patients, but in many cases, assisting patients and their families during the process of end-of-life care. These programs are often the first to lose funding and I hope to rally our audiences' support around the value this provides for our failing healthcare system.' Ewing and Smart are set to reunite on another music-centric film, titled 'September.' The feature is a love story set in Paris. 'Charliebird' premieres at Tribeca as a sales title from Circus Road Films. Check out the first look clip below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Roman Polanski's ‘An Officer and a Spy' to Play in U.S., Six Years After Venice Premiere
Roman Polanski's 'An Officer and a Spy' is finally getting a U.S. release, six years after premiering at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize under Lucrecia Martel's jury. The film, which won four of its 12 César nominations including Best Director in 2020, is now set for a two-week limited engagement, starting August 8, at New York City's Film Forum. Film Forum isn't handling the release beyond showings at its own venue, IndieWire has learned, which were booked by 'An Officer and a Spy' producer Alain Goldman. News of the engagement was included deep into Film Forum's summer programming announcement that went out Monday, June 9 (and also highlighted by World of Reel). More from IndieWire 'Horsegirls' Review: The World's Most Unexpected Sport Provides a Clever Way Into This Very Personal Dramedy Chanel Returns to New York City for Its Star-Studded 18th Annual Tribeca Artists Dinner 'An Officer and a Spy' is led by Louis Garrel, who portrays French army Captain Alfred Dreyfus after his trial. The politically scandalous Dreyfus affair took place around the turn of the 19th century in France, with Dreyfus banished to Devil's Island after being found guilty of treason, accused of spreading military secrets to Germany. It was later discovered that the trial's verdict was decided upon, and with little evidence, due to Dreyfus' Jewish faith amid a climate of antisemitism in France. In the film, Jean Dujardin plays the French head of counter-espionage, Georges Picquart, who eventually helped reveal Dreyfus' innocence amid Picquart's own arrest and imprisonment for his views. The scandal was first depicted onscreen by Georges Méliès in 1899. Polanski's film comes with a personal bent: The Oscar-winning director, who has been accused and charged of various counts of sexual assault and has since exiled himself from Hollywood after numerous legal battles, distributed press notes before the premiere of 'An Officer and a Spy' at Venice, citing the parallels between his career and Dreyfus' legacy. 'I can see the same determination to deny the facts and condemn me for things I have not done,' Polanski wrote. 'My work is not therapy. However, I must admit that I am familiar with many of the workings of the apparatus of persecution shown in the film, and that has clearly inspired me.' 'An Officer and a Spy' went on to receive four nominations at the European Film Awards as well as its 12 César noms — the most that year at the French film honors — after a theatrical release in Europe. The film hasn't been seen in the U.S. until now. Polanski's last movie to receive a U.S. release was 2017's 'Based on a True Story.' Other assault allegations have followed the director since he sexually assaulted Samantha Geimer in 1977 when she was 13, leading North American distributors to distance themselves from his work. Geimer has since forgiven and even defended Polanski. 'An Officer and a Spy,' however, is not even Polanski's most recent movie. His 2023 'The Palace,' also a Venice Film Festival premiere, starred Mickey Rourke and John Cleese and garnered the kind of excorciating reviews for its eat-the-rich satire that all but guaranteed the film would never play in the U.S. It was a box-office bomb in Europe. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
