docu-drama

Straw Dog Patriots

Chet Kozlowski — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:18:12 +0000

Straw Dog Patriots Chet Kozlowski June 23, 2026 - 11:18

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Not nearly as expansive as its title suggests (A whole year? Of the Revolutionary War?), the new film 1780 is essentially a chamber piece, or in this case a log cabin piece. Small cast, few settings. One casting surprise.

Abner, a wounded freedom fighter takes refuge in the humble abode of Honore, a reclusive trapper who simply wants peace for himself and his young son Miles. The trapper isn’t so simple, it turns out. We soon learn that he is wilier than he looks. He is not above misdirecting the three British soldiers pursuing Abner. He calls up memories of his own fighting past, causing him to Rambo out, creating a Straw Dogs-style standoff. Surrounded and trapped in the cabin, the rebels hold firm against authoritarian forces, knowing their resistance may be futile.

Appropriately filmed in Pennsylvania, 1780 is mostly guys talking until the muskets come out. The battle action, so much promised in the opening credits, is limited except for some bursts of brutality and blood-spurting violence.

Since it’s dialogue-heavy, you’d expect writer Steffan Ralph Delpiano’s script to provide the thrills. In the name of “authenticity,” he tries too hard, making the dialogue stiff and self-conscious. “I see you’re silent now. Mere seconds ago, you had tongue enough for two sets of teeth.” Add to that an oddly airless sound mix, with hardly any ambient seasoning. The actor’s voices, however, crackle with post-sync precision.

The actors give it their all. They are mostly from TV and include PJ Marshall (the trapper Honore) from Your Friends and Neighbors and Mindhunter, Vince Eisensen (Abner the refugee) from New Amsterdam, and R. Keith Harris (the leader of the British soldiers) from The Walking Dead. DJ Qualls, a ubiquitous character actor in the early 2000s, makes a brief appearance. Conor Kowalski and John Potvin, also portraying Brits, have mostly appeared in shorts. Young Kamilo Alonzo is particularly fine as the trapper’s son Miles. They all do an impressive, professional job.

On the plus side, 1780 looks good. Cinematographer Tiago Mesquita’s colors are bright and highly processed (in what passes for “beautiful” in the style of pharmaceutical commercials). Director Dustin Fairbanks keeps his camera moving, circling characters. He stays in close, not revealing the breadth of the room or the density of the woods. His aspect ratio is wide and narrow, with no visible top or bottom, probably to mask a dearth of set dressing. Ultimately, this adds to the claustrophobic effect that provides the suspense, which is 1780’s strongest point. But the blocking and editing sometimes make it difficult to tell where the musket balls are coming from and how they hit their targets.

The casting surprise here is Kevin Spacey, whose fortunes have limited available movie roles. It’s good to see him, and he doesn’t disappoint. He brings his characteristic bravado to the role of Thomas, the town ne’er-do-well, playing both sides depending on who’ll pay him. With his scraggly hair and scruffy clothes, Thomas is more Foghorn Leghorn than Frank Underwood, and Mr. Spacey looks like he’s enjoying himself. Birds gotta fly, actors gotta act.

___________________________

1780. Directed by Dustin Fairbanks. 2025. In theaters. Runtime 83 minutes.

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Snow Job

Mark Weston — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:41:53 +0000

Snow Job Mark Weston October 11, 2015 - 11:41

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docu-drama

It is hard to believe that Aaron Sorkin wrote Steve Jobs. After all, he's the writer behind such brilliantly entertaining work as The Social Network, The West Thing and (even) A Few Good Men. It's disappointing enough that Sorkin's storytelling lacks imagination and drama. What's worse, Sorkin has created an irony-free zone where the infamously vicious Jobs comes across as a Christ-like figure, aided by Michael Fassbender's almost beatifically enigmatic performance. It's not that Jobs is paranoid, crazy or even mean, it's that he's misunderstood by everyone -- except his Mary Magdalene-like long-suffering marketing director Joanna Hoffman (portrayed by Kate Winslet with an oddly appearing and disappearing European accent of unknown origin).

The film centers on the backstage drama of three product launch events. In each of these, Jobs must weather the scorn and enmity of his small circle of friends, lovers and colleagues: Woz (Steve Wozniak) with whom he founded Apple (played with great charm by Seth Rogen), the aforementioned Joanna Hoffman, Apple CEO, father figure and Jobs betrayer John Sculley (played blandly by a pasty Jeff Daniels), nice guy and genius engineer Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg) and, last but by no means least, whiny ex-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston in a particularly thankless role) and their daughter Lisa (played nicely at various ages by three actresses).

Each of these product launches features these characters and each repeats the same issues and personality conflicts. Woz keeps asking for Jobs to acknowledge the Apple II team, and Jobs refuses. Hertzfeld wants Jobs to be a nicer human being, and Jobs falls short. Hoffman is not-so-secretly in love with Jobs, and Jobs indulges her by allowing her to speak her mind. Sculley seems more like Jobs' psychiatrist than boss and mentor, and repeatedly prods Jobs to reveal his feelings on being an orphan.

What plot there is revolves around Chrisann and Lisa. In all three launch scenes, Chrisann is after only one thing, Jobs' financial support, which Jobs winds up providing, albeit with reluctance. At first, Jobs denies that he is Lisa's father, but that proves to be both a temporary and a hollow denial -- Jobs exhibits great love and affection for his little girl. He even names the Apple II computer 'Lisa' which, at first, he denies is named for her but then, in the emotional ending of the film, as the music swells melodramatically, he admits that, yes, he really did name his computer for her after all. And that is meant to show how much he loves her, how good a guy he is, and how he has finally found his redemption.

If this sounds like an odd way to portray the life and career of one of the great visionaries of the 20th Century, it is -- especially after Sorkin's skewering and sometimes harrowing depiction of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. In The Social Network, Sorkin takes us on the roller coaster ride and shows us how Facebook came to be an indispensable part of our lives. In Steve Jobs, however, Sorkin doesn't show us anything, he merely tells us in dialogue. For example, at the launch of the original Mac, someone says something like, "This will be a disaster." And it is. Now, on to the next thing. - Mark Weston

No Degrees of Separation

Dusty Wright — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 12:52:29 +0000

No Degrees of Separation Dusty Wright February 28, 2009 - 07:52

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Six degrees, two degrees, no degrees. Kevin Bacon walks amongst us. If you live in N.Y.C. you will have seen him here or there. Ditto if you surf your TV for late night moving pictures.

He is a chameleon in some ways. Appears in movies, maybe not in the forefront, that have defined Americans and our culture in every decade he has worked, and he has worked plenty, although you'd be hard-pressed to find fans and critics raining the same praise on him as they do his peer Sean Penn. Too bad, because he has maintained a steady and dignified career. From highbrow dramas to comedies, science fiction to horror flicks, and even animation (the voice of Balto).

From Animal House in 1978, the original Friday the 13th in 1980, not to mention Diner and Footloose from that same decade, even my son's favorite dark monster comedy Tremors in 1990. And certainly these memorable flicks: JFK, Apollo 13, A Few Good Men, Hollow Man, Stir of Echoes, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Where the Truth Lies, and Ron Howard's very fine Frost/Nixon.

He doesn't beg to be noticed. Doesn't fill the gossip pages with high drama or lowbrow antics. He's the consummate pro. And also a damn fine musician. Witness the The Bacon Brothers for proof. A band that he and his brother Michael have been driving for the past 14 years.

But I digress.... I want to talk about his latest effort, HBO's Taking Chance. This is a must-see pic, regardless of your feelings about Iraq, our military, or death and glory. It will definitely move you. And Kevin's riveting performance is front and center. The script is based on a journal kept by Marine Lt. Col. Michael Stroble (Bacon), who voluntarily escorted the body of 19-year-old Marine PVT. Chance Phelps' body from Washington to his grave in Dubois, Wyoming.

Co-writen/directed/produced by Ross Katz, it is beautifully presented by this first-time filmmaker. Initially, the Chicago Tribune published Col. Strobl's recollections of his remarkable and redemptive journey:

"Chance Phelps was wearing his Saint Christopher medal when he was killed on Good Friday. Eight days later, I handed the medallion to his mother. I didn't know Chance before he died. Today, I miss him."

There are no false notes, syrupy endings, preachy histrionics. In fact, there is very little dialogue. The story is told by the journey that this young fallen soldier's body must take to reach its final resting ground. All of the anonymous faces -- filled with respect and sadness -- that his casket will pass by tell all us all that we need to know.

Moreover, Mr. Bacon's steely-eyed and military-rigid manner conveys more emotion than any movie you'll see on TV or the silver screen this winter or spring. It will make you reexamine your patriotism, your respect for fallen soldiers, your views of death, and most likely your appreciation for life. This movie will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

School's In

Dusty Wright — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:47:39 +0000

School's In Dusty Wright February 6, 2009 - 17:47

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The teacher is often an unsung hero in modern soceity. Yet most of us can pick one teacher that made a huge difference during our developmental years. The French docudrama The Class (Entre les murs) honestly examines the minutia of a middle school in a lower-middle class, multi-ethnic school in Paris.

It was the first French film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes since 1987. Moreover, it's been shortlisted for a 2008 Academy Award nomination.

This raw and visceral feature -- using real teachers and students -- by director Laurent Cantet exposes the harsh realities for any student, regardless of grade or background. Cantet based his movie on a 2006 semi-autobiographical book by Francois Begaudeau, a real teacher who wrote about his classroom experiences. Begaudeau also stars in the movie, which records a year in the life of a Parisian school.

We've not witnessed a school room drama this dynamic since Glenn Ford in Blackboard Jungle (1955) and Sidney Portier in To Sir, with Love (1967) plied their trade in inner-city schools.

If you're looking for faux drama, forget it. There is no gratuitous Hollywood violence by the tough kid versus the tougher teacher; rather, Cantet examines the indifference, difficulties, and dilemmas that both real teachers and real students feel towards each other from day to day.

When Mr. Marin tries to mold them into his own image -- how to carry yourself with dignity in a world full of chaos -- you know it's liberal idealism ripe for resistance. His white man's world is not their world.

This central theme is the heart of this extraordinary movie.

How can a white teacher with the noblest of intentions ever stimulate and animate the brains of the hormone-raging, authority-challenging young teenage African, Middle Eastern, white, and other ethnic students?

Or how can an over-achieving Chinese student, who barely has a grasp of the French language, and who is dealing with his mother's deportation, rise above the din?

The teacher must face that smoldering fire every day, and in doing so may find himself as victimized as the students he is trying to reach. There are no grand dramatic gestures, silly teenage subplots, or huge dramatic character arcs. This is real. For some the movie may feel like it's dragging along, but trust me, even if you don't currently have children in school, these small moments will stick with you long after the end credits have rolled.

What Cantet has so effectively delivered is an honest, warts-and-all portrayal of life in the city from the vantage of the classroom. And in doing so, he has exposed the human frailty in all of us.