Talking Movies: Paper Spiders, Jewel and The Price of Family
Spling reviews Paper Spiders, Jewel and The Price of Family as broadcast on Talking Movies, Fine Music Radio. Listen to podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
Good morning – welcome to Talking Movies, I’m Spling…
This week, we’re talking about a coming-of-age drama, a drama and a comedy…
Starting off with a film now on TNT Africa and DStv Catch Up…
PAPER SPIDERS
A bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness.
Writer-Director: Inon Shampanier
Stars: Stefania LaVie Owen, Lili Taylor and Ian Nelson
Paper Spiders is about a precarious mother-daughter relationship as a recent loss, out-of-town college application and an argument with a neighbour compound a mother’s growing anxiety. Taking an unabashed view of living with mental illness, Paper Spiders is a tender, touching and powerful film, an honest chronicle of what it must be like to love and live with someone in the throes of a nervous breakdown. The smart and thoughtful script offers unique emotional insights from both sides of the mother-daughter coin as things progress. Using touches of humour, the filmmakers maintain a life-like balance of light and dark without capsizing either way. Painting the dramedy with choice words and visual metaphors, they strike a fine balance as an impressionable yet open-hearted young woman comes of age. Taking a similar slant to The Edge of Seventeen and even Juno, authentic situational high school drama unfurls from a teenager’s perspective, compelled by an impressive lead performance. The acting in Paper Spiders is generally excellent, honouring the strong screenplay’s textured characters. Their authentic and lived performances anchor the bittersweet drama through Taylor’s raw honesty and Owen’s grounded and soulful turn as the golden thread. Realised by the film finesse of its script, acting and heartbreaking authenticity, this entertaining, empathetic and timely chronicle offers a sense of hope even in the darkest hour.
A solid 7!
Moving on to a movie now on Netflix…
JEWEL
After visiting a massacre memorial, rifts develop when a photographer finds herself drawn to a local woman.
Writer-Director: Adze Ugah
Stars: Michelle Botes, Nqobile Khumalo and Connie Chiume
Jewel dives into the tragic space of Sharpeville around the fallout, prejudice and splintering devastation of a massacre that still haunts the township to this day. Forgiveness, memory and generational pain become some of the pillars of this thoughtful drama as the story intertwines romance and crime. Botes is an inspired casting call that mostly pays off, harnessing curious power dynamics as a complete opposite in almost every respect. Unfortunately, the broad age gap and a lack of authentic connection pervades this central relationship, making it seem contrived in spite of noble efforts from its able co-leads. Jewel begins with great promise and some flair, using its location and characters to set up a story of emotional depth and political heft. As surefooted as it starts, Jewel ultimately becomes heavy-handed, over-ambitious, rushed and scattershot, losing its focus and complicating matters in trying to effect its transcendental undercurrent. While its strong contrasts and rich themes empower the storytelling and give it a natural subtext worth mining, the overriding action and character play become somewhat panicked. The film features an experienced cast, a powder keg setting and some provocative themes, but the drama becomes bungled and messy. Jewel clambers to its resolution in such haste that it has no choice but to shed substance by way of character complexity, powerful messaging and evocative themes in order to lighten the load. It’s far from unwatchable but does stretch to breaking point…
A flimsy 4!
And finally another movie on Netflix…
THE PRICE OF FAMILY
Parents hatch a deceptive plan to get their estranged children home for the holidays.
Writer-Director: Giovanni Bognetti
Stars: Christian De Sica, Angela Finocchiaro and Dharma Mangia Woods
As empty-nesters, Carlo and Anna pretend they’ve landed a six million euro inheritance to draw their distant kids, Alessandra and Emilio, back into their lives. While this story may cut close to the bone, its animated and upbeat tone ensures it redresses these tragic circumstances with playful comedy as parents trick their brats into pandering to their every whim. An indictment on our current age of self-sufficient me-orientated lifestyles, it’s fun to see the comical outpouring of a devious plan in full effect. This colourful comedy presents a charming ensemble, keeping a good balance as the characters remain relatable and yet cartoonish enough to poke fun at. While The Price of Family starts with aplomb and hilarity, catapulting us into the deception with a sense of glee, it’s unable to sustain the novelty. A fun idea, delivered with enthusiasm by a spirited cast, it’s a case of arrested development when it comes to comedy. Jokes are recycled and lose their traction as it becomes clear that things are as good as they’re going to get. The Price of Family hits its stride early with an exuberant cast and a fun concept, but seems to get stuck in a loop with a repeat formula. While the diminishing returns are felt mostly in the sluggish middle when it tries to shift into more emotional terrain, this upbeat comedy manages to coax enough charm and energy from its game cast to cross the finish line. It did just enough to get…
A satisfactory 6!
So just to wrap up…
PAPER SPIDERS… strong co-lead performances and sharp writing underscore this authentic, entertaining and heartfelt coming-of-age drama… A solid 7!
JEWEL… while promising, this contrived, over-ambitious and rushed drama undermines its powerful themes and inspired cast… A flimsy 4!
THE PRICE OF FAMILY… a fun concept, charming cast and upbeat energy power this amusing albeit repetitive comedy through its stages… A satisfactory 6!
For more movie reviews and features visit splingmovies.com.
And remember, Don’t WING it, SPL!NG it!
