Movies: various
Here is what I am watching (so far) during the quarantine for COVID-19.
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Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
It's been so long since I've seen the original Borat film that all I can remember about it are some vague scenes of naked wrestling and Borat saying "My wiiiife" and "very niiiiice" in a funny voice. So I was totally going to ignore this sequel until it started getting praise online.
Well, I was not disappointed. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm might actually be better than the original (might be, given I don't really remember the original). For one thing, it has character development and an arc. In this mockumentary/prank movie, Borat is released from a lifetime sentence of hard labor in a Kazakhstan gulag (after being sent there for causing Kazakhstan to become a worldwide laughingstock after his first film) and sent on a mission by the country's Premier to deliver a gift to Mike Pence in order to win Trump's friendship.
Borat (Sasha Baron Cohen, in case you've been living under a rock these past 15 years) travels to the United States only to find that his top secret mission is foiled for two reasons: firstly, he is recognizable on sight in America, forcing him to don a series of disguises. Secondly, he discovers that his 15 year old daughter, Tutar (newcomer Maria Bakalova, keeping up easily with Cohen), has smuggled herself to America. After realizing that powerful men in America love beautiful women (especially "pussy hound" Mike Pence), he decides to give his daughter as a gift instead of the original gift (which I won't give away, since it's too funny).
Borat and Tutar go on a series of misadventures in their quest to turn Tutar from a "notsie to a hotsie" and to teach her how to act ladylike and attract rich men. As in the first film, Borat's politically incorrect language and beliefs give the Americans he meets enough rope to hang themselves with, such as when a plastic surgeon uses the words "titties" to explain what breast implants are and acknowledges that he would sleep with Tutar if Borat were not in the room. The "victims" of such pranks include a pastor at a crisis pregnancy center, a couple Qanon neckbeards (who actually seem kind of nice, other than believing that Democrats drink children's blood), and Rudy Giuliani.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm will make you laugh out loud, cringe hard, and maybe even tear up a bit. Strangely, the film doesn't feel as edgy as the first one did, despite Americans being just as ugly and racist as we were 15 years ago. I think this is because we're more used to feeling angry and "outraged" all the time and we expect people--esp. politicians--to behave badly, so Borat's pranks don't seem as damning. Even if the satire isn't the most cutting-edge, the Borat sequel is still just a really fun and funny movie.
Grade: B+
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The Wicker Man (1973)
Robin Hardy's 1973 folk horror film is pretty seminal. Movies like Midsommar and TV series like The Third Day owe their existence, in part, to The Wicker Man. Edward Woodward plays Sgt. Howie, a police officer who visits the secluded island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a missing girl, Rowan Morrison. But at every turn, the inhabitants of the island thwart him in his duties. The girl's own mother claims not to know her and the younger sister claims that Rowan is a hare who lives in a field. Meanwhile, Howie, a devout Christian, is shocked and disgusted by the sexually free ways of the islanders and the fact that they teach pagan beliefs to their children.
Christopher Lee plays Lord Summerisle, the smug leader of the island, who does nothing to help Howie in his investigation. In fact, a number of the islanders basically tell Howie to just leave. The fact that he doesn't leave, despite being given a chance to, is what seals Howie's fate in the end.
I don't even know if it's worth putting a spoiler alert here, but the long and short of it is: Howie ends up being used as a human sacrifice so that the islanders have more success with their crops in the coming year. The whole movie is really just a build up to the climatic and iconic final scene, in which Howie is burned alive in a giant wooden man--the titular Wicker Man. What is tragic about Howie's death is that his own sense of integrity--his desire to save a young girl he truly believes is in danger--is what gets him killed. The islanders even point out that he has come to the place of sacrifice of his own free will. No one held him at gunpoint. And although I enjoyed making fun of the priggish Howie throughout the movie, his final moments are truly horrific as he prays while the flames start to lick up the sides of the wicker man and the islanders sing "Sumer is icumen in" with giant smiles on their faces.
The Wicker Man is a good starter horror film if you're interested in trying out the genre but are easily frightened. There are really no jump scares or anything that will keep you awake at night--other than the fact that "crazy people" can't be reasoned with. But in the end, who is crazy? The islander with their pagan beliefs, or the man foolish enough to believe that he, an outsider, can reason with them?
Grade: B
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The Boys in the Band
The Boys in the Band is a play written by Mart Crowley in 1968. At the time, it was considered shocking and cutting edge. The play centers on a group of gay men who gather together to celebrate the birthday of Harold. As the night wears on and libations are flowing, the characters--particularly Harold and the main character, Michael--get meaner and meaner. Michael challenges everyone to a game where they get points for calling someone they love and telling them. This leads to...poor choices.
When I read the play in my Queer Theory class as a senior in college, I thought "these people are fucking mean and I hate them". Well, the 2020 film, which stars Hollywood's best and brightest Gays (tm), such as Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Andrew Rannells, I still felt they were a mean, petty bunch. However, time and maturity have given me the perspective to see the deep well of sadness, loneliness, isolation, and self-loathing at the center of some of the characters' nasty traits.
Parsons plays Michael, the host of the party. His boyfriend, Donald (Matt Bomer) is the first to arrive. Then the extremely flamboyant Emory (Robin de Jesus) shows up with Larry (Andrew Rannells) and Larry's boyfriend, Hank (Tuc Watkins) in two. Hank and Larry are having relationship troubles due to Larry wanting to sleep around and Hank wanting to settle down. Bookish Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington) then arrives.
This is where it gets interesting. Alan (Brian Hutchison), Michael's college roommate, shows up somewhat unexpectedly. Alan is married and doesn't know Michael is gay. So when he shows up in the middle of the boys dancing to Martha and the Vandellas' "Heat Wave", he is...confused to say the least. Michael attempts to keep up the charade that these are all NORMAL STRAIGHTS having a NORMAL STRAIGHT MAN PARTY, but that illusion is shattered when Cowboy (Charlie Carver shows up) and kisses Michael, thinking he's Harold (Cowboy is a "present" for Harold). The jig is up and Alan is now the lone straight guy in a room full of THE GAYS (tm). Oh, and then Harold (Quinto) shows up, and he's just a smug bitch amused at the whole situation.
Things go from bad to worse when Michael, pretty drunk at this point, forces everyone to play a game where they have to call up someone they secretly love and tell them. The whole game is a ruse for Michael to try to get Alan to admit he's gay. When Alan's phone call doesn't go as Michael expects, the party comes to a sad, abrupt halt and everyone leaves. Uh, the end.
The Boys in the Band was not an easy watch for me because I really chafe at movies where people basically yell at each other the whole time and act like total dicks in general. But the powerhouse acting, especially that of Jim Parsons in a pretty vulnerable role, helped. It also helps to remember that the story was written at a time where it most likely wasn't unusual for gay people to experience a good amount of self-loathing and anxiety about their sexuality. I think Crowley was just trying to be honest and real about how gay men suffered and, in some case, took that suffering out on others. And of course, we must not forget those who suffered even more. The men in the play are cisgender, mostly white, relatively well-off, etc. But that doesn't mean they didn't experience the crushing reality of homophobia and rejection by most of society.
Do I recommend The Boys in the Band? Hell, why not? It's worth it for the cast alone, even if the content is cringey and upsetting at times. Will it blow your fucking socks off? No. But it's a good reminder of that old chestnut: hurt people hurt people.
Grade: B
