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  • Magnolia Pictures

    Little Joe, Austrian director Jessica Hausner’s first English-language film, is as spare and deliberate as it is visually arresting. With its chilly tone and gorgeous, pastel-hued visuals, the sci-fi drama is both beautiful and creepy, despite a familiar plot.

    The film opens with an overhead shot of row-upon-symmetrical-row of red-hued plants in a sterile, brightly lit lab, staffed by technicians in lab coats. New to Planthouse Biotechnologies, Alice (Emily Beecham, who won Best Actress award for the film at Cannes), is lead scientist on this particular project. She has succeeded in synthetically breeding plants that will emit a scent with antidepressant properties in exchange for an abundance of TLC, including temperature control and affectionate conversation. Alice and her associate Chris (a solid-as-always Ben Whishaw) discuss the plant’s readiness for market, specifically the fast-approaching Plant Fair at which it will be unveiled. Already, we feel a sense of foreboding, as the scene is punctuated by Teiji Ito and Markus Binder’s spare, haunting score.

    The divorced Alice lives with her son Joe, a young teen who believes that she and Chris would make a great couple, but she has no time for romance, what with the upcoming debut of “Little Joe” (the plant is named after her son). Alice discusses this with her therapist (Lindsay Duncan), along with foreshadowy concerns about her son and the frankenplant itself. (“You never know what might happen.”) She also goes against lab protocol and brings a plant home, which seems like a very bad idea.

    Little Joe_staff

    Magnolia Pictures

    Soon, Bella (an excellent Kerry Fox), a senior scientist at the lab with a history of mental problems (of course), sounds the first warning about Little Joe, citing its effects on her dog, but neither Alice, Chris, nor the other lab workers take her seriously (of course). Eventually Bella asks Alice, “Which of your children will you choose?”

    As Little Joe’s powers become more apparent, the musical score becomes intrusively, atonally anxious, reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann (Psycho). Joking references to the film’s obvious predecessor, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (“It’s not like they become zombies!”), signal Hausner’s homage, but Little Joe is not quite another remake. Its chilly charms are quite effective, though not really engaging on an emotional level. Little Joe is a treat for the head if not the heart.

    Opening the same day, Beniamino Barrese’s documentary The Disappearance of My Mother is another sort of mystery. The titular mom, Benedetta Barzino, is an iconoclastic Italian celebrity—a former fashion model turned feminist lecturer and journalist. After a lifetime in the spotlight, the 70-something Barzino expresses the desire to “disappear.” As her son Beniamino notes early in the film, “When she told me she was leaving and not coming back, I realized I was not ready to let her go.”

    Kino Lorber

    What follows is a fascinating, sometimes perplexing film about a woman’s desire to leave the world she’s always known and her son’s seeming need to capture every last moment of her current life.

    Because its subject is charismatic, contradictory character who hasn’t lost the ability to hold the camera, the film is intriguing despite Benedetta’s clear reluctance to take part. Her contempt for film (“It’s a lie …The lens is the enemy”) makes the whole project a bit ironic and unsettling, yet there is obviously a close bond between mother and son.

    Visually, the documentary is striking; early black and white footage of the dewy young model is juxtaposed with scenes of the older Benedetta puttering at home, lecturing fashion students about the oppressive nature of the industry (“Why does imperfection upset people?”), making a few public appearances, and even sleeping and waking. She curses her son’s intrusive camera throughout, yet he continues filming, seemingly oblivious to her wishes. Despite her feelings, she takes part in London Fashion Week, walking the runway with great presence. At one point, her old friend Lauren Hutton visits; she too objects to Beniamino’s intrusive filming. In several scenes, Beniamino captures Benedetta alone in a crowd, where she looks haunted and hunted — including at her own birthday party, 

    Disappearance of My Mother

    Kino Lorber

    Alternatively coughing and smoking, Benedetta is obviously ill, but we don’t know how seriously. The big question is the exact nature of her “leaving”… Is it a metaphor for death? Is it more literal?

    Beniamino, who seems to have obsessively documented his mother since childhood, includes some playful early footage. We also see him casting women to portray his mother as a young women, as they read aloud from her writing.

    How much of this is a gimmick? Hard to say, though  Benedetta certainly seems sincere in her desire to leave her life behind, and there are scenes of her packing and purging possessions. At the end of the film, Beniamino shoots a few clearly manufactured endings, before he and Benedetta come up with a perfect one. It’s a neat resolution to a somewhat messy film that is both a portrait of a fascinating woman and a glimpse into an unusual mother-son relationship.

    Little Joe and The Disappearance of My Mother open in NYC at the Quad Cinema on Friday, Dec. 6. (Little Joe will also be available On Demand.)

    Marina Zogbi

  • Sylvan Esso’s Lead Singer Amelia Meath Greets the Crowd. (photo by Graham Tolbert)

    On a chilly November night in New York City, Grammy nominated electronic pop duo Sylvan Esso performed at the Beacon Theater for an adoring crowd of avid fans. The show which was the first of two nights featured a live ensemble of musicians for a special series of shows in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and the band’s hometown, Durham, North Carolina.

    It didn’t take long for the crowd to warm up and get into the groove, as lead singer Amelia Meath busted out her own slick dance moves, sporting a puffy green mesh outfit (sending a message?). Her powerful voice along with some seriously infectious beats energized the crowd inviting a party like atmosphere. Re-creating electronic music with a live band is not always an easy task, but the band was flawless, and having the saxophone up-front in the the mix was a smart choice. With that said, Amelia Meath’s amazing voice is clearly the centerpiece in their songs. At one point, in between songs, she proclaimed, ‘this next song is about love, surprise.’ On this night, she was feeling nothing but love from the energetic crowd

    While most of the people were on the younger side, I did see some grey haired, older folks snapping photos and shooting videos like their younger counterparts. The fans were very engaged throughout. Singing along to many of the more popular numbers including “Hey Mami” and “Coffee,” but the set list included quite a few new songs as well. Will a new album be dropping soon? The band’s next release will be their third album.

    Sylvan Esso seems to have the staying power that many electronic acts find difficult to achieve. On the strength of Meath’s voice, catchy tunes and powerful live performances, the band will continue to have a strong presence in the electronic pop music scene. If you have the chance to see them live, check them out.

  • The 10th Anniversary edition of DOC NYC – America’s largest documentary festival – takes place from November 6 through 15. Among the 300+ films and events are 28 World Premieres, 27 U.S. Premieres, and 59 NYC Premieres. More than 500 doc makers and special guests will be on hand to present their films or participate on panels. This year’s festival is dedicated to the memory of D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back, Monterrey Pop), a DOC NYC fixture who died this past summer.

    As always, there is a multitude of worthy films from all over the world, in myriad styles, about almost every conceivable subject. Individual portraits include the founder of the World Toilet Organization (Lily Zepeda’s Mr. Toilet: The World’s #2 Man); an innovative and iconic punk performer (Beth B’s Lydia Lynch: The War Is Never Over), and a revered Abstract Expressionist painter (Dennis Scholl’s LifelineClyfford Still), plus many others.

    Among this year’s offerings are docs sure to make you seethe (Matthew O’Connor & Barnaby O’Connor’s The Pickup Game, about the billion-dollar industry fueling the “art” of picking up women, and Deia Schlossberg’s environmental expose The Story of Plastic); docs that will crack you up (Weijun Chen’s comedic City Dream, about a Chinese street vendor who clashes with authorities); and docs that will make certain people wildly nostalgic (Scott Crawford’s Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine). 

    Here are just a few more highlights:

    About Love

    About Love
    Archana Atul Phadke’s funny, poignant doc portrays her close-knit family during the time leading up to her brother Rohan’s marriage. With three generations living under one Mumbai roof, there’s a lot of teasing and joking, though there is also pain and frustration. Phadke focuses an especially sympathetic lens on her mother and grandmother, both struggling in difficult marriages. The latter is subjected to her husband’s near-constant demands and verbal abuse, while the uneven dynamic between Archana’s outgoing, argumentative father Atul and her quietly intelligent mother Maneesha is obvious.

    Unsurprisingly and much to their family’s frustration, neither Neither Archana nor her outspoken sister Sagarika want to get married. Who can blame them, given the state of the marriages at home (and India’s patriarchal society in general)? Even if family members might be acting up a bit for the camera, the film is pure slice-of-life vérité, hilarious juxtapositions and all. (At one point, Maneesha reads aloud from a piece of romantic fiction while Atul struggles mightily to pull on a pair of too-tight pants.) There are frustrations, laughter, prayers, arguments and even death. In many ways, the Phadkes are a typical, relatable family, complete with its youngest generation of women rising up against the status quo.

    Screening Monday, Nov 11, 6:30 PM | Cinepolis Chelsea

    Killing Patient Zero

    One of the longest-enduring beliefs about the AIDS epidemic is that the spread of the virus in the U.S. can be traced to one man. Laurie Lynd’s documentary carefully unravels the myth of “Patient Zero,” Air Canada flight attendant Gaetan Dugas, using archival footage and interviews with people who knew him, AIDS researchers, physicians, journalists and many others. Clips from a misguided, hateful 1960s CBS special “The Homosexuals” (hosted by Mike Wallace) are a grim reminder of past attitudes, as is a mind-boggling recording of a Reagan-era White House press conference in which there is much laughter about the subject of AIDS and gay men dying. As shocking as it may seem now, this was the prevailing mindset of the day, underscoring the irony of timing: Just when gay people were coming out and demanding rights, this plague descends. Amid all the fear and misconceptions, pure sensationalism (resulting from an honest attempt to raise awareness about the virus) caused one misidentified man to become a scapegoat. The film is a fascinating history lesson that also succeeds in clearing Dugas’ name.

    Sunday, Nov 10, 9:05 PM | SVA Theatre

    Narrowsburg

    Narrowsburg
    In 1999, the laid-back hamlet of Narrowsburg in Sullivan County, NY (2010 population: 431), held its first-ever film festival, spearheaded by newcomers Richie ands Jocelyn Castaldo. This charismatic couple – a gregarious character actor who played a mobster in Analyze This and a sophisticated European festival veteran – easily impressed the townsfolk with their entertainment biz savvy and Hollywood connections. Further fueling Narrowsburg’s hopes of becoming “the Sundance of the East,” the Castaldos got the town caught up in producing a film (starring Richie) that would be shot on location and feature locals in various roles. Things, however, did not go so well.

    Martha Shane’s entertaining documentary tracks the incredible story, from residents recalling their initial excitement about being thrust into the spotlight, to the first indications that the Castaldos weren’t quite what they seemed to be, to the disappointment of shutting down production on Four Deadly Reasons, due to mishandled money and other problems. As one Narrowsburger says in hindsight, “We were ripped off in such a bizarre, unusual way, that it was worth it.” (Undeterred, the town has continued to hold an annual film festival; this doc screened there in September.)

    Sunday, Nov 10, 4:20 PM | SVA Theatre

    Click here for the full festival line-up.

     – Marina Zogbi

  • Art for Progress continues its 15 year anniversary celebration on Saturday, November 2nd with a spine tingling event- “Dancing with the Devil.”   

    Dancing with the Devil” is set in an old defunct multi-level comedy club in the east village where Andy Kaufman and Steve Buscemi used to host events back in the day. We’ve called on a select group of artists to help us transform the space into a haunted house of sorts with creative installations and visuals  Expect the vibes of old east village artist parties where artists came together to create and carry on.

    You’ll need to grab a ticket for this one- $15 Adv. (includes 1 drink) It’s also BYOB!

    The soundtrack for the evening will feature live music and DJ’s from NYC’s amazing pool of talent.

    Live Music:  The Velvicks, The Holy Wow, Big Sweater  DJ’s:  Gatto, Sanam

    The Velvicks – With influences from Pink Floyd, Queens of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters, The Black Keys and Radiohead, the band is delivering heart pounding rock that is familiar yet with a sound and vision completely singular.

    The Holy Wow – HOLY WOW! is an adrenalin shot of gothic electro garage rock, filtered through the deeply personal lens of Russian born, New York raised, California grown Dmitry Wild.

    Big Sweater – Big Sweater is a NYC rock band that brings a strong hypnotic and enchanting element to blues and rock n’ roll as well as maintaining the balance between the sullen walks of life and the euphoric paths we take.

    Gatto – DJ/producer Gatto”s been part of NYC’s underground house music scene for nearly 20 years. You can find Gatto spinning at fashion shows, top night clubs, and beyond, while his eclectic music productions are dropping on European and U.S. record labels.

    Sanam – Award-winning Actress and DJ, Sanam immigrated to the United States to escape war and have the opportunity to realize her dreams. Her passion for music encompasses 3 decades of devotion to music; a classically trained pianist, Sanam applies her gift for innovation in live mixing unique beats that uplift the heart and melodies that inspire the spirit to states of resilient Bliss.

    Haunted House: 197 East 4th Street NY, NY.  Advance, limited tickets available: $15 (includes 1 drink).

    If available, tickets will be $20 at the door with RSVP. RSVP is required!
    RSVP to DWTD@artforprogress.org