Starring: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo
Grade: C
Every film critic worth a grain of salt tries to go into every film as a blank slate, whether it be the latest PVOD horror shlock, or the newest Paul Thomas Anderson film, and everything in-between. This goes for Netflix’s, and every other streaming service’s, ever-expanding library of films that barely register past their release dates. Sure, we have our expectations and pre-conceived notions, but we don’t let that stop us from giving the film a fair shake. So when pressing play on Heart of Stone, the newest Netflix action/spy thriller with a generic premise starring Gal Gadot with little-to-no fanfare – much as you can have right now, given the labor strikes – I still went into it with an open mind, hoping for an unexpected gem.
Creators: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey
Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, James Adomian, Ron Funches, JB Smoove, Rachel Dratch, Andy Daly, Giancarlo Esposito
Ten episode season, six episodes watched for review
Grade: B+
Starting over can really suck; whether it’s a new job, or wading back into the dating pool, or moving to a new city. It can be even worse when you’re trying your hand at something brand new, something you haven’t technically mastered yet, and doubly so when the people surrounding you aren’t totally on board yet. Just ask Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), who, at the end of season three of Harley Quinn, set out on different, diametrically opposed, career paths. Harley forsook her life of crime and villainy to become a hero and work with the “Bat family”, aka Nightwing (Harvey Guillen), Robin (Jacob Tremblay), and Batgirl (Briana Cuoco). And Ivy took a new job as head honcho at the Legion of Doom, alongside Lex Luthor (Giancarlo Esposito).
Below is my conversation with Milana Vayntrub, the director and star of Pickled Herring, a comedic short film being screened at Indy Shorts 2023. We talk about personal experiences that led to the creation of the film, comedic influences, and the difficulties of being funny while being physically restricted. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
[Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike went into effect]
Ben Sears: Tell me a little about the collaborative process with Marina (Shiffrin), after she had written the script. You’ve spoken about how you have a kind of similar relationship with your own father as your character in the film.
Milana Vayntrub: Marina and I conceptualized the movie together years ago, though we were just chatting. We had been friends for a while, we met working on @Midnight, and we bonded over our Soviet dads. She had just gotten hit by a car, and I had just had a baby, which is a lot like getting hit by a car. She had her dad come and help her, and I had mine come and help me, and we were just talking about all the ways we love them, and all the ways they drive us crazy. Which I think is relatable for most parents. Then we were like ‘this is a story, this is too relatable,’ and we came up with the idea for the short and she wrote it all out, and we were able to make it really quickly.
BS: How much of your character in the story came from you and your experiences, and how much came from Marina?
MV: I think we have a lot of common experiences, both our dads are joke-tellers, they’re both hyper resourceful in ways that we’re like ‘how did you do that, and why?’ They have a lot in common, so I’d say there’s a shared story, but in terms of the literal events of the film, I’d say it’s probably 70-30. There are little anecdotes in there that my dad would say, but most of it is her story.
BS: Has your father seen the film yet?
MV: Yes, and he actually helped us get some of the rights. There’s a Russian song in there and he was working with us to help get it all approved. He doesn’t speak English that well, so he doesn’t really care or get it, whereas Marina’s dad, who speaks Russian really well, thinks of it as the best movie in the world, maybe second to The Godfather. He’s shown it to people at all sorts of family functions, so he’s our biggest fan, so I’m sure he sees himself in that.
BS: Were you nervous at all to show it to your dad?
MV: I wasn’t because I’m so straightforward with him. I didn’t really care what his feedback would be. [Laughs] But I was actually nervous to show it to my mom because I knew her feedback would be “when are you going to make a movie about me?”
BS: So is that going to be the sequel then?
MV: [Laughs] Yes! It’ll be Pickled Cod: The Milana Vayntrub Story.
BS: Do you think you could ever expand this material to be feature length? Could you see yourself making a feature film about similar themes?
MV: Yes, I think it could be a movie, but right now I’m focusing on it maybe being a TV show.
BS: Would that be something that you’d likely direct, or star in, or both?
MV: I would be very happy to have either opportunity, but if there’s somebody more qualified to do either of those positions, I’ll allow it.
BS: Which aspect of filmmaking do you find more joy from: acting, directing, or writing? Or is it a totally different experience based on the project?
MV: I enjoy directing the most, but acting is a lot easier, and less time consuming. It’s really nice to show up and act when you can trust the director, and feel like there’s a collaboration. The thing that I was always most enlivened by, as an actor, was when I could go to set and contribute and say ‘what if I said it this way’ or ‘what if we built this scene to have more tension, or more comedy’ and then I realized that’s what a director does all the time, except they’re not normally in front of the camera. So I said, ‘if that’s my favorite part of this, then how do I focus on doing that the most?’ So directing has been a majority of my year, and it’s been so fun. But, as you know as a new parent – and this is a wholly original thought that nobody has ever said before – but being a working parent is hard.
BS: Nope, that wasn’t my experience at all. No changes whatsoever.
MV: [Laughs] Yes, I’m sure for you and your partner, it’s been a breeze, but we don’t live in a particularly feminist industry or world or country. There are a lot of things that are missing in the support of being working people, and I really wanted a heavy hand in raising my kid, so that’s been the biggest push and pull. However, I’m making it work and I’m very grateful to get to direct, and work, this year.
BS: Was there ever a version of the film where you were not planning on acting in it? Did having that firsthand experience, and relating to the material, influence your decision to act as well?
MV: It was a big part of Marina’s decision. Every decision was made in tandem, but when we met, she kind of told me ‘I can’t wait for you to play me in a movie!’ So that’s kind of what this was the manifestation of, but we were also thinking about how many actors do comedy and drama and speak both languages – because I do speak a little bit of Russian in the film – so that narrowed the pool. If I had found somebody – and, to be fair, I didn’t too a very deep dive – and knew somebody that would be best for this, I would love to work with that person, even now.
BS: What are some comedic influences for you? When you’re trying to hone your comedic style, do you prefer dark comedy, or sillier Airplane-esque comedy, or more improv-heavy films?
MV: Step Brothers I think is my favorite comedy of all time. That movie has a little of the slapstick, but a lot of the comedy feels very improv heavy, and the writing is incredible on top of it. I think it’s the funniest movie ever made. I can’t wait until my son is old enough to see it so I can share it with him. Maybe I’ll fast forward through the balls on the drums part though.
I would love to act in a movie like that, and I would love to direct a movie like that. In terms of what I like to make, I love to work with actors who can improvise, and Rene Gube, who plays my husband in Pickled Herring, is that. I met him doing improv, and I was always such a fan of his on stage because he was so grounded and so quick, and his delivery was always so conversational. For years I’ve been thinking about how I can work with him, and that seemed like it was in line with the things that I find most funny. There’s actually a part in the movie where he improvised, and I cracked up, and that is a natural reaction. As a director, working with someone like Dimiter Marinov, who plays my dad, he’s great a taking notes. It was so fun to be able to mold him; Marina and I were writing alts, and throwing them out to him. There was one sequence where I’m on the couch and he’s just a busy-body behind me, which is exactly who Marina and I’s dads are, and we got to give him a different prop and a different line every time. That’s a real gift as a director, to work with somebody who can just roll with it.
BS: You get to do some physical comedy since you’re so immobile for most of the film. Was it a challenge to be funny without being able to move around much?
MV: Well I probably could have done a better job of being immobile, to be honest. We had to cut around some of the times when I forgot. I was recently listening to an interview with Quentin Tarantino where had to play someone with a hurt arm, and he actually had to put pins in his cast to continue to feel the pain. I was already nursing during the movie, and I was already in enough pain that I didn’t feel like I needed to do that, but I respect that and can see why it works. But I love physical comedy; I didn’t even really think of this movie as a fairly physical film, for that very reason, because I am in the wheelchair for a lot of it. I think actually Dimiter has a whole sequence that just feels like a clown bit. He’s incredibly physical and so funny.
BS: Have you started writing your Oscar speech yet, for when you win Best Live Action Short?
MV: I started that when I was 5 years old! I’m been practicing my whole life!
Pickled Herring will screen as part of the Comedy block at Indy Shorts on July 20 at 7:45 in Indianapolis, and virtually through July 23.Buy tickets here.
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Casey Affleck, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, David Krumholtz, Kenneth Branagh
Grade: A
For all the myriad ways that films and television have explored the Second World War, very few have been concerned with the man who helped put an end to it. Christopher Nolan may not initially seem like the ideal fit for a biopic of anyone, less a notable historical figure – though he did give his own spin on WWII with Dunkirk – but he’s made one of his best films with Oppenheimer. Indeed, Nolan made a splash throughout his career with his Dark Knight trilogy, plus blockbuster original sci-fi films like Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet, so for the venerated director to choose a grounded subject matter came as a bit of a surprise when it was first announced.
Whether you’ve been in a relationship for 10-plus years or single for the same amount of time, there’s always a place for romance in films. The “Love & Romance” block has enough variety within its genre, from comedy to sci-fi to straight-up drama. First up is Erin Brown Thomas’ [SUBTEXT], a fun and original spin on the horrors of the first date. From the film’s opening seconds, Thomas reveals that she has an eye for style through breakneck editing, and it spins further out of control when the subjects’ inner thoughts are declared out loud. The writing and dialogue may not carry at times, but the film ends strongly, and Thomas deserves credit for relaying a characteristic mood that will stand out.
On the more humorous side, My Eyes Are Up Here, directed by Nathan Morris, tracks the fallout from a one-night stand. The film picks up after a romp between a disabled fashion model and a slacker, and the awkwardness that ensues as they try to purchase the Morning After pill. Jillian Mercado gives a solid performance as Sonya, and has solid chemistry with scene partner Ben Cura. The film deals with a disabled person’s views on sex, and the non-disabled person’s biases, in a frank and honest manner that helps in the end. Not all of the humor lands as intended, but it’s a thoughtful romance that we don’t see often enough.
For a more queer perspective, the curiously titled A90 isn’t too dissimilar from this year’s Past Lives (yes, really!) as it touches on themes like fate and lost opportunities. Annette (Marli Sue) develops a crush on a female patron (Sinead MacIness) of the roadside café where she works, but can’t work up the courage to make a move – and it doesn’t help that the patron appears with a significant other one day. Writer and director Olivia J. Middleton injects the film with a palpable sense of longing and chemistry, maximizing its runtime to focus on its principal characters, while keeping the dialogue to a minimum. This is an easy recommendation, and the best of the “Love & Romance” block.
Pragma takes a decidedly sci-fi-adjacent approach, by dealing with the very idea of chemistry and attraction. Featuring turns from Ted Lasso stars Nick Mohammed and Phil Dunster, the film follows a dating experiment that feels like a humorous take on speed dating in a 1984-esque world. Lucy Heath – who also wrote the film – stars as Willow, who goes on a series of dates but is transfixed by her first match with Jack, played by Dunster. Mohammed appears as the dryly observant overseer, who watches and weighs in on all of the dates. At 19 minutes, Pragma takes its time to develop Willow and Jack. The film could have easily taken narrative shortcuts or cheap laughs, but director Ellie Heydon prioritizes the emotional complexity of its characters and the idea of long-term and short-term happiness, and it leads to a more satisfying result.
The Love & Romance block will screen at Indy Film Fest on July 19 at 7:30pm at the Living Room Theaters in Indianapolis, and virtually through July 23.Buy tickets here.
You don’t have to venture all the way to Hollywood to know that quality films can be made anywhere, including in our own backyard. All of the films in the Indiana Spotlight blocks were produced by Indiana-based filmmakers, and it’s that passion for the Hoosier state that shines through in a large number of them. Dreaming of You(th), a wordless story told exclusively through song, takes place in the recognizable steps of the Indianapolis canal at the heart of downtown. Director Mike Woodall uses the universal language of dance to tell the story of a hopeful romance between two middle-aged strangers, and the choreography and camera movement has the energy of a music video.
Crescendo works in a similar way, in that it uses music to tell its story without any dialogue, but directors John Brach, Emily Hunt, and Margaret Murray use creative editing and visuals to sell the emotions. Stories about the creative process are inherently interesting to me, so to see the film tackle an internalized struggle in a unique way was an unexpected highlight of the block. Biran MacNeel’s Weekend in Brazil is all about the aimlessness of that post-high school period when you’re unsure what to make of your life. That protagonist Kiara (a fantastically restrained Aria Harrell) is stuck in her small Indiana town, with little prospects to look forward to beyond her high school friend’s parties, doesn’t help either. Too many independent films go too far by valuing style over substance, but Weekend in Brazil gives its story and characters the emotional honesty they deserve. Another easy standout is Matt Spear’s Love, Grandma, an 8 minute film that tackles the emptiness of those moments immediately after a death. With just a handful of words in the film’s final moments and a surplus of ambient noise, Spear manages to convey the unfathomable grief that a family experiences after a loved one dies. This is one of the best films of the entire festival.
On the documentary side, there’s films that explore Indiana’s past and present. The Diary of Henry J. McBride follows a college student as she researches the titular diary of an Indiana soldier during the Civil War. The film find some interesting avenues of history that would never have otherwise been told. For a more personal touch, check out Rocky Walls’ Gun Control. The film tells the story of local artist Brian Presnell, and his lifelong struggle with gun-related trauma, which began as a child dealing with an abusive stepfather. Presnell’s story is heartbreaking but hopeful, as he finds ways to use a creative outlet for change.
One of the block’s most harrowing but topical offerings is Safe Place, directed by Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian, which recounts the final moments of Jerod Draper’s life. Draper, a southern Indiana man, was arrested and, shortly after arriving in jail, was essentially abused by his jailers by failing to give him appropriate care. Mirpoorian lets the distressing footage from Draper’s cell, and the officers’ depositions, speak for itself but also finds worthwhile interviews from Draper’s friends and family. At 20 minutes, Safe Place could easily be expanded but makes the most of its protracted runtime by focusing on what really matters: a life cut tragically short by a group of people, unable to see what’s happening right in front of them.
The Indiana Spotlight block will screen at Indy Film Fest on July 18 at 7:00pm and 7:15pm at the Living Room Theaters and in Indianapolis, and virtually through July 23.Buy tickets here.
As the world eagerly anticipates watching Tom Cruise & Co. risk death for our enjoyment with *takes deep breath* Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, here’s a breakdown of the five best scenes and sequences from the previous six films.
5. Davian Double (Mission: Impossible III)
Mission: Impossible III; Paramount
There are bigger action set pieces throughout JJ Abrams’ entry in the franchise, but the best comes as Ethan and his team must steal the Rabbit’s Foot – an unspecific bad guy device that’s very bad – from Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). To do so, they have to not only sneak into the Vatican undetected, but double as Davian without anyone noticing. The plastic masks have been a staple of the Mission: Impossible franchise since the beginning, but they’re utilized to fantastic effect here, no doubt because of Hoffman’s series-best performance. Hoffman never lets you forget that you’re not just watching him but another man under his skin, trying to seem as normal as possible. The action set pieces almost always grab headlines when it comes to this franchise, with the plot arguably less important, but it’s the spy intrigue that holds it all together in Mission: Impossible III.
4. A Night at the Opera (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation)
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation; Paramount
Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust has been an undeniable positive to the series since her introduction in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and the opera scene in Vienna is a perfect illustration of why. When the IMF team realizes a group of terrorists plans to assassinate a foreign dignitary, Ethan sets out to prevent the unthinkable. Since the good guys’ plan never goes off without a hiccup or two, it’s further complicated here when Faust shows up to pull the trigger. Cinematographer Robert Elswit uses the dynamic lighting of the opera house to make one of the best looking scenes of the franchise, and Christopher McQuarrie syncs up the action with Puccini’s “Turandot” as it’s unfolding on the stage. It all culminates in a nail-biter of a moment as Ethan has to decide how to utilize his one shot. McQuarrie has brought a great deal to the franchise since Rogue Nation, but he’s perhaps the best at creating character-based action and intrigue.
3. Breaking into Langley (Mission: Impossible)
Mission: Impossible; Paramount
Before I had ever seen Brian de Palma’s Mission: Impossible, I had known about the centerpiece heist sequence in Langley. Far too many movies, TV shows, commercials and more had paid homage to it in ways that the franchise hasn’t seen since. The setup: Ethan Hunt and his team must break into the impossibly secure, technologically advanced vault at the CIA headquarters to steal a copy of the “NOC List”, a database of every US covert operative around the world. What makes the sequence one of the best of the entire genre isn’t just the nuts-and-bolts of how Hunt pulls it off, but in how de Palma films it, ratcheting up the tension with every passing second. For a franchise defined by noise, the irony isn’t lost that its quietest sequence is arguably what drew people in from the beginning.
2. The Ending (Mission: Impossible – Fallout)
Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Paramount
Look, half of the spots on this list could be populated with sequences from Fallout, as it took everything that came before it and doubled down on stunts, story, and spectacle. But Christopher McQaurrie’s, and Tom Cruise’s, finest moment comes in the final set piece in Fallout, as the IMF has to defuse two nuclear bombs in the remote mountains. The specifics are less important out of context, as Tom Cruise dangles from a helicopter, and later from a mountain cliff, while the clock ticks down closer to disaster. McQuarrie cuts between Cruise to Rebecca Ferguson and Simon Pegg as more and more difficulties are thrown in their faces. Cruise’s commitment to verisimilitude has never felt more dangerous, with each passing moment as he cheats death by performing the most insane stunts imaginable and making it look and feel flawlessly real.
1. The Burj Khalifa (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; Paramount
Where were you when you heard that Tom Cruise free-climbed the tallest building in the world? Brad Bird’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was an inflection point for the series, a renewed dedication to real-life stunts that’s led us to where we are today – not to mention the film’s naming conventions. It all comes to a head with what’s easily considered one of the most dangerous stunts ever attempted, when Cruise has to climb up 7 floors with only some semi-functional sticky gloves. That Bird films the sequence with a commitment to showing you that there’s no way it’s fake makes you appreciate its daring execution even more. And the scene is essentially the Mission: Impossible franchise boiled down to its pure essence: crazy action that only increases in danger, world-ending stakes, kooky gadgets, and dynamic filmmaking.
Starring: Rebecca Ferguson, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, Tim Robbins, Common, Ferdinand Kingsley, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche
Grade: B+
Warning: Reviews of Silo season 1 will contain spoilers.
Before I heap praise on the final two episodes of this first season of Silo, there are some nits I must, unfortunately, pick. For as much as I’ve enjoyed this under-seen series, a few relatively minor issues have come up in the later half of the season. To start, the show’s supporting cast, great as they are, have never really felt as fully formed as Juliette or Sims or Billings. The main thrust of the season has been all about Juliette and her search for the truth, with the occasional glimpse into the home lives of the aforementioned characters, but I would’ve appreciated an episode or a few B-plots that explored Harriet Walter’s Walker or virtually any more information about Avi Nash’s Lukas Kyle. Indeed, I still don’t know much about Lukas, aside from his affection for Juliette and his curiosity about the stars outside.
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented on a date to be determined. Here are our ranked predictions for the actors and shows most likely to win. Check back in, as the list will be updated often.
The Movie State 