Movies

When it comes to the living spaces in which he situates his characters, the South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo is the anti-Nancy Meyers. In her romantic comedies, Meyers places her people in settings so impeccably spacious and kitted out that she’s sometimes said to serve up “real estate porn.” Hong’s more melancholy-infused explorations of love trouble unfold in unrelentingly plain environments. The boudoir here has no four-poster bed or even a headboard, just a single mattress on a box spring with an unstable pile of books nearby. At least the place is clean.A Hong apartment almost invariably belongs to a guy whose romantic woes are of his own contriving, or fumbling. In the droll, enigmatic “Yourself and Yours” that guy is Young-soo (Kim Ju-hyuk), who lets the gossip of a “caring” friend go to his head. Told that his girlfriend, Min-jung (Lee Yoo-young), was seen drinking to excess and getting into a fight at a bar, he calls her on it, and in the ensuing argument she walks out on him.[embedded content]
Drinking is a big deal in Hong’s films. Characters do a lot of it, and self-consciously. This movie alone expends several minutes on characters expounding on how much is enough, how much is too much, whether imbibing is going to be done on this occasion or that. Min-jung, romping one afternoon with a filmmaker who’s just getting to know her, shrugs, “Don’t we drink to get drunk?”The story spends much of its time following Young-soo in his abjection, which is well deserved — the female friend in Young-soo’s circle speaks a universal truth about Hong’s males, and perhaps the gender in general, when she pronounces “You men are really pathetic.” The more intriguing story line involves the female protagonist, or perhaps protagonists. Early in the movie, before even cutting off Young-soo, Lee’s character is sitting in a coffee shop. An older man is startled to see her, and approaches her, calling her Min-jung. She’s not Min-jung, she insists; she’s never heard of such a person.A few minutes later she relents, and says, yes, she knows Min-jung — she’s her twin sister! The man is placated, but he’ll be agitated further when he happens upon her entertaining the aforementioned filmmaker.The mystery is part of the movie’s fun, and because this is a Hong film, there’s no assurance it will be explained. Hong’s earlier films were realistic, minimalist comedic looks at romantic yearning and misery (almost always exacerbated by alcohol). In this phase of his career, he’s infusing his stories with magic realism elements either overtly (as in his 2018 movie “Claire’s Camera,” which he made after this picture, and which rests on a temporal conundrum that’s practically Borgesian) or implicitly, as in this film.Hong’s formal confidence yields a movie that’s very simply constructed and utterly engrossing. There are a lot of scenes done in a single shot, usually static, but when there’s a zoom (his preferred camera flourish) it’s unfussy and direct. He puts you in tune with the world of his sad-sack characters immediately, and their rhythm becomes the rhythm of the story. By the end of the movie, we may suspect that one character has found an entirely novel and effective way of resetting a romantic relationship. Or that something weirder and creepier is going on. The pleasure is in not quite knowing.Yourself and YoursNot rated. In Korean, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 26 minutes. Watch on virtual cinemas. More

A bravura, multilayered lead performance by Annapurna Sriram anchors “Feral,” an intense drama about a young homeless woman’s struggles as a harsh winter begins to bear down on Brooklyn.The opening scenes of the movie, showing Sriram’s character, sometimes called Yazmine — this woman struggles not just with homelessness but with mental illness, and she often denies that this is her name — are powerful, revelatory. Yazmine has an underground hiding space near some train tracks, and the way Sriram huddles among the detritus of her corner, much of it left by homeless people who had been there before her, comes close to making her condition palpable.[embedded content]Yazmine’s hanging-by-a-thread state of being reflects in the prickly way she behaves, and this feels right. She dresses up and hits the street not quite knowing what she’s going to do there. Fragments of her past chisel their way into scenes, as do shots from an interview with Yazmine conducted at a site that we only see in the movie’s final third.But as “Feral” — directed by Andrew Wonder from a script he wrote with Priscilla Kavanaugh and Jason Mendez — moves forward, it doesn’t always do a great job of splitting the difference between a raw depiction of harsh reality and ostentatious deck-stacking.When a floppy-haired dude helps Yazmine cadge a smoke from some slumming mean girls and then “kindly” invites her to his place, he might as well be wearing a milquetoast predator sign around his neck. The depiction of a frayed social safety net feels both accurate and overdetermined. The movie can be frustrating viewing in ways its makers likely did not intend.FeralNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 14 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and other streaming platforms and pay-TV operators. More

Don’t mistake the cigar-chomping tycoon Alejandro Agag for a hippie. “I’m not an environmentalist. I’m a racing man,” he says to the directors Fisher Stevens and Malcolm Venville in their documentary “And We Go Green” (streaming on Hulu). Yet, when eco-conscious sponsors were beginning to steer away from Formula 1 cars, which have the miles per gallon of a military tank, Agag co-founded Formula E, a full-throttle racing series that involves pitting electric cars against one another in competitions from Hong Kong to Marrakesh. Stevens and Venville wager that glamour might be a better inducement to ditch combustion motors than statistics about greenhouse gases.[embedded content]The cheery, lightweight documentary chases Formula E’s fourth season, which was blessed by Pope Francis and one of the film’s producers, Leonardo DiCaprio, who braves an actual taste of the go-go blend of glycerin and algae that powers the engines. While Agag admits some racing audiences miss that dinosaur bone rumble, Aquafuel has its charms. Zooming past the camera, the cars go pew-pew-pew like spaceships.“And We Go Green” gives less attention to Formula E’s innovations — which, hopefully will make their way to sedate hatchbacks within the decade — than it does its generically square-jawed drivers, who are personally fueled by the need to prove they’re good enough for Formula 1. Their personal grudges struggle to propel the drama. But as the film loses focus of its own goal, one thing is clear: Everything runs on ego.And We Go GreenNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Watch on Hulu. More

For a long time, the protean independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara has found a way to, if not thrive, then at least produce, while lost in a wilderness of his own making. With his new picture, the semi-autobiographical “Tommaso,” he reflects on the sober life, one that the filmmaker himself has reportedly been leading in Rome, where this movie is set.Willem Dafoe, a longtime collaborator of Ferrara’s whose deftness at portraying both tenderness and ferocity make him a very apt surrogate for the director, plays the title character. Early scenes see him taking Italian lessons; getting an espresso and chatting it up with the attractive woman who’s making it for him; cooking dinner with the mother of his child; and working on a film script.[embedded content]These opening scenes suggest a kind of pastorale, to the extent that one wonders: Is Ferrara, whose movies almost compulsively dig into the darkest corners of human experience, going to pull off a modest cinematic celebration of relatively serene domesticity?Well, not quite. All is not entirely well in Tommaso’s world. In a park with his daughter he sees his wife kissing another man. He struggles creatively — in crafting his script, he muses on variants of the Rimbaud pronouncement, “I is another,” and wrestles with his own ego’s place in a process that demands more empathy. After one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting (and this movie depicts such gatherings with striking, uncondescending accuracy), a fellow tells him, “Anger occupies so much space in your life, there’s very little energy for anything else.”The movie enters fantasy realms often, but “Tommaso” has a different feel than your average variant on Fellini’s “8 ½.” Maybe it’s a sense of shame, something the older film’s Guido hadn’t much of. Whatever it is, it makes “Tommaso” crackle with ideas and empathy, as Ferrara’s best work always does.TommasoNot rated. In English, Italian and Russian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. Watch on Film at Lincoln Center’s virtual cinema. More

The new documentary “Parkland Rising” spotlights the activism that emerged from the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, following those students and parents who became organizers. It’s a shame, then, that the film doesn’t match its subjects in energy, imagination or perspective.Initially, when the film begins with remembrances from the tragedy, it seems that it will take a broad overview of the event and its consequences. In those first few minutes, the director, Cheryl Horner McDonough, uses group interviews, newscasts and videos of the attack taken from inside the school as well as calls to the police. But as the path out of bloodshed becomes clear, the movie narrows its focus and primarily follows students, particularly David Hogg, as he navigates media attention, and a defiant father, Manuel Oliver, who makes art in remembrance of his slain son, Joaquin.[embedded content]This shift dulls and diminishes the effect of the movie. To build her profiles, McDonough alternates between original studio interviews and at-home footage of her subjects in Parkland as they plan and carry out protests. Although the interviewees frequently speak directly to the camera, McDonough does not include her questions in the movie and rarely engages the activists, even to offer evidence that supports their statements.“Parkland Rising” passes the low bar of not undermining the people it covers, but by avoiding both research and conflict, it fails to provide a reason for its own existence. The documentary offers little more than a microphone for advocates who had already found one for themselves.Parkland RisingNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Watch on virtual cinemas. More

If you can get past the ingratiating persona of its director and M.C., Damon Gameau, the documentary “2040” is an accessible and informative look at solutions to the climate crisis. The conceit is that Gameau, an Australian actor, envisions an auspicious future in the year 2040 for his daughter. He imagines a world where the existential threats of climate change have been curtailed, using only technologies that exist today. (He calls it “fact-based dreaming.”)Discussions of science and economics alternate with self-consciously sprightly storytelling (stop-motion animation; dramatized scenes set in 2040 with Gameau in bad old-age makeup). The filmmaker also includes interviews with children from across the globe who pose their own environmental remedies. Gameau describes these interludes as consulting the generation that will share the future with his daughter.[embedded content]While Gameau’s mode of address sometimes appears aimed at an impatient preteen, that may be what it takes for foot-dragging adults to hear him out.Interviewing an array of academics and activists, Gameau visits a solar-powered microgrid system in Bangladesh. He hops in a driverless car and explores what might happen in a society that made shared, on-demand versions of such vehicles the norm. Solutions for regenerating farmland and revitalizing the oceans seem like can’t-lose propositions. And computerized dashboards that help individuals track their impacts on natural resources could inspire a sense of shared responsibility.Although the odds of implementing all these ideas might seem steep, “2040” is a rare climate documentary with an optimistic message.2040Not rated. In English, Bengali, Swahili and Swedish, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Watch on virtual cinemas. More

If you’ve never seen a movie luxuriate in eccentricity as thoroughly as a cat basking in a sun puddle, then you need to watch “Dreamland.” Strange, challenging and boundlessly confident, this tripped-out noir from the Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald (best known for his 2009 horror movie, “Pontypool”) is part lucid dream, part drugged-out nightmare.“We’re in a different world,” a haggard hit man named Johnny Dead Eyes (Stephen McHattie) signals from his perch in an unidentified European city. On the instructions of his longtime boss (Henry Rollins, channeling Austin Powers), Johnny must sever the pinkie finger of a heroin-hazed jazz trumpeter (inspired by Chet Baker, and also played by McHattie). This mission could be hampered by Johnny’s secret plan to rescue an underage girl from a nut case known as the Countess (Juliette Lewis), who has procured the girl as a bride for her vile brother. Who just happens to be a vampire.[embedded content]Freaky and frequently incoherent, “Dreamland” uses McHattie’s affecting portrayal of beaten-down anguish (he played Chet Baker in a 2009 short film) to clear a path through the craziness. Gathering the living, the dead and the undead together on a single, surreal plane, the movie turns its sordid, sex-trafficking plot into a decadent, redemptive fairy tale. Washing everything in a synthetic glamour, the cinematographer, Richard Van Oosterhout, coaxes dazzle and delirium from underworld club, glittering ballroom and scummy alleyway.These days, too many movies shrink all too willingly into the constrictive embrace of the small screen; “Dreamland” fights diminution every step of the way.DreamlandNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators. More

Here are a few of the best events happening Thursday through Wednesday and how to tune in (all times are Eastern).‘Let’s Stay (In) Together’: A Benefit for the ApolloThursday at 7:30 p.m. on the Apollo Theater website“Captain” Kirk Douglas of The Roots, Kool & the Gang, Gary Clark Jr., Robert Randolph, Lil Buck, Dionne Warwick, Doug E. Fresh and more will participate in “Let’s Stay (In) Together: A Benefit to Support the Apollo Theater.” The evening will highlight the theater’s 86-year contribution to arts and culture, with guests performing the music of Apollo legends like B.B. King, Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder — as well as the theater’s contributions to “supporting black art and culture, creating spaces for artists to express themselves freely, and advocating for the safety, dignity and justice for black people worldwide,” the theater said in a statement. The event will also include special tributes, and a series of poems and performances dedicated to the memory of those who have lost their lives because of Covid-19. The benefit is part of the theater’s campaign to raise $4 million to safeguard its future.When: 7:30 p.m.Where: The Apollo Theater website.Resisting With Tori AmosThursday at 5 p.m.The 92Y is also hosting the singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos on Thursday for a conversation with Esquire’s Jeff Gordinier about, among other things, her new book, “Resistance,” a manifesto about harnessing creative energy as a way to foster societal change. Using her own back catalog of songs as a road map, Amos is hoping to inspire listeners during this tumultuous global climate. Topics on the agenda: songwriting, politics, activism and personal liberation. Tickets are $10.When: 5 p.m.Where: 92Y Online.‘Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice’Thursday at 7 p.m. on the BrightFocus websiteFor a week starting Thursday, you can enjoy the 2019 documentary “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of my Voice,” featuring an introduction from the film’s producer James Keach. The documentary, which examines the life and career Ronstadt — one of the world’s best-selling musical artists — is narrated by Ronstadt herself and includes concert footage and interviews with the musicians Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Jackson Browne and more. The livestream is being hosted by the nonprofit BrightFocus Foundation, which supports research and provides public education on brain and eye diseases. Ronstadt has Parkinson’s disease, which robbed her of the ability to sing about a decade ago. The film was New York Times Critic’s Pick. In his review, A.O. Scott said, “Ronstadt’s work, and her words in this film, testify to the multicultural, cross-pollinating vitality of American vernacular music.”When: 7 p.m., and it will be available through June 10.Where: The Bright Focus website.‘Curating the End of the World’Now on the New York Live Arts websiteThis week, New York Live Arts introduced an online exhibition called “Curating the End Of The World,” presented with the Black Speculative Arts Movement and curated by Reynaldo Anderson, Tiffany E. Barber and Stacey Robinson. According the website, “Curating the End of the World” is “an Afrofuturist commentary” intended to interrogate “the racist pathology and corruption that influences policy around the world.” The exhibition features works by Chloe Harrison, Jessi Jumanji, Jordan P. Jackson, Lovenloops, Zeal Harris, Kimberly Marie Ashby and many others.When: Now, through June.Where: The New York Live Arts website.Thomas Adès’s ‘The Exterminating Angel’Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Met Opera website“If you see one opera this year, make it ‘The Exterminating Angel,’” reads the New York Times headline for the review of this 2017 production. If you missed it then, now is your chance. Conducted by Thomas Adès and starring Audrey Luna, Amanda Echalaz, Sally Matthews, Sophie Bevan, the show tackles topics that are as relevant now as they were then. “The opera has discomforting timeliness at a time when many Americans feel trapped in partisan battles over elites, economic justice and borders,” Anthony Tommasini wrote in his review. The event is part of The Met’s free series “Nightly Met Opera Streams.”When: 7:30 p.m., and will remain available for 23 hours.Where: The Met Opera website, and on all Met Opera on Demand apps.‘Dear Class of 2020,’ With the Obamas, Lady Gaga and BeyoncéSaturday at 3 p.m.No one’s ever had a commencement ceremony like this. On Saturday, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Bill and Melinda Gates, Condoleezza Rice, Malala Yousafzai, Taylor Swift, BTS, Megan Thee Stallion and many others are set to take part in YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” virtual commencement, a six-hour event celebrating graduates whose in-person ceremonies were canceled because of the pandemic.When: 3 p.m.Where: The YouTube Originals YouTube channel.The ‘Super Bowl of High School Jazz Competitions’Monday through June 12 on Jazz.orgJazz at Lincoln Center is saluting the world’s top high school big bands with a weeklong festival (which will for the first time be held virtually), “Essentially Ellington,” nicknamed the Super Bowl of high school jazz competitions. Hundreds of students from about 25 high school big bands, the largest group in the festival’s 25-year history, will participate. Events include band performances; interviews; a Q. and A. with a finalist student and Wynton Marsalis, a renown trumpeter and the center’s artistic director; the beloved “cheer tunnel”; and an awards ceremony.When: Monday at 9 p.m., through June 12 at 9 p.m.Where: The Jazz at Lincoln Center website, as well as its Facebook and Instagram pages. Register here for Monday’s Zoom event.First-Ever Virtual ‘Museum Mile Festival’Tuesday at 9 a.m.Eight New York City museums — the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio and the Africa Center — are joining together to create the first-ever daylong virtual Museum Mile Festival. Throughout the day, each museum will host live and prerecorded programs, virtual exhibition tours, live musical performances and activities for families streamed across their respective websites and social media platforms.When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.Where: The day’s events will be listed on each participating museum’s website or social media. Audiences can also check out the hashtag #VirtualMuseumMile on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook throughout the day.‘All in Washington’ With Pearl Jam and MacklemoreWednesday at 10 p.m. on TwitchPearl Jam, Ben Gibbard, Brandi Carlile, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore, Dave Matthews and other stars from Washington State (and beyond) are gathering virtually for the “All in Washington” concert, to raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts across the state.When: 10 p.m.Where: The Amazon Music Twitch channel, and it will be available on Amazon Prime Video after it airs. For those in the Seattle area, the concert will air on the local NBC affiliate.Stacey Abrams in Conversation With Joy ReidWednesday at 7 p.m. on ZoomIn her new book, “Our Time Is Now,” Stacey Abrams, an expert on fair voting and civic engagement who ran as the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia in 2018, offers a blueprint to end voter suppression and empower citizens. On Wednesday, Sixth & I, an arts and culture center and synagogue in Washington, is hosting Abrams in conversation with MSNBC’s Joy Reid to discuss the book — which makes the case for robust voter protections, an elevation of identity politics, engagement in the census and a return to moral international leadership. Tickets are $10, or $33 for a ticket and a signed book.When: 7 p.m.Where: Zoom. You will receive the link after reserving your spot.Peter Libbey contributed research. More