Artistry Magazine

Renewed

Fall 2019 Issue

'Queen and Slim' Review

'Queen and Slim' is not just another Bonnie and Clyde movie. The screenwriting debut of Lena Waithe tells the tale of a Tinder date gone wrong, where a black couple tries to escape their inevitable criminalization after defending themselves against a police officer. Directed by Melina Matsoukas, the film uses the theme of vulnerability and immortality to portray the story of two young adults and an unlikely relationship.

The Streaming Standoff

At the beginning of the decade, Netflix had just started their subscription-based online streaming service and were still competing with Blockbuster Video. Now, 10 years later, the media landscape has completely transformed. Video rental stores are practically nonexistent, Netflix and Amazon produce original series and films that garner widespread acclaim, and even cable television is on its way out. Netflix paved the way for the new era of media and entertainment, and countless other companies have followed suit. If you’re starting to get a little overwhelmed by the choices, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Little Shop of Horrors Musical

At 140 Clarendon Street, in the intimate and cozy theater of the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, you’ll find director Rachel Bertone’s charming and inviting world of Little Shop of Horrors. The musical performance is brought to life in only a few square feet. Despite the modest stage, the set and cast bring authenticity to each element of the show, easily luring you into Mr. Mushnik’s run-down and “vintage” plant shop.

Count Orlov Musical

On Nov. 22, Arts Emerson, in collaboration with Stage Russia, brought the award-winning Count Orlov Musical to the Bright Family Screening Room at the Emerson Paramount Center. Created by renowned playwright Yuliy Kim and composer Roman Ignatyev, the same team behind the Anna Karenina musical and The Count of Monte Cristo, the musical originally premiered at the Moscow Operetta Theatre in 2012. It ran until 2016, earning its spot as one of Russia’s most popular musicals.

Marriage Story begins with Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) in a mediator’s office. They’re each stubbornly clutch a list of what they love about the other — and their pride. This is supposed to make the divorce process easier. Even though the film is set during the process of a divorce, it’s really about the marriage. It’s tender, it’s funny, and most importantly, it’s real.

Shuffling on stage in long, gray underwear, José Quijano (Emilio Delgado) waves a dented, lusterless sword in the air. His posture and thin frame suggest the weakness of old age, but his voice resounds with the steadfastness of a knight. He raises arms against the mischievous ensemble of Calacas, demons of the underworld, that taunt him, and he vows to avoid their clutches. Suddenly pulled from this dream, he wakes up at his desk, back to his reality as an old man in the care of his family.

Honey Boy is a deep, shuddering breath after a long cry.

An autobiographical film written by Shia LaBeouf about his own father, writer LaBeouf and director Alma Har’el weave a deeply personal story that flashes back and forth between a 12-year-old Otis (Noah Jupe) and a 22-year-old Otis (Lucas Hedges). Otis is a child actor and proxy for LaBeouf, and LaBeouf takes us through his formative childhood, his relationship with his dad, and the journey he went through to get to where he is today.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

French director Céline Sciamma's latest film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, winner of Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, premiered at Independent Film Festival Boston’s Fall Focus mini-fest at the Brattle Theatre on Nov. 3. An aesthetically pleasing film focused on female relationships, it is a stunning addition to both women’s cinema and queer cinema.

Most kids create imaginary friends to run around with, share jokes with, and even confess feelings to when they’re down. However, not many have Adolf Hitler as their friend of choice. But most kids don’t have to grow up in a fascist regime. Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a 10-year-old boy who is growing up too fast in the most unstable environment — with his imagination’s incarnation of Hitler (Taika Waititi) as his guide and companion.

I could paste this sentence at the top of a blank document, use said document as a template for every future review of an A24 movie, and, if their current winning streak is any indication, it would probably remain just as true. Founded only seven years ago, this entertainment company now dominates the indie film industry, consistently producing and distributing films of pristine quality, including Moonlight (2016), Lady Bird (2017), and Hereditary (2018).

“Live, I suppose,” states Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) after being asked about his next steps, since he will no longer be making films. In Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory, Salvador, a long-time celebrated filmmaker, has seemingly reached the end of his road. His own body is failing him, everything hurts, and he is at a loss for desire. He is filled with this emptiness that seems to go on forever, and yearns for more, but has no idea what to do. It’s a simple film, filled with countless layers of emotion and history. It’s the tip of the iceberg of the reflection of an aging filmmaker, topped with the best ending seen in a while.

When talking about the superhero movie genre, most people would likely describe the type of movies made by Marvel Studios: fun, action-packed, and for the most part, light-hearted. Sure, the protagonists may face hardships, but they’re nothing that can’t be completely solved in two hours. Though this is undoubtedly a successful formula, it can often leave moviegoers wishing for more — it certainly leaves me wishing for more, at least. And that is what makes Fast Color such a breath of fresh air.

Read My Lips, housed in the Krupp Gallery at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), is a collection of works exploring the way the world perceives the voices of women and how women, in turn, change their voices in response to expectations. It investigates the duality of connotations surrounding a woman’s lips, which hold visual cues of sexuality and fulfillment while also being the mechanism through which they empower themselves. Artists Patty Chang, Marilyn Minter, Sharon Hayes, and VALIE EXPORT each feature a video-based piece that conforms to the expectations of women while simultaneously criticising the absurdities and contradictions of such standards.

Sneha Shrestha can remember when she first began to fall in love with art. Growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal, she used to watch her mother create fantastical drawings with colored pencils, weaving stories together through her sketches. Today Shrestha, who paints under the name Imagine, is an internationally renowned artist best known for her unusual style: painting mindful mantras using the Nepali alphabet that combine the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures with American graffiti.

Currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is Viewpoints, a photography exhibit featuring works from the Howard Greenberg collection. The collection on display emphasizes the way photography captured life in the 20th century. Greenberg’s passion for photography is seen through the photos he collects, all which showcase the ability to reveal emotions that cannot be put into words.