SHORTS PART ONE // TRIBECA 2021
Here we are again, back in downtown New York and walking the streets of Tribeca... well, at least digitally. This year, the Tribeca Film Festival is mostly taking place digitally in what's called "Tribeca at Home." Select screenings are taking place in person, in places such as The Battery, Pier 76 at Hudson Yards and even Radio City Music Hall (if you're seeing Dave Chappelle's new untitled doc on closing night). For me, I'm in the comfort of my NYC apartment, and I'll be posting reviews throughout this week. So be sure to keep checking back here for more reviews! First up are four short films:
Liza isn't your typical millennial. Sure, she's outgoing and funny, with a great fashion sense. Well, senses. See, Liza isn't just one person. She's multiple people. In LIZA ANONYMOUS, Danielle Beckmann plays Liza, a lonely girl who doesn't seem to know how to connect with people. Perhaps she doesn't know how to meet them in the first place. So she attends different support groups, pretending to be different people each time. She's British for one group, American for another, flipping between pretending to be recovering from sex addiction to recovering from a gamblers addiction and changing who she is with each group (one character is filled with a lot of cultural appropriation, which I'm glad that the film comments on and doesn't just use as a joke). However, she's never just herself, just Liza. As it all catches up to her, she's forced to face up to her lies and confront who she really is and what she's done. Screenwriter Leah McKendrick and director Aubrey Smyth have crafted a very interesting, funny and intriguing film, one that doesn't quite live up to its potential but only due to its limited running time. It's clear that this story has more to say. I want to know more, which is a good thing. Who is Liza? Why does she do what she does? What's her connection to the people in her support group and what's turned her into being addicted to the addiction groups? I'd love to see this further explored in a feature length film or even a series of some sort. Danielle Beckmann (who, in full transparency, once wrote reviews for "The ArtsWire Weekly") shines as Liza, skillfully finding the humor and pathos in each character she inhabits. She is very captivating in the short amount of time given, and never makes Liza a villain or a saint. She's simply a human trying to find her place. LIZA ANONYMOUS was my first film of this year's fest, and it was a strong start to yet another exciting year at Tribeca. GRADE: A-
To say that 2020 was a difficult year is DEFINITELY putting it mildly. For the BIPOC community, it was even tougher. Experiencing the black joy of WAVES is a cathartic experience, expertly directed by Agazi Desta (who also wrote the screenplay). The film follows Otto (Omete Anassi), a deaf black teen who steps into a barber shop, ready to get a haircut. He's clearly on his way to a dance, as he's dressed in a nice suit bow-tie and carrying a corsage. Various black barbers rib him as he enters, commenting on how much hair he has on his head and warn him that he shouldn't give the rookie bartender Brooks (Jason Dalhouse) a chance. He's so new, they warn, that he'll mess up your hair. They also rib Brooks, until Brooks finally puts a $20 bill down on his empty seat, telling everyone waiting for a haircut that he'll pay for the cut if someone gives him a chance. So Otto does, and not only is he giving the new rookie a chance, he also knows he has to completely trust the barber in cutting his hair, as he'll have to remove his hearing aids and not be able to hear anything until the cut is down. Both Omete Anassi and Jason Dalhouse turn in very strong performances and have a wonderful rapport between them. They take a very simple story and ad a wonderful amount of depth and feeling into each moment, culminating in a true joyful experience. GRADE: A
CHERRY LEMONADE also tells a black story but in a very different way. It opens on Phoenix (Eris Baker) and her older brother Kurt (Skylan Brooks) hanging out in their front yard. Kurt is trying to teach his younger sister some fighting moves and how to defend herself, but she's not interested at all. She wants to go to the store and get a slushie, wanting to look at the day in the same way as she always has, with an innocent longing. What happens on her journey to get to the store ends up re-shaping the way she sees the world, and connects the two in an even stronger way than before. Both Baker and Brooks are excellent, showcasing a lot of strong emotion in a short amount of time. The film is inspired by writer/director Aisha Ford's own childhood experiences and it casts quite a shadow in its short running time, though it also feels like it could be expanded even more with a longer running time (and I hope it gets just that). Being able to hold onto childhood innocence while understanding that dangers are always right around the corner is an important lesson that we all have to learn as a child. It serves as both an innocent flashback into childhood and a cautionary tale for all to see, beautifully directed by Ford. GRADE: A-
LIZA ANONYMOUS WRITTEN BY Leah McKendrick DIRECTED BY Aubrey Smyth STARRING Danielle Beckmann, Daniel Fox, Rafael Sardina, Malikha Mallette, Sharon Gallardo.
WAVES WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Agazi Desta STARRING Omete Anassi, Jason Dalhouse, Larry Banks, Eric Davis, Dameon Victorian, Barry Wilkins, Derrick Stephon Miller, Terrell Wilds.
CHERRY LEMONADE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Aisha Ford STARRING Eris Baker, Skylan Brooks, Chance Harlem Jr, Alexander Jones III, Skyler Priest, Meagan Harmon.
ALL FILMS SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2021 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION: