22nd Nov2020

The Nest (Film)

by timbaros
A marriage is on the verge of collapse in the new film ’The Nest.’THE+NEST+STILL+5
Set in 1986, in an era before mobile phones, ’The Nest’ follows young couple Rory (Jude Law) and his beautiful wife Alison (Carrie Coon) in their move from suburban America to Surrey. Rory, a cocky businessman, takes up a new role in a small firm in the City of London, so he has uprooted his family (which includes a teenage daughter and a younger son) to live in the sticks – Surrey that is – where he has rented a mansion in the middle of nowhere (and paid the rent upfront for a year). Rory has big dreams for him and his family, he also has a big mouth and exaggerates all the time. Having grown up in England, he has outgrown his birth family and hasn’t spoken to them in years. But his ego, and big head, get the better of him, and a deal that he assures Alison will yield a big pay check is not forthcoming. Alison, meanwhile is happy at home tending to her horse and their two children. But who knows what Rory has up his sleeve next, and when he asks her to borrow money from Alison she knows something is terribly wrong with their finances. And so do we. Their marriage starts to unravel, as does Rory’s career, and it all comes crashing down one night where the tension and drama explode like a runaway train.
1986 was two years before the Wall Street crash, and in ’The Nest’ we see how bankers assumed it was easy to make a lot of money in banking. But the crash instead collapsed dreams and expectations – and that being very wealthy would not transpire for many. Law is just about perfect as a man who has visions of grandeur, while Coon (A Gillian Anderson lookalike who has starred in ‘Gone Girl’ and the television show ‘Fargo’) matches Law scene-by-scene. And while the finale might scratch a few heads (why does Alison try to dig up her dead horse from it’s grave?), ‘The Nest’ is a very well-acted and gripping film.
’The Nest’ is now available on VOD.
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22nd Nov2020

Bare (Film)

by timbaros

BARE_still04Dozens of men audition for a dance project, the catch is that it will involve not wearing any clothes.

In the new documentary film ‘Bare,’ these men are whittled down to eleven who rehearse and perform the premiere of Belgian choreographer Thierry Smit’s new dance piece ‘Anima Ardens.’ Director Aleksandr M. Vinogradov’s captures the auditions, and rehearsals, in this documentary that is both revealing, sexy and fun. Filmed in Brussels, the men, all presumably professional dancers, jump at the chance of working with Smits, a well-known choreographer who set up his own company in 1990, and who has created over 30 dance performances. His dance pieces are contemporary, with fusions of pop, queer and often provocative aesthetics included.
The eleven men have no problem getting naked. One, during the early stages of the audition, raises the question as to why the camera is in the room. The explanation is that a documentary will be made about this process answers the question, and the show goes on. However we really don’t get to know any of the dancers individually, and Smits, front and centre, also remains an enigma. But combining Smits with the dancers in their daily struggle to get the dance moves correct, with Smits not quite knowing exactly what he is looking for, brings mystery and drama into play. All the dancers are very sexy, of course especially when naked, but after a bit the nudity becomes almost invisible (but not quite) and it’s the performance piece they are rehearsing that takes center stage, because it’s unconventional. All the dancers appear to be very comfortable with each other, and near the end they are all very playful in the showers as they clean up after a day of rehearsal. And ‘Bare’ cleverly ends as the first performance of ‘Anima Ardens’ begins. Lucky for us, just a quick Google search will lead you to see the actual dance piece in its entirety. ‘Bare’ is indeed bare; it’s sexy, raw and in your face.
 
‘Bare’ held it world premier at Hot Docs and has also been featured at Cinema Diverse, Doc NYC and DocEdge. Look for it hopefully at UK film festivals in 2021.
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