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40 ACRES
The beautiful opening shots spanning a rural farm offset the hostile brutality of the Canadian thriller 40 Acres. Flying bullets break the silence as flying axes take down intruders one by one. So is our introduction to Hailey and Galen Freeman (Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Greyeyes), parents of a blended Black and Indigenous family surviving a post-apocalyptic food-scarce world where people have resorted to cannibalism. Hailey, a U.S. Army veteran, has trained her children to protect their land and not trust outsiders—smart when strangers are liable to start chomping. But the Freemans’ failure to stay connected with their extended network of allies has their eldest, Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) feeling confined even on 40 acres. His rebellion, inspired by an encounter with outsider Dawn (Milcania Diaz-Rojas), attracts an even bigger threat to the family homestead. Director R.T. Thorne and co-writer Glenn Taylor showcase a solidly crafted story about the terror of letting kids make mistakes and trusting others while the world falls apart. Deadwyler (perhaps 40 Acres’ best-known actor) passionately embodies the space of protecting her family from the worst and learning to break down her self-built walls, all while elevating her co-stars’ performances with her presence. R. RUDY VALDEZ. Living Room, Regal locations.
TRAINWRECK: THE CULT OF AMERICAN APPAREL
A washed-up twink turned ostentatious millennial opens Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel by reminiscing about the mid-2000s in a way that only people who were there could appreciate. American Apparel was that girl with its bold colors, form-fitting spandex and softcore porn-inspired advertising that uniquely featured hand-selected employees as models. Celebrities like Rihanna and Britney Spears loved the brand, and even Beyoncé would shop the NYC stores after hours. Behind the bold concepts of the company was Dov Charney, who wanted to make these garments in the USA. While his ads and ideas pushed the limits of the time, so too did his lack of professional work boundaries. Trainwreck shows how Charney consistently exploited his employees. Workers regularly clocked 12-plus-hour shifts while many were invited to Charney’s home to party and engage with him sexually, with some of his conquests even being called “Dov’s Girls.” Justice proved anticlimactically fleeting when all of this was an open secret. Charney is ousted when investors get wind of sexual misconduct allegations, but due to nondisclosure agreements his victims couldn’t take him to court. Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel is ultimately their platform to share stories of heinous sexual assault and coercion. Charney faced few consequences for his actions, and his career was revived by another highly influential and controversial fashion line: Yeezy. TV-MA. JAGGER BLAEC. Netflix.
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL
It’s Miley! She’s walking! Working! Dancing! Living! And…that’s about it. The film version of Something Beautiful, Cyrus’ ninth studio album, screened for one night in theaters across America and streams later this month. You didn’t miss much if you didn’t tear across town at rush hour in June to see it. Something Beautiful was billed as Cyrus’ most experimental and ambitious body of work, and while it’s not as bold as Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, this album was worth at least some of that hype. The movie version, meanwhile? Thirteen tracks of music videos. The highlights? Brittany Howard serves leather stud, Naomi Campbell struts and Cyrus paces and writhes on the ground. Cyrus thrashes her hair in nearly every video, all of which are shot in crystal-clear definition except for “Reborn,” which sports a punk-and-grunge aesthetic that offers little but seeing Cyrus in a crown-style Mohawk. But by the time “Reborn” plays, it’s clear there’s no deep meaning to uncover. Cyrus plainly sees significance in references (anyone who saw Lady Gaga’s rise in real time would), and poreless close-ups of her face invite viewers to study the architecture of Miley. But why? What does it mean to see Miley in archival Mugler, high-texture beads and feathers, or a whirlwind of her own hair? Save those questions for your next music video watch party, where Something Beautiful will be best appreciated. NR. ANDREW JANKOWSKI. Hulu, Disney+ starting July 16.
F1
Old-time racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) and cocky newby Joshua Pearce (Damon Idris) try to save a struggling Formula 1 racing team and prove their skills to each other by winning right as the season ends. Pitt and Idris’ rivalry is a promising setup for F1, but like most of the movie’s ideas, it blows a flat before the finish line. F1’s developments come and go with little fanfare. An inconsequential antagonist feels shoehorned in at the last minute, and an excruciating level of exposition plagues nearly every racing scene. Hayes is a disappointingly uninspired character. F1’s writers seem to think that flashing Pitt’s smile suitably replaces dialogue. It is difficult to believe he lives out of a van when so many of his scenes rely on his cockiness and visual appeal. Pearce offers some promise—especially given his involvement with his mother (Sarah Niles) and publicist (Samson Kayo)—but Idris unfortunately is sidelined right as he gets interesting. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda finally pulls off some interesting work during the third act with a few really original racing shots that leave one wondering why the whole film doesn’t look this way. While the main characters feel wasted, F1 prevails at showcasing how the sport requires a team and really shines with its supporting cast. It ultimately spends far too much time on clichés and too little time on Formula 1’s most interesting components. R. VINNY WHITE. Bagdad, Cinema 21, Laurelhurst, St. Johns Twin Cinemas, Studio One, AMC, Cinemark and Regal locations.
