‘Garden’ breaks ground and hearts
Also worth seeing: ‘Get Duked!’ and ‘Rising Phoenix’
Whoa, dudes.
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” comes out Friday, but we won’t be able to review the Keanu Reeves-Alex Winter sequel just yet. But here are some other options.
“THE GARDEN LEFT BEHIND” >> Flavio Alves’ eloquent debut is a rarity, a caring, complex and realistic drama anchored around a transgender lead character played by a transgender actress. An outstanding and restrained Carlie Guevara plays Tina, an undocumented Mexican woman living in a small New York City apartment with her loving grandmother (Miriam Cruz). Tina seeks to make her way as a transgender woman while dealing with a rich but erratic boyfriend (Alex Kruz).
Alves’ screenplay, co-written by John Rotondo, never comes off as didactic, remaining truthful to the characters and the situations while covering topics from love to hate to liberation. Particularly refreshing is how honest the film is in depicting the harsh realities that confront the transgender community as well as the bonds that form from joining a group and raising your voice. In small but critical roles, Ed Asner and Michael Madsen bring depth and acting gravitas.
“The Garden Left Behind” will break your heart; it’s a film of utter grace, poignancy and deep understanding. DETAILS >> out of 4; streaming Friday as part of independent theaters’ Virtual Cinema series; available Sept. 8 on various platforms.
“GET DUKED!” >> In this dark comedy, four Scottish lads participate in the annual Duke of Edinburgh Award, an actual event where teens forage through the Scottish Highlands to prove their moxie, all in the name of Prince Philip. No one in this tousled bunch, except for goody-two-shoes Ian, is skilled on surviving in the wilderness. That’s particularly true of dubious rapper DJ Beatroot (scene-stealer Viraj Juneja), who greets the boggy terrain in white duds and writes crass songs about his crotch.
Writer-director Ninian Doff takes this “Survivor”-like premise and runs wild with it, especially with the outrageous kooks the
“boys” encounter, including a serial killer (Eddie Izzard), a clueless band of cops and a notorious bread thief. What a welcome comedy to snap us out of the Debbie Downer doldrums.
DETAILS >> available Friday on Amazon Prime.
“RISING PHOENIX” >> Forget Wonder Woman, Batman and Captain America (OK, maybe not the ’Cap). The most legit superheroes can be found in Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui’s inspiring, gorgeously shot documentary on the Paralympics. Interspersed between interviews with Italy’s Bebe Vio, Australia’s Ellie Coe, the U.K.’s Jonnie Peacock and South Africa’s Ntando Mahlangu among others, “Phoenix” explores the World War II roots of the Paralympics and the obstacles the event has experienced. Originally set to film during the Tokyo Summer Olympics, “Phoenix” is a testament to resiliency, determination and passion, and is one of the best documentaries of 2020. DETAILS >> ; available on Netflix.
“THE VANISHED” >> It’s every parent’s ultimate nightmare: You look away for one instant and your child disappears. Actor turned director-writer Peter Facinelli plays on that parental panic attack but adds something unique, if loopy, to a well-worn storyline. Anne Heche and Thomas Jane are incredible as distraught parents who transform from happy campers to armed vigilantes when their daughter vanishes at a campsite. “Vanished” is one of the more compelling thrillers of the year.
DETAILS >> available on various platforms.
“THE PREY” >> If you’re looking for a martial arts smackdown you could do a whole lot worse than Jimmy Henderson’s homage to the classic “The Most Dangerous Game.” Gu Shangwei kicks it as a cop whose undercover work lands him in a Cambodian prison, where he becomes a target for rich creeps playing a hunting game. It’s low budget and sticks to the basics, but is entertaining throughout.
DETAILS >> available on various platforms.
“MAX WINSLOW AND THE HOUSE OF SECRETS” This “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” >> for tech teens is a well-done family film about teens pursuing their own dreams instead of their parents’. Chad Michael Murray pops in as a quirky tech genius who selects random (or so we think) teens from his old high school to participate in a contest in which the winner receives the keys to his posh estate. Brainy Max (Sydne Mikelle) joins four others receiving lucky tickets — er, texts — but of course there is more going on that meets the eye. It’s low in budget but high in quality thanks to the acting, writing and direction.
DETAILS >> available on various platforms.
“RIDE YOUR WAVE” >> Superior animation and a tender storyline about grief make Masaaki Yuasa’s film a must for teens and adults. Hinako, a devout surfer attending college, falls in love with firefighter Minato, a guy who is too good to be true. When tragedy strikes, Hinako’s bond with her boyfriend only strengthens. It’s another anime triumph from the director of “The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl.” DETAILS >> available on various platforms.