“Last Flag Flying” (3/4), in select theaters

“War is the worst act of terrorism and among the greatest causes of human suffering and death and ecological degradation. Wars are declared by the rich and fought by the poor. There will be no real justice and protection of human rights and the rights of nature until a sustainable global peace has been achieved.” This quote by Brian J. Trautman is a warning, and one that I pray will be absorbed, understood and acted upon, one can hope…..

Richard Linklater’s new film “Last Flag Flying,” which opened the New York Film Festival 2017, cleverly blends a buddy comedy road movie into its rightful place which is a home-front war drama.  There is side-splitting laughter to be sure with brilliant performances by  Steve Carell,  Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston but the film is also somber as it looks—closely—at the stupidity and brutality of war. 

There is an ongoing conversation about “why” war drawing parallels between Vietnam and Iraq and scratching down to the big questions, such as what is the nature of truth and heroism.

An Amazon/Lionsgate release of a screenplay that took twenty long years to get made. The journey of this particular incarnation of the story began in 2005 with novelist and co-screenwriter Darry Ponicsan a direct sequel to the author's debut, The Last Detail. 

The story is set on 2003 inside Sal's Bar & Grill (the "Grill" part went by the wayside) an empty Virginia local bar loosely run by Sal (Bryan Cranston) an ex-Marine. When an ex-Navy man Larry Shepherd (Carell), whom he remembers from their Vietnam days as Doc, wanders in out of the rain, the heart of the story starts to beat. 

It’s clear that the rain-soaked Doc is hurting but he doesn’t tell anything asking Sal to drive him to a surprise location, which turns out to be at a vibrant Baptist church, where the third member of their trio from 30 years earlier, "Mueller the Mauler," is now the Reverend Richard (Fishburne), preaching to his Sunday congregation.

After a traditional African-American, Southern Sunday dinner with Richard and his supportive wife Ruth (Deanna Reed-Foster), Doc reveals the real purpose of tracking down his two estranged Marine buddies. Doc's son Larry Jr., a 21-year-old Marine, was just killed in Baghdad, and his body is being flown home for a hero's burial at Arlington Cemetery. Having recently lost his wife to cancer, Doc asks them to accompany him for emotional support. The circumstances around Larry Jr.'s death are not as reported, causing Doc to refuse a military burial and insist on transporting his son's body back home to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to be buried alongside his mother. 

On the journey is Larry Jr.'s close friend Lance Corp. Washington (J. Quinton Johnson) assigned as the trio's official Marine escort, and the heart of the story opens, wider

There is a brotherhood re-forming.  And in an effort to heal their aching souls, the three war veterans make a detour to pay a long overdue call to the elderly mother (Cicely Tyson) of another buddy from their extended tour in Vietnam, whose death has weighed heavily on the three men over the decades. 

The visit has an amazing surprise which helps to amplify the emotional impact of the film.  

The acting is first-rate, starting with Carell's subdued performance as soft-spoken Doc, a man whose life is filled with disappointment and hurt yet, he remains a human with great integrity. Fishburne is on point and commanding as a man of the cloth whose wild past seemed to be buried but arises on the trip in the most amusing ways. Cranston's character is wonderfully complicated—paradoxical even—charmingly and abrasive. 

Although the critics might enjoy picking this film down to the bone, it’s the audiences that will find and embrace the joy of “Last Flag Flying.” 

Last Flag Flying - Official US Trailer - Former Navy Corps medic Richard "Doc" Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marines Sal (Bryan Cranston) and Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission.

“Last Flag Flying” now playing.  Originally reviewed as part of the NYFF 55 Film Festival. 

“No justice, no peace” — Baltimore Rising — a new doc directed by “The Wire’s” Sonja Sohn premiering on HBO and HBO NOW on Nov. 20

“No justice, no peace”—these words are still echoing and falling, it seems, on the deaf ears of those charged to "protect and serve" and their indifference and homicidal deeds are repeatedly supported by United States political leaders with intolerance and hatred practiced at the highest level in the political structure of this country.  

Sitting inside the HBO's screening room, I wanted to cry, nay scream but the rising hairs on my arms and the back of my neck told me to hold study.  My heart wasn't just heavy, it was cracking, held together by the flimsy tape of hope—‘how long could this hold?” I pondered.  I could feel hands resting on my shoulder, whispering calming words in my ear. This is how I could watch and re-watch BALTIMORE RISING without howling like a mad woman. 

Directed by Sonja Sohn (one of the stars of the HBO series "The Wire"), BALTIMORE RISING follows activists, police officers, community leaders and gang affiliates, who struggle to hold Baltimore together, even as the homicide rate hits record levels. 

In the wake of the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in police custody, the city of Baltimore was tittering precariously, on the edge.  Despite the number of peaceful protests, the boiling pint was so high that riots erupted in the immediate aftermath of Gray's death, then the city waited to hear the fate of the six police officers involved in the incident.  It was agony felt across the country and it reflected the very deep divisions between authorities and the community - and underscoring the urgent need for reconciliation.

Reconciliation is that even possible? This dire situation has a very long and brutal history and Sohn’s BALTIMORE RISING chronicles the determined efforts of people on all sides who fight for justice and work to make their city better, sometimes coming together in unexpected ways, discovering a common humanity where before they often saw each other only as adversaries.

Among the key figures spotlighted in BALTIMORE RISING are:

Directed by The Wire actor Sonja Sohn, this thought-provoking documentary follows activists, police officers, community leaders and gang affiliates, who struggle to hold Baltimore together, in the wake of Freddie Gray's death, even as the homicide rate hits record levels, and explores how to make change when change is hard.

Commissioner Kevin Davis has led the Baltimore Police Department since 2015. Genard "Shadow" Barr (community leader, former gang member) is an addiction recovery specialist at the Penn-North Recovery Center, where he also helps organize a reentry jobs program for community members.  Adam Jackson (activist) is CEO of the grassroots think-tank Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. Dayvon Love (activist), director of public policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. Lt. Colonel Melvin Russell, chief of the Community Partnership Division, Baltimore Police Department. Dawnyell Taylor (police detective) has been with the Baltimore City Police for more than 16 years. In 2015 and 2016, she was the lead investigator in the Freddie Gray homicide case and testified at the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., who was charged with Gray's murder. Taylor continues to serve in the police academy in Baltimore.

Amongst those interviewed in the documentary, two young people stood out — Makayla Gilliam-Price (activist) founded the youth justice organization City Bloc as a high school student and Kwame Rose (activist), an artist, writer, musician and public speaker.

Here is a brief excerpt from a chat with  Makayla Gilliam-Price and Kwame Rose.

Lapacazo Sandoval:  Kwame Rose as an activist you are also an artist, writer, musician and have added public speaking.  What has changed since the uprising that followed Freddie Gray's death?

Kwame Rose:  That’s a great question.  The answer is complicated and a bit long, but to sum it up I am learning about how things work from the inside.  I am currently working actually in the office of the Baltimore Mayor, Mayor Catherine Pugh.  

LS:  What about you Makayla Gilliam-Price?  In the documentary, your mother made mention that because of her activism in the community, that you grew up on the front lines of protest, offering that "No justice no peace was your lullaby.” 

Makayla Gilliam-Price: In a lot of ways that’s true.  In the years since filming the documentary, and now I’ve grown up.  I graduated high school and I am attending college.  I am also very involved in organizing the grassroots think-tank Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and I am learning something new every single day. 

“Baltimore Rising” directed by Sonja Sohn premiering on HBO and HBO NOW on Nov. 20

Jaden Michael is wonderful in Todd Haynes new film, “Wonderstruck”

Actor Jaden Michael plays Jamie, a young boy helping Ben (Oakes Fegley) find his father in
New York City circa 1977 in director Todd Haynes’s terrific new film “Wonderstruck”.
The film made its New York debut at NYFF55 and will open—in select theaters—on October 20.

Already the Oscar buzz is swirling around this charming film and Haynes is back with his past muse Julianne Moore. This film is based on Brian Selznick’s trailblazing debut novel, The
Invention of Hugo Cabret.

“Wonderstruck” it is about a young boy named Ben who longs for the father he has never
known. Set in two different time periods, the film It is also about a girl named Rose, who dreams
of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a
puzzling clue in his mother's room, and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Ben's story is set in 1977 and is told entirely in words, while Rose's story, set fifty years earlier, is told entirely with pictures. The two stories weave back and forth before ultimately coming together. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful–with over 460 pages of original
artwork–Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
Actor Jaden Michael plays Jamie, an Afro-Latino New York City kid who helps Ben (Oakes
Fegley) navigate the city after he runs away from home. He’s scared, alone, penniless and deaf
a recent event that occurred during a freak thunderstorm.

Young Michael has been acting since he was three years old, appearing in several programs
produced by Nick Jr. and Sesame Street. He’s also lent his unique voice playing
Baby Jaguar in “Dora the Explorer.” He has also appeared in the role of David Diaz in the
feature film "Custody" with Viola Davis and Ellen Burstyn. He also took audiences and critics by surprise playing the role of the young gangster Rafe in "The Get Down”.

Here’s what Jaden Michael has to share about his role in Todd Haynes’s “Wonderstruck”.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your character. He’s an Afro-Latino kid, right?
Jaden Michael: Correct, I play Jamie. His parents are divorced. He lives with his father, in NEw
York City, in the summers. His dad works at the Museum of Natural History and that’s where he
meets Ben (Oakes Fegley) and helps him out with his journey.

Q: Any challenges working on the set?
A: It was easy going. Everyone on set was so close, it was easy going. We bonded so well. It
was like family.

Q: How did you prepare to play a kid of the late ’70’s? The “Get Down” in which you also
played a significant character was
A: I understood what was happening in that time period. You also had a significant role in
“The Get Down” and that musical drama was also set in the 1970s.
(laughing)
Well playing a gangster is much different than my role as Jamie but I actually did my research
on this film [Wonderstruck] as well and I decided to find out more about the culture. I’ve always
thought that if you listen to music it’s easier to find a character. I like listening to music because
it defines who I am. It makes me special….not that kind of special..(jokingly). And so in order for
me to get into my character, I like to listen to music from that time period, if the story is set in
another era. Or if I think this is something the character might listen to. While I was getting my
hair and makeup done, I liked to listen to a lot of 70’s rock and some David Bowie, and other
people like Fleetwood Mac and Denise Williams’s “Free would always kind of click with me
(snapping his fingers).

Wonderstruck - Trailer - Based on Brian Selznick's critically acclaimed novel Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook.

“Wonderstruck” directed by Todd Haynes. The screenplay was written by Brian Selznick, based
on his book. Stars Oakes Fegley, Millicent Simmonds, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and
Jaden Michael.

Array’s “Teach Us All” by director Sonia Lowman - Bradley Poindexter: In his own words

In his own words.  The young man looking at you is Bradley Poindexter.  His story is part of the remarkable documentary by first-time director Sonia Lowman “Teach Us All” which is now available on Netflix. 

This powerful documentary was acquired by Ava Duvernay’s distribution company —  ARRAY RELEASING which is a film collective that the  “A Wrinkle In Time” director started several years ago.

“Teach Us All” is about the social justice movement on educational inequality set against the backdrop of the 1957 Little Rock school desegregation crisis. Timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of that event, “Teach Us All” seeks to build the capacity of students and educators to take leadership in carrying forth the legacy of the Little Rock Nine while activating broader community engagement in today’s urgent movement for educational equity.

Lowman is an educated woman with a heart for service. Her background is impressive and it’s important to highlight that she’s only in her very early 30’s.  As the director of Director of Communications for the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, she’s worked in myriad international contexts that included: managing communications for International Medical Corps, a humanitarian relief organization with operations in 30-plus countries; running an International Monetary Fund youth outreach initiative in the Middle East for Arab university students; and contributing to policy papers on international women’s rights for several NGOs, including the United Nations. Plus she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

So, it’s little wonder that Ava Duvernay connected with this particular film because amongst the cold hard facts that make “Teach Us All” important viewing there are several sound solutions offered by well-versed educators that should be very seriously reviewed. 

Another exciting aspect that arose from the film was watching how the youth—in schools across the country—are educating themselves individually and as a group, and challenging the system.  There is more than hope—there is a movement.  

One of the students that left a mark was an African American youth, Bradley Poindexter, who grew up in one of the poorest sections of Little Rock, Arkansas. In painting a picture of his young life, he noted that he knew more people who “died” tragically than was in his High School class. 

At the time of posting this story Bradley Poindexter now a former student from Little Rock, Arkansas, joined the military and he is currently serving as a Security Forces Member of the U.S. Air Force.  It’s also interesting to note that prior to joining the armed forces, Bradley was an advocate for Educational Equity, working with education initiative Noble Impact in Little Rock.

“Teach Us All” is more than just a documentary to entertain you on Netflix— it’s a window into what can be done; must be done to make a positive change in the United States Public Educational system. In short, it’s movement.

"Teach Us All" an Array Releasing film. Now playing on Netflix.