Jimpa (c) Kino Lorber
Film: Jimpa
In Cinemas
Definition: Jimpa is a made-up nickname for a character in this film.
When it was announced that veteran actor John Lithgow was going to play Professor Dumbledore in the reboot of the Harry Potter series of books for television, two things astonished me. One, Lithgow would be the first American cast in one of the major roles in a franchise that is usually populated by British actors. Two, what would his response be to the anti-trans views of creator Joanne Rowling (her given name)? While Lithgow took the diplomatic stance of respecting other people’s differences, I think his real response is starring in Sophie Hyde’s Jimpa as his last film before the series. Lithgow plays Jim, a gay man who left his family in Australia decades ago to do political activist work in Amsterdam. He has kept in contact with his daughter Hannah (Olivia Colman), her husband Harry (Daniel Henshall) and their nonbinary teenager, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde), whom Jim calls, affectionately, his grandthing. (Jimpa is Jim’s preferred term of endearment over Grandpa.) The trio travel to Amsterdam for a visit, but Hannah, who is a filmmaker, wants to let her father know she is making a film based on his life, while Frances is also considering moving in with Jimpa to see the wider world outside of the down under.
Jimpa (c) Kino Lorber
In Hyde’s last film, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Emma Thompson played a woman with confidence issues hiring a male escort to finally enjoy her sexual life, and in one bold scene, she stands naked in front of a mirror. Lithgow has a similar moment in this film (I hear talk of Dumbledore’s wand already) as Jim’s motto is no boundaries, which he imparts to Frances, who, while not yet eighteen, gets to explore the more liberal nightlife of Amsterdam. This story is loosely based on Hyde’s own experiences, which is why the film in parts feels so honest and raw. But as it’s set in the present and not the 1990s when Hyde would have been this age, there’s a lot more talk of pronouns and identity and chosen family, which can be especially hurtful to the biological family, who have been nothing but supportive. Colman is very good as a very liberal mum who must face her limits with the wishes of both Jimpa and Frances. But, even Colman can’t make sense of some scenes, including one involving stepdad Harry and her seemingly normal act of still taking baths with her nearly adult child. Lithgow is just a force of nature, and he shows the length in which he willing to support LGBTQ+ stories (remember, he made his debut playing a trans football player in The World According to Garp) and his willingness to play the unbending ego of Jim that is sometimes not pleasant to be around. The story of how each generation views sexuality is Jimpa’s success but also may be the theme the more prudish and non-woke audience members (essentially the ones who need to hear its message) will think is a bridge too far.
Pillion (c) A24
Film: Pillion
In Cinemas
Definition: A pillion is a secondary seat, cushion or pad behind the main seat on a horse or motorcycle.
That Harry Lighton’s feature film debut is titled Pillion is sort of cheeky, as not much is made of the fact that one of the characters, Ray (Alexander Skarsgard), does ride a motorcycle as his favored mode of transportation. But it turns out that a pillion is also British slang for a gay man who plays the more submissive role in a sexual act. That makes much more sense as the film is seen through the perspective of a curious gay man named Colin (Harry Melling), whose eyes are opened when he enters a BDSM relationship with Ray. Most of their relationship is shown in a graphic but not in a sensationalized way. Ray rarely considers Colin’s sexual needs and occasionally treats him like a literal dog and makes him sleep on the floor next to Ray’s bed. As Colin learns the rules of the game, he’s invigorated by the rush of such a relationship, but it does make it hard to explain to his friends and, especially his parents Pete (Douglas Hodge) and Peggy (Lesley Sharp), whom he still lives with. Lighton’s screenplay never judges the pair’s relationship but has to include an outsider’s judgy take as this sort of niche world has been demonized as fringe and unsavory. The best scene in the movie is when there is a camping trip of these couples, and Colin has a heart-to-heart with a fellow sub named Kevin (Jake Shears of the alt band Scissor Sisters), who has been in a long-term relationship with his dom. Melling, who has successfully shed his role in the “Harry Potter” series, is starting to become quite an adventurous actor in his choice of films (“Pillion” is his best). Skarsgard uses his natural beauty to wonderful effect here, although his mainly monosyllabic dialogue sort of limits the actor’s ability to give Ray any sympathetic shadings. Still, in its own way, Pillion provides a refreshing take on a gay relationship in the same way Heated Rivalry does for sports stars. Only with butt plugs.
Sirât (c) NEON
Film: Sirât
In Cinemas
Definition: Sirât is a bridge in Muslim religion that spans the chasm of hell and connects this world with paradise — only the righteous can cross while the unrighteous fall to a flaming punishment.
Spain’s submission for this year’s Academy Award for Best International Feature was director Óliver Laxe’s Sirât, ultimately nominated in that category as well as Best Sound. This was not a given, even when the film won a juried prize at the Cannes Film Festival, as the film is both lacking in a true narrative story and filled with ideas that may feel elusive or not fully realized. Many critics have decided the film’s plot should be given away, except for the inciting incident that starts the film and the milieu of its setting. I will comply as well. Sirât —after giving a portentous variation of the title’s definition —starts with a desperate man named Luis (Sergi López), who with his young son Esteban (Brúno Nuñez) in tow, is looking for his daughter Mar, whom he believes ran away to a Moroccan desert to a famous music rave, similar to something like Burning Man. And that’s the plot. What really is the draw for fans of the film, which I am unfortunately not, is the vibe of this rave. An inordinate amount of time is given to the prep work, from the organizers setting up mics and speakers to the arrivals of the audience, mostly in cars, vans and buses. A desert trek or pilgrimage, if you will. As the rave ramps up, we get uninterrupted moments of EDM music, provided by the composer Kangding Ray, with the crowd working itself into a frenzy, with occasional shots of Luis and Esteban walking with a picture of Mar, asking random people (most, high on drugs) if they had seen her. When they get a lead that a girl who looked like Mar may have already left to go to another part of the desert to the next rave, father and son must find a guide. Also in the ether is a global incident heard on the radio —something ominous is happening while our small caravan moves across the hot, arid land. Sirât really doesn’t get deeper than that, except for its effective use of that creeping dread, both on a global and personal level. In fact, the most shocking moment of any film this year happens halfway through. While cinephiles have gravitated to this film that doesn’t follow any traditional story beat nor adhere to any logical theme, I sort of need both.
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