Trailerblazing -- 10x10

10x10 -- April 13, 2018 -- directed by Suzi Ewing -- starring Luke Evans, Kelly Reilly, Noel Clarke, Olivia Chenery

  

   
Let me get something out of the way -- I am tired of films featuring women as captives. In the last two years alone, there were Split, Don't Breathe and Berlin Syndrome. This year, we are getting 10x10 and Bad Samaritan. I am starting to suspect that the 10x10 screenplay was chosen for production due to the current trend, one that is getting more clichéd and tiresome by the minute. How about a different cinematic spin on kidnappings? A bit of turning the tables never hurt anyone. On that note, Breaking In looks great. However, I digress. Based on online tidbits, the latest iteration is a bit different from the previous ones, but not nearly enough. Reilly and Evans are both so much better than this type of story -- check out Flight, "True Detective", High-Rise and The Girl on the Train -- and I am just hoping that they will be able to elevate the material. The film's visual style does not inspire confidence, either. It looks like a gritty and violent tale without any sense of redemption and, in this era of breaking news and unpredictable events, I do not think that 10x10 is the best or any form of escapism. Eh... the leads might get you to watch, but I am not sure if they will get you to stay. Think long and hard before checking it out.

Trailerblazing -- Disobedience

Disobedience -- April 27, 2018 -- directed by Sebastián Lelio -- starring Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola, Anton Lesser, Nicholas Woodeson, Cara Horgan

  

Stories about outsiders always offer intriguing power dynamics. Not too many films have been made about outsiders who shake up confines of communities shrouded in religion, though; Witness and A Stranger Among Us are the only ones that come to mind. Infusing this type of tale with an gay relationship -- an idea that most religious communities see as forbidden -- leads us to Disobedience, a film that looks like an original and powerful take on love and romance. I do not recall any cinematic LGBT relationships being woven into this kind of fabric. Exploring sexuality within the often taboo-creating context of religion shines a light on one of the most important aspects of the human condition in a new way and Academy Award winner Lelio is the perfect director to take on the story. The cast is great. Based on the trailer, Weisz and McAdams share incredible, tender chemistry that drives the narrative. Weisz chooses unique and thoughtful projects -- please check out Complete Unknown when you can -- and I am happy that McAdams is getting more dramatic roles after her haunting turn in "True Detective". I am also always thrilled to see the criminally underrated Nivola -- Face/Off and Laurel Canyon could not be more different, just to name two of many examples. Disobedience looks like a film that will make you think, debate and, quite possibly, see more love in the world.