Movies with Michael: New movies flying under the radar
Lift Movie Expert Michael Gendron recommends some of his newer favorites that have flown under the radar.
Omen (Pan-Européenne}
First up we have the debut feature from Belgian-Congolese, rapper turned filmmaker Baloji, “Omen”. A man who grew up in Europe returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo with his fiancé, but his family still believes he’s been touched by the devil. Despite that plot, this has nothing to do with the famous horror franchise or really the horror genre in general. It’s a mystical and emotionally charged look at family, belief and belonging. Marc Zinga, Yves-Marina Gnahoua, and Eliane Umuhire all get to some really raw places in their performances and Baloji has the eye to elevate those feelings further with his surreal flourishes. It also stuffs a lot of incredible imagery in its brief 90 minute runtime. “Omen” can be rented on most digital platforms, bought on Bluray, and if you got that MUBI free-trial to watch “The Substance”, “Omen” is streaming there too.
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (MUBI)
As is our next film, Radu Jude’s “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World”. A part time Uber-driver and gig worker drives around the Romanian capital of Bucharest for a safety film production getting audition tapes of workers hurt in accidents. Meanwhile, she also role plays as a misogynist influencer on social media. “Do Not Expect Too Much” flows between Romanian, English, German, and much more as it delights and depresses in its social commentary. Its also stuffed with film references, even often cutting back to excerpts of the 80s film “Angela Goes On”. This one also has a final long take that will take you through the ringer in the best ways. As previously stated, this one can be streamed on MUBI or rented on most digital platforms.
MadS (Shudder)
I can’t help myself, I always have to get a little horror in. “MadS” is French outbreak horror that takes place entirely over one night and was shot in only one take, no cuts at all. A young man picks up from his dealer and starts to have a bad trip as as people start to go crazy and the government violently quarantines the city. A gorgeous panic-attack of a film that’s not too explicitly gruesome, but does more than enough to keep you on edge and whose gimmick never gets stale. “MadS” can be rented on most digital platforms and streamed on Shudder.
A Complete Unknown (Searchlight Pictures)
Well I know I said I just wanted to talk about films that were flying under the radar, but I have to talk about the new Bob Dylan movie, “A Complete Unknown”. “A Complete Unknown” tells a somewhat fictionalized version of the first few years of Dylan’s career as he transforms from the folky voice of a generation to a polarizing superstar with an electric guitar. As a big Dylan-head, the deliberate mixing of fact and fiction works better for me here than it does many musical biopics because Dylan himself has been doing that since the beginning. Timothee Chalamet does a great job simply portraying him as a young guy who wants to do his own thing, but has a world of expectations thrust upon him and Edward Norton almost steals the movie as folk-icon Pete Seeger. All the actors do their own singing and they do it well. Also, while we never visit Minnesota, there are fun references to where he came from. After the movie, if you want to dig deeper into this time of Dylan’s life, Martin Scorsese’s documentary “No Direction Home” is a great place to start. “A Complete Unknown” is still playing in theaters.