THE RINGING BELL
Judah (Brandon Cole) can’t tell what’s real or not as he has a condition of dreaming while wide awake. This doesn’t go well when it comes to understanding and accepting the loss of a significant girl in his life. Writer and director Casey T. Malone uses an impressive style to try and get this across to the viewer, but it’s more confusing than compelling. Another part of the story is Judah’s cousin Brona (Anieya Walker) joined by her gal pal Orva (Joelyn Dormady), luring him into finding a box owned by their missing Uncle Airmid that will make them rich. Yet, what they encounter inside that box is knowledge they aren’t suppose to have. Let’s just leave it at that. With no convincing performances and a failed attempt at a revelation of what this world means – at least there are stellar visuals that add to the arresting atmosphere of this obscure fantasy thriller. The problem is it’s just not that thrilling. Malone’s ambition and skills are there, but ultimately are wasted on a narrative that never finds its way.
DIRTY GOD
Vicky Knight gives a sensational, spirited performance in her feature film debut as a mother who is lost in the world after an atrocious acid attack leaves her scarred for life. She so badly wants to get a surgery that can make them disappear, which is her way to erase the past and look and feel the way she use to. With sensitivity and grace, director and co-writer Sacha Polak depicts a self-journey involving the constant pressures of what beauty is while your body serves as a painful reminder of something you wish you could forget. The film works best when staying realistic and poignant in the way it expresses how a person wants to feel wanted and how reckless one can be in obtaining it.
JUMBO
Jeanne is a bashful young woman who works at an amusement park, and falls head over heels for its newest bright light draw in a spaced-out romantic fairy tale. Objectum Sexuality isn’t a made-up thing, and writer-director Zoé Wittock takes viewers for a ride that is quirky and inventive, yet not deeply felt. Now, Noémie Merlant is excellent in her portrayal as Jeanne. She approaches her attraction to…well…an attraction with emotional depth and conviction. Emmanuelle Bercot is great as Jeanne’s mother who is the polar opposite of her daughter. But what they share is their search for love and go about in very different ways.
The relationship between these two is supposed to matter more than the one Jeanne has with her toothsome Tilt-A-Whirl, but that’s impossible to achieve. In her feature film debut, Wittock has big aspirations, and through unusual circumstances, wants to send a sweet message of how love is love and to hell with what society thinks. At the same time, there’s a dose of discernment that’s missing for which prevents us from feeling fully engaged in the weirdness of what we’re watching.
MORE CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL 2020 COVERAGE
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Brandon Vick: Recap, Part 1
Brandon Vick: Recap, Part 2
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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