Rent Free
Fernando Andrés
2024, 93 mins.
So many rooms blind to the view
Here’s a best-bud film with a wee bit of a narrative twist. Rather than being the more typical road movie (where the cross-country journey reveals as much scenery as personal revelations), this iteration traverses rent-free lodgings while the down-on-their-cash protagonists rely on the generosity of friends and family to let them crash while saving up enough cash for the eventual goal of returning to the Big Apple and living in style rather than jumping subway turnstiles.
Meet Ben (Jacob Roberts’ starring début convincingly carries the production, readily embracing his lavender persona). He’s a man with a plan (if only he could truly figure it out) for the future and not afraid to turn tricks and deliver eats to feather his ambitious nest. Perpetually at his side (well, almost always) is Jordan (the model of manly fur and “should I, shouldn’t I?”) is readily portrayed by David Treviño, also taking his first turn before the lens.
The engaging script from Andrés and Tyler Rugh is a well-balanced set of scenes where the “homeless” men find themselves in all sorts of situations (from party hearty, to a somewhat awkward family reunion, to an unexpected get together with an English professor that has no option but to stain the rug) that many viewers will enjoy on the face of them. Nonetheless, the real story has nothing to do with temporary housing but attempts to set the stage for the obvious-but-for-those-who-are-living-it unmasking of the forever bond that keeps this pair of inseparable pals (withstanding breakups, arguments and sudden flirtations) joined at the proverbial hip.
Clearly a sequel is order once the “you pay for it lunch” has been digested.
One grumble: using a theme from Dvořák’s New World symphony throughout the production at key moments, makes a musical point but ought to have been credited and left in its original form (there are dozens of public domain versions available) rather than tarted up. JWR
Black Bag
Steven Soderbergh
2025, 93 mins.
No honour amongst thieves
John le Carré fans don’t have to worry. Here’s a familiar narrative: A covey of the UK’s top spies are faced with the unenviable task (except for the writers) of ferreting out a snitch within their number ASAP or the world as we know it might collapse.
Fortunately, there’s an all-star cast to discover the truth (or cover theirs and get away with it as the case may be). Michael Fassbender stoically leads the way as George Woodhouse (er, close but no cigar to George Smiley) who is equally at home angling away at work or at his well-appointed cottage on the lake. Wife (and co-worker, in a somewhat unlikely way to feed to the plot) Kathryn, is done up with alluring charm but not much of a convincing love spark by Cate Blanchett (most recently seen in these pages as a nun, cross-reference below). Trying to rule his integrity-collapsing roost is none other than Pierce Brosnan (no stranger to the art of spying himself) portraying he who is supposed to be obeyed Arthur Stieglitz.
Mostly, it’s fun to watch as the various layers of the story’s onion (written by David Koepp) are peeled away, but for those of us well-heeled in the genre, the resolution can be figured out long before the last blank is fired.
For the rest, it should be a fun a ride with the welcome bonus of a percussion-infused original score from David Holmes and Soderbergh’s spot-on cinematography and editing skills. JWR
Midnight in Phoenix
Anthony Brawn
2025, 77 mins.
Why is life such a drag?
Sadly, ironically watching this on the 5th anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a cop, this virtual two-hander (Dueal Andrews as the most convincing drag queen, Jax Diamonds—a girl’s best friend? and Richardson Pierre as IT nerd by day, hopelessly smitten with queer performers after hours, Erza) fails to find the narrative royal jelly to truly engage, much less grab continuous interest from a holdup gone sour to court case in search of a gavel.
Perhaps the sequel will sort things out to the satisfaction of more viewers.
Nuff said. JWR