Wildcat
Trevor Frost, Melissa Lesh
2025, 146 mins.
When Harry met Sammy
Set in the Peruvian Amazon, here’s a film that, on the outside, appears to be about providing a safe haven for at-risk wild animals, yet much deeper down has more to do about escaping the calamities, terrors and dangers in the rest of the planet that follows far different laws of the jungle.
Doing hugely extensive field work for her related PhD studies, Samantha Zwicker, one of the directors at Hoja Nueva (new leaf) works tirelessly at the wild animal sanctuary, slipping back to Seattle as required for her university’s “paperwork”. Yet, as much as she loves her work and the spectacular beauty around her, it’s the memory of her alcoholic, at times abusive parent that fuels her ardent desire to live in peace while serving others.
Having survived the ravages of the Afghanistan war wearing a British uniform, Harry Turner desperately wants “to do something” far away from death and destruction. Self-harm and bouts of severe depression haunt the former soldier who has, first-hand, experienced mankind at its worst.
Magically, beautifully, lovingly it falls to a pair of baby ocelots that give the sudden adult couple reasons to exist and make a positive difference as they share one another while nurturing the tiny predators into mature hunters ready to leave the nest and live in their natural habitat.
Khan and Keanu are most certainly camera-friendly cats, and while they steal every scene they’re in, it’s the real-life honesty—also unabashedly on camera—that moves this production up several notches from just interesting, “Well I didn’t know that” into the realm of personal truth, “OMG, I had no idea” or “Oh, yes, I’ve been there too” that makes this documentary a must-see on anyone’s film-to-watch list.
Adding icing to the cake of this well-crafted tale of at-risk creatures and life warriors is Patrick Jonsson’s discreet and always complementary original score, especially the cello interventions. JWR
Hustle
Theresa Godly
2022, 117 mins.
Never back down
Here’s a breath of oh-so-predictable, star-laden fresh air script (Taylor Materne and Will Fetters) idealistically exploring the world of recruitment, tryouts and signing to an NBA team.
At the centre court of it all is Adam Sandler playing a talented scout, Stanley Sugerman (once a late-night accident ended his major league ambitions), with an eye for talent even if his uppers can’t always see the forest for the towering trees. It’s a somewhat different role for the famed comedian who, nonetheless, slips in a few fast-moving yuks even as it’s the drama that leads the way from Spain to Philadelphia. On his home front is wife Teresa (Queen Latifah tries her best but there’s no real chemistry between the pair). Daughter Alex (Jordan Hull) fares better, especially as her enthusiasm for making movies instead of three-pointers deftly sets up a scene-from-a-mile-away plot point.
Gamely stepping into the ring (via a Spanish pick-up hustle game) is Bo Cruz—Juan Alberto "Juancho" Hernangómez Geuer, a professional player currently draining hoops in the Greek Basketball league. His metamorphosis from angry young man (with a record to prove it) to NBA star is entirely believable.
Never mind about the narrative, the film’s best moments are on the court—be it asphalt or hardwood—as the superb cinematography (Zak Mulligan) and frame-smart editing (Tom Costain, Keiko Deguchi and Brian Robinson) will delight hoop devotees and newcomers alike.
It’s well worth a dribble, but perhaps a famous one liner might now say: “Welcome to Hustle, the film where everything is made up and the points do matter!” JWR