"LINOLEUM" // SXSW 2022

BY MATEO MORENO

In the opening shot of LINOLEUM, Cameron Edwin (Jim Gaffigan) sees a car fall out of the sky. No one seems to experience this but him and it sets up an intriguing memory piece that has shades of Charlie Kauffman sprinkled throughout. Jim is a children's TV host, teaching kids about the wonders of science. He was once an astronomy student at Cornell with exceptional promise. Now he's suck into a daily sadness, working for a network that  doesn't quite have the confidence that they once did and has sent his show to a very un-kids middle of the night hour. The network keeps promising that he's a shoe in for a primetime slot, he just needs to be patient. Meanwhile at home, Gaffigan's marriage to his wife Erin (Rhea Seehorn), who used to co-host the kids show with him, has fallen apart and their plans for a quiet divorce has not yet been sprung up on their teenage daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon). Even more stress comes from his father (Roger Hendricks Simon) who is in an elderly home suffering from dementia, barely able to even recognize his son.

Strangely, a man moves in on his block that looks like a better, younger version of him (he's also played by Gaffigan). His teenage son (Gabriel Rush) befriends Cameron's daughter Nora at school and begin to find comfort in each other, two misfit toys in a world that slowly makes less and less sense. Though a car falling out of the sky doesn't make the news, a satellite landing in Cameron's backyard does. So he decides to try and pull himself together by using the broken parts and build a Rocketship, so he can do "something fantastic," like he hoped to in his youth. Along with Cameron's journey, we also follow both Nora and Erin's journey of self-discovery and self-rediscovery, respectively, with just as delicate of a touch as Cameron's storyline is given.

Writer/Director Colin West has crafted a beautiful, strange and original film here. It's wonderfully crafted, with layers upon layers of magic. Both dramatic, funny and affirming, the cast are all dynamic. Gaffigan and Seehorn are both wonderful and Nacon and Rush bring a lovely bit of complexity that you aren't fully expecting to see. With the blend of science fiction, romance, dramatic longing and wonder, LINOLEUM is a fantastic, and emotional, surprise.

GRADE: A

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Colin West STARRING Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn, Katelyn Nacon, Gabriel Rush, Tony Shalhoub, Michael Ian Black FEATURED AS PART OF THE 2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: LINOLEUM

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD // A FILM REVIEW OF "TESLA"

BY MATEO MORENO

It's not unusual for important historical figures like Nikola Tesla to get a biopic made of them. Hollywood has churned out plenty of biopics throughout the years. Most, however, are pretty conventional, told the same way with the same beats. Writer/Director Michael Almereyda tells his film TESLA differently (much like he did with his previous film Experimenter). Sure, everyone is in period clothing and the world around them is decidedly the late 1800's. But there are flourishes that step out of time. The narrator, Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson), breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to us. She also speaks of google and computers, while Tesla (Ethan Hawke) goes from a practical set to a backdrop of one. Characters occasionally look at modern equipment, like iPhones, there's a modern soundtrack and there's even an out of time Karaoke moment. Such flurishes might make a film feel disjointed, but instead here it freshens it, giving it a character stamp of originality that few biopics have. In other words, this ain't your Grandpa's Tesla.

The film doesn't tell all of his life, rather it begins with his working relationship with Thomas Edison (a punchy and fun Kyle MacLachlan) and goes through his triumphs and failures, skipping around when it needs to. Because of the way it's shot, it also has a dreamlike quality, like you may be remembering him through another memory. We also see moments in Tesla's life that seem extraordinary, only to be then told by our narrator that it never happened, almost as if someone else is trying to take over the narrative and she's keeping us on track. Tesla, as he grows more and more popular, loses more and more of what makes us human. To be fair, he was pretty stiff to begin with. But things like relationships (such as the attraction Anne has for him) fail to actually register - he's too busy thinking, inventing in his own head, consumed by the future and how to bring it to the present.

It isn't just romantic relationships he has a problem with. He has a problem connecting with people in general, as well as an inability to manage his own money. His friendship with Edison soon turns to rivalry and he soon searches out others to help him attain his vision. He partners with George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan) and briefly with J.P. Morgan (who happens to also be Anne's father) but ends up burning through trust and money as fast as he earns it. Hawke's portrayal is buttoned up and stiff. He makes you feel how he is uncomfortable in his own skin, in the world around him. It's a delicately nuanced performance that works, especially when set against Kyle MacLachlan's bragadocious performance or Gaffigan's excitable and jovial turn. It's not a straight forward narrative, and you may need to (like Anne suggests early on) google some important information about the inventor and his colleagues. You may even find yourself wondering, "Why" when modern flourishes first start happening. But if you simply let yourself sink into the style, into the flow of Almereyda's vision, you'll find it flow onto you like a warm summer rain. It's quite enchanting as a whole, and as fragmented and creative as the man himself.

GRADE: B+

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Michael Almereyda STARRING Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Kyle MacLachlan, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Hamilton, Lucy Walters, Donnie Keshawarz. Now available on Digital Cinemas.

TICKET TO PARADISE // A FILM REVIEW OF "WALTER"

BY MATEO MORENO

Let's get this out of the way from the top: WALTER is a strange and odd film. The title character (played by Andrew J. West) is an odd duck. He works at a local movie theatre in Indiana tearing tickets and spends a good portion of the day staring at his crush Kendall (Levin Rambin) and taking flak from the smart ass, overcompensating coworker Vince (Milo Ventimiglia). His manager Corey (Jim Gaffigan) mostly looks past all of his idiosyncrasies and lets him just exist in his own strange world. He lives at home with his mother (an under used Virginia Madsen) and one day a Ghost named Greg in the form of Justin Kirk appears before him confessing that he's stuck in some sort of purgatory limbo and needs his help to head into the afterlife, heaven or hell he doesn't care. He just needs to move on. Oh, did I mention that Walter believes he's the son of God (no, not that one. He's another guy. With a beard) and decides the fate of every living person by judging them to Heaven or Hell? Like I said, this is a strange and odd film. Whimsical and bizarre. And that's exactly why I like it.

The problem with judging Greg to Heaven or Hell is that he's a Ghost and Walter can't read him like he can living people. Greg wants to move on before he has to witness his wife (Neve Campbell) remarrying and moving on with her life. This stresses out an already stressed out Walter so he begins to see a Psychiatrist (William H. Macy) who gives him pretty terrible advice and tells him that he's crazy. Hey, nobody said he was a good shrink (but he did win first place in a pie eating contest). The scenes between the two crackle and spark and Macy is hilarious in a loopy, eccentric way. Walter is also haunted by the memories and pain of his late father (Peter Facinelli) who brought the love of movies to his son. How this all weaves together is the central mystery of Walter's story, and his key to being able to move on.

Director Anna Mastro crafts very carefully the strange and weird world of Walter and lets you laugh at and with them, sympathizing for this strange cast of characters. At times it tries a bit too hard, but more often than not, its strange world intoxicated me. I could have used Walter to have a bit more of a character trait other than weird, but West does a good job bringing you into his world, and the supporting cast of Macy, Rambin, Ventimiglia, Gaffigan and especially a heartfelt and sweet performance by Kirk will keep you smiling until the end. The tender, sweet third act is definitely worth the trip. If you can swallow this original and strange concept (wearing its heart on its sleeve) and not overthink the journey, Walter will win you over.

MATEO'S GRADE: B+

Written by Paul Shoulberg Directed by Anna Mastro Starring Andrew J. West, Justin Kirk, Levin Rambin, Milo Ventimiglia, William H. Macy, Jim Gaffigan, Virginia Madsen, Peter Facinelli, Neve Campbell.

Now in select theatres and On Demand.

MATEO MORENO recently won a bet on who could hold their breath the longest underwater. He won the bet, having beat local loudmouth Jimmy "Thunderbird" Thomas with a record breaking "fourteen minutes." True, part of that time was him unconcious and the other part was him being revived, but he still counts it, and is now $20 richer. Take THAT Thunderbird! He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.