Dances with Films: The Historian

I’ve had the pleasure of screening a few selections from this year’s Dances with Films, a film festival in Los Angeles currently in its 17th year.

The Historian
Directed by Miles Doleac
Screening June 5 at 9:30pm

Some people have more than one passion. When one person indulges more than one interest at the same time, interesting things can result. Fashion designer Tom Ford, for example, directed “A Single Man,” crafting a gorgeous and remarkably compelling film, both technically and creatively. Miles Doleas, a trained historian from Mississippi, steps behind the camera to write and direct his first feature, portraying a history professor at the start of his career beginning a promising new job and trying to maintain balance in his life, all the while knowing that human nature and historical tendencies are inevitable.

Doleac, whose film acting credits are few, stars as Ben Rhodes, who arrives at a prestigious university as a visiting professor. He immediately meets two notable members of his department, both with extraordinarily different demeanors. Val Hadley (William Sadler) is the seasoned and respected professor with a penchant for being strict and unforgiving, and Anna Densmore (Jillian Taylor) is the perky grad student who just happens to be Rhodes’ neighbor. Trying to impress the surly Hadley and not to fall for the overenthusiastic Anna proves challenging, and Rhodes also finds himself struggling to come to terms with the primary motivator of his institution: money.

There are layers of meaning to all that occurs over the course of two cinematic hours in “The Historian,” and parallels between what is going on in Rhodes’ personal and professional lives and what he is teaching his students. Some of it is more literal than others, like when Hadley demonstrates on a curious student what crucifixion was really like. Ultimately, it’s a bizarre product, one which is truly interesting but also includes some odd inconsistencies, mainly in how its history-oriented students speak like hipsters.

Sadler, who has been working for decades, has just the right disposition to play the steely Hadley, one who has long since abandoned the notion of caring what others think of him, at least publicly. Taylor brings a spirit of excitement to her character, who is often all over the place, and John Collum and Leticia Jimenez help to anchor the film as Hadley’s ailing father and Rhodes’ most honest colleague, respectively. Doleac’s performance is certainly enthusiastic, full of emotion and energy, a possible reflection of his real-life love for the work. Though it’s difficult to come to a clear conclusion on the overall effectiveness of its film, it’s definitely an interesting and thought-provoking dissertation.

B

Dances with Films: Missing Child

I’ve had the pleasure of screening a few selections from this year’s Dances with Films, a film festival in Los Angeles currently in its 17th year.

Missing Child
Directed by Luke Sabis
Screening June 5 at 2:45pm

A title like this doesn’t leave too much to the imagination in one sense, and in another presents an endless set of miserable possibilities. It’s easy to guess what “Missing Child” is about, though this child abduction story focuses on the adult portion of the life of its protagonist, Gia (Kristen Ruhlin), as she struggles to contend with her lifelong obsession with finding her real parents from the few memories she has of being taken as a young girl. Her older boyfriend, Joe (Luke Sabis), tracks down a potential father candidate, Henry (Charles Gorgano), but, as the uneasy starting tone of the film indicates, there are far grimmer and more sinister things in store for the generally likeable Gia. In addition to starring and co-writing the script, Sabis makes his directorial debut with this initially intriguing but ultimately excessively disturbing story. Following a young woman’s search for answers about her past is an appealing concept, despite the dark nature of her history, but the film answers its questions in a fashion which is anything but reassuring or pleasant. Ruhlin does possess some talent and is capable of anchoring the film by portraying her character as someone both easy to read on a surface level and near impossible to decipher in more contemplative moments. Otherwise, this bleak drama-thriller isn’t too enticing.

C

Dances with Films: Gasp

I’ve had the pleasure of screening a few selections from this year’s Dances with Films, a film festival in Los Angeles currently in its 17th year.

Gasp
Directed by Annika Kurnick
Screening June 2 at 7:15pm

Some films are all about a feeling. It’s the mood that permeates the entirety of its run and helps to define its characters and where they are in life. It’s hard to match the sense of detached relaxation present in “Gasp,” the directorial debut of filmmaker Annika Kurnick. Molly (Elsa Carette) is the new face at the annual tradition of closing down the legendary Elijah’s seasonal island home. As she meets all of his friends, she begins to understand the loose and fluid nature with which they live their lives, treating their relationships as intertwined and gaining pleasure and satisfaction from challenging themselves to surprise each other just for the sake of surprising each other. The standouts among the guests are certainly Wyatt (Charlie Wilson), who is famous for his drinks and his speeches, and Hannah (Angela Gulner), who effortlessly seduces those around her with her passion and energy. There are moments in “Gasp” where it feels as if reality has completely dissipated and that this is all that exists, and it’s a wondrous and completely intoxicating sensation. The conversations are fascinating and captivating, and these characters have much to offer. By its end, however, it isn’t all that much clearer what motivates them and the film doesn’t have a true conclusion to which it builds. The ride, however, is quite a journey, and a contemplative and positively unusual one.

B