2021 Sleepers

                                                     Part 4

        Here is the fourth and last handful of films from last year that disappeared unmourned and which I thought were pretty good.

    Passing is about a light-skinned black woman who did exactly that- pass. She has made it into the white world, including a beneficial marriage, when she encounters an old friend who is decidedly black. The effects of this reversal on each of the friends is eye-opening. Ruth Negga plays the passer and Tessa Thompson plays her friend. 

The wretched Bakkers- Jim and Tammy Faye- have had their share of trouble. In the 60's they became internationally famous preachers with mega congregations and donations to match. The flimsy walls came tumbling down. Jail for him, unending comic portrayals of her. The Eyes Of Tammy Faye uses as a title the trademark makeup mishap of Mrs. Bakker to tell her side of the story. Jessica Chastain is excellent as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield plays Jim to a tee. The film portrays her as a clueless blonde caught up in a tsunami of trouble. Not sure you’ll believe in her innocence, but it’s a good movie. 

Would you like to retire to a place where no children are allowed, where everyone is well-off and about your age and everything is furnished for your enjoyment? Then pack your bags for The Villages in central Florida, a “Disney World for Retirees”. Some Kind of Heaven is Lawrence Oppenheim’s unflinching documentary about four different people who live there. All is not sunshine and oranges, but see for yourself. 

What to make of India? We read of the rape and murder of women going unpunished and yet they had a female prime minister. Writing With Fire is a fascinating documentary about a small corner of that huge country- Khabar Lahariya is the only news agency in India run entirely by lower caste women. Their dogged determination to get at the truth and get it out is a stunning portrayal of journalism at its best. 

Nightmare Alley features Bradley Cooper as a grifter who begins at a decidedly lower rung carnival and with his native cunning works his way up to be a headlining psychic. He stuns rapt audiences with his ability to tell things about them though they are strangers. Rooney Mara is his helper and stooge and Cate Blanchett is the psychiatrist determined to expose him. It’s quite a ride!

All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are for adults.