“A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks”
There is no shortage of strong documentaries produced by HBO currently, but “A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks” could be one of 2021’s most essential movies of any variety. A seminal figure of the Civil Rights Movement and the first African American to earn a staff position at Life Magazine, director John Maggio tells Parks’ story through the journalist’s own photography and the eye(s) of contemporaries he has inspired (including Ava Duvernay, Nelson George, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar) Cited as a father of the blaxploitation genre for helming “Shaft,” ‘A Choice of Weapons serves as a kind of historic career map, examining one man’s vision of American through his vast array of creative ideas and endeavors.
“Creation Stories”
Based on Creation Records co-founder Alan McGee’s autobiography, Britpop fans won’t want to miss “Creation Stories.” Ewen Bremner stars as the seminal music figure who helped define the 90s sound by discovering groups like “Oasis” and “My Bloody Valentine.” Following McGee’s beginnings in Glasgow to his days in LA, director Nick Moran — better known for his acting work (“Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels”) — crafts a flick full of agony and ecstasy. Penned by screenwriter Irvine Welsh (“Trainspotting”), executive produced by Danny Boyle, and featuring the talents of Suki Waterhouse and Jason Isaacs, most everything about this one should perk up the ear of music and movie lovers.
“False Positive”
Ilana Glazer. Justin Theroux. Pierce Brosnan. Gretchen Mol. That is one strange cast that sounds freaking awesome. Trading in their comedic chops for a stab at creepier genre territory, “Broad City”s hilarious co-star (Glazer) co-wrote the upcoming fertility thriller, “False Positive,” with her longtime collaborator John Lee (doing double duty as director). Following Adrian and Lucy (Theroux/Glazer), a couple who have been struggling to start a family, hope suddenly rears its head upon meeting reproduction expert Dr. Hindle (Brosnan). But things soon grow sinister when Lucy starts suspecting there might be something else behind his smile. Also wary of Hindle’s loyal nurse (Mol), Lucy and Adrian question what kind of predicament they have gotten themselves into.
“Italian Studies”
Any performance vehicle for Vanessa Kirby is a flick we’re interested in. “Italian Studies” finds the recent Oscar nominee starring as a woman who has lost her memory, aimlessly wandering New York to rediscover herself. Experimenting with form through Kirby’s character’s dream-like state, director Adam Leon (“Gimme The Loot,” “Tramps”) constructs a city-wide journey of self-understanding and identity. Kirby’s character being strangely drawn to a mysterious teenager, “Italian Studies” is an unconventional mystery that knows easy answers don’t really answer at all. Driven by energy and atmosphere, Leon’s movie is a lucid snapshot of times when public encounters weren’t a thing of the past; Kirby sure to touch our hearts with a performance reminding audiences of simpler, pre-pandemic days.
“The Justice of Bunny King”
Essie Davis (“The Babadook”) and Thomasin McKenzie (“Leave No Trace”) are both extremely talented performers on the rise. Reuniting after powerful turns in the grisly “True History of the Kelly Gang,” Davis and McKenzie star in Gaysorn Thavat’s debut film, “The Justice of Bunny King.” Davis has the titular role of Bunny, a single mom washing car windows in order to regain custody of her kids, who have been placed in foster care. When expectations of reuniting with them come crashing down, Bunny is the only person willing to stand up for herself, her future, and her family. Finding greater purpose in the aspirations of her niece Tonya (McKenzie), together, the two women face the harsh trials of a world stacked against them.
