Reviews

Mythologies about the afterlife can get somewhat confusing. Some simply believe that you die and you either go "up" or "down," to heaven or to hell. Still others believe there is a sort of waiting room, a purgatory, or a place where you just take a number and wait your turn (like in Beetlejuice). I recommend the hilarious "Defending Your Life," an Albert Brooks film that explores the process in Judgment City whereby ones' future placement is determined.

In China, Nieh-ching-t'ai is a place in the Underworld where souls must review their lives before a mirror until the Yama King makes his judgment. And that is precisely the context for this film, which at its open finds the famous actor Qiu Fu (Yi Sicheng) entering the Underworld. He is greeted by two demons, Oxhead and Horseface aka Oxey and Horsey from Fengdu, the capital of Hell. They will be accompanying him on his journey through the Nieh-ching-t'ai.

Beginning in 1920, when Qui was just a child starting his training with the New-New Theatrical Troupe, the film takes us through Qui's life and experience in a series of tableaus depicting the characters and experiences of the day. The movie reminded me of a Wes Anderson film in style. Along the way 20th century Chinese history is explored, along with some commentary on that history.

My Wes Anderson comment is as much about the humor as it is the visual style. Comedy abounds in A New Old Play. The film is beautifully composed and cinematographically gorgeous. This is a masterpiece of Chinese independent cinema that may make its way onto some critics must see lists in years to come. The director Qiu Jiongjiong, who found inspiration from his own grandfather who was an actor like the Qui in the film, said, "I have rejected any tedious speculation, or supercilious detachment, in favor of lively, unabashed good humor and fun. . . The Dionysian spirit, the vital force, the clown in each of us. . . Hovering between reality and fantasy." It was a pleasure watching all 180 minutes of A New Old Play, released by Kani, and available at Vinegar Syndrome.

Remember all those teen movies about how much fun it is to be a teenager? Porky's, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, all those American Pie movies and movies that spend an inordinate amount of time at the beach, to name a few. These are typical teenage movies. The Edge of Seventeen is not a typical teenage movie, and that is what makes it so great. Oh, there have been other great non-typical teenage films of late, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but somehow Seventeen stands alone.

Perhaps it is the intense and thoroughly committed performance of Hailee Steinfeld who started her film career under the tutelage of the Cohn Brothers in their remake of True Grit (oh yeah, and was nominated for an Oscar at the age of 14, although principle filming occurred while she was 13). Hailee so captures the angst of Nadine, whose name alone sets her apart, (Nadine was the most common name given to baby girls in 1958); that one cannot help but ache for her. Nadine carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and believes herself to be unlike any of the other kids who text each other about the tacos they're eating, and communicate in emojis.

She plays well alongside her favorite teacher, portrayed cheekily by Woody Harrelson who provides some of the best laughs in the film, as one might expect. Also of note, I think, is the quirky, lovable and downright cute performance of Hayden Szeto as Erwin. Erwin sits next to Nadine in class stumbling and bumbling his way through awkward repartee in the hopes of some sort of hook-up. But nothing is typical here, and the course that said repartee takes leads us into uncharted teen territory. It might also be interesting to note that the name Erwin was the most common baby name in 1918, which makes this Erwin an old soul, to be sure.

Kelly Fremon Craig has written a real gem here, and his first directing effort will earn him much critical acclaim, to be sure. The thing he does masterfully is take us inside the character of Nadine by giving us so many moments alone with her; moments when we experience in her stillness, in her eyes, and in her facial discipline as an actress the absolute bankruptcy of her isolation. None of us would want to be seventeen again, or ever; at least not her seventeen.

I am grateful to the studio, and to the Marcus Corporation for giving some of us movie lovers an opportunity to pre-screen this film that will be released on November 18th. I suppose they hope we will say good things about it and get others to go see the film. Well, go see the film. You will laugh, and you will need a few tissues, but you will not regret having spent a few hours walking in Nadine's shoes. Perhaps there is a little Nadine in all of us after all.