Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea

"Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea" is a documentary made by American comedian Chelsea Handler.

While known for her comedy, this documentary features Handler tackling the uncomfortable topic of white privilege.

Throughout the film, Handler continues to educate herself on the matter. She consults historians, leaders in the Black Rights Matter movement, voting rights advocates, as well as those who are consistently working for change.

At one point in the documentary, Chelsea visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama; the memorial is known for depicting those lost in lynchings and hate crimes in America after the civil war.

image source: https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/memorial

In this film, Handler consults audiences of all kinds: audiences of people of color, and audiences of white people. She gets answers and perspectives from those on the entire spectrum of the issue, from those who believe it exist and are fighting to stop it, as well as those who don't believe it exists and don't know what she's talking about.

This movie made me think of the TV series "United Shades of America" by W. Kamau Bell; it too show-tackles many issues in the United States, including racial disparity and white privilege. To my surprise, Bell makes an appearance in this film.

image source: https://www.cnn.com/shows/united-shades-of-america

Watching this documentary also made me think of a book I read recently, "A Sin by Any Other Name" by Reverend Robert W. Lee, a descendant of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. He is outspoken on racial matters, on the opposite side of his ancestor. In his book, Lee refers to racism as a sin. His book is a call to action to bring about racial healing, especially from those of us that are white and Christian.

https://www.amazon.com/Sin-Any-Other-Name-Reckoning-ebook/dp/B07D6C7WZ2

The topic of white privilege is an uncomfortable one; yet change will not come in this country until we have these hard conversations. I applaud Chelsea Handler for having the conversation, and for encouraging further discussion.

Now streaming on Netflix, I encourage every American to watch this film. 4 stars.

Wreckers

Wreckers stars two of Britain's best actors, Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, known for her role of the Queen of England on "the Crown."

The movie begins with Benedict and Claire as a married couple, Dawn and David, living in a remote English village in a "fixer upper" home on the outskirts of town.

One day, the couple has a visitor-Nick, David's brother. He has spent some time in the Army and is home for a visit.

In the middle of the night, Nick has a nightmare. Turns out that Nick has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and night terrors. It quickly becomes evident that this will be anything but a routine visit.

The movie is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. I found the movie to be quite depressing. Neither Cumberbatch nor Foy could save the movie. The character's lives are a wreck, which matches the dilapidated home they live in.

At the end of the movie, I felt like I'd wasted 2 hours of my life. It's dark and depressing, and heavy. In this instance, this movie is a benchmark for viewers to feel, "Well, at least my life isn't THAT bad."

Now streaming on Amazon Prime, Acorn, Vudu, iTunes, 2 stars.

Silent

"Silent" is an animated film put out by the Moonbot Studios.

I first encountered the Moonbot Studios with their enchanting film, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore."

"Silent" features Morris Lessmore and new character, a young girl that loves the movies.

The film begins with Morris Lessmore working a moving picture machine, and the young girl creating the music for their simple film. One thing leads to another, and the movie machine goes kaput. What will they do now?

In the midst of a sudden downpour, the two run for cover, seeking shelter under an overhang of a movie theater. The little girl notices a sliver of light coming out from under the door. Should she go in? What magical adventure awaits them?

The movie is only 2 minutes long, but is an enchanting look at movies and the music that fill them. The two art forms work hand in hand to create art.

This film is a love letter to the art of film, movies, the cinema, art, and creation. Now streaming on Netflix, 5 stars.

https://www.netflix.com/title/70304298

https://moonbotstudios.com/work/silent/

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore"

Falling Inn Love

"Falling Inn Love" is a formulaic romantic comedy now streaming on Netflix. 

The movie follows a popular rom/com formula:

1.) The female lead character is currently dating a male character who she will be breaking up with in short order

2.) The job she's currently working in won't be her job in short order

3.) The town she currently lives in won't be her home in short order

4.) The woman meets a new love interest, and finds him over and over again in her new town. How do they keep running into each other?

5.) The job of her dreams finally comes to fruition. Does she take the job she's always wanted, or give everything up for the man she just met that is now the love of her life?

The plot of this film is simple: the female lead enters a "Win an Inn" contest, and wins a quaint little inn in New Zealand. She moves from San Francisco to New Zealand and promptly finds that she's won a run down in, a complete money pit.  Who can help her repair the inn? How about the handsome Kiwi she continually runs into? (Kiwi= slang for a person from New Zealand-similar to "Aussie" to refer to a person from Australia)

Now streaming on Netflix, 2 stars.