Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Dascha Polanco, from left, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Stephanie Beatriz in a scene from "In the Heights." (Macall Polay/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP)
“In the Heights,” now playing in theatres, is a joyful movie based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony award-winning musical, that will make you feel better by the end of the movie than you did when it began. Energetic, exultant and empathetic, it feels like a long weekend away from real life.
A series of connected stories, “In the Heights” transcends its Broadway-bound beginnings with a production cut loose from the confines of the stage. Shot on the streets of Washington Heights, New York, the story of a bodega, gentrification, a winning lottery ticket, love, community and the dreams of its characters is lovingly painted in big, bright colours by director John M. Chu.
The spider-web of a story weaves in and out of its character’s lives, centering around bodega owner Usnavi, played by the charismatic Anthony Ramos. Like almost everyone in the film Usnavi has a dream of a life beyond his neighbourhood, and, in a sentiment borrowed from another famous musical, soon, most everyone discovers there’s no place like home.
"In the Heights" is a story of the immigrant experience that touches on the DREAM Act and fear of deportation, but is more concerned with its characters and their day dreams of creating better lives for themselves. It’s a story of resilience, of hope and it’s a tonic during these pandemic times when it seems the media, both social and mainstream, are incapable of delivering anything but unsettling news.
In an eager cast, Olga Merediz, who reprises her Broadway role as the neighbourhood’s grandmother Abuela Claudia, and Melissa Barrera as Usnavi’s love interest Vanessa, are standouts.
The sheer spectacle of it all, however, may be the real star. Chu’s camera is in constant motion, capturing the many ensemble dance numbers that accompany the soundtrack’s hip-hop, salsa, merengue, soul and R&B, in an eye-popping manner. The Busby Berkeley-style “96,000” number, shot at a public swimming pool is a total throwback to Hollywood’s Golden Age, as is a terrifically staged gravity-defying dance on the side of a building.
It doesn’t all work, however. A framing device that sees Usnavi tell his story to a group of kids is clunky and the opening number, "In the Heights," an almost eight-minute set-up to the story, is stylish but overstays its welcome.
Still, those are small issues in an invigorating crowd pleaser that offers heart and uplift in almost every frame.
Kate Nash is seen in the film "Kate Nash: Underestimate The Girl." (SPAN Productions)
In just a few months Kate Nash went from working the chip frier at Nandos to the top of the charts. A new documentary, “Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl,” now on VOD, is a portrait of an artist’s rise, fall and rebirth.
Kate Nash’s story begins in a in very modern, twenty-first century way, through social media. “She got signed because she had the most of followers on MySpace,” says an insider in the film.
Barely out of her teens and working in a fast-food joint, she began her journey into the heart of the music industry’s darkness when she broke her foot. At loose ends and bored, her parents bought her a guitar. Soon she was writing songs and after the foot mended, she played open mics and uploaded to MySpace. Her catchy, angsty anthems resonated with audiences and the record labels took note. Signed to a deal, she won awards and played to large crowds.
“In the U.K. we have a real thirst and hunger for new sensations. The curve is so quick that you can be discovered and be the next be the next most exciting thing and the next morning almost discarded.”
What isn’t so modern about her story is the misogyny that plagued her career from the get go. “Underestimate the Girl” is a familiar tale of a musician pushing against the conventions of record company expectations and paying a steep price for independence.
“Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl” isn’t as straightforward as you might think. The early story trajectory would suggest an upbeat, slight look at someone picking themselves up and brushing off. But that’s not what this movie is about. It begins with a rush of energy, part doc, part music video and slowly finds its feet as a deeper portrait of a creative life. Real life twists colour the story, shifting it away from the usual comeback reality show to something grittier.
“I don’t know how to be a real person,” she says. “How to make money outside of being on tour or making a record.”
For Nash’s fans, the film’s final moments are a testament to her talent.
Throughout it all Nash’s charisma, resiliency and optimism keeps her and the movie afloat. You root for her.
“Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl” is a real-life cautionary tale, complete with bad guys, but it is also a lesson in learning to roll with life’s punches.
“It’s amazing how quickly life can get really different,” she says, isn’t it?”
Saul Williams and Donisha Rita Claire Prendergast are seen in the film "Akilla's Escape." (Canesugar Filmworks)
In director Charles Officer’s crime-noir “Akilla’s Escape,” now on digital & VOD, a drug robbery goes sideways, opening the door for the title character’s reckoning of his past, and the future of the young man who held a shotgun to his head.
Drug dealer Akilla (Saul Williams, who also composed the film’s score with Robert 3D Del Naja) wants out. Marijuana is about to become legal in Canada, but his days as a violent, mid-level drug runner are over.
Almost.
His ‘retirement” is postponed when he walks in on the robbery of one of his boss’s operations. As shotgun and machete wielding gang members invade the place, Akilla locks eyes with Sheppard (Thamela Mpumlwana), the youngest of the thieves. As things turns violent, Akilla subdues the teenaged Sheppard, knocking him unconscious.
Instead of seeking revenge in the name of his employer, Akilla forms a bond with the young man, recognizing in Sheppard parallels to his own life and the trauma that put them both on the path to a life of violence.
“Akilla’s Escape” is a stylish crime story laced with social commentary. What it lacks in pulse-racing action scenes, it makes up for with tense, tightly wound performances, illustrations of toxic masculinity and a nicely rendered story that jumps back and forth in time.
Taking on a double role, Mpumlwana plays both Sheppard and, in flashbacks, young Akilla. It’s a clever casting trick, but it works to skillfully reveal the similarities in their lives. The two characters may have been led down a similar path, but Mpumlwana’s work ensures the characters are distinct and interesting throughout.
The core of the movie is the rock-solid performance from Williams. World-weary and contemplative, he’s part criminal, part social worker and is the film’s heart and soul.
“Akilla’s Escape” is a study of how generational trauma and poverty shapes lives. It errs on the side of exposition in several scenes, but the power of the story lies in what isn’t said as much as what is. The film is at its best when Williams and Mpumlwana are showing, not telling. In those moments “Akilla’s Escape” is powerful, mature and impactful.
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
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