Movie Mentions: The Many Saints of Newark, Fabian: Going to the Dogs & Shiva Baby
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Directed by Alan Taylor
While I enjoyed veteran TV director Alan Taylor’s Sopranos prequel more than I expected to, I found myself continually asking, “Is this necessary?” And unfortunately the response was time and again, “Probably not.” As mob movies go, The Many Saints of Newark works reasonably well, but it suffers from an incessant need to cram as many characters from the long-running HBO series into its 120-minute runtime as possible, creating a mishmash of storylines that never quite fuse into a cohesive, memorable narrative. Sure it’s fun seeing the old gang in their younger days (including Michael Gandolfini as young Tony) as they live out some of the pivotal moments from the show’s mythology, but I would argue that doing so detracts from the power of the story as already written? Further, while fans may enjoy the many easter eggs, those unfamiliar with the series may find themselves lost, or worse, bored. However, The Many Saints of Newark is not without its charms. Much of the casting is spot-on and well-acted, and the generational conflicts at work mirror the ones present as early as the first episode of the TV series. For this alone, The Many Saints of Newark is worth a look if period mafia films are your thing.
Fabian: Going to the Dogs (2021)
Directed by Dominik Graf
There’s a compelling narrative buried somewhere in Dominik Graf’s Fabian: Going to the Dogs, but I’m not sure when in its nearly 3-hour runtime it appears. Based on Erich Kästner’s 1931 novel about a young author in the years before the Nazi Party completely took over Germany, Fabian too often sacrifices story for a misguided sense of artistry, resulting in a rather rambling and aimless final product. Most of Graf’s scenes are protracted to the point of losing any coherent meaning or power. This loose and airy approach betrays the brooding tension Graf has otherwise built up, causing complete memory loss of where and when the film takes place. I admire what Graf attempts with Fabian (especially considering his wonderful cast, notably its leads Tom Schilling and Saskia Rosendahl) and I like the film’s depressing ending, but even when anything of weight or consequence finally does happen, I can’t remember why it’s supposed to be important.
Shiva Baby (2021)
Directed by Emma Seligman
What struck me first about Emma Seligman’s debut feature Shiva Baby was its near overwhelming and compounding sense of anxiety and claustrophobia – that and it’s well-timed nervous humor. Anxious comedy isn’t easy to pull off, but Seligman – along with Rachel Sennott, her magnetic lead – all but knocks it out of the park her first time at bat. Clearly drawing on some introspective and hard-earned social and familial embarrassments, Seligman lays bare the trials and tribulations of a young, broke bi-sexual Jewish girl with the kind of uncomfortable tension not usually found outside of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Taking place almost entirely within the confines of a cramped household observing shiva, Sennott’s Daniel awkwardly navigates her parents, her ex-girlfriend, her sugar daddy (along with his wife and crying baby), and an untold number of expectations in a juggling act she can’t possibly maintain. Seligman repeatedly teases Daniel’s inevitable crash, but then, perhaps with a sigh of relief, cleverly redirects us to more uneasy havoc. This all works because Seligman makes Daniel very easy to root for despite her obvious foibles. We’ve just met her, but we want her to succeed and be happy, even if she doesn’t yet know how the hell to do that.
