Based on the famous play of the same name written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov in 1895, The Seagull is a suitably well-done prestige drama that attempts to retell the acclaimed theatrical production in a more cinematic fashion and is remarkable for its tour de force cast. Set in the idyllic Russian countryside in the early 20th century, the story revolves around the complicated relationships between the house guests at the vacation home of a famous aging and self-centered actress named Irina, played by Academy Award nominee Annette Bening, and her ailing brother played by Golden Globe winner Brian Dennehy. Irina’s son Konstantin, played by Billy Howle, is an aspiring writer who becomes jealous of his mother’s younger famous author boyfriend Boris, played by Corey Stoll. Over the course of the movie, things get even more complicated with the presence of several love triangles involving the characters. Konstantin is in a relationship with the beautiful neighbor Nina, played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, who falls in love with the brilliant Boris who encourages her to pursue her dream of acting in Moscow. Unbeknownst to Konstantin, the household caretaker’s daughter Masha, played by Golden Globe winner Elisabeth Moss, is in love with Konstantin while she is loved by the local school teacher. The plot very much reminds me of a English country house party drama written by Jane Austen but with obvious Russian elements of a tragicomedy in which there is a lot of witty conversations between characters and several of the characters’ stories end in tragedy. Overall, I thought the filmmaker did a good job of transforming such an important play into an admirable work of fiction that would work on the big screen, and it is definitely helped by a stellar cast; however, the audience can come away with the feeling that many of the talented actors were simply on board because it is an Anton Chekhov adaptation.

Based on a true story, Little Pink House is a compelling drama complete with terrific acting performances that tells the fascinating story of Susette Kelo and her legal fight over eminent domain in the early 2000s. Played by Oscar nominee Catherine Keener, Kelo is a working-class paramedic and later nurse who moves to her dream home along the river in a low-income area of New London, Connecticut. However, her home along with her neighbors’ are threatened after it is determined that the area will be redeveloped and be the location for a new factory for the large pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The neighborhood is suspicious of the New London Development Corporation headed by the ruthless fictional character Charlotte Wells, played by Emmy-nominated actress Jeanne Tripplehorn, who claims that it is in the best interest of the town to buy out all of their houses in order for the redevelopment to bring back jobs. We witness the other side through a series of meetings with Charlotte Wells and the governor of Connecticut who are maliciously working together in order to give the besieged governor a political victory. Alongside her longtime boyfriend, Kelo reluctantly becomes the face of the neighborhood fighting against the city who eventually claim they have the right to take their properties away as a result of eminent domain, which allows the government to take people’s property away as long as it is for public use. Over time, the movie becomes more of a legal drama in which Kelo representing the neighborhood goes through many court cases and eventually the Supreme Court who makes the ultimate decision in 2005. Overall, I found it to be a truly fascinating true story account of the implications of an often overlooked legal maneuver like eminent domain, and the only complaint with the film is that it can be sometimes a little too slow.

Directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Chloé Zhao in her second feature film, The Rider is a powerfully emotional movie about the struggles of a young rodeo star in the American West; it is notable for its beautiful cinematography and sublime acting performances from nonprofessional actors. Partially based on the lead actor’s own life, the heartbreaking story follows Brady Blackburn, played by the terrific newcomer Brady Jandreau, after he is involved in a horrific horse riding accident in which he suffers a traumatic brain injury that sidelines him from his promising rodeo career. The film is a rather depressing metaphor for the economically depressed working-class American living in the rural West but has a hopeful message: continue to make a life for oneself even after the loss of one’s dreams. Set on South Dakota’s Lakota-Sioux Pine Ridge Reservation, Brady is of Native American heritage and must overcome the difficulties of living on an impoverished Indian reservation while coping with his debilitating injury that prevents him from doing the only thing he knows, riding and training horses. The filmmaker lends an important degree of realism by casting real life former cowboys and rodeo stars like Brady and his severely disabled real-life friend Lane Scott as well as Brady’s real father Tim Jandreau and his intellectually impaired younger sister Lilly Jandreau who play the character Brady’s tough father and endearing sister. Over the course of the film, Brady stubbornly tries to get back on horses and attempt a comeback on the rodeo circuit riding bucking broncos despite the serious medical implications. It is a rather simple yet evocative movie that is more of a meditation on life in the American West by presenting quiet scenes around the campfire or riding horses surrounded by breathtaking Western landscapes in which the characters, particularly Brady, contemplate life and their future dreams. Besides its Western themes, the filmmaker subtly addresses the challenges experienced by those with disabilities and how they cope with their new lives; I was surprised by how many characters suffered from an impairment, including the brain injured Brady, Brady’s paralyzed friend Lane, an older amputee cowboy, and the mentally challenged Lilly. Overall, I found it to be one of the more poignant and deeply contemplative cinematic treatments of the realities of living in the impoverished American West, especially those in the dangerous rodeo world.