Hey all! Sorry I haven't posted much in a while, but I am back! And yesterday I finally got the chance to sit down and watch the new Netflix Original (sorta, they own the distribution rights, but did not produce it) Beasts of No Nation. And wow. Just, wow.
The Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) written and directed film is emotionally intense. Depicting a non-descript African country going through civil war (seriously, these days just blindfold yourself and point randomly on a map, and you'll easily enough find an African country going through a similar situation), the film follows the story of Agu (Abraham Attah), a young boy who is forced by circumstance to be a child soldier for a rebellious Commandant (Idris Elba). The performances these two give are phenomenal. You get what you'd expect from Elba: a strong, masculine character with a presence. He rallies you behind his cause with every speech, because he knows how to deliver lines. Elba is one of those actors that doesn't appear in everything, but when he does you know you're getting a standout performance. Attah, on the other hand, is new to the game. And when I say new, I mean this is the first time this kid has ever acted in his life. He gives a performance for the ages, and in doing so, he won the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. That should tell you how good this kid is in the role of Agu, which is important because he is in almost every shot of the film. It is his story, its a sad story, and this kid brings it every step of the way.
Another great aspect of this film is the musical score. Composer Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild) does a fantastic job. His score helps to beautifully tell the story. Each scene has its own theme, and with that its own score, and Romer helps you know how you should be feeling based only on the music. The most impressive was in the second act of the film, where you are made to feel ready to fight in this civil war alongside these children, and it is because of the way the score weaves in and out brilliantly leading up to and alongside Elba's Commandant's speech. Romer also did a great job of including classic African rhythms and sounds, helping to maintain the authentic feel of the movie. (The most authentic aspect IMO is the most of the cast are true Africans. Their accents are heavy and, despite having to listen hard to become accustomed to understanding them, that hammers home the emotional core of the movie. I doubt it would feel as real as it did if everyone was talking like they were from Middle America, or even Britain.)
Finally, this movie can seem brutal, but that is only because of the subject matter. A war-torn country seems exotic to us, yet the atrocities shown in the movie pale in comparison to the real atrocities real human beings are performing every day all over the world. This movie is not violent for the sake of violence, but instead uses violence to help tell the story of this boy fighting to survive. You wouldn't feel for this boy if there wasn't violence, his loss of innocence would not seem believable. And war is not a set piece for the movie, but is instead a backdrop for the life they are forced to live.
The best thing about this movie is that you do believe it. The directing, the cinematography, the musical score, and the acting performances all culminate into on powerful, brilliant movie. And it includes one of the saddest endings you will every watch. I do not consider that a spoiler because nothing compares to watching for yourself. Nothing compares to going on that journey with Agu as you watch him miss out on a childhood he will never get back. And the worst part is, he knows it.
Stay Tuned!
