Alien: Romulus

Thanks to Ash and a few other bad apples, it is not easy being a synthetic person in the Alien universe. It is even harder being a real person when Xenomorphs are around. The Weyland-Yutani Corporation probably bears a lot of responsibility on both counts. To escape their unfair company contracts, a group of space miners try to salvage the wrong derelict space-vessel in Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus, which opens this Friday in theaters.

The nearest livable refuge planet to their ringed hellhole is nine years away, so it requires cryo-pods. Fatefully, Rain Carradine’s ex-boyfriend Tyler detected an abandoned scientific research space-station in a decaying orbit around the planet, which has five intact pods. To retrieve them, they need Carradine’s “brother,” Andy, a glitchy synthetic, to interface with the ship’s system.

Even though they require Andy’s assistance, Tyler’s jerkweed cousin Bjorn keeps bullying him, because another synthetic made the triage decision that led to his mother’s death. Bjorn even deliberately taunts Andy with the significance of the five pods: one each for himself, Carradine, Tyler, his secretly (for now) pregnant sister Kay, and their pilot Navarro, but none for Andy.

Of course, the station (divided into two halves, “Romulus” and “Remus”) has a serious Xenomorph infestation problem. It also has the remnants of Rook, a synthetic science officer, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Ash, the sinister synthetic from the original Alien. True to his programming, he wants to deliver the potential power of the Xenomorphs to the company, regardless of the potential human harm. Unfortunately, some of his nasty coding will overwrite Andy’s prime directive—always do what is best for Carradine—when she tries to install Rook’s security clearances.

Clearly, Alvarez and co-screenwriter Rodo Sayagues deliberately went back to what everybody loves about the first film. Ditching the complex mythology-building, they simply but shrewdly offer up Xenomorphs hunting people in space. They even CGI’ed Rook to resemble Ash (with Daniel Betts serving as the stand-in). Guess what? It still works.

This time around, they come up with some clever business involving the acidic alien blood in zero-gravity. However, the cleverest elements involve Andy’s altered personality and Carradine’s efforts change him back. Plus, it is very cool to see what looks like Ian Holm’s Ash up to his old tricks again. It is also somewhat terrifying to see such convincing deep-faking.

Coming in October: O Jerusalem

“If God is not here, he is nowhere,” says a character in O Jerusalem, while looking over the city which holds the holiest sites of the world’s three major religions. O Jerusalem, a new film based on the novel by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins dramatizing early events in the founding of the State of Israel, tries to avoid taking sides in the greater political debate, instead focusing on personal dramas set against the historical backdrop.

Of course, the filmmakers may make a good faith effort at being honest brokers, but there are indeed some differences in how each side is portrayed. The central relationship of the film is a the friendship between Bobby Goldman, an American Jew newly returned from WWII, and Saïd Chahine, a Palestinian Arab studying law in America. They become fast friends in New York, but find themselves called to Jerusalem to take sides in the impending conflict, as the British prepare to withdraw.

Goldman and Chahine are used even-handedly to humanize their respective sides in the conflict. Each sees tragedy first hand, yet both men retain some remnant of their former friendship. In representing their comrades, French Jewish director and co-screenwriter Elie Chouraqui seems to give the Arab Palestinians a slight advantage. While both sides kill in the heat of battle, it is only atrocities committed by Jewish extremists at Deir Yassin that are vividly pictured on screen (although the resulting horror felt by Goldman and the Haganah regulars is made clear).

Certainly, the Holocaust figures prominently in Jerusalem, but it is not graphically depicted, except in brief archival footage. Goldman’s girlfriend movingly tells of her experiences in a concentration camp. However, the filmmakers show no images of Arab terrorist attacks, and decline to explain the fact that the Arab forces arrayed against Israel had also allied themselves with Hitler and the National Socialists.

The personal drama of Jerusalem is often quite moving. It is probably one of the better films portraying the loss and grief of war. People were literally crying during the final scenes last night. The dramatic situations are effectively underscored by Stephen Endelman’s music. His orchestral themes have a logical Middle Eastern flavor, often complimented by strings and voices.

Coming in under two hours, Jerusalem is quite manageable for a historical docudrama. If anything, it seems to end a little early from a historical point of view, with events on screen essentially ending with the cease fire of June 11, 1948, leaving the rest of the history to be summarized by voice-over. It is however, a point of stark dramatic climax for the film’s characters.

Saïd Taghmaoui brings real intensity to the role of Chahine and J.J. Feild seems to grow into the role of Goldman as the film progresses. The best known actors of Jerusalem have smaller parts based on historical figures. Tovah Feldshuh seems to own the role of Golda Meir, having portrayed her during a successful Broadway run for the one-woman show Golda’s Balcony, and she is convincing returning to the role here. Tom Conti wrings every drop of dignity and regret he can from the small role of Sir Allan Cunningham, the British High Commissioner. Sir Ian Holm however, is less effective as David Ben-Gurion in a performance that comes across as a bit of a caricature.

Jerusalem is often quite moving, and it is consistently interesting to watch the filmmakers walk the tightrope between each side of the conflict. While Arab Palestinians might have a slight edge in the film’s historical treatment, the film is far from being anti-Israel, as it seems to personally identify closer with its Israeli characters. Israelis would probably settle for such media treatment every chance they can. Audiences can judge for themselves when O Jerusalem opens in New York on October 17th. (The French trailer is available here.)

Coming Soon: The Treatment

John Zorn has built a reputation for genre-crossing compositions and a diverse, but dark body of film scores, collected in his ongoing Film Works series. After providing soundtracks to serious documentaries, sexually provocative short features, and Japanese cartoons, Zorn scores his first romantic comedy in The Treatment, opening May 4th in New York (trailer here).

Zorn had collaborated with director Oren Rudavsky previously on the documentary Hiding and Seeking. Although reportedly resistant at first, Zorn was convinced after screening the film. As befitting a New York romance, The Treatment is indeed more neurotic than standard date movie fare.

Zorn, at Rudavsky’s suggestion, composed a score with tango overtones, particularly in the choice of instrumentation with Rob Burger’s accordion, Mark Feldman’s violin, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz's bass, and in places Marc Ribot’s guitar. Giving a distinctive flavor to the soundtrack is the addition of Kenny Wollesen’s vibes. The result is a sophisticated, but vaguely agitating score that creates a consistent mood, enhancing the on-screen drama.

Whit Stillman regular Chris Eigeman stars as Jake Singer, an exclusive prep school teacher with serious emotional issues, in therapy with Dr. Ernesto Morales, the Freudian from Hell, played with theatrical relish by Sir Ian Holm. Whether Morales’ advice is helping or hindering his attempts at romance with widow Famke Janssen is debatable throughout the film. At times though, Singer’s fantasy interludes of Dr. Morales are difficult to distinguish from his actual sessions—whether these were conscious attempts to problematize the film’s reality were not readily apparent.

The Treatment clearly follows in the Annie Hall tradition of New York comedies of love and neuroses, with stronger writing than many of its precursors. It is not afraid to put its protagonist in embarrassingly uncomfortable situations, and it handles the father-son reconciliation plot line with nuance.

Filmed in the City and featuring a strong supporting cast, including Harris Yulin, Stephen Lang (Crime Story), and Roger Rees (Cheers), The Treament is an entertaining film. It is particularly well served by Zorn’s soundtrack, which has been available well before the film’s release on the 18th installment of Film Works on the composer’s Tzadik label. It opens in New York on May 4th, the same weekend Spiderman 3 debuts on several thousand more screens, so one will have to seek it out.