SXSW Online this year might lack the power of the mighty Hollywood machine (and the hilarity that ensues when something like what happened with Ready Player One occurs) but I have found the Shorts section of this year’s film programming to be of extremely high quality. Here’s two that stood out:
Learn Tagalog with Kayla (2021, Kayla Galang)
This short, without spoiling too much, captures a certain post-pandemic vibe that I think we can all relate to. There’s a realness to this film that triumphs at capturing what I imagine a lot of people are feeling right now, all with the mood of a public access video. Really enjoyable.
Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before (2021, Andrew Carter)
Speaking of movies that capture our times correctly, I can’t praise this short enough for perfectly conveying the anxiety and weird social traditions that have been established since the Pandemic started. This short is funny each step of the way, and frankly, very entertaining.
“To me, skateboarding was definitely like a saviour,” says Joe Buffalo at the beginning of this film, and after seeing his story unfold over the course of Amar Chebib’s short documentary, it’s hard to disagree with that statement.
Joe Buffalo tells the story of its protagonist’s life, from his experiences in the residential school system to his run ins with the law (“Jail damaged my spirit”) to his struggles with addiction. But while his story is certainly tragic, the film doesn’t dwell too much on that, choosing rather to focus on the importance of Buffalo’s “saviour” and how pivotal skateboarding has been for him. In fact, some of the most impressive and memorable moments in the film are the shots of Joe Buffalo in action on his board.
With Joe Buffalo’s career on the rise and him turning pro after skating for 35 years, the film ultimately ends off on a positive note, looking hopefully towards the future.
While our focus over the years has primarily been on the music during SXSW, we’ve also kept an eye on the film festival portion of SouthBy for quite a while now and one of the films that’s caught our eye for this year’s edition is Without Getting Killed Or Caught.
The film, initially scheduled to premiere at last year’s SXSW prior to its cancellation, tells the story of the complicated relationship between legendary Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark, his wife Susanna and another Texas legend, Townes Van Zandt. Featuring interviews with the likes of Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, and Vince Gill and narration by Sissy Spacek taken from Susanna’s diaries, it’s sure to be an interesting look at a moment in Texas music history.
Take a look at the film’s trailer below as well as a performance by Clark of “L.A. Freeway”, the lyrics to which gave the film its title.
There’s a moment in Bill & Ted Face The Music where Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted “Theodore” Logan are attempting to reconcile with their former Wyld Stallyns bandmate Death (played perfectly by the great William Sadler) and are reminded by their daughters to “be sweet.”
It’s a nice moment, but I also imagine that phrase could have doubled as the mission statement for the entire film – be sweet. Bill & Ted Face The Music is a film that’s full of sweetness and heart and soul. It’s a love letter to the fans of the film series that incorporates everything that was great about the first two films while building on that legacy by adding new themes and elements into the mix.
Nearly three decades later, Bill & Ted Face The Music sees Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, and the original writing team of Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon revisiting these beloved characters. Now a couple of middle-aged dads who still haven’t quite achieved what they were supposed to, Bill and Ted are given one final chance to write the song that will unite all of humanity. As we follow the duo on a journey through time to save reality as we know it, the film touches on themes of family, of trying to live up to practically impossible expectations, and on the legacy which we ultimately leave behind. And throughout it all, it’s fun, funny, and yes, quite sweet.
One element of the film that adds a lot of that sweetness is the addition of Bill and Ted’s now grown up daughters, Billie and Thea, who go on their own excellent journey through time, space, and the afterlife to assemble a killer band who can help them to create that one great song. Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving each give memorable performances that recall much of Reeves and Winter from the first two films while also bringing their own touches to the characters.
Growing up, the Bill & Ted movies meant a lot to me as they surely did for many others and Face The Music is a solid addition to that legacy. The duo’s core values (“Be excellent to each other”) still hold up today and the idea that music can save the world and be the basis for a future utopia is certainly one that I can get behind, even (or maybe especially) at a time when live music is something we will not be seeing again anytime too soon.
A film where a key plot point is a song that can bring all of humanity together and save us all may have had me missing live music a bit, but it also gave me some hope for that time, whenever it may be, that we can get together again with others to see live music, or watch a film, or whatever else it is that brings us joy. Until that time though, we can at least still heed the words of Wyld Stallyns: Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes! Just make sure you practice social distancing while doing the latter. And wear a mask.
