JustinAnderson

Chief Zabu is a hilarious 80s satire that feels incredibly resonant today. The recently rediscovered film follows two real estate men, Ben and Sammy, as they attempt to gain political influence of Tiburaku, a recently independent nation. The film sends up American culture, politics and capitalism deftly. Ben is naive, refusing to hear any bad news, and fumbles his way through the deals. Sammy has his head on straight, but is more interested in stand up comedy and women then insuring everything happens smoothly. The result is comedy of errors packed with witty banter between the characters. A scene that sticks out his when Ben explains to Sammy why he bought his Mercedes over a Cadillac. When Sammy disproves his logic, Ben shrugs it off telling him he does not understand finance. Fans of early Woody Allen or films like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will find writers/directors Neil Cohen and Zack Norman’s Chief Zabu very entertaining. I highly recommend seeing it.

There is a moment in Urban Hymn where Jamie sings and the entire film around her falls aways. The stage goes dark and the camera closes in on Jamie’s face and for a moment there is nothing but joy in her expression. Letitia Wright’s turn as Jamie is a breakout role, with her performance conjuring sorrow and happiness in equal measure. The excellent work of Shirley Henderson and Isabella Laughland only further propel Wright as she grapples with following her dreams or staying in the life of crime she knows. This struggle is only accentuated by the musical performances. The songs are beautifully performed and evocative of what Jamie feels. Director Michael Caton-Jones compliments the songs with gorgeous cinematography. Urban Hymn is a film that is perfectly executed at every level and it makes it an exemplary coming of age story that I highly recommend.

Military journalist Alex Quade provides her own footage in this new collaboration with the makers of the Heroes of Valor Collection. The third film in the series, Danger Close, uses Quade’s footage to recount her trip through Iraq to fulfill her promise to a fallen hero’s family that his legacy still stands. The documentary is authentic in providing footage of soldiers in training, on missions and hanging out during downtime. A moment I keep going back to is a soldier’s playful interview as they search for buried weapons caches when they are interrupted by an IED. I cannot recommend this truly human film enough.