The return: Ralph Fiennes reteamed with his English Patient co-star Juliette Binoche for a retelling of a Greek tragedy. Odysseus has returned home after quite an ordeal ((for more information, read up on Greek mythology), and has found his wife is basically being held prisoner until she chooses a new husband (who will then be the new ruler) and his son (Charlie Plummer) will likely be put to death so there won’t be a line of succession. It’s a little like Fiennes’s other 2024 entry Conclave, in that there is quite a bit of politicking going on, and jostling for favor in what is the ultimate prize. Fiennes returns so haggard that he’s unrecognizable to almost everyone, which works in his favor. he is able to manipulate his way in as a pauper, with the hopes of being able to regain everything everyone else thinks he lost. Conclave is the better film, but I still liked The Return. The film has a really interesting third act, especially the scene where Odysseus ultimately makes his move. That’s why i thought the film had some really good audio description, as well as some references to just how worn Fiennes looks in general. His performance is very quiet, and internal, much like his thoughtful Conclave role. Juliette Binoche is also a really reliable performer, though she feels confined at times to being an object more than a person. If you missed The return, which most people did, you probably missed a thoughtful take on a tale as old as time.
fresh: Final Grade: B+, Audio description: A-
High Tide- I was so totally enamored with parts of High Tide, which explores the gay culture around Provincetown, and the actors all brought some really nice performances. However, this film doesn’t have audio description, and there’s just too much that is lost as a result. this is a film I really wanted GALECA to get behind, but ultimately, it just didn’t manifest into any nominations. I wish more people had seen it, because there’s something here, but I can’t definitively say what without audio description.
no Grade Due To Lack Of Audio Description
Los Frikis- And this one is even worse. this is a Spanish language film with no audio description, so i was totally lost, except for the moment when one of the characters sang an American punk rock song (creep, if I remember correctly). But, the rest of it, I couldn’t grab onto anything. The sad thing is that the story here is really powerful. It is about this counter culture revolting in Cuba, and just how awful everything is under Castro’s reign. This also takes place in the early 90’s, when HIV/AIDS is very much a thing. Not to be too spoilery, but a character actually chooses to contract HIV, because if they test positive, they will have more access to healthcare and food than they do without. I think this film has the ability to hit, but international cinema almost as an entire block really needs to expand into audio description, so blind and low vision users can be open to the same cultural experiences sighted audiences are because they can read subtitles. And because Phil Lord and Chris Miller jumped on board as producers, there’s no excuse. those two have more than enough money to personally finance audio description for a film they believe in.
Unwatchable Due To Lack Of Audio description
