Writer-director-star Alex Heller’s debut feature is a fictive spin on the very crisis she experienced at age 19, when she dropped out of college and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Not the weightiest screen treatment of a serious mental health issue, this drolly self-deprecating portrayal nonetheless achieves a degree of poignancy and depth within a distinctive sensibility you might call Midwestern Sardonic. After a fest run, it’s opening in limited theaters and on demand March 3.
Clemence Miller (Heller) screams “trainwreck” from the moment we first see her dragging a garbage bag across campus, haranguing everyone whose path she crosses. She then turns that alienating energy on her terrified dorm roommate (Taylor Marie Blim), who says, “You’re ruining my college experience!” The roomie has, it turns out, already informed Clem’s mother that she has spiraled into “hoarding, stealing, paranoia and shrieking.” Ergo Sherri (J. Smith-Cameron) bursts through the door,...
Clemence Miller (Heller) screams “trainwreck” from the moment we first see her dragging a garbage bag across campus, haranguing everyone whose path she crosses. She then turns that alienating energy on her terrified dorm roommate (Taylor Marie Blim), who says, “You’re ruining my college experience!” The roomie has, it turns out, already informed Clem’s mother that she has spiraled into “hoarding, stealing, paranoia and shrieking.” Ergo Sherri (J. Smith-Cameron) bursts through the door,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
While Chicago is known to host large Hollywood productions, if one peers deeper into its filmmaking scene, there is no shortage of independent riches. We recently named Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd one of 2017’s best films, and now another promising drama from the area is around the corner. Michael Glover Smith’s Mercury in Retrograde tells the story of a trio of couples who venture out of Chicago for a weekend getaway in remote Michigan cabin. Ahead of a theatrical premiere at the Siskel Center starting February 16, we’re pleased to premiere the trailer, which previews these relationships in flux and shows off the striking cinematography by Jason Chiu (Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party).
“In Mercury in Retrograde, I wanted to explore how men and women communicate (and miscommunicate) with each other in the modern world,” says the director. “In this respect, it continues and deepens the themes of my previous feature Cool Apocalypse,...
“In Mercury in Retrograde, I wanted to explore how men and women communicate (and miscommunicate) with each other in the modern world,” says the director. “In this respect, it continues and deepens the themes of my previous feature Cool Apocalypse,...
- 1/9/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Chicago – On Tuesday, December 1st, the Midwest Independent Film Festival will award their 2015 “Best of the Midwest” with a ceremony at Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard, in Chicago. The evening will be hosted by Festival Director Mike McNamara, and nominees include the short film “Baby Mary” (directed by Kris Swanberg), plus feature films “Full Frame” (directed by Christopher Kelley), and “Anguish” (directed by Sonny Mallhi).
Presented by the Midwest Independent Film Festival
Photo credit: MidwestFilm.com
A new category is being added this year, “Best Artistic Specialization.” This honors previously unsung production titles that are vital to the look and completion of their particular films. The Midwest Independent Film Festival is a year-round movie event in Chicago that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The festival has been recognized by Chicago Magazine in their “Best of Chicago” issue, and has become one...
Presented by the Midwest Independent Film Festival
Photo credit: MidwestFilm.com
A new category is being added this year, “Best Artistic Specialization.” This honors previously unsung production titles that are vital to the look and completion of their particular films. The Midwest Independent Film Festival is a year-round movie event in Chicago that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The festival has been recognized by Chicago Magazine in their “Best of Chicago” issue, and has become one...
- 11/29/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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