Tribeca Film Festival Pt. III
Bonus Content Includes Film Reviews of "Dating & New York," "Stockholm Syndrome" with A$AP Rocky, and Jackie Collins' "Lady Boss"
Youthquake here, your one and only source into the nostalgia of the pop culture elite (past & present). Today’s pop culture highlight is on film/documentary.
Last week’s Youthquake schedule pause is due to happily covering the Tribeca Film Festival. This bonus edition features film reviews of Dating & New York, Stockholm Syndrome, and Lady Boss. So get into it below, or if you like what you read, maybe hit subscribe below.
Another film joining the screen genre is Dating & New York, starring Jaboukie Young-White as Milo and Francesca Reale as Wendy.
Wendy likes to maintain control and is self-aware; Milo is wildly neurotic and desperate to fall in love, so of course, their stars align on a dating app called ‘Meet Cute.’ This rom-com satire is in on the joke of knowing how saccharine it is and delivers with an overdose of charm and a digital interface format which adds to the enveloping digital dialogue and screen usage that we know.
Dating & New York is Jonah Feingold’s love letter to New York City, but instead of a physical love letter, it’s more of a love text since it’s set in 2021, complete with mise-en-scène and a craving for fall. Reale’s style effervescently lit up whenever she was on screen, richly popping out in a yellow beret against the Wes Andersonesque scene, which only stood out further with the whimsy and cinematography.
In an homage to the great Nora Ephron with a stunningly rich romanticism of the city, but what’s even more captivating about this film is that it shows the real side of New York. Not the Hollywood version of it for those of us unfamiliar.
Narrated and even featuring Jerry Ferrara, the supporting cast is superb; Milo and Wendy’s best friends Hank (Brian Muller) and Jessie (Catherine Cohen) fall in love. Meanwhile, Milo and Wendy can’t figure out if they even are.
The sub-plot of Hank and Jessie proves to shine; anytime they’re on screen, it’s comedic gold. For instance, their three-way awkward yet adorable hug with their refreshingly candid real estate agent. The film also offers plenty of fun cameos that include Taylor Hill, Eva Victor, and Arturo Castro( as Wendy’s ex). Dating & New York gives a modern-day version of When Harry Met Sally for Millennials with plenty of Millennial humor. To quote Rihanna on Rihanna’s internet, yeah, I said it.
Multi-platinum hip-hop superstar A$AP Rocky has been on quite the unexpected roller coaster ride since the fateful day in Stockholm.
Stockholm Syndrome is a spellbinding documentary that gives an invitation behind the scenes into Rakim Mayers’ life. From growing up in Harlem and later to how fans were introduced to him, fully captivated by the rapper, especially his distinct and distinguished style.
Most notably is how his thrilling ride through life came to a complete halt back in 2019, which was inevitable news. Local police arrested A$AP, throwing him in a Stockholm prison following a clashing street altercation with a pair of known local inciters.
Directors The Architects give an incredible amount of access to the rapper’s life experiences, specifically with the Swedish judicial system. Fusing archival footage of Flacko’s early life, cameos by Naomi Campbell & Tyler The Creator, studio time with the one-and-only Rick Rubin, and whimsical animation make this documentary a Tribeca highlight for me. Not to forget the concert footage— which was fun to watch as a concert lover, but the best part is seeing A$AP’s renaissance.
A$AP Rocky’s political awakening came with a heavy price that still stays with him; this sheds light on the bigger issue of racial discrimination towards the Black community. Learning how the gravity of his previous words carried such a weight gave room for reflection.
Personal growth is a beautiful thing; Stockholm Syndrome encapsulates who A$AP was to who Flacko is working towards being.
Despite not speaking a lick of English back in the eighties (until the mid-nineties), my mother knew who Joan and Jackie Collins are.
Born in the late eighties and growing up in the nineties, I grew up very familiar with the sister duo; my mom gravitated towards eccentrically dramatic and fabulous women, even if she wants everyone to think she’s the opposite. Perhaps this is why I’ve always been familiar with headstrong and fiercely exceptional women with a flair for melodrama while looking stunning.
Around the late ‘70s, my mom immigrated with her siblings from a still very poor but proud town to “el otro lado,” or the other side, which my family in Mexico calls the United States. She found solace in watching and connecting with television shows undeterred by the language barrier; my mom never missed her shows like Dallas and Dynasty. The latter is still one of her favorite shows; in fact, her eyes light up whenever it comes up. Which, for my mom, I know that’s love because she’s not a huge fan of American shows. While my mom revered and admired Joan, Jackie Collins always stood out to me.
Let’s say I made sure to make it known that I wanted to watch Laura Fairrie’s directorial of Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story by Modern Films/CNN Films/BBC Arts in its Tribeca premiere. The doc is sleek and glossy, but not just how it’s fantastically edited with intimate glimpses into Jackie’s salacious diaries and private life, although better than just gloss, is the depth that comes with it.
We see that aside from the caviar wishes and champagne dreams of decadent illusions that were the ‘80s, Jackie is much more. She’s more than her chic onstage shield and armor that strengthened her dynamic personality by diving straight into her words with intimate and candid interviews of the world she created for herself. As Jackie Collins famously said, women truly can do anything; we can also look damn good while doing it.
My list of reviews is dwindling, but my actual viewing list keeps growing with every new documentary/film that I have to watch. It’s been an honor to cover the Tribeca Film Festival, but I still have some more watching to do.