This Week In Trailers: Iron Sky: The Coming Race, Divide And Conquer: The Story Of Roger Ailes, The Bisexual, Capernaum, Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 10
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they're seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising?
This week we get on a dinosaur with Hitler, dissect one of the most heinous and active media figures of our time, feel empathy towards the less fortunate, get caught up with J.B. Smoove on the set of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and explore both sides of our sexuality.
Divide And Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes
This trailer shows the depths of which some people are willing to go to further their agendas, however false they may be. Director Alexis Bloom, aided by the producers of Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear, provide a more than a satisfactory primer on how Roger Ailes came to control the news. Also, we see how he filtered that news through a certain political ideology. Misogyny, sexism, harassment, it was all in a day's work for the man. Literally. Hearing this story feels like a cautionary tale more than anything else.
Iron Sky: The Coming Race
You've got the makings for one of those rare, fantastic reasons to sit in a theater with a movie like Overlord that's out right now. Just a bunch of American soldiers killing Nazi zombies. But here we have a VOD equivalent. Director Timo Vuorensola is back once more to do what he did the first time with Iron Sky in making a movie that defies rational explanation. With this trailer, you get the same lo-fi production values from the first film along with just enjoying this new entry's absurdity. Apart from having Hitler riding on the back of a T-Rex, that's about all you need to know going into this one.
Capernaum
This is a must-see. Director Nadine Labaki chose an exciting story to tell with her latest effort. You have a 12-year-old child who sues his parents for the "crime" of having him. Seeing this boy wander through the streets, figuring out his way in the life he was given, there are quiet moments in this trailer that allow this film's message to simmer for a bit. It's wildly effective, too, as the movie has already received international acclaim. Kudos to the editorial team for front-loading not only the film's festival bonafides but its liberal use of pull-quotes help to keep you engaged with a story that is so unique. There's a sense of profound sadness that hangs on every frame. What's more, the end packs a dramatic gut-punch that you don't see coming.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 10
How do you make a teaser to whet the appetite of those wanting a hint of what's coming for the next season of Curb Your Enthusiasm? Since the script is essentially seven pages, the bulk of which is just story and not dialogue, shooting bits and pieces of it to pack into a trailer would be difficult. Entering stage right is J.B. Smoove. On the one hand, this is a brilliant execution, and on the other, it's very meta. It presents a "behind the scenes" look that plays out comedically while also serving as a teaser for next season. It's pieces like this that get me excited to see if there's still something left to explore in this show.
The Bisexual
This is at times awkward, funny, but altogether endearing. Director/star/co-writer Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Appropriate Behaviour) looks like she's digging deep here and wrestling with issues that while, at times, seem humorous belie a certain sadness and frustration. There's happiness here as we find ourselves introduced to this woman, but it's at a cost. She is wrestling with coming to terms with who she is, what she wants, and who she wants to be with on her terms. It's not light fare, per se, but the trailer shows a delicate balance between drama and comedy. With so many shows out there I fear this is one that will get lost in a pile of already great television. Hopefully, the right kind of person sees this and finds something that resonates with them.
Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers for possible inclusion in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com or look me up via Twitter at @Stipp
In case you missed them, here are the other trailers we covered at /Film this week: