THE LEGEND OF OCHI

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Isaiah Saxon and A24 comes the story of two who would become unexpected friends because of THE LEGEND OF OCHI.

On the remote island of Carpathia, Yuri (Helena Zengel) is a young girl surrounded by boys who are being trained by father Maxim (Willem Dafoe). They are training to fight creatures that live in the forest called Ochi that they hunt at night. Yuri is going on her first hunt with Maxim and his ward Petro (Finn Wolfhard) late into the night and for the first time she sees the Ochi. As gun shots ring out, it is an infant Ochi that Yuri sees racing high into the trees while the others scatter.

During dinner, Yuri experiences a sad like contempt Maxim seems to feel and it is enough to send her out to check Ochi traps that surround their home. She notices that one of the traps has been tripped and follows a trail that leads her to the small Ochi. Knowing that she must help the creature, she is confronted by Petro who is shocked at what he sees. Clearly unmoved by her goal, Yuri sets out to get the small Ochi back to her own family. The problem is that Maxim gathers up his boy-troops and set out to find her.

The only person she did not plan to find is mom Dasha (Emily Watson) who has been living on her own isolated from people. Trying to understand why, Yuri listens to Dasha’s stories about the Ochi, especially since she discovers that she can communicate with the little one. That pushes her even more to want to return her new friend back to its family. When Petro finds Dasha’s cabin, Yuri’s parents come face to face with the decisions that made long ago.

Yuri and little Ochi’s adventures are far from over as the two grow closer to understanding one another!

Zengel as Yuri is a young girl dealing with the disconnect with her father and the unknown about her mother. It is easy to listening to her father’s side of the story but it doesn’t match with his behaviors toward the girl. Zengel gives Yuri a spark that makes it clear that she is not a girl to be trifled with and knows exactly how she is seen. It is not in what she may say but the look in her eyes proving she will not be deterred from what is right for her – and for her friend. Dafoe as Maxim is a man driven by fear of the unknown and living by the lies he perpetrated on his own. Training the young men to fight the Ochi, Dafoe has his little army that see him as a leader but Yuri has her own beliefs.

Wolfhard as Petro is a ward of Maxim’s raised to fight the Ochi. One moment he seems to be a friend to Yuri and the next he seems to show loyalty to Maxim. It is a quiet role for Wolfhard who has become a very tall but still very recognizable young man. Watson as Dasha is a mother who has her own story with Maxim and it interfered with being a mother to Yuri. She has her own story to tell about the Ochi and will not suffer Maxim a moment longer than she has to. I love Watson’s character being strong enough to stand her ground but also know when she must come out of the shadows for her daughter.

Other cast include Razvan Stoica as Ivan, Carol Bors as Oleg, Andrei Anghel as Vlad, David Baltatu as Gleb, Eduard Oancea as Pabel, and Tomas Ghela as Tudor. The vocals of the Ochi are Zoe Midgley as Mother Ochi and Paul Manalatos as baby Ochi.

A24 is an independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production based in New York City. Films such as A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III, the amazing EX MACHINA, ROOM and THE WITCH. Many of their films can be found on DirecTV Cinema and Amazon Prime. For more information, please visit www.a24films.com.

THE LEGEND OF OCHI is a story about a young girl who finds a friend who is also looking to reconnect with family. Yuri understands that at the beginning but as the story unfolds, she realizes there is more of a connection than she could have ever imagined. In all her young years, she could never have imagined that the connection to an Ochi would change her life in so many ways. It is such a lovely tale that is told with Zengel carrying a large portion of the film in spectacular fashion.

Keeping the film simple, director Saxon uses nature as the set allowing the actors to move so freely between the tough farm life and the lush green of the forest to creating the Ochi home himself. Scouring the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, he wanted to find a place that looked as mysterious as the story he wrote. Since the dialogue is minimal, it is up to the surroundings to lead us on the adventure with Yuri.

This is not a film that moves quickly, instead, allows us all to connect with the characters on our own levels because of our own experiences. It is letting the character of Yuri show us her life and the measures she takes to show her strength and do what’s right, no matter the outrageous fears of others. It is a combination of charm and understanding and I think we could all use that right about now.

In the end – it is an unexpected friendship with an unexpected friend!

 

 

HBO Brings a Riveting Series with CHERNOBYL

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on HBO is a five-part series created by Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck to tell the story of the 1986 disaster we all know as CHERNOBYL.

In April of 1986, an explosion rocks the Soviet Union in more ways than one. A nuclear power plant known as Chernobyl has exploded and from the moment it happened, no one realized exactly how devastating it would all become.

With a cast that stars Jared Harris as scientist Valery Legasov, it is his knowledge of what he saw once called in for his expertise by Boris Shcherbina played by Stellan Skarsgard that is riveting. Adding Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk, another scientist who fills in even more terrifying news that has so far rounded out those in the know about what to do next.

Director Renck doesn’t leave a single thing out in the way of devastation both to the building and the human beings left inside trying to discover how bad it is. Once Legasov and Shcherbina comes together, they are the brain and the mouthpiece that need to convince Mikhail Gorbachev (David Dencik) that action, although late, needs to be swift.

From the moment of the explosion, reality may be in front of the eyes of the crew and firefighters with an almost instant effect, but it is those in charge who fail to accept what is truly happening.

That is another riveting aspect of CHERNOBYL, watching the average citizen slowly become aware that something is seriously wrong and knowing at the same time it is unlikely their government would tell them the truth. One woman who isn’t about to wait around for answers is Lyudmilla Ignatenko (Jessie Buckley), wife of firefighter Vasily (Adam Nagaitis).

There is no doubt that CHERNOBYL does not have happy moments in the first few episodes because there can’t be. In fact what the first few episodes show us is nothing short of a hellish nightmare filled with not only the instant horror but the horror to come for the people living around the plant and other countries in the path of a nuclear cloud.

Harris as Legasov knows immediately what they are up against but also knows that he has a partial gag in being allowed to speak. There is a presence in Harris’ performance that is just short of him wanting to scream out the truth yet has the good sense to tread lightly. That is until its time to not treat lightly. His performance continues to astound me and I can not wait to see the final three episodes.

Skarsgard is one of my favorite actors and in this role he gets a chance to play both sides against the middle. Almost immediately believing Legasov (especially when he sees with his own eyes what has happened at the power plant), Skarsgard takes his character to a dangerous place and that is in making decisions without the direct approval of Gorbachev.

Watson as Ulana comes in before an even larger disaster takes place. She becomes the second scientific voice of reason and both Legasov and Shcherbina trust her immediately. Watson continues to choose roles that are challenging and I enjoy everything she does and CHERNOBYL is brilliant.

The cast is filled with outstanding performances that also include Paul Ritter as Anatoly Dyatlov, Sam Troughton as Aleksandr Akimov, Robert Emms as Leonid Toptunov, Adam Lundgren as Vyacheslav Brazhnik, Karl Davies as Viktor Proskuryakov, Jay Simpson as Valery Perevozchenko, Billy Postlethwaite as Boris Stolyarchuk, and Adrian Rawlins as Nikolai Formin.

Also starring Con O’Neill as Viktor Bryukhanov, Donald Sumpter as Zharkov, Barry Keoghan as Pavel, Ralph Ineson as Nikolai Tarakanov, Mark Jones as Vladimir Pikalov, Alex Ferns as Blukhov, Michael Colgan as Mikhail Shchadov, Alan Williams as Chairman Charkov and David Dencik as Mikhail Gorbachev.

The show is jaw dropping and even heart breaking in the story it tells. When looking for a show that is absolutely worthy of your time, might I suggest you tune in and see for yourself as CHERNOBYL can be seen on HBO.

GENIUS: The Last Chapter from National Geographic

Jeri Jacquin

In a special two-hour presentation from National Geographic on June 20^th at 9/8c is the finale of an amazing story developed by Noah Pink and Kenneth Biller with GENIUS: The Last Chapter.

Albert Einstein (Geoffrey Rush) and wife Elsa (Emily Watson) are settling in America but they constantly are thinking of those they left behind in Europe. Unsettling for Einstein is that scientists in Nazi Germany continue to study the splitting of the atom. He himself continues to work through quantum physics.

That all must be put aside when Elsa becomes ill and Einstein’s life becomes even more complicated. Being rushed by all sides to help with the formula needed for the atomic bomb, Einstein continues to avoid them all. He also becomes emotionally close to Marija Ruzic-Maric (Catherine McCormack) and doesn’t realize that there are two sides to her.

J. Edgar Hoover (T.R. Knight) is one man who wants to see Einstein sent back to Germany. Feeling the scientist humiliated him, it becomes Hoover’s goal to ruin the man. In 1947, scientists come together to try and contain the use of atomic bombs. Einstein doesn’t believe their use can be contained but sees it all as a threat to humanity.

With his lifetime of work, Einstein is brought face to face with an outburst from his son Hans that every member of the family knows he sees them as a burden. To make matters worse, Einstein is outraged when one of their scientists is forced before a committee for communism.

Eleanor Roosevelt brings Einstein before a television audience so that he may give his view on what bombs can do and Hoover becomes outraged. Personal secretary Helene (Emily Laing) is worried about Einstein as his heath begins to wane but his voice to reach out against man’s destruction is what he has left.

When a letter to a judge falls into the hands of Congress, the papers begin to denounce Einstein much to Hoover’s delight. All of the bad press sends the scientist into a sort of quiet seclusions. That is until a young girl named Alice knocks on his door to remind him of how exciting mathematics is and it’s like an awakening for him taking on the unified theory.

Learning of his illness, Helen encourages Einstein to reach out to his son and say the things that needs to be said between the two. It isn’t easy for him but it is a moment shared by father and son never to be forgotten. Albert Einstein would pass away in 1955.

To Einstein, every question must have an answer – and he wanted to find them!

Rush as Einstein is absolutely amazing. He might be one of the smartest men on the planet but he is equally flawed and Rush doesn’t hide that in his performance. From his frustration with his work, to the love of his wife, the constant pressure from the government and believing there was no hope for reuniting with his son – this is a performance that can only be called stunning.

Watson as Elsa is a woman who understands the complexities of her husband. That doesn’t mean she agrees with his behaviors but she forgives him in her own way for it all. McCormack as Marija offers Einstein a chance to love again but his heart gets in the way of the realities.

Laing as Helene is the one constant and steady thing in Einstein’s life and Elsa knew that before she died. She is the backbone of his life and I personally can’t imagine Einstein being able to keep his life going without her. Well done Laing in playing a role that isn’t front and center but is one of the most important in the series.

National Geographic has brought a series that is a must-see for everyone. It is a story about the history of one man yes, but it is also the story of those around him. Knowing that it isn’t easy to being partly responsible for creating the road to destruction but Einstein tries to undue what he can.

GENIUS. The Last Chapter is from Academy Award-Winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard which is thrilling in itself but adding Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush is nothing short of brilliant. Based on the book Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson, there is so much that I never knew about this man. This finale doesn’t leave any stone unturned in telling the life of this complex man.

In the end – he wanted to answer the secrets of the universe!