Coming Attractions are devoted to soon-to-be released films or those available on Video on Demand.
Here and Now
2018
By Paulette Reynolds
November 19, 2018
Director: Fabien Constant
Screenplay: Laura Eason
Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe
Paramount Pictures
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker/Vivienne, Simon Baker/Nick, Jacqueline Bisset/Jeanne, Renee Zellweger/Tessa, Waleed Zuaiter/Sami, Common/Ben, Gus Birney/Lucey
2018
By Paulette Reynolds
November 19, 2018
Director: Fabien Constant
Screenplay: Laura Eason
Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe
Paramount Pictures
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker/Vivienne, Simon Baker/Nick, Jacqueline Bisset/Jeanne, Renee Zellweger/Tessa, Waleed Zuaiter/Sami, Common/Ben, Gus Birney/Lucey
Professional chanteuse Vivienne learns that she has a terminal illness. She attempts to go through the day as though nothing has happened, but finds herself wandering aimlessly around the streets of New York. Everyone seems lost in their own world, from the Lyft driver to her family and friends, and even strangers on the street are happily engaged in their own pursuits.
If Here and Now feels familiar, that's because it's an attempt to honor Agnès Varda's 1962 classic New Wave film, Cléo from 5 to 7. Unfortunately, comedienne Sarah Jessica Parker is no Corinne Marchand and the homage is impossible to accept due to her listless performance. Ms. Parker's forte is comedy - State and Main, The First Wives Club, Sex and the City - but here she strikes the major discordant note as Laura Eason's Vivienne.
This false chord extends to the unlikely relationship between Parker and Jacqueline Bisset, who plays her mother, Jeanne. Watching the luminous Bisset share creative space with a miscast Parker leads to the inevitable conclusion - that the producers missed the obvious choice for Vivienne in Bisset.
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This indie film strains to be something that it isn't, struggling to reach for dramatic heights but flatlining amid the odd casting of Parker, Simon Baker, Common and Renee Zellweger. Only Waleed Zuaiter and Gus Birney are there to give a much-needed boost with their remarkable moments as Sami and Lucey.
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But see Here and Now for the notable set designs, especially Vivienne's apartment, which is constructed to reflect her chaotic life, via the artwork and furnishings. And New York's urban landscape sparkles with splashes of color, light and composition, thanks to the cinematography of Javier Aguirresarobe.
Yet Sarah Jessica Parker does manage to redeem herself with a beautifully done solo...so maybe it's time for her to return to her Broadway roots in a musical?
Yet Sarah Jessica Parker does manage to redeem herself with a beautifully done solo...so maybe it's time for her to return to her Broadway roots in a musical?
COPYRIGHT 2012/2018. Paulette Reynolds. All CineMata Movie Madness blog articles, reviews, faux interviews, commentary, and the Cine Mata character are under the sole ownership of Paulette Reynolds. All intellectual and creative rights reserved.
