“College students…they’re all a bunch of little Mussolini’s.” Paul (Kyle Chandler)
The recent impressive allegories Civil War and One Battle After another try hard not to take political sides about the impact of autocracy on daily lives. Yet these dystopian allegories help usher in Anniversary, a more Jordan- Peele-like treatment, slowly exposing the divide in one almost clueless inside-the-Beltway academic family. Although such a setting and film as art form cry liberal, that posture is challenged even within and not always clear who is the winner.
Ellen and Paul Taylor (Diane Lane and Chandler) are prominent DC academic and restaurateur respectfully, she steadfastly supporting the rule of law and human rights, though sometimes MAGA seems to creep in silently to oppos her. Their future daughter-in-law Liz (Phoebe Dynevor) has published a right-leaning tome CHANGE that extols single party governance and decidedly fascist law enforcement.
Her former professor, Ellen, and she renew their ideologically-opposed stances, threatening the dinner and the family with hitherto self- banned political discussion. Most Americans can identify with the restrictions called for at, say, Thanksgiving dinners. Just so for the Taylors though Liz’s breakout publication cannot be denied. When she is asked to visiting lecture at Ellen’s Georgetown University, the gloves come off.
The destruction of family peace is apace with each passing day, Liz’s pregnancy, and Polish co-writer/ director Jan Komasa’s steady hand at distributing the exposition to keep the aud engaged while dropping jaws at fate and autocracy take over. The encroachment of intolerance into daily lives along with compromising principles creates a thriller atmosphere that heretofore would have been only abstract.
The evolving movement from CHANGE leads to weaponized census and curfews, among the other scary enforcements. Thanksgiving dinner is no longer neutral, and it is doomed to the dustbin of American dreams:
“Oh, how we’ll miss those ‘turkey and (Native American) genocide.’”
Perfect timing and perfect film for our Thanksgiving holiday. Civil discussion may ensue after viewing—no one will be neutral. Anniversary is a thriller in the true sense of the drama.
Anniversary
Director: Jan Komasa (Suicide Room)
Screenplay: Komasa, Lori Rosene-Gambino (The Murderer Among Us)
Cast: Diane Lane (Under the Tuscan Sun), Kyle Chandler (Manchester by the Sea)
Rating: R
Length:1h 52m
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts NPR’s It’s Movie Time and Cinema Classics as well as podcasts Back Talk and Double Take (recently listed by Feedspot as two of the ten best NPR Movie Podcasts) out of WCBE 90.5 FM, Columbus, Ohio.Contact him at JohnDeSando52@gmail.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000243/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_3_1