Waves (film)

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Movie
German title Waves
Original title Waves
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2019
length 137 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
JMK 12
Rod
Director Trey Edward Shults
script Trey Edward Shults
production Kevin Turen ,
James Wilson
music Trent Reznor ,
Atticus Ross
camera Drew Daniels
cut Isaac Hagy ,
Trey Edward Shults
occupation
synchronization

Waves is a romantic drama film directed by Trey Edward Shults that premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019 and was released in US theaters on November 15, 2019. In Germany, the film ran late on July 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .

action

Tyler Williams and his sister Emily live with their father Ronald and stepmother Catherine in a spacious suburban home in South Florida. The 18-year-old is a wrestling star in his high school, is supposed to take part in the state championships and is hoping for a university scholarship. His father, who has so far enabled them to lead a good middle-class life, explains to his son that as African-Americans they cannot afford the luxury of being average.

Actually, everything is going well in Tyler's life. He has his own car and his lovely girlfriend Alexis. After a shoulder injury and as a result of the pressure that is exerted on him not only by his father but also by his team, the young athlete resorts to his father's painkillers, which shakes his seemingly perfect life. Tyler's life becomes even more stressful when his girlfriend Alexis tells him that not only is she pregnant, but that she has decided to keep the baby against his wishes.

Meanwhile, Tyler's sister Emily has fallen in love with his teammate Luke. Together they go on a road trip to visit his dying father

production

Staff and construction

Directed by Trey Edward Shults , who also wrote the script. He divides his film into two clearly defined halves, each with their own love story, first that of Tyler Williams, then that of his sister Emily. Variety's Peter Debruge describes the mid-focus shift as a change as radical as that of the shower scene in Psycho, and for which Shults was inspired by the forked structure of Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express . When Emily emerges from Tyler's shadow, she asserts her place as the film's true protagonist. In particular, this transformation is triggered by a romantic connection with Tyler's white teammate Luke. What begins as a flirt at school leads to a life-changing road trip for the two of them, which they experience as soul mates and inspire their love. This road trip is the heart of the second part of the film. While Tyler lets himself be carried away to a terrible act of violence in the first part, the second part tells of the consequences of the act, as his sister Emily suffers from the loss after her brother's completely inappropriately sentenced and takes refuge in an isolation that Luke has to break through able. It is essentially a film, but it consists of two separate narratives.

Philipp Bühler writes in the Berliner Zeitung that Shults dare to experiment with this approach when he changes the perspective and even the picture format in between and notices: “The second part, which reflects the first in many elements, gives the opportunity to do things again to judge differently, to reassemble this picture of an Afro-American family in your head in a calmer mood. Blacks would have to work ten times more in this white world, the father impressed on the son, in a film for which skin color does not otherwise seem to play a role. "

Cast and filming

Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Tyler Williams in the movie

Sterling K. Brown took on the role of family man Rupert Williams, Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays his 18-year-old son Tyler Williams, and Taylor Russell plays his younger sister Emily. Renée Elise Goldsberry plays Catherine, the extremely patient stepmother of the two who hold the Williams family together. Alexa Demie plays Tyler's girlfriend Alexis, Lucas Hedges plays his teammate Luke, who gets together with Emily.

Filming began on July 9, 2018 in Broward County, Florida. Drew Daniels acted as cameraman, Isaac Hagy as film editors and Trey Edward Shults as director. In the dramatic center of the film, they narrow the image format to visualize the increasing pressure on Tyler.

Film music and publication

The film music was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross . In addition to their synth soundtrack, songs by Frank Ocean , Animal Collective and Kendrick Lamar are used in the film. What a Diff'rence a Day Makes by Dinah Washington appears in both parts of the film. An album with 14 songs was released in December 2019.

The film premiered on August 30, 2019 at the Telluride Film Festival . From September 10, 2019 it was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations. It was released in US cinemas on November 15, 2019. A cinema release in Germany and Austria was planned for March 19, 2020. However, the date in Germany was postponed to July 16, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Focus Features and Universal Pictures secured the international rights to the film from A24.

reception

Age rating

In the USA, the film received an R rating from the MPAA , which corresponds to a rating of 17 and over. In Germany, the film was approved by the FSK from the age of 12. Tim Lindemann from epd Film comments on this, even if Waves is likely to offer a little too much lard, too much music, too many visual and narrative gimmicks for most over 25-year-olds, the teenage melodrama could prove to be for young film fans of Generation Z as prove to be an effective gateway drug into the world of ambitious, creative cinema.

Reviews and grossing results

The film convinced 85 percent of the critics at Rotten Tomatoes by February 2020 and received an average rating of 7.8 out of a possible 10 points.

Peter Debruge from Variety writes that the film, which is set in South Florida, is not that far removed from the microcosm that Barry Jenkins illuminated in Moonlight , although the social class and the characters' possibilities are different, and it is a successful one Try to capture the love within a family in the United States and the pressures on family members, in this case African American. For Trey Edward Shults , who is white, this means projecting such experiences beyond oneself in order to capture all that is universal and unique about his four central figures. With its four main actors and an extremely innovative design, the film can be understood intuitively by the viewer and immersed in the lives of its characters in such a way that details are revealed that make the Williams family so real and into which the viewer can empathize. Waves also rejects the reductive concept of good and bad that is so often used in films, Debruge continued. Rather, it is about forgiveness and acceptance in their many forms and about the fact that our parents and siblings, even if they may not be perfect, are sometimes the only support we have. Shults shows how important the family is to him, which was the core of all three films he has made to date.

The second half of the film focuses on Tyler's sister Emily, played by Taylor Russell

Bert Rebhandl from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also describes the location and the basic theme, African-American masculinity on the verge of destructiveness, similar to Moonlight . The determining motive in Waves is the question of how in Afro-American families the compensation for past or in part not even past discrimination tends to become tragic as overcompensation, according to Rebhandl.

Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist writes that the pain the characters feel is portrayed in ways that feel incredibly real by every single actor including Kelvin Harrison Jr. , Taylor Russell , Sterling K. Brown and Renée Elise Goldsberry . It is rare that so many ensemble members reach this point, but this line-up really gives everything. However, their appearances are often overshadowed by Shult's high stylistic ambitions. Ellwood also notices the work of cameraman Drew Daniels , who uses flashing party lamps or police cars to fully illuminate scenes even when the light sources are far outside the image detail shown. There are a number of impressively long one-shot sequences in which Shults follows a character, mostly Tyler, through an entire building or area. Ellwood describes this type of recording as if Terrence Malick wanted to direct contemporary music videos in which he uses the first fixed recordings only after a good 20 minutes or more. This aesthetic is supported by the electronic soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross , as well as by a plethora of tracks from Radiohead , Frank Ocean , Animal Collective and Kendrick Lamar that kept heating up the film. The overall result is stunning, but can sometimes be dizzying and too obvious for storytelling .

Knut Elstermann from MDR Kultur writes that Shults shot a formally brilliant film in which the circling camera and the shimmering lights represent the characters' loss of control. Above all, however, he succeeds in telling his fantastic cast of actors about the complexity of a family under enormous tension and about destructive images of masculinity. Quite subliminally, it is also about the consequences of daily racism , which first created this great pressure to perform in the family. Elstermann sums up that one can only ponder why such an innovative, in every respect overwhelming work did not receive a single Oscar nomination in 2020: “How can an entire academy sleep through such an event? The German cinema audience should definitely be wide awake and not miss this film. "

Tim Lindemann from epd Film writes that Waves overwhelms from the start with its downright intoxicating appearance, when the camera glides with gentle movements through a world of rich, exaggerated colors, which the attractive actors in their luxurious upper-middle-class cosmos and the Palm-fringed beaches caress Florida. In comparing the two halves of the film, Lindemann says that while the first half of this cinematic diptych is characterized by “teenage fear” and the constant pressure to prove one's worth, Emily's storyline is a meditation on accepting the hard facts in life.

For the Spiegel reviewer, Shult is recommended with his third film as a “courageous director” who wants to tell emotions in the cinema in a pop-culture expressive way. The impact is "so rousing that you can easily forgive his sometimes great pathos".

The film grossed around two million US dollars.

Use in class

The online portal kinofenster.de recommends the film from the 10th grade for the subjects English, German , social studies / community studies, ethics and art and offers materials for the film for the classroom. There Jan-Philipp Kohlmann writes that dramaturgical aspects such as tension build-up and episodic structure as well as image design aspects should be the focus of the mediation. Above all, the film offers points of contact for art and English lessons. Thematically, the drama touches on questions about guilt, grief and family cohesion. As an exception in US cinema, Waves also appears in the fact that the film tells of the Afro-American middle class and negotiates the specific "black experience" as part, but not as the center, of its complex characters.

Awards

At the 2020 Academy Awards , the film was shortlisted in the Best Film Music category . Below is a selection of other awards and nominations.

African-American Film Critics Association Awards 2019

  • Award in the category Best Breakout Performance ( Kelvin Harrison Jr.)
  • We See You Award ( Taylor Russell )
  • Inclusion in the 10 Best Films of 2019

Black Reel Awards 2020

  • Nomination for best film
  • Nomination for Best Actor (Kelvin Harrison Jr.)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actor ( Sterling K. Brown )
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Taylor Russell)
  • Nomination for Best Young Actress (Taylor Russell)
  • Nomination for Best Young Actor (Kelvin Harrison Jr.)
  • Nomination for Best Ensemble ( Avy Kaufman )
  • Nomination for the best film music ( Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross )
  • Nomination for Best Cinematography ( Drew Daniels )

Gotham Awards 2019

Hamptons International Film Festival 2019

Hollywood Critics Association Awards 2020

  • Nomination for best film
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Taylor Russell)
  • Award for Best Young Actor (Kelvin Harrison Jr.)
  • Nomination for Best Young Actress (Taylor Russell)
  • Nomination for the best cast
  • Award for Best Independent Film (shared with The Farewell )
  • Nomination for Best Cinematography (Drew Daniel)
  • Nomination for the best film music (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Independent Spirit Awards 2020

National Board of Review Awards 2019

NAACP Image Awards 2020

Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020

  • Received the Virtuoso Award (Taylor Russell)

synchronization

The German dubbing was based on a dialogue book and dialogue direction by Hannes Maurer on behalf of Interopa Film GmbH , Berlin.

actor Voice actor role
Taylor Russell Clara Drews Emily
Renée Elise Goldsberry Sanam Afrashteh Catherine

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for Waves . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 197766 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ Age rating for waves . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ a b c d Peter Debruge: Telluride Film Review: 'Waves'. In: Variety, August 30, 2019.
  4. ↑ Sheri Linden: 'Waves': Film Review. In: The Hollywood Reporter, August 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ a b c d e Tim Lindemann: Critique of Waves. In: epd Film, February 21, 2020.
  6. ↑ a b Knut Elstermann: Waves - A masterpiece that was overlooked at the 2020 Oscars. In: MDR Kultur, July 16, 2020.
  7. ^ A b c Jan-Philipp Kohlmann: Waves. In: kinofenster.de. 15th July 2020.
  8. ↑ a b Gregory Ellwood: 'Waves': An Impressive Ensemble Bare Their Souls In Trey Edward Shults' Unwieldy Ambitious Drama. In: The Playlist, August 31, 2019.
  9. ↑ Philipp Bühler: When the iconoclasm implodes. In: Berliner Zeitung, July 15, 2020.
  10. ↑ http://www.projectcasting.com/casting-calls-acting-auditions/trey-edward-shults-new-movie-waves-open-casting-call/
  11. ↑ Alex Young: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross reveal new film score for Waves: Stream. In: December 14, 2019.
  12. ↑ Gregory Ellwood: Telluride 2019: 'Ford v. Ferrari ',' Judy '&' Uncut Gems' Are Official World Premieres. In: theplaylist.net, August 29, 2019.
  13. ↑ Waves. In: tiff.net. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  14. ↑ Start dates in Germany. In: insidekino.com. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  15. ↑ Waves. In: uncut.at. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  16. ↑ a b waves of fate. In: Der Spiegel. July 11, 2020, p. 116.
  17. ↑ Jeremy Kay: Focus Features acquires international rights to TIFF selection 'Waves'. In: screendaily.com, September 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ Patrick Hipes: A24's 'Waves' To Roll Overseas In Deal With Focus Features And Universal. In: deadline.com, September 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ a b Waves. In: boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  20. ↑ Waves. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  21. ↑ Bert Rebhandl: Children's views on Nazis. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, September 17, 2019.
  22. ↑ Erik Anderson: 2020 Oscar Predictions: The Shortlists. In: awardswatch.com, December 15, 2019.
  23. ↑ Abid Rahman: Jordan Peele's 'Us' Named Best Film by the African-American Film Critics Association. In: The Hollywood Reporter, December 10, 2019.
  24. ^ Wilson Morales: 20th Annual Black Reel Awards - Nominees Announced. In: blackfilm.com, December 11, 2019.
  25. ^ 'Marriage Story' Sweeps Gotham Awards; Full winners list. In: The Hollywood Reporter, December 2, 2019.
  26. ↑ HIFF27 Award Winners. In: hamptonsfilmfest.org. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  27. ↑ Karen M. Peterson: LAOFCS Announces New Name and 2019 Nominations. In: awardscircuit.com, November 25, 2019.
  28. ↑ Joey Nolfi: Uncut Gems, Lighthouse lead 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations. In: Entertainment Weekly, November 21, 2019.
  29. ↑ Marianne Garvey: National Board of Review names 'The Irishman' best film of 2019. In: cnn.com, December 4, 2019.
  30. ↑ Erik Anderson: 2020 NAACP Awards: Billy Porter, Lizzo, Regina King, Angela Bassett up for Entertainer of the Year. In: awardswatch.com, January 9, 2020.
  31. ↑ Waves. In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing file , accessed on July 22, 2020 .