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  • Movie Review: ‘Origin’

    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Expanding to wide release in theaters on January 19th is the latest entry from writer/director Ava DuVernay (‘Selma,’ ‘A Wrinkle In Time’) entitled ‘Origin,’ which examines Isabel Wilkerson’s book ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent’ and the author’s journey to find the connection between the Nazi’s persecution of the Jewish people, racism in America, and the caste system in India.

    Related Article: Director Ava DuVernay and Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Talk ‘Origin’

    Initial Thoughts

    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Ava DuVernay has a way of retelling true life events in such a way that makes it feel raw and visceral, putting the audience in that exact moment in time. From seeing Isabel Wilkerson’s personal life – her losses and grief, her journey of finding the connection between the persecution of Jews, the caste system in India, and racism in America, and finally publishing her book.

    DuVernay’s take on telling the story of Wilkerson and ‘Caste’ is thought provoking and complex. The movie’s structure is quite interesting, starting off in a bio-pic style drama with Wilkerson’s personal life and what eventually motivates her to pen ‘Caste,’ and then taking on an expositionary style as Wilkerson breaks down the main points and topics of her book, utilizing extended flashback scenes in history.

    At times, it feels like there are three movies playing at once, but in the end, it all connects beautifully.

    Story and Direction

    Ava DuVernay on the set of 'Origin.'
    (Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    ‘Origin’ is written and directed by Ava DuVernay. It explores Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson and her deeply personal journey as she begins writing her book ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents’

    The movie is a blend of a drama and narrative essay, with the first act focusing on Isabel Wilkerson’s (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) personal life. Setting up the background of her work as a writer, and gives the audience an inside look at her family life with her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal), her mother Ruby (Emily Yancy), and her cousin Marion (Niecy Nash).

    Shortly after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, Isabel’s editor Amari Selvan (Blair Underwood) implores her to do a story on his case and asks her to look into the 911 call that was released. Reluctant at first, Isabel ends up listening to the 911 call, realizing there’s more to the story than just the killing of a Black teenager due to racism. In searching for something deeper, Isabel sets off on a global journey to find the connection between racism in America, the Holocaust, and the social hierarchy in India.

    Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Throughout Isabel’s research, there are extended scenes flashing back to that exact moment in time – a German man falling in love with a Jewish woman and then forced apart by the Nazis, the Jim Crow era in America, and the treatment of Dalits in India.

    Later, as Isabel completes her book, it becomes a narrative essay taking the audience through the chapters of the book.

    The pacing of this movie is at times uneven and may have to do with going back and forth between seeing Isabel’s family life to extended re-enactment scenes that reflect a certain point in history or a topic in Wilkerson’s research. However, this does not discount the importance of each flashback scene, as they give more color to Isabel’s research.

    Performances

    Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    (L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (‘The Color Purple,’ ‘King Richard’) as Isabel Wilkerson was the perfect choice. She played each emotion and reaction – big or small – with such nuance and authenticity. Watching Isabel’s life slowly fall apart throughout the movie as she suffers the loss of family members and Ellis-Taylor’s heartbreaking performance in those moments will surely stir up the emotions of the audience.

    Alongside Ellis-Taylor, co-stars Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash, Emily Yancy, and Audra McDonald also delivered stellar performances despite their brief screen time.

    Final Thoughts

    Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    (L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    DuVernay’s ambitious film carries a very important message and will certainly start conversations on the topic of racism and social hierarchy. While the structure of the film is unconventional and uneven at times, it does its best to present Isabel’s journey of research, every historical event, and its outcome. Everything does come together beautifully in the end.

    ‘Origin’’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Origin’?

    Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.’

    Who is in the cast of ‘Origin’?

    Ava DuVernay on the set of 'Origin.'
    (Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Other Ava DuVernay Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Origins’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Ava DuVernay Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Origin’ Interview: Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

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    Opening in theaters in limited release on December 8th and opening wide on January 19th is ‘Origin,’ which stars Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (‘King Richard’), Jon Bernthal (‘Ford v Ferrari’) and Niecy Nash-Betts (‘Downsizing’) and was written and directed by Ava DuVernay (‘Selma’).

    Director Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk 'Origin.'
    (L to R) Director Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor talk ‘Origin.’

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor about their work on ‘Origin,’ the challenges of adapting the book, casting, Ellis-Taylor’s performance, and her experience working with DuVernay.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with DuVernay and Ellis-Taylor, as well as Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nach-Betts.

    Ava DuVernay on the set of 'Origin.'
    (Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Ava, can you talk about the challenges of adapting this book into a film, and was the key for you making the author the main character?

    Ava DuVernay: Yes. Once I understood that I could have the main character of this be this swashbuckling, intellectual adventurer, known as Isabel Wilkerson, played by the great Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the film kind of came together and came to life for me. That I could share the ideas in the book by going through this dynamic character, and that unlocked everything for me as a screenwriter.

    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    MF: Aunjanue, can you talk about having the opportunity to play a character like this, and what were some of the aspects of the character you were excited to explore on screen?

    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: Well, one of my first conversations with Ava was that she wanted to explore the interior life of a black woman. I was just so excited about dramatizing the mind of a black woman genius. I thought that was rare and unique, at least in the landscape of American filmmaking. I was just excited about that prospect.

    ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ will see Jon Bernthal back as The Punisher

    Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    (L to R) Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    MF: Ava, can you talk about casting and having the opportunity to work with these accomplished actors on set?

    AD: Well, it was fantastic. I mean, the chemistry between Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Jon Bernthal was so palpable, so off the charts. As we were watching, I felt like these two people were in each other’s lives, and they would always be, whether they were physically present and had a beating heart or whether one of them would’ve passed away. The connection was so strong. That’s so much of what we needed to achieve in this, because that is the way that Isabel Wilkerson had shared that she felt, as I was researching and interviewing her over the two-year period of writing it. That connection with her husband, with Brett, was so real that we needed to have actors that conjured that. Aunjanue and Jon did. Also, Niecy Nash-Betts, the connection between Isabel and Marion, that sisterhood, that friendship, that pushing, and that protection. The actors were extraordinary. So many other folks came in to help us for a day, Nick Offerman, Audra McDonald, Vera Farmiga, Blair Underwood. It was an embarrassment of riches. It was a true delight to work with them all.

    Ava DuVernay on the set of 'Origin.'
    (Center) Ava DuVernay on the set of ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    MF: Finally, Aunjanue, what is it like being on an Ava DuVernay set? What was the experience of collaborating with her on set like for you?

    AET: Listen, what I love about Ava’s process as a director is that she wants you to experience things live and in real time. I’m laughing because walking across the intersection in New Delhi, how many directions was traffic coming from? Six, eight? A lot of cars coming at you at one time. I had to walk across the street, and that was happening in real time. There were times where the light made it easy, and the light didn’t make it easy. The camera was behind us or in front of us. I was just so exhilarated by that. It was so dangerous, but I was like, “I am a stunt woman right now.” That’s what it’s like with her. When you see those officers, those Nazi officers in that plaza, in that square, that’s real. That’s not CGI. That’s real. That’s her vision. That’s what makes her separate, singular, and apart. That’s what it’s like.

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    What is the plot of ‘Origin’?

    Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes ‘Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.’

    Who is in the cast of ‘Origin’?

    • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson
    • Jon Bernthal as Brett Hamilton
    • Niecy Nash-Betts as Marion Wilkerson
    • Emily Yancy as Ruby Wilkerson
    • Finn Wittrock as August Landmesser
    • Victoria Pedretti as Irma Eckler
    • Jasmine Cephas Jones as Elizabeth Davis
    • Vera Farmiga as Kate
    • Audra McDonald as Miss Hale
    • Connie Nielsen as Sabine
    • Blair Underwood as Amari Selvan
    • Nick Offerman as Dave the Plumber
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay's 'Origin.'
    Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in director Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin.’ Photo: Neon.

    Other Ava DuVernay Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Origins’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Ava DuVernay Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘Green Lantern’ TV Series Being Redeveloped

    Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics.
    Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo courtesy of DC.Fandom.com.

    It’s (almost) all change for the DC Comics-based ‘Green Lantern’ show that had been moving forward at HBO Max. Though it had gotten to the point of casting Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock in the lead roles, the series is headed back to the drawing board with a new take.

    Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.

    It also represented movement on representation, with Scott, whose comic book character is openly gay these days bringing that across to the show.

    The concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.

    Greg Berlanti, who has had a hand in pretty much every DC TV series (and a whole host of others) – and who was one of the writers on the 2011 Ryan Reynolds-starring movie – was producing the show via his Berlanti Productions.

    While Berlanti is staying aboard, the changes mean that Grahame-Smith is departing the show, despite having written eight scripts already and overseen the casting process for Wittrock and Irvine.

    Jeremy Irvine in Steven Spielberg's 'War Horse.'
    Jeremy Irvine in Steven Spielberg’s ‘War Horse.’ Photo: Andrew Cooper, SMPSP. ©DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

    No new creative team has been appointed for the series, but the budget will apparently be less and the focus will instead be on John Stewart, the first Black iteration of the Lantern character. His version was introduced in the 1970s and used Sidney Poitier as its inspiration.

    The history of the Lantern on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. The Reynolds movie didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.

    Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern – John Stewart – in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.

    Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a cost-cutting binge of late, cancelling movies and in-the-works TV series all over the place, including ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Wonder Twins’. Since the merger with Discovery, new company chief David Zaslav has announced it is taking billions in tax write-downs as it reduces budgets and reverses decisions.

    ‘Green Lantern’ will now be a much smaller and cheaper series, which and though it was supposed to shoot last year, is now back in development and much further from any eventual release date.

    The Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics.
    The Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo courtesy of DC.com.
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  • Amanda Seyfried on making ‘A Mouthful of Air’

    Amanda Seyfried on making ‘A Mouthful of Air’

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    In ‘A Mouthful of Air’ Amanda Seyfried plays Julie, a woman struggling with severe depression. Finn Wittrock plays her husband Ethan, and both actors spoke to Moviefone about their new film.

    Moviefone: What discussions, Amanda, did you have with director-writer, Amy Koppelman about this movie and your character?

    Amanda Seyfried: We had met about a year and a half before we made the movie, and we just talked about… The script was in its kind of first, second draft, and we talked about kind of collaborating on our own experiences, to add to Julie’s world, to kind of create a more 3-D Amy, Amanda version of Julie. So that was interesting. It was a really interesting process, because I’ve never been able to do that and have that much to say, that much perspective to give to a story. It was interesting and cathartic and also just powerful for me because I felt… By the time we got to set, it was something that I really deeply understood, even though I’m not Julie, and I’m not going through what Julie’s going through. There are some aspects that are very much me, mean very much Amy. So that was interesting, and it made for a more, a deeper experience, which you don’t get so often, especially with low-budget movies and not when you don’t have enough time in a movie.

    MF: I think it was going to be confusing for people who don’t suffer from depression, who has never experienced it within themselves or with a loved one because from the outside, Julie seems like she has this great life. I mean, beautiful kids, a wonderful loving husband, a great career, yet she struggles.

    Seyfried: That’s what’s so important is that it is so jarring as someone, I mean, who knows many people, especially people in my family who have suffered from actual depression. I have not. You can’t ask someone to think differently. You can’t show somebody their life and say, “Look at your life”, because the illness, the disease itself is preventing you from being able to see clearly at them, and that’s the thing, you feel any mental illness, I know in my experience, I feel so alone because I feel like I’m the only one in the world suffering and the truth is so many people are. In this country, especially, we don’t have the right healthcare yet, but infrastructure that we will one day, I think. It’s just, you got to show that contrast because it’s jarring.

    How could you be so unhappy, so sad, so self-loathing, if this is your life? It’s just… That’s the disease and that’s why we have to take it seriously and that’s why we have to shine a light on it because there is a stigma attached to mental health, that there isn’t with cancer and there isn’t with other diseases, you have kidney disease, you can see it, but here this is in your brain. This is something that is not so physical, but it is, and so I think that’s why we’re lacking.

    Amanda Seyfried & Finn Wittrock in 'A Mouthful of Air'
    Amanda Seyfried & Finn Wittrock in ‘A Mouthful of Air’

    MF: And Finn, how does this affect your friends, your family, and everybody around you?

    Finn Wittrock: Yeah, I think Ethan kind of represents the loved ones who are kind of stranded or left behind or just left in the dark about what’s going on inside of someone who’s suffering. I think the point of having a good relationship between them and having actual real love there was to show how powerful and insidious the illness can be. There’s no easy way to point to she’s like this because her husband isn’t nice to her. You can’t create such an easy paradigm and so it makes it more mysterious and more complicated, and I think that’s kind of the point, really.

    Seyfried: Yeah.

    MF: And what is Ethan actually, what is his reaction? Because it’s also very hard on him.

    Wittrock: Yeah. I think it’s very lonely. There’s so much, she needs so much. He’s trying to give her what she needs but at the same time, because of that, he feels she’s so fragile that he can’t really ask for anything for himself. So it kind of becomes a one way street, kind of in a sad way.

    Seyfried: He’s so patient and so devoted, but at the same time, he can’t reach her anymore and that’s a whole other experience.

    Wittrock: I think he’s a guy who’s always thought he could fix stuff, he could make it okay, and now he’s finding himself sort of lost in the midst of this.

    ‘A Mouthful of Air’ is now in theaters.

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