The film that details former Houston Ballet star Li Cunxin's amazing life was a winner at the box office last weekend. While no Inception, it drew one of the biggest responses ever at the venerable River Oaks Theatre, with advance online ticket sales exceeding 50 percent capacity. The previous leader in advance ticket sales was Brokeback Mountain, at 2.6 percent capacity.
Samuel Goldwyn Films and ATO Pictures are so pleased with the Houston response that they have added another screen at Cinemark at Market Street in The Woodlands. Nationwide, they have doubled the number of screens showing the movie to 70.
To become breakout hits, small films like Dancer have to be nutured. They depend on word of mouth for success.
Besides the gripping story of Li's journey from rural China to ballet greatness in Texas and Australia, the movie is fun for Houstonians to watch and note various locales. Exteriors of Miller Outdoor Theater and the Wortham Theater Center figure prominently in the movie, although other exteriors and most of the interiors were shot in Australia — hence Li's apartment is in a "hilly" section of Houston and the Chinese consulate looks nothing like the Montrose building.
The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.
Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.
An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.
Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.
Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.
There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.
Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.
Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.
Chi Cao as Li Cunxin and Camilla Vergotis as Mary McKendry in "Mao's LastDancer"
Bruce Greenwood, left, as Ben Stevenson and Camilla Vergotis as Mary McKendry.Greenwood steals the movie with his portrayal of Stevenson.