Shiva Baby, Gentefied, and gender and breakout stars
Mourning bagels and gentrification tacos, plus Hot Duke news
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss the new film Shiva Baby and the series Gentefied, both about (in a way!) power, money, and who has those things.
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02:25 Shiva Baby, available in some theaters and on demand, is about a college student/sugar baby stuck in a claustrophobic limbo at a shiva.
This short-turned-feature film stars Rachel Sennott (who you might know from Twitter) as Danielle, who is stuck attending a shiva (a Jewish weeklong mourning ritual after a death, beginning immediately after the funeral) with her loving-but-overbearing parents, her ex, her sugar daddy, her sugar daddy’s wife and baby, and a whole bunch of nosy, gossiping relatives and family friends — a scenario that might, give or take a few elements, be very familiar to many people of various ethnic/cultural/religious backgrounds!
The film deals in cringe, awkwardness, and tension — think Uncut Gems but not nearly as heart-palpitatingly manic — but not at the expense of humor or pathos or depth. It’s a funny film, and one that tries to get at vulnerability and what “power” looks like in this limbo stage between being a kid and pretending to be an adult. The way the film accomplishes some of that through its tight framing and strict physical confines is well done. It’s a great debut for young filmmaker Emma Seligman!
22:17 Gentefied, streaming on Netflix, is about three cousins and a grandpa trying to balance their dreams and their community in LA.
The characters are what make the series. They start out a little one-note, more like stand-ins for issues than fleshed-out human beings, but they develop nicely over the course of the first season (there will be a second season!). There’s Erik, a family-oriented tough guy with a soft side; Chris, an ambitious chef who gets derided as a “coconut”; Ana, a queer artist who struggles to balance her art, her girlfriend, and her family; and “Pops,” their immigrant grandfather who owns a taco shop in need of financial help.
This show is also worth watching for how it tries to talk about gentrification: earnestly, if a bit broadly, laying out the interclass, intergenerational, interpersonal conflict that can affect a community undergoing change — both wanted and unwanted. One of the most poignant storylines concerns Ana and the pain she feels as her desire to paint and celebrate queer brown love is at odds with some people within her own community, including a shopkeeper who just wants to keep her livelihood. (There’s also the real-life question of if shows like this and Vida contribute to gentrification, or at least profit off it. )
37:27 Plus, culture notes about Regé-Jean Page’s departure from Bridgerton, and more broadly, about the rise of the romantic male breakout star compared to their female counterparts.
After one season, goodbye to the hot duke!
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” Page says, recounting early conversations with Shondaland producers, who approached him about the role of Simon after “For the People” wrapped up. “[I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”
Bonus links
Godzilla vs. Kong:
The trailer for Zola is really… wow… (featuring: COUSIN GREG!)
Reading material:
A cool story about the sole resident (and burger chef) in America’s smallest small town.
That’s it for this week. Bye!
— Jenny
P.S. Next week we have a special guest, Alison Herman of the Ringer!!!! She’ll be on to talk Made for Love on HBO, so start watching, folks!!!
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Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to criticismisdead@gmail.com.
Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu