TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW of LUCE | Julius Ohna’s third feature film, Luce, opens with the title character, played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr., giving a speech in his high school auditorium. He is witty, engaging, and inspirational; he rarely loses the wide smile—which, we soon learn, rarely reaches his eyes. A child soldier in Eritrea, he was adopted at age seven by what appears to be a loving couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth), and he symbolizes everyone’s dream. Through intensive therapy, trauma treatment, and his supportive family, he is considered “cured.” A valedictorian, athlete, and popular student, he not only validates his parents’ efforts as rescuers but demonstrates that a young Black man with an incomprehensibly violent early life can become a super achiever, and set an example for others.

At least this was the hope of his history teacher (Octavia Spencer), a stern disciplinarian whose vision is shaken when Luce submits an unsettling homework assignment. The class had been asked to adapt the voice of a historical figure, and Luce chose revolutionary philosopher Frantz Fanon.

His teacher, disturbed by the advocacy of violence expressed in the paper, searches his locker, where she finds a bag of fireworks. I found this plot device to be problematic because Fanon seems a legitimate choice, and, as Luce points out, he fulfilled an assignment. It is also hard to fathom locker searches were not in violation of school policy. Because of her high hopes for Luce, she does not immediately report him to the principal, and instead contacts his family.

Despite some holes in the storyline, we reach the understanding that everyone in Luce’s life has a personal agenda and desperately needs him to fulfill the dreams they have set for him, and for themselves. His father, it is revealed, was never really on board with devoting years of his life to the rehabilitation of a severely damaged child. His mother cannot bear to imagine that, despite her fierce devotion, she has failed. When the principal is eventually informed of the goings-on, his primary objective is to maintain the school’s reputation as an inclusive, tolerant institution, and to secure Luce’s future.

Does anyone really see or listen to Luce? Despite some of the script’s weaknesses, there is an authenticity to the performances and several difficult questions are raised. Can severe trauma ever truly heal, and, even if the care is high level, can it be truly effective in a culture so foreign to his experiences? Does he need the same survival skills he must have learned in early childhood to navigate his white suburban home and upper middle class environment?

In a second speech, there are tears in Luce’s eyes as he tries to maintain the smile, stating, “The first time I met my mom, she couldn’t pronounce my name. She couldn’t get all the syllables right. So, my dad changed it. Luce means light.”

Luce means light to his champions and saviors. Easier to rebrand than to struggle to learn the difficult syllables in his life.

–Runtime: 109 minutes

–Directed by Julius Onah

–Screenwriters: JC Lee, Julius Onah

–Thurs., 5/2 at Regal Cinemas Battery Park; 12:15pm, Sat., 5/4 at Village East Cinema

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW of PEARL | Swiss director Elsa Amiel’s first feature, Pearl, is an intimate look at the world of female bodybuilding, revealed through a fictional narrative. It begins three days before an important international championship. The main character, Léa Pearl, is played by Julia Föry, a non-professional actress and an authentic bodybuilder. In tight close-ups, she pushes herself beyond levels of endurance incomprehensible to the general population. Under the supervision of her trainer/manager, played by seasoned actor Peter Mullan, her grueling routine includes a strict diet and a regimen of pills that we can draw our own assumptions about. While it is not clear whether an overt sexual relationship is involved, he exhibits dominance over every aspect of her body, and controls every minute of her time. He speaks harshly and does not support or encourage her on an emotional level.

In the course of her preparation, her ex-husband, Ben (Arieh Worthater) shows up with the six-year-old son she abandoned and barely knows, causing her to confront her past. He has tracked her down so he can pursue one of his unsuccessful get rich quick schemes and needs to leave their son with her. One of the first things he says to her upon meeting after several years is, “You’re so big.” During another exchange, she utters the lines that most succinctly sum up her life: “I’m not the woman you knew. I’ve changed. Now I’m this body.” Léa has not only defied society’s norms by leaving her child, she has chosen a world where the body is king, and where she is likely to be regarded by the public as a monster.

The film does not explore why the character left her family to pursue this specific lifestyle. In interviews, the director stated that it is the story of a woman who had never wanted motherhood and “who’s trying to find herself through metamorphosis.”

The character struggles throughout the three days with her personal reconciliation. There are three pivotal male characters: her dominating trainer, the ex-husband, and her son, Joseph, a wise-beyond-his-years child actor, Vidal Arzoni. He explains in a matter-of-fact tone his lifestyle of hunger and living in cars. Size matters in this film, and as a child he is treated as harshly as she is by her trainer. He nonetheless projects a sweetness that makes the abuse especially difficult to watch. As she begins to react to his needs and to tentatively bond with him, a physical instinct to protect comes into play.

Although we know that the film is fiction, there is a documentary feeling to it, due to the utilization of bodybuilders in small parts and as extras, and to the director’s point of view on bodybuilding. It is important to the film that the humanity and the suffering endured in order to reach physical goals are emphasized, augmented by a rich soundtrack and original music by Fred Avril. Föry impressively holds her own in her film debut, further validating the director’s vision. All in all, an intimate look at a little-known world.

–Runtime: 80 minutes

–Directed by Elsa Amiel

–Final festival screening: Thurs, May 2, 9:15pm at Regal Cinemas Battery Park

The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival happens April 24 through May 5. Venues include Chelsea’s SVA Theatre, Regal Cinemas Battery Park, Village East Cinema, BMCC TPAC, and the Tribeca Festival Hub. For info, and to order tickets, visit tribecafilm.com or call 866-941-3378. Matinee screenings are $12, evening and weekend screenings are $24, Tribeca Talks and Tribeca Immersive tickets are $40, and Tribeca Cinema360 tickets are $15. Discounted packages are available. Free Film Friday (free film screenings) is May 3. Twitter: twitter.com/tribeca. Facebook: facebook.com/tribeca. Instagram: instagram.com/tribeca. Hashtag: #Tribeca2019.

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