A Man Called Otto, The Fabelmans & Black Snow

Full transcript of A Man Called Otto, The Fabelmans & Black Snow.

0:04KT: It's another week in the For Your Reference household. It's another Ref Max, but it is the last episode of the year. Oti.

0:11Oti: Woo-hoo.

0:12KT: we still in the millennium?

0:15Oti: Did we ever get out of it?

0:16KT: No. It's gonna slap you back in Friends and lovers, we hope you are well. If you're not having such a great time, you've got your beloved friends and lovers to keep you company and take you into 2023. Let's get on with the show. Hey, friends, in 2022, lovers, welcome back to the For Your Reference Podcast you got KT,

0:35Oti: and Oti.

0:36KT: Welcome to Reference Max, where we cover preview screenings and screeners that were made available to your For Your Reference.

0:44Oti: Noise.

0:45KT: Yay ha. Today we will be covering A Man Called Otto, The Fabelmans, as well as Black Snow. Ooh, you're feeling spicy after our Christmas special, aren't you, Oti? I am. You're feeling good?

0:59Oti: as I'll ever be

1:00KT: Nice. Well, let's get straight into it. Oti, the first film we are covering, I had the opportunity to see. Thank you so much. To our friends at Sony Pictures, I had the opportunity to watch A Man Called Otto, which is also based off of a novel called A Man Called Ove, as well as the film.

1:19KT: Called A Man Called Ove. Um, in regards to this film, it's released in 2022. It'll be available in Australia on New Year's day of 2023. Director Marc Forster in regards to writing for this particular screenplay, David Magee. In regards to stars, we have Tom Hanks. I also noticed Rita, his wife was also credited as well. There was also a baby Hanks, but not a Chet. If I can digress ever so slightly. Um, I don't even know if Chet Hanks exists to some of the community here at t

1:50Oti: He honor to be part of the community, eh? Well, I

1:53KT: to bring it up with Tom Hank's bread and they didn't

1:56Oti: seem to understand

1:58KT: If you know friends and lovers, you know John Higgins as well as. Tony Bigham, and I think I'm the one to kick this off, um, because I had the opportunity to watch the film. Um, I'm not gonna go into details of the synopsis, um, and I'm definitely not gonna spoil this film, but essentially this fits very nicely in my category of like grumpy old men that usually it might be a child, it might be an animal, but it, it reawakens them.

2:26KT: It reinvigorates them and gives them a reason for living. or gives them some sort of purpose. Like usually those are my favorite sort of films. So I was very excited to go and watch A Man Called Otto. Um, Tom Hanks is really like the father of America. Mm-hmm. I think there was even an SNL, whether he was hosting or, no, I think he was, he was hosting, it was during like Covid times as well.

2:47KT: He was the warm embrace. He was the hug that everyone needed, especially even now during the uncertain times that we have. Um, so what I was hoping. Was a Sam Neill type character and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. But what I feel like I got was Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino.

3:09Oti: Wow.

3:11KT: Am I selling it to you?

3:13Oti: I was gonna ask you, uh, on a scale of Samuel L. Jackson and Lakeview Terrace to Gran Torino where he lied in between,

3:21KT: But I feel like Samuel Jackson's character in Lakeview Terrace had some other ingredients that made him a grumpy man, like There was a lot of sauce in there. Um, I think part of it for me is cuz you, when you think Clint Eastwood and even Sam Neill, as lovable as Sam Neill is, you can buy that a grumpy man. And I also really loved him in Rams as well, which is also an adaptation of a foreign film. Also shout out to Michael Caton.

3:49KT: I'm an Australian legend and also international. If you are so learned, um, like you can buy that Sam Neill can be a grumpy man, right? Yeah. So when Tom Hanks is being very belligerent, he's being like really rude to people. I personally don't buy that. He might talk to Chet Hanks like that. like I don't personally buy that. He would be rude to anyone. And you know, friends and lovers, we talk about this all the time. It's, it's not necessarily his acting prowess, it's just me being unable to disassociate from the fact that he's pure sunshine. And people kept threatening Australia because they were saying, you know, we might be the reason the koala covid to kill him.

4:31Oti: killing Wow. So, okay. That's an interesting take because everything I'm assuming you've watched of Tom Hanks has been sort of

4:39KT: is, I think even for Sully will probably be the most, like on the scale of like Tom Hanks being Tom Hanks and beautiful and lovely and wonderful and warm. Mm-hmm. Maybe Sully would be the most, grum, not even grumpy, but I, I guess the most non Tom Hank.

4:55KT: Sort of role. Cause even Captain Phillips, he, because, you know, there was a, there was a whole discussion about how they portrayed Captain Phillips in a better light than who he really was as a person. But I think that might also be the Tom Hanks as well. Have you ever seen a Tom Hanks film where he was less than,

5:12Oti: oh wasn't he less than in Philadelphia?

5:15KT: But that was very early Hanks, you know, before we calcified and we bottled the Hanks,

5:22Oti: Yeah. I don't think anything recent that I've watched with him and that he is Yeah, I could see your point. I could see your point.

5:28KT: Um, in, in regards to the actual film. Um, there was definitely a lot of heart to it, and maybe it's me, friends and lovers, maybe I need to see the human side of grumpy characters because he was saying some really terrible. Things like just it, I don't know. It was interesting f fair be it for me to want to have humanized, um, grumpy characters, but, um, it does make me more curious to watch the original film though.

5:56KT: My reading list continues to stack up and I'm really worried I'm not gonna finish my book. I'm reading right now for 2022. Okay. Um, but I, I got, I got the essence of the film and, um, you know, sometimes when we talk about like American adaptations and, you know, we're currently going through our Reference Degustation where we explore, you know, directors' filmographies, and we're currently going through whatever the fuck madness is.

6:23KT: Takashi Miike right now. and you know, there's talks of like, you know, adapting it not just American like western sort of adaptations or Audition, but apparently that fell through Parasite's getting its own. Um, you know what I mean? Like there, there are instances where you see things being adapted and it might not necessarily work, or you can see the americanisms injected right into it, or you just get injected Americanisms, otherwise known as the Gyllenhaal Effect in.

6:54KT: but the sovereign state of Tilda Swinton really helps. Um, but in, in, in general, I enjoyed it. I, I got what the themes of the film was, and it does make me more excited to watch the original film.

7:08Oti: So pretty much he's just, um, a Grinch and we get to see him grow heart.

7:13KT: I guess so. I guess so. Yeah.

7:15Oti: Tom Hanks won. Jim Carrey won one.

7:21KT: It's a Tom Hanks summer, uh, Um, let's move into the next film that we both had the opportunity to watch. Oti.

7:29Oti: Okay.

7:30KT: you to our friends at StudioCanal Australia for inviting us to The Fabelmans. We also, um, I guess just capturing the sort of experience that we had for the preview screening friends and lovers we've talked about, like lounge experiences that are beyond the general sort of seating.

7:48KT: Um, there are some really great sort of boutique lounge. Um, George Street, if you're mil, if you're familiar in Sydney. Um, and it's called the paparazzi Room. So it really, like, it really helped to enhance and, you know, it, it brought the significance of the film. Well, personally for me, how was the general experience for you?

8:08Oti: Yeah. You know, I love my Gold Class slash Lux experience. You do. So this was right up, up there, and I think it felt even more classier than your standard Gold Class.

8:19KT: Like a classy Christmas. Like Steve Carell. See we appeal to the mainstream nerds, friends and lovers.

8:26Oti: Oh, for sure. Only thing missing is a, is a toaster with bacon on it. So I could, you know, when I stand up I could smell the smell of bacon walking through. Um, but yeah. But yeah, it was a really good experie.

8:38KT: The Fabelmans will be screening in Australia from January 5th in regards to general stats Information Director, writer, Steven Spielberg. And there's a lot, a lot, a lot I want to talk about and I'm glad we both got to watch it so we can talk. Obviously. No spoilers also Tony Kushner. Um, there's a great writers round table of 2022. We're talking Tony Kushner. We're talking Jordan Peele. We're talking Martin McDonagh, we're talking the Daniels. We're talking. Ooh. Till. Till, Till. Oti.

9:10Oti: Yeah. That will be definitely a main pod.

9:12KT: Oh, absolutely. Um, but you know, going back to Tony Kushner, it was very interesting because when he talked about the cast, and you know, obviously with the writers round table, they were talking about, you know, how much space do you give back?

9:27KT: How important are the words that are being written? Um, I think Tony and Martin very much related to, you know, keeping to the script because the words are written for a reason. Um, and he talked about how, you know, there was not necessarily trepidation, but they weren't sure whether Seth Rogen would stick to the script. But he came in and he did the deed, Oti.

9:46Oti: Oh, who would've thought?

9:47KT: Yeah. Speaking of doing the deed, we also have Michelle Williams, I think a first for the For Your Reference podcast, Gabriel LaBelle. Wow, wow. Wow. What a performance. And Paul Dano. I love you so much, Oti. But I feel like the, the, the, the thing that I distilled outta this movie is Paul Dano would be a lovely person to be married

10:07Oti: I was gonna hit you with a one too, but since we can have spoilers, I'll resolve that for the main episode.

10:12KT: Okay? Yeah. All right. Well kick us off. Oti, thoughts, impressions, feelings.

10:17Oti: Oh, I was, I didn't know what to expect with this movie. Yes. Um, I knew what it was about going in and still I couldn't see how it would captivate me enough for the entirety of its two hour run. Uhhuh, but it surprisingly did. It's one of the better movies we've watched this year. Yeah. Uh, it stuck to its lane. It knew exactly what it wanted to deliver and it did it so well. I think Paul Dano's performance, you know, just elevated the whole thing. It added so much emotion.

10:47KT: he can never not perform. He can never not deliver True since Prisoners

10:55Oti: And it's wild because even the supporting cast, you know, Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen's, they're really, really good. Yeah. Um, and being taken on a journey where it's super narrative driven. Yes. And just being in ility in the world that you get to see Spielberg's, sort of memoir unfold, come to.

11:14Oti: And not only that, but I also get to sort of learn his, you know, technique. And if I was a younger me wanting to get into the sort of movie industry, I'd be like, whoa. If I wasn't, I not interested in, in his filmography and anything like that, I would be so keen to see how he started up. And it was so great. He added all that. He added all that and more. It was very, very intriguing.

11:36KT: It's not too late, Oti, to pursue your dreams.

11:38Oti: I know.

11:39KT: I absolutely agree with you. Um, there was, I had some trepidation watching this film because the, what I share a lot on this podcast is I love emotion, I love to watch film, but I'm not necessarily. Being able to understand the different shots or the way of film, you know, what sort of lens like you were talking about and that sort of thing. So I was really worried going into this film that it might not be accessible enough. But from the auteurs to the film lovers, I think there's really a lot of resonance.

12:12KT: That you can gain from The Fabelmans, because at the end of it, it's a story of a kid, and again, loves flues and shout outs to Gabriel LaBelle because he did so well in this role, he made me want to care about it because it's so important to want to care about a protagonist, right? But at the core of this film is a kid that finds meaning through the world through a passion that he loves, which is film.

12:35Oti: A hundred percent.

12:36KT: It was really interesting digging into the family dynamics that we had in the film as well. Obviously we don't wanna spoil too much, but it, it's such an intricate sort of orchestra to be able to navigate the family dynamics in a way that it was done here. But I do wanna, um, focus on this for a second, or at least for a couple of talking points.

12:59KT: Oti, you know, generally. Steven Spielberg is known for the big family friendly sort of blockbusters, right? Um, without even trying, we do find ourselves down the Alice in Wonderland film, Twitter rabbit hole, right? Um, so things that aren't necessarily. Cared about in the real world of magnified and film Twitter, or there are particular sort of takes, um, that others may share or others may scorn.

13:29KT: Um, but there's a lot of sentiment about Spielberg being potentially a cheesy sort of filmmaker, not being surface level, but again, to appeal on a family friendly sort of level. It's not necessarily going to dig deep. You're not gr you are not getting like a gritty Safdie. Like Uncut Gems, for

13:47Oti: Mm-hmm.

13:48KT: So what did you feel, what did you feel in regards to being a consumer of Spielberg films and the film that you got here?

13:56Oti: It felt very raw and I think him, I, I wouldn't imagine it'll be easy for him to sort of lay out. His life the way he did. Yeah. Telling his story and, and I think moving audiences with it as well.

14:09Oti: Um, it's one of those, those things that you never really thought that you needed until you saw it. Yeah. And I look at him now with a different lens. Mm-hmm. and every other movie. I think in future, whatever Spielberg does, I'll be that much more interested in seeing it. I know a little bit more about him.

14:26KT: Yeah, I agree. I absolutely agree. It, the I, I wasn't as giddy as I was coming out of Armageddon Time, but what I really love about Armageddon Time, you also see it in The Fabelmans as well.

14:38KT: You don't need to give me all of the opinions and all of the social commentary that's going around at the time. You just need to tell a narrative that is true to you and is insular to your life. Experie. and I feel like that's absolutely what we got, um, raw. Absolutely. Um, and it was real to the experiences of Sammy's character.

15:00Oti: Yeah. And, and when you walk out of that cinema, and I know you just mentioned it wasn't the same, it didn't hit you the same level as Armageddon, but it was different for me because I remember walking out of the cinema and feeling, um, just happy that I watched something so raw and it.

15:16Oti: Didn't even feel like a two-hour runtime film for me. Yeah. You know, sometimes, usually when you hit the 90 minute mark, you start withering or you know, you start to notice the time. Mm-hmm. but not with this, it, it really, it's really insular and it holds its attention and it covers each and every port plot point, uh, without lingering too much or anything that feels that shouldn't be.

15:39KT: Mm-hmm. Absolutely agree. Um, I think raw is a very strong word, but I think if we were to compare the films that we know or what Spielberg is most known for, then perhaps this would be,

15:50Oti: it's his most raw it's

15:52KT: Yeah. It's very, it's very personal. Absolutely. Stand out performances for you.

15:56Oti: Gabriel LaBelle. Yeah. Really, really good. Paul Dano, we've already mentioned, um, the siblings are, well, were good as well. Yeah. They stood out.

16:05KT: Michelle Williams was great as well.

16:06Oti: Yeah, she was, I was getting to Michelle Williams. Okay.

16:09KT: Yes, she's the cream of the crop. Um, what I would also like to say, um, before we move on as well, I really appreciated Kushner's writing of this film. And again, you say it's raw, it's personal, it's insular, um, especially the way they talk about the way they were treated, you know, as Jewish people in a community that wasn't necessarily so

16:29Oti: Mm.

16:30KT: You also see that in Armageddon Time too. So, um, you know, there, there's definitely a way of portraying it without going the full dock tan, right?

16:39Oti: Oh yeah. Yeah. I feel like if you get to the levels of Danne ship, then we need to reevaluate a bit

16:45KT: Yeah, we, I guess we do. Right. All right. Well, um, let's get into the last, uh, preview sort of screener. We want to thank Jess and our friends at Stan for giving us the digital screeners to be able to watch Black Snow. Black Snow will be available exclusively on Stan on New Year's Day 2023 in Australia, and I believe it might be available on the Sundance app in the US and perhaps all three media in the UK. But we will send out those details when they're.

17:14Oti: send nope,

17:14KT: Uh, general stats information, we will be covering it as a full episode, so we're not gonna get into full detail. But just for now, the series was directed by Sian Davies, as well as Matthew Saville. In regards to the writing credits, we have Beatrix Christian, Boyd Quakawoot, as well as Lucas Taylor in regards to cast. Run it back. Travis Fimmel. Thank you very much.

17:36Oti: Oh, whoop, whoop.

17:37KT: Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. And we'll talk generally, but I just want to keep my wows in there. Brooke Satchwell, an Australian intergalactic legend who we love Jemmason Power.

17:49Oti: Woohoo.

17:50KT: Woo, woo woo.

17:52Oti: If you've not listened yet, we released an interview with Jemmason,

17:55KT: Talijah Blackman-Corowa, Alex England, as well as Ziggy Ramo, who also did the music for the show.

18:00Oti: Nice.

18:01KT: Without making this about us, we, we got digital screeners for this, and it was a fucking spin out to see our names on the watermark.

18:09Oti: It was a trip for sure.

18:10KT: It was. Absolutely. So we're going to be doing a full episode on it. It will come out on New Year's Day, but is there anything, any sort of s you want to give to us, Oti?

18:23Oti: I think if you've been craving that different representation in Australian screens, uh, this is for you. Mm-hmm. you know, um, it, it's very, very interesting. Uh, you get really strong performances.

18:37KT: Yeah, solid.

18:38Oti: uh, you have Jemmason, which you already mentioned. Um, Travis is Travis. Yeah. You know, there's nothing more we can add to that, but it's really, really strong. Yeah. And I think once you go through the. Sort of season. Very bingeable by the way, as well. Yep. You know, and you know how I appreciate, we appreciate that in the, For Your Reference household. Um, super bingeable and just powerful performances all through intriguing storylines and plot, plot twists through the wazo.

19:05KT: Yeah, absolutely. Um, the core of it is also a who done it as well? Who did it? Who's gonna get it, see how they run? Or maybe not. Glass Onion, maybe

19:17Oti: I see you bringing your onk detective skills to this office.

19:20KT: Oh, that's a Poirot. Deep cut. Are you an Agatha Christie fan?

19:25Oti: Just a little bit.

19:27KT: There's so much that I want to talk about, but I know we're going to cover it in a main episode. So what I will say, um, for this friends and lovers, if you feel you need to go and do your homework, Google blackbirding, Google the South Sea Islander community. I guess if you wanna look at who's done it, you can absolutely do that too.

19:45KT: But the core of this show is a young South Islander. Teenager that dies, and it's a mystery around that even decades later to be able to uncover it. Travis Fimmel plays the Detective. Jemmason is a part of the family of the young girl that got murdered, and it is so. Ah, it's everything I love about television programming in the 2020s.

20:11KT: It covers deep cut themes. Like, you know, we talk about The Harder They Fall. And as, as much as you love it, you don't believe black against black, um, divide exists. Ah. Um, it's, it's all, it's also what I talk about. You know, everything can be discussed by, some things are at for. So some things are a discussion for the house, for the community. Outside eyes might be there, but it's not for you to comment on. And that's definitely a theme that's in this show. It talks about the pl um, the role that religion.

20:43KT: As well in communities around the world. But don't worry, Oti, I'm keeping to Queensland Um, you know, it also talks about obligation. It talks about matriarchy, it talks about community. And you know, even when we were chopping it up with Jemmason, like you can sniff it out if you know, you know,

21:02Oti: wow. I couldn't have said it better myself. It, it covers a whole lot of important issues while being entertaining.

21:09KT: Exactly. Mm-hmm. Well that's that on that isn't it?

21:12Oti: It sure is.

21:13KT: Who, who? For thi this has been a wild year for the podcast, Oti. Um, we do our cute little milestones when we hit four years, which will be in February. Is there anything you wanna impart to our friends and lovers before we Thanos click and vaporize to the metaverse. We have legs.

21:34Oti: Yeah. Thanks for the legs This year. It's like our podcast has just gone up and running. Um, thanks for anyone who's, everyone who's been listening and cheering in weekly. It's just been an amazing show of support. Uh, we appreciate

21:47KT: show. We love you so fucking much. Thank you friends and lovers, and we'll see you in 2023. ya. Ah.