Grimes brings the energy to the blue stage during FFF Fest.
Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It almost seemed as though the 10th anniversary of Fun Fun Fun Fest was bound to be doomed. Arguably the most anticipated performer canceled due to illness. Then, a top comedian’s flight was canceled due to weather. Day two brought uncertainty as the festival awaited approval from the City of Austin to open the gates, unsure if rain would cause delays.
But in true music fashion, the show did go on, and Fun Fun Fun Fest did not disappoint in the slightest. Replacing the canceled D’Angelo show was the legendary Lauryn Hill; Tig Notaro’s standup show was rescheduled from day one to day two; and, eventually, music fans were let into the soggy festival grounds on the second day, causing almost no delays to the schedule.
We at CultureMap donned our best rainproof clothes and faced the fest head on to capture top music acts from around the world. From old school rock ‘n’ rollers to up-and-coming rappers and heavy metal wailers, FFF Fest managed to curate a unique — at times oddball — lineup of major music influencers and those just breaking into the game.
Grimes brings the energy to the blue stage during FFF Fest.
Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Grimes brings the energy to the blue stage during FFF Fest.
Writer and director Paul Greengrass made his name with a cinéma vérité style of filmmaking that brought immediacy and depth to three Jason Bourne films, United 93, Captain Phillips, and more. In The Uprising, he uses those skills to tell the story of the so-called Peasants’ Revolt in 14th century England.
Greengrass wastes no time starting the main plot as Ploughman (Andrew Garfield) and his fellow villagers object to onerous taxes put on them by the country’s nobility, led by the young King Richard II (Woody Norman), to fund an ongoing war. Ploughman initiates a violent response over the tone-deaf — and unseemly — way the king’s guard go about their business, and the rebellion soon starts to spread across the countryside, with the citizens looking for a degree of autonomy.
The ever-expanding group makes their way toward London to try to make their case to the king himself. Meanwhile, the king’s top advisors, including Archbishop Sudbury (Stephen Dillane) and Treasurer Hales (Tom Hollander), try to usurp power from the inexperienced monarch even as the king’s mother (Katherine Waterston) tries to get him to be more assertive.
The history of the English monarchy is long and lurid, as Shakespeare detailed in multiple plays, including Richard II. Though the events in the film took place almost 650 years ago, it’s easy to see parallels between what the peasants were fighting for and modern-day politics. Greengrass’ storytelling intent is solid, and the righteous anger the citizens feel is initially relatable and palpable.
But the populism theme of the story soon gets bogged down in drudgery and minutiae that is difficult to understand, especially when the details are lost in the thick regional English accents. The leaders of the rebels — including John Ball (Jamie Bell), Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis), and Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie) — are shown doing a lot of planning, but the strong feelings they have about their quest don’t come across well, leaving the audience as passive observers.
When there is action, Greengrass and his team employ a frenetic style that is not great for comprehension. While the gist of what is happening and what side is winning is legible, individual moments go by so quickly so as to be nearly meaningless. Save for Ploughman, any connection that has been made with various characters proves futile, as Greengrass doesn’t seem to have any time for emotion. Scenes that should feel thrilling or heartbreaking instead come off as empty.
Garfield is a two-time Oscar nominee who has done great work across multiple genres. He’s fine in this role, but whether it’s the story, the filmmaking, or something else, he’s not as captivating as usual. The same goes for other strong actors like Bell, McKenzie, Dillane, Hollander, and Waterston, who each seem to be giving their all to their performances but are somehow muted in the process.
Done right, The Uprising could have been a rip-roaring account of people standing up against their oppressors. What Greengrass has made, though, is a film that can’t translate its medieval story for a modern audience and concentrates too much on unexciting elements and too little on thrilling ones.
