During the 2020 pandemic, the residents of the Coler Nursing Home on Roosevelt Island were confined to their bedrooms and placed in unfortunate situations, leading to sickness and death. When a group of poets decide to take matters into their own hands, to make their situation better, the truth about the facility in which they are trapped comes to light. Fire Through Dry Grass tells their story of struggle and their journey toward justice.
I understand and appreciate the complaints that exist throughout the course of Fire Through Dry Grass, however, with some of the comments made during the film, it becomes challenging to care. It seems that Directors Andres Jay Molina and Alexis Neophytides approach the subject wrong, and that the individuals showcased on screen do as well. It seems that they are far too aggressive in their approach. I certainly understand that this is a life or death matter, but to, again and again, call people “mother fuckers” and other similar names isn’t helping. You can’t become part of the problem that you hope to fix, and that seems to be the glaring issue here in Fire Through Dry Grass.
Fire Through Dry Grass uses poetry to drive the film forward, but the poetry itself is rudimentary. The very core of the film fails to deliver as promised, and I found myself disconnected from the documentary as a result. Art is absolutely subjective, and the things that I enjoy will not be the same things that everyone else enjoys; and visa versa. For me, however, the poetry showcased throughout the course of Fire Through Dry Grass isn’t entertaining, it doesn’t evoke emotion, and it ultimately falls flat.
The historical components of Fire Through Dry Grass are the most interesting–and these are the things that allowed me to remain focused. Again, there was most definitely a disconnect present between myself and the film, and I needed something to keep me focused. Toward the middle of the film viewers are provided a slew of interesting information regarding the history of Roosevelt Island, and this piqued my interest. It was at this point that I found something to latch onto, but that time is short lived.
Fire Through Dry Grass takes a massively aggressive approach, calling people out for their faults and refusing to pull any punches in this regard. However, this team is ultimately overly aggressive, and that was a huge turn off for me. I struggled to appreciate the majority of the film, and I ultimately struggled to remain engaged throughout.
Directed by Andres “Jay” Molina & Alexis Neophytides.
Starring Andres “Jay” Molina, Vincent Pierce, Peter Yearwood, Levar “Var” Lawrence, Ramon “King Tito Love” Cruz, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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