There's something very special about Mike Leigh's family drama, Secrets & Lies. Every person on the screen appears to be a fully fleshed-out human being, and I'm not just talking about the main characters. Even actors with one or two scenes feel as if they have a history. You can care about all of them … Continue reading Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies, now on Criterion Blu-ray
Category: Drama
Drama
Test Pattern is not about TV
A- Drama Written and directed by Shatara Michelle Ford Test Pattern is not about old-fashioned television. It's about date rape, and how that affects everyone involved - except, perhaps, the rapist. This is the second film I've seen in the last few weeks about date rape. I liked Test Pattern and Promising Young Woman very … Continue reading Test Pattern is not about TV
You should catch Minari…if you can
I saw a wonderful movie last Friday, but I had to go through tech hell to watch it. Minari first caught my attention while writing about the Golden Globe nominees. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language, even though its official nation of origin is USA. That's unusual, although not impossible. … Continue reading You should catch Minari…if you can
Show Me What You Got – especially down below
B- Romantic drama Written by Svetlana Cvetko and David Scott Smith Directed by Svetlana Cvetko It's hard to watch this film without thinking about François Truffaut's 1962 masterpiece Jules and Jim. Both movies are about two men, very close friends, and the woman they both love. She also loves both of them. The men are … Continue reading Show Me What You Got – especially down below
The Last Vermeer: Hunting Nazis as escapist entertainment
B+ Historical mystery Written by James Mcgee, Mark Fergus, & Hawk Ostby, from the book The Man Who Made Vermeers by Jonathan Lopez Directed by Dan Friedkin Art, fame, and Nazis make a potent mix in this story set in the Netherlands immediately after the fall of the Third Reich. The new government is publicly … Continue reading The Last Vermeer: Hunting Nazis as escapist entertainment
The Climb: Biographical Fiction
B Drama Written by Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin Directed by Michael Angelo Covino Consider these credits: Directed by Michael Angelo Covino. Written by Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin. Michael Angelo Covino stars as Mike. Kyle Marvin stars as Kyle. Do you get the feeling that the picture just might be a bit autobiographical? … Continue reading The Climb: Biographical Fiction
The drive-in experience…and a really good movie
Last night (Tuesday), as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival, I went to a drive-in movie for the first time in maybe 50 years. I didn't care for the experience, but I loved the movie - The Evening Hour. You can read more of my Drive-in Memories. Now I remember why I stopped watching … Continue reading The drive-in experience…and a really good movie
Once Upon a River a girl found a family
B+ Road picture/Coming of age drama Written by Haroula Rose, from the novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell Directed by Haroula Rose You can't help worrying for Margo (Kenadi DelaCerna). And yet you can't help admiring her as well. A teenage girl living with her father in a small house by the river, she's also an … Continue reading Once Upon a River a girl found a family
The Artist’s Wife: As the mind slowly recedes
A Family drama Written by Tom Dolby, Nicole Brending and Abdi Nazemian; from a story by Tom Dolby Directed by Tom Dolby Alzheimer's hurts not only the initial victim, but perhaps even more so those close to the person with the disease. It's the friends and family members who must watch a loved one's mind … Continue reading The Artist’s Wife: As the mind slowly recedes
Little-known movies worth watching
A lot of wonderful movies pop into theaters for a week or two, and then they disappear. Here are five excellent films that far too few people saw. I gave them all of them an A when I reviewed them. I'm listing them by date. I decided to skip documentaries. Maudie (2016) Here's a love story, … Continue reading Little-known movies worth watching
