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
Category: Drama
Drama
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
Activists vs gangs in Days of the Whale
B- Urban youth drama Written and directed by Catalina Arroyave Doing the right thing can be dangerous in Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, even if the war is initially battled with paint. Days of the Whale (original title: Los días de la ballena) isn't quite exciting enough to be called a thriller - even though it … Continue reading Activists vs gangs in Days of the Whale
The Truth isn’t always what you want
B- Family drama Written by Hirokazu Koreeda from a story by Ken Liu Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda Let's face it. We all know what families are about. Even the best of them involve fights, misunderstandings, secrets that occasionally bubble up, and are all held together with genuine love. That makes family dramas tricky. If one … Continue reading The Truth isn’t always what you want
The Last Tree: From one mother to another
B- Coming of age drama Written and directed by Shola Amoo A young boy suffers through exceptionally difficult transitions early in this coming-of-age drama. He's thrown out of a loving and safe environment into one much more frightening and cruel. It's stomach-turning. You can see how this childhood turns the boy into the sort of … Continue reading The Last Tree: From one mother to another
Babyteeth, puppy love, & cancer
A Family drama Written by Rita Kalnejais Directed by Shannon Murphy Drugs, a wild boyfriend, and worst of all, cancer, take over a distressed family in this Australian drama. Babyteeth could have been a very mawkish weepy, trying to pull tears out of your eyes. Instead, the filmmakers treat its characters and situations on a … Continue reading Babyteeth, puppy love, & cancer
