B+ biographical documentary Directed by Alexandra Dean Hollywood movie star Hedy Lemarr had a fascinating life, but not a happy one. Her striking beauty won her fame and fortune (neither of which she held onto), but it obscured her more important work as an inventor. Her greatest invention, something most of us use daily, never … Continue reading Bombshell: Brains and the curse of beauty
Category: Reviews
Have a Nice Day
D+ Animated crime film Written and directed by Jian Liu Imagine Pulp Fiction, done in limited animation, but without the clever dialog, the wit, or the sense of redemption. That's pretty much what you get with Jian Liu's cartoon noir, Have a Nice Day. And frankly, it's not enough. The movie starts with a quote … Continue reading Have a Nice Day
In Between: Secular and Religious Youths
C+ Youth drama Written & directed by Maysaloun Hamoud You'd expect a film that breaks down walls and shatters stereotypes to excite you - to grab you by the heart and fling you across the room. Alas, Maysaloun Hamoud's first feature film doesn't quite blow you away. The content - the wild party life of … Continue reading In Between: Secular and Religious Youths
Dream Boat: A gay cruise where not everyone is happy
B Documentary Directed by Tristan Ferland Milewski A large cruise ship leaves port for a week of frivolity. But this cruise is different. All the passengers are gay men, looking forward to dancing, flirting, drag contests, sex, and perhaps some self-realization. Filmmaker Ferland Milewski used this cruise to examine an international cross section of gay … Continue reading Dream Boat: A gay cruise where not everyone is happy
The Insult has consequences
A Drama Written by Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma Directed by Ziad Doueiri Two men of different ethnicities, religions, and political parties meet, and one almost unconsciously insults the other. Neither will back down, and the situation escalates. Sounds like a promising satire, with comic hijinks building on top of each other until everything collapses in … Continue reading The Insult has consequences
The Final Year captures Obama administration
A- Political documentary Directed by Greg Barker What's it like to work for the commander of the deadliest military in the world, even if your job is keeping the peace? Greg Barker's documentary, The Final Year, follows Barak Obama's foreign policy team over the year 2016. The film introduces you to two important but relatively … Continue reading The Final Year captures Obama administration
The Best Short Films from Sundance…and not surprisingly, most are pretty good
B+ Collection of short films A men's room attendant has a bad night. A young woman must wait 24 hours for an abortion. Cows die mysteriously. A lonely woman attempts masturbation. And swimmers face their fears. You would expect that only the best short films would screen at the Sundance Film Festival, and that only the … Continue reading The Best Short Films from Sundance…and not surprisingly, most are pretty good
The Other Side of Hope has its moments, but…
C+ Drama with comic elements Written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki This Finnish film about refugees and those that help and hinder them runs along two very different story threads. Both of them have their good points, but they conflict so badly with each other that they don't really work together. The strongest thread follows … Continue reading The Other Side of Hope has its moments, but…
Darkest Hour finds the light to push on through
A Historical drama Written by Anthony McCarten Directed by Joe Wright Dunkirk showed us a soldier's point of view of the disaster-turned-victory that saved England from Nazi conquest. Darkest Hour covers much of the same history, but from the point of the nation's leader - the newly-appointed Winston Churchill. We go into this rousing story … Continue reading Darkest Hour finds the light to push on through
The Shape of Water: A great film comes from The Black Lagoon
A Horror thriller Written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor Directed by Guillermo del Toro Only Guillermo del Toro could make a grand, romantic, suspenseful, and horrifying sequel to The Creature from the Black Lagoon. And in doing so, The Shape of Water brings up issues concerning military overreach, the abuse of science, and … Continue reading The Shape of Water: A great film comes from The Black Lagoon
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