C- Comedy, documentary, mockumentary Written and directed by Michael Moore The press material for Where to Invade Next insists on calling Michael Moore's latest agitprop movie a comedy, and not a documentary. This is odd because, although it's for the most part non-fiction, it's not all that funny. It has its comic moments. A few … Continue reading Where to invade next
Category: Reviews
Aferim!: Slavery Romania Style
B+ Period road movie Written by Radu Jude & Florin Lăzărescu Directed by Radu Jude Racially-based slavery wasn't limited to the Americas in the 1800s. As Radu Jude's Aferim! shows, it was common in parts of Eastern Europe while it ravaged souls in Virginia. And the despised, enslaved people were not the decedents of sub-Sahara … Continue reading Aferim!: Slavery Romania Style
Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
A- Selection of shorts A dystopian future, war-torn screen tests, scuba diving under ice, and a sexually-frustrated single mom all turn up in this selection of six short subjects that won awards at the 2015 Sundance film festival. I loved five out of the six. World of Tomorrow, Short Film Jury Award a little girl, … Continue reading Sundance Film Festival 2015 Award-Winning Shorts
Too much history in The Girl King
B Historical drama Written by Michel Marc Bouchard Directed by Mika Kaurismäki Few screenwriters can effectively boil down a monarch's career into 106 minutes. To do it right, you have to decide on what is important, create composite characters, and rearrange the order of events. In other words, you have to turn fact into fiction. … Continue reading Too much history in The Girl King
New Janis Joplin doc captures a little piece of her heart
A Music documentary Written and Directed by Amy Berg I'm giving Janis: Little Girl Blue an A, but I'm not sure if I'm praising filmmaker Amy Berg or the subject of her documentary, Janis Joplin. I think it's a little of both. If nothing else, Berg should be praised for concentrating on a great artistic and … Continue reading New Janis Joplin doc captures a little piece of her heart
Sons wrestle with their past in What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy
B+ Documentary Written by Philippe Sands Directed by David Evans How do you go through life with the knowledge that your father, arguably your loving father, was a mass murderer? This unsettling documentary offers two reactions: You can denounce your father for the monster that he was, or you can live in denial. This troubling … Continue reading Sons wrestle with their past in What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy
Truth tells the story of a disastrous hoax
B Recent historical drama Written and directed by James Vanderbilt As the 2004 presidential election came to its climax, CBS' 60 Minutes news program covered a story that should have ruined George W. Bush's chance of re-election. But an important piece of evidence turned out to be fake, turning it into a scandal about the … Continue reading Truth tells the story of a disastrous hoax
Searching for the root of all evil: My review of Experimenter
A- Biopic Written and directed by Michael Almereyda Why do so many people do what they're told, even when the orders given to them are manifestly immoral? That's what social phycologist Stanley Milgram set out to discover in the early 1960s. His testing methods were controversial, but his results could not be ignored. Michael Almereyda's engaging … Continue reading Searching for the root of all evil: My review of Experimenter
Pride, decency, nationalism, and the Bridge of Spies (also the Mill Valley Film Festival screening in Corte Madera)
A- Espionage drama Written by Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen Directed by Steven Spielberg Two superpowers, each hating and fearing the other as a military and ideological enemy, face each other off. Neither wants to back down. Neither wants to give an inch. But both know full well that if their cold war … Continue reading Pride, decency, nationalism, and the Bridge of Spies (also the Mill Valley Film Festival screening in Corte Madera)
The Sociopath in the Machine: My review of Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs documentary
A Biographical documentary Directed by Alex Gibney There's no doubt about it. Steve Jobs changed the world. Even if you don't own a single Apple product, your computer, tablet, and smartphone were influenced by Job's work and inspiration. But Jobs the man was a first-class jerk. At the start of his career, he cheated his friend … Continue reading The Sociopath in the Machine: My review of Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs documentary
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