B+ political documentary Directed by Dawn Porter Update: I've added more information at the bottom of the article. I'm writing my review of the biographical documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, in early June. The murder of George Floyd and the resulting riots are pushing COVID-19 off the front page. I don't know what America will … Continue reading John Lewis and his Good Trouble
Category: Reviews
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things
A- entertainment documentary Directed by Leslie Woodhead About halfway through this documentary about the great singer, it occurred to me that it has very little performance footage. Seldom do you actually see her moving while she sings. Far more often, especially in the first half of the film, director Leslie Woodhead shows photos of Fitzgerald … Continue reading Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things
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
Crime and comedy in Lucky Grandma
B+ Comedy thriller Written by Angela Cheng and Sasie Sealy Directed by Sasie Sealy It's rare for a comedy to turn into a thriller - especially a thriller that forces you to feel the losses that result from violence. And yet, writer/director Sasie Sealy manages that task with surprising flare. But she couldn't have done … Continue reading Crime and comedy in Lucky Grandma
Sword of God clashes between Christians and pagans
A Religious medieval drama Written by Bartosz Konopka, Przemyslaw Nowakowski, & Anna Wydra Directed by Bartosz Konopka Religious conflict makes for anger, hysteria, and violence. You get plenty of these emotions in this powerful, Polish tale. Set on a northern island in the early middle ages, Bartosz Konopka's frightfully striking film pits Christianity against a … Continue reading Sword of God clashes between Christians and pagans
This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
A- Drama/Thriller Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis What makes a pregnant woman hurt herself so badly? Bit by bit - or perhaps I should say bite by bite - Hunter (Haley Bennett) physically tortures herself. She swallows things: a marble, a pin, a battery. It gets worse. Carlo Mirabella-Davis' fine drama shows at least … Continue reading This very bad marriage makes the protagonist want to Swallow
Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
A- Drama Written by Paul Laverty Directed by Ken Loach With a title like Sorry We Missed You, you'd expect a light, romantic comedy. Instead, you get something entirely different. Imagine a food that you absolutely hate, but you eat it anyway because it's good for you. That's like the experience of seeing Ken Loach's … Continue reading Depressing but necessary: Sorry We Missed You
Robbie Robertson and…oh yeah, The Band
B Musical documentary Directed by Daniel Roher The Band was one of the best groups in the history of rock and roll. As The Hawks, they beautifully backed Screamin' Jay Hawkins and then Bob Dylan. But when they just played only with each other, the music turned into magic. Daniel Roher's documentary, Once Were Brothers: … Continue reading Robbie Robertson and…oh yeah, The Band
Capital punishment hurts everybody in Clemency
A Drama Written & directed by Chinonye Chukwu How do you comfort the mother of a man about to be executed - especially when your job is to oversee the execution? The answer, inevitably, is "not well." The experience gets worse when the execution, by lethal injection, gets thoroughly botched and the condemned man suffers … Continue reading Capital punishment hurts everybody in Clemency
We need Just Mercy for the innocent
A- Courtroom drama Written by Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham, from the book by Bryan Stevenson Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton Can true justice prevail in a racist society? According to the people who made Just Mercy, it can, but it takes an angel - or at least a gifted, well-trained, intelligent, and altruistic … Continue reading We need Just Mercy for the innocent
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