B political documentary Directed by Alan Adelson and Kate Taverna Don't worry, the pictures of children with horrible birth defects are few in this very message-heavy documentary. This story doesn't need such images to boil your blood - what people say into the camera does the work without them. During the Vietnam war, the American … Continue reading The People vs. Agent Orange
Category: Social Issues
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
The Antenna: Horror of a totalitarian sort
A- political Horror Written and directed by Orçun Behram [NOTE: I posted this review on the assumption that The Antenna will be available via virtual cinema in the Bay Area October 2. That may not be happening.] I'm not a fan of gross-out flicks; especially the current, particularly gross stuff. But I liked The Antenna. … Continue reading The Antenna: Horror of a totalitarian sort
How Jimmy Carter Rocked the White House
B Political & musical documentaryDirected by Mary Wharton Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President. It's a ridiculous title for a political documentary, and yet it's appropriate. This extremely flattering portrait of the 39th President spends most of its time covering Carter's love of music. But melody isn't what we think of when we consider Carter. We … Continue reading How Jimmy Carter Rocked the White House
John Lewis and his Good Trouble
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
Cinema & the African American Experience
I have never experienced what black people must go through every day in this country. I can read about it. I can listen to interviews. And, of course, I can see films about it. Here are 10 films about the African American experience worth watching. There are far, far more. I admit that several other … Continue reading Cinema & the African American Experience
2040: A heaven or a hell?
A- Environmental documentary Directed by Damon Gameau You'd expect a film titled 2040 to bring you into a dystopian nightmare - especially if it's about climate change. It would dramatize a dying civilization where the oceans have risen and much of the planet is barely inhabitable. Something like The Handmaid's Tale with coal fumes. But … Continue reading 2040: A heaven or a hell?
José: Gay, but boring
D+ Gay coming-of-age drama Written by Li Cheng and George F. Roberson Directed by Li Cheng A gay coming-of-age story should not be boring - especially if the movie is sexually explicit. But in José, the main character is, himself, exceptionally boring. José lives with his mother in a tiny apartment in Guatemala City. Mom … Continue reading José: Gay, but boring
Nuestras Madres (Our Mothers)
B+ political mystery Written and directed by César Díaz César Díaz set out to make a documentary about Guatemala's genocide, but he changed his mind and made a fictional, narrative film instead. What he lost in that decision was information; he couldn't just have a narrator explaining what had happened. (Or at least it would … Continue reading Nuestras Madres (Our Mothers)
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
B+ Financial documentary Directed by Justin Pemberton Based on the book by Thomas Piketty I can't tell you how many documentaries I've seen about economic inequality. But this one is different. It's kind of fun while it makes you angry. It also takes a wide view of the problem, looking back into the 18th century … Continue reading Capital in the Twenty-First Century
