Author Archive
Film Review – Official Competition
It’s been said that any movie – regardless of quality – is something of a miracle. That’s because cinema is the most collaborative artform. Painters have themselves, a brush, and a canvas to work with. In contrast, it can take dozens (sometimes even hundreds) of…
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Film Review – Rise
Rise (2022) inserts itself into the long history of Disney’s fascination with underdog sports stories. The formula is effective at pulling the heart strings of viewers of any age. Characters coming up from nowhere, defying the odds, and achieving the impossible is a tale that is easy…
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Film Review – The Man from Toronto
The case of mistaken identity is about as old as storytelling itself. When done well, it can provide for excitement and thrills – Alfred Hitchcock was a master at this kind of structure. When done poorly, you end up getting The Man from Toronto (2022). This is…
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Film Review – Spiderhead
Fresh off his directorial success with Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Joseph Kosinski has returned with the sci-fi thriller, Spiderhead (2022). Adapted from George Saunders’ short story, Escape from Spiderhead, the film examines the themes of control and free will in a society looking to subvert them. This is familiar territory for the genre…
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Film Review – Mid-Century
There is a sterile, detached feeling that runs throughout Mid-Century (2022). The direction, set design, costuming, and dialogue create a stiff, off-balance tone that initially works in this horror/thriller/mystery. At one point, lovers Tom (Shane West) and Alice (Chelsea Gilligan) embrace in front of a beautiful, mid-20th century…
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Film Review – Cha Cha Real Smooth
Here’s a piece of advice: One’s life does not need to be set in stone by age 22. Where some people know exactly where their paths will take them once they step out of college, others spend their youth trying to figure out what they…
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Film Review – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Above all else, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022) is a comedic drama about acceptance. Not only is it about accepting others for who they are, but – and most importantly – it’s about accepting oneself. It’s a two-person, one location interaction where our characters meet…
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Film Review – Hustle
Now here is a situation where a movie follows a well-worn blueprint but is executed with such flourish that it transcends its cliches. Hustle (2022) has all the ingredients of an underdog sports story: characters coming from nowhere, overcoming impossible odds both external and internal. It’s a…
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