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Film Review – One Fine Morning
For many, life is not made up of big sweeping moments, but of small intimate struggles. Going to work, making money, taking care of our loved ones – these are the responsibilities that make up our daily existence. But the small things can eventually build…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Strays
We all want a better life, but what lengths should we go to obtain it? Is wealth and privilege worth suppressing our very souls? That is at the heart of writer/director Nathaniel Martello-White’s feature length debut, The Strays (2023). He weaves a tale that has beats of the horror…
READ MOREFilm Review – Hidden Blade
There are few films that evoke atmosphere and mood as well as Er Cheng’s Hidden Blade (2023). A spy thriller set in Japanese-occupied China during the height of WWII, the tone and visuals have such rich textures that every frame looks like an oil painting. Compositions place characters…
READ MOREFilm Review – Sharper
Movies involving con artists must walk a narrative tightrope. Because they rely on surprise and misdirection, they run the risk of being more about the trick than the trickster. Filmmakers paint themselves into a corner by establishing stakes, but work out of it by saying…
READ MOREFilm Review – Somebody I Used to Know
After tackling the horror genre with The Rental (2020), actor-turned-director Dave Franco has put his sights on the romantic comedy with Somebody I Used to Know (2023). Teaming up with co-writer/star Alison Brie, Franco weaves a familiar tale of romance, love triangles, and all the messiness that comes with it. Fans of…
READ MOREFilm Review – No Bears
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has never been the type to bend to authority. His work – which takes a humanistic approach to life in Iran – has been labeled as propaganda by the government. This has led to numerous legal battles. This Is Not a Film (2011) was…
READ MOREFilm Review – Shotgun Wedding
Shotgun Wedding (2022) contains enough screwball antics to forgive its ridiculous story. It blends both romantic and action comedy genres, going through the hijinks of both, and having fun doing so. The characters are bit too wacky to be believable – frankly, most of the actors…
READ MOREFilm Review – Rye Lane
Raine Allen Miller’s feature length directorial debut, Rye Lane (2023) is an exuberant romantic comedy. Along with writers Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Miller creates a portrait of two twenty-somethings that feels like a throwback and a modern update at the same time. There are odes to the past, with…
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