SXSW 2020: My Darling Vivian

My Darling Vivian offers a new perspective on the life of Johnny Cash’s first wife, Vivian Liberto, through accounts shared by their four children. Take everything you know from Walk the Line and pretend it never happened.  Think of the film as a myth with all the illusions now currently shattered in front of your eyes.  After viewing this documentary, one cannot watch the film in the same light ever again.  It should certainly make…

"SXSW 2020: My Darling Vivian"

SXSW 2020: Coded Bias

Coded Bias explores a researcher’s discovery of facial recognition algorithms and how they aren’t accurate for dark-skinned people. If you’re not familiar with facial racognition software, this film will quickly get you up to speed.  It’s all because of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini.  Her discovery led to some startling results and in some cases, lack thereof.  Despite her best efforts, there is still no federal regulation of facial algorithms.  Or at least, this…

"SXSW 2020: Coded Bias"

Slamdance 2020: Animation Outlaws

Animation Outlaws is a documentary that manages to revisit the touring film festival that is Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation. If you aren’t familiar with Spike Decker or Mike Gribble, you’re in for a treat.  Many now-famous animators got their start thanks to Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation.  The original touring festival–started in 1977–would soon gave way to the Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation later on. The promotion techniques they used would get…

"Slamdance 2020: Animation Outlaws"

Slamdance 2020: Tahara

Tahara focuses on pair of young Jewish women who are grieving the loss of their Hebrew school classmate following a suicide. Carrie Lowstein (Madeline Grey DeFreece) and Hannah Rosen (Rachel Sennott) are best friends.  When we first meet them in Tahara, they are Hebrew school classmate Samantha Goldstein’s funeral.  Following this, they attend a session run by Moreh Klein (Bernadette Quigley) allowing for them to learn the Judaic teachings on grief.  It’s a film that…

"Slamdance 2020: Tahara"

Sundance 2020: Falling

Viggo Mortensen’s feature directorial debut, Falling, benefits from having a superb performance from actor Lance Henriksen. When we first meet Willis (Lance Henriksen), we can immediately tell that he’s a character from a different era.  The more that we learn about him, the more we truly begin to know why: he has dementia.  One moment, Willis can be living in the present.  The next minute, he’ll be shouting for a wife who is no longer…

"Sundance 2020: Falling"

Sundance 2020: Shirley

Shirley sees filmmaker Josephine Decker returning to Sundance with a period drama that features strong performances from its acting ensemble. Fred (Logan Lerman) and Rose (Odessa Young) are moving to a small college town in Vermont as Fred hopes to land a job at the local college.  Before they know it, professor Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg) offers them free room and board.  It comes with something of a catch because it means Rose must clean…

"Sundance 2020: Shirley"

Sundance 2020: The Nowhere Inn

The Nowhere Inn aims to put a different perspective on the music documentary genre but manages to miss the mark in bringing something new. Annie Clark aka St. Vincent asks best friend Carrie Brownstein to direct a documentary about her.  The goal is a documentary about her music, touring life, and the musician’s on-stage persona.  But in making this documentary, their friendship ultimately gets tested to the point of maybe not even surviving the film. …

"Sundance 2020: The Nowhere Inn"

Sundance 2020: Kajillionaire

Kajillionaire is a heist movie that follows a family of con artists living in Los Angeles and struggling to keep a roof over their head. Robert (Richard Jenkins) and Theresa Dyne (Debra Winger) are con artists.  They’ve raised their daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to follow them into the family business.  It may not be the best life but it’s the life they have for themselves.  The family owes money while also living in…

"Sundance 2020: Kajillionaire"

Sundance 2020: Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a film that will certainly resonate with a number of people given that the film deals with an unintended pregnancy. Eliza Hittman’s follow up to Beach Rats is not going to be for all audiences.  Conservative film goers will most certainly not be fans.  Then again, maybe they’re the exactly the right people who really need to see this film. Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) leaves work early with her cousin, Skylar…

"Sundance 2020: Never Rarely Sometimes Always"

Sundance 2020: The Go-Go’s

It’s a blast to the past as Showtime presents a documentary about The Go-Go’s, one of the most successful all-female bands of all time. “We’ve Got The Beat.”  “Our Lips Are Sealed.”  The list of hits goes on and on.  What may be the most surprising piece of information in watching this documentary is that the band is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  How is it that one of the most…

"Sundance 2020: The Go-Go’s"