Robert Mapplethorpe’s story is one that’s best told as a documentary as the narrative feature, Mapplethorpe, does not do him justice. It’s unfortunate because Mapplethorpe (Matt Smith) was such an iconic photographer. Nearly 30 years following his death from AIDS in 1989, his photos are still a big part of cultural history. The film starts just before Mapplethorpe moves into the Hotel Chelsea in the late 1960s, where he’s living with Patti Smith (Marianne Rendón)…
"Frameline 2018: Mapplethorpe"Tag: Tribeca Film Festival
Following a screening of Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, Solzy at the Movies spoke with director Aaron Lieber along with producers Penny Edmiston and Jane Kelly Kosek. Thanks for joining us. How much of a thrill was it to premiere the film at Tribeca? Aaron Lieber: Being here in Tribeca, I’ve never been in a festival and this is my first feature-length documentary. So to be here in Tribeca, New York,…
"Tribeca 2018: Aaron Lieber, Producers talk Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable"
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. What Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 does is explore the true story behind the classic Air Jordan shoes. It can be said Jordan was the best thing to have ever happened for Nike. Nike was being killed in the marketing by Adidas in the early 1980s. Not only that but future Hall of Famers like Larry Bird and others were under contract to Converse. …
"Tribeca 2018: Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1"
Director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody have reteamed to bring us Tully, a modern-day look at parenting and how it takes over so much of our lives. Parenting is exhausting. There’s no other way to say it. It’s something that Diablo Cody seeks to explore in the script for Tully. There’s always something about Jason Reitman bringing Cody’s words to the big screen. Cody has a way with writing and this film proves that…
"Tully: A Commanding Performance from Charlize Theron"
With an impending doom from an asteroid on the horizon, The Goodnight Show offers a touch of sentimentality. The Goodnight Show is far from the doom that was Armageddon or Deep Impact. I can go on and on naming all the films in which an asteroid collides with earth and we’d be here all day. This short film, directed by Charlie Schwan, is something else. While there is an asteroid on path to collision with…
"Tribeca 2018: The Goodnight Show"
The 716th is a fun little sci-fi comedy in the vein of M*A*S*H meets Star Trek. What is known at the start of the film is that it’s Year 42 of the Rak War in the Outer Durad System. Ash (John Asher) and Doc (Andrew Bowen) are revealed as being wayward nonautomated combat medics who learn that two of their own are being left on an alien world to fend for themselves. Neither Doc nor…
"Tribeca 2018: The 716th"
Laboratory Conditions packs so much punch in just under 20 minutes that you forget it’s not a narrative feature! Dr. Emma Holloway makes a late night discovery at work when she comes to the realization that a patient was missing. Unbeknownst to her, the patient–in the final hours of life–is found to have been taken by a medical school nearby. It’s there where Marjorie Cane (Minnie Driver) is running an experiment to see whether a…
"Tribeca 2018: Laboratory Conditions"
While I still have some reviews to crank out, here are some of the best offerings of what I saw during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. When one factors in all the categories offered, I saw a total of 39 narrative features, documentaries, and pilots during the festival. NARRATIVE FEATURE FILMS: My favorite narrative features to play during Tribeca include All About Nina, Egg, Song of Back and Neck, Jellyfish, Little Woods, The Miseducation of…
"The Best of Tribeca 2018"
Marianna Palka’s newest feature, Egg, offers up satirical view on parenting and some great performances to go along with it. Risa Mickenberg’s screenplay has of commentary to offer when it comes to parenting and the decisions that come with it. Mickenberg hit a home run on her first produced screenplay. The fact that it says so much about the subject with so few cast members is impressive. On the one hand, there is Tina (Alysia…
"Tribeca 2018: Egg"
All About Nina is a highly personal film grounded in the world of stand-up comedy that delves into Me, Too territory. Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a rising comedian in New York City and she’s crassier than Sarah Silverman. Listen, stand-up comedy is no doubt dominated by men and Nina has worked her butt off to get to where she is today. Her sets come through with raw talent and emotion. On the other…
"Tribeca 2018: All About Nina"