Mouthpiece makes strong choices

Mouthpiece makes some rather interesting storytelling decisions starting with the choice to have two people play the same character. The film is based on a play written by stars Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava.  Both of them star as a thirty-year-old writer Cassandra Haywood.  When her mother, Elaine (Maev Beaty), dies suddenly, she dives into a tailspin.  Elaine had given up her career because of having children.  This was supposed to be temporary but it’s…

"Mouthpiece makes strong choices"

Rocketman: Elton John Biopic Musical Crushes It

Rocketman offers everything that we want in a well-crafted biopic musical of Sir Elton John from the show-stopping numbers to the costume changes. The man that we know as Elton John (Taron Edgerton) was originally Reginald Dwight.  He would eventually tour around the world as a rock star.  This film shows that transformation albeit with somewhat of a fantasy aspect.  Even for being fantasy, the film clearly has a heart.  It’s grounded by way of…

"Rocketman: Elton John Biopic Musical Crushes It"

State of Pride: Interview with Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, and Raymond Braun

Filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman were joined by activist Raymond Braun in discussing the YouTube documentary, State of Pride. Both Epstein and Friedman are coming off of an Oscar nomination for End Game.   It was Friedman’s first Oscar nomination.  Epstein previously won two Oscars for Best Documentary, Features in 1985 and 1990. State of Pride is currently available to watch on YouTube. How thrilling is it to premiere State of Pride at SXSW? Jeffrey…

"State of Pride: Interview with Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, and Raymond Braun"

Godzilla: King of the Monsters Is A Letdown

Godzilla: King of the Monsters may feature more of the titular anti-hero but the sequel’s script could have been stronger. With Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen unable to return due to scheduling conficts, a new family takes over.  Monarch scientists Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) split up as a result of the San Francisco incident.  However, the 2014 incident inspired Emma to revisit the bio-sonar prototype that they previously destroyed.  Emma’s plan…

"Godzilla: King of the Monsters Is A Letdown"

Godzilla: There’s Not Enough

While the 2014 Godzilla film is meant to serve as the first film in a new MonsterVerse, there’s simply not enough of the monster in action. The film starts off in the Philippines in 1999 where Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) make a surprise discovery.  Whatever was awakened made its way to Janjira, Japan.  This is where we first meet Joe (Bryan Cranston) and Sandra Brody (Juliette Binoche).  There’s…

"Godzilla: There’s Not Enough"

A Vigilante: A Career-Best for Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde manages to deliver a career-best performance in Sarah Daggar Nickson’s recently released revenge thriller, A Vigilante. The film premiered during the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and I regret that it wasn’t on my radar last year.  Anyway, Wilde is excellent in the film as Sadie.  It’s a phenomenal performance that’s only aided by the camerawork in the film.  It’s certainly a nice one-two combo when everything comes together. The gist of the film…

"A Vigilante: A Career-Best for Olivia Wilde"

Running with Beto goes Behind The Scenes

Running with Beto goes behind the scenes of Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 U.S. Senate campaign as he sought to defeat Ted Cruz in Texas. As far as political documentaries are concerned, this film doesn’t break any new ground.  It may be fascinating to watch but this is the extent.  Even the film’s relevancy needs to be questioned in the sense of whether this is because of the senate race or presidential campaign.  Last year, O’Rourke was…

"Running with Beto goes Behind The Scenes"

Booksmart: See It In Theaters

I instantly fell in love with the Olivia Wilde-directorial debut when I first saw Booksmart during the SXSW world premiere. It should come as no surprise that I decided to see the film a second time during one of the Chicago press screenings.  The jokes held up upon second viewing and reinforced my love for this film.  I already made the decision that I would be returning for a third round over the long Memorial…

"Booksmart: See It In Theaters"

Echo in the Canyon: California Sound at its Best

Echo in the Canyon is a love letter to the folk rock music originating from the Laurel Canyon and became what we know today as the California Sound. It’s kind of funny when you think about it but the California Sound doesn’t happen without the British Invasion.  Mainly, four lads from Liverpool who we know as The Beatles.  Funny enough, Pet Sounds would influence Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Yet here we are focusing…

"Echo in the Canyon: California Sound at its Best"

Frances Ferguson with Bob Byington, Kaley Wheless

Filmmaker Bob Byington and actress Kaley Wheless spoke with Solzy at the Movies about Frances Ferguson during the 2019 SXSW Film Festival. I sat down with the duo on the first Friday of SXSW before things became crazy.  David Krumholtz, who co-stars as a group therapist, was supposed to join us but he wasn’t able to make it in time because of a flight delay. The two of you came up with the story for…

"Frances Ferguson with Bob Byington, Kaley Wheless"