Reckonings is a documentary that takes a look back at the early 1950s when German and Jewish leaders met to discuss reparations. Chances are likely that you probably do not know the story of the Jewish Claims Conference. It took until the 1950s for leaders to meet and discuss compensation for survivors. The question on many minds during the talks are how does one determine reparations for the worst mass genocide in history. How much…
"Reckonings – JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival 2023"Month: January 2023
The Pod Generation entered the 2023 Sundance Film Festival as an award winner but the sci-fi film falls short in its execution. I needed over a week after the premiere to think about my feelings on the film. The more that I think about it, the more I end up not liking it. It’s a shame because this is a high-concept idea with an intriguing premise. Plus, it was a film that I anticipated going…
"The Pod Generation – Sundance 2023"
Jake Kasdan’s feature directorial debut, Zero Effect, marks its 25th anniversary since the mystery-comedy’s theatrical release in 1998. In terms of plot, Kasdan’s script draws on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s third short story featuring detective Sherlock Holmes, “A Scandal in Bohemia.” Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is the world’s most private detective while Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) is his Dr. Watson. Zero is a misanthropist so Arlo does the heavy work. It’s not often that you…
"Zero Effect Marks 25th Anniversary"
On the penultimate day of Sundance, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill to eliminate gender-affirming care for transgender youth. After the Utah legislature overruled Governor Spencer Cox’s veto for the trans athlete ban, I decided I wouldn’t be attending Sundance 2023. Lawsuits were filed. Ultimately, trans athletes would be allowed to play sports but only after a committee said they could. This put trans rights in a place where I felt comfortable enough to…
"Utah Attacks Trans Rights on Penultimate Day of Sundance"
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Jane Levy delivers a stupendous performance in the newest film from Angus MacLachlan, A Little Prayer. MacLachlan is no stranger to the Sundance Film Festival. He started coming as a volunteer in the late 1980s. His last trip as a filmmaker was to showcase Amy Adams’ Oscar-nominated performance in 2005’s Junebug. We’ve already known that Jane Levy is a star from her comedy work in Suburgatory and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. What…
"A Little Prayer – Sundance 2023"
Theater Camp uses a mockumentary approach as its means of storytelling in this very hysterical music-driven comedy. I love a good mockumentary. There’s nothing like the intertitles drawing laughs almost as much as the rest of the film. It’s been a while since we had a really good mockumentary on the big screen. Is Christopher Guest still making them? Theater Camp could rival any of his mockumentary comedies! In all honesty, they made the film…
"Theater Camp – Sundance 2023"
Starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway, Eileen is a Hitchcock-esque provocative thriller that takes its audience on twists and turns. Thomasin McKenzie’s casting in Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace will go down as one of the best discoveries in this century. The actress has never disappointed and her star is only continuing to rise. McKenzie and Anne Hathaway both make their return to Sundance in the new film from Lady Macbeth filmmaker William Oldroyd. McKenzie…
"Eileen – Sundance 2023"
You People is trying to be the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner of the 21st century but the film fails on every single level by far. Here’s the thing about Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. It is a classic to the point in which it cannot be made again. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy might be comedic AF but they’re not Katharine Hepburn or Sidney Poitier. Where that film was about a Black guy coming…
"You People Isn’t Funny and Misses On Every Level"
Cat Person is a genre-bending thriller from filmmaker Susanna Fogel that explores the horrors of dating in the 21st century. The Margaret Atwood quote at the start of the film really hits it on the money because it sets up the tone for what’s about to transpire on screen: “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” Whether you’re a fan of Susanna Fogel, Emilia Jones,…
"Cat Person – Sundance 2023"
HBO Max announced the list of films, series, and specials that are coming and leaving the streaming service during February 2023. HBO Max announces programming coming to the platform this month including the Oscar-nominated film EMPIRE OF LIGHT (2/7). The film, directed by Sam Mendes, is about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Hilary (Olivia Colman), a cinema manager struggling with depression, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee longing to escape the…
"HBO Max: Coming and Leaving in February 2023"