Based on the novel of the same name, Disobedience is the epic romance film that the Orthodox Jewish LGBTQ community has been waiting for. The film is the second consecutive film from director Sebastián Lelio to hit very close to home for this film critic–being both a transgender woman and a member of the Orthodox Jewish LGBTQ community. Sebastián Lelio, who also directed A Fantastic Woman starring Daniela Vega, and Rebecca Lenkiewicz adapted Naomi Alderman’s award-winning…
"Tribeca 2018: Disobedience: The Epic Orthodox Jewish Lesbian Romance"Category: Film Festival
Zoe is a film that mixes science fiction with romance in a way that makes it stand apart from the likes of Her. Relationist Labs’s main goal is to create the perfect lover so to speak. Among their founders, Cole Ainsley (Ewan McGregor) is an engineer who is heavily focused on designing synthetic robots that make for the perfect romantic lover. Zoe (Léa Seydoux) is one of his designs but ever since she was turned…
"Tribeca 2018: Zoe"
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable shows that there is more to Bethany Hamilton than just being the surfer who was attacked by a shark. Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a tiger shark while surfing in October 2003. Most people would give up on their big dreams after such an event but Bethany Hamilton isn’t most people. The Hawaiian native, a daughter of two surfers, would persevere and compete in the National Amateur Competition a mere nine…
"Tribeca 2018: Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable"
Bobby Kennedy for President is a stark reminder of what the world lost when Senator Robert Kennedy was killed in June 1968. The documentary comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s presidential run. It was a presidential campaign that, while shy of 90 days, would change a nation for better or worse. With the ongoing Vietnam War, there was a lot of conflict within the Democratic Party. RFK was running a campaign…
"Tribeca 2018: Bobby Kennedy for President"
There were a few short films screening during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival that drew my interest. What follows is a roundup of short narratives and documentaries playing Tribeca that I recommend. Souls of Totality Directed by Richard Raymond, the film stars Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen. The film centers around the Great American Solar Eclipse and examines the sacrifices that one makes during a relationship. There’s a power of love in this short. This…
"Tribeca 2018: Shorts Roundup"
Obey is crafted around the 2011 London Riots in a way that explores the gentrification of London neighborhoods. Leon (Marcus Rutherford) has been in and out of the foster care for a number of years. For Leon, his entire life seems to revolve around social workers and his drunk mother, Chelsea (T’Nia Miller). It’s because of his upbringing that he doesn’t get the opportunity to attend college. Leon’s job prospects look slim as he never went…
"Tribeca 2018: Obey"
Tribeca 2018: 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh
7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh, or 7 Stages for short, is without a doubt the best comedy–perhaps even the best film–to ever be made about a cult. Claire (Kate Micucci) and Paul (Sam Huntington) move from the comforts of Ohio to Los Angeles. They found an apartment in the Tabula Building that is surprisingly affordable but it’s only a matter of time before they…
"Tribeca 2018: 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh"
Netizens is a documentary that offers an in-depth look at cyber harassment and what is and isn’t being done to stop it. Cyber harassment is one of the worst things about the internet. Nobody is immune to the dangers of the abuse in the digital era. What first-time director Cynthia Lowen does is offer insight into what these women are doing as a way of fighting back against the harassment. Lowen follows three women, including…
"Tribeca 2018: Netizens"
With the premiere of Jellyfish, director James Gardner has announced his arrival on the scene as a feature film director. Gardner does so by delivering a film with a breakthrough performance from British actress Liv Hill. Life has been thrust onto Sarah Taylor (Liv Hill) during the middle of her teenage years. While many high school students would rather be living a life free of responsibility, Sarah has become a second mom to her younger…
"Tribeca 2018: Jellyfish"
Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary is the perfect way to offer closure to the series should there never be a reboot. In just over an hour, Brent Hodge manages to reunite the cast and crew of Freaks and Geeks by way of contemporary interviews while revisiting the set of the 1999-2000 series. As the series did so on September 25, 1999, the documentary’s world premiere was also on a Saturday night at 8 PM. Fans…
"Tribeca 2018: Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary"