Ordinary Love is about a couple dealing with a cancer diagnosis years into their marriage and the tensions that come with it. Cancer is something that hits close to home for many families. If your own immediate family hasn’t faced the challenge, there’s a high chance that it’s been faced by a cousin, aunt, or uncle. Maybe even a grandparent. The BRCA gene is one that runs high in the Jewish community. It’s one of…
"Ordinary Love Is A Tough Watch"Category: Movie Reviews
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
One man is preparing to call it quits in The Last Shift while training his replacement in a film that starts a conversation on social issues. Stanley (Richard Jenkins) is closing in on his final graveyard shift at Oscar’s Chicken and Fish. For this final weekend after 38 years, Stanley trains Jevon (Shane Paul McGhie) to take over the shift. Throughout the weekend, we learn more about the characters. For instance, Jevon is also a…
"Sundance 2020: The Last Shift"
Horse Girl features a superb performance from writer-star Alison Brie while the film also has something to say about mental illness. Sarah (Alison Brie) works at an arts and crafts store with Joan (Molly Shannon). While it pays the bills, Sarah would rather be taking care of her favorite horse or watching her favorite supernatural TV show. Much to the dismay of roommate Nikki (Debby Ryan), of course. Nikki does her best to get Sarah…
"Sundance 2020: Horse Girl"