Set against the backdrop of a Los Angeles summer, In a Relationship is a dramedy that tries to get at what is it about a relationship that makes us happy. In making the film, Sam Boyd has marked his feature directorial debut. He does so by basing the screenplay on his acclaimed 2015 short film. What the film does in essence is take the romantic comedy genre and takes away a lot of the nonsense…
"Tribeca 2018: In a Relationship"Category: Movie Reviews
The Miseducation of Cameron Post shines a light into the world of conversion therapy. To most people, Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a normal girl in high school. However, on prom night, her boyfriend, Jamie, discovers her making out in his car with Coley Taylor (Quinn Shephard). Next thing she knows, it’s off to G-d’s Promise to help her with her sins. The place is run by Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and Reverend Rick…
"Tribeca 2018: The Miseducation of Cameron Post"
Offering insight into the life of Gilda Radner, Love, Gilda is incredibly poignant and touching. When Gilda Radner joined the original Saturday Night Live cast in 1975, nobody expected that she be a household name through creating characters such as Rosanne Rosanadanna, Emily Litella and Baba Wawa. In doing so, the comedian became an inspiration to so many young women. Director Lisa D’Apolito wisely grounds the narrative by letting Radner tell her own story by way of…
"Tribeca 2018: Love, Gilda celebrates Gilda Radner"
In theory, I Feel Pretty should be a movie full of jokes and laughs. It has anything in a comedy that one wants–a likeable lead with a solid crew of friends–but the script falls remarkably short with not knowing the direction in which to go. Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) is holding herself back from being that woman who can take charge and control her own destiny. She works in a basement office far from the Lily…
"I Feel Pretty doesn’t have laughs"
Stockholm is the film that tells the absurd 1973 story that became the basis for the phrase, “Stockholm Syndrome.” Budreau wisely doesn’t wait around as the film quickly gets right down to business when Lars Nystrom (Ethan Hawke) walks into the Swedish bank. Lars does so to the tune of a Bob Dylan song. Lars is very demanding of what the police do. He wants them to release his best friend, Gunnar Sorensson (Mark Strong), from…
"Tribeca 2018: Stockholm"
Big Fish & Begonia is a wonderfully animated film with stunning cinematic visuals coming not from Disney or Pixar but overseas in China. While Disney and Pixar tend to have a stronghold on the best animated films of the year, this tale may very well be one of the most beautiful films of the year. It has the best of both worlds when it comes to animation–both hand-drawn and computer. At the start of the…
"Big Fish & Begonia: An Animated Beauty"
Rampage is the latest in a series of blockbusters that threaten to destroy Chicago–this time with genetically modified animals. Here’s the basic background: CRISPR made the waves in 1993 by giving scientists a way to treat previously incurable diseases through a process known as genetic editing. By 2016, U.S. Intelligence Community had determined that genetic editing was considered to be a “Weapon of Mass Destruction and Proliferation.” Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) is a primatologist working for…
"Rampage: Please Stop Destroying Chicago"
Led by a career-best performance from actor Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here shows that writer/director Lynne Ramsay is certainly here without a doubt. The performance from Phoenix is one that is so mesmerizing and captivating. The performance is truly unforgettable. His character has a remarkable back story. A former US soldier, he became an FBI agent on a sex-trafficking task force before later becoming a man who devotes all of his time to…
"You Were Never Really Here: An Awards Contender"
Beirut dives into the complexities of what the U.S. Government is willing to do when it comes to saving the life of one of their own. Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) is an American living in Beiruit in 1972. However, there is more to the American diplomat than meats the eye. One of his closest friends, Cal Riley (Mark Pellegrino), just happens to work as a CIA Agent. When Skiles and his wife host a party,…
"Beirut: One of Jon Hamm’s Best To Date"
Based on the novel by Willy Vlautin, film festival favorite Lean on Pete tells the poignant story of of a teenage boy and his strong connection to a horse. Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) hasn’t had an easy life living with his father Ray (Travis Fimmel). Charley’s mom is out of the picture and looking for meaning in his life, he turns to the Portland Downs racetrack where he meets Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny). …
"Lean on Pete: Charlie Plummer’s Breakout Role"