The Other Story is grounded through a father-daughter relationship but also touches on the struggles between Ultra-Orthodox Judaism and secular lifestyles. There are two major plots going in The Other Story. One is the relationship between Anat Abadi (Joy Rieger) and Shachar Elkayam (Nathan Goshen). The other deals with patients of Dr. Shlomo Abadi (Sasson Gabai), Rami (Maayan Bloom) and Sari (Avigail Harari). While Shlomo brings in his son, Yonatan (Yuval Segal), to help these…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: The Other Story"
Headlined by shining performances from Tika Sumpter and Ben Tavassoli, An Acceptable Loss is full of political thrills in the Chicago-set thriller. A brief prologue introduces us to former US security advisor, Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Lamm (Tika Sumpter), and her boss, then-Vice President Rachel Burke (Jamie Lee Curtis). While watching the film, we learn that Lamm authored the controversial and “commission-proof” Burke Doctrine. It’s because of this that Lamm decides to step away from her position. Cut…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: An Acceptable Loss"
The Great Buster: A Celebration is a well-deserved cinematic tribute to Buster Keaton–one of the greatest silent comedy stars to have ever lived. Discussing the great silent comedy stars must include Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd. Interestingly, Keaton starred in College as a response to Lloyd’s The Freshman. Where Lloyd starred as a freshman who played football, Keaton would play every other sport. As for Chaplin, he directed Keaton in 1952’s Limelight. This…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: The Great Buster"
A headline that sounds like it can only be ripped from the likes of The Onion, The Oath is the perfect political satire for the Trump era. Imagine every American being asked to sign an oath that states: “I pledge my loyalty to my President and my country and vow to defend them from enemies, both foreign and domestic.” This is what writer-director Ike Barinholtz is asking us by watching The Oath. It’s a new political…
"The Oath: The Satire for the Trump Era"
With first-time director Paul Dano at the helm, Wildlife benefits from a stand-out performance from actress Carey Mulligan. Based on Richard Ford’s book of the same name, we view the events through the eyes of teenager Joe Brinson (Ed Oxenbould) in Great Falls, Montana. As his parents struggle financially, Joe decides to quit the football team to work for a photographer. Meanwhile, Joe’s dad, Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal), decides to run out of town to fight fires some…
"Wildlife: A Career-Best for Carey Mulligan"
Beautiful Boy is a wonderfully acted film showing that Timothée Chalomet’s Oscar-nominated performance from last year was not a fluke. As wonderfully acted as the Felix van Groeningen film may be, the story of father-and-son, David (Steve Carell) and Nic Sheff (Timothée Chalamet), is such a sad one. When we first meet David, he’s in some sort of office looking to learn more about crystal meth. This is because his son, Nick, is an alcoholic and…
"Beautiful Boy: A Wonderfully Acted Film"
Addressing the gender disparity that troubles Hollywood, This Changes Everything is one of the most important documentaries of the year. I can’t exactly point to when all the focus started turning to women directors not getting the same opportunities as men. That being said, This Changes Everything is equally important to the Amy Adrion-directed Half the Picture. This two films go hand in hand with a similar focus on women directors. “The door has to…
"Chicago Film Fest 2018: This Changes Everything"
Film producer Albert Berger returned to Chicago to serve as the keynote speaker of the 2018 Chicago International Film Festival Industry Days. Albert Berger never wanted to be a producer. It just kind of happened that way. It just so happened that he and producing partner Ron Yerxa just happened to own a copy of This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff. They didn’t even own the theatrical rights when they headed off to the 1989…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: Albert Berger’s Keynote"
During the 2018 Chicago International Film Festival, the panels held during Industry Days allowed for both conversations and networking. While I was not able to get to everything I wanted to, I was able to get to a few key panels. I don’t go into these panels from the perspective of reporting on them. Instead, I attend Industry Days for the insights that the panelists offer. Improv is one of the reasons why I moved…
"Chicago Film Festival 2018: Industry Days – A Midwest Career"
Art Paul of Playboy: The Man Behind The Bunny profiles the man who revolutionized the magazine industry through his role as art director. When people think of the Playboy magazine, it’s not uncommon to think of nude women or founder Hugh Hefner. The magazine started up in 1953 and would later grow into a full-blown brand in later years with the changing technology. For the era in which the magazine begun, it would play an…
"Art Paul of Playboy: The Man Behind The Bunny"