Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore feature film, A Real Pain, is a buddy comedy about a pair of cousins on a Holocaust tour in Poland. I watched A Real Pain on Thursday as soon as the virtual edition got underway. Knowing it was from Jesse Eisenberg and knowing it dealt with Jews touring through Poland, it was always going to kick off my virtual programming on Wednesday. Being Jewish myself, my family lived in Eastern Europe before…
"A Real Pain – Sundance 2024"Tag: Jesse Eisenberg
Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut at Sundance with the A24 film, When You Finish Saving the World. Evelyn Katz (Julianne Moore) runs a shelter for domestic abuse survivors. But when it comes to her home life, she struggles when it comes to finding a connection with her son, Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard). She only realizes this when a new family comes to her shelter: Angie (Eleonore Hendricks) and son, Kyle (Billy Bryk). Evelyn…
"When You Finish Saving the World – Sundance 2022"
Wild Indian is a compelling thriller about a Native American who has essentially rebuilt his life in order to move beyond his past. Makwa (Michael Greyeyes) has long since moved away from the reservation where he grew up. It isn’t only that he grew up there but he covered up a classmates murder decades earlier. But here’s the thing about covering up a murder, nobody is ever really safe. Even if one thinks they are…
"Sundance 2021: Wild Indian"
Resistance tells the true story of how actor Marcel Marceau ended up joining the French Resistance and saved children during World War 2. The film only focuses on this portion of the famous mime’s life. Years later, he would become the person who recited the only spoken word in Mel Brook’s Silent Movie. Yet this isn’t a film that focuses on his life as a performer. Born Marcel Mangel (Jesse Eisenberg), he turned to a…
"Resistance Tells Marcel Marceau’s Story"
The Social Network remains not only the best film that was released in 2010 but it’s also one of the greatest films to ever be made. When The Social Network first hit theaters in October 2010, nobody could predict what would become of Facebook. The social media platform may be a great way to stay in touch with friends and family but it’s so much more than that. Listen, all the platforms have their issues. …
"The Social Network: A Classic For The Ages"
Zombieland: Double Tap reunites the cast but the fact that the film uses the same formula as its predecessor can only work for so long. The core four brings about a certain nostalgia. While they are safe from zombies and living in the White House, the fun can only last for so long. It isn’t long before Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) escapes this safe zone with Wichita (Emma Stone) and runs off for Graceland. Everything…
"Zombieland: Double Tap Offers Nostalgia"
The Art of Self-Defense takes a dark comedic look at toxic masculinity but does so while grounding it in the world of karate. Accountant Casey Davies (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to sign up for karate classes after a he gets jumped by a motorcycle gang. It’s only because there’s no more dog food. Man’s best friend comes first, right?!? Casey does the first logical thing he can think of when he leaves the hospital: buy…
"The Art of Self-Defense: A Dark Comedy"
The Hummingbird Project is a pretty ambitious film and offers fine performances but the film as a whole falls pretty far short of expectations. A pair of New York cousins, Vincent Zaleski (Jesse Eisenberg) and Anton Zaleski (Alexander Skarsgård in unrecognizable form), have big dreams. This dream is building a straight fiber-optic cable line between Kansas and New Jersey. Mark Vega (Michael Mando) is their pick to run things. Despite the odds, the two aren’t going…
"The Hummingbird Project aims high, falls short"
There’s been a lot of films that took place in New York City but The World Before Your Feet may just be the most unique as it follows Matt Green on his walk across every block of the city. Matt Green may be crazy. He quit his job as a civil engineer to walk across America from Rockaway Beach, N.Y., to Rockaway Beach, Ore. in 2010. A few years later, he’s at it again and walking…
"SXSW 2018: The World Before Your Feet"