Searching is an intense roller coaster of a thriller that takes place on entirely on computer and smartphone screens. We’re quickly caught up on the backstory of the Kim family, including late wife Pam (Sara Sohn). Watching her battle with lymphoma play out in a matter of mere moments doesn’t do it justice. There are the typical first day of school photos or piano lessons. The early minutes of the film are tame compared to…
"CCFF 2018: Searching"Tag: Sundance Film Festival
Three Identical Strangers tells the crazy but true and sad story of Bobby Shafran, Eddy Galland, and David Kellman. The three of them were separated at birth when they were adopted by three different families. Bobby was sent off to live with the affluent Shafran family. Eddy went to the middle class Gallands. As for David, he went to live with the blue-collar Kellmans. All were adopted by Jewish families who had an older daughter living…
"CCFF 2018: Three Identical Strangers"
A wholly original film with a twist you never see coming, Damsel is a hysterical western from the minds of David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson) has tracked down the location of the woman he plans to marry, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). As he sets through in his journey, he hires Parson Henry (David Zellner) to officiate the wedding when he finds his future bride in addition to a gift, a miniature horse called Butterscotch. Samuel…
"CCFF 2018: Damsel"
Debra Granik’s third narrative feature, Leave No Trace, is a emotionally powerful film to say the least. We first meet Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) in their fourth year of living in Forest Park. It’s illegal to live in public land but the two of them have gotten away with living on the outskirts of Portland for so long. After Tom gets noticed by someone walking in the woods, it…
"CCFF 2018: Leave No Trace"
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"
As the film continues to play on the festival circuit, On Her Shoulders is one of the best documentaries of the year. Having already earned a directing prize for Alexandria Bombach at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the film hits up SXSW as a festival favorite to tell Nadia Murad’s story. Only 23 at the time, Nadia Murad, working with Yazda, gave a voice to the voiceless by testifying at the United Nations. Think about it. …
"SXSW 2018: On Her Shoulders"
Performance artist Vivian Bang spoke with Solzy at the Movies over the weekend about White Rabbit, Sundance, and Asian-American representation in film. Thanks for joining Solzy at the Movies today. How are things treating you? Vivian Bang: You know it’s funny, after Sundance, anyone from the industry who saw White Rabbit keeps telling me that it’s a game changer for me, and although that’s very sweet, I think I already shifted my career when I…
"Vivian Bang talks White Rabbit, Asian-American Representation"
Premiering at Sundance, Hal is a documentary that–break your heart as it may–offers closer a look at the career of the underrated director, Hal Ashby. In her directorial debut, editor-turned-director Amy Scott assembled a wide array of interviews, archival footage, and a soundtrack heavy on Cat Stevens over the last five years to give movie fans the long-overdue documentary on Hal Ashby. The documentary in itself is a reminder that many directors don’t get to…
"Sundance 2018: Hal – The Life of Hal Ashby"
An official Sundance selection, The Queen of Fear features a stellar acting performance from actress Valeria Bertuccelli. Bertuccelli, who also wrote the film, co-directs the absurd comedy with Fabiana Tiscornia. For a film that comes off as an absurd comedy, The Queen of Fear is surprisingly so dark in terms of lighting–whether that’s due to cinematographer Matías Mesa or the co-directors, I don’t know. As with any foreign film, to truly be able to understand what’s going…
"Sundance 2018: The Queen of Fear"
Because of the Disney/Freeform background of star Maia Mitchell, Never Goin’ Back has that Spring Breakers vibe to it but these two films couldn’t be any more different. Never Goin’ Back isn’t without drugs or vulgarity and there’s a lot of it throughout the film. A first feature from writer-director Augustine Frizzell, it’s another film in which one can show their support of a female director. Just as Sean Baker brought light to underrepresented low-income families with…
"Sundance 2018: Never Goin’ Back"