Yesterday was another day of globetrotting at AFIFest Presented by Audi for me. One of the joys of film festivals is the chance to see the similarities and differences of cultures. That sometimes applies to the subcultures of American life we see as well. But it is...
Eating at film festivals can sometimes be a challenge. Grabbing a quick sandwich between screenings is sometimes the best you can do. But yesterday I had a really interesting sandwich: a dark brooding film from one of my favorite Romanian directors placed between two...
The messy art of politics is the basis of John Madden?s film Miss Sloane. Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is a high powered DC lobbyist. When offered a chance to represent the gun lobby against a bill to require background checks, she leaves the firm she works for...
The American Film Institute has a mission that includes ?to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers?. A visible part of AFIFest is honoring the heritage and artists of the...
We don?t all get to go to Cannes for what may be considered the most prestigious film festival. I know I don?t make it there. But yesterday at AFIFest ?(presented by Audi), I managed to see three films that all won awards at Cannes this year. And I didn?t have to pay...
?It?s twisted.? That brief line of dialogue defines Paul Verhoeven?s Elle in more ways than one. The plot certainly has very interesting turns along the way, but the convolutions of the personalities are what really make this entertaining and interesting. This is an...
The thirtieth?Edition of AFIFEST Presented by Audi is underway. This festival is a wonderful collection of independent, foreign, and Oscar buzz films playing side by side in the middle of Hollywood. It always strikes me that on the street level of Hollywood Boulevard...
?What you call love is a borderline personality disorder.? In The Love Witch, Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a witch looking for someone to love her as she believes she should be loved. She relies on spells and potions?which may be somewhat deadly. She has just moved...
As time moves on those who can speak firsthand about historical events dwindle. Behind Bayonets and Barbed Wire is an opportunity to get the remembrances of some American World War II veterans who suffered through horrendous treatment in Japanese prisoner of war...