Vox Lux is a story of the loss of innocence. It is also a reflection on the possibility of losing one’s foundational values along with that innocence. While we see this play out in the life of a girl and the woman she becomes, it may also give us pause to think about society and nations and what we all may be becoming.
Everybody Knows – Disclosing Open Secrets
In Everybody Knows, director Asghar Farhadi leaves Iranian stresses behind (cf., A Separation, The Past, and The Salesman) for a more Eurocentric story.
Shoplifters – A Twisted Family Tale
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Shoplifters is a part of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s examination of family’s place within society. This is a topic he has looked at from various angles in other films, notably Like Father, Like Son; Our Little Sister; Nobody Knows; and I Wish. (I recommend them all.)
The Favourite – Machiavellian Comedy
“I’m on my side. Always.” It isn’t news that politics can be a cutthroat sport. But in the hands of Yorgos Lanthimos, all that palace intrigue can become the basis of humor. The Favourite is a Machiavellian comedy set 400 years ago that reflects the way power often happens in secret, but with important consequences…. [Read More]
Jinn – Coming of Age and Coming to Faith
Teenage years can be a difficult time as one tries establish an identity. But what happens when religion is suddenly put into the mix? In Jinn, a young woman must learn how to fit Islam into her life and determine how to adapt herself to a new way of seeing things.
Roma – A Loving Memory of Life
In a taped message before the screening of Roma at AFIFest, director Alfonso Cuarón noted that it was based on memories from his childhood in Mexico City in 1971, and called it “a love letter to the women who raised me.”
Thursday at AFIFest 2018
AFIFest 2018 Presented by Audi has wound down to the end. It will be a few days before the results of the audience awards voting is known. But I’m sure the staff is pleased with this year’s festival and will soon be working on next years. I appreciate their hospitality and that they welcome me as press for the event.
Wednesday at AFIFest 2018
In the theater before each screening at AFIFest 2018 Presented by Audi, there are slides about AFI that show sponsors and donors. Those are all very important. Those are the reasons AFIFest is free to the public. But there are also those not listed because there are so many of them—the volunteers. It takes lots… [Read More]
Tuesday at AFIFest 2018
AFIFest 2018 Presented by Audi continues to remind me of why I like to go to festivals. It’s not just seeing lots of movies, but it is about how movies can truly push us to consider what happens in the world from various perspectives. Vox Lux, from director Brady Corbet, is a look at celebrity…. [Read More]
Monday at AFIFest 2018
Although I’ve seen my share of comedies at AFIFEST Presented by Audi, it seems that film festivals often show darker films than many people are used to. That is in part because they are made not so much to sell tickets to a large audience as to bring a story to life that the filmmaker… [Read More]
