?Forgiveness doesn?t heal the wounds of the past; it transforms them.? Lisa Azuelos?s I Love America is structured as a rom-com, but that is really just the pretty clothing put on to attract us to a story of grief and healing. In a sense it is a story of being lost and not knowing it….
Liam Neeson has mastered the art of growling his lines out, reflective of the persona he has been developing since he dropped Taken on us, and the particular set of skills he unleashed on traffickers who threatened his daughter. Yes, he’s deviated from the norm with Silence and Ordinary Love, but Run All Night, A…
Fifty years ago, the goddess of film criticism, Pauline Kael, called Norman Jewison?s Fiddler on the Roof ?the most powerful movie musical ever made.? I wouldn?t dream of disputing that assessment. To be sure, Fiddler is not only among the most powerful musicals, but among the most emotionally powerful films. As the fiftieth anniversary has…
Directed by Srdan Keca, Museum of the Revolution introduces the world to Vera and Milica, a homeless mother and daughter who struggle to survive amongst the streets of Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fighting for their lives in an unforgiving city that chooses to ignore them, Vera and Milica search for support and community amongst the shadows. This is a…
In the Finnish film Hatching, from director Hanna Bergholm, a girl from a seemingly perfect home looks for love in an unusual source, but it leads into a very dark and destructive place. It?s part horror film, part coming-of-age story, and part magical realism. Twelve year old Tinja lives in what appears to be a…
While I’ve never read any of Australian author Aaron Blabey’s books for kids, the animated trailer for Universal Pictures’ The Bad Guys was full of flashy characters and witty one-liners, drawing me into its flair. Watching the film provided an additional realization: there’s plenty of heart behind the Dreamworks animation of Mr. Wolf, Ms. Tarantula,…
At some point in our lives, everyone needs a second chance. A Cowgirl?s Song tells the story of sisters Halley (Savannah Lee May) and her sister, Brooke (Darci Lynne) who are shocked to hear that their father has gone to prison for a crime he claims that he didn?t know he was committing. Determined to visit…
Food and sex are among our greatest pleasures. At times, they are intimately linked, especially in films. Sexual Drive? from director Yoshida K?ta, is built around the connection of sensuality the two share. It is part thriller, part sex comedy, and culinary adventure. The film is made up of three vignettes, each titled after a…
Even when the world is filled with darkness, some stories still shine brightly. Set during the Nazi-occupation of Germany in World War II, Charlotte tells the unbelievable true story of Charlotte Salomon (Keira Knightley), a young Jewish woman who dreams of becoming an artist. When she?s accepted into a German art scool, Salomon is thrilled at the…
In recent years, it has become increasingly popular for films to wink at the camera with an eye of self-awareness. But I don?t know if there will ever be a film that takes a more meta-approach to its filmmaking than?The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. With?Massive Talent, star Nicolas Cage has created a story that…
