?It?s human.? What we see in Mathieu Almaric?s film Hold Me Tight is indeed very human. Of course, sometimes being human means suffering through great pain. Perhaps it can also mean moving past that pain. Clarisse (Vicky Krieps) is on a journey away from her family. We aren?t told immediately what she is moving away…
The innocence of childhood may present an opportunity for magic to happen. The openness of a child can allow for things that we might think impossible. If we allow ourselves to be carried along in that openness and innocence, we may find ourselves enchanted by Petite Maman, from C?line Sciamma. [Note: It is impossible to…
?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….
I frequently eat out. Sometimes it?s for convenience; other times it is for something special. The options are endless because restaurants are everywhere. They always have been, right? Well, no. Delicious, from director ?ric Bresnard, is the story of the birth of the restaurant, and it was very much a revolutionary idea. Set just before…
Welcome to the 2021 edition of AFI Fest. Last year, the festival was all done virtually. This year is a hybrid with some films being available virtually and others only shown in the theaters at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. The festival is abbreviated from pre-pandemic years only covering 4+ days instead of the…
The country has never seemed more divided. New data suggests that many Americans think it’s “time to split the country.” Are we in for a new Civil War? In this new episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we use an article by David French, a quote from Andrew Yang, the recent controversy surrounding Facebook,…
One of the rites of passage in the teenage years is to fall in love. In Spring Blossom we watch a young woman who doesn?t feel at ease with her peers begin an infatuation with an older man, who has his own issues about fitting in. Together they enter into a relationship that we know…
What goes into a bottle of Champagne? Easy answer: grapes. But how do they get there? Laura Naylor?s documentary Vas-y Coupe! (English title: Wine Crush) is a very pleasant atmospheric look at the harvest at one of Champagne?s premier vineyards. The film really isn?t so much about wine or agriculture. It is about people. Much…
If you read my festival coverage, you?ll know that I am a proponent for short films. I enjoy the chance to take in a program or two of shorts when I attend film festivals. Shorts are more than just practice for aspiring filmmakers. Shorts get to the point quickly and often very effectively. Usually, the…
I try not to mansplain things. But being a male reviewing Portrait of a Lady on Fire makes me feel as if I?m doing so. That is not to say that the film needs mansplaining. Writer director C?line Sciamma has crafted a wonderful story of women seeking love and fulfilment in a world that treats…
