Category: drama

Another Round, Perhaps another run at my top 10

Another Round written and directed by Thomas Vinterberg, who according to IMDB, is one of the Danish forefounders of “dogme95, a set of rules dedicated to reintroducing the element of risk in film-making,” is best known to me from his direction in the great Thomas Hardy adaptation from “Far From the Maddening Crowd”. Another Round… Continue reading Another Round, Perhaps another run at my top 10

News of the World, a Mainstream Media Metaphor

You know what your going to get when you turn on or read mainstream news, you choose what makes you feel congratulated with stories that say, ‘you’re right!’ or ‘be afraid’ which in this sense, means, ‘You’re left.’ Ok enough of my political humor…I’m a moderate for the record, wishing everyone could always compromise and… Continue reading News of the World, a Mainstream Media Metaphor

Sound of Metal, Profound: in upcoming best of 2020

Derek Cianfrance is a great writer, known previously for Blue Valentine and The Place Between the Pines. With Darius Marder, who he worked with on “Pines”, teamed up with Derk to do the new movie “Sound of Metal” which I was lucky enough to see on the big screen before the big shut down at… Continue reading Sound of Metal, Profound: in upcoming best of 2020

Two-Fer NEW MOVIE Reviews: something light, something heavy

The Fatman and The Life Ahead are two movies I’ve taken in this week; subversive-lite and poignant-beautiful respectively. The first, The Fat Man is playing for a few more days at Lakewood Ranch (please support them) and probably longer at CineBistro. The movie stars Mel Gibson as Kris Kringle and if the Nelms brother had… Continue reading Two-Fer NEW MOVIE Reviews: something light, something heavy

God’s Own Country, a must see

Recently I was asked to co-host a program at our local Independent Theater Burns Court for the movie “Ammonite” which debuts November 13th. As a dutiful life long learner, I looked into the writer/director Francis Lee. Lo and behold, was a movie on his filmography I’d been meaning to watch starring one of my favorite… Continue reading God’s Own Country, a must see

The Devil All the Time (switch out Violence for Devil)

An often asked interview question is “if you could have four dinner guests, who would they be?” and typically, people name Jesus, Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs and Freud…you get the idea… Based on my viewing The Devil All the Time, I’d like to dine with Antonio and Paulo Campos (writers and director of said film),… Continue reading The Devil All the Time (switch out Violence for Devil)

The Nest Wasn’t Quite Empty Enough

Sean Durkin, director and writer of “Martha Marcy May Marlene” decided to spare us the word count with his latest of sparer title, “The Nest”. I wish his screenwriting could have also been trimmed. Don’t get me wrong, The Nest is worth seeing, especially if you’re in for a moody, gray foreboding Surrey landscape. Not… Continue reading The Nest Wasn’t Quite Empty Enough

You Say Tommaso, I say Too Macho

Ok, I couldn’t resist the title, if anything, I felt for Willem Dafoe’s character to a point… But first, let me say that Abel Ferrara’s a new director to me. I did not see The Bad Lieutenant, but did love Herzog’s sequel Bad Lieutenant Port of Call. From what I’ve read of Ferrara’s filmography, he’s… Continue reading You Say Tommaso, I say Too Macho

First Cow, A Friendship Fable

First Cow, directed by Kelly Reichardt, known for her unmistakable ability to capture simple pleasures and universal pain, has another wonder with First Cow (now streaming on Itunes). This time she has re-teamed with Jonathan Raymond (Mildred Pierce, Wendy and Lucy) to bring the latter’s novel “The Half-Life” to cinematic life. A perfect circular plot,… Continue reading First Cow, A Friendship Fable