— by WILLIAM STERR — This 2022 film, Austria’s Foreign Language entry to the Academy Awards, is the (highly) fictionalized account of a brief period in the life of Elizabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. Not only is it a fictionalized account covering the years 1877 and 187[...]
Archive for December, 2022
Review: Taming the Garden
— by BEV QUESTAD — There’s no narration to this doc verite. Overheard voices can be heard, but this is basically the silent story about transplanting a beautiful tree from a spot in rural Georgia, a nation of diverse geology and topography on Turkey’s border to the north. “Taming t[...]
Review: Hidden Letters
— by BEV QUESTAD — The film opens with soft, Monet-like pastoral landscapes around a Chinese village and progresses to clips of modern city life is Shanghai. These scenes represent the history of the secret script of Nushu, a language used during the old days of China when women’s feet[...]
Review: Nothing Compares
— by BEV QUESTAD — After Sinead O’Connor ripped a picture of Pope John Paul II’s picture on SNL in 1992 and announced, “Fight the real enemy,” I just chalked it up to a celebrity desperately craving notoriety. I had no idea she was protesting child abuse within the Catholic Churc[...]
Review: A Piece of Sky (aka Drii Winter)
— by BEV QUESTAD — It’s not a happy film and at times it moves too slowly. How long can we look at a chairlift? But “A Piece of Sky” does deal with a mammoth issue that I’ll politely refer to in general as mental illness. What do you do when your partner, your spouse, […][...]
Review: Ticket to Paradise
— by BEV QUESTAD — Thank you – Thank you – Thank you George Clooney and Julia Roberts for giving us such a fun film! It is a feast of enjoyment! David and Georgia Cotton are divorced but find themselves seated next to each other at their only daughter’s graduation. They hat[...]
Review: Fire of Love
— by BEV QUESTAD — One and a half minutes into the film you are told that tomorrow will be Katia and Maurice Krafft’s, the real-life volcanologists of this film, last day. Throughout the movie you are wondering who pushed who. They do admit their relationship is volcanic and they do wa[...]
Review: Pinocchio
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is not your grandfather’s Pinocchio. Nor is it Walt Disney’s 2022 live-action version. This one is courtesy of the incredible imagination of Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican director/writer who gave us the Oscar winning “The Shape of Water,” “Pan’s La[...]
Review: In Search of Bengali Harlem
— by BEV QUESTAD — This film is an introduction to the fabulous talent of Alaudin Ullah, writer, director, producer, and comedian. He uses his national origin, Islam, and social issues to introduce audiences to the Bangladeshi-American world. Fun clips of his stand-up savvy are intersper[...]
Review: Young Plato
— by BEV QUESTAD — What a fun documentary on a Catholic primary boys’ school! It’s all about the Elvis-loving principal, Kevin McArevey, who uses philosophy as a principle driver in the school’s success. The only acceptance criteria into Holy Cross Boys’ Primary School is the[...]
Review: Enough! Lebanon’s Darkest Hour
— by BEV QUESTAD with RAMEZ TOMEH (in Beirut) — Daizy Gedeon begins her film in a frustrated voice saying, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be telling you this story.” For years, as you flew into Lebanon one of the first things you would notice appeared to be a massive w[...]
Review: From the Hood to the Holler
— by BEV QUESTAD — An irrepressible politician from Kentucky has got the fire and passion of a break-through progressive politician in a fiery red state. He’s opening the eyes of frustrated voters from his Louisville neighborhood all the way to the poor little towns in the hill country[...]
Review: The Scottish Play
— by WILLIAM STERR — Poor Sydney (Tina Benko – “The Greatest Showman”). She has had some success in the movies and lives in New York City. Yet she’s looking for something more in her life – something meaningful. She wakes, dresses, and goes for a run, stopping at the statue[...]