— by BEV QUESTAD — The Vicious Cycle versus the American Dream. Aristotle, James Madison, FDR, and Howard Zinn. An ominous title for an ominous time. Required reading for this year’s graduates. Free link at end. Noam Chomsky, 88 years old at the time of the release of this film, is wid[...]
Author Archive
Review: Driveways
— by BEV QUESTAD — In one of the last performances before his death on April 15, 2020, Brian Dennehy brought a simple little film to glory. Cast as a retired old fogey named Del, who has lived in the neighborhood since he married about 50 years ago, Dennehy makes this film glow. Driveway[...]
Review: Bull
— by BEV QUESTAD — Has the bull ever lost in a bull-riding contest? There is absolutely no record showing a bull-rider out-riding the bucking bull. “Bull,” a double-entendre for this surprising film, is about a 14-year old girl named Kris who is determined to be a professional bull-r[...]
Review: Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
— by BEV QUESTAD — The film begins with 11-year old Natasha waking up to a radio broadcast that her mother has been picked up off Catalina Island. Not understanding, she rushes downstairs as her father is coming up to tell her the news. She says, “The day my mom died my entire world wa[...]
Review: Until the Birds Return
— by BEV QUESTAD — How responsible are we when we see an injustice happen and we do nothing? Karim Moussaoui, an Algerian writer/director, presents three perspectives on this in his masterpiece, “Until the Birds Return.” Three life strands are juxtaposed, each with their parallels an[...]
Review: Endings, Beginnings
— by BEV QUESTAD — From 71 years of observation, it seems this is a role-reversal film where the woman, in this case Daphne (Shailene Woodley), takes on the characteristics of the stereotypical social bachelor who sports with one girl after another, oblivious to breaking hearts. Like the[...]
The American Nurse streaming for free
— by BEV QUESTAD — To honor nurses on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, “The American Nurse” a gripping documentary, has been released for free viewing. The link is at the end of this review. Carolyn Jones, a cancer survivor inspired by the nurses who kept her alive,decid[...]
Review: About a Teacher
— by BEV QUESTAD — During his first year of teaching, Hanan Harchol tells his dad it’s like living in a war zone. “Yesterday one kid almost impaled another kid with a light stand.” Based on his own first three years of teaching fimmaking at an inner-city New York high school, Harch[...]
Review: What You Gonna Do When …
— by BEV QUESTAD — Two boys, scared in a small carnival funhouse with sudden pop-outs, mirrors, clown faces, and crazy laughs, reflect the lives of African-Americans living in southern America. No matter where they turn in the frightening, bizarre environment, they must first conquer the[...]
Review: Celebration
— by BEV QUESTAD — What is there to hide? Banned for 18 years, “Celebration,” an introspective on Yves Saint Laurent as a dress designer, has finally been released for all to view. Opening for a limited US run last October (2019), “Celebration” is streaming online this April. Whi[...]
Review: Human Nature
— by BEV QUESTAD — The magic was here all along, and now, more than ever, it is ready to be used to eradicate congenital disorders, save coral reefs and possibly even help adaptation to climate change. It’s called CRISPR and it enables genetic engineering. Already it’s close to preve[...]
Review: American Factory
— by BEV QUESTAD — Yes, “American Factory” won the Oscar for Best Documentary. But was it really the best? The story is about a big American GM plant that closed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2008. The founder and CEO of a Chinese automobile glass manufacturing company, Cho Tak Wong, saw a bar[...]
Review: Judy
— by BEV QUESTAD — Renée Zellweger won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for her portrayal of Judy Garland. Can she do it again for the Oscar? “Judy” is the 2019 movie adaptation of the play “End of the Rainbow,” which documents the last year or so of Garland’s struggle with h[...]
Review: The Cave
— by BEV QUESTAD — Nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar, “The Cave” explains what happens when 40,000 people are caught in a no-exit strangle-hold. With snipers on rooftops and sporadic planes re-bombing structural remains, the only safe place is deep underground. Food is scarce [...]