— by BEV QUESTAD — Challenging, thoughtful, reflective — this is one of the best films on mentally challenged adults ever presented. Instead of a didactic documentary crammed with testimonials, archival footage and dry analysis, “Me, Too” challenges perspectives on a basic huma[...]
Author Archive
Under Review: ‘Out in the Silence’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “It’s all about being ourselves,” says the filmmaker, Joe Wilson. The Northwest Film Center series, “Voices in Action: Human Rights on Film,” has presented films this year on topics related to minority rights and how those rights affect the greater global goo[...]
Under Review: ‘Mugabe and the White African’
— by BEV QUESTAD — I am confused by this film’s contents and I’ll tell you why. Historically, Black Africans were disenfranchised and marginalized in their own countries for generations. Whites took their land, their government and their soul. White-run businesses transported fathers[...]
Under Review: ‘Last Best Chance’
— by BEV QUESTAD — It’s a wonder any laws get passed in this country. The Northwest Film Center in Portland, Ore., has been showcasing a series on Human Rights this fall. Playing Wednesday, Oct. 2, is a well-done documentary entitled “Last Best Chance.” It begins with John McCain[...]
Under Review: ‘The Peasant and the Priest’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Ambitious, intellectual, and well-researched, this insightful documentary explains effects of globalization through the lives of two wonderful old men and a famous work of art. This film opens silently with a view of a relaxed, wholesome 14th century landscape of peasa[...]
Review: Marwencol
— by BEV QUESTAD — What constitutes the concept of great art? What qualifies my sculpture, my oil painting or my collage as a personal experiment and Claude Monet’s as classic impressionist expression? Why is your kindergartner’s art “developing” and Picasso’s worth millions?[...]
Under Review: ‘The Temptation of St. Tony’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Remember the old song “Sixteen Reasons,” sung by Connie Stevens? Let’s see if I can come up with a fittingly bizarre parallel universe of 16 reasons why someone might enjoy viewing “The Temptation of Tony.”[...]
Under Review: ‘Max Manus’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Trapped by the Germans in his own Oslo apartment, Max Manus escapes by jumping out his window. Surrounded by five guards in a hospital, he regains consciousness but is trussed up in a cast. In traction, while guards take a smoke outside his room, Max uses metal clipper[...]
Under Review: ‘When We Leave’ (aka ‘Die Fremde’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — It is hard enough for a woman to make the decision to leave a marriage. But what if she doesn’t have a skill or an education? What if she has a young child? What if that child is being mistreated? What if she’s Muslim? It is important to note[...]
Under Review: ‘Tibet in Song’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “They will arrest you as easily as taking a hair from butter.” Our director, Ngawang Choephel, is thinking there should be no problems. After all, it is 1995 and he is just going to be taking footage of Tibetans singing folk songs.[...]
Trailer Talk: ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Ticking clock, dragon on her back, violence, screaming, bandaged … Nov. 25. That’s all we need to know. By this time, these filmmakers know that all the promo they need is some hardcore music and the date. No fiction book, except for those in the Harry Potter serie[...]
Under Review: ‘Stealing the Light’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “This film is dedicated to the children of Afghanistan who have not had an education. Those who cannot read or write are blind,” states Mohammed Khan Kharoti. “Learning is light. It shows you the way to go.” This is the triumphant story of Kharoti, born in 1943[...]
Under Review: ‘Rock Hudson – Dark and Handsome Stranger’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Perhaps intended as a tribute, a love poem, or an attempt to chronicle an icon, this begging cup is rattling empty. It’s as if those close to Rock Hudson scurried like bugs under an overturned rock, denying access to these filmmakers. No interviews with Doris Day[...]
Under Review: ‘Waking Sleeping Beauty’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Don’t be thinking that this doc even mentions “Sleeping Beauty” – ever. But do believe in the metaphorical illusion. This is a documentary on saving an institution that helped shape us in our youth, developing our nascent sense of hope, virtue and courage. This[...]