— by BEV QUESTAD — “Kashmir is India’s heart” says the narrator of this film, but the Kashmir region is not a safe place. Last summer, there were 47,000 deaths and 3,400 disappearances resulting from political struggle. Some news analysts have speculated that the Kashmir area is th[...]
Author Archive
Trailer Talk: ‘Lebanon’ (aka ‘Levanone’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — “On June 6, 1982, at 6:15 a.m., I killed a man for the first time in my life. I was 20 years old.” Better than the trailer is Samuel Maoz’s essay on why he made this film. Back in 1982, when Israel invaded Lebanon, Maoz — an Israeli tank gunner […][...]
Under Review: ‘Wikileaks’
— by BEV QUESTAD — News releases are out today about Pfc. Bradley E. Manning’s 2007 video documenting an apparent US massacre of at least 12 civilians in Bagdad. He’s been charged with eight violations of the U.S. Criminal Code for illegally transferring classified data to Wikileaks.[...]
Under Review: ‘King of India’
— by BEV QUESTAD — A train is traveling past, not stopping. We see them, on the other side, blurred behind the rushing wheels. This is the metaphor for their lives. As India moves on, progressing, these children remain, untended, blurred, disregarded identities. These are the children of[...]
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Lands Daniel Craig
— by BEV QUESTAD — He’s European … he’s charming … he’s in shape … he’s 42 … he’s single … his schedule is a bit clearer … and, even better, he’s blond. The stoic, chiseled Daniel Craig, best known as a charming James Bond (the sixth), has [...]
Under Review: ‘Ondine’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Based on mysterious selkie mythology, this film is difficult to follow, hard to understand and just plain odd. Yes, there are parts that are beautifully produced with an intense performance by Colin Farrell as Syracuse. However, I couldn’t understand some of the word[...]
First Look: ‘Afghanistan — Red Cross’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Stories of transformation and triumph from chaos and disaster occur at the unlikely International Red Cross Orthopedic Center in Kabul. Consider the life of an amputee in a landscape of desperate unemployment, rocky mountain terrain, scarce survival resources and conti[...]
Under Review: ‘Afghanistan: The Trap’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Does this film need to be shown at the start of the next U.S. Congressional session? The next presidential breakfast? “Afghanistan: The Trap” is not a great documentary from the standpoint of cinematic quality or script. But you will widen your eyes and mutter, “[...]
Controversies Over ‘The Karate Kid’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan get a big YES for their work on this film, but at least three controversies swirl over this re-make of the 1984 Macchio version of “The Karate Kid.” First of all, the casting director, Poping Auyeung, flopped when it came to casting the [...]
Under Review: ‘Schadeberg: Black – White’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Important art reveals something about the human condition. This documentary on the work of South African photo-documentarian Jürgen Schadeberg brings to life the past and well as current struggles of the Blacks of Soweto, South Africa. It’s an art form of the highes[...]
Under Review: ‘Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Beautifully, tenderly rendered, this documentary will bring tears to your eyes. One of the searing thoughts that comes from Iris Chang, the author of the book upon which this documentary is based, is that “… all human beings have this capacity for this great evil i[...]
Trailer Talk: ‘Countdown to Zero’
— by BEV QUESTAD — What are the most powerful forces on Earth and where are they? The sit-you-right-up, on-edge trailer for this intimidating documentary will give you an anxious yet grateful-for-the-info feeling about the content and tone of this film that opens today in New York City a[...]
Alexandra Cousteau and Blue Planet Expeditions
— by BEV QUESTAD — Willowy, soft-spoken but self-confident, Alexandra Cousteau, with her long straight hair, is a lot like Calista Flockhart’s character, Ally McBeal. She has an integrity about life and expresses a calling to do what is right. She views the water she grew up experienci[...]