— by BEV QUESTAD — Let’s talk about death. In one of the first stories about dying, the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (6th century BCE), Orpheus cannot accept the death of his beloved. His grief is so great that he travels to the underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice back out[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: Jay Kelly
— by BEV QUESTAD — “Jay Kelly” made Barack Obama’s top 10 best films list. I suspect it’s not just because it’s the story of a parent whose ascending career involved family sacrifices, but because we see some fabulous storytelling and acting with an important message. By the ti[...]
Review: The Voice of Hind Rajab
— by BEV QUESTAD — If there is no other film you see this year, see this one. It’s more important and more dramatic than any other. This is because it’s true, based on first-hand accounts, encompassing a moral dilemma, and its human response. Even if you’ve seen all the Golden Glob[...]
Review: Sinners
— by WILLIAM STERR — Who hasn’t dreamed of leaving home, making good somewhere in the wider world, and then returning to our roots to make a personal dream come true? That is the story of identical twins Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Michael B. Jordan),[...]
Review: Weapons
— by WILLIAM STERR — A parents’ worst nightmare: your children disappear without a trace. There is no ransom demand. Nothing. Seventeen children from Ms. Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner – “The Fantastic Four: First Steps“) third-grade class disappeared at 2:17 a.m. on a Wedne[...]
Review: Come See Me in the Good Light
— by BEV QUESTAD — Wellness Check In any moment on any given day I can measure my wellness by this question: Is my attention on loving, or is my attention on who isn’t loving me? That’s by Andrea Gibson. Straight to the core of the human experience. Stops me — can’t read anot[...]
Review: Cover-Up
— by BEV QUESTAD — Parents from the heartland reported that their kind son had returned from serving in the US Army a murderer. There had been a terrible atrocity in Vietnam that was being covered up. If you are over 70 years old, you remember it. The My Lai massacre was a United States [...]
Review: Wicked: For Good
— by BEV QUESTAD — Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good” is a spectacle. It is to be seen like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Glinda’s dresses are filmy cotton candy delights and her transparent bubble mobile lets us gaze at her dreamy pink-hued superficially perfect life as the spok[...]
Review: The Voice of Hind Rajab
— by WILLIAM STERR — Warning! This re-enactment (not dramatization) of a real-life tragedy in Gaza is not for the faint-hearted. Even though there is no violence, the level of emotion displayed, and the fact that a young life is held so precariously in the balance, makes this film far mo[...]
Review: Bugonia
— by BEV QUESTAD — I messed up. I thought the title was “Begonia” after the flowering plant. But then I checked the spelling and then its definition. Boy, was I off track on that – and a lot more. Kudos go to the writer, Will Tracy, for the obscure title concept. Though his screenp[...]
Review: Sentimental Value
— by BEV QUESTAD — Oh, my precious Norway, you consistently rank in the top 10, amongst other Scandinavian countries, of the happiest in the world. You have one of the safest, most comprehensive, caring governments on the planet, yet it’s from your country we get your consistent explor[...]
Review: Train Dreams
— by BEV QUESTAD — Sometimes it seems that life happens to us – that we just go along, minding our business, trying hard to do our best and then, wham — a bad thing happens or a good thing happens, without will on our part. That’s the way it seems for Robert Grainier. Aroun[...]
Review: The Perfect Neighbor
— by BEV QUESTAD — Filmed via police body cams, police procured videos, and 911 recordings, “The Perfect Neighbor” is an Oscar nominee for Best Documentary. It’s a powerful way to create film verité – no voice-overs and no explanatory narration. You just get the action and voice[...]
Review: Anniversary
— by BEV QUESTAD — Oh, Americans, we complain about being too polarized and that extremes on the right and left are dangerous and a threat to society. So, my friends, what if there was a Unity Party? What if there was a remake of the flag with the stars and the blue background in [&helli[...]