— by BEV QUESTAD — I’ve seen four of Patrick Wang’s exceptionally thoughtful films. In response to my request and explanation of my difficulties with his work, he magnanimously responded: “Thanks for taking the time to watch and think about all these movies. I also love your honesty about what you connected with and what […][...]
Review: The Grief of Others
— by BEV QUESTAD — Sometimes a film’s weakness turns out to be a strength. At first confusing and sometimes hard to figure out what is going on and who is who, “The Grief of Others” explores the loss of a baby, who really never had life, on all family members. Was it a death […][...]
Review: A Star is Born
— by RON WILKINSON — Perhaps Bradley Cooper thought he could get off easy by making his directorial debut an expanded MTV video. After all, having cornered the considerable singing talents of Lady Gaga promised to go a long way. As it turns out, Gaga, playing the lead part of super-star to be Ally, must […][...]
Review: Fists in the Pocket
— by RON WILKINSON — The golden age of Italian cinema is making a comeback, at least the Cineteca di Bologna and the L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory hope so. This freshly restored 4k B&W beauty has all the stripped down power of the spaghetti westerns and the music of Ennio Morricone to boot. Radically exploring the […][...]
Review: The Guilty
— by RON WILKINSON — This masterpiece of stripped down tension is even more beautiful for what it is not. Presenting the exact opposite of an ensemble cast, the story is told in the mind and ears of a single person, Asger Holm, who may well be going insane. The viewer must decide what is […][...]
Review: Bloodline
— by RON WILKINSON — Seann William Scott (“Goon” and “American Pie”) tries something different, of the raging slasher persuasion, in this fun-loving flick from Blumhouse. Director Henry Jacobson teams up with perennial producer/disruptor Jason Blum and co-producer Derek Bishe’ to produce a routine review of throaty blood spurting that has a lurking hint of […][...]
Review: Nigerian Prince
— by RON WILKINSON — A movie named after the famous internet scam has a lot to live up to. The “Nigerian prince” scam promised a huge cash reward for helping a foreign national out of a paperwork problem. The victim is then robbed of money, identity, or both. The scam has been used so […][...]
Review: A Bread Factory, Part Two
— by BEV QUESTAD — Hold on, ye professed intellectuals! Patrick Wang takes the time with left-over funding from “A Bread Factory, Part One” to do a second response to the real-life story of a New England community arts center in trouble. In case “Part One” wasn’t experimental enough, this time Wang incorporates the ancient […][...]
Review: A Bread Factory, Part One
— by BEV QUESTAD — The Bread Factory is a small-town experimental community art center in trouble. But it is only a microcosm of a greater danger that has invaded a town being hoodwinked by corruption on the city board and infiltrated by forces indifferent to the community good. The galvanizing dynamite in this mix […][...]
Review: On Her Shoulders
— by BEV QUESTAD — Since 2014, Nadia has had only two wishes. The first is to return to her small town. The second is to get justice. If her first wish is granted, she would be returning to a town with no men. The second has put a price on her head. “On Her […][...]