Reviews of selected general release films
Director and Writer Shrivastava presents the desires of women as they navigate situations native to life and mere existence in a manner that is true to life as many female filmmakers in canon do. Her unique sensibility in navigating complex emotion and social dynamics is extraordinary.
In short, when Mine is very quiet, it is really very smart. When it gets noisy, not so much. But those more meditative moments of silence and contemplation really are worth sitting through the flaws of the film. Guaglione and Resinaro are absolutely an exciting new team whose careers I am thrilled to follow from here.
Craig Elrod’s Mustang Island, released by Pepper Island Films, is a work with a visual palate that hearkens to the Kevin Smith defined indie days of the late 20th century. It blends black and white processing with scenes including vintage pickup trucks, ancient motels, retro diners and throwback grocery stores.
Director Erik Ljung takes an approach so professional, with such high production value, the audience could almost not be blamed for looking twice to see if the film is documentary or a lightly concealed work of fiction.
The movie keeps apace with emblematic film noir motifs from smoky barrooms to doomed rides into the woods. The aesthetic recalls a spate of 80’s movies that came at audiences one after another (think Blood Simple, Die Hard and everything in between) but very much in its own way.
Without spoiling the specifics of the plot – it builds to a very weird place, indeed – this film has many a solid cinematic trope to chew on for horror and mystery fans. For example, just about every scene is virtually dripping with Victorian melodrama, like you might find in Dark Shadows or maybe Crimson Peak.
Pollard paces the tale with expertise, interweaving history, celebrity fans, and the surviving figures in this uplifting and humbling tale that could not possibly be more American. I cannot envision anyone not being deeply moved and thoroughly entertained by this movie.
Starting over in a whole new country with nothing, these tales of assimilation, sacrifice and humiliation underscore a side of one of history’s greatest tragedies which frequently goes unnoticed. What do people go through when coming out of such unbelievable horror?
The narratives are almost unnoticeable. You learn so much about these characters through so much of their glorious nothings, it all comes off like the sensation of a gentle tickle across the skin.
When events come to a boil, it’s very unexpected. Even the characters in the film seem taken by surprise. It is then and only then that we get to see who these people really are beyond the facade of small talk, forced interactions and superficial behaviors.
