STREAMING REVIEW: American Fiction (2023)
Jason Rogers reviews Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright. A literary writer, Monk, writes
Dances With Films Reviews: Alexander Jeffrey ‘s YOU HAVE NO IDEA captures a mother’s unrelenting drive to create a loving world for her autistic son
The documentary is full of touching moments as it flashes back on Beth’s journey to ensure that her son has care. The film flashes back to present day Evan, living in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. It isn’t until the end that we realize in building a community for Evan, Beth helped create a lot of resources and steppingstones for other families. There is probably a secondary documentary in how her persistence, insistence, and community building has led to awareness and programs for others.
Dances With Films Reviews: Nick Laurant’s THE GIRL IN THE BACKSEAT gives a real and gritty view of human trafficking with a surprising heroine.
The dating world is difficult enough in the days of Tinder and other apps. Catfishing and attempted fraud are the norm. However, Nick Laurant’s The Girl in the Back Seat adds one more thing for women to worry about when dating–trafficking. The film is written by its stars Kika Magalhães (who plays Sofia) and Chris Marrone (who plays Ryan).
Dances With Films Reviews: Justin Geldzahler’s GLUE TRAP catches a couple in the sticky horror of a struggling relationship
Justin Geldzahler’s Glue Trap is the story of the couple’s stay at the cabin. It’s a slow burn psychodrama that teases the audience along what opens like a predictable drama about two people. A mouse caught in the trap becomes a pivotal moment that almost ends the couple. The tension is thick in the first 30 minutes, building until it seems that someone has to die in order to release the pressure.
Brooklyn Film Festival Reviews: Samuel Jacob Attias’ baguette western WISTERIA is a stylish throwback with sly social commentary
At first glance, Wisteria appears to be a simple salute to the western film nostalgia. However, this baguette western offers a much deeper commentary on the genre itself. While the storytelling style is something to study, the strategic disconnects create opportunities for some very important discourse. If you love the genre or you love to critique it, you will be entertained by Wisteria.
Ted Geoghegan’s BROOKLYN 45 pairs horror vets Larry Fessenden and Ezra Buzzington in a parlor filled with ghosts
While the transition from character drama to gorefest may feel jarring to casual viewers, or possibly too-little-too-late for more bloodthirsty horrorhounds, Brooklyn 45 is never less than entertaining. Fessenden/Buzzington sounds like a fun-to-say political ticket, but it’s also the ticket to letting these crazy bastards cut loose in a more structured way than usual.
Cine Las Americas Review: Clara Cullen’s MANUELA captures Sean Baker-style indie magic
The movie opens with a shot of Manuela and Alma crossing the border into Mexico, which seems like a drastic step that must be justified by an equally drastic plot turn. So even as we observe the otherwise pleasant bonding, that’s always in the back of the mind. What’s going to happen that sends her fleeing? And will Alma be a willing participant, or a kidnapped victim?
Indy Saini’s WOMEN IN THE FRONT SEAT chronicles powerful personal journeys by women on their motorcycles
Turns out, these women aren’t investing hundreds or thousands into bikes to prove something to men, let alone anyone else. They’re in the front seat simply because they can be, because they like how fun it is to ride in a pack with other women, because they want to see the world by traveling with just whatever supplies they could fit on their motorcycle.
SLAMDANCE 2023 Reviews: Linh Tran’s WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE finds emotional truth in its ambiguity
Yes, these all sound like very “twentysomething” problems (and yes, Alex doing palm readings sounds like a very “twentysomething” solution), but the characters are so relatable that even if your twenties were ages ago, watching them will immediately herald back the anxiety and angst you felt then.
SLAMDANCE 2023 Reviews: Remy van Heugten’s MASCOT confronts us with an extreme world without a simple way out of the violence
Dutch director van Heugten demonstrates here that you can understand a protagonist without necessarily liking them. Both Abbey and Jeremy are fundamentally broken people, still in their own way trying to protect Emine from being hurt in the same way by keeping her away from the bad dad she can’t remember.