Reviews and coverage from major film festivals including Sundance, SXSW, SIFF, TIFF, and Cannes, the best and the rest of festival cinema.
“The Heart Machine” Directed by Zachary Wigon Starring John Gallagher Jr., Kate Lyn Sheil, David Call, Libby Woodbridge, Louisa Krause, Halley Wegryn Gross, RJ Brown Drama, Thriller 85 Mins United States Would you fall in love in the wild, wild west of romance that is online dating? What if you believe that your betrothed were...
“Creep” Directed by Patrick Brice Starring Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass Comedy, Horror, Romance 82 Mins United States Mark Duplass has had quite a run in the fledgling stages of his career. From small roles in the likes of Oscar baity films, such as Zero Dark Thirty and, le sigh, Parkland, to larger roles in unsung...
“Fort Tilden” Directed by Sarah Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers Starring Bridey Elliott, Clare McNulty, Neil Casey, Becky Yamamoto, Desireé Nash, Peter Vack, Jeffrey Scaperrotta Comedy 95 Mins United States Remember when tying your shoes was an impossible chore? When you could only get places at the discretion of your mom’s minivan? When you didn’t...
“Space Station 76” Directed by Jack Plotnick Starring Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Jerry O’Connell, Kylie Rogers Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi 93 Mins United States The 1970s were an age of looking towards the stars. From Star Wars to Star Trek, it was a decade of endless possibilities, a time that saw instant...
“Honeymoon” Directed by Leigh Janiak Starring Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Huber, Hanna Brown Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi87 Mins United States In 1954, Colliers Magazine published Jack Finney‘s sci-fi horror serial The Body Snatchers. Since then, this fire starter novella has led to a handful of direct film adaptations (the latest being Oliver Hirschbiegel‘s 2007 The...
“The Infinite Man”Directed by Hugh SullivanStarring Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, Alex DimitriadesComedy, Sci-FiAustralia Equal helpings cerebral sci-fi and deadpan comedy, The Infinite Man is independent cinema at its most rewarding. Chartering a high-strung scientist whose well-intentioned attempts to create the perfect anniversary weekend goes horribly awry, director Hugh Sullivan‘s film at first seems narratively minimalist...
“Appropriate Behavior” Directed by Desiree Akhavan Starring Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Halley Feiffer, Scott Adsit, Anh Duong, Arian Moayed 82 minutes U.S.A./United Kingdom Appropriate Behavior might be another entry in the growing ‘struggling NYC girl’ genre but it’s generously funny, sexy (in a weird, gangly way) and has a great cultural bent to boot. I’ll...
“Fishing Without Nets” Directed by Cutter Hodierne Starring Abdikani Muktar, Abdi Siad, Abduwhali Faarah, Abdikhadir Hassan, Reda Kateb, Idil Ibrahim U.S.A./Somalia/Kenya 109 Mins No name cast recreates Somali pirates premise, the left-field zeitgeist du jour, exploring themes of hubris and self-preservation in its slack-lined narrative that sporadically delivers emotional welts. With a hook of a...
“Calvary” Directed by John Michael McDonagh Starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Marie-Josée Croze Ireland/United Kingdom 100 Mins A priest struggling with his faith and desperate for purpose in the murk of fog-blanketed, 21st century Ireland receives a death threat from an abused alter boy from his past. He has...
“Camp X-Ray” Directed by Peter Sattler Starring Kristen Stewart, Peyman Moaadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch117 Mins Agenda-slinging, headline drama Camp X-Ray transcends expiration date glitz with universal tale of friendship. Burdened with a Guantanamo Bay premise and Twilight sensation Kristen Stewart in a headlining spot, expectations may come half-popped but Camp X-Ray...