Reviews and coverage from major film festivals including Sundance, SXSW, SIFF, TIFF, and Cannes— the best and the rest of festival cinema.
“A Hijacking” (Kapringen) Directed by Tobias Lindholm Starring Pilou Asbæk, Søren Malling, Dar Salim, Roland Møller, Gary Skjoldmose Porter, Abdihakin Asgar, Amalie Ihle Alstrup Drama, Thriller 99 Mins R Tracking a fictional hijacking situation at sea, Tobias Lindholm‘s film values process over progress, where the “heroes” and “villains” play a politicking game of...
46 Days and 447 Films From Thursday, April 25 (with an official start date of May 16) to Sunday, June 9, the Seattle International Film Festival has screened 447 films, 31 of which I had a chance to watch. From opening with Joss Whedon’s Shakespearean piece Much Ado About Nothing, which I called “a...
“The Bling Ring”Directed by Sofia Coppola Starring Israel Broussard, Katie Chang, Emma Watson, Leslie Mann, Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga Crime, Drama 90 Mins R In a funny way, The Bling Ring is Sofia Coppola‘s most accessible film to date. As cognizantly distant and empty-headed as the teens-on-a-tear at the center of the film are, Coppola...
“Last I Heard” Directed by Dave Rodriguez Starring Paul Sorvino, Renee Props, Michael Rapaport, Andrea Nittoli, Lev Gorn, Steven Bauer, Chazz PalminteriDrama, Comedy For a film whose focus is character, Last I Heard is pretty inept at characterization. Leading man Paul Sorvino does the best he can with his ex-mobster character Mr. Joe but he...
“Wish You Were Here”Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith Starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Price, Teresa Palmer, Antony Starr Drama, Mystery 89 MinsR Cautionary tale and psychological thriller, Wish You Were Here is the worst of vacation nightmares realized. Veering around chronological storytelling, director Kieran Darcy-Smith twists an introspective journey into a taut thriller. With silence that feels...
“V/H/S 2”Directed by Simon Barrett, Jason Eisener, Gareth Evans, Gregg Hale, Eduardo Sánchez, Timo Tjahjanto, Adam WingardStarring Kelsy Abbott, Devon Brookshire, Samantha Gracie, Hannah Hughes, Kevin Hunt, Lawrence Michael Levine, Carly Robell, Mindy Robinson, Adam Wingard and John T. Woods Horror 96 Mins R V/H/S 2 is completely tone deaf to any semblance of mood...
“Much Ado About Nothing” Directed by Joss Whedon Starring Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome, Ashley Johnson Comedy/Drama/Romance 107 Mins PG-13 Every time any sane person starts watching a Shakespeare adaptation, there’s that initial shock of the compacted and complex language – a bucket of cold...
“The Kings of Summer” Directed by Jordan Vogt-RobertsStarring Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson, Craig Cackowski and Erin Moriarty Comedy 93 Mins R Jordan Vogt-Roberts has cast his net into a summer overflowing with coming-of-age stories with The Kings of Summer, a film just strange and fantastical enough...
“The East”Directed by Zal BatmanglijStarring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Aldis Hodge, Patricia ClarksonThriller, Drama, Mystery116 MinsR The East is neither the first movie about an undercover mole infiltrating an enemy organization, learning the universal worth of their dogma and falling for their leader nor will it be the last. Nonetheless, it’s...
“Populaire” Directed by Régis Roinsard Starring Déborah François, Romain Duris, Bérénice Bejo and Shaun Benson Foreign, Comedy 111 Mins R Filmed in the whimsy stylings of French New Wave, Populaire jars the bay window open and lets the breezy charm waft in and take the helm. Tackling the inconspicuous topic of typing competitions in...