Sarah is steeped in a world of scientific study and dissertations; that world suddenly stops with just a single phone call, her mother has died of a sudden aneurism. Not only has she lost someone dear to her but she’s thrown into the deep end of caring for her funeral arrangements, both American and Ghanaian. She’s much more familiar and comfortable with the former, but the culture and customs of her mother’s homeland go way over her head.
The Last Duel is Ridley Scott at his best with Jodie Comer at the helm of a historic epic
A historic epic bold enough to feature a blonde Ben Affleck and a mulleted Matt Damon, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel is given life from a riveting performance by Jodie Comer.
NIGHTSTREAM 2021: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, The Greenhouse
Two NIGHTSTREAM films exploring time travel in lightly sci-fi ways: one a fun Japanese comedy, and one a grief-infused Australian family drama.
NIGHTSTREAM 2021: All My Friends Hate Me, To The Moon
Two films in this year’s virtual genre fest explore social paranoia, and that weirdo who throws off the vibe of a peaceful retreat.
MVFF: Buladó
Kenza is a headstrong, whip-smart young girl living on the island of Curaçao where, like any indigenous peoples lorded over by a colonial nation, is pulled in two directions. Her father, Ouira, wants to fit into the Dutch culture that has taken over the island, but her grandfather Weljo is steadfastly holding to their tribal traditions. Kenza feels pulled toward the mysticism and wonder of those traditions, especially the call of the dead after losing her mother at a very early age. Loss of land and culture is a constant undercurrent throughout the film, there’s a growing feeling of heartbreak in all three generations and in the end they find each other again through the love of family.
Emotional catharsis and dark fantasy inform The Blazing World
Any truly personal and genuinely ambitious film that manages to get made in this safe-bet, profit-driven cinema landscape deserves a round of applause. And The Blazing World, actor Carlson Young’s feature film directorial debut, possesses both ambition and a decidedly personal touch in spades.
MVFF: The Bears’ Famous Invasion
In a fantastical animated world where bears speak, are rarely interested in attacking humans and live for their fellows’ happiness is where we find ourselves in The Bears’ Famous Invasion. A story within a story, it unfolds with the city of Sicily coming under invasion by a mass of bears because their leader has lost his son and believes him to be taken into the city unwillingly by humans.
Lamb and the quiet horror of what happiness looks like in rural Iceland
A24’s trailer for Lamb is quite possibly one of the best short films of the year. It’s two minutes of electricity in a bottle. Valdimar Jóhannsson’s actual 107 minute film didn’t stand a chance.
NIGHTSTREAM 2021 is a go!
Jenn is diving in to the second-annual virtual genre festival, organized in part by the team behind the North Bend Film Fest!
Retirement proves elusive for James Bond in No Time To Die
“We have all the time in the world”, Daniel Craig’s James Bond purrs to Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) as they zip along a spectacular winding Southern Italian coastal highway in his latest tricked-out Aston Martin. Although the title of this installation of what became an interconnected franchise is No Time To Die, no Bond is forever. Following the lead of his 007’s retirement from MI6, Craig’s intention to get out of the big screen spy game were well known, so this one marks a long goodbye that’s largely successful for the Bond of it all, even if the story gets overly knotty in trying to give everyone a sendoff.