Film Review: Nocturne

There’s one daunting line from the film that sums up both the driving force of the film itself as well as the life of a creative as a whole: “Music is a bloodsport.” Creative environments are often the most competitive as many try seeking acknowledgement and attention to give them wide acclaim and recognition – after all, the spotlight usually only has room for one. In some ways, this has always been the connective and cathartic part of these struggling artist stories and Quirke perfectly captures this with how she introduces and characterizes the film’s characters. Continue reading Film Review: Nocturne

NIGHTSTREAM Review: The Doorman

Kitamura is the kind of director that’s had his hands in a bunch of different properties and genres. He’s gone into the depths of bloody and brutal horror, been behind a Godzilla movie with “Godzilla: Final Wars”, taken on plenty of action flicks, and even did a live-action adaptation of “Lupin the 3rd”. He’s a director whose mark might be subtle, but it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s why it’s baffling how “The Doorman” ended up being so bland. The film’s story of a former Marine named Ali (Rose) becoming hotel doorman in New York City after a traumatic combat experience and being forced to protect a family after a group of thieves break into the hotel isn’t all that unfamiliar. Honestly, the whole idea of action stars protecting families has been seen in both adult action flicks like “The Transporter” series and family-friendly films like “The Pacifier”. “The Doorman” is the epidemy of these kind of films as it brings nothing to set itself apart. Continue reading NIGHTSTREAM Review: The Doorman