The Five Devils (Les Cinq Diables): BFI Flare 2023 review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 103 minutes Director: Lea Mysius Writers: Paul Guilhaume, Lea Mysius Actors: Adele Exarchopoulos, Sally Dramé, Moustapha Mbengue, Swala Emati, Daphne Patakia, Hugo Dillon By Sarah Manvel This is an unusual and unusually disturbing movie for reasons that are very hard to articulate without spoilers. Without going into too many details, it boils down to a family being trapped in a time loop … Continue reading The Five Devils (Les Cinq Diables): BFI Flare 2023 review

Film Review: The Magician’s Elephant

Year: 2023 Runtime: 99 minutes Director: Wendy Rogers Writers: Martin Hynes (Screenplay by), Kate DiCamillo (based on the book by) Actors: Noah Jupe, Brian Tyree Henry, Mandy Patinkin, Natasia Demetriou, Benedict Wong By Tom Moore The directorial debut of Wendy Rogers, “The Magician’s Elephant,” is a quaint, animated tale about the seemingly impossible being possible that’s easy to like even if it suffers from some … Continue reading Film Review: The Magician’s Elephant

Art for Everyone: SXSW 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 106 minutes Director: Miranda Yousef By Joan Amenn Disclaimer: I am not a fan of the works of Thomas Kinkade, who is the subject of this documentary by Miranda Yousef. Why am I reviewing it then? Because I am a fan of artists and films that tell their stories so I hoped to gain new insight into someone who I did not … Continue reading Art for Everyone: SXSW 2023 Review

Film Review: Unseen (2023)

Year: 2023 Runtime: 76 minutes Director: Yoko Okumura Writers: Salvatore Cardoni, Brian Rawlins Actors: Jolene Purdy, Midori Francis, Michael Patrick Lane, Missi Pyle, Ren Hanami By Tom Moore Director Yoko Okumura’s feature debut, “Unseen,” defines “doing a lot with a little” as her strong direction, two incredible central performances, and one killer premise all come together for a highly engaging and entertaining thrill ride. “Unseen” … Continue reading Film Review: Unseen (2023)

Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life: SXSW 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 80 minutes Director: Dan Covert Writers: Amy Dempsey, Dan Covert, Erik Auli, Tara Rose Stromberg By Joan Amenn Nominated for a Grand Jury Award at this year’s SXSW, “Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life” is an intriguing look at an artist who has managed to create ubiquitous images and yet, remain relatively unknown. Geoff McFetridge’s work can be seen everywhere from movie titles … Continue reading Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life: SXSW 2023 Review

Black Lake Director’s Cut: Renegade Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Running Time: 90 minutes Written and Directed by K/XI By Brian Skutle Director’s Cuts are always a dicey situation for a film. Sometimes, they can help correct films that had studio interference, like “Blade Runner” (1982), “Dark City” (1998) or “Justice League” (2017), and sometimes, they are able to allow the director to give a fuller representation of their initial vision, like the … Continue reading Black Lake Director’s Cut: Renegade Film Festival 2023 Review

Under the Sky of Damascus: Berlinale 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 88 Minutes Directed by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh By Sarah Manvel Sometimes the purpose of a documentary is to shine a light on a part of the world most people will never see. Sometimes the purpose is to provide a voice to people who feel they have no voice of their own (which is nonsense of course, we all have … Continue reading Under the Sky of Damascus: Berlinale 2023 Review