Film Festivals, Film Industry, Film Reviews, Netflix

TIFF 2021 Review: The Guilty

Year: 2021 Runtime: 90 Minutes Director: Antoine Fuqua Writer(s): Nic Pizzolatto (screenplay), Gustav Moller (based on original by), Emil Nygaard Albertsen (based on original by) Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard Antoine Fuqua is quickly becoming a writer/director that needs no introduction with the high-level thrills he delivers with films like “Training Day,” “Southpaw”, and both “Equalizer” films, but his … Continue reading TIFF 2021 Review: The Guilty

Tom MooreSeptember 15, 2021September 15, 2021Leave a comment

Female Filmmaker, Film Reviews

Film Review: The Lie

Being stuck on the shelf since it debuted at Toronto Film Festival back in 2018, Blumhouse has finally decided to let the latest film from writer/director Veena Sud, “The Lie”, loose through a multi-film deal with Amazon. The film, a remake of the German film “We Monsters”, follows parents Jay (Peter Sarsgaard) and Rebecca (Mireille Enos) as their love for their daughter Kayla (Joey King) after she makes a lethal mistake. “The Lie” is essentially the same kind of story we’ve seen in stuff like “Defending Jacob” – a teenager is suspected of doing something wrong, usually murder, and the parents are forced to do everything in their power to prove their innocence and keep them safe. It’s a test of how far parents are willing to go to protect their kids when they’re suspected of something that could put their entire life in jeopardy. Continue reading Film Review: The Lie

Tom MooreOctober 22, 2020October 17, 2020Leave a comment

Film Reviews, Mental Health, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews

Mental Health Awareness Month: “Garden State” Review

“Garden State” (2004) is a mixed bag for a number of reasons. But some aspects of its depiction of mental health are very well portrayed, especially for its time.

Andrew (Zach Braff) returns to his home town to attend his mother’s funeral. He’s depressed with a lot of baggage, and is now dealing with grief as best he can in his highly medicated state. While there he meets Sam (Natalie Portman) who encourages him to see life differently. Over the course of a few days, Andrew works on closing a painful chapter in his life and reopening a new and more hopeful one. Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month: “Garden State” Review

CazMay 1, 2020May 1, 2020Leave a comment

Female Filmmaker, Female Filmmakers, Female Writer, Reviews

Review: Mr. Jones

“Mr. Jones” tells the story of a young Welsh journalist named Gareth Jones who uncovered the truth of the Holodomor, a man-made famine in the Ukraine in the early 1930s. It is a socio-political thriller as Jones (James Norton) pursues the story despite threats to his own safety. Written by first-time screenwriter Andrea Chalupa and directed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland, the film stumbles along the way but is held up by great performances and a story that needs to be told. Continue reading Review: Mr. Jones