20 Days in Mariupol: SIFF Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 85 minutes Director/Writer: Mstyslav Chernov By Joan Amenn Those of a certain age will find this film recalling painful memories of watching footage from the Vietnam War on the nightly news. Raw and powerful, “20 Days in Mariupol” (2023) deserves its nomination as Best Documentary for this year’s SIFF competition. It will leave you with your heart bounding and a sense of … Continue reading 20 Days in Mariupol: SIFF Review

Egghead & Twinkie: SIFF Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 87 minutes Director/Writer: Sarah Kambe Holland Actors: Sabrina Jieafa, Louis Tomeo, Asahi Hirano, J. Scott Browning, Roger Greco, Kelley Mauro, Ayden Lee By Joan Amenn Kicking off my coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival with this film was honestly one of my best choices of the last week. I initially thought that with a title like “Egghead & Twinkie” I should … Continue reading Egghead & Twinkie: SIFF Review

Review: Fast X

Year: 2023 Runtime: 141 minutes Director: Louis Leterrier Writers: Dan Mazeau, Justin Lin, Gary Scott Thompson Actors: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster, Rita Moreno, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Sung Han, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Scott Eastwood, Jason Momoa, Alan Ritchson By Rosa Parra “Fast X” (2023) is the tenth installment of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, directed by … Continue reading Review: Fast X

Review: The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future

Year: 2022 Runtime: 93 minutes Director: Francisca Alegria Writers: Francisca Alegria, Manuela Infante, Fernanda Urrejola Actors: Mia Maestro, Enzo Ferrada Rosati, Leonor Varela, Alfredo Castro, Marcial Tagle By Joan Amenn Just to answer the most burning question readers of this review will have, no cows sing in this film. The title, like the film, is a gloriously surreal plunge into magical realism. Be prepared to … Continue reading Review: The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future

Wilder Than Her: ATLFF 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Running Time: 88 minutes Written and Directed by Jessica Kozak Actors: Kayla Foster, Sunita Mani, Kate Easton, Becca Q. Co, Danny Deferrari, Alyssa Abiera By Brian Skutle I don’t know if it’s just the films I’ve decided to focus on in my watching at the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival, but I don’t remember, in my now-five years of covering the festival, quite as … Continue reading Wilder Than Her: ATLFF 2023 Review

“Help Her Live” Review

By Morgan Roberts Year: 2022 Director: Frankie Kraft When someone passes away and you read their obituary, after the short summations of a person’s life, you also see the section: “Survived by.” Because, when we lose someone we love, we survive that loss. To survive is to continue live or exist in spite of hardship. We continue to live as we carry grief beyond comprehension … Continue reading “Help Her Live” Review

Top 5 Favorite Hats from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

By Joan Amenn As Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) prepares to bid us all a final “good night” and end her five-year run on Amazon Prime, I would like to acknowledge some of my favorite cast members of the series, the hats. I tried my best to narrow my list down to just five but there are a few honorable mentions as well, because you can … Continue reading Top 5 Favorite Hats from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Review: The Eternal Memory

Year: 2023 Runtime: 85 minutes Director: Maite Alberdi Writer: Maite Alberdi By Rosa Parra “The Eternal Memory,” directed by Maite Alberdi, follows a married couple who endure the hardships of caring for one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Augusto Gongora once was one of Chile’s most prevalent news commentators and an important contributor reporting on the dictatorship of Pinochet and its fall. Paulina Urrutia is an … Continue reading Review: The Eternal Memory

Review: How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Year:2023 Runtime: 103 minutes Director: Daniel Goldhaber Writers: Daniel Goldhaber, Ariela Barer, Jordan Sjol, Andreas Malm (based on the book by) Actors: Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary By Rosa Parra Holy moly! “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” has been one of the most suspenseful and anxiety-inducing films I’ve seen in a while. Directed and co-written … Continue reading Review: How to Blow Up a Pipeline