Tag: Tribeca

Film Festivals, Film Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: The God Committee

Year: 2021 Runtime: 98 minutes Director: Austin Stark Writers: Austin Stark (story by), Mark St. German (based on the play by) Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, Colman Domingo By Tom Moore Writer/director Austin Stark’s sophomore effort, “The God Committee”(2021), is full of strong thrills and a deep dissection of the effects of life-altering decisions. The film brings us into the room of a hospital committee of … Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: The God Committee

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Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Female Writer, Film Festivals, Film Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: How It Ends

Year: 2021 Runtime: 84 minutes Director: Zoe Lister-Jones, Daryl Wein Writers: Zoe Lister-Jones, Daryl Wein Stars: Zoe Lister-Jones, Cailee Spaeny, Larmorne Morris, Logan Marshall-Green By Tom Moore Full of delightful, offbeat comedy and a variety of familiar faces, “How It Ends” is a unique journey of self-discovery and self-love on the eve of the apocalypse. “How It Ends” might be the first film I’ve seen that clearly … Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: How It Ends

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Female Characters, Female Writer, Film Festivals, Film Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: False Positive

Year: 2021 Runtime: 92 minutes Director: John Lee Writers: Ilana Glazer, John Lee Actors: Ilana Glazer, Justin Theroux, Pierce Brosnan, Gretchen Mol By Tom Moore A24 has offered plenty of intriguing slow-burn horror stories, but “False Positive” is one of its most inquisitive in recent time with its thematic perspective on pregnancy and disturbing realizations. The film is meant to be a contemporary take on … Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: False Positive

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Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: 12 Mighty Orphans

There’s no sport movies love to romanticize and showcase as a pivotal component in coming together to overcome seemingly impossible odds more than American Football. Whether its overcoming racial divide, rough upbringings, terrible tragedy, or just wanting to see that obnoxious rich football team lose to the raggedy underdogs, football is mostly the sport of choice it seems. This film definitely falls into that same bucket of films like “Gridiron Gang” (2006), “We Are Marshall”(2006), or whichever one you favor as it tells the story, based around Jim Dent’s novel, of devoted high school coach Rusty Russell (Luke Wilson) leading a ragtag group of orphans to become one of the top football teams in Fort Worth, Texas during the Great Depression. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: 12 Mighty Orphans

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021: Wolfgang

Wolfgang Puck is unquestionable a great innovator and exquisitely trained in the classic French tradition but he also represents the excessive marketing of “celebrity chefs” that have become a plague on cable television. Decades ago, he came to America looking for work as a somewhat insecure young man with something to prove. Director David Gelb, who is best known for “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” (2011), seems to want to make the case that all Puck ever wanted was the love he never got from his abusive stepfather. An empire of restaurants, packaged prepared foods with his name on them, TV appearances and at least half a dozen cookbooks all point to a fiercely focused perfectionist driven to make up for childhood trauma. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021: Wolfgang

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival Review: ClayDream

There is something magical in animation, as anyone who has ventured to try creating in the visual style knows. Clay animation is a special kind of crazy magic; crazy, because of how a shapeless blob can be given movement and form but also because of the time and focus that is required for it to be done well. Maybe Will Vinton was a special kind of crazy for his incredible talent that took animation to a new level, but the personal cost to him and to those who believed in his dreams proved devastating. “ClayDreams” (2021) is a cautionary tale of how art and finance don’t necessarily play well together, sometimes with heartbreaking results. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival Review: ClayDream

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Female Filmmaker, Female Writer, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Indie Film

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Mark, Mary & Some Other People

Although open relationships aren’t something new and have been a part of romantic connections for decades going under different names (swinging, friends with benefits, non-monogamous), there aren’t that many films that openly explore them. That’s what makes “Mark, Mary & Some Other People” have an instantly unique premise as it delves into the titular young couple, Mark (Ben Rosenfield) and Mary (Hayley Law), exploring the possibility of having an open relationship. Mark and Mary are the definition of falling in love fast and having those instant sparks that instantly connect them. Their fast-paced relationship leads them to getting married at a young age and eventually makes Mary question the idea of making their relationship open. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Mark, Mary & Some Other People

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Documentaries, Film Festivals

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away

Early on in this engaging documentary, Buddy Guy explains his understanding of the origin of the Blues, “You play them because you got them but when you play them you lose them. The Blues chase the blues away.” The question of what the Blues are and where they come from is revisited several times throughout the film which makes it clear that everyone has their own unique answer but Guy gives the clearest, most inclusive response.  He should know since he has spent his eighty-four years on this planet loving and pursuing the elusive essence of this musical style. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away

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Documentaries, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Kubrick by Kubrick

Few modern film directors have been analyzed and dissected like Stanley Kubrick. Much as he evaded interviews that attempted to pry out of him details of his private life, he did occasionally grant access to a select few. One of these was French film critic Michel Ciment, whose recordings of his discussions with Kubrick and his book form the basis of this new documentary by Gregory Monro. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Review: Kubrick by Kubrick

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Documentaries, Female Characters, Film Festivals, Indie Film, Streaming, World Cinema

We Are One Film Festival: Five to Watch

By Caz Armstrong The “We Are One” Global Film Festival has begun in earnest. This is a free online festival hosted on YouTube and curated by the best international film festivals in the world. Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, London, Berlinale, Tokyo, Sydney, Annecy, TIFF, you name it they have something for you. The films each have a set start time but most are available for around … Continue reading We Are One Film Festival: Five to Watch

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