All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt An absolutely gorgeous video poem. The story follows the lead character, Mack, from her girlhood in the 1970s across several decades. The film has minimal dialogue and a narrative that offers fragments of her life in time-shifting episodes. As The Hollywood Reporter’s Cary James reviews: My rating 5+/5 The… Continue Reading
Film Festivals
CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL-Second report
La Chimera A so-so film. Nothing of real quality. 2/5 The Battle Never managed to get an impact. Story was confusing at times. I gave it a 3/5 for effort. Black Box Truly suspenseful film. Showed the best and worse in people. Kept my attention the entire 2 hours. Cinematography was very good and Luise… Continue Reading
CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FFESTIVAL–First Reports
Four Daughters: Actors and real people re-enact the past to understand why two daughters left Tunisia to fight for IS in Syria, leaving the rest of the family behind. It was sometimes difficult to be sure if an actor or the real person was providing the dialogue. Although in the end I do not think… Continue Reading
CANNES 2023 – FIRST 3 DAYS
Perhaps the biggest news coming from Cannes for us viewers is that many of the buyers are reluctant to commit to new films for fear the various strikes will indefinitely delay financial return. In addition to supporting the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, the actors guild has called for a strike authorization vote even though their negotiations… Continue Reading
BERLINALE 2023 REPORT#1
There are no obvious frontrunners going into the 73rd Berlinale. The 19 films selected by the team led by artistic director Carlo Chatrian are heavy on arthouse and international cinema, with a strong focus on movies with a strong political message. The opening night film was She Came to Me written and directed by Rebecca… Continue Reading
CIFF DAY 5
LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG There is nothing on the technical side for this film that deserves recognition. Camerawork and editing were mediocre at best, script lacking. Seemed like a film school lesson. CORSAGE Beautifully shot with a soft camera and a slight tint. Editing allowed for relatively smooth transitions. Vicky Krieps portrayal of the Empress is strong… Continue Reading
CIFF DAY 4
I had a thoroughly enjoyable day watching two very complex films. Both of these films represent what CIFF is all about. Both need to be distributed in the U. S. and hopefully will be shown in Chicago. LA MATERNAL Director Pilar Palomero gives us a compelling yet unsentimental look at teen motherhood. While the lead… Continue Reading
CIFF DAY 3
R.M.N. Christian Mungiu’s R.M.N. is about the social divide. It could be about the U.S. or any European country. A scary allegory of intolerance. Mungiu presents his story slice by slice in claustrophobic dark sets. This is such a complex film, that one is pleasantly surprised by the aesthetics which are done so well. Tudor… Continue Reading
CIFF Day 2
I did not attend the Opening Night but hope to have a brief report from toehr soon. CHILE 1976 (Orig. 1976) Manuella Martelli’s feature debut is superb. She combines excellent cinematography, camera work and colors, with a dramatic use of music that truly helps the film move along, The audience is treated to a constant… Continue Reading
CIFF – The “Hugos” controversial but jury limited.
There was much controversy over the International Competition’s jury selection of Sieranevada as Best Picture and Best Director recipients. Many pointed to other films that they regarded as being far superior. However, the jury is limited in its choice to those films that enter the competition and the majority of those other films elected not… Continue Reading