“Joe Bell” has small handful of moments that make it necessary viewing for narrow-minded viewers. The question becomes, how do you get a film like “Joe Bell” in front of the people who need to see it? Casting Mark Wahlberg might get it in front of audiences who can benefit from a story about acceptance, […]
Instead of writing about this week’s big sequel, which my Houston film critic colleagues are calling the year’s worst film, I thought I would spotlight this week’s other new release. “Summer of ’85” is the latest film from François Ozon, whose 2003 provocative thriller “Swimming Pool,” starring Charlotte Rampling, made a splash in the United
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is arguably one of the most highly anticipated debuts at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Director Xavier Dolan (It’s Only the End of the World, Mommy) has achieved auteur status and he’s not even 30 years old yet. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Finally, we are starting to see the LGBTQ genre splintering away from the usual controversial gay relationship dramas and tragedies. Giant Little Ones by Keith Behrman explores gender issues regarding same-sex experimentation among teens and young adults. In life and on film, society reacts differently to sexual intimacy between two females than it does when the intimacy is between
Writer-director Luis Ortega has created a novel biopic of famed “Death Angel” thief and murderer Carlos Robledo-Puch. The events of the crime and the psychology of this 17-year-old are shocking and gruesome. Ortega creates a parallel between the baby-faced teenager and the films stunning production value and cinematography juxtaposed with such vile circumstances. Ortega balances
Calling “Boy Erased” an emotional or powerful film doesn’t do it justice. Actor, writer, director, and producer Joel Edgerton (“The Gift,” “Loving”) delivers the type of film that can permanently change lives. “Boy Erased” takes a devastating look at conversion therapy as a “cure” for homosexuality. It’s a hard film to watch, but the remarkable
When a film debuting during awards season skips all three major festivals (Telluride, TIFF, Venice) it’s usually a bad sign. “Bohemian Rhapsody” did just that, assuring skeptics they simply weren’t finished in time for the festival deadlines. However trouble off camera started for this production long before the final cut was yelled. X-Men director Bryan
There seems to be an endless stream of actors directing their first projects lately. British actor Rupert Everett wrote, directed and produced The Happy Prince. He spent over a decade seeing the project through from its inception, with help from friends like Colin Firth and Emily Watson. Everett, whose career appears to have peaked in the
Love, Simon has been called a Disney-fied version of Call Me By Your Name. That’s both unfair (this is 20th Century Fox, and they have done a great marketing job) and expected. It’s from the team that made millions with The Fault in Our Stars, and a savvy director, televisions Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow),
While the trailer for Finland’s entry to the 90th Academy Awards foreign film category show’s mostly English speaking, the film is a lot more than just vintage West Hollywood. The illustrator behind the infamous 70’s gay icon has quite a story which spans back to his service in World War II. Finland will join France,