This film might have had potential, but it needed disciplined editing; way too many dramatic elements were included, resulting in a hodgepodge that strains credulity, especially at the end. Antonio (Chon) is a tattoo artist who has trouble finding a job to support his wife Kathy (Vikander) and their two children, one a newborn. He often […]
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
Finding You. I was turned off by the title right away; what does that even mean? Another rom com? Then I saw the movie. Wow! The number of connotations of the phrase is so artfully blended into the story, I was incredulous by the end. Finley Sinclair (Reid) is a high school graduate who, after failing a violin audition, decides
Wander Darkly is an apt title in that viewing it is like wandering darkly throughout the course of the film. I have some inkling of what writer/director Tara Miele is trying to do, but it just doesn’t work—at least not for me. The constant flashes back and forth between reality and memory became tiresome for me in
The film captures an unusual coming-of-age story based in Sri Lanka, where the Tamils and the Sinhalese are at war with one another, a schism that reflects the one in families who firmly believe in dichotomous categorization of sexuality, making any other manifestation illegal. Arjie (played by Nand and Ingram as younger and older) seems to
Before it premiered, there were hopes that Francis Lee’s new film would put Kate Winslet in the race for next year’s best actress Oscar. Hopes were dashed though after the reviews from this year’s virtual Toronto Film Festival, labeling it as dry, mute, and bleak. The fan fiction element of the story tries to balance facts
A period drama (early 20thCentury) that may not appeal to viewers of today. Although it might. In the film, young Martin Eden (Marinelli) goes through struggles in his young and later adult years that involve wrestling with individualism vs. socialism—a contentious subject that is prominent in current news, with the Republican administration claiming (unfairly) that the Democrats
This is an unusual treatment of a story about a teenager with schizophrenia. Based on a novel by Julia Walton, Nick Naveda adapted it to a screenplay that focuses on the inner experience of someone with a major disorder. It has many strong points, and a few aspects that I have questions about. Adam (Plummer) and his
Sweet, syrupy, pure fantasy—I loved this movie! The joke’s on me, because it’s not the kind of film that I usually take to at all—in fact, I’m often averse to this kind of thing. Yet, there was something about it that moved me and sustained my interest the whole time. It’s basically a tension between ultra-realism and pragmatics
The first great film of 2020 creeps up on you gradually in the most unexpected way. “Summerland” is the feature film debut of Jessica Swale, who also wrote the original screenplay. She takes us back to the WWII era, just when you think every possible angle has already been captured on film, “Summerland” finds uncharted