Month: September 2016

AMERICAN HONEY

American Honey is bittersweet. Mostly bitter. In fact, there is nothing romantic about a band of social refuse, made up of lost and abandoned teens, fabricate identities as young hopefuls to tell stories about college scholarships in order to sell magazines door to door. But this scrappy road-trip film, very much resembling Kerouac’s On the… Continue reading AMERICAN HONEY

AMONG THE BELIEVERS

Directors Hermal Trivedi and Mohammed Naqvi document the religious and political upheaval of the Red Mosque in Pakistan. For viewers with a limited knowledge on the War on Terror, the subtitled Among the Believers might take an encore viewing to fully comprehend. (BKP: 3.5/5) Review by Managing Editor Brigid K. Presecky Taking a closer look… Continue reading AMONG THE BELIEVERS

DIRTY 30

What happens when three outrageously funny female youtube personalities come together to make a comedic feature? Hysterical chaos ensues. That is exactly what Dirty 30 has brought to the table this month. Mamrie Hart and Molly Prather penned this hilarious script which follows three best friends as they plan the 30th birthday party of the… Continue reading DIRTY 30

GIRL ASLEEP

Girl Asleep, directed by Rosemary Myers, combines fantasy and reality into a quirky and whimsical coming-of-age story. This Australian film views the world through the eyes of an anxiety-riddled almost-15-year-old girl. While eccentric and interesting in concept, the film does not meet expectations. From low budget action scenes, to poor character development, and over stylized… Continue reading GIRL ASLEEP

LONG WAY NORTH

Long Way North takes you on an adventure with 14-year-old “Sacha” (Christa Theret) as she bravely searches for her Arctic explorer grandfather. Set in 19th-Century St. Petersburg, Rémi Chayé’s beautifully animated coming-of-age story has enough heart to attract audiences of all ages. (BKP: 4.5/5) Review by Managing Editor Brigid K. Presecky Once upon a December,… Continue reading LONG WAY NORTH

MASTERMINDS

Masterminds is a comedy that includes a team of halfwits whose mission is to complete a $17 million heist, one of the biggest in US history. If you like jokes concerning butts and bodily functions, Director Jared Hess and writers Chris Bowman, Hubble Palmer and Emily Spivey have the movie for you. I chuckled here… Continue reading MASTERMINDS

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

From screenwriter Jane Goldman and director Tim Burton comes Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, a sophisticated film with inspiring symbolism and a hopeful message for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t quite belong. Based on the 2011 novel by Ransom Riggs, the villains who threaten Miss Peregrine and the special children in… Continue reading MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

SAND STORM

Deeply moving story about a Bedouin family living southern Israel. Suliman is the father of four daughters. In his way, Suliman is a modern, progressive father, but his “bad luck” has tragic consequences for his wife Jalila. As a lifelong Oscar watcher, one of my moments of greatest heartbreak in recent years came in January 2014… Continue reading SAND STORM

AUDRIE & DAISY

Audrie & Daisy is a disturbing, heartbreaking, necessary Netflix documentary from husband-wife co-directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. Extremely timely in the wake of Stanford rapist Brock Turner’s release from prison, the filmmakers follow the cases of two rape victims and the painful impact that modern technology had on their already-traumatic experiences. (GEP: 4/5) Review… Continue reading AUDRIE & DAISY

CHICKEN PEOPLE

From the Chicken People website: “Chicken may be just food for most people, but raising the perfect chicken is an all-consuming passion for some. Directed by Nicole Lucas Haimes, this two-hour documentary takes a charming and fascinating look at the colorful and hugely competitive world of champion show chicken breeders. A real life Best in Show… Continue reading CHICKEN PEOPLE

THE DRESSMAKER

From director Jocelyn Mooorhouse and co-screenwriter P.J. Hogan, The Dressmaker is a genre jumping drama set in rural Australia. When “Tilly Dunnage” (Kate Winslet) returns home to the town that cast her out as a child, she begins to rebuild her relationship with her mother while searching for answers about the circumstances surrounding a haunting… Continue reading THE DRESSMAKER

GENERATION STARTUP

Generation Startup, directed by Cheryl Miller Houser and Cynthia Wade, shows the struggle of creating and maintaining a new business. And all of the hard work, dedication and perseverance it takes to see concepts through to execution. The documentary follows six recent graduates through their success, and failure, while following their dreams. If you are… Continue reading GENERATION STARTUP

THE JAZZ LOFT ATWES

Full Title: The Jazz Loft according to W. Eugene Smith It took twelve years of dedication to bring this phenomenal film to fruition, and every moment of the 87 minute runtime is pure perfection. WNYC New York public radio personality Sara Fishko achieves behind-the-camera immortality in her first at bat as a filmmaker (both writer and director).… Continue reading THE JAZZ LOFT ATWES

MY BLIND BROTHER

Read Senior Contributor Lesley Coffin’s Q&A with Director Sophie Goodhart HERE. Nick Kroll stars as a struggling singleton in the shadow of his overachieving blind brother (Adam Scott). Writer/Director Sophie Goodhart manages to tell a sweet, funny love story using a common plot device of two guys, a girl … and a lake instead of… Continue reading MY BLIND BROTHER

QUEEN OF KATWE

Queen of Katwe is a delightful film based on the real life of a Ugandan girl named Phiona Mutesi (pronounced Fee-oh-nah Moo-tess-eee) who becomes a chess pro while living in a slum in Kampala called Katwe. Director Mira Nair (with screenwriter William Wheeler) ably sells an uplifting story of an impoverished girl who goes from selling… Continue reading QUEEN OF KATWE

PLAY YOUR GENDER (2016): Review by Roza Melkumyan

In the documentary Play Your Gender, Kinnie Starr takes her camera crew along with her as she explores both blatant and ingrained sexism in the music industry. Director and writer Stephanie Clattenburg and writer Sahar Yousefi offer a space in which women and men alike can discuss these issues and their implications for young girls trying to make it in the industry. (RMM: 4.5/5)

BRIDGET JONES’S BABY

Bridget Jones’s Baby is pretty much everything you could ever want it to be, and a little bit more. From the fantastic cast and their wonderful performances, to the soundtrack that will bring you back, this film is a must see. It is the perfect film to wrap up the Bridget Jones franchise, with every… Continue reading BRIDGET JONES’S BABY

FINDING ALTAMIRA

The discovery of Altamira, a site in Spain in which prehistoric cave paintings are preserved, was a sensation in 1880, disrupting both the scientific and religious communities. However, whether its political connotations are still relevant today are up for debate. At least, in Hugh Hudson’s Finding Altamira (written by Olivia Hetreed and José Luis López-Linares), you… Continue reading FINDING ALTAMIRA

LONDON ROAD

Alecky Blythe’s stage play hits the big screen, telling the creepy and enthralling story of five murders in Ipswich, England. The clever twist on solving a criminal case – through charming musical numbers – keeps viewers fixated on the screen. (BKP: 4/5) Review by Managing Editor Brigid K. Presecky In a town where frequent solicitors… Continue reading LONDON ROAD

MISS STEVENS

“Miss Stevens” (Lily Rabe), a high school teacher struggling with her own personal problems, takes a small group of students on a field trip to a weekend-long drama competition. When one student starts to grow too close, Miss Stevens struggles to keep the relationship professional, as “Billy” (Timothée Chalamet) begins to see her better than men… Continue reading MISS STEVENS

SOUTHWEST OF SALEM

In her newest work, Deborah S. Esquenazi documents the story of the ‘San Antonio Four,’ four women who were charged with the raping of two young girls in Texas in the late 80s. It has been a controversial case that to date, is still awaiting a final decision by the judicial system. Southwest of Salem:… Continue reading SOUTHWEST OF SALEM

WILD OATS

Growing old and reaching seniority isn’t something most people look forward to, but the silver lining is retirement (a luxury that’s supposed to be desired and anticipated). What seems to be a light-hearted comedy about a composed time in the lives of two best friends, “Eva” (Shirley MacLaine) and “Maddie” (Jessica Lange), quickly turns into a chaotic journey… Continue reading WILD OATS

AS I OPEN MY EYES (2015)

As tensions between government officials and civilians rise, one teen and her political rock band have a plan to inform the people of Tunisia, much to the chagrin of her anxious mother. Directed by Leyla Bouzid and co-written by Bouzid and Marie-Sophie Chambon, As I Open My Eyes is a contemporary coming of age story… Continue reading AS I OPEN MY EYES (2015)

COME WHAT MAY

Co-written by Laure Irrmann, Come What May is the heartfelt tale of a father’s determination to be reunited with his son. As he treks through sorrow, destruction, and devastation as World War II sweeps through Europe, this father’s love knows no bounds. This affectionate film highlights the importance of a father’s love and fortitude, and… Continue reading COME WHAT MAY

ITHACA

First-time director Meg Ryan delivers a slow and steady, yet powerful, drama about a young boy determined to be the best bicycle telegraph messenger around, in order to help support his family during wartime. (JEP: 4/5) Review by Associate Editor Jessica E. Perry It is the spring of 1942, and fourteen year old “Homer Macauley”… Continue reading ITHACA

EQUAL MEANS EQUAL

From the brilliant minds of writer/director Kamala Lopez and co-screenwriter Gini Sikes, Equal Means Equal exposes the American government for the not-so-subtle misogyny that hides within its legislation. Policy jargon is broken down into simple facts as Lopez navigates and exposes the very laws that are designed to discretely discriminate against women. Despite women making… Continue reading EQUAL MEANS EQUAL

THE SEASONS IN QUINCY

The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger is a non-linear look at the life of 90-year-old artist, writer and art critic, John Berger. Using the seasons as the backbone of the documentary, these four unique glimpses into his past and present life are equal parts captivating and heartwarming, particularly in Tilda Swinton’s opening… Continue reading THE SEASONS IN QUINCY

SISTER CITIES

Opens today (09/02/16) in NYC. Review coming soon 🙂

WHITE GIRL

It’s every parent’s nightmare. Yes. Your baby daughter who goes to college in New York is indeed doing drugs and being sexually harassed at her artsy internship this summer. And yes. Your hard-earned 200 bucks are not enough to cover all the weed and cocaine, or to bail her drug-dealing boyfriend out of jail. If… Continue reading WHITE GIRL