Author: Georgiana E. Presecky

Refreshingly Honest ‘Hooking Up’ is an Atypical Roadtrip Rom-Com

Brittany Snow and Sam Richardson star in the refreshing and unique romantic comedy Hooking Up, on digital and on demand March 20.  Darla (Snow) is a sex-crazed columnist for a fading magazine who has one last chance to prove her worth to her boss. When she meets Bailey (Richardson), a testicular cancer patient who has… Continue reading Refreshingly Honest ‘Hooking Up’ is an Atypical Roadtrip Rom-Com

Muddled ‘Destroyer’ a showcase for Kidman

  From director Karyn Kusama and screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, Destroyer is a muddled showcase for Nicole Kidman’s ever-growing acting range. She stars as Erin Bell, a disheveled police detective whose painful backstory as an undercover officer is slowly unraveled over 121 minutes. (GEP: 3.5/5) Kidman appeared in several films this year, from… Continue reading Muddled ‘Destroyer’ a showcase for Kidman

Modern Christmas Fable ‘Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer’ Preaches Dreaming Big

Writer-director Jennifer Westcott’s Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer is spunky, cluttered holiday fun for kids. With help from voice talent like Josh Hutcherson, Samantha Bee and John Cleese, this somewhat-spastic narrative is more of a stocking stuffer than a whole-hearted gift. (GEP: 3.5/5) Review by Contributing Editor Georgiana E. Presecky Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer would have… Continue reading Modern Christmas Fable ‘Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer’ Preaches Dreaming Big

WRITE WHEN YOU GET WORK (2018): Review by FF2 Media

From IMDb: Ruth Duffy is getting by on an assistant’s salary at a pricey school for girls in Manhattan, managing to move beyond the trouble and loss of her teenage years. Jonny Collins is working local jobs near the Throgs Neck Bridge in the Bronx. When they cross paths after years apart, Jonny is as consumed… Continue reading WRITE WHEN YOU GET WORK (2018): Review by FF2 Media

‘Silencio’ stumbles its way through the sci-fi desert

From writer-director Lorena Villarreal, Silencio is a science fiction thriller imbued with an emotional family story, making for a somewhat-unbalanced approach to what could otherwise be an exciting genre film. (GEP: 3.5/5) Review by Contributing Editor Georgiana E. Presecky The repercussions of time travel, mysterious meteorites and old legends are at the center of Villarreal’s… Continue reading ‘Silencio’ stumbles its way through the sci-fi desert

Big heart saves charming ‘Smallfoot’

Smallfoot is a clever animated comedy with a metaphorical message about curiosity and the importance of truth. Voice acting from Channing Tatum, Zendaya and Common brings a sincere humor to this screenplay from Blended screenwriter Clare Sera and co-director Karey Kirkpatrick. (GEP: 4/5) Review by Contributing Editor Georgiana E. Presecky  Migo (Tatum) is a proud Yeti… Continue reading Big heart saves charming ‘Smallfoot’

‘The Year of Spectacular Men’ is a cathartic portrait of post-grad life

Written by and starring Madelyn Deutch, The Year of Spectacular Men is a heartfelt comedy for anyone who feels stuck at the beginning. Having just surpassed the one-year mark since my own college graduation, watching it felt like a lifeline of sorts – that someone not only understands this fledgling feeling, but can see the… Continue reading ‘The Year of Spectacular Men’ is a cathartic portrait of post-grad life

LOVE, SIMON (2018): Review by Georgi Presecky

From prolific producer-director Greg Berlanti and This Is Us writers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, Love, Simon is a smart coming-of-age comedy made for teenagers, but with an equally important and well-executed message for adults. (GEP: 4.5/5)

MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

From screenwriters Meghan McCarthy, Rita Hsiao and Michael Vogel comes My Little Pony: The Movie. Though undoubtedly a fun and colorful musical, the beloved franchise is probably better suited to its small-screen format, with long lulls that make its 100 minutes more tedious than enjoyable. (GEP: 3/5)

RED TREES (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Director Marina Willer presents a first-person account of her family’s history as Jews in WWII in the doc Red Trees. Their survival of the Holocaust, and the resonance their migrant past still has is Willer’s focus in this autobiographical story of migrants reaching their dreams in spite of an unbelievably painful history. (GEP: 3.5/5)

LEAP! (2017): Review by Georgiana E. Presecky

From co-writers Carol Noble, Laurent Zeitoun and Eric Summer, Leap! is an ambitious animated feature that falls just short of its intended message. With a talented cast and striking animation, it has the potential to be a sweet Parisian cartoon, but the clunky and redundant plot weigh down its charm. (GEP: 3.5/5)

SLED DOGS (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Director Fern Levitt’s 80-minute documentary Sled Dogs is an in-depth look at the dogs who run in Alaska’s annual 1,000-mile Iditarod. The men and women who oversee their breeding, training and care offer commentary and necessary explanation, but the dogs are the stars of the show and will leave viewers divided over the necessity of tradition… Continue reading SLED DOGS (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

MISTER UNIVERSO (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Director Tizza Covi and longtime film partner Rainer Frimmel follow the life of a circus lion tamer who loses something important to him in Mister Universo, an Italian drama with surprising depth, realistic friendships and a poignant portrait of the monotony that seemingly any job can take on when it isn’t one’s dream. (GEP: 4/5) Review… Continue reading MISTER UNIVERSO (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

500 YEARS (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Pamela Yates’ 500 Years is a political documentary about her native country, Guatemala, and the violence and oppression that has plagued its indigenous people for hundreds of years. However important the topic may be, boiling down centuries of context, turmoil and prejudice into a two-hour documentary is an ambitious task, leading to a film fit… Continue reading 500 YEARS (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

MARIE CURIE (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Writer-director Marie Noelle explores the personal struggles of the titular scientist in Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge. (GEP: 3.5/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky Students might remember Marie Curie’s name emboldened on the pages of their textbooks, a flashcard with her moniker on one side and a brief list of accomplishments… Continue reading MARIE CURIE (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

IN TRANSIT (2015): Review by Georgi Presecky

In Transit is a compelling documentary from Lynn True, Nelson Walker and Albert Maysles that examines the lives of passengers on a long-distance train trip. (GEP: 5/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky The intrinsic value of the ABC drama Lost was its central idea: that strangers on a plane could crash on a… Continue reading IN TRANSIT (2015): Review by Georgi Presecky

RADIO DREAMS (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

From co-writer Aida Ahadiany and director Babak Jalali, Radio Dreams follows the staff of an Iranian radio station in San Francisco as it anticipates a collaboration between Kabul Dreams (“Afghanistan’s first rock band”) and the immensely popular metal band Metallica. (GEP: 3/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky There is a universal message… Continue reading RADIO DREAMS (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

SAMI BLOOD (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Sami Blood is writer-director Amanda Kernell’s foray into the Sami culture in the 1930s, in which her indigenous people were treated as inferior to the Swedish and were essentially forced to neglect their culture and themselves. (GEP: 4.5/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky I first had the opportunity to screen Kernell’s Sami… Continue reading SAMI BLOOD (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

WONDER WOMAN (2017): Our Chicago Team POV

Our Chicago Team — FF2 Managing Editor Brigid Presecky, FF2 Senior Contributor Pamela Powell, FF2 Senior Contributor Stephanie A. Taylor, FF2 Social Media Manager Georgiana Presecky — weigh in on this weekend’s box office hit Wonder Woman 🙂 Georgi’s Rating: 5/5 🙂 Gal Gadot is the epitome of strength in director Patty Jenkins’ outstanding Wonder Woman. Both the… Continue reading WONDER WOMAN (2017): Our Chicago Team POV

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB – ADIOS (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Lucy Walker’s Buena Vista Social Club: Adios is a sentimental farewell to a musical group that brought Cuba’s culture to life for viewers in the 1999 film Buena Vista Social Club. With moments of pure fun and others of sad contemplation, Walker’s film is a reflection of changing times, but also a love letter to… Continue reading BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB – ADIOS (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Stella Meghie’s Everything, Everything is a sweet teen love story between a young woman who has never gone outside and the cute boy who moves in next door and shows her what it means to really live. Though screenwriter J. Mills Goodloe prevents it from becoming a “boy saves girl” tale, the cliches and melodrama… Continue reading EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

LIKE CRAZY (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Screenwriter Francesca Archibugi’s film Like Crazy (La Pazza Gioia) is the story of an unlikely friendship between two patients at an Italian psychiatric facility. These two women believe breaking out of the physical walls that hold them will set them free, but their psychological walls are what keep their adventures from being everything they hoped for.… Continue reading LIKE CRAZY (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

OBIT (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Vanessa Gould’s Obit is a thoroughly captivating documentary about the New York Times obituary department. Its writers and their work capture the nuance and beauty of people’s lives in 800 words or less. Gould masterfully tells the story of how they tell stories, and it’s a fascinating tribute to writing, reporting and the incredible lives… Continue reading OBIT (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT

Lydia Tenaglia’s Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent is an absorbing documentary about the life of a once well-known chef who returned to the culinary world after nearly 20 years spent off the grid. Tower’s own testimony to his life and choice is what sets Tenaglia’s film apart from the tired documentary format—his first-person account is… Continue reading JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT

SMURFS – THE LOST VILLAGE (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

Directed by Kelly Asbury and co-written by Stacey Harmon and Pamela Ribon, Smurfs: The Lost Village boasts an all-female creative team that brings the long-awaited story of the mysterious Smurfette to the big screen. More than just the blond hair and high heels she’s epitomized for decades, this heroine’s story is funny and sweet. (GEP:… Continue reading SMURFS – THE LOST VILLAGE (2017): Review by Georgi Presecky

THE LEVELLING (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Hope Dickson Leach’s The Levelling is a dark English drama about an accomplished girl dealing with her brother’s suicide. “Clover” (Ellie Kendrick) returns home to find that her brother’s death isn’t the only tragedy affecting her family — there are a multitude of little things that have her family farm reeling, and she must mend… Continue reading THE LEVELLING (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

A WOMAN, A PART (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky

Elisabeth Subrin’s A Woman, A Part is more than just the story of an actress in a rut — it represents the lives of all professionals who yearn for something more. (GEP: 3.5/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky An excellent Maggie Siff stars as “Anna Baskin,” an actress in her mid-40s who… Continue reading A WOMAN, A PART (2016): Review by Georgi Presecky