Best and Most Beautiful Things is not the film I thought it would be. When we first meet Michelle Smith, she is 20-years old, though she could easily pass for 12. She is legally blind, (though she can read if her face is right up close to the paper or computer). And she’s been diagnosed…
Sometimes a film comes along at the right moment, providing exactly the sort of inspiration one needs in difficult times. Such a film is A United Kingdom, the true story of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo, “Queen of Katwe”) and Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”), an African tribal prince and London office clerk who married…
“Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.” — Alan Jay Lerner While the presidency of John F. Kennedy is known for its strong leadership in civil rights and in furthering the cause of peace, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, the elegant, graceful widow…
A fairly long time ago, in a land not very far away (Hollywood, to be exact), the creator of a billion dollar movie and merchandising empire parceled off this gold mine to another group of moguls (Walt Disney Studios), yet still holds an almost mythic-like control over much of the material. In other words, the…
Origin is a retelling of the classic “Science Vs. Nature” stories with the oft-told moral that humanity playing god is a very, very bad thing. And if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen everything this has to offer several times before.
Oppression and fear stalk the environs of Babak Anvari’s superb Under the Shadow. Based on Anvari’s childhood experiences in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War, Under the Shadow brings subjugation, menace and a palatable sense of dread to the screen, with a political element that is constant but never overbearing. The film’s focus is domestic, portraying…
The cerebral time-travel thriller Counter Clockwise is quite a piece of work, with a punchy script and tight editing and direction, all set to an eerie score. If you enjoyed Shane Carruth’s “Primer,” take a gander at this one — it has all of the intriguing metaphysical concepts, but is a little easier to follow….
