It’s very rare that I find myself lost in narrative, characters, and comedy, that I forget altogether that I am watching a movie intent on criticizing it. Jason Bateman’s (Horrible Bosses, Up In the Air) directorial debut Bad Words did just that. It allowed me to lose myself in laughter and the evermore outrageous moments, so much so that I almost forgot I had to review the film.
There is a certain respect for festival films, a respect that acknowledges the notion that no idea is too small or no ambition is too large for the subject matter of a feature film. Within the limited space of a logline, Felony sounds like a small, tired and exhaustedly simple idea for a narrative feature length film. Instead, this little film that could, turns out to be a complex parable of the power of choice, the innate instinct to survive and asks the question of, how is the goodness of a person measured? Continue reading
As Josh Stamos (Jessie Eisenberg) drives on the blackened country highway road somewhere in Oregon, he swerves over the traffic lane, trying to avoid a doe lying on the cold asphalt. The car suddenly stops, and Josh, along with his companion Dena Brauer (Dakota Fanning) get out of the car and approach the doe. From a distance, Dena watches while Josh kneels beside the dead animal. “Her belly is warm. She’s pregnant” exclaims Josh. Seconds later, Josh unflinchingly pushes the doe and her barely breathing baby on the side of the road, helpless. Continue reading
When dealing with an iconic figure such as Jimi Hendrix, sometimes the hardest thing is managing to capture the essence of a the character. The perspectives of a legend, and the workings of a man are the most difficult points to show on screen. Jimi Hendrix is a name that pretty well everyone knows, and a name that many will continue to remember for many years to come. So how does one humanize, arguably, the greatest guitar player who ever lived? Continue reading
The highs and lows of father son relationships is one that is often explored in the world of cinema, especially within the festival circuit. Adventures that allow both men to interact and bond are usually presented through the road trip narrative archetype. Exit Marrakech or Morocco (the film is being presented with two different titles for reasons unknown), is a fresh new entry into this genre which uses the exotic Moroccan locale as the backdrop and additional protagonist in this warm story of different worlds, forbidden love and growing onwards. Continue reading
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