The job of a good documentary is to probe, uncover and get answers to tough questions. The job of a promotional reel is to exalt its subject. This non-fiction film lays squarely in-between. On some levels it’s revealing. On others, it has as much depth as an 8 X 10 glossy. Bad Boy Records, […]
Sometimes a film tells a story like an artist paints a picture. Sometimes like a playwright writes a play, or an author pens a novel, or a poet composes verses. Director Aisling Walsh (Song for a Raggy Boy), screenwriter Sherry White and an amazing tech crew have taken those aforementioned sensibilities and created a […]
Pathetic on just about every level, The Mummy should be entombed. What the hell were they thinking? Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and his cohort Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) are shameless antiquities hunters. Their exploits take them to a desert village in an Iraq war zone, where they come under fire. U.S. armed forces have […]
Filmmaker Ken Loach has been the voice of blue-collar workers, the homeless and downtrodden in Britain for about 50 years. These are the people he relates to and he tells their stories eloquently, often in realism so stark you feel close enough to touch his characters or join them on the unemployment line. His […]
For years, generals thought they could solve conflict with troops, weapons, tanks, bombs and aggression. These days, especially in the Middle East, guerrilla warfare, terrorism and an inability to distinguish friends from foes make winning wars nearly impossible. War Machine reminds us of that. The source material for this cautionary tale is Michael […]
Rarely do urban tales balance authenticity with solid drama elements and strong emotion. Boyz ‘N the Hood and Straight Outta Compton are perfect examples. Lowriders is in their league. It ticks all the boxes: Acting, direction, writing, production elements… This groundbreaking film, about the Latino experience in East LA, will become as classic as those […]
Founded in 2002 as a response to the 9/11 attack, New York City’s 16th Tribeca Film Festival will run this year from April 19th until April 30th. The festival showcases feature films, documentaries, shorts and a slew of high tech seminars and programs that distinguish it from other festivals. Films to Seek […]
“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am… I want to be the force that is truly for good.” It was a while before the legendary jazz musician and saxophonist John Coltrane got to a place where he could articulate his mantra that clearly. Years in the making. The legacy Coltrane […]