The words “my” and “mine” are — technically — possessive cases of the pronoun “I.” I say “technically” because the line between ownership and association becomes blurred when one is… Continue reading "God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya (Mitevska, 2021)"
Luca is a heartwarming tale of friendship, fear, intolerance, and acceptance set in the Italian Riviera. If I know America like I think I know America, too much discussion about… Continue reading "Luca (Casarosa, 2021)"
Over the past ten years, François Ozon has directed an impressive array of entertaining and provocative films. His films have become appointment viewing for me, and By the Grace of… Continue reading "Summer of 85 (Ozon, 2020)"
My favorite film from the 2021 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival was Television Event, Jeff Daniels’s retrospective about the making and impact of ABC’s television movie, The Day After. By… Continue reading "Television Event (Daniels, 2020)"
The most misleading word in the title of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s new documentary profile of two of America’s most influential 20th-century writers may very well be “and.” Those with a… Continue reading "Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (Vreeland, 2021)"
When I was an undergraduate student several decades ago, I took a General Education class in “Social Problems” and was assigned to do a book report. I picked a book… Continue reading "A Once and Future Peace (Metzgar, 2021)"
Some of my favorite documentaries are about stories that change drastically as they are being filmed. Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles is one example. What begins as a straightforward… Continue reading "Storm Lake (Levinson and Risius, 2021)"
This review will be one of those pieces where I spend 80% of the space being critical of the film in question but nevertheless recommend it. I don’t normally like… Continue reading "Hamlet/Horatio (Warner, 2021)"
The word “acceptance” plays a prominent role in The Passing On, Nathan Clarke’s new documentary about an African-American funeral director mentoring his potential successor. When James Bryant quizzes his mentee… Continue reading "The Passing On (Clarke, 2020)"
High School Musical goes to Bible camp. If you think that sounds like the most awesome thing ever, read no further and head over to Netflix. A Week Away is… Continue reading "A Week Away (White, 2021)"
