Search Results

Family Drama film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Keon Martial-Phillip, Kayley Rainton, Tiffany Thomas directed by Keon Martial-Phillip. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Family Drama Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jan 12, 2023 Directed by: Keon Martial-Phillip Written by: Daniel Glenn-Barbour Starring: Keon Martial-Phillip, Kayley Rainton, Tiffany Thomas A young couple face the challenges that are caused by the disapproval of their relatives regarding their relationship. The film begins with Emilia (Rainton) storming out of the house where her partner's mother lives. Emilia got into an altercation with her and her partner Amani (Phillip) has followed her, hoping to calm things down. The two of them discuss what happened and how they each have trouble getting along with each other's family. This short drama has a plot that is basically the aftermath of a quarrel and the majority of the narrative explores the problems the couple have due to their interracial relationship. Emilia is caucasian and Amani is black and Amani's mother and sister dislike white-skinned people and Emilia's father does not think much of people of colour. The couple discuss how they feel about how their relationship is viewed by others and there is plenty of arguing and drama, however, the screenplay also explores the couple's tender relationship and makes it clear that they are happy together and are determined to remain so. The film includes a montage that is accompanied by a song and it reveals the history of the couple's joyful relationship. The montage is well-constructed and makes effective use of dissolve techniques and by watching it one understands how happy the two of them are together and that they will not let anything get between them. There are some great aerial shots of buildings and the soundtrack consists of several rap songs. Generally, this short focuses on problems people can have in their relationship, particularly if the relationship is interracial. The story deals with disapproval, racism, romance, family values and reconciliation and with the interesting subjects that it explores and good acting, this film offers a thoughtful viewing. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Getting Fat in a Healthy Way film review by UK film critic Joe Beck . Starring Ovanes Torosian, Petyo Cekov, Keti Raykova directed by Kevork Aslanyan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Getting Fat in a Healthy Way Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: May 31, 2022 Directed by: Kevork Aslanyan Written by: Kevork Aslanyan, Georgi Merdzhanov Starring: Ovanes Torosian, Petyo Cekov, Keti Raykova The opening scene of ‘Getting Fat in a Healthy Way’ suggests an offbeat, dark comedy, with a moderately moral storyline. From there it quickly unravels. Not only is the film a mess - plagued with inconsistencies and audio issues - but it contains a morally reprehensible message. Let’s start with the good - the beginning. The serene sound of an upbeat piano tune as stills of summer skies flash in front of our eyes - all seems to be well. Alas no, for a poor family picnic has turned disastrous, gravity has seemingly disappeared and the mother floats away, the son barely escapes with his life. We are led to believe that this really happened despite the fact that it’s a dream by the memorial photos of the mother dotted around the house. It turns out, though I only gathered this from reading the synopsis, that a tragic accident has disturbed gravity on Earth (leaving the moon looking like Pac-man) so that everyone weighing less than 120kg flies up into space. This is detrimental to Constantine (Ovanes Torosian), the boy from earlier, who weighs only 60kg and is, therefore, unable to leave the house. Constantine does as best he can, though electrical mood wings from a household gravitational normaliser don’t help, but all that changes when he sees a beautiful stewardess move in next door (Keti Raykova). On paper, this appears to be a harmless, fluffy film about love breaking down all its barriers, but, is it really love when it’s all so one-sided. Constantine sees this woman one time - she waves, he gets shy and hides - and from there he is infatuated. He dreams of her, maybe even doing something more to the thought of her. But what does she think of him, we don’t know. She isn’t even given a name. She may have a line or two, it’s hard to discern when you’re judgement is based purely on the reading of lips. That’s because when the characters open their mouths no sound comes out - just pure silence. There’s sound the rest of the time though, things cluttering to the ground mainly, and a surprisingly enthralling score. Being a Russian language film this would be permissible if there were subtitles, however, there aren’t any - we’re left feeding on scraps of plot and picking up the vague strands of themes. Furthermore, at one stage Constantine, upon seeing the beautiful unnamed woman, decides to order a mountain of burgers to try and put on the pounds. At a time when 13% of adults in the world are obese, and 39% are overweight, this idea of encouraging binge-eating is disgusting. Sure, it could be argued that eventually he breaks free and gets the girl without gaining the weight, but then, why focus on weight gain in the first place? It could also be argued that this is a film about body positivity - but then why the stigma on people being at a healthy weight. 
There are few redeemable qualities in ‘Getting Fat in a Healthy Way’, none of which make it a worthwhile watch. With incoherent plot lines, major audio issues and a disgustingly exploitative message, this is one of the few films which has gotten me genuinely angry. The title is ‘Getting Fat in a Healthy Way’, but there is surely no way watching this can be at all healthy. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Nightmare (Marerittet) film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Eili Harboe, Herman Tommeraas directed by Kjersti Helen Rasmussen. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Nightmare (Marerittet) Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 26, 2023 Directed by: Kjersti Helen Rasmussen Written by: Kjersti Helen Rasmussen Starring: Eili Harboe, Herman Tommeraas What happens if a woman reconsiders Rosemary’s Baby ? This is not to say that writer/director Kjersti Helen Rasmussen’s Nightmare is the masterpiece of Polanski’s 1968 Oscar winner. It is not. But this Norwegian horror delivers an intriguing pregnancy nightmare, one that benefits from a somewhat merciless female perspective. Eili Harboe (Thelma ) is Mona. She and boyfriend Robby (Herman Tømmeraas, Leave ) just bought an apartment. It needs a lot of work, but it’s all theirs and now they can be grown-ups. Mona isn’t sure she and Robby have the same definition of grown up, though, and here’s where things begin to break down. Mona begins having nightmares that escalate into sleepwalking, sleep paralysis and hallucinations. Could it be stress over abandoning a burgeoning career to focus on renovations and – if Robby has a say in things – starting a family? Or maybe it’s the creepy neighbors and their screeching infant? Whatever the case, Robby’s sexy, shirtless doppelganger comes to Mona every night. The relentlessness of it all has Mona questioning reality. So do we. Rasmussen rarely clarifies what is really happening and what is nightmare. She mines the dreamy fact that what we see in our sleep is often an image of our waking troubles, particularly those we hide from ourselves. Mona wants to please, as so many women do, and the men around her take casual advantage of this. One scene in a doctor’s office pinpoints the moment Mona finally is moved to begin to act on her own. Microagressions blend into bigger dangers as Mona’s life blurs with her nightmares. Rasmussen fills the reality with details and beautifully executed moments that fully outline Mona’s struggle. The darker fantasy world of the nightmares is given far less attention, and the medical world that bridges the two feels slapped together. But Harboe’s understated turn, particularly in a handful of breathtaking scenes, helps Rasmussen blisteringly articulate an everyday horror women face. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Virus film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring P.M. Thomas directed by Philip Brocklehurst. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Virus Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Feb 6, 2022 Directed by: Philip Brocklehurst Written by: Philip Brocklehurst Starring: P.M. Thomas A deadly virus has spread across the world and a survivor decides to end his life. A Third World War has taken place and a lethal biological weapon has infected the Earth's atmosphere, causing three quarters of the global population to die. Now a young man (Thomas), who has so far survived the threat, has decided that there is no reason to go on living. With a duration of approximately four and a half minutes, this short story manages to create quite a depressing, distressing and hopeless atmosphere. The entire story takes place inside the man's bedroom and it is thanks to the information in a text at the start of the film that the audience understands what is going on and why the protagonist feels the way he feels. From start to finish there is no sign of hope, just the knowledge that the world has been torn apart by a virus and the man's current state indicates that there is no future for humanity. Thomas is the only person in the story and his performance and voice-over are mainly what the film depends on in order to have an impact. The audience observes him as he lies naked on his bed and as he stands in front of the window, contemplating whether he will open the window and let the virus in or not. The voice-over that he provides reveals his state of mind and it is clear that he is all by himself now, the people he loved are gone and he is feeling suicidal. Things get quite gruesome and gory later on and due to Thomas's acting, it is quite uncomfortable to watch and not for sensitive viewers. It should also be mentioned that there is nudity. The sinister music by Vladislav Nogin is heard throughout the entire film it plays a key role in creating a dreadful atmosphere. There are flaws regarding the editing, as there is a sequence that involves fast cutting and the result looks awkward and clumsy. However, there is good use of dissolve techniques. This short focuses on a virus outbreak and it is shown through one person's perspective. It is a character study and a rather bleak and harrowing experience and it is done rather vividly, making it memorable. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

A 10 Minute Swim film review by UK film critic Chris Olson. Starring Alexandros Moustas, Popi Fragkakou, Mikaella Kodra, Anastasia Ntaliani directed by Achilles Tsoutsis. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A 10 Minute Swim Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Olson | Posted on: Jul 19, 2024 Directed by: Achilles Tsoutsis Written by: Alexandros Moustas, Achilles Tsoutsis Starring: Alexandros Moustas, Popi Fragkakou, Mikaella Kodra, Anastasia Ntaliani Set in the 1970s during Enver Hoxha’s reign in Albania, A 10 Minute Swim is a short film that explores the cruel hardships faced by the country’s citizens. Written by Alexandros Moustas and Achilles Tsoutsis (the former stars in the film and the latter directs), the short film is also a poignant love story full of brimming hope and tender aching. Moustas plays Louan, a recently married man whose monotonous future settles in on him pretty quickly, leaving him feeling forlorn. A chance encounter, then, with Nafsika (Popi Fragkakou) who also dreams of escaping her humdrum life in Albania and escaping to Greece, provides them with a spark of excitement as well as the beginnings of an escape plan - one which involves just A 10 Minute Swim . Beautifully filmed and emotionally delivered, Tsoutsis knows how to immerse his audience into this story without veering too directly into the tragedy of it all. Whilst it is ultimately a sad story in a tumultuous period of history, with the authorities killing anyone who tried to flee the country and then subsequently sending their families to labour camps, it is the romance between our central characters which adds a great deal of depth to the proceedings and makes for a more rounded viewing experience. This romance is brilliantly enhanced by two excellent performances. Alexandros Moustas plays the role superbly, capturing the passion of a young man looking into a bleak future, whilst Popi Fragkakou is absolutely brilliant as the curious yet unsure partner who can’t be. Their doomed tryst gives them plenty of scope for a myriad of emotions - fear, passion, excitement, anxiety - and the two performers navigate this terrifically. There are also some wonderful performances from the actresses playing Louan’s wife Teouta (Mikaela Kodra) and sister-in-law Erisa (Anastasia Ntaliani), a stand-out scene sees the two of them discuss the idea of Erisa going away to university and leaving Teouta “alone” with Louan. A smart use of a mirror in this sequence reveals Teouta’s own personal misery. The locations are used really well, with lots of landscape shots revealing the loneliness of many of the characters and a picturesque seaside scene allowing for a moment of tranquil beauty to penetrate the otherwise gloomy existence of our characters. Some audiences may feel a little robbed by the shorter running time. A lot happens to our central characters in a very short space of time and the impact is lessened. It feels like an important story and as such could have been justified to be given more room to breathe. If resources were an issue, time could have been traded away from the university subplot in exchange for more time with the escape attempt. That being said, if ever there was a proof of concept for a much-needed feature-length film, this short film is it. A powerful and gripping film. About the Film Critic Chris Olson Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Vole film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Paul Dewdney, Gabriel Okafor directed by Ewan Thomas. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Vole Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 12, 2024 Directed by: Ewan Thomas Written by: Ewan Thomas, Harrison Tate Starring: Paul Dewdney, Gabriel Okafor An elderly man and a youngster are in the middle of a forest. Alone and trapped. An old man (Dewdney) is in the isolated countryside. There is no building of any sort to be seen and he appears to be by himself. As he walks around collecting wood, he spots an unconscious young man (Okafor) lying on the ground. He is wearing a business suit and has a wound on his head. Eventually, he regains consciousness and demands to know what is going on. The aged man claims that he does not know what is happening and while the two of them spend time in the wilderness together, dramatic conversations regarding the values of life and humanity occur. An obvious element that makes this short intriguing is the mystery. What is going on? Why are two people trapped in the woods, unable to leave? How did they end up there? As the youth makes a run for it, he discovers that no matter how far he travels, there is no sign of civilisation. The wildnerness seems to be endless. So where are they then? Are they in a supernatural world? And what about the elderly man? How long has he been in the woods, all by himself? At the beginning he is seen doing a hitchhike hand sign by a road and keeping some sort of record. Why is he doing these? Certainly, these are questions that the viewer would like to know the answers for. In some ways, the film feels like a psychological survival horror story. Two people trapped in an isolated place where escape seems impossible. However, the deepest core is reveiled when the old man expresses his opinion regarding people. He believes that humans rely on objects in order to feel complete and that they are slaves to those who have authority. Generally, he suggests that without possessions, people are no different than animals. The youngster is a character that represents the contradiction to that belief: a businessman, a person who firmly believes in society, who owns a lot of things and wants more. The fact that these two men are now in nature seems to signify that they now have nothing apart from themselves and in certain ways have become animals, forced to live out of whatever nature has to offer and at the same time, they are free, away from society's complications. The atmospheric and sinister score by Magnus Fielding is a big plus and Kimia Modaressi Chahrdehi and Thomas Wright do a good job with the editing, especially when utilising fast cutting. The lighting techniques also stand out, particularly during night-time, when the two protagonists are sitting next to a campfire and sound designer Ava Doyle also deserves commendations for the effective sound effects. This is a tale of survival and isolation and it offers a rather negative point of view regarding humanity. The performances are strong and the old man makes an interesting character. Although the plot is successful in drawing attention, the viewer might be disappointed by the questions that remain unanswered. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Reflect film review by UK film critic Rachel Willis. Starring Dana Kippel, Grace Patterson, Jadelyn Breier directed by Dana Kippel. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Reflect Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Rachel Willis | Posted on: Jan 9, 2024 Directed by: Dana Kippel Written by: Dana Kippel Starring: Dana Kippel, Grace Patterson, Jadelyn Breier Writer, director, and star Dana Kippel delivers a trippy journey through a form of psychotherapy called shadow work in her film, Reflect . As Summer, Kippel invites participants to a spiritual retreat as a challenge of sorts in which they can win money upon completing “reflective” obstacle courses. Accompanying her on this journey to the desert (both spiritual and literal) are three friends (and one frenemy). Each woman brings her own past traumas with her, but none of them take their upcoming journey too seriously. From the clothes they wear to the things they pack, they don’t seem to understand the gravity of what they’re getting into. Along the way, the characters meet some odd balls – odd balls that are part of a show, The Game of Life , in which the women are unaware participants. It’s a strange set up for sure. By putting our characters on this journey, Kippel mines the sources of trauma in each woman’s life, some of those traumas more damaging than others. As each woman undertakes the obstacle courses, they must face their anguish. It’s part of the game, part of the journey, but it makes you wonder what exactly becomes of a person who can’t handle the pain that plagues them. Reflect excels at delivering a game cast of women (including Grace Patterson and Jadelyn Breier) who play off each other with the authentic dynamic of friends. There is genuine affection, but also a level of cattiness that keeps the quintet from truly letting each other in. Perhaps if they were able to do so, those life traumas would not be so overwhelming. The film’s only weak element is when Kippel cuts away from the women to the gameshow framing device. Reflect would have worked just as well as a psychedelic journey into shadow work without the added element of voyeurism. However, Kippel wisely keeps most of our attention on Summer and her friends, revealing their baggage little by little. It’s an interesting look at how our past infects our present and influences our future. Is there a way to move forward when the past pervades our every being? Maybe, maybe not. Kippel offers no easy answers, and the film is better for it. About the Film Critic Rachel Willis Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Wings of '44 film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Toby Haycock, Aidan Regnaud, Matthew Harper, Cameron McKenna directed by O’Callaghan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Wings of '44 Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Sep 24, 2023 Directed by: O’Callaghan Written by: Morgan O’Callaghan Starring: Toby Haycock, Aidan Regnaud, Matthew Harper, Cameron McKenna After a RAF pilot is shot down over Nazi-occupied France and rescued by a German pilot, an unsteady alliance is forged between the two as they seek refuge from the danger that pursues them. But how long until that danger finally catches up to them? Written and directed by Morgan O’Callaghan, Wings of ‘44 is an interesting film that excels in a lot of key aspects, but also gets in its own way by not establishing some storytelling fundamentals. It’s a remarkably clean looking film, several of the clever techniques that O’Callaghan employs here really help sell the authenticity of both the films’ setting and period, making the world they are taking us into believable and initially at least, engaging, even managing to add some simple but effective special effects in there for the films dog-fight scene which work well. Coupled with excellent scoring from Samuel Johnson, Wings of ‘44 is quite a professional looking and sounding piece of filmmaking. What gets in the way of all that great aesthetic and score unfortunately is that Wings of ‘44 suffers from really needing to tighten things up in terms of writing, both in its story and its dialogue. Despite an intriguing opening, it then takes a fair amount of time to get anywhere significant, audiences limited to watching both leads trek through the woods silently for over five minutes before the film takes any kind of narrative shift and even then, ultimately after twenty-four and a half minutes are up, one is left wondering exactly what story the film has been trying to tell us. A lot of the runtime in fact seems to just be padding to allow the film to awkwardly stumble towards its climatic finale which, whether deliberately or not (but seems likely so), mirrors very closely the famous opening of Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. And of course, while that in itself is not a problem at all, comparisons are then inevitably going to be drawn which then puts an unfortunate spotlight on the films lacklustre writing even more. To be fair it is a finale that tries its best and has moments of brilliance but ultimately doesn’t hit the highs it should. While the two leads do shine more in some of the films more intense moments, none of the performances either from our main characters or the supporting cast give the film the gravitas it should have. McKenna as Otto doesn’t get a lot to do really here so is harder to judge, but Haycock’s George, your stereotypical British, stiff-upper-lip RAF man, Regnaud’s French farmer and Harpers particularly questionable SS Commander are not only let down by a shaky script but are underwhelming with what they do have as well. Both factors together mean the film doesn’t get the full tension or attention it deserves in these final moments, despite all that hard work done by the heart-pounding score and crafty camerawork. Wings of ‘44 manages to get off the ground well enough with some great visuals and sound, but it’s a bumpy flight with a rough landing in terms of story and performances. About the Film Critic Chris Buick Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Devon film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Kabir McNeely, Emily Steelhammer, Maximilian Itsikson directed by Kabir McNeely. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Devon Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Apr 15, 2024 Directed by: Kabir McNeely Written by: Kabir McNeely Starring: Kabir McNeely, Emily Steelhammer, Maximilian Itsikson Devon (McNeely) is struggling with his life. At only seventeen he already feels that the pressure of the world is too much and as a result it has turned him into something of a recluse. When we meet him, Devon is finding it difficult to make friends or find a group where he feels he belongs, and the feelings he has for his closest confidant and ally, Cameron (Itsikson) are only complicating matters. Devon constantly feels as though he is fat and ugly and as such has been starving himself in order to get his weight down. As revealed to us by a letter containing results of a previous psychological examination, we find Devon is suffering from ‘generalised anxiety’ and a ‘binge eating disorder’. As we follow Devon’s story we watch as he alienates and pushes away anyone who tries to get close to him. His general demeanour is guarded and rude, and the constant anxiety which he feels about himself causes him to blame other people when they show a genuine interest. His surliness and incessant moping around weighs heavily on his mother (Steelhammer), who just wants to be able to say the right thing, to offer her son some support and maybe even to see him eat something. Cameron, too, would like something to happen and offers up opportunity after opportunity for Devon to get involved and have some fun. Devon though, is too busy hating on himself; he just can’t see a way clear from the situation he finds himself in, and eventually he comes to the conclusion that he may be better taking the matter into his own hands. What we are being given then, from writer, director and star of Devon , Kabir McNeely, is an autobiographical tale of the difficulties of growing up when you don’t really like yourself. We are supposedly getting the story (this time) from the mother’s point of view, looking on helplessly as her son degenerates into a cycle of self-destruction from which he cannot be saved, mostly because he is unable to save himself. However, McNeely’s need to keep himself firmly in the centre of almost every frame of the film means that this viewpoint is somewhat relegated to the background. It may help explain though, why it is that Devon is portrayed as a character who is so very difficult to like. Made on a shoestring budget of around $5000, with actors recruited from the Backstage casting site for no pay, it’s obvious that McNeely is struggling to get any sort of professional feel to his production. The direction and photography are fairly amateur throughout, with an over reliance on the over-the-shoulder handicam to take us through every scene, and no real risks or creative ideas seem to have been utilised during filming. The music jars at certain points as over-intense choral singing and strings pop up at inappropriate moments, making a mockery of any (small) amount of drama the scenes manage to create, and the (over)acting from McNeely begins to feel really put on the more into the film we get. The script is, however, true-to-life, capturing the difficulties of growing up in an image conscious society while also showing the awkwardness that comes from being a teenager trying to navigate their own way in the world. The fact that McNeely has himself lived through, to some degree, what he is presenting helps add that authenticity to the dialogue. It is a shame then, that this is a story which has been told before, almost exactly, by McNeely himself. Not even six months before Devon’s streaming release, McNeely’s previous project, My Name Is Moe (2023) was uploaded onto YouTube, dealing with the very same issues and from which some ideas, dialogue and scenes in Devon have been directly lifted. It is obvious that the subject matter is so incredibly personal and relevant to McNeely that he feels the need to revisit it again in a new production, but with that he leaves himself open to the law of diminishing returns. Anyone who has seen My Name Is Moe will find nothing new in Devon , and unsurprisingly the more that you look at them both the more it feels like McNeely has run out of ideas. All credit must go to McNeely for trying to highlight a difficult and timely issue which is affecting an increasing number of the current generation, however, with the restrictions surrounding the production along with the amateur level of the filmmakers themselves, Devon just doesn’t do justice to the themes it portrays. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, Digital / DVD Release, LGBTQ+ < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Despicable Me 4 film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig, Will Ferrell, Joey King directed by Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Despicable Me 4 Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jul 3, 2024 Directed by: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage Written by: Mike White, Ken Daurio Starring: Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig, Will Ferrell, Joey King Despicable Me is a nice franchise—harmless and colorful, filled with engaging personalities. And perhaps what has made it as endearing as it has been for all these years and episodes is that Gru (Steve Carell) is actually, almost effortlessly, a good dad. He’s had practice. For 14 years he’s been caring for the non-aging sisters Edith, Margo and Agnes, the orphans he took in so long ago to better pull off his greatest (to date) heist! Only to find out that he preferred fatherhood. It helps—both in practicing paternal instincts and in entertaining movie theaters brimming with highly sugared tots—that he also cares for an army of oblong yellow goofballs. So, 14 years, many capers, one wife and new son later, Despicable Me 4 finds Gru and his family hiding from his first arch-nemesis, high school bully Maxime (Will Ferrell), who swears vengeance from a class reunion slight with a plan to steal Gru’s infant son. That is villainy. Plus, there’s a counterattack operation involving superpowered minions. And there’s a wealthy neighbor family (Stephen Colbert and Chloe Fineman ably voice the upper-crusty parents) whose precocious teen Poppy (Joey King) hatches her own villainous schemes. With all the crisscrossing, Easter egg bedecked, vibrant plot threads, it’s the one between Gru and Poppy that most satisfies as it reminds us again what a great girl dad Gru makes. Kristin Wiig is underutilized (again) as Gru’s wife, Lucy and Sofia Vergara deserves more than what her character, Valentina, offers. Some of the secondary plot sequences feel like filler, but some bits of outright filler (a Dance Dance Revolution bit and everything with a vending machine) are highlights. Ken Daurio’s been part of the DM writing team since the start, but Episode 4 marks the first collaboration with Mike White, whose previous work includes real highs (School of Rock, Beatriz at Dinner ) and real lows (The Emoji Movie ). Together the writers find a nice balance of nuttiness for characters—legacy and new—to continue to make this franchise a fun one. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Kaepernick & America film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Colin Kaeprnick, Nate Boyer, Don Lemon directed by Ross Hockrow, Tommy Walker. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Kaepernick & America Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Aug 31, 2022 Directed by: Ross Hockrow, Tommy Walker Written by: Ross Hockrow, Tommy Walker Starring: Colin Kaeprnick, Nate Boyer, Don Lemon I’ve been a fan of the San Francisco 49ers for about fifty years, so I had a Colin Kaepernick jersey long before he started taking a knee during the national anthem. And when I continued to proudly wear that jersey, I quickly learned how effectively Kaepernick’s peaceful protest had been twisted into hateful knots of white grievance. In Kaepernick & America , directors Ross Hockrow and Tommy Walker revisit the protest’s timeline with insight and proficiency. But the subtle power of their documentary comes from its patience in deconstructing how Kaepernick’s true motives were distorted to fuel a racist narrative and a divisive election year. And for those who don’t know Kaepernick’s personal history, Hockrow and Walker wisely begin with his upbringing as a trans-racial adoptee, and then follow his journey to NFL stardom, to falling one play short of winning Super Bowl forty-seven, to essentially being kicked out of the league. It’s then that the film gives Kaepernick’s worldview a more distinct social and political context through archival footage and interview commentary (including CNN’s Don Lemon, an executive producer on the film). With the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement after the 2014 death of Michael Brown, Kaepernick sought to speak out against police brutality in America. His silent act of social disobedience eventually made news, and activist DeRay McKesson becomes instrumental to the film’s success at revealing the historical nature of the resulting uproar. Opposing views are supplied by anti-Kaepernick protesters and political candidates of the time, effectively rebutted by former U.S. Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer. Though Kaepernick’s protest began as a sit-down, he switched to kneeling after Boyer’s advice on a more respectful action. As we revisit the accusations and troop-shaming that were aimed at Kaepernick, Boyer’s recollections are a vivid reminder about just who was interested in thoughtful dialog amid conflict. More concerned with correcting the record than breaking new ground, Kaepernick & America seems graceful and unassuming when placed against the vitriol spurred by the taking of a knee. But the film reminds us that protest is “the work of hope,” and ultimately looks toward a future of redemption for Kaepernick, and healing for a nation. About the Film Critic George Wolf Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

A Borrowed Paradise film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Katan Sosnovec, Scott Menzies, Ricci Dedola directed by Peter Dorn-Ravlin. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Borrowed Paradise Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jun 16, 2023 Directed by: Peter Dorn-Ravlin Written by: Peter Dorn-Ravlin Starring: Katan Sosnovec, Scott Menzies, Ricci Dedola Deep down all of us are searching for a way out. Both in terms of the grander scale of life itself, in which we endlessly toil and only escaping in few, joyous pleasures, and on a smaller scale, from the environments in which we find ourselves and the relationships that we become trapped in. Life, the world around us, and the relationships that we hold are both the greatest blessings in the world and the eternal curse of humanity. ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ understands this, and reflects this idea to a certain extent, though whilst It philosophically conveys its message, this is done almost painfully through some turgid and inept filmmaking. That ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ is a deeply personal film to writer-director Peter Dorn-Ravlin is clear through the profundity with which he attempts to deal with a troubled adolescence. It’s a story which everybody, or the vast majority of people, can relate to, as teenager Theo (Katan Sosnovec) faces severe challenges to the stability of his mental health. Granted, the problems which young Theo faces are of greater significance than those everybody is likely to encounter during their school years, as he has to face up to the devastating loss of his mother (Ricci Dedola) and the damaging spiral of alcoholism that this has caused in his father (Scott Menzies). The title itself is of interest, perhaps a reflection of the sparing moments of joy spent as a family, or alternatively of the fleeting pleasure and joy given to Theo’s father, Derrick, through his alcohol addiction. Such philosophical messaging - further conveyed through the religious allegories retained throughout - and the sentimentality which the film displays are all well and good, but those two factors alone do not make up for poor quality filmmaking. Dorn-Ravlin attempts to impose the film with a directorial style ill-fitting to the subject, with an almost documentarian shaky camera and sharp, sudden zooms not suiting the domestic tone of the film, firmly a stable, sombre drama in character. Though such directing shows a certain skill in terms and competency behind the camera, it doesn’t complement the film, and undermines the seriousness of catastrophic on-screen actions - for example, the dramatic weight of Derrick withdrawing a firearm from a drawer is downplayed by the quick zoom in, and almost as sharp zoom out, as though the viewer doesn’t understand what a gun is and how damaging they can be. The editing is similarly reductive to the film’s sombre, level tone as a whole, with flashbacks to Theo’s mother and father’s past tinted too heavily and occurring too sharply, to truly aid the non-linear storytelling, instead making each cut back to the past jarring, and too stark a difference from the brutalism of Theo’s life without his mother. The script, though it successfully outlines the films message and philosophy, similarly causes problems to the film as a whole. Dialogue is a key issue, with the philosophy so obvious because characters say it all, conveying nothing through subtext or leaving anything the viewer’s imagination. As such it is cloggy and robotic, particularly when characters begin reciting poetry in a manner that no human being, at least no sane human being, has ever spoken. This adversely affects the performances of the entire cast, who, though no doubt talented, struggle with the sheer density of the script, and end up overacting to the point at which they sound mechanical. The clarity and success of ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ in outlining Peter Dorn-Ravlin’s beliefs are central to the films faults, with an over reliance on dialogue in the screenplay reflective of the poor filmmaking throughout. As such, ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ fails as a film where perhaps it may have worked to a greater extent as a novel, which would allow its creator’s interesting ideas and thoughts to be further fleshed out without becoming bogged down by problematic technical aspects of filmmaking. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >