★★ Directed by: #LukeCouch Starring: #MatisseHontebeyrie Short Film Review by: #NathanialEker Alone’s premise is about as generic as its title. Typical of a #horror short, a young man is hunted in an isolated building by an unseen enemy, most likely a poltergeist, and he runs to escape its sinister intentions. It’s about as basic a narrative as you can get, but the execution boasts some areas for praise. The sound direction and camera work in particular are the strongest elements, but regrettably, the rest of the film somewhat falls flat. There are components that could have benefited from a second draft or an additional pair of eyes. For example, why does the chap go to bed fully dressed in the middle of the day? Additionally, while the script largely plays it safe, the finale of death by skateboard slip into head crack doesn’t fit tonally with the rest of Coach’s film. This moment would be at home in a horror-comedy, but feels odd here, damaging the film’s integrity. In terms of the positives, the choice of soundtrack is spot on, and is implemented appropriately. Timing the loud shrieks of the orchestra to the ghostly action on screen can be difficult, so kudos to the editor for choosing the correct moments for maximum tension. The use of lighting is also good, if a bit bland. Naturalistic light is employed throughout, relying on whatever is available on set. This works well when the character uses a torch (a classic horror move), but some more creative variation would’ve been welcome. The final shot of the church bells ringing just steps away from the corpse is effective, and is akin to the dark irony of the parables in the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas series. It’s a shame this shot follows the aforementioned skateboard gaff as it really diminishes its impact. Acting wise, Hontebeyrie is a little stilted and wooden, though he does carry the burden of being the only player. Unfortunately, the fear of a supernatural incident just isn’t believable through his performance. The editing favours the action of the moment, showing off self-opening doors and footsteps from nowhere. The film could have benefited from more close up reaction shots to properly align us with Hontebeyrie, in addition to more focus on the actor from the director to really pull out some raw, authentic fear. Overall, Alone is a mixed bag of a horror short. At just over four minutes long, it was always going to be difficult to totally get us invested in the character, but sometimes a little can say a lot. What we are given is an actor acting, rather than a young man in real peril. However, the sound design is undeniably excellent, as is the final shot. There are hints of greatness in this short, but as it stands, it’s a little too scruffy around the edges to recommend.

★★★★ Directed by: #StaceyStone Starring: #JackSundmacher, #DianeMellen Documentary Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Stories of funny people and comedians are always tinged with pathos. It seems that behind the laughter is a need to find gratification in the applause of others and when that need goes unsatiated, internal reflection and even desperation can ensue. Short documentary film Jack, directed by Stacey Stone, follows the life of one hopeful comedian coming to terms with the reality of stand up comedy and his graceful acceptance of the shortcomings it reveals in him. Jack Sundmacher is the aforementioned funny person. He's married (something which provides plenty of material for his sets), has a dog walking business (a willing canine practice audience), as well as a history of theatre acting. A fairly impressive list of achievements and yet a burning desire to make it as a professional comedian still burns within him. Throughout the documentary the viewer observes the numerous ways in which delivering the perfect joke that receives the audience's acclamation makes Jack feel “whole” even for just a minute. Reminiscent of a show like Curb Your Enthusiasm with trappings of a movie like Funny People, Jack is an earthy and heartfelt endeavour from the filmmaker. Much like Stone's other #documentaries (Gander: America's Hero Dog and Unaccountable) this feels razor sharp when it comes to honing in on the subject without ever becoming belligerent or bullying. Interviewer (and Producer) Diane Mellen rarely needs to inject herself into the piece, allowing Sundmacher to fully open up, be vulnerable, and reveal the truth he has for himself. Eschewing the visual gimmicks of other documentaries has always been the style Stacey Stone has delivered. There is nothing flashy here, no animated segments to depict Jack's turmoil or slow zoom outs from a drone to reveal his inner isolation. The film does that far more subtly by letting the story of Jack to flourish, yes cinematically, but also organically. Jack is a wonderful on screen presence. His shows seem authentic and full of control and skill when it comes to serving up the belly laughs. His self-deprecatory nature allows him to be immediately likeable which is handy for a short documentary. When we hear snippets of his heavy thoughts on life and death they T-bone the viewer who is left waiting for the punchline. Thoughtful, introspective, and heartily funny, Stacey Stone's documentary Jack is a glorious exploration of the “funny person”. A front row seat into the complex attitudes and emotions of someone dedicated to making others laugh.

★★★★ Directed by: Rica Sweeney Written by: #RicaSweeney Starring: “Sasha” the dog, Rica Sweeney, #StephenSheridan, #KyleMiley, #ReneCosta Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson A short film with real cinematic pedigree (absolutely no apologies will be given for dog puns in this movie review), Bone from #filmmaker Rica Sweeney adds a canine curve to the classic crime caper. Sweeney provides the inner voice for Sasha, a typical dog who finds herself running errands for a local gangster called The Baron (Stephen Sheridan) because he supplies plenty of the white stuff...Bone. Aiding The Baron with his criminal empire, whilst on a tight leash, Sasha may soon come to the end of her bountiful supply of bones if she can't pull off the biggest job yet. Funny, charming, and engagingly simple, Bone is a short film that has few hairs and graces. The storyline could have been rudimentary and dull without the dog element but with Sasha at the helm, the movie is elevated into a higher league. Which doesn't mean that all films with a puppy automatically get a free pass (look at some of the recent canine calamities such as A Dog’ Journey or Patrick) but that a genre twist that has been well written and delivered can be a terrific way to reinvent a story audiences are fairly familiar with. Cinematically, Bone gets everything right. The visuals are brilliantly framed and there is a nostalgic feel to the tone. Sequences involving Sasha felt organic rather than staged (a difficult feat when working with animals) which allowed her character to feel genuine. Sheridan and his cohort played by Kyle Miley are also given some great interplay that was reminiscent of a great crime comedy like Snatch or RocknRolla. The #crime genre has long been associated with the moral failings of humans who, when given the opportunity, indulge too much in their basest urges. To have paralleled this with a dog's greed for bones was a nice allegory for societal indifference and avarice. Sweeney takes our joyous love of dogs and lets us embrace the comical tone of the film whilst revealing the “bitch” in all of us that can be tempted by one glimpse of fortune, whatever form that may take. Making her bones in the directorial seat, Rica Sweeney lands a best in show badge with her delightful tail of criminal excess. Her bite is worse than her bark with her unassuming yet provocative piece about the human condition and if that doesn't get you slobbering at the mouth, the fantastic Sasha will get your tail wagging with enthusiastic ease. Watch the official short movie trailer for Bone below.

★★★ Directed by: #JackCarrivick Written by: Jack Carrivick Starring: #StephenWight and #AislingBea Short Film Review by: #BrianPenn So here’s one to exercise those little grey cells; billed as naturalistic sci-fi with a tinge of horror, Be Uncertain is the type of short you’ll be sorely tempted to watch over and over again; and each time you’re likely to get something different from it. Interpretational freedom may appeal to some but I appreciate the traditional logic that usually follows the narrative. Nevertheless it definitely has something going for it although one can never be sure what ‘it’ is or might be. Our story begins with JD (Stephen Wight) who is frustrated and bored by life’s inevitable routine. Girlfriend Sam (Aisling Bea) is an attractive but unresponsive partner. He prepares a meal for Sam but sense she would have been just as happy with a ready meal. JD resolves to break this spell of mundanity but how should he do it? He dons a tracksuit and sets out on a run to clear his head. A smart soundtrack allied to effective night time shooting create an atmosphere crackling with tension. Filming around London’s docklands gives the film a sharp metallic glow as colours bounce off street lights to great effect. Strangely deserted streets still give JD the impression he is being followed. He begins to run but is soon confronted by a knife wielding thug. What does JD do next; is he about to be mugged or has he entered a different reality. How much of what we see on screen is really happening inside his head? Well you get a rough idea of where it’s going; it craftily throws in the odd curve ball just at the point you think you’ve got it worked out. For example, the word ‘leave’ daubed in pink across the car windscreen is likely to confuse the viewer. Ditto blood splattered notes left in JD’s car including the words ‘be uncertain’ (well what else?). The identity of JD’s attacker is somewhat surprising; a development closely resembling the aforementioned curve ball. It’s fair to assume this film does what it says on the tin, as you are never entirely certain what’s happening or indeed why it’s happening. It presents a series of disparate images that will send the viewer off in various directions and back again; which could be exactly what director Jack Carrivick intended in making us part of the game (or maybe not). Aisling Bea lends firm support but Stephen Wight takes the cigar as he conveys excitement, confusion and fear in equal measure. A solidly produced piece but don’t expect it to make sense.

★★ Directed by: Calin Butnaru Written by: #CalinButnaru Starring: #EnobongBassey, #JulienMouquet Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson A tender and introspective piece from #filmmaker Calin Butnaru, Neon Heart tells the story of a talented pianist experiencing a tumultuous period in his life. Broken into numerous acts and donning neon bracelets of different colours, this short film is layered with subtext and cinematic cues. Enobong Bassey plays the aforementioned pianist, whose serious skills at the keys and the adoration of his peers do not seem to compensate for his crushing emotional instability. With two empty chairs at his latest recital and a foreboding phone call, we witness his breakdown with music and cling to the hope that he may retrieve his keyboard from the dumpster with the help of time and his friend (played by Julien Mouquet). Intimate and intriguing, Butnaru teases at something grander than we actually get given as viewers. The neon braces are a nice touch but are never full explained, as is the complexity of the central character's anguish. There is a nice segment during a class about the link between science and music which could have been furthered. Neon Heart is riddled with technical issues, most notably for a film about a pianist with the sound. The dialogue is inaudible at times and there are microphone issues throughout. That being said, the performance scenes are utterly engrossing with Bassey's fingers dominating the piano and serving up delectable musical treats. Having structured the piece into acts (including a prologue and epilogue) and then included animated inter-titles and a second language (French), the movie starts to feel like a film studies project whereby the rules of engagement were made clear by a teacher's brief instead of narrative necessity. The ambiguity around the central character's heartache is just one of the ways this is noticeable. Had more time been devoted to the plot and backstory viewers may have felt more invested in the fallout we seem to be witnessing. The performances are uneven from the supporting cast but Bassey is fairly poignant and arresting for most of his scenes. He deals well with the vulnerability of the character without giving way to amateurish theatrics and the inner conflict he is experiencing becomes best expressed through his physicality rather than any lines from the script. As a piece of experimental cinema there are aspects to Butnaru's Neon Heart which are impressive. He seems capable of grappling with the emotional core of a story even if the delivery seems thwarted by rigid construction and a lack of decent equipment. More from him and Bassey would be welcome and as a starting point there are enough pleasing melodies in this piece to show great promise. Watch the official movie trailer for Neon Heart below.

★ Directed by: #GailMancuso Written by: #WBruceCameron #MayaForbes #CathrynMichon #WallaceWolodarsky Starring: #JoshGad #KathrynPrescott #DennisQuaid #BettyGilpin #HenryLau #AbbyRyderFortson Film Review by: #CatMcAlpine An alcoholic single mother (Glow’s Betty Gilpin) falls out with her dead husband’s family and struggles to juggle her floundering music career and responsibilities with her precocious young daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson, and later Kathryn Prescott). Is this a harrowing tale about the resilience of women and the litany of roles they must play? Nope. This is A Dog’s Journey, sequel to the controversial 2017 hit A Dog’s Purpose. And the single mother is the bad guy – for many reasons, but largely because she doesn’t like dogs. The film is based on the book sequel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron. Cameron also penned the adaptation for film, with the help of three other writers. It took four people to write this movie. I’m a strong believer that you should judge a movie within the genre it exists. A dog movie, for example, probably shouldn’t be judged against the same standards as, say Mad Max: Fury Road. And yet, I can’t work A Dog’s Journey into a sphere where it achieves any kind of quality. This script reads like the bullet points from a rejected Hallmark channel feature. This film has less compelling dialogue and character development than Netflix’s notoriously bad A Christmas Prince. The human action only exists to serve up easy hits for a dog’s inner monologue about butts and bacon, but the action somehow also needs to be compelling enough that a dog’s spirit continually reincarnates. To trick you into thinking this film is emotionally developed, they kill the dog at least four times, because anyone will cry at a dying dog. That’s the schtick in this series. If a dog loves you enough, it never truly dies, it simply returns as another dog. What is this world, where it’s always golden hour and the river bank is littered with perfect clusters of sunflowers? Do these characters actually exist in a purgatory – where despite a perfect pastoral backdrop, nothing can truly die, and all living creatures remember their last violent death? There’s an opportunity for a third movie which takes a sharp left into existential sci-fi horror, but I doubt that script would resonate with the crowd at my showing who repeatedly chuckled at Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) rooting for romance with his catch phrase “Just lick faces already.” Maybe the existential sci-fi horror was that I had to watch this film in a room full of people who enjoyed it. The reality is, people did and will enjoy this movie. It’s filled with easy to identify archetypes. It’s clear who the bad guys and the good guys are. There’s a bad mom, childhood hijinks, an abusive boyfriend arc, a car chase, a move to New York to “make it”, and a cancer scare and recovery all in 108 minutes. This movie requires zero brain power to consume because it’s a bland amalgam of all the unremarkable scripts that came before it – but with Gad’s sickeningly sweet puppy voiceover throughout. I don’t know if dogs go to heaven, but I do know I’ll be seeing this film in hell.

★★★★★ Directed by: Oliver Cane Written by: #OliverCane Starring: #JacksonBews, #AlannaFlynn, #GerardMcdermott, #NickBlakeley Indie Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Reality TV and shows like Big Brother were meant to be an intriguing and entertaining snapshot of social interaction, an experiment into how the human condition copes under a controlled environment. The result was often anything but. So it is wonderful that #filmmaker Oliver Cane and his indie movie Eyes and Prize takes the concept to disturbing and unsettling lengths with a film that is actually intriguing and entertaining. Jackson Bews, Alanna Flynn, Gerard Mcdermott, and Nick Blakeley play participants in a brand new reality show called Eyes and Prize. With little information about what they have signed up to, the quartet find themselves in a small apartment loaded with cameras awaiting further instructions about the game and how it works. However, when one of the four starts acting rather peculiarly, the others are confused as to whether this is all part of the show or if they are truly in peril. Beautifully simple and truly terrifying, Cane delivers a movie experience that is pure cinematic immersion. The nature of the story allows him to create an atmosphere that is isolated, claustrophobic, and intense for his characters to play out this social experiment. And to their utmost credit, the cast embrace this with phenomenal results. Bews is sublime as the cynical youth whose curious and hot-headed nature make him a compelling on screen presence, even when he's moaning for protein. Flynn is terrific as the enthusiastic and slightly tender female element. Whilst Mcdermott is excellent as the older guy who thinks he can unravel the show's scheme. And Blakeley is marvelous as the quieter type who gets the first instruction. As an ensemble, what is most striking about all the performances is the naturalistic delivery of the dialogue, with characters speaking over each other and engaging in small talk which was brilliantly convincing. The cinematic skill on display from the crew is also noteworthy. A captivating roving camera captures the interplay of the contestants within the room, which contrasts expertly with the less intimate static camera footage of the eyes in the sky. The set design was both alluring and pokey, ensuring the authenticity of the piece was kept in place in what I am assuming was a fairly limited budget. Riffing off high concept #horror movies such as Cabin in the Woods and Saw, Eyes and Prize contains a moralistic edge when it comes to thematic depth. How much of our safety are we willing to risk in order to claim 15 minutes of fame or, even more worryingly, distract ourselves from the monotony of everyday life? The contestants all lie to their families to attend the show, cut themselves off from the digital world, and essentially put their trust in a website! This is then developed further when the limits of each contestant is tested to see where the breaking point is and how they cope with extreme duress and isolation. A startling and affecting watch from beginning to end, sublimely acted and boldy constructed. A triumph for indie horror. Watch the official movie trailer below.

Filmmaker Interview by #ChrisOlson Please can you tell us a bit about how the opportunity came about for you to make/be involved with short film Empty Encounters? The opportunity was thrown at me quite strangely as I’d kept seeing the National Youth Academy adverts on my social media feed. But as an avid watcher of Philip Schofield on This Morning, the news was floating around about scam adds. So I thought nothing more of it, until my ex told me to give it a good gander. And so, forgive my toilet humour, I followed through with it. The course seemed like a great opportunity. After finishing the course and meeting the people I did, I can confidently say it was. Having made short films before, how was the process different this time? What were the new opportunities and/or challenges? Ooooft sweet Jesus. Well doing this film was a completely different bag of fish to how I'd usually like to work so it was a steep learning curve. Story wise I’ve always been drawn to telling stories where the #drama is small scale in scope with a small cast of characters. BUT WITH THIS ONE GEEEEEZ, we were given a greater number of actors than what I was used to, all with their own set ideas and each needing a good part that could allow them to shine. Not only this but the writers, bless them, had to constantly face an uphill battle by not only incorporating all the actors, but have it be no more than 15 minutes in length and to top it off they had to actually tell a story. So many of the days we went in blind with only a handful of the behind the scenes crew knowing what was going on in the scene. Out of necessity some scenes required I write them the night before and others on the spot with the cast and crew. While I’m a big fan of improvisation to reveal character…this bad boy was something different entirely. When approaching a new project, are there certain aspects you will prioritise over others? If so, which ones and why? My usual approach towards any project is first and foremost the script. As when my brain can muster it I too like to write screenplays so I’d like to think I understand how hard it is to put pen to paper. So I only ever really do a project when I believe the script is strong enough for everyone to build upon or do justice to. Then begins storyboarding! This is the fun part for me as I can find the visual tone, break down the story and strangely for me it's when I feel more connected to the film and allows me to understand it. As when I draw it out I give me a small level of ownership. Then when all is well and the script is solid I workshop the characters with the actors and start to physically flesh out some key memories, in relation to the story, through improvisation. I've found, at least through the lovely actors I’ve had the pleasure of working with, that they enjoy this part of the process as even though we’re playing around we are able to find key things and situations that bring out the characters more. I love actors so I think that if you cast them well enough and have the same end point, it's only right that you give them to space to bring something you may have missed. What are your plans for Empty Encounters? For a lot of the cast and crew this marked their first big film, and given the constraints, it was a miracle to make a rather entertaining little film with a beginning middle and end. It’s for these reasons and how well the crew worked together that I too am proud of it. There are moments I HATE but there are small quiet moments that I think really shine through. #Festival-wise it's been entered into one or two but whether that pans out we’ll see. It's one of the main reasons why I wanted to get the film reviewed by you lovely people, as ‘yes, WE like it’ and so did people from the course. But when you're surrounded by people who had been living this same work environment and understood making a film in this time scale, I wanted to know how an outsider/reviewer would see the film. In all honestly I hoped Empty Encounters would get a solid 3 star film review. “Entertaining, showed heart but a lot of flaws” but that just shows me I have more to learn. Once again though I can’t commend a site like this enough, that give filmmakers unbiased feedback. I'm just happy that I was able to surround myself with people who love telling stories again, and after so many years since The Sea Monsters Funeral, wandering around seemingly alone, the course has really reenergised my passion with storytelling again. What's next for you? Off the back of Empty Encounters I’ve been sent a few scripts to direct, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. As I’ve only really written my films out of necessity or seemingly a need to bring it to light. So I’m interested in trying to lend my perspective to help someone else do the same. But the two big things I'm wanting to do are A) do a little film called EIGHT BALL, which reunites me with the wonderful actor Ross Newell (Murray Williams in Sea Monsters) who tells the story of a blue collar criminal who, despite his failings in life, just wants to play pool. Alas his coworkers aren’t having any of it. It’s a strange little personal piece about how dreams confront reality, and what happens when you are not doing something you love. Not at all autobiographical of course….But the writing of this is turning out to be harder than I thought, but I CANT GET THE DAMN IDEA OUT OF MY HEAD….anyway… It's a different angle for me, as I’ve long been cursed with my family falling asleep at SMF when I first showed them it so I’ve been wanting to shake things up bit. Other than that I’d love to make a feature film and have a few in long term development i.e. The Sea Monsters Funeral feature, but scripts are hard to write you know? What advice would you have for a first-time #filmmaker? I’d say the classic one I always used to get told was “just get a camera and film”, I used to think it was bo**ocks but it's true haha. I’ve made so many bad films that only now are some of them more watchable. But it’s all a learning process and it's something young filmmakers need to go through. And if it a story you want to tell, at the end of the day the only person stopping you from making it is you. If you can make a film personal, even if its not for everyone someone in the world is going to connect with it (you can re read that in Morgan Freeman’s voice to hammer it home more). I love watching some terribly reviewed films, like just bad films, but my belief is that there is no one bad film, there is just a film that that person doesn’t like. Everyone is open to opinion, that's just that. OH!! and another key thing for first time filmmakers is LEARN TO DO EVERYTHING. You will gain so much respect for people when you work in bigger teams. #Filmmaking is about collaboration after all. Lastly without sounding too profound I’d like to say something that has inspired me in my filmmaking, so here's hoping it does the same to anyone reading this. I can’t remember specifically where I heard it but the filmmaker Sam Raimi described directing as being the captain of a ship, and it being your job to get everyone safely from A to B. I carry this in my head every time I ever do a film, even if I’m not the captain. Speaking of profound, what would you say if you were a dolphin? Beautiful question, for a long time I’ve been waiting for this moment. I suppose the only thing I would say if I were a dolphin would be - (*clears throat, cough cough cough) SQUEAK GRUNT CREAK so long and thanks for all the fish EEE GRUNT GRUNT SQUEAK. Then I’d try reboot ‘Flipper’ as a #JasonStatham action vehicle. Read the UK Film Review verdict of Empty Encounters.

★★ Directed by: #RyRussoYoung Written by: #TracyOliver Starring: #YaraShahidi #CharlesMelton Film Review by: #GeorgeWolf Every time I see the latest Young Adult romance fantasy on the big screen, I end up thinking about Barton Fink getting reprimanded for not sticking to the formula. "Wallace Beery! Wrestling picture!" Credit The Sun Is Also a Star for trying to stray outside the usual lines, even as it hits those same formulaic goalposts. Natasha (Yara Shahidi) and Daniel (Charles Melton) are great-looking (and somehow, single) teens in New York City. Hers is a family of Jamaican immigrants facing deportation in 24 hours, while his Korean family runs a black hair care store in the neighborhood. 'Tasha "doesn't believe in love," but meeting Daniel gives him the chance to win her over while she explores a last option to stay in the U.S. Yes, there's voiceover essay reading, yes he realizes her specialness after one faraway glimpse, and yes they both have to break free from the lives their parents have planned for them. Yes, in a city of millions they keep stumbling into idyllic situations where they're all alone. Yes, it's based on a YA novel and yes, some of the dialog is downright cringeworthy. You knew much of that already (because "wrestling picture!"), but the film does mange to score some little victories. Best of those is the assured direction from Ry Russo-Young (Nobody Walks, Before I Fall) , who keeps NYC's melting pot as an ever-present supporting player. Paired with the diversity of the cast, the undercurrent of real lives upended by immigration policies comes in surprisingly deft waves. But as Daniel waxes on about fate and the need for chemistry, it eventually becomes clear that Shahidi and Melton - both promising talents - don't have enough of it. That's a problem, and it stands at the top of the list of things The Sun Is also a Star is selling that you just can't buy.

★★★ Directed by: #EdwardZwick Written by: #GeoffreyFletcher Starring: #JackOConnell #LauraDern Film Review by #GeorgeWolf Another death row drama with a clear agenda, probing one questionable conviction to build a righteously angry condemnation of our entire justice system? Yes, Trail by Fire is certainly that, but the familiarity of its gripping narrative actually serves to strengthen the argument. How many dubious death sentences will it take to shake our comfortable faith in fair trials? In 1992, Texan Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O'Connell) was sent to death row for setting the house fire that killed his three young children. After years in prison, concerned citizen Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern) took an interest in the case. Along with lawyers from the Innocence Project, Gilbert worked to poke enough holes in the conviction to get Willingham a new trial. Adapted from a New Yorker magazine article and Willingham's own letters from prison, the committed script of Trial By Fire from Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) suffers only in the rushed introduction of Gilbert's character. But though any organic motivation for Liz's commitment may be thin, it's overcome by the sterling performances from the two leads. O'Connell - a vastly underrated talent- is heartbreakingly effective as Willingham, a man happy to have a regular visitor but wary of the hope Liz brings with her. His journey from slacker defiance to jailhouse wisdom is grounded in the authenticity of McConnell's touching performance. This man was no altar boy, but our sympathy for him is well-earned. The chemistry with Dern is evident from the start. While these plexiglass encounters are a necessary staple of this genre, Dern and McConnell make them simmer with an intensity that is often riveting. Kudos, too, to Emily Meade as Willingham's wife Stacy. The Willingham marriage was challenging, to say the least, and Meade (Nerve, Boardwalk Empire, The Deuce) is good enough to make the conflicted relationship recall the bare emotions of Manchester by the Sea. Director Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond, Pawn Sacrifice) takes some narrative risks that ultimately pay off, keeping the pace vital through some effective visual storytelling that feeds the sense of a ticking clock. Zwick also builds layers of indelible support characters (Willingham's first jail cell neighbor, the lead prison guard, an independent arson investigator) that leave engaging marks, often at junctures critical to avoiding an overly rote structure. Crushing in its familiarity, gut wrenching in its specifics, Trial by Fire is a tough but worthy reminder of the illusion of fairness.

★★★★ Directed by: #ChadStahelski Written by: #DerekKolstad #ShayHatten Starring: #KeanuReeves #HalleBerry #IanMcShane #AnjelicaHuston #AsiaKateDillon #MarkDacascos Film Review by #HopeMadden John F. Wick. You have to tip your hat to a #filmmaker who understands his strengths and plays to them. For Chad Stahelski, I think you just have to take the hat off entirely. Kickboxer turned stunt man turned stunt coordinator turned helmsman of a phenomenon, Stahelski returns for his third tour with Keanu Reeves as dog-loving assassin widower John Wick for Chapter 3: Parabellum. The great thing about chapters is that no one expects them to tell a whole story, and since storytelling and acting are not the strongest suits in this franchise, Stahelski wisely sharpens his focus on what is: action. A breathless Act 1 (with a truly inspired use of the New York Public Library) picks up the moment John Wick 2 ends, mercifully dispensing with the need for exposition. In its stead, balletic mayhem. The plot of sorts: Wick is in trouble with the guardians of the world’s assassin guild, approximately every third human in NYC is a hired killer, and there is a $14 million bounty on his head. Where can he go? What can he do? These are questions Stahelski and his army of writers have fun answering with ludicrous, violent, exhausting, carnage-strewn glee. Inside of 10 minutes of John Wick 3 - Parabellum it was clear that this is the best film of the trilogy. Welcome new faces Anjelica Huston and Asia Kate Dillon cut impressive figures, though Halle Berry feels out of her depth and a clear sound stage representation of Morocco is the only clunky set piece in the movie. Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne return. Wisely, Stahelski lets these guys mete out most of the dialog. I’d wager Reeves utters fewer than 30 lines total. Again, play to your strengths. Dan Lausten’s camera ensures that you know when Reeves does his own action, most of which is choreographed and captured in long, fluid, serpentine shots with a lot of broken glass. Man, their easy-shatter glass budget must have been through the roof! The Fast and Furious franchise didn’t become tolerable until it embraced the fact that it was a #superhero series, abandoning all reason and logic and just jumping cars from the 100th floor of one building to the 100th floor of another. Luckily, it didn’t take John Wick six films to take flight. Watch the movie trailer for John Wick 3 - Parabellum below.

★★★★ Directed by: #JakeThomasArmbruster Starring: #OmarSaavedra, #JustinBerti, #OliverSeitz, #JohnHenryRichardson, #VictorBoneva and #TomStruckhoff London Independent Film Festival Review by: #AlexandraJames Frontera is an excitingly new piece, a winner of the London Independent Film Festival (#LIFF) and rightly so! A dramatic and gripping film that keeps the audience firmly planted to their seats as they wait expectantly for the story to unfold, revealing action, turmoil and fear amongst its viewers. Two brothers are forced to come together again after each taking different paths in life, a life of crime and a life devoted to politics. With a running time of 82 minutes, a lot of action is condensed into this independent film. If this piece were to be likened to another it would most likely fit with TV series Breaking Bad, but purely based on its storyline (mainly because nothing will be able to ever top Breaking Bad!). Portraying good guys caught up in a world of crime and dodgy misdealings. You have the character Bradley (Justin Berti), throwing himself into the realm of politics attempting to create the façade of ‘everything’s fine’ and ‘I’m honestly a good guy’ look, which as we all know politicians are able to falsify with the greatest of ease. However, Bradley carries with him baggage from his father’s life, known as a public figure and arms dealer to the cartel. Not the kind of baggage a politician can shake off lightly, however, Bradley attempts to move on from his family’s dishonest past in order to make way for his new life. Justin Berti executed the role of the politician seamlessly, a very believable performance with the right combination of a serious persona and a touch of white lies, his presence evoked the true essence of a corrupt politician. Bradley’s brother, Sonny, played by Omar Saavedra held an altogether separate demeanour. With ties still attached to the cartel, Sonny finds it difficult to move away from his past as opposed to Bradley and snaps back into that menacing guise rather sharpish when called upon by the cartel. It became challenging at times to see Omar Saavedra play, to put bluntly, a bit of a hard nut. He has almost a baby faced look which just cries out innocence. On the other hand, perhaps that worked in his favour, as many of his rivals saw him as a “nobody,” but Sonny does not let this stunt his full potential. He came across as sheepish in some scenes but soon twists the story completely on his head just when we think he’s been cornered. It has to be said that not all characters were entirely polished, the brothers’ mother did not seem to react well to the action happening around her. It tended to be the same response within every scene she was involved in. There was not a lot of variety to her movement, facial expressions or tone which can make the scene a little rigid and her character unconvincing as a mother of two boys going down a very dark path. It made the character seem quite distant from the ongoing dangers her boys were to be facing. Nevertheless, a beautifully shot story. I’m always a big advocate in candid and raw film making so it was great to experience the landscapes of California unfiltered. One scene in particular which was so captivating to watch over was Sonny overlooking the forest fire that had emerged over the hills. Frontera is enthralling from start to finish and has a bit of everything guns, kidnappings, rivalries, corrupt cops, where can you go wrong? Watch the official movie trailer below (warning #mature).