★★★★ Directed by: #KieranAEgan Starring: #JohnAult, Kieran A. Egan, #LucyPeake, #DanielBirchall and #SadieSWilliams Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Being a detective is hard right? You got to do paperwork and solve crimes, you have to wear trench coats and have a glass eye...no wait that’s just Columbo. But my point is it’s not all driving fast cars and firing guns out the window at the Mcdonald's drive through. Untraceable is a #shortfilm and is the story of two detectives who are hot on the case of a serial killer, a David Berkowitz type [and if you don’t know who that is, for shame, go Google your serial killers right now] who runs around popping caps into people’s brain areas, or to use the scientific term...heads. These detectives are worn out, stretched thin, neglecting their wives and sleeping on the couches of their office, but displaying 100% dedication to solving this crime, it’s alluding them, and like great detectives before them [Columbo?] they won’t let it beat them. Detective Nick takes an evening off to take his co worker’s wife out for dinner [at his request of course, John is well busy solving crimes, too busy for nutrition and marital sex] so detective John can chase an important lead, one that will eventually lead him to the culprit of these vile murders. Now I could spoil it for you, tell you who it is and I will...it’s detective Nick!!! He did the shootings of the brain region, and while that may seem like an obvious play out for crime dramas, I actually didn’t see it coming, there is no sly eye glances from detective Nick, no sweating under the collar at the crime scenes, you really don’t suspect a thing. He is cool as a cucumber. So let’s now put on our film critic hats and take a deeper look at Untraceable, a film so clearly on a budget, so clearly a student attempt to delve into the world of #filmnoir, a film that has inconsistent audio, some questionable acting skills and one-liners that I’m not sure if I should laugh at or not. So, with this being the case, why do I love it so much? I’m a sucker for anything that has reality, throws away the glamour of Hollywood, and also just goes full ham, no holds barred, and this is Untraceable. On a budget with limited skills, but going balls to the wall, and for that I give it kudos. The storyline is there, with good potential, some of the shots are well thought out, showing promise to director and actor Kieran A.Egan’s skill set. So despite all its flaws, which I felt added to the charm, Untraceable is an enjoyable watch, a touch campy in places, a little shabby around the edges, but a diamond in the rough to say the least. So now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to iron my trench coat and polish my glass eye, I have a date with my friend’s wife to dress up for.

★★★★ Directed by: #LucyJoanBarnes Written by: #NickThomson Starring: #ClarkAlexander, #LisaOpara and #ThomasinLockwood Film Review by: #AnnieVincent Intimate and insightful, For Want of a Nail, is a powerful short film shining a light on OCD and its psychological impact. Written by Nick Thomson, who himself suffers from some OCD compulsions, the filmmakers worked with #OCDAction to draw out the psychological nuances of the protagonist Marty, who is aware of his obsessive nature, but who is trying to control it, aiming to achieve a ‘perfect’ day. The editing here is excellent, with the use of flashforward and flashback exploring the sacrifices Marty has had to make to achieve some stability and to protect the people he loves from his behaviour. We see him lose his father, mother and brother, and his relationship with his fiancée, Sally, breakdown, while his twin sister continues to be around, trying to engage him, quietly and gently. Complementing the editing is the use of voiceover – a running commentary of Marty’s thoughts which are at times almost comical, but which come with the inevitable sadness of the barriers this condition builds up inside the minds of its victims as Marty narrates his fears and phobias, his paranoia and the imaginary scenarios which he has to work hard to shut out if he is to ‘survive’ today, making it ‘perfect’. Despite the interruptions to his day: thoughts of Sally while brushing his teeth; frustrations caused by the small failures of his computer, a phone call from his sister, a visit from her, flashbacks to sitting with her in the cemetery, he makes it all the way until 11pm. All he has to do is turn off the light-switch. He has to stroke it seven times, but once that is done, he simply needs to walk away and go to sleep. With all his brain has thrown at him today, this trifling moment is surely to be overcome too, like the rest of today’s events? The work done behind the scenes for For Want of a Nail in production and pre-production has combined to produce a tactful and thoughtful piece of film on a topic rarely explored so sensitively.

★★★★ Directed by: #HirokazuKoreeda Written by: #HirokazuKoreeda Starring: #LilyFranky #SakuraAndo #MayuMatsuoka Film Review by: #GeorgeWolf "Sometimes it's better to choose your own family." A softly nuanced testament to home being where the heart is (and the Palme d'or winner at Cannes), Hirokazu Koreeda's Shoplifters finds its considerable magic by letting small moments reveal big emotions. On their way back from pilfering a few items at the local grocery, a Japanese father and son find a young girl named Yuri outside alone, shivering in the Tokyo chill. They take Yuri home for the night, with a plan to help her return to her parents the next day. But Yuri endears herself to the extended family of small time crooks she's introduced to, and as Yuri's behavior points to a possibly abusive home life, it is decided that she should stay. Writer/director Koreeda returns to the nature vs. nurture themes he has probed throughout his career, most notably in Nobody Knows (2004) and Like Father, Like Son (2013). What defines a family most: bloodlines or genuine love? Yuri joins a house crowded with characters who may or may not be blood relatives. Slowly, we learn about their lives outside the home, and the part each plays in the network of cons and thefts that allow everyone to keep eating. The cast is universally charming, and when Koreeda is content to ride the casually observational pace he introduces, Shoplifters works humanistic wonders with its sweet vignettes of love and mercy. Doubts about the family business slowly creep into the house, though, and with them an unusually heavy weight is added to Koreeda's hand. Interactions begin to carry pregnant dramatic pauses that only highlight the surprising obviousness of the dialog that follows. The catch-22, of course, is that it is the subtle effectiveness of the film's first two acts that makes the hurried nature of the final act seem more desperate than it actually is. Disturbed only momentarily, the spell cast by the memorable family in Shoplifters is still sturdy, and one not that easily broken.

★ Directed by: #JeffreyNachmanoff Written by: #ChadStJohn #StephenHamel Starring: #KeanuReeves #AliceEve #ThomasMiddleditch Film Review by: #HopeMadden Sometimes, dead is better. That Stephen King quote flashed through my mind as I watched Replicas, Jeffrey Nachmanoff’s SciFi thriller starring Keanu Reeves. Reeves is William Foster, a scientist working nobly to put human consciousness into robots because this way we can save so many dying soldiers. I’m confident they would totally want to come back as robots. Foster quickly loses his family in a car accident, his bestie (Thomas Middleditch) conveniently dabbles in cloning, and the mad duo concoct a plan to combine their specialties and bring the Foster family back to life. Back one step: Will Foster loses his family in a car accident. This requires Reeves to emote. I would call that Problem #1, but I already covered the plot. Nachmanoff and writers Chad St. John and Stephen Hamel deserve credit for quietly upending the ages-long moral conundrum at the center of any cloning/Frankenstein/AI film. Good for them for opting out of Judeo Christian finger-wagging. Also, Alice Eve—when she’s allowed to do something besides look good sleeping—offers a nuanced and often funny performance that makes the most of the moral quagmire the story articulates. How capable is Reeves at lobbying back answers to her profound and life-altering accusations? I think you know. Reeves has proven to have some heretofore unimagined talents via recent supporting turns in The Bad Batch and Neon Demon. His hollow performance in John Wick works strangely well, too. But as a scientist struggling with enormous moral choices and debilitating grief? It is distracting enough that I almost didn’t notice those plot holes I kept falling into. That King quote didn’t flash through my mind as I thought about the Foster family and their existential paradox. I was thinking about me having to sit through this movie.

★★ Directed by: #CharlesMartinSmith Written by: #WBruceCameron #CathrynMichon Starring: #BryceDallasHoward Film Review by: #GeorgeWolf After the sledgehammer schmaltz of A Dog's Purpose last January, director Charles Martin Smith takes over for the latest adaptation of a W. Bruce Cameron canine tale and chooses wisely by making a straight up kid's movie. Martin has the two Dolphin Tale films on his resume, so he knows his way around a family film, and I'm guessing he knew the only chance this one had was to aim it squarely at the youngest in the house. Just think of it as Bryce Dallas Howard reading a big screen picture book to your kids for 90 minutes, as cute puppy Bella (voiced by Howard) over-explains all the goings on from the moment we meet her as a stray. She's adopted by Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King) and his mom Terri (Ashley Judd), and things are great until Bella runs afoul of the overly strict dog laws in Denver (who knew?). She's taken in by friends in New Mexico until Lucas can sort it out, but homesickness leads to a backyard jailbreak, and Bella sets off on the long journey back to Colorado. Bella gets into plenty of adventures along the way as her path crosses friendly people, mean people, CGI animal friends, predators and an amusing picnic-basket stealing or two. Like A Dog's Purpose, everything is painted with the broadest brush available. It is Martin's altered viewpoint that makes this one much less painful to endure, even providing subtle teachable moments concerning diversity, veterans, homelessness and even same-sex couples. Pretty good dog. And, really, Denver, what gives with those outdated laws?

★★★ Directed by: #JenMcGowan Written by: #JulieLipson Starring: #HermioneCorfield #JayPaulson #MicahHauptman Film Review by: #HopeMadden College co-ed (Hermione Corfield) follows her GPS into the backwoods of Kentucky, and hits a dead end before bumping into some less-than-helpful locals: tussle, injury, escape into the woods. I don’t know how many times you’ve seen that very film, but I have probably seen it twice already this week. (It’s a problem, I know.) This woman-in-peril pairing with the “city folk lost in the backcountry” formula equals one very tired experience. The fact that filmmaker Jen McGowan, working from a script by Julie Lipson, offers us a victim/heroine who fights and thinks is not quite enough to save Rust Creek from drowning. But McGowan’s tricky, and she has more surprises packed in her double-wide than you might think. The film, on its surface, asks us to rethink the victim in a hillbilly thriller. But Rust Creek cuts deeper when it requires that we—and the heroine, for that matter—rethink the hillbilly. Michelle Lawler’s cinematography sets a potent mood, enveloping the proceedings in an environment that is in turns peaceful and gorgeous or treacherous and brutal, and she does it with natural, almost poetic movement. This imagery allows the Kentucky woods to become the most vibrant character in the film, although those tree-covered hills are peopled by a few locals worthy of notice—not all, but a few. Jay Paulson—best known to normal people for his brief stint on Mad Men, best known to my people as the porn-obsessed psychopath in Robert Nathan’s Lucky Bastard—cuts an intriguing, lanky figure as Lowell. Slyly fascinating from the moment he takes the screen, Paulson shares an uncommon onscreen chemistry with Corfield. The smart, human relationship they build as they bide their time and cook some meth may be reason enough to see Rust Creek. McGowan doesn’t burst as many clichés as she embraces, unfortunately. Still, the biggest obstacle facing her as she maneuvers her tropes to serve a (hopefully) unexpected purpose is that her protagonist is the least interesting character in the movie. This is not necessarily Corfield’s fault. She does what she can with limited resources. Sawyer is just the fuzziest character, and the one with the least articulated arc. That means the resolution packs less of a wallop than it should, but certain moments and characters will linger.

★★★★ Directed by: #LuisOrtega Written by: #LuisOrtega #SergioOlguin Starring: #LorenzoFerro #ChinoDarin Film Review by: #HopeMadden Everyone loves a good bad guy. Why is that? That's a question that drives Luis Orgeta's El Angel, a fantastically stylish period piece and provocative bit of storytelling that mythologizes Argentina's most notorious serial killer. Lorenzo Ferro is Carlito, mischievous imp and beautiful youth. In his acting debut, Ferro mesmerizes—appropriately enough. The sleepy charisma of the performance, paired with Ortega’s beguiling direction, seduces you. Ortega saturates every frame with color, pattern and song, creating a sensual atmosphere that mirrors the storytelling. Meanwhile, Ferro captures a fearlessness that comes from the singular desire to experience each moment as it happens with no regard for what comes after, an alluring quality for both the audience and the other players in Carlito’s world. While the newcomer is the clear center of gravity in this film, each supporting turn is stronger than the last. Together the actors populate this charmingly unseemly world with dimensional, intriguing misfits. Chino Darín has the beefiest role as Carlito’s best friend, partner in crime and the object of his longing. That’s a theme—longing—Ortega plays with to unsettling results. There is a sexuality to everything Carlito does, and the relationship between the two friends remains tantalizingly unarticulated. The release the audience gets instead is in the violence of the crimes. The way Ortega emphasizes small, curious moments and deemphasizes the brutality without looking away from it is a true feat. The film—and, indeed, the life of Carlos Robledo Puch, the murderer in question—holds a great deal of violence. Truth is, the film may not contain enough. Ortega's interest involves the seductive quality of the bad guy. To get at this, though, he whitewashes Puch’s crimes. Besides being a murderer and a bit of an eccentric, Puch was a rapist and kidnapper who once shot at a sleeping infant. The omissions change the film from one that explores and mirrors the seductive quality of the villain to one that manipulates true life to fit a tidier vision. Still, the sheer off-kilter spectacle that finds its focus in small, weird moments is too great to dismiss. Like the character it creates, El Angel’s allure is too strong to resist.

★★★ Directed by: #MimiLeder Written by: #DanielStiepleman Starring: #FelicityJones #ArmieHammer Film Review by: #GeorgeWolf In his wallet, my friend Jake keeps a picture of an attractive young woman he's never met, just so he can use it for a bar trick. It's a picture clearly taken decades ago, and after a few cold ones, Jake will put the snapshot in someone's face and challenge them. "Who is this?!" Most times they don't know. "RUTH BADER GINSBURG!" That's just one example of the rock star status RBG has achieved since joining the Supreme Court in 1993. A progressive champion at age 85, her every sniffle draws attention while more serious issues (like the recent surgery that caused her to miss SCOTUS opening arguments for the first time) elicit regular Google searches on her health. But behind the pop culture status and "Notorious RBG memes" lies a truly heroic life. Already profiled last year in the Oscar-contending documentary RBG, On the Basis of Sex adapts her story for a big screen feature unable to contain its pure fandom. Biopics on such legendary figures are usually wise to keep the focus tight rather than tackle the entire life story, and OTBOS works best when it digs deep into the first gender discrimination case Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) argued in court: Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue in 1971. She presented the case alongside husband Marty (Armie Hammer), giving the film an organic mix of the personal and professional that first-time screenwriter Daniel Stiepelman (who is also RBG's nephew) uses as his opening to also salute the sweetness of the Ginsburg love story. It's an understandable approach by an understandably biased party, but one that leads the film toward a path of hagiography and intermittent schmaltz that director Mimi Leder (Deep Impact, Pay It Forward) is seldom interested in resisting. Jones carries the film with a terrific lead #performance, Hammer delivers his usual fine support, and there's no question Ginsburg is worthy of a big screen tribute, but this one can't free itself from the admiring glow RBG basks in today. The sexism she faced is addressed, of course, but in ways that never feel more threatening than annoying flies this Superwoman will easily swat away. Though its finale scores big, with Jones delivering a stirring closing argument before a cheer-worthy walk up courthouse steps, On the Basis of Sex rests as a film always competent and sincere, but seldom revealing.

★★★ Directed by: #NeilBurger Written by: #JonHartmere Starring: #KevinHart #BryanCranston #NicoleKidman Film Review by: #BradyClark Plagued from the fallout of the Weinstein sex abuse scandal, The Upside was actually filmed in early 2017 and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival the same year before being shelved indefinitely. Fortunately, STX and Lantern saved the film from the TWC scrapheap and we finally get to see the dream pairing we never knew we needed – Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart. A remake of 2011 French film, The Intouchables, The Upside sees paroled convict Dell Scott (Hart) failing in his search for work to ensure his continued freedom, until he inspires quadriplegic billionaire Phillip Lacasse (Cranston) to hire him as a carer. Dell gives Phillip a new lease of life when the two form an unlikely friendship as they both find ways to deal with their new realities. A warming story that really shines in a series of scenes in the middle, Upside demonstrates another level to Kevin Hart as an actor. A role where he is perhaps less good-natured and naturally selfish, yet still humorous, and more relatable than ever, the depth of his performance is potentially a career high. It’s certainly less gimmicky than anything he has done in recent memory. Combined with Cranston, the care-giver relationship and the chemistry created, we are treated to a pleasant, albeit predictable, tale about two bored characters from the opposite ends of society who are searching for ways to be better, in each other. It is not without its flaws – misdirection in neighbours, art and dating, lack of originality in the remaking, and a certain circle metaphor that is a little too on the nose – but to an extent, this is forgiven by the strength of the two leads. The Upside hasn’t faired too well with critics though audience popularity is much higher, but the general consensus is that these two should pair together again for future projects. A particular highlight that could almost be washed over is the interaction in the hot dog store as Dell berates the shop assistant for speaking to Phillip through him. Perhaps a moment many of us have been guilty of, Upside teaches a lesson or two in what is funny and what isn’t to those with disabilities. In that respect, it is reminiscent of The Fundamentals of Caring, though lacking in the same level of charm that Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts brought to the roles in reverse. Nonetheless, Dell suggesting Phillip can sign his sheet “slowly” would tickle the most serious of souls. Enjoyable, despite being a story we’ve seen a few times over, The Upside will leave a warmness in your heart and reminds us where true wealth and freedom can really be found. Watch the movie trailer below.

★★★ Directed by: #CKGoldiing Starring: CK Goldiing Short Film Review by: #BrunaFolettoLucas Directed, written, filmed and starred by CK Goldiing, 61 Hugs is a refreshing documentary about the kindness of strangers and the positive side of overcome one’s anxieties. This documentary starts with CK contemplating the aims of his challenge and how close he came to giving up. The hardness of it, we learn, as he discloses it to us in a voice-over, is due to CK's promptitude to overthink things. Finally, he reveals his challenge, his nightmare, which is to hug 61 one strangers between his house and Sheffield’s city centre. The film was created to go into CK's YouTube channel, therefore it takes form of a vlog, where the camera is handheld and often we cannot see clearly the image on the screen. That does not matter as much since we become so involved in his quest and we feel the embrace he receives from kind strangers. From a pessimist point of view, CK’s nightmare could have turned real, but somehow we are proven wrong and the amount of warm-hearted people he meets is almost unbelievable – not only do they accept his hugs, but they also leave messages for his followers, "spread the love" is the most common one. The film is set in two locations: his kitchen and the street. The cinematography is consistent throughout the two locations. When he is in the kitchen the images are not clear since he prefers to use claustrophobic angles, with close-ups on his consternated face and shaking hands. And as I mentioned above, when he is in the street, the camera is shaky; he even mentions that he is unaware if he is even recording. If you are an overthinker like CK you will probably feel uneasy when he hugs people, this is because of the intimacy that the handheld camera provides during those moments. We feel as if we were in the hug, as well. Furthermore, the colour of the film is black and white, which causes different feelings in his two settings, dividing the film in two different sequences: the kitchen sequence and the street sequence. Although the kitchen scene is a little over a minute, it sets the tone and our expectations. The claustrophobic photography in black and white conveys a feeling of sadness and emptiness that is accentuated with CK’s voice-over as he explains his problem of overthinking. The next sequence, the street sequence, starts off without a diegetic sound, only a non-diegetic eerie song, and with fast cut images of CK leaving his house. His expression is tense – and we are tense. However, the tone changes abruptly as he dives in and asks a stranger for a hug. The stranger, Doug, is his first victim, and he accepts it without further hesitation. Suddenly, CK’s expression changes and we become aware of the sunshine that CK had commented on before. The sunshine adds a sparkle to the black and white that no longer conveys sadness, but a glow that pervades throughout the film. 61 Hugs is an intense 23 minutes packed with enthusiasm as we become invested in CK and his quest, as he shows more and more energy and eagerness to complete his challenge successfully.

★★★★★ Directed by: #RichardKattah, #JoivanWade Starring: Joivan Wade, #EllisWitter, #KarenAllen, #PaulMcKenzie, #ChrisPreddie OBE, Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson The coalescing turbulence of knife crime given a poetic edge in short film Amani, directed by Richard Kattan and Joivan Wade. Based on the true events of the titilar Amani (Simpson, who produced the film), audiences play witness to a harrowing tale of inner city tragedy that is laced with a life-affirming outlook. Played (mostly) by Joivan Wade, we see Amani in various stages of his life. Being bullied as a younger student (Ellis Witter offering a convincing turn) and turning to bad behaviour in order fit in and survive. When his parents (Karen Allen and Paul McKenzie) turn their back on him, Amani's plunge into criminal activities and surrounding himself with the usual inglorious characters of that lifestyle, this becomes a tragically familiar narrative. The story is interspersed with shocking sequences of Amani in the back of an ambulance gurgling his own blood. So much of this short film is swaggeringly powerful. The visuals pull no punches, the performances from all the younger cast members are genuinely impressive and believable (often an obstacle for many #filmmakers), and the spoken word narration delivers a transcendental atmosphere that beautifully juxtaposes the gritty urban drama. Wade delivers a sterling central performance that wrestles with the numerous conflicts existing within Amani expertly. The role of God is a particularly strong theme in the poetry which accompanies the film, arguing about where the man can lay his blame. What emerges over time with the thoughtful and well crafted storytelling is a revelation that we all play our own part in the outcome of our lives and that lives can be shaped with the right mentors around. The movie utilises some effective fast-paced editing and a building sound design in order to create an accumulative effect on the viewer. Amani's journey is made up of a tapestry of moments and choices, the fabric of which make up one life destined for that ambulance. Authentic locations are used which is an important factor. To have included stylised notions of the city and the flashy trappings of an illicit way of life would have undermined the film’s intention, which is to be a robust warning and exposure of the true stories behind the victims and perpetrators of knife crime. Part of London's potent urban #cinema, Amani stands as a glaring cautionary tale for younger viewers, as well as a stark reminder to all about the people behind the news headlines and crime stats.

★★★★ Directed by: Catherine Delaloye Written by: #CatherineDelaloye Starring: #JordanMonaghan, #CameronMoir Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) is not just a classic punk song from The Buzzcocks but also the central ingredient for many a storyteller. In short film Cyanide Love, from #filmmaker Catherine Delaloye, the combination of a poisonous new relationship and rock n’ roll is a match made in hell for the central character. Jordan Monaghan plays Marilyn, a starry-eyed fangirl at the beginning of the movie who meets her musical idol Nathan (Cameron Moir) after a rock show where he played on stage with his band. Allowing herself to fall into an oblivion of fantasy, Marilyn struggles to find the reality of her situation as her life spirals in unpredictable and chaotic directions. An immersive visual landscape of moody scenes and sexualised sequences make Cyanide Love instantly engaging. This is coupled with a thundering sound design from composer Daniele Panza, which evokes the electric energy brimming from the central character as she embarks on her dangerous journey of self delusion. Overall, the intense and dizzying atmosphere that Delaloye curates is splendid. The performances are a mixed bag with Monaghan delivering a knockout turn in the lead role. She offers subtle and conspicuous aspects to her character's behaviour which are wonderful to watch. The supporting male characters are less so, with clunky dialogue and unconvincing scenes. This may support the movie's ambition to explore the world inside Marilyn's head but makes for some uncomfortable moments for the audience. Marilyn’s obsession with her new romance explores some interesting topics, such as identity in relationships and the role of imagination in love. Taking, at first, an optimistic approach, Cyanide Love delves into introspection by focusing in the majority on her enthusiasm for Nathan and the possibilities it could open up. This is best reflected in the bathtub scenes where her face and hands are the only body parts visible amongst a sea of white silky water. This “innocence” is then brilliantly utilised later when the storyline develops. With plenty of room for improvement, short film Cyanide Love from Catherine Delaloye is still an impressive and imaginative movie that ventures into the dark corners of our private fantasies. The plot and character development could have been tidier and included better supporting performances. However, the short’s powerful mise en scéne and score are gripping throughout and viewers will find Monaghan’s terrific portrayal deeply affecting. Watch the official movie trailer below.