★★★★ Directed by #MaureenBharoocha Written by #AnnMarieAllison #JennaMilly Starring #MelanieHolland #BetsySodaro Film Review by George Wolf You know it’s been 34 years since we got a funny movie about arm wrestling? True, it was Stallone’s Over the Top and it wasn’t meant to be a comedy, but the point is…the drought is over! Golden Arm is here with a new tournament, new stakes and plenty of laughs. Danny – aka The Dominator! (Betsy Sodaro) – is a tough lady trucker who enjoys a good bar fight and the womano y womano competition of arm wrestling. Danny’s good, but not good enough to beat “Fuckin’ Brenda” The Bonecrusher (Olivia Stambouliah) in the upcoming championship tourney. But you know who could be? Danny’s old friend Melanie (Mary Holland, who stole so many scenes in last year’s Happiest Season). Mel might be a soft spoken wimp who can’t even stand up to rude customers at her struggling bakery, but Danny also remembers Mel as having one impressive right arm. So we’re gonna need a training montage! First-time feature director Maureen Bharoocha serves it up, along with some nicely organic info on the rules of the game that serve to get us situated (don’t forget to “suck and tuck!”). And as Danny and Mel take to the road, the debut screenplay from Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly provides plenty of room for inspired antics (the bit about Twister had me howling) on the way to the arms race that ends with a 15k Grand Prize. Holland and Sodaro make an endearing odd couple, and it’s the pure engagement of their characters that keeps the film afloat during a shaky first act. But hang in, because from picking out Mel’s wrestling persona (“I’m ‘The Ex-Wife!'”) to a gynecologist’s detailed condemnation of the phrase “balls out,” it just gets funnier as it rolls along. Call it “stupid funny” if you want, but it’s still funny, with some underlying themes about gender stereotypes, personal growth and female friendships that are far from dumb. It’s the bawdy excess that’s in your face, so close you may even miss the wink-wink nods to both the Stallone flick and The Karate Kid. But those bits of subtlety are even more evidence that the rough edges in Golden Arm don’t come from sloppy construction. With this one, it’s guns out, fun’s out. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★★ Directed by: Tathagata Ghosh Written by: Tathagata Ghosh Starring: Arghya Adhikary, Payel Rakshit Film Review by: Vikas Yadav “Love isn’t between a man and a woman. But between love and love.” These are the lines we first see in Tathagata Ghosh’s Miss Man, a short film with a hallucinatory style and an empirical vision. If you want to catch the spirit of this short film, then make a note of this line, “You know, I’m often attracted to women as well. But, I’m not sure if it’s as a man or a woman!” These words are said by the protagonist of Miss Man. He is Manob (an excellent Arghya Adhikary), a man exploring his sexuality. He likes to do makeup and wear sarees. His story runs in parallel between two spaces: one is “real” in a way that it’s shown using a traditional approach, while the other consists of dreamlike montages, complete with evocative images. With Miss Man, Ghosh keeps on asking, “Who am I?” Manob is searching for his identity, trying to fit in his comfort zone. But it’s not easy for him to build his sanctum when people in his vicinity are minacious, ignorant, and unwelcoming of his sexuality. Manob’s father casts a disgusting look at the sight of him dressed in a sari (he beats him up after catching him in his mother’s clothes). There was a boyfriend who couldn’t accept their relationship because of the narrow-minded views prevailing in their village. “This is not a city,” says the male lover with a hint of warning. Then there is a prostitute, Jhimli (a fantastic Payel Rakshit), with whom it initially seems things could go right (a shot shows the “female” Manob and Jhimli sitting together and locking eyes). He accepts her for who she is without making a fuss out of her profession. But after copulation, when he sits on the bed covered in a sari, she whispers in his ears that she “can’t live with a eunuch!” Miss Man utilizes Jhimli to explore horizons outside the bandwidth of the “gay region.” You, for example, notice the embarrassment and helplessness of a lonely woman in public when she is going through her period. Not only that, you get the judgmental gaze of the shopkeeper who sells the sanitary pads to the customer. It’s Manob’s feminine instincts that draw him to Jhimli at the bus stop because he feels her discomfort, and his intuitions encourage him to help her. In another scene, he looks at a trans woman, not with filthy prejudice or lust, but with a lens of appreciation. Their eyes meet, and they smile to show an attitude of respect and tenderness for each other. What makes Miss Man superb is that Ghosh is interested in representation and not fictional creation. His cinematic sight is not restricted to pretty pictures and cool-looking shots, but he imbues some meaning within these “pictures” and “shots.” When Manob (dressed up as a woman) walks in slow-motion, it exhibits his confidence that surfaces when he is allowed to live as per his desires. When Manob’s father hits him, he covers his son’s mouth. A shot has Manob’s body immersed in water, except for his nose and eyes. These two images depict the repression existing in backward societies that have not yet evolved mentally with the modern viewpoints. Miss Man is packed with many more such shots on which you can contemplate for a good amount of time. But you don’t need to crack them to enjoy Miss Man. This is a film, not a cipher. With his extraordinary skills and exceptional cinematic language, Ghosh arrives as a master filmmaker who deserves a larger audience. Miss Man is just one of his wins among a plethora of successful films this director would soon make in the future.

★★★★ Directed by: Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel Written by: Parker Bennett, Terry Runte, Ed Solomon Starring: Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Super Mario Bros. Film Review I coined my own term, it’s Bubble-gum action, and this little phrase fell from my lips as I was watching the Power Rangers film a few months back…and it got me to thinking, what was it with the early 90’s and making these soft action films? Where they’re not quite for kids and not quite for adults, films like the Power Ranger’s movie, Tim Burton's Batman and the many follow ons in that franchise and of course, the subject of this week’s Throwback film review: Super Mario Bros. (1993). I’m going to assume everyone knows who the Mario brothers are, so I’m not even going to play nice this week and break it down for you but if you’re not really into gaming, I will inform you that there are a bunch of other players on that stage, such as Princess Peach and Daisy, a dinosaur called Yoshi and of course villains such as Bowser and King Kooper. Are we all on board? Good, let’s jump down a pipe into another dimension then as we enter the world of the mushroom kingdom… WRONG!!! This is the movie you fool and the mushroom kingdom does not exist, but don’t fear for some reason we start off on the right foot, it’s Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi are plumbers etc but when they go into the other dimension after trying to help their pal Daisy because she was snatched by some goons while they were chilling, we find ourselves in a place called Dinohatten. Daisy has some necklace that is a special rock and the king of Dinohatten, King Koopa wants said rock so he can put it in another rock and then make the two dimensions between the real world and the dino world one, and so after sending his goons to Brooklyn to get the necklace, which is then lost on arrival, he must hunt it down while keeping an eye on Daisy….phew, writing that out makes me realise why people did not like this film on release. Now as you can tell this film is kind of out there, and that is cool with me but if you have tuned in to seeing the actual story of Mario and his pals then you’re about to have sad feelings, for Super Mario Bros. is not a film about the super Mario brothers, but rather a film with the theme of the concept, based around the idea…I mean that’s the best way to describe it. I clocked this within the first half of the film and by throwing away any expectations I actually really enjoyed the film, it was a bold and refreshing approach to this bubble gum action film, the Power Rangers’ film was just one long television episode, Burton’s Batman movie followed the instructions to the mark and produced a solid yet predictable project, but Super Mario Bros. throw out the manual and start going ham. The acting is solid, the sets and costumes are amazing, and I want it all in my house to look at and wear, and for 1993 the effects are not too bad. And let me say this Yoshi is iconic!!! Of all these 90s kids/adult action films I’m going to say it, Super Mario Bros. is the best one, you care about the characters a lot due to good scriptwriting, you are invested in the pace of the story and the action scenes do not make up most of the screen time, this movie for all its bad press is not a bad example of how to do bubble gum action right. So here we are at the end, all full of love for Italian plumbers and dinosaurs and we must ask…what have we learned? Other dimensions are everywhere Yoshi will one day be mine I thought I could just write jokes about this movie but instead I fell in love…damn. #RachelPullen

★★★ Directed by: Steven Whatmough Written by: Steven Whatmough Starring: Steven Whatmough, Ben Carew, Pui-Mei Wong Film Review by: Jason Knight This is one weird film. It is as strange as the movies of David Lynch. Nam-Hong (Whatmough) has just left South Korea, in order to go to Australia, where he has being offered a job as the head of security at Chandlerdale Exports, a well established trading company in Melbourne. The company's director William Knoll (Carew) is Nam-Hong's new boss and keeps a close eye on the newcomer. As time goes by, things get more adventurous, deadly and...bizarre. Eventually, it is apparent that some people are damaging the company and it is up to the new head of security to take action. This unusual, Australian comedy-drama is filled with eccentric characters and rather awkward situations. Right from the start it becomes clear that this is not a typical movie. The characters have strange conversations with each other and the dialogue resembles the kind written by David Lynch. Protagonist Nam-Hong is an alcoholic and he is often shown drinking (even at work, in front of colleagues), playing the guitar in a crowded street or (for some reason) smashing furniture. Knoll is equally awkward, as he spends a great deal of time in a dark room, observing monitors and commenting. There is also plenty of hand-to-hand martial arts combat, as the hero fights the company's opposition. The film is partially shot like a documentary, with characters occasionally looking at the camera and addressing the audience, speaking about their roles withing the company or introducing a new product. It also addresses multiculturalism and provides an insight into the world of international trading and Australia's relations with other countries, particularly Eastern Asian ones. Trying to make sense of the script could be challenging. The atmosphere is rather surreal and many scenes will most likely make the viewer think 'what on earth?'. For instance, at one point while two characters are having a conversation, one of them is inside a rubbish bin. There is a sequence where the movie suddenly turns into a music video. Another strange scene involves people standing on top of a moving train, talking to each other, while one is eating cereal. This is an odd film indeed and at times appears to be mixing reality with fantasy. The acting matches the tone of the film. It is peculiar. Whatmough portrays an alcoholic, socially awkward man, who also possesses impressive fighting skills. Carew is the company's director, who knows his business inside out and is determined to carry on doing a great job. Generally, the performances provide a surrealistic feeling. The score is rather interesting and contributes to the strange atmosphere. It consists of dramatic instrumental music, eerie music, unmelodious horn music and electronic jazz music. The Korean From Seoul is a weird film, but in a good way. The characters' behavior and awkward situations attract the audience's attention and the fight scenes are cool and well choreographed. #JasonKnight Trailer:

★★★ Directed by #ClarkJohnson Written by #GarfieldLindsayMiller #HilaryPryor Starring #ChristopherWalken Film Review by George Wolf Not that long ago, this film was called Percy and ran a full two hours. Since then, it’s gained a word and a half in the title while losing about twenty minutes of run time. What’s left is a rushed, but fairly standard telling of a real-life everyman’s battle with a corporate behemoth. In the late 1990s, Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser (played with weary conviction by the iconic Christopher Walken) was sued by the Monsanto corporation for “patent infringement.” Their claim was that Percy was planting his fields with some of Monsanto’s patented GMO seeds without a license. A multi-generational family farmer, Percy argued that he has never planted with anyone’s seeds but his own. His father taught him to be a “seed saver” and store the most robust seeds for use the following year. Any Monsanto seeds found in his fields, Percy argued, must have traveled by wind or passing trucks. Monsanto’s lead counsel Rick Aarons (the always welcome Martin Donovan) ain’t buying it, and Percy’s folksy lawyer Jackson Weaver (Zach Braff) advises Percy and his wife Louise (Roberta Maxwell) to cut their losses and settle. But Percy’s moral code – along with plenty of encouragement from environmental activist Rebecca Salcau (Christina Ricci) – lead him to the courtroom. Once there, the introverted Canadian farmer gets more attention than he bargained for, and pariah status in his own community. The script from Garfield Lindsay Miller and Hillary Pryor hits all the required notes, but director Clark Johnson (2003’s S.W.A.T) never provides the breathing room to let events in or out of court truly connect. While many films are wise to trim the fat, the twenty minutes gone from PvG feel haphazardly culled, leaving behind whiplash edits and stalled resonance. Led by the sympathetic Walken, the ensemble cast is uniformly effective but caught in a scattershot narrative. With its mind on justice for the little guy, local and global farming conflicts, manipulation from all sides and above all, doing the right thing – Percy vs Goliath has many hearts. And while all those hearts may be in the right places, what holds the film back is a tendency to take the early advice that Percy ignored. Make the cuts and settle. #GeorgeWolf

★★★ Directed by #RodrigoGarcia Written by #RodrigoGarcia Starring #MilaKunis #GlennClose Film Review by Hope Madden In many ways, Four Good Days feels like a Rodrigo Garcia film. The co-writer/director frequently spins tales of women, often mothers and daughters whose own pain keeps them from clearly seeing and addressing the pain they inflict. His films (Nine Lives, Mother and Child, Albert Knobbs) routinely examine relationships built as much on survival as on love, and the strain that puts on people. Glenn Close, a frequent Garcia collaborator, stars as Deb, put-upon mother of a drug addict. That addict, Molly, is played by Mila Kunis as you’ve never seen her. Kunis’s trademark big eyes swim in a gaunt face marked by the scars of the life of an addict, the actress’s million-dollar smile replaced with rotten nubs. Kunis clearly lost a substantial amount of weight to complete the transformation from Hollywood sweetheart to hopeless addict. Her performance is not simply skin deep, either. Characteristic of Garcia’s strongest films, the friction and flaws in these women leave the biggest impression. Kunis lands on the button-pushing most effective in manipulating her mother: chaos and accusation. In her hands, Molly is profoundly unlikable because why would she need anybody to like her? What does that get her? She shoots rapid-fire guilt and shame bullets at her mother and sees what hits. Molly’s defenses and manipulations blend together so believably that when she does hit a note of emotional depth and sincerity, it’s heartbreaking. Close’s performance is no less commendable, though her character is frustrating. The writing here has some trouble creating the natural if infuriating behaviors of a woman torn between protecting herself and believing in her daughter. Too often, the situations and behaviors feel like what they are: plot points meant to increase tension as we rush toward the inevitable climax. Here is where Four Good Days (co-written with Eli Saslow) does not feel like a Rodrigo Garcia film. The movie mainly makes up for these missteps. It’s a difficult film to watch in that it doesn’t tread on your sympathies, doesn’t create tragic and noble characters, doesn’t even ask you to like either lead. Instead, it insinuates itself in the battle between the shrill, ugly survival tactics a mother and daughter wield like daggers as they claw their way toward sobriety. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by #CasimirNozkowski Written by #CasimirNozkowski Starring #BrianTyreeHenry Film Review by Hope Madden Even the title The Outside Story sounds like a children’s book. It’s a vibe writer/director Casimir Nozkowski conjures intentionally. His film is about a man who really never leaves his Brooklyn apartment because, why bother? That man, Charles, is portrayed with real tenderness and charm by Brian Tyree Henry. An actor of absolutely stunning range, Henry has delivered stellar supporting turns as every type of character in every genre of film over the last few years (Widows, If Beal Street Could Talk, Godzilla v Kong and about a dozen more). The dude works a lot, and he has yet to hit a false note. It’s high time he leads a movie. The film Nozkowski builds around him feels like Sesame Street for adults. Once Charles finds himself locked out of his apartment, he (and we) gets to learn Who are the people in his neighborhood? There’s an angry traffic cop (Sunita Mani, Save Yourselves!), brats with water balloons, an incredibly pregnant woman having a stoop sale, a young girl (Olivia Edward) with a problematic mother and so many more. Nozkowski creates a series of harmless, even sweet mini-adventures for Charles to fall into, each one helping him recognize that maybe he’s closed himself off a bit too much. It’s not entirely Sesame Street, though. There are plenty of f-bombs, a congenial threesome, and that problematic mom thing. But the darker elements feel downright wholesome in the bright sunshine of Charles’s street. For the most part, that cheery disposition really aids in the film, and Henry’s wildly compassionate performance is the soft gooey center inside Nozkowski’s brightly colored candy shell. The Outside Story nearly derails in a late-act scene during which local police mistake Charles for a stocking-footed burglar who’s been breaking into apartments in the neighborhood. Played for good-natured laughs, the scene feels instantly and uncomfortably tone-deaf. There are other storyline missteps, as well, but The Outside Story is so refreshingly uncynical, so huggable, and often so funny that those misses are easily forgiven. It’s very rare that you see a film this dissimilar to anything else in recent memory. I may have to think as far back as the last time I watched Sesame Street. #HopeMadden

★★★ Written & Directed by: #JamieNoel Starring: #AaronThomasWard #ElinaSaleh #JakePhillipsHead #DebraBaker #JohnnyVivash Film Review by: #ChrisBuick In the aftermath of a brutal stabbing back home in Gillingham, Parnell (Ward) and his mother Maggie (Baker) flee across the channel to the French countryside seeking refuge from those seeking retribution, crashing head on into the once peaceful lives of his estranged sister Esme (Saleh), her boyfriend Alfie (Jake Phillips Head) and his father Bill (Vivash), bringing with them a past, present and future filled with dark secrets and consequences. Made in less than two weeks and on the most threadbare of budgets, Jamie Noel’s (writer, director, cinematographer, editor, chef?) accomplished and tense 2019 drama Lie Low is a real achievement for his first feature outing. Visually, Lie Low is an almost perfect delight for the eyes, whether it’s the dark and sinister tones of Parnell’s council estate hunting grounds or the mouth-watering vistas of the French countryside, the family’s ugly situation is always beautifully juxtaposed against the stunning visuals Noel spoils us with, the film itself lit, framed, edited and shot with such commendable care and precision from the very beginning to the very end, the film’s final sequence in particular a perfect storm of all these elements. The writing at times also manages to reach these same dizzying heights. Sparing us (thankfully) with the unnecessary details of the gruesome act itself, Noel instead decides to drop us straight into the aftermath of the matter, focusing on the ensuing fallout Parnell and his family find themselves facing, establishing the dysfunctional dynamics of this family unit early on but subsequently drip-feeding us his world as slowly as he sees fit allowing the story to bubble away nicely and reveal itself to us when its good and ready. However, either due to the delivery of the lines or by simply trying to be too clever or not clever enough, there are moments particularly in the dialogue where the writing does unfortunately fall rather flat, at times even simply resorting to a cacophonous abundance of swearing rather than trying to present itself in a more creative way. And while it doesn’t seem we are necessarily being asked to sympathise with Parnell per se, the film never goes out the way to condemn its subject matter as it probably should, overall resulting in a script of fluctuating highs and lows. The performances seem to follow a similar pattern. The two leads of Parnell and Esme land on opposite sides of the spectrum, with the supporting players all landing somewhere in the middle in terms of achievement. Ward’s Parnell is complex, layered and full of nuance, allowing us to buy everything he puts forward. However Saleh, while doing all she can to put in a decent performance herself, honestly appears to have simply been miscast. We are meant to believe Esme is the authoritative voice in her unique little triangle with Alfie and Bill, as well as being the older sister and the person to hold this whole mess together, but Saleh’s obvious youth and slightly melodramatic attempts at trying to assert that desired dominance in certain scenes instead means Esme ultimately fails to exude any semblance of authority. If a bit more time and care had gone into fine-tuning the writing and characters as had been put in the directing and editing, Lie Low might have really sang. But what has been done here on an incredibly lean budget and equally lean timeframe is utterly commendable and Lie Low certainly makes for a tense and tantalising ninety minutes well worth watching. #ChrisBuick Lie Low is available to watch now on Amazon Prime Video. Watch the trailer below:

★★★★ Directed by #RobStantonCook Starring: #KirinJCallinan #PierceToms #ShaneRayner Film review by Nathanial Eker Kilter is a challenging short that examines the horrors of adulthood through the journey of a man forced to recall his child-self. Director Rob Stanton-Cook crafts an atmospheric and morbid mise-en-scene that despairs the trials of living in the "adult world" and demonstrates the grief that comes with a troubled childhood. Regrettably, a few choice decisions also imply a problematic association between cross-dressing and violent crime; a tired cliché. However, the film's attempt to shine a light on the harmful effects of toxic masculinity is admirable, and the wordless storytelling helps underline the unnerving atmosphere and allows us to connect with the lead on a more intimate level. Nathan (Kirin J Callinan) has committed a crime of passion against an unnamed victim. He's burned the body of his lover/ex/friend and now has time to reflect on his life, who he is, and what he has become. He's haunted by visions of his childhood self (Pierce Toms) and his overbearing, old-fashioned father (Shane Rayner). We're invited to watch his downward spiral as he continues to devolve from a gentle child into something darker; something violent. The central premise of Kilter is immediately intriguing, and Stanton-Cook obviously knows how to frame a striking scene. The grim, dirty mise-en-scene is an appropriate parallel to the dirty blood on Nathan's hands, and the several excruciating long takes force both the audience and Nathan to confront what he's done. However, this theme of the need to confront the traumatic past would be entirely ineffective without the sublime performance of lead actor Kirin J Callinan. Callinan is all at once sympathetic, majestic, and frantic, and he delivers the emotional devastation felt by Nathan with a fierce believability. Thematically, Kilter starts off strong. The exploration of one's upbringing vs who they truly are is a relevant and impactful topic, and it is generally well-developed. The film's more experimental scenes which blend past and present allow us to witness Nathan's father's disparaging attitude to his sensitive son without the need for words. Indeed, the wordlessness of the piece works marvellously, as Stanton-Cook rightly puts the focus on the purile devolution of the main character. Regrettably, it is that same devolution that takes Kilter off track, as Nathan's breakdown confusingly becomes intertwined with his apparent gender fluidity/cross-dressing. Indeed, after an intense outburst, he puts on earrings, lipstick, and mascara, seemingly as a comfort, before stamping on the corpse of an animal. When considering the poor representation that the LGBTQ+ community has endured in cinema, particularly regarding the presentation of gender fluidity and cross-dressing, it is frustrating to see a film rely on the outdated stereotype of "man wearing makeup is also a violent criminal". Furthermore, it seems an unnecessary addition to the story and acts as a disorientating distraction in an otherwise sensitive short. Overall, however, Kilter demonstrates an emotive and compelling expression of grief and regret. It is well shot and well-acted and its foreboding soundtrack supports its impactful sound design and dialogue-less storytelling. Kilter a disturbing, human tale with a slightly muddled message, but a phenomenal lead performance. #NathanialEker

★ Stars Directed by: #FredrickMunk Starring: #BelindaLane, #JustinTheobald, #RickWheeler Film Review by: Alicia Moore The line between justice and revenge blurs when a devastated family uses social media to track down the people who killed 24 year old Crystal Theobald. Now, where am I supposed to begin with this muddled and tasteless documentary? I can’t even begin with a short rundown of the documentary’s content and purpose itself as it never seems to become clear. Promoted as a film that provides a wide range of insight into the murder of Crystal Theobald, minutes into the film a distant feeling is evident due to the constant mixing and clashing of information surrounding the subject. After reading many other reviews I found an abundance of fellow viewers who experienced the same distance and lack of connection; it wasn’t what they were prepared to expect. I always try to give Netflix original documentaries a chance because I do find the odd hidden gem, but unfortunately Why Did You Kill Me? is just another film within the many that are not up to the mark at all. A certain level of balance in reviews is necessary, even when each positive aspect seems to cling onto something negative, so I want to give praise where it is significant, highlighting an element that caught my attention throughout the documentary. Despite the representation and direction of the story being gut-wrenching, the music (Matt Morton) included in scenes is wonderfully composed and directly striking in a documentary that revolves around true crime. If it wasn’t for Morton’s musical abilities the film would significantly lack any sense of atmosphere. An extremely good set of tracks, to me, would be ones that not only fit like a missing puzzle piece into the unraveling story and assist the film in its continuity, but they would also be immersive if listened to separately — either entirely separate from the film’s content or listening with the content loosely present in the mind. Morton’s music definitely meets the standards here and I am sure to check out more of his work at a later date. Regrettably, the negative aspects throughout Why Did You Kill Me? pile up dreadfully high. The pace of the film is painfully slow. It starts without any kind of attention grabbing event or enticing presentation of information, ultimately leading to the rest of the duration dragging on for what feels like hours, when in reality the film is only an hour and a half long. To make matters worse, whenever a section of information is finally being focused on and beginning to glue your eyes to the screen, it is swiftly dismissed for another part of the story. It doesn’t make the film confusing by definition, maybe slightly hard to follow with a clear head at times, however it without a doubt makes it a frustrating watch overall. Being able to accurately describe a documentary as slow paced and fast paced all in one paragraph sums up how I feel about the film. It isn’t a witty contrast, it’s just entirely inconsistent. Thankfully, talking about the centred story doesn’t give any ‘spoilers’ so I‘m glad that I‘m able to give you these upcoming warning signs before viewing. The representation of the case and everyone involved is vile; racist harassment that is brushed under the carpet, the glorification of a white officer that put the victim’s family at risk, all directed in a way that, to an extent, actually mocks a horrific murder, how it was investigated and how the family reacted to the death. These harmful narratives are given further sustenance by the director (Fredrick Munk) and how he chose to carry this story forward on screen. A whirlwind of anger and sadness is what I felt while watching Why Did You Kill Me? as an officer with an inflated ego is presented as sympathetic while viewers are drawn to empathise with the victim’s family who have suffered with substance abuse. At the same time as attempting to draw out this empathy in an obscure way, the director is pointing a spotlight on an act of revenge by the family and running with the idea; talking of mass murder themselves and torment to the public. I have absolutely no idea what the documentary was aiming for its audiences to feel about the situation. Show compassion to a family suffering through a loss by supporting a second crime of abuse and murder? Praise an officer that enabled a 14 year old girl to carry out the investigation of her cousin’s murder? I truly have no idea what the purpose of this film initially was and why the story was chosen to be pieced together in such a format. Why Did You Kill Me? presents an interesting crime case in the most uninteresting and derailed way possible. I try my best to be as upbeat as I can when reviewing films but I’m disappointed at how plainly uncomfortable it made me feel from start to finish. If you are interested in true crime documentaries that are accessible through Netflix I’d highly recommend watching Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story, Trials of Gabriel Fernandez and/or Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer in its place.

★★★★ Directed by #MichaelParksRanda #LaurenSmitelli Written by #WillHalby #TerraMackintosh #MichaelParksRanda #AndrewPilkington #LaurenSmitelli Starring #ShannonDeVido #RickeyAlexanderWilson #MuMu Film Review by George Wolf Bad Mood? Tough week? If Best Summer Ever doesn’t turn your frown upside down, I’ll eat a bug. Two high schoolers not named Danny and Sandy enjoy some sweetly romantic summer nights, then go their separate ways…until fate brings them back together for a musical teenage dream filled with a wonderfully diverse cast of actors. Anthony (Rickey Wilson, Jr., showing easy charisma) and the wheelchair-bound Sage (Shannon DeVido – a complete charmer with a great voice who effortlessly steals this film) meet at a summer dance camp in Vermont. Anthony tells Sage he attends a dance academy in NYC – but’s he’s really a football star in Pennsylvania who relishes the chance to indulge his secret love of dance. Sage has a secret of her own – the illegal pot business her two moms (Eileen Grubba and Holly Palmer) operate that keeps the family constantly on the move. But at summer’s end, an unexpected complication leads to Sage’s family landing in Pa. – and Sage enrolling at the very same high school Anthony attends! Oooh, this is delicious, especially for Queen Bee Beth (a terrific Madeline Rhodes, aka MuMu, also part of the songwriting team), the evil cheerleader who hatches a devious plan to become Homecoming Queen and take Anthony as her King! Directors/co-writers Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli craft an irresistible take on the high school musical, populated by just as many physically and/or developmentally challenged actors as not. The joyful representation in this film will swell your heart, especially when you realize – early on – that none of the characters’ perceived disabilities are treated as anything less than ordinary. And more than that, there isn’t an ounce of condescension to be found, as Randa and Smitelli find some big laughs skewering high school stereotypes. Beth casually drops surprise dick jokes, and two Statler and Waldorf-type booth announcers (Eric Folan and Phil Lussier) bring some hearty sarcasm to the big Homecoming game. See, Anthony is the team’s kicker – and he’s the star because the rest of the team sucks so badly (which causes the resentful quarterback [Jacob Waltuck] to hilariously cuss out the crowd). Yes, the songs are often cheesy and sung over what sounds like weak karaoke backing tracks, but the title tune’s been stuck in my head for days now. You’ll see some big names in the film’s list of producers, and some (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard) even pop up in cameos. But the most important may be the members of Zeno Mountain Farm – a Vermont retreat committed to a world where “all can thrive, feel connected, and be empowered.” For 72 minutes, Best Summer Ever gives us a glimpse of what that world might look like, and it’s inspiring, exhilarating and fun. But watch out for that Beth – she’s so mean!

★★★★ Directed by: James Kautz Written by: James Kautz Starring: Morgan Ruaidhri O'Sullivan, Richard Masur, McCaleb Burnett Film Review by: Vikas Yadav A men-only 12 step meeting undergoes commotion when a woman enters their room. They ask her to leave, but she is determined to stay. “I am not a woman/You just misgendered me,” she corrects the guys and the audience. This genderqueer person is Frankie (Morgan Ruaidhri O'Sullivan), and zie has a reason to be here. When zie shows no signs of leaving the group, the men continue with their meeting. Frankie deals with a delicate subject with a much-needed, highly charged energy. We don’t hear much from trans people as their voices echo in the chambers of the minority. In recent years, the LGBTQ community has started getting its due spotlight, but they still have a long way to go to reach the hall of equality. For many human beings, the concept of transgenderism lies in obscurity. They are conditioned to interpret genders in binary - male and female. Unsurprisingly then, many partners fall into stupefaction when one day their spouses or lovers reveal that they identify themselves as members of the opposite sex. Some folks grow uncomfortable when the LGBTQ group raises their voice like one of the men in the 12 step meeting. He shifts uneasily in his chair when Frankie launches into hir confessions. Perhaps, statements would be a more appropriate word for hir lines as what zie says is not limited to hir personal experience but extends to a larger truth present in our society. Zie narrates about hir ex-boyfriend’s negligence after zie “came out” to him. This ex-boyfriend is a stand-in for the people who fear or refuse to confront the reality of transgenderism. Once Frankie commences talking, the geezers continually point out that zie is under a time limit. But no one can stop the rage racing inside the room. Frankie bleeds hir heart out while the sound goes ticking like a fast-moving clock and the beats rouse the delivery by thumping with the tick. It’s a fierce sequence that raises the pulse and continues proceeding toward an impassioned zenith. The repeated interjection emphasizing the time is Frankie’s way of showing how impatient the world is that it cannot settle itself down to lend its ears to the trans community. On the other hand, Frankie’s will to continue despite active protests shows that the other party is now strong and confident enough to tackle resistance and that they are more confident of their identity. Trans people have a lot to say, and you better start listening to them.