Arts
Teddy Bear
As a professional body builder, you would think Dennis Petersen wouldn’t be afraid of anything, but once you place him near a member of the opposite sex, he shuts down and his social anxiety surfaces. To make matters worse, he lives with his overbearing mother who becomes physically distraught at the thought of Dennis having another woman in his life, which is why he lies about his attempts at dating.
Middle of Nowhere
In her directorial debut, director and screenwriter Ava DuVernay tells the story of a young woman whose husband is sentenced to eight years in prison. Choosing to drop out of med school to stay close to him and have more time for visits and phone calls, Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) supports her husband 100-percent through this hardship. … read more
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
If a man like first-time director/screenwriter Terence Nance was as fascinated by me as he is by actress Namik Minter, my love-struck gaze would’ve been penetrating out of the silver screen rather than staring longingly into it from my seat amongst the audience of An Oversimplification of Her Beauty. … read more
Sundowning
Frank Rinaldi’s debut feature film, shot entirely in Singapore, follows a woman in her twenties named Shannon (played by Shannon Fitzpatrick) as she deals with the early onset of dementia. … read more
Kelly
In his feature film directorial debut, James Stenson brings us Kelly, a documentary about Kelly Van Ryan, a transgender prostitute living in Los Angeles. Stenson reveals Kelly’s life in layers, starting with her living in high demand. But as more about Kelly is revealed, the more one-dimensional she becomes. … read more
Roller Town
Roller Town takes place in a part of the past where everyone roller-skates and everything is awesome. After “gangsters” murder his father, Leo grows up alone, knowing nothing but roller-skating. Leo’s smooth moves at the roller rink help him steal the mayor’s daughter from a local skate-snob, but when the goons who killed his father return to kill disco and turn local teens into video-arcade-addicted zombies, will roller-skating be enough to help Leo defeat them? … read more
We Win Or We Die
Mahdi Zew, an oil company administrator and father of two daughters, pilots his car with a trunk full of explosive gas cylinders into the heart of the Katiba. This suicidal and heroic act devastates his family, yet creates a new future for Benghazi. … read more
The Law in These Parts
The Law in These Parts looks at the same issue as another World Cinema Documentary Competition film, 5 Broken Camera: Israel’s control over the West Bank. After seeing both films, it feels impossible to review one without referencing the other. Although both films cover essentially the same topic, the manner in which they are told and the perspective differ. … read more
We’re Not Broke
United States tax law is purposely complicated. This is why people hire accountants. Unfortunately, the complexity of the U.S. tax code is exactly what has allowed the majority of multi-billion dollar U.S. companies to evade paying taxes through the use of offshore tax havens. Turns out U.S. companies hire accountants too, often times ones who helped write portions of the tax code, or have spent time working for the I.R.S. … read more
The House I Live In
Inspired by director Eugene Jarecki’s relationship with his childhood caretaker, The House I Live In serves as a great introduction and overview of America’s 40-year-long war on drugs. Through a series of interviews with law enforcement officers, scientists, drug users, drug dealers, incarcerated individuals and the families of the incarcerated, Jarecki paints a vivid picture explaining that the violation of drug laws has become a multi-generational problem for poor Americans. … read more