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The Menu Feels Fresh and Innovative, Using a Michelin-Star Backdrop to Satirize Socioeconomic Divide
COVID-19 hit the world like a ton of bricks almost three years ago now. Untold lives were changed, nearly one million were lost, and the road to recovery is still slow in many ways with recovery in some…
Read More »She Said Takes a Deep Dive on Systemic Abuse (Middleburg Film Festival)
The investigation into the behavior of legendary, and now infamous, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein marked the beginning of a seismic shift in how the country addressed sexual harassment and misconduct. A new film sets to document the journey toward exposing…
Read More »Danielle Deadwyler Paints an Emotional Portrait of Strength Through Grief in Till (Middleburg Film Festival)
Till tells the true story of the famed, brutal lynching of Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) in 1955 Mississippi following his encounter with Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett) at her family’s grocery store and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley’s (Danielle Deadwyler)…
Read More »Armageddon Time Is an Interesting 1980s Time Capsule, but Not an Interesting Film (Middleburg Film Festival)
The 1980s was a pivotal decade that saw many great changes for the United States. An actor became President, a child star went solo and changed music and television forever, and commerce coined a phrase that would last…
Read More »Elizabeth Banks Shines in the Timely Film Call Jane (Sundance Film Festival)
The recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which found that the United States Constitution does not confer a right to abortion was a landmark case that gave American states the right to institute…
Read More »All Quiet on the Western Front Viscerally Updates the Horrors of War for the Modern Age (Middleburg Film Festival)
All Quiet on the Western Front of course originated as a German novel written by Erich Maria Remarque about World War I published in 1928. The 1930 American film adaptation was a landmark release both for its use of…
Read More »The Banshees of Inisherin Isn’t As Interesting As Its Premise
Feeling as if we have achieved something in life grows in importance as we age; wanting to leave a mark on the world before you depart is a normal part of life and something that most people find…
Read More »Triangle of Sadness Hilariously Shines a Light on Social Inequality, Power, and Human Nature
Satire is one of the best ways to deeply examine aspects of society and a new release in theaters does just that. Triangle of Sadness begins with male model Carl (Harris Dickinson) and his model/social media influencer girlfriend Yaya (Charlbi…
Read More »Cate Blanchett is Mesmerizing in Tár, a Tale of the Cost of Ego and Hubris (Middleburg Film Festival)
At points following the exposé of Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the Me Too movement, it seemed like someone powerful and/or famous was being exposed for misdeeds every other day. Some of these misdeeds were years old,…
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Improves Upon Its Predecessor in Every Way (Middleburg Film Festival)
For the purpose of providing necessary context to this review, I must admit that I was not a big fan of the original Knives Out film. Benoit Blanc felt like an updated but inferior version of The Thin Man’s Nick…
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