Tag: Drama

Mothering Sunday Weighs Grief and Social Expectations (Toronto International Film Festival)

Based on the 2016 novel, Mothering Sunday follows Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) works as a maid for the Nivens family (Olivia Colman and Colin Firth), a couple who lost their sons on the battlefields of World War I….

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Master Should Spell the End of “Being Black in America is the Real Horror!” Horror Films (Sundance Film Festival)

The 2017 release of Get Out felt like such an event. A true cultural reset where a genre that traditionally has been known for ridding itself of its black characters before you got halfway through your bucket of…

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After Yang Contemplates Re-centering Life and What It Means to be Human (Sundance Film Festival)

“That’s such a human thing to ask. We always assume other beings would want to be human, what’s so great about being human?” After making his full length feature debut in the director’s chair for 2017’s Columbus, Kogonada…

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Petite Maman: If You Could Ask Your Young Mother a Question, What Would It Be? (Toronto International Film Festival)

The relationship between parent and child can be a roller coaster, particularly during a child’s formative years when their emotions are strong but their life experience is thin. Throughout our young lives there are moments where we all…

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The Last Duel Powerfully Probes Main Character Syndrome and When Truth Gets Subjective

Everyone has their own version of how the events in their daily lives play out. This is a natural part of the human experience, but one that has become even more prevalent in the social media age with…

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A Hero Masterfully Paints a Frustratingly True to Life Portrait of a Cynical World (Middleburg Film Festival)

Societal distrust feels as though it’s as high as it’s ever been. People analyze their neighbors in bad faith, believing the worst of them and their intentions while social media and the fourth estate itself follow suit, looking…

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Licorice Pizza is an Ode to Young Love That Teaches Universal Lessons For Any Age

Coming of age stories can teach us a lot about human behavior and the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson is no exception. Licorice Pizza takes us to the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s as Gary Valentine (Cooper…

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Jockey Takes a Meditative Look at Life Transitions (Sundance Film Festival)

Realizing that one has arrived at a crossroads in their life where what existed and what they knew before is coming to close is a frightening prospect that we all just face one day. We take for granted…

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Cyrano’s Performances and Dynamic Score Create a Treat for Fans of Musicals (Middleburg Film Festival)

In late 2019, Erica Schmidt wrote and directed an Off Broadway adaptation of Cyrano that starred her husband, Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage. After its successful run, the musical has been brought to the big screen by…

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The Tragedy of Macbeth is a Masterpiece Adaptation That Melds Theatre and Stage

Adaptations of the works of William Shakespeare feel almost as old as the Bard of Avon himself at this point. Many a filmmaker has tried their hand at providing their own twist to his timeless stories and Joel…

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