Tag: Independent Films
Infinity Pool is an Insane, Psychedelic Portrait of a Man Trying to Regain Control of His Life (Sundance Film Festival)
The world in which we currently live has left meaning of us feeling empty, alone, and unsure of ourselves. People are more anxious than ever as we deal with rising inflation, expensive housing, increasing layoffs, and general uncertainty…
Read More »Broker Uses Comedy, Drama to Examine Family and Forgiveness in the One of 2022’s Best
The latest film from director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Broker begins with two men Ha Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) who volunteer at a local church but are, in secret, baby brokers who sell infants that have anonymously been…
Read More »Holy Spider is a Thought Provoking, Topical, and Multifaceted Critique of Iran’s Theocracy
The fall of 2022 saw civil unrest and protest erupt in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was accused of violating the country’s law regarding the proper wearing of hijabs. The nationwide uprising of…
Read More »The Whale’s Ensemble Powers Its Emotional Themes Past an Okay Story (Middleburg Film Festival)
The Whale is a simple story packed with no simple emotions and social commentary. Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is a depressed, reclusive, online English professor who is slowly dying from obesity and resigned to his fate. As he prepares…
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 »No One Makes Movies Like You Anymore: Decision to Leave Review
Sometimes, you don’t know how much you’ve missed something until you encounter it again. As the American cinematic landscape continues to become saturated with sameness, bombastic CGI slugfests featuring spandex and capes or indies that feel more like…
Read More »Breaking Gives Light to Veterans’ Struggles in John Boyega’s Best Performance (Sundance Film Festival)
Everyone has their breaking point. We all have experienced feeling unappreciated and put upon by someone or something, especially when it comes to bureaucracies or other systems nationwide. Perhaps no group feels this more than America’s veterans, people…
Read More »Both Sides of the Blade Has Good Performances But Still Feels Slightly Disappointing
“When you love someone it never really goes away.” Another collaboration between director Claire Denis and Juliette Binochet, with 2021 sensation Titane’s Vincent Lindon added to the mix, sounds enticing enough for any film fanatic to give a…
Read More »Resurrection Has Decent Psychological Thrills, but Rebecca Hall is the Clear Raison d’Etre (Sundance Film Festival)
Unresolved trauma can have an indelible effect on someone’s life even if they appear to have it all together on the surface. A new film starring Rebecca Hall uses the psychological thriller to examine just how extensively our…
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Saint Omer is an Intimate Examination of How the Challenges of Immigration and Women Intersect
Saint Omer is told from the perspective of Rama (Kayije Kagame), the daughter of African immigrants and a novelist by trade, who attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanga), a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter…
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