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March 2022

Reviews

Moon Manor

Moon Manor didn’t quite work for me.  However, it finishes with poignant elegance while sending home a sobering message about stigmas behind certain health conditions.  In this case, how does an elderly man (James ‘Jimmy’ Carrozo playing a version of himself) with debilitating Alzheimer’s choose to live his life?  Moon Manor’s answer: throw yourself a FUN-eral and go out safely on your own terms.  Moon Manor follows Jimmy on his “last day”.

Reviews

After Yang

After Yang chronicles the in-between of a family tragedy. Set in the not-so-distant future (similar to Spike Jonze’s Her), an assistive android named Yang (Justin H. Min, in one of this year’s strongest supporting roles) suddenly malfunctions. Yang’s assigned family are shaken up as they grasp for an action plan. The search for a satisfying resolution falls on the father, Jake (Colin Farrell), who slowly discovers more of Yang’s purpose as he shops around for repair…

Reviews

Donkeyhead

By: Trevor Chartrand Donkeyhead is the first feature film from writer/director Agam Darshi, who has extensive credits both in front of and behind the camera.  Her film focuses on Mona (played by Darshi herself), the least-successful sibling among the four brothers and sisters in her family.  As a failed writer, she is the only one among them who still lives at home, aimless in her pursuits with no job and no prospects.  Instead of pursuing…

Reviews

The Adam Project

Watching The Adam Project is like watching someone fall down stairs.  The movie stands steadily, stumbles, picks itself back up, and repeats that same process until the film is so exhausted with itself that it doesn’t bother to pull itself together.

Reviews

Stronger By Stress

Every so often, I like to fall down a movie’s rabbit hole. We all like when a movie can take us to an escape, but I’m talking about being taken completely out of my element to be enlightened about a subject I’m absolutely clueless about.  I’ve taken this trip with faith-based movies before (notably War Room): I wasn’t moved by the movie but I appreciated the experience.  I was hoping Stronger By Stress was going…

Reviews

Jockey

In Jockey, director/co-writer Clint Bentley offers audiences a reflective perspective from the eyes of horse jockey Jackson Silva (Clifton Collins Jr.).  Silva is respected around the track but, otherwise, he’s a reclusive athlete who is becoming a little long in the tooth to be continuing with his sport.  He encounters increasing issues with his body, both from past injuries and aging, but his physical weaknesses haven’t broke his determination.  Even when he’s faced with the…

Reviews

Nightride

Based on style alone, Nightride is a movie made for fanatics of 2011’s Drive.  Imagine a version of Nicolas Winding Refn’s movie where the introductory getaway never ended, and it was a feature-length uncut shot;  all while the viewer got to ride shotgun with Ryan Gosling the entire time.  Sounds great, right?  That’s what I thought too…