By: Addison Wylie When I watch a documentary like Harold Crooks’ The Price We Pay, I think about that sparsely attended audience who would enjoy a doc this dense. I wonder how those movie goers find windows of fascination in a film that constantly slugs hefty loads of information towards them. How do they withstand this documentary that is so persistent to be dramatic through its B-roll, yet reels back when delivering essential facts? I don’t…
By: Addison Wylie David Cross is one of the best comedians working in the business today. His blunt, unmerciful opinion carries through his routine as he nails each punchline with the right amount of sarcastic wit. But as clever as he is, Cross’ brand of curt comedy needs to form in a new direction if he plans on carrying on making movies. HITS marks the comic’s directorial debut, and he also penned the screenplay that…
By: Addison Wylie I don’t consider my movie reviews to be the final word on any front. If anything, I’m your phone-a-friend lifeline. I may be dead wrong but I may also have the million dollar answer. I am, however, hopeful that my write-ups will help others fine tune their own projects. For instance, playwright Israel Horovitz may read my review of his film My Old Lady and comprehend it as a negative opinion, but someone…
By: Addison Wylie Tell me if you’ve heard this before. A group of hotheaded blokes are in search for quick cash. In order to collect, they kidnap a wealthy figure. Some of the kidnappers have a personal connection to the victim, and one of the ragtag crooks has “a lot on the line” after having found out his wife is expecting another child. He’s also a thief who has private chats with the hostage. Kidnapping…
By: Addison Wylie Johanna Hamilton’s documentary has intrigue and suspicion. It makes you question the legitimacy behind our privacy. 1971 is about the shocking true story of intrepid activists obtaining and distributing confidential FBI documents. The files were finely searched through, and then sent to major news publications. This act of defiance led to an unraveling case that had America looking at the FBI under an uncomfortably naked light. A particular program titled Cointelpro had…
By: Addison Wylie Spike Lee took to Kickstarter to fund his latest joint Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. It was a bold move that opened up the floodgates for skeptics to start criticizing the filmmaker. Zach Braff endured the same with his campaign to make Wish I Was Here. Lee brings more of an argumentative crowd compared to Braff’s followers and naysayers. Some see Spike Lee as a self-serving loudmouth, but loyal fans believe he has…
By: Addison Wylie Serial (Bad) Weddings is a funny flick before it gets cold feet. Christian Clavier is the deadpan Claude Verneuil, a father who is constantly faced with cultural differences. Three daughters all marry over the course of three years, and all fall in love with men of different cultural backgrounds. The Verneuil’s welcome Chinese, Muslim, and Jewish ethnicities. The men are all standoffish with each other, the women are defensive, and the parents…
By: Addison Wylie Some will say I’m stubborn, but I can’t bring myself to watch any Bond movies starring Daniel Craig. I’m open to change and I like to be pleasantly surprised, but these new Bond movies simply don’t pique my interest. Craig is a fine actor, and the films bring extraordinary talent behind the camera. But, to me, Bond films should be flashy and grand. They should be implausible and crazy. I appreciate the…
By: Addison Wylie I wouldn’t call Concerning Violence a movie or a documentary. It’s only being considered the latter because filmmaker Göran Olsson uses real footage – from the 60s and 70s – of African liberation in a perpetual clash. It’s more of a collection of footage being blown up on a screen to prove a point. Concerning Violence contains interviews, still images, and raw film that all flesh out these “nine scenes from the…
By: Addison Wylie Big News from Grand Rock is a petite Canadian comedy with petite laughs about a petite town where nothing really happens. Grand Rock’s friendly and carefree community is always seen smiling and wishing healthy salutations to each other. While this may be nice for people living here, it’s dull for those who work for the local newspaper. They have nothing significant to report on. Leonard Crane, a local try-hard journalist, tries to…