Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is an efficient documentary, even if it’s as standard as biopic docs get.
Mongrel Media
Dogman
By: Trevor Chartrand In Dogman, a mild-mannered dog groomer named Marcello (Marcello Fonte) struggles to make ends meet in his Italian slum. He gets by in his community, which is populated by a variety of small-time crooks, by dealing cocaine to support his ex-wife and their daughter. After standing up to a notorious citizen however, the former boxer and town bully Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), Marcello loses the respect of his neighbors and is forced to…
Pavarotti
Pavarotti is a celebration of Luciano Pavarotti’s career and his achievements as a legendary opera singer and performer. Ron Howard’s documentary is jovial, just as Pavarotti was known to be. As someone who had limited knowledge of the timeless tenor, I walked away from Howard’s enlightening documentary with a new appreciation for music.
Aniara
If you prefer science fiction to be grim, perhaps Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s Aniara will be your “thing”. Although I can’t comment on the film’s faithfulness to its source material (Harry Martinson’s Nobel prize winning poem of the same name), Aniara is very good in terms of riveting near-future sci-fi, but it’s definitely for a specific crowd.
The White Crow
The White Crow, written by Oscar nominee David Hare (The Reader) and directed by Harry Potter actor Ralph Fiennes, goes against the usual conventions of a biopic.
Hail Satan?
Never in my wildest dreams would I have predicted to watch an upbeat documentary about satanists. But, here we are: I have watched such a movie and, here I am, suggesting you do the same.
Sunset
Sunset is a sophomore feature from Oscar-winning Hungarian director László Nemes (Son of Saul). Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Son of Saul, so I can’t compare notes nor can I comment on how the filmmaker has grown. However, I was reminded of another recent period film while I was watching Sunset – Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite.
Giant Little Ones
Giant Little Ones is a very sweet movie about confronting and dealing with homophobia as a teenager. If that reads like I’m patronizing the film, I don’t mean to be. This is an important coming-of-age story with a unique voice, and filmmaker Keith Behrman should be proud of his accomplished indie. It’s a hopeful movie that will hit home with audiences.
Woman at War
Benedikt Erlingsson must be a gambling man. With his new film Woman at War, he pushes the limit on imagination; crossing the narrative with elements of a thriller and a deadpan comedy. But like a gambler with no self-control, Erlingsson overestimates his luck; spinning the film’s results into a somewhat smug affair.