Currently Browsing: FF2 Reviews
In 2019, Richard Brody (New Yorker magazine’s art house film critic) criticized Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, writing: “A far more conventional director might have been inclined to ask more questions of the script, to show more of the action, to reveal more about the characters, and, as a result, to make a more engaging and insightful movie.”… read more.
The Black Harvest Film Festival runs through November 16th at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. While there, I viewed Betye Saar: Ready to Be a Warrior. Angela Robinson Witherspoon’s candid documentary peels back many layers of the iconic artist, activist, and teacher, Betye Saar. Betye has been in the art industry for over six decades.… read more.
Fifty years ago, hip hop was born amidst a raging summer in the Bronx (NY). This cultural phenomenon has sky-rocketed into a billion-dollar industry, changing the fabric of music, film, fashion, politics, and even sports. In commemoration of hip hop’s 50th birthday, Netflix released Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop.… read more.
Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) notices Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) immediately at a party, and asks if she’s a senior. “Ninth,” she says sheepishly. At first, he’s not sure what he means. She clarifies, “ninth grade.” He exclaims, “You’re just a baby!”
Tapping his feet by the record player, the international superstar asks Priscilla what the kids are listening to these days.… read more.
Our Father, the Devil is an impressive debut feature from writer/director Ellie Foumbi. It is a novel and forceful look at the complex moralities that surround violence and moral redemption, with stellar performances and carefully crafted filmmaking.
The film begins with many moments of hope for the main character, Marie (played by Babetida Sadjo).… read more.
Many of us are all too familiar with watching the intrigues and intricacies of monarchies on screen—the dichotomy between treason and loyalty, the convoluted politics, the legacies of queens and kings—often reserved for European historical fiction. Streaming platforms are rife with white-centric tales like The Tudors and The Crown among others.… read more.