“I feel like I ambushed you,” said my vegetarian movie companion at the end of watching Unity. But I didn’t feel that way. Sure, the movie uses over-the-top images to promote against cruel treatment of animals (which I too am against), but as the writer and director noted during the Q&A after the film (the…
My timing in seeing films sometimes causes wonder in me. Watching the painfully self-destructive, fatal behavior of an addict on the screen rips at my heart. Seeing the vacant stare that hides the apparent hurt and pain behind those eyes brings such sadness. These are the things that rang out to me in watching Amy, the…
I enjoyed this film—for what it was and for what it did not do. Sure, it could have been deeper. It could have been darker. But even the title indicated it wasn’t trying to do those things. And it was nice to see a country through a different lens than the one permanently smudged and…
An Honest Liar is a wonderfully interesting, engaging, intriguing documentary that tells you a story while delivering a side of nostalgia and a satisfying serving of information. The film focuses on “The Amazing Randi,” a magician who appeared on stage predominantly in the 50s through 70s. But what makes his story particularly compelling is the…
Goodness, how does this happen? I saw Citizen Four back in November. I know that I did. I went with a group. It’s on my calendar. I saw it. But I never wrote about it. How does this happen? But just now, watching the Oscars much past my bedtime, I recalled that I’d indeed seen…
Go see the Oscar-nominated live action short films! What a delightful two hours, watching five separate films, varying in length between about 14 and 45 minutes. Jacksonvillians, they’re playing at SunRay for the next week, and given that you can get yummy food and beer and wine there all while supporting local small business, what…
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is a charming film that showcases the later life of Elaine Stritch, Broadway actress. The show focuses on Elaine at age 86, including her times of ebbing health as age and life catch up with her. So although she discusses her past many acts on Broadway (five Tony nominations (one win)),…
Wow. As The Imposter begins, it takes a bit of time watching to understand the depth of the ruse carried off by Frédéric Bourdin (called by some a “serial imposter”). I rented this movie months ago, it sitting in its Netflix envelope on my table for the longest time. And I had forgotten it was…
Blackfish did not go as far as I expected it to go in one aspect. But for that, it went just far enough. And having seen the preview at least four times, I had a feeling what I was in for; what I left with was more than I expected. Blackfish tells the tale of…
Stories We Tell made me look within—and around—at indeed, the stories we write and craft to explain our lives. As Sarah Polley explores her family and its secrets in this documentary she directs, so too, surely, does the audience. How would your family explain the story of your life? How would you and your siblings…
After watching Dirty Wars over in Five Points, I walked across the street from the theater to reschedule next week’s hair appointment, and as I attempted to communicate with the reception staff, I realized I was exhausted—from the film. (Okay, yes, there was a glass of wine during the film too, but this was mental…
Wow—what an intriguing flick. It started as a documentary about the largest house built in the U.S., then September 2008 interrupted the story. Banks fall. Loans fail. Companies crumble. And the story got a bit more interesting.