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Reviews
Follow the Dead (2020)
Interesting Irish perspective on the zombie genre
For as long as i can remember Ive held an affinity for Irish Cinema. From the "Commitments" directed by Alan Parker in the 1980's all the way to modern works such as "Once" by John Carney "Calvary" by John Michael Mcdonagh they've always been beautifully shot whether it be in the city or the rugged countryside poignantly written with a keen sense of humour and always with a deep distrust of authority. Follow The Dead written and directed by Adam William Cahill carries that torch further down the road.
Robbie (Luke Corcoran) is a disillusioned millennial trapped in a dull existence in rural Ireland living in a dysfunctional house with his sister and two cousins.
Meanwhile the nations capital Dublin has seemingly fallen to hordes of the undead and despite dozens of videos circulating online Robby and his housemates generally remain skeptical and apathetic to all the chaos around suffering instead them focusing on their short term attempts at validation.
Much like the late godfather of everything Zombie related George Romero (Dawn Of The Dead) Writer and director Adam uses the genre to explore social issues taking dead aim at the hollowness of internet hook up culture, influencers and how certain people will exploit any tragic event to further their own political agenda.
Follow The Dead is an interesting take on how humans cope when disaster strikes and while doesn't claim to have all the answers leaves the audience with some interesting questions to think about.
A Slice of Life on Barcelona (2015)
Fascinating look at life on the edge
A Slice Of Life In Barcelona is a sprawling unpredictable drama about life on the edge.
Taking place in (You guessed it) the Spanish capital of Barcelona were thrown head first into a nihilistic landscape populated by punks, kleptomaniacs, deadbeat dads and psychopath's all in search of an escape from their lives and looking in all the wrong places.
I feel like if author Brett Easton Ellis was born in Spain in another life his books would be like this as i noticed the similarities as pessimism and dark comedy go hand in hand in each scene.
The rugged documentary feel almost makes you feel like a reluctant accomplice to the characters on their misadventures across the city.
A Slice Of Life In Barcelona has a lot going on with multiple characters and storylines it would easy for the film to go off the rails but writer and director Maria Galindo runs a tight ship holding the story together particularly in the films final act where the city becomes smaller and the characters finally cross each others paths and face the consequences of their actions.
All in all undernearth the violence obscenity and destruction I found A Slice Of Life In Barcelona at its core to be a vulnerable story about people longing for human connection.
Whiskey Sour (2022)
Insightful dialogue driven piece
Whiskey Sour is the debut feature film of writer and director Christopher Selby.
Cal Baker played by Sean Dillingham is a mild mannered man living and working in the city of Phoenix in Arizona.
Allthough he has a good home life and is on verge of a promotion at his job you cant help but feel like theres something missing and he cant put his finger on what it is.
Cals fortunes change when his old friend Joe (Richard O Ryan) gets in touch after a long stint away they agree to go for dinner at a restaurant and shared their favourite drinks: Whiskey.
What unfolds is a contemplative dialogue driven piece about regrets, the challenges of commitent, the nature of truth and the pros and cons of ranch dressing.
Whiskey Sour covers a demographic you dont see represented often in cinema anywhere in the world. Middle aged working class men.
The dialogue captures the rhythms of life and the anxieties and harsh truths we all carry but rarely wat to say out loud.
It was interesting watching the contrast between the introverted Cal to the charismatic Joe who walks into every room like he owns it effortlessly makes friends with everyone he meets and doesnt mince his words.
The film Reminds me of Alexander Paynes 'Sideways" or "Dinner With Andre" By Louis Malle except less pretensious.
Exemplum (2023)
Fascinating insight into faith power and corruption
Set in the United States in the aftermath of the Co Vid pandemic writer and director Paul Roland plays Father Colin a young ambitious Catholic priest taking advantage of the chaos and isolation using social media to create an educational web series called "Exemplum" spread the word of the lord illustrating that like everything in modern society- the inner workings of an organized religion is a dysfunctional business.
As Colins online activities begin to draw in more followers, the media takes notice and he quickly becomes a local celebrity.
However the church hierarchy has also taken notice of all the attention. They feel Colin is broadcasting the wrong message to the flock and is threatened with ex communication from the church he has given his life for.
When Colin hatches a plan to collaborate with a malevolent hacker to blackmail one of his parishioners Louie Costa (Joseph Griffin) who is in Colins own words "the worst human being on earth" it sends him on a path towards destruction.
Shot in crisp black and white Paul has constructed a dark corrupt and claustrophobic world filled with complex characters.
He captures the profound isolation frustration and loneliness that comes with choosing a vocation as a priest.
This is highlighted during a vulnerable moment Colin reaches out to his former fiancee he cast aside to join the seminary who is now happily married and had her first child.
They barely say anything but the silence moments in between speaks volumes.
Exemplum is filled with many compelling moments like this and stands as a perfect example of what one can achieve with a limited budget a great script and a solid cast.
The Extraordinary Ordinary (2019)
Empathetic and realistic depiction of mental health in young people
The Extraordinary Ordinary is the story of Erica (Maddison Bullock) an 18 year old who has just graduated high school after surviving a vicious sexual assault that has derailed her life.
She is keen to leave the familiarity of New York to explore the great unknown enrolling in university in California to pursue her passion of photography and most importantly to get away from her overbearing and overprotective mother portrayed who is clearly still racked with guilt.
Erica's new life on campus is anything but smooth as she battles homesickness overwhelming school work and an navigating increasing number of crass men whose intentions are anything but good.
Erica finds a lighthouse in the form of her two classmates Bianca (Ana Marte) and Alex (Alex Montalban) who have some mental challenges of their own which they're dealing with in their own individual way.
The trio quickly become inseparable bonding over being outsiders but as they get closer to each other you get the sense their dynamic may be doing more harm then good especially to Erica.
Writer and director Natalie Rodriguez portrays her actors with a keen humanistic eye especially utilizing many long takes and tight close ups making it literally impossible to look the other way at actor and her friends trials and tribulations.
Unlike similar films like Silver Lining Playbook or or Infinitely Polar Bear Natalie shuns the fairytale ending.
Mental health is a complex thing and the road to recovery can take a lifetime.
After the end I had this feeling these characters have barely scratched the surface and begun their journey but couldn't help but feel proud of the small and significant steps they each take through the film.
This Is Your Song (2023)
beautifully made drama that will stay with you longer after the credits are over
This Is Your Song is an emotionally charged drama directed by Hassan Said about two people trying to stay together against impossible odds.
Taking place in San Francisco we follow lovers Jules (Briana Walsh) and James (Jordan Potch) on the evening of their seventh wedding anniversary.
Failed beatnik writer James is getting sick of literally being a starving artist and is eager to embrace conformity and work in the corporate world while Actor Jules seems obsessed with holding onto her romantic ideals and past with a vice like grip while everything- her career, her friends, the city they live in and her relationship are all changing around her and not necessarily for the better.
The films cinematography all shot effortlessly in one single take reminded me of complex films like "Birdman" and "The Revevant" by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
I'm pretty sure Hassan had 1 percent of the manpower resources and funding that Alejandro G. Iñárritu has access too but still holds up beautifully.
The one take approach is very effective as the film grabs you by the neck and drags into this world where the emotional stakes are raising every second and every single word that comes out of the actors mouths hit hard.
This Is Your Song is truly a film about how difficult it can be to love someone unconditionally and how change is inevitable and we must embrace it and adapt in order to move forward. Even when it hurts.
Pussy Kills (2017)
tight budget funny dialogue and murder what more do we need?
This was a fun and efficient little flick that was entertaining throughout and most definitely offered something I hadn't seen before --- an R-rated rape-revenge flick with the heroine dressed as a sexy pussycat. Although it does follow the rape-revenge formula established by films such as 'I spit on your grave', it does have a nifty little twist and far more of a story than most rape-revenge films I've seen. Lina Maya is drop-dead gorgeous and there will be plenty of eye candy for you to feast your eyes on. The cinematography is pretty in your face in the sense that it doesn't try to hide the fact that it is an exploitation film - so yeah, there are a lot of booty shots. The Close Shots were also framed as to include the actresses' ample bosom. The budget is noticeably tight at times but regardless, it was very watchable with some funny dialogue, eye candy and well-paced story.
The Allnighter (2023)
Very clever emotionally engaging drama
The Allnighter is an engaging drama written and directed by Aimee Graham making her feature debut. We follow the story of Terrance played by Owen Beckman.
Within minutes of the film beginning, we get the impression Terrance isn't living his best life.
When he's not dodging threats from loan sharks who are after his gambling addict mother and having awkward moments as he drives for Uber transporting people he can't stand, Terrance is obsessively completing his PHD in astro physic's which he has been working on for the last seven years.
When Terrance's car is stolen with his life's work inside the trunk he suffers an existential crisis which propels himself on somewhat of a spiritual odyssey to get it back in order to seize the future he wants as opposed to the suffocating present he's trapped in.
It's hard to find any real critical faults in this one.
The cinematography is beautiful and Owen Beckman who plays the films protagonist Terrance commands the screen holding his own against more experienced and established Hollywood actors like David Koesche (Anchor Man) and Tom Lister Junior (Good Friday).
Aimee wrote the characters very well and clearly took her time choosing the right actors because you can't help but feel empathy for every single one of them even when they say and do some pretty questionable things.
She effortlessly avoids the kind of pitfalls most directors fall consciously avoids cliche scenarios and neatly tied up endings in favor of something both heartbreaking heart wrenching optimistic and relatable.
As Alfred Hitchcock put it "What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out"
There were no dull bits in the Allnighter.
It's Alright Now (2023)
An emotional engaging coming of age story that refuses to give into pessimism.
"Its Alright Now" an independent feature film written and directed by American director Karee Von explores the trials and tribulations of protagonist Ann Kelly (Amber Rothberg) as she navigates the grey area between Adolescence and Adulthood during a sweltering summer 1970s small town America.
This is a film of someone under pressure showing how every facet of Anns life is steeped in conflict- whether its her alienation from the kids around her living under the shadow of her manipulative mothers new boyfriend Rick or her guilt of being involved in a childhood accident that left her cousin in a wheelchair she still tries to move forward towards a better future despite the overwhelming odds.
Karee shows an incredible eye for detail and has gone to great lengths to authentically portray a film in the 1970's not an easy feat for anyone especially those working with limited budgets.
I was reminded of Richard Linklaters films "Boyhood" and "Dazed And Confused" in terms of the cinematography and perfomances though Karee's story definitely goes in a much darker direction towards the third act showing an unflinching portrayal of mental illness dysfunctional relationships and domestic violence.
The story is a contemplative piece on the dynamics of youth the possibilies and limitations of friendship dealing with uncertainty and facing lifes challenges head on.
A Bad Influence (2023)
Engaging and unpredictable drama
For as long as I can remember I've always loved a good self-contained drama that takes place in one location. From director Malcom Venvilles "44 Inch Chest" to Roman Polanski's "Carnage" and on a local level "Last Train to Freo" by Jeremy Sims where the performances are complex the emotional stakes are high, and the dialogue is solid.
The drama "A Bad Influence" written and directed by first time director Andreas making his feature film debut fits into that category.
The films opens as introvert Anthony (Andreas Toumbas) attends the house warming party of his successful friends Nick (Martin Reyes) and Laura (Amelia Conway) who are engaged also joined by high profile power couple Emily (Vanessa Madrid) Simon (Steve Maresca) and Emilys 17 year old sister Victoria (Kersytn Walsh)
From the beginning The atmosphere is already tense, There's a sense these people have known each other their entire lives but have drifted apart years ago and no longer share anything in common or have anything meaningful to talk about.
Things get even more awkward when brash hard drinking outspoken and impulsive Steve enters the party and quickly makes his presence known. As Anthony tries to hold Steve back he seems to be on a mission to provoke everyone he comes into contact with and make them show their true colors before we know it tensions flare skeletons come out of the closet all leading to a cathartic climax in the third act I did definitely not see coming.
Writer and director Andreas who plays the lead role of Andy directs with the kind of confidence of someone who i thought would've directed many feature films at this point at his career.
The dialogue is sharp and the performances are naturalistic and reminded me of many characters and situations I've come across in my own life.
"A Bad Influence" explores some dark and sometimes confronting part of the human experience and its not for everybody but if you can sit through the obscenity the emotional mayhem and destruction it's a rewarding story with a lot of depth.
Flats (2022)
Heartwarming and heart breaking depiction of life on the street
The web series "Flats" written and directed by Darren Downs takes place in a part of Australia you don't see very often.
Theres no sprawling deserts dense bush land rolling hills or pictureesque beaches.
Instead it takes place in the city of Melbourne specifically in the public housing estates of inner city areas of Collingwood and Fitzroy.
Places like Collingwood and Fitzroy are often synonymous with all the negative things about every major city.
Rampant crime drug use and unemployment Daren doesn't avoid these things quite the opposite it he dives deeper and gives us a glimpse into a world most of seldom know filled with comedy complexity and poignancy.
We follow the story of petty street thug Joey (Will Weatheritt) fresh out of prison and determined to go straight and be a good father to his son who was born while he was incarcerated.
However Joeys road to the straight and narrow is perilous to say the least as he's surrounded by bad influences and temptation of easy money at every turn.
Director Darren Downs tackles a lot of topics in this series.
He also explores how the area is being rapidly gentrified and the disadvantaged and downtrodden are being replaced by the wealthy and privileged.
Comedy and tragedy often go hand in hand as Joey navigates life in the flats.
Will Weatheritt has been working and living in this community for many years and it became a clear in the authenticity he brings to the role.
The supporting cast most are not professional actors who also
live in the area are very rich and well written you could probably make a spin off series about any of the characters in Joeys world and it would be interesting .
In Australia there is this obsession with portraying everyone who doesn't fit in with the mainstream of society as victims.
What's refreshing about Flats is not a single character is a victim.
That's what makes Flats so compelling because it's a heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking account of good people doing the best they can with what they have.
Supercool (2021)
Great fast paced and dangerous comedy
Tim (Maro Molina) is an oversexed teenager sweating it out in Miami Florida. Every high school in the planet has a character like Tim, aimless oversexed and starved for affection. Trouble seems to follow him everywhere he goes. Fortunately his best friend Richard (Howard Badley) has his back and tries to keep him out of trouble.
Tim feels like his fortune has changed when his crush Sheiila agrees to go on a boozy date on the beach.
When Sheila quickly gets bored ditches Tim to score more alcohol with her friend he scrambles to find her to bring her home by 8pm or suffer the wrath of her vicious gangster father.
Coming in at a tight 58 minutes Gabriel does not waste a single second and makes every scene count. The color palette and cinematography are beautiful, and Gabriel cleverly utilizes many wide overhead shots of the city to keep the story moving.
Supercool much like adolescence its self is a disorienting ride tense exhilarating land and occasionally overwhelming.
The dialogue reminded me of Deadwood where characters communicate in street slang so dense and intricate it was a challenge understanding them at times.
This is what filmmaking should be about- raw unpredictable ,poignant experimental and funny.
Gabriel Black has a bright future as a filmmaker and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
Craig Quits His Day Job (2016)
Good absurdist comedy
One thing is for certain about Craig Quits His Day Job is that this is no hard boiled realistic drama.
It reminds me of David O. Russell's "I Heart Huckabees" or Paul Thomas Andersons "Licorice Pizza" in the sense that you have to let go accept this is an absurd world
with no logic sit back and enjoy it.
Craig played perfectly by actor Garrett Titlebaum
is your stereotypical spectacled introvert working a mindless office job and seems to avoid connecting with others at all costs.
We don't learn a great deal about Craig's background but you get the sense he doesn't know any other way of life.
This all changes when Craig has "an epiphany" and abruptly quits his job.
His cynical boss mocks him telling him he will come crawling back in a week.
Despite the discouragement Craig lets his guard down and opens himself up to the world trying to find fellow "quitters" he meets a variety of people as the week unfolds.
Theres the two Satanists live upstairs ironically seem intent to be Craig's guardian angels supporting him as much as they can much to his dismay.
There's Petty thief Bing who drags Craig along as an unwilling accomplice to several Ill thought out and poorly executed criminal acts
Finally there's the The angelic Grace (Jordan Streussnig) seems like the perfect woman for Craig if not for her alpha Boyfriend Klaus (Sully Martin) who delights in humiliating Craig at every opportunity.
One thing struck me throughout the film Theres always a sense that you cant tell if this is all really happening or each character is a figment of Craigs imagination- each one symbolisng something in his life that is missing. Thats the beauty of art everything is open to interpretation.
As the week ends we make it to the the climax is where Klaus physically drags Craig back to his old workplace and tries to get him
To beg for his job and his old life back.
Craig now having experienced the joys and challenges of freedom refuses to conform and continues down his new path as uncertain as it may be.
Director Eric Chapman makes use of his low budget shooting in public locations that could be anywhere in dull small town America and the dialogue is sharp.
Each actor embraces the eccentricity of their characters and you can tell they had a lot of fun with it.
Craig quits his day job is a film for those who feel like they're stuck in a rut with their lives desperate to make a new start but just dont know how.