Movie Review: WE’LL SEE IF WE DROWN (2016)

October 16, 2016 festreviews 2016 movies, Movie Review 2015 movie reviews, Kierston Drier, movie review, Short Film Movie Review

WE’LL SEE IF WE DROWN, 20min., France, Comedy/Crime
Directed by Hugo Becker

Mickey, Voltaire, and K.O are twenty-five. Mickey works at the butcher’s shop. Voltaire’s a con man in training. K.O fancies himself a boxer. All three have decided to stop eating pasta and skip town. But that’s where things get complicated: when you want something, you got to go get it.

Shown at the September 2016 COMEDY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Everyone loves an anti-hero, whether you are watching a scripted show, reality TV or even the news, people naturally look for the bad guys. We’ll See If We Drown, a French smash-hit directed by Hugo Becker, is a story about three such delinquents. Mickey, Voltaire and K.O are three twenty-something pseudo criminals up to no good, with plans to rob the Butcher shop that Mickey works at and skip town to go fishing.

High-quality, high-concept and high-voltage, this film is set at a lightening fast pace that can easy leave a slow-reader stumbling to keep up with the English subtitles, but that is no reason to avoid it. This film has genius undertones layered under slapstick-style high jinks. Our anti-heroes are undeniable assholes- they lack compassion for the people they damage in order to get what they want, they are each individually narcissistic, misguided and vice-driven and yet there is a note of sympathy in all of them. To an audience conforming the the nine-to-five white-picket fence “American Dream” these three represent who we all may be on the inside if we followed only our momentary whims and desires. And each character has their soft spot- a love of fishing or a family pet, that makes them remarkably human and, in their own perverse way, likeable.

This comedy may not sit well with a North American audience, use to a more linear story style, or a less condensed plot- but this reviewer would argue that a true film-lover should experience foreign films as frequently as they can. It is our deviation from the cinematic comfort zone that allows us to learn more about the wonderful world of film. We’ll See If We Drown has elements of slapstick, elements of irony and elements of melodrama. It also has undertones of anarchical philosophy, symbology and nihilism that will tantalize the astute academically minded. Check out this film! It’s a riot for any viewer who loves watching the bad guys do all the bad things.

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Movie Review: THE SOUNDS OF STREET VENDORS (2016)

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016 festreviews 2016 movies, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized 2015 movies reviews, documentary, Kierston Drier, Michael Brims, movie review, Short Film Movie Review, THE SOUNDS OF STREET VENDORS

THE SOUNDS OF STREET VENDORS, 8min., USA/Cuba, Documentary
Directed by Michael Brims

A portrait of the music and the sounds of street vendors in Havana.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

The Sounds of Street Vendors is a soundscape portrait of Havana’s bustling daily marketplace. As colorful as it is musical, this piece, directed by Kyle Chen is especially interesting given the recent changes to the political and economic scene in Cuba. This film stands as a testament to Cuba’s economic essence: entrepreneurs sell their wares- flowers, peanuts, fabrics kitchen supplies- or their services, like knife sharpening, all in order to make a living. This cinematic piece is as engaging to the ear as it is to the eye, every vendor seems to be singing to attract their business. As though each vendor where birds, chirping to attract their mates.

To the arm chair sociologist or the culturally curious, this piece is a cultural rosetta stone- likening itself to market places everywhere. To a cinema-buff however, it may be frustrating, as the film is more an exploration of a city’s streets and sounds, than it is a dedication to a specific plot or storyline. The film is framed nicely with the larger-than-life vaudevillian style peanut vendor, whose sultry and enticing voice both opens and closes the piece. Beyond that, however, there is not much in the sense of story development. Instead a story that develops following central cast, crew or plot you are brought along as through a journey of discovery, as thought you were a tourist in the street yourself. The characters we see are each individual vendor, and while their moments in the film may be short, they are colorful and clear. Each vendor with their own song, their own items or services and their own clear selling tactics.

Fun, light, bright and whimsical musical The Sounds of Street Vendors is a rich documentary, that shows the audience another type of world. Like many other excellent documentaries, you are not told what to think, but if you leave this film craving peanuts, the vendors of this marketplace have worked their magic on you.

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Movie Review: WAR OF SPACE (2016)

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016 festreviews movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized 2015 movies reviews, documentary, Kierston Drier, matt mays, movie review, Short Film Movie Review, war of space

WAR OF SPACE, 5min., USA/Kenya, Documentary
Directed by Matt Mays

As human and elephant populations increase across the Serengeti ecosystem, the Maasai Mara region of Kenya is struggling with room for both to exist peacefully. Conflict is daily and sometimes deadly. A group of dedicated rangers is working to find a way to end the war of space.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

A stunningly beautiful short, War on Space, by Matt Mays, tells the story of on-going conflict between the human and elephant populations of the Maasai Mara region of Kenya. Poignant musical composure and spectular footage of the Kenyan Landscape are not the only strengths of this piece; this film is an investigation of human ingenuity and hope.

Human-elephant relations have been a long troubling issue in the Maasai Mara region- with human growth crowding out the roaming lands for herding elephants. Elephants attacks have claimed human lives and the ever shrinking room for elephant movement have lead to attacks on elephants as well. Yet War on Space investigates the solutions to these problems with human advancements in technology. In an effort to find harmony with humans and wildlife, new legions of troops now assist in peacefully navigating elephants away from human habitats via GPS devices and drone usage, sparing countless elephants lives. To help instruct the future generations, local schools teach the importance of protecting the elephant population.

This film shows a beautiful type of hope. A future where humans live in peace with the world we are a part of. It shows the transformative power of education and technology. It brings light to an issue many North American audiences have never known about. It is gorgeously produced and exceptionally well executed as a piece of cinema. Most importantly for our cinema lovers- it it successful in it’s attempts to create a visually beautiful spectacle while also weaving a compelling and meaningful message. A wonderful documentary about humans and our impact on this amazing, awe-inspiring world.

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Movie Review: THE CHAMPION (2016)

October 16, 2016October 16, 2016 festreviews 2016 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized 2015 movie reviews, documentary, Kierston Drier, Patrick McGowan, Short Film Movie Review, The Champion short film

THE CHAMPION, 17min, USA, Documentary
Directed by Patrick McGowan

A former Iraqi boxing champion, Estaifan Shilaita overcomes tremendous hardships as he builds a special bond with his family and taxi cab customers in Chicago.

Shown at the September 2016 DOCUMENTARY FEEDBACK Film Festival

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

The Champion, a powerful short film hailing from the USA, directed by Patrick McGowan, is the story of Estaifan Shilaita, former Iraqi boxing champion turned taxi driver. The story follows Estaifan in his pursuit for a better life for himself in Chicago. Full of stunning re-enactments, brilliant cinematography, powerful composition and above all, breath taking humanity in its’, The Champion is all at once heartbreaking and humorous, compelling and inspiring.

Estaifan may seem on the outside like any other metropolitan taxi driver- friendly, smiling, overtly chatty. But under his ever-calm and ever beaming face is a story of rich history and deep roots. Achieving great fame in his youth in Iraq as a light weight boxer, Estaifan fled to find a better life for himself. He fell in love in Greece and took his new wife to Chicago under refugee status, where they began raising their four children under the American dream.

This film boasts excellent production value, rivaling any highly acclaimed feature. But it is not the visual beauty of the film that makes it sing- it is the honesty, the heart and humanity of Estaifan’s life. His resilience and happiness in the face of conflict is nothing less than a testament to human triumph. As a film, The Champion, glosses over the political and economic tensions that propelled our hero’s to flee Iraq. It glosses over the struggles a young refugee family must have faced in a new country. The film only briefly touches on the pain of loss that Estaifan and his wife feel, at having spent nearly forty years in the USA without ever being able to access their family in Iraq. It glosses over all of these things so that is can focus on joy. For Estaifan’s life is so utterly full of his own encapsulating joy it is tangible. The audience cannot help but be uplifted by it. And it makes this film spectacular.

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Happy Birthday: Jean Peters (1926–2000)

October 15, 2016 festreviews Happy Birthday actors, Happy Birthday, Jean Peters (1926–2000)

Jean Peters (1926–2000)

Born: October 15, 1926 in Canton, Ohio, USA
Died: October 13, 2000 (age 73) in Carlsbad, California, USA

Married to: Stanley Hough (28 August 1971 – 23 February 1990) (his death)
Howard Hughes (12 January 1957 – 18 June 1971) (divorced)
Stuart Warren Cramer III (29 May 1954 – 9 December 1955) (divorced)

[in 1972] My life with Howard Hughes was and shall remain a matter on which I will have no comment.

Niagara
1953
dir. Henry Hathaway
Starring
Jospeh Cotten
Marilyn Monroe

La Strada
1954
dir. Federico Fellini
starring
Quinn
Giulietta Masina

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING
1949
dir. Lloyd Bacon
Stars:
Ray Milland
Jean Peters

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Happy Birthday: Mira Nair

October 15, 2016 festreviews Happy Birthday actors, Happy Birthday, Mira Nair

Mira Nair

Born: October 15, 1957 in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India

I was seen as an outsider in the beginning and then an object of great envy. All the national directors wanted to be international. They would come up to me and say, “If I cast Michael Caine and Sean Connery, do you think this will make it?” There was this fascination with the international that was totally wrong-headed.

THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
2013
dir. Mira Nair
Stars:
Riz Ahmed
Liev Schreiber

Amelia
dir. Mira Nair
Stars:
Swank
Richard Gere
Ewan McGregor

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Happy Birthday: Penny Marshall

October 15, 2016 festreviews Happy Birthday actors, Happy Birthday, Penny Marshall

Penny Marshall

Born: October 15, 1943 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

I was born and raised in the Bronx and my grandfather and my brother Garry were huge Yankees fans. One of my first memories is of them listening to a game on the radio and screaming at the radio. My brother would cry when they lost, and when I was really little, I didn’t know why he was crying.

Look at YouTube, how many talented people there are. It’s a whole new world of how to express yourself. I don’t know how to work that world, but take advantage of it.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
1992
dir. Penny Marshall
Stars:
Tom Hanks
Geena Davis

Awakenings
1990
dir. by Penny Marshall
Also Starring
Robin Williams

Big
1988
dir. Penny Marshall
starring
Hanks
Elizabeth Perkins

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Happy Birthday: Jere Burns

October 15, 2016 festreviews Uncategorized actors, Happy Birthday, Jere Burns

Jere Burns

Born: October 15, 1954 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Married to: Leslie Cohen (29 June 2008 – present) (1 child)

Worked as a cabdriver in Boston and as a lifeguard on Cape Cod, MA, during a two-year hiatus between high school and college.

JUSTIFIED Season 1
2010
Stars:
Timothy Olyphant
Joelle Carter
Nick Searcy

JUSTIFIED Season 2
2010
Stars:
Timothy Olyphant
Walton Goggins
Jeremy Davies

Best of BREAKING BAD season 3
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Best of BREAKING BAD season 4
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JUSTIFIED – Video reviews of every episode

JUSTIFIED Season 3
2012
Stars:
Timothy Olyphant
Joelle Carter

JUSTIFIED Season 4
2013
Stars:
Timothy Olyphant
Raymond J. Barry

JUSTIFIED TV Series
Best of the series based on Elmore Leonard’s story “Fire in the Hole”

PROM
dir. Joe Nussbaum
Stars:
Aimee Teegarden
Nicholas Braun

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Happy Birthday: Vanessa Marcil

October 15, 2016 festreviews Happy Birthday actors, Happy Birthday, Vanessa Marcil

Vanessa Marcil

Born: October 15, 1968 in Indio, California, USA

I don’t know any woman who doesn’t have an anxiety attack about wearing a bathing suit. I was on the show (General Hospital (1963)) for two years before they got me to wear a bathing suit and I almost had a heart attack the whole time.

I’m not ready to be a woman yet. I’d like it if my body were more boyish. Maybe I’ll like my curves when I’m older but right now they kind of make me squirm.

I balance things better and don’t kill myself so much, but conflict makes me a more interesting actress to watch. The places I go to pull emotions from, I think if you have a perfect, happy life, you just don’t have those places. And I want those places. I’m proud of those places.

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Happy Birthday: Dominic West

October 15, 2016 festreviews Happy Birthday, Uncategorized actors, Dominic West, Happy Birthday

Dominic West

Born: October 15, 1969 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK

Married to:
Catherine Fitzgerald (26 June 2010 – present) (4 children)

I went to America to get away from constantly being cast in costume dramas, playing posh people. It’s interesting that I’ve been cast as a working-class cop [The Wire (2002)] because I doubt that would happen at home. The films I most enjoy in England are by Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, but it’s very unlikely I would be cast in them; I’ve tried a few times, but I’m perceived as posh.

[on The Wire (2002)] The show provokes a kind of obsessive following. Those who love it kind of cherish the fact that it’s not quite as world-renowned as The Sopranos (1999). It’s like being in a secret club.

CHICAGO
2002
dir. Rob Marshall
Starring:
Renée Zellweger
Catherine Zeta-Jones