Author: festreviews

Film Review: LOGAN LUCKY (USA 2017) ***

festreviews Uncategorized , , , , , ,

logan luckyTwo brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Rebecca Blunt
Stars: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig

Review by Gilbert Seah

 Veteran director Steven Soderbergh, most famous for his OCEANS ELEVEN trilogy and for his Oscar winning ERIN BROCKOVICH and critically acclaimed films like KAFKA and THE LIMEY was supposed to have retired after his last film UNDER THE CANDELABRA . But after reading the script for LOGAN LUCKY, he was supposedly so enamoured that he decided to direct it. LOGAN LUCKY is a stylish crime caper, a sort of anti-OCEAN’s ELEVEN film without the glamour. Everything is seedy on LOGAN LUCKY, the props, the heist and life depicted in the film.

Soderbergh said of LUCKY LOGAN: “Nobody dresses nice. Nobody has nice stuff. They have no money. They have no technology. It’s all rubber band technology”.
The film involves two brothers. Trying to reverse a family curse (as lame as excuses come), siblings Jimmy (Channing Tatum), Mellie (Riley Keough), and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina during Memorial Day weekend. Simple though the plot might seem, the story is complicated by all the baggage brought on by the characters.

These are a few examples: (proving Soderbergh’s liking for the script)
Jimmy is separated and has a daughter that is entering a talent contest, which he should support. She performs John Denver’s famous song “Country Road”, in one of the film’s best scenes.

Clyde has lost his hand during the Iraq war. He still serves a mean martini as a bartender using only one arm, and his hand is sucked into the vacuum during the heist.

Special Agent Sarah Grayson (Hilary Swank) has a no-nonsense role as an investigator who hates tight alibis and coincidences

Warden Burns (Dwight Yoakam) as a 9-year old veteran who believes his prison to be the best and escapee proof.

Because of all these distractions, the film runs almost two hours. Though the story actually gets a bit convoluted and also a bit complicated at times, no one really cares, as Soderbergh always surprises with his style and dead-pan humour, reminiscent of KAFKA, my favourite film of his.

The heist segment is executed with a combination of more wry humour than suspense. The home made bomb form the film’s funniest part. Note that there are no exciting car races in this car race heist film.

The cast is impressive with well-known actors including James Bond 007’s Daniel Craig playing against time as a sprung convict, Joe Bang as well as 6 NASCAR drivers playing minor roles. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch play West Virginia state troopers, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are security guards, Kyle Larson is a limo driver, and Ryan Blaney is a delivery boy. Everyone in the cast and crd appear to he having fun and the fun shows.

Not the best of the Soderbergh’s films, but LOGAN LUKCY is still an entertaining watch from a director who knows how to entertain, especially with a good caper comedy.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPzvKH8AVf0

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com

Film Review: BLOW-UP (Italy/UK 1966) *****

festreviews movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

blow-upA mod London photographer finds something very suspicious in the shots he has taken of a mysterious beauty in a desolate park.

>Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Writers: Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Julio Cortázar (short story “Las babas del diablo”) (as Julio Cortazar) »
Stars: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles

Review by Gilbert Seah

 Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s first of three English Language films under contract with Carlo Ponti is arguably the best of the three and sets the standard for the 60’s and 79’s film look of fashionable London. It is also the film that shot David Hemmings and Oscar Winner Vanessa Redgrave to fame.

The plot was inspired by the short story, “Las babas del diablo” or “The Devil’s Drool”. The film follows the the life of a swinging extremely successful photographer, David Bailey (Hemmings). He is so successful that all the pretty birds in London are willing to sleep with him just to be photographed by him.

The story involves his random photographing of a lady, Jane in the park (Redgrave). He chases her around London and developes a love/hate relationship with her. Upon closer examination of the photograph, and blowing it up (hence the film’s title), he discovers an image of a corpse in the park. Wondering whether there was a murder, strange things start happening like missing things in his studio and strangers following him. But this murder mystery is not the aim of Antonioni’s film.

Antonioni’s films have not been murder or suspense films. He is no Master of Suspense, but his works have been equally praised for its insight on society, especially on youth, as in his two other English features, THE PASSENGER and ZABRIESKI POINT, which I had not seen since it was first released.

Another trait of Antonioni is his spontaneity in film. This can be observed in three of the film’s segments that basically make this movie. The first is David’s shooting in his studio of real life model, Veruschka von Lehndorff. Veruschka plays herself in a 5-minute long photo-shoot sequence.

The second and the film’s best scene also occurs at random. When David goes into town, he sees Jane and follows her into a club where The Yardbirds, featuring both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on guitar and Keith Relf on vocals, are seen performing the song “Stroll On.” This is an extended club scene where Antonioni captures perfectly both the spirit of the band and the crowd. A buzz in Beck’s amplifier angers him so much he smashes his guitar on stage, then throws its neck into the crowd. David grabs the neck and runs out of the club before anyone can snatch it from him. The roar of the crowd, the uncontrollability of the situation and the pure madness are all magnificently caught on camera.

The third segment forms the film’s sexiest part where David wrestles with two topless birds (Jill Kennington and Peggy Moffitt) in his studio. This constituted explicit sexual content of contemporary standards by a major Hollywood studio that was in direct defiance of the Production Code at the time.
BLOW-UP won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, the festival’s highest honour. It is the film’s 50th Anniversary and has a Special Screening on August the 16th Thursday at 9 pm at the Bell Lightbox. A must-see for cinephiles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xz1utzILj4

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com

Film Review: GOOD TIME (USA 2017 ) ****

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

GOOD TIMEA bank robber finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him.

Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Writers: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Taliah Webster

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
GOOD TIME features Robert Pattinson in the role of bank robber unable to display love for his brother that will have critics screaming that Pattinson can act.

Though the film is called GOOD TIME, no one in the film appears to having one at any point. The film begins with Nick (Ben Safdie) under psychiatric treatment before his brother Connie (Robert Pattinson) takes him on a botched bank robbery where he is arrested and put into hospital after running through a glass door. Connie tries to spring Nick out but takes another felon, Ray instead.

The scene where Ray, already half beaten up with his face covered in bandages, scales a high fence, finally falling to the other side hurting his bad shoulder even more, best describes the entire film. Intense, f***ed-up and painful to watch! But Ben and Safdie’s film is a minor miracle, already garnering accolades of praises after Cannes, in the desperate journey of Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) in trying to right a wrong.

It is interesting to note that at one point in the film – Connie’s somewhat mentally challenged brother has been replaced by Ray, the wrong guy Connie springs out of the hospital. Not only do the two look somewhat alike, but if the film had gone on with the brother instead of Ray, not much would have changed and the film could have resulted in the same sorry outcome. The only difference in the plot would be the bottle of acid that Ray came up with. This is a bromance that has gone totally wrong, and one in which Connie wants to show love towards his brother or to Ray for that matter, but is unable to do so.

The directors are fond of close-ups, with the bank robbery shot mainly with close ups without the camera moving back at all to show what the rest of the customers at the bank are doing. The close-ups of the faces, often revealing the film’s characters in trouble, heightens the intensity of the film.

‘Oneohtrix Point Never’ won the Cannes soundtrack award in creating a one-of-a-kind soundtrack containing in many parts, a screeching metallic sound that is as unnerving as the film’s plot. The film also features an original song.

Pattinson delivers what might be the best performance of his career, as the edgy bank robber trying to help spring his brother while keeping himself out of the law’s reach. Jennifer Jason Leigh has a small role as Corey and one wishes there would be more of her. Co-director Ben Safdie whom plays the brother and Buddy Duress as Ray are equally good but the small role by Barkhad Abdi as the poor amusement park security caught in the crossfire deserves mention. Abdi can be best remembered for his role as the pirate in CAPTAIN PHILLIPS that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The film shifts focus between Connie and his brother. At the film’s start and end, the camera is on Nick and what is happening to him. While the majority of the film switches and stays with Connie, the film oddly leaves out what has happened to him after his arrest.

The film is bookended by Nick in his prison psychiatric sessions. The film also questions the effectiveness of the prison system is rehabilitating criminals who are not all there mentally. The film’s most disturbing segment is the prison scene where Nick is beaten up for changing the TV channel while another fight breaks two between two black inmates.

Ben and Josh Safdie is to be commended in their absorbing, fresh and exciting caper movie that captures the seediness and desperation of NYC street life.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyGCxHZ_Ko
 

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com

MOVIE REVIEW: SUICIDE NOTE (UK, Fantasy/Thriller)

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

Highly interpretive and deeply symbolic, this five minute fantasy-thriller from the United Kingdom is an exploration of life, death and it’s faceted transition. SUICIDE NOTE is deep meditation of one person’s journey from life to whatever is beyond it. Set against a haunting ethereal soundtrack and a featuring dramatic and dynamic framing, this piece is filmed in black and white. It has an almost unknowable quality to its tone and atmosphere- as though the viewer, is intentionally meant to never see the full scape of the hero’s world. Perhaps this is because it is the symbolic portrayal of the ultimate journey out of life.

A large portion of the piece is focused on the frame of a delicate doll, seemingly floating or suspended, set against the eye of the main hero. It is possible this doll represents the hero’s human body, while their eye represents their sense of self, both metaphorically and literally. Highly open to interpretation, this is a film that must be watched with an open mind. It may not be conventional cinema, but it is breathtakingly detailed, gorgeously shot and has an hauntingly beautiful tone. A delight for the senses.

 

SUICIDE NOTE, 5min, UK, Fantasy/Thriller
Directed by Marina Waltz

A surrealist meditation on the many self-inflicted deaths of identity we must courageously endure in order to attain a more complete understanding of who we are.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: REAL ARTISTS (USA, Fantasy/Drama)

festreviews 2017 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

“Winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Festival.”

by Kierston Drier

 A breathtaking leap into speculative fiction, REAL ARTISTS is a profoundly powerful portrayal of humanity, biology and entertainment. Full of rich cinematic details, exceptional casting, brilliant performances and subtle but meaningful writing, this is a piece that demands to be engaged with.

Based on a short story by Ken Liu, a young woman with big dreams in the entertainment world, is summoned to a renowned film-producing giant. Initially excited by the prospect of being head hunted, she soon uncovers a dark secret about the film “factory”.

Intense, riveting and introspective while delivering all the powerful emotional punches of any good film, watching REAL ARTISTS feels like watching a bite-sized version of a dense and thrilling feature. Flawless graphics, engaging stories and powerful twists keep the viewers not wanting to blink of fear of missing a moment.

A gorgeous film to behold. REAL ARTISTS will make you think and make you feel. As the credits rolls, a viewer may find themselves wondering what the future of human creativity it- a brave new world, indeed.

 

REAL ARTISTS, 12min, USA, Fantasy/Drama
Directed by Cameo Wood

Real Artists, a dark tale set in the near future, is based on Ken Liu’s short story of the same name. Sophia just scored every animator’s dream interview at world famous Semaphore Animation Studios. But when the Creative Director, Anne Palladon, reveals that she knows about Sophia’s fan-edit of Semaphore’s hit film Mythos, Sophia sees her dreams begin to slip away.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: A MONSTER CALLED CHARLES (UK, Fantasy/Drama)

festreviews 2017 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

ECSTASY BOULEVARD played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

“Winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the Festival.”

by Kierston Drier

Some films make you laugh with joy, or awkward discomfort. Some break your heart. A MONSTER CALLED CHARLES will do both. This fifteen minute film hailing from the United Kingdom follows a young impoverished boy being raised by circumstance more than by his otherwise neglectful mother- who spends more of her time entertaining Johns than she does caring for her young son and infant daughter. In the wake of any real stimulation, our young hero heads out into the woods to make his own adventures, and discovers a monster there, who he names Charles.

Stunningly shot with a keen attention to detail, incredibly well edited, and seamlessly constructed, this piece also has an exceptional performance from the young male lead. His choices may seem confusing to the viewer at first glance, but his rationality, given his life circumstances, becomes all too clear soon enough. A tale that literally answers the question of what is worse- the monsters you know, or the monsters you don’t.

For a movie told through the eyes of child, and (potentially) their vivid imagination, A MONSTER CALLED CHARLES has a surprisingly intricate level of emotional complexity. Our characters, from smallest to largest, are deeper than mere black-and-white stereotypes. A piece worthy of detailed discussion, this film can be enjoyed at face value as well. It pays homage to childhood classics such as Where The Wild Things Are and even Peter Pan and the viewer can end the piece knowing the a happy ending has been found. A deeper message within the story might be showcasing what the effect of poverty and neglect can have on children.

Whichever way you choose to interpret this film, it is a powerful piece to watch. It would be a tragedy to miss A MONSTER CALLED CHARLES.

 

A MONSTER CALLED CHARLES, 15min, UK, Fantasy/Drama
Directed by Richard Paris WilsonThe story of a Boy who lives in a caravan park with his Mother, and a Monster who lives in a nearby woods…

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: ECSTASY BOULEVARD (USA, Fantasy/Sci-Fi)

festreviews 2017 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

ECSTASY BOULEVARD played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

 What happens when you give an alien Ecstasy and turn it loose in the night club? YOU ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT!

In this five minute American short, our hero takes an unlikely journey into a metropolis, his curious appearance misunderstood as urban eccentricity and gets caught up in a rave scene. He is not alone, however, and his illegal trespassing upon Earth alerts an assassin to track him down. What follows is a smoky cinematic chase through the world of a city after dark.

What makes this piece stand out, despite it’s highly effective visuals and minimal dialogue, is its use of mixed media. Throughout the work, scenes of importance are replaced with powerful animated visuals, giving an otherworldly, fantastical spin on the piece.

A fantastic, futuristic and gripping story, ECSTASY BOULEVARD will have you on the edge of your seat.

 

ECSTASY BOULEVARD, 5min, USA, Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Directed by Benjamin Allen

When an illegal alien lands his spacecraft on Earth, the assassin known as Kn1ght powers up to hunt the reptile down.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, (France, Fantasy/Romance)

festreviews 2017 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

It was the winner of BEST FILM at the festival!

by Kierston Drier

PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER is a highly colorful and richly detailed world of fantasy, love and horror is brought sharply into focus with exceptional casting and vivid imagination. Our piece follows a delicate and sheltered teen, Lili, cloistered in her home with her bitter, reclusive and beauty obsessed mother, Claudie. While Claudie seeks the help of a mystical gardener with a talent for growing beautiful replacement parts for her aging body, Lili falls hard for the boy next door. Lili’s crush soon takes control of her and she manages to seduce the young boy into her home- against her mother’s’ wishes.

Once there, however, she realizes she has loved in vain, and her heartbreak spurns her to seek an answer to her problems- by going to the gardener.
PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER shares the same sort of vivid, lush colors of famous films like Amelie but it’s tone is somewhere between the whimsy of a Wes Anderson film and a comical horror akin to Drew Goddard’s Cabin In The Woods.

Gorgeously composed, offering comedy, horror, irony, drama, passion and tension, this is a piece that packs an emotional punch, sends a shiver down your spin, and gives you a sharp pang of longing all at once.

A masterful emotional cocktail of a short film, it boasts spectacular performances all around, and a fantastically efficient and meaningful script. Bravo, PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, Bravo!

 

PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, 27min, France, Fantasy/Romance
Directed by Holy Fatma

In a surreal world, Lili, a 14-year-old albino, lives alone with her mother Claudie (50) who over-protects her from the outside world. Obsessed with her own appearance; Claudie regularly replaces aging parts of her face, alone in her operating lab, while Lili dreams of Lyesse, her 16 year-old handsome neighbor. But scared by so much love, Lyesse gently pushes her away. Devastated, she decides to operate his heart to understand why he doesn’t love her…

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: STAR WARS: TRIALS

festreviews Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

STAR WARS: TRIALS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

STAR WARS TRAILS, a fan fiction short from the USA, has done something magical in its five minutes of screen time. It creates a riveting, tense and emotional ride, complete with twist ending, in record time and with remarkable simplicity.

This film is an example for anyone who doubts the power behind a piece that boasts a small story with a simple setup. With minimal locations, characters and dialogue, this film still manages to deliver everything you want to see in a short film- nail-biting tension, fascinating character, jump-in-your-seat cinematic turns and, to top it off, a cool twist.

Well done to the strong cast, excellent vocal work and gut-crunching visuals that make STAR WARS TRAILS come to life with startling clarity. Whether you are a fan of the franchise of not, you’ll enjoy this film.

 

STAR WARS: TRIALS, 5min, USA, Action/Adventure
Directed by Jeremy Garcia

Rowan awakes in the dark depths of a cave with nothing but her lightsaber. As she navigates the dark environment she learns she may not be alone.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: TYSVAER WARS – A STAR WARS STORY

festreviews Kierston Drier, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , ,

TYSVAER WARS – A STAR WARS STORY played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACKL Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

 This delightful comic romp through one love-struck teens imagination will be the perfect escape for any movie-goer, Star Wars Fan or not. Disarmingly charming with its comic honesty and authenticity, our hero enters a fantasy world where he can save the day and rescue the princess- all through the most iconically familiar Star Wars moments.

The die-hard Star Wars fan will love it for its visual references, the film goer will love it for its meta-theatrics and intentional irony, and the everyone who finds themselves somewhere in between those two poles will be endeared to TYSVAER WARS for its endearing story. Haven’t we all been love-sick teenagers?

A comic romp that will have everyone in the crowd rolling with laughter, this is a fantastical, iconic and gleeful homage to classic cinematic work of art. You will cheer on the hero till the final frame- you may even want to watch it twice.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video

TYSVAER WARS – A STAR WARS STORY, 4min, Norway, Comedy/Action
Directed by Erlend Bjelland

A heartbroken Star Wars fan escapes into his own fairy tale.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!