Another year of magic arrives with the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival! Unfortunately due to accessibility, we were unable to cover a swath of features that we were intending to view; nevertheless, the festival was host to a plethora of previously-watched features that we really enjoyed, too! Read on for our full coverage after the jump…
Films
BABY RUBY
Full review at the link.
I LIKE MOVIES
Previously reviewed for 2022’s Toronto International Film Festival.
MIRANDA’S VICTIM
Having followed writer/director Michelle Danner across several different genres from thriller to drama to horror, I was especially excited to see how Danner would tackle an intimate historical drama with a meaningful message. The investigative lens is placed on the true story of a groundbreaking case on Miranda rights. We all know the basics, and that the reading of rights makes evidence admissible in a courtroom, but what of the victims on the opposite side? Abigail Breslin (Scream Queens, Little Miss Sunshine) headlines as Trish, the titular lead of Miranda’s Victim. Danner fills her film with exciting big names like Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, and Ryan Phillippe, always supporting Breslin’s captivating performance. Nightmarish hauntings of trauma that plague Trish are portrayed with the proper amount of nastiness. The courtroom drama in particular works well—Miranda’s Victim drives home poignant messaging by portraying its eventual karmic retribution with a delicate touch. This is a powerful story that will no doubt speak to a lot of people, and I think Danner has done the material the justice it so rightly deserves.
THREE NIGHTS A WEEK
Previously reviewed for 2022’s Venice Film Festival.
For more information about the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, head on over to their official website. We look forward to seeing what they have to offer again next year!