★★★★ Feeling as if it came straight from the mind of Wes Anderson, stop-motion-animated Oink is a hilarious treat the whole family can enjoy! Banned for 25 years from a prestigious sausage contest, two rival butchers are back in action now for the 100th iteration. Who will be crowned Sausage King of the Century? For … Continue reading NYICFF 2022: Oink
Berlinale 2022: Sublime
★★★★ Sublime exists somewhere in that special corner of adolescence, on the cusp of falling down the rabbit hole of one’s first love. What happens when those feelings that start to invade one's brain aren’t for one's girlfriend, but a member of the same sex—a close friend, to be exact? Sublime posits that these thoughts … Continue reading Berlinale 2022: Sublime
Berlinale 2022: Against the Ice
★★★ Against the Ice places a surprising true story set in the arctic against the emotionally-distant script. The result is a bit of a predictable drama set in North Eastern Greenland. While not awful at all, I saw such potential in this survival concept that I became frustrated it is not quite able to rise … Continue reading Berlinale 2022: Against the Ice
Interview: Screenwriter/Director Jamie Sisley & Stay Awake Cast
The Berlinale Film Festival got off to a bang, as Allison and I chatted over Zoom with the amazing cast and creatives of harrowing addiction drama, Stay Awake. We talk character motivations, the subversion to not vilify addicts, favorite filming locations, upcoming projects, and more! Based on the critically-acclaimed short film of the same name, … Continue reading Interview: Screenwriter/Director Jamie Sisley & Stay Awake Cast
Berlinale 2022: The Forger
★★★ Good forgeries are tiny works of art, and Berlinale selection, The Forger, strives to be exactly that. In the film, we follow a young Jewish man, Cioma (Louis Hofmann), who is trying to live peacefully in 1940s Berlin. If the slightest modicum of history knowledge tells you anything, this time period was rife with … Continue reading Berlinale 2022: The Forger
Berlinale 2022: Stay Awake
★★★★★ Based on the critically-acclaimed short film of the same name, Stay Awake tells the story of two young boys on the cusp of adulthood as they maneuver their mother’s undying opioid addiction. Thanks to a trio of phenomenal key performances, writer/director Jamie Sisley crafts a harrowing, realistic portrayal of loving a relative who refuses … Continue reading Berlinale 2022: Stay Awake
Berlinale 2021: I’m Your Man
★★★★ Fresh from its debut at Berlinale International Film Festival, unconventional romantic comedy Ich bin dein Mensch (I’m Your Man) is a breath of fresh air. Charming Dan Stevens speaking in German was reason enough to watch, but I found a shockingly tender, beautiful character drama contained within. Stevens and co-star Maren Aggert have a … Continue reading Berlinale 2021: I’m Your Man