★★★ A selection from the 2019 SXSW Film Festival, Alice is supercharged by a great turn from Emilie Piponnier as the title character. However, it is very lacking in a dramatic and narrative sense. It is about Alice (Piponnier), who finds out the hard way that she is broke and on the verge of homelessness. … Continue reading Film Review: Alice
Interview: Screenwriter/Director Mei Makino & Inbetween Girl Cast
Photo credit: Jason Kempin/Getty for Mei Makino; Anna Martinez for Emily Garrett Inbetween Girl is a quirky and personal coming-of-age dramedy, and one of my favorites from 2021’s SXSW Film Festival. The film follows young artist, Angie (Emma Galbraith), as she struggles to find herself in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Hunky Liam (William … Continue reading Interview: Screenwriter/Director Mei Makino & Inbetween Girl Cast
SXSW 2021: Violation
★★★★★ When you think of a typical rape revenge tale, like Last House on the Left, or I Spit On Your Grave, there’s inherent cathartic moments baked into the script. Violation lacks these moments, instead taking a hyper-realistic approach to the subgenre. The structure of the storyline, and the depth to these characters, elevates Violation … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Violation
SXSW Film Festival Wrap-Up
South by Southwest is the first film festival I’ve covered essentially top to bottom, but even I didn’t have time for everything. I saw a total of 32 films, 1 short film, 3 TV pilots, and several panels/events. Anything not afforded full coverage is included here, as well as a personal top 10 favorite films … Continue reading SXSW Film Festival Wrap-Up
Interview: Actor Udo Kier & Screenwriter/Director Todd Stephens
A sharp selection from 2021’s SXSW film slate, Swan Song is a poignant comedy that manages to be both deeply moving and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Retired hair-stylist Pat Pitsenbarger (Udo Kier) is caught off guard when he receives an unexpected visitor at his nursing home. An old client who had a falling-out with Pat has passed … Continue reading Interview: Actor Udo Kier & Screenwriter/Director Todd Stephens
SXSW 2021: Sound of Violence
★★★★ As the first film I’ve seen in 2021’s SXSW Film Festival lineup, Sound of Violence has set an impossibly high bar for the type of content I’ll be expecting. This is a wildly outrageous, beautifully realized, and vibrant horror film that is razor-sharp smart around every corner. It’s all anchored by a stunning lead … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Sound of Violence
SXSW 2021: Violet
★★ Violet, a headache-inducing new drama from 2021’s SXSW Film Festival, has a specific style that will make or break the film for any viewer. It features a terrific lead performance from Olivia Munn, and is filled to the brim with recognizable faces in cameo roles. Similar to 2019’s Uncut Gems, Violet feels like one … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Violet
SXSW 2021: Inbetween Girl
★★★★ Inbetween Girl is a new SXSW coming-of-age dramedy that proves there’s plenty of life left in the subgenre. Taking a page from similar romantic comedies like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and E4’s My Mad Fat Diary, the film gives us a cute couple worth swooning over, with Liam and Angie. Subversion … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Inbetween Girl
SXSW 2021: Executive Order
★★★★ Perhaps the most interesting film I watched out of the Pan African Film Festival’s 2021 selection, Executive Order, is a Brazilian drama that feels timely and shocking. It first lets us observe these characters in their natural habitats—what they do for fun, how they coexist in a world already against them, and the kinds … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Executive Order
SXSW 2021: Swan Song
★★★★★ Swan Song came out of nowhere, and completely bowled me over with its vibrance, authenticity, and tender love of gay culture. Udo Kier is a legend of independent cinema, and Swan Song lets him spread his wings like he never has before. Kier embodies real-life, Sandusky trailblazer, Mister Pat Pitsenbarger, with every fiber of … Continue reading SXSW 2021: Swan Song