Sunday, June 15, 2025

For Venida, For Khalief(2025) Tribeca 2025

This is the story of Kalief Browder and his mother. Their lives were upended when Kalief found himself in trouble with the law and forced to spend years in solitary confinement. 

This is less a biography, but a meditation on jails, prison, criminal justice and the tolls the families caught in the wrong end of the system. The film uses Kalief's tragic tale to let up know how broken the system is. It also uses Venida's words to make us feel the pain.

Give this film  a huge number of points for bringing together a large number of important topics. Its a film that looks not just how broken things are now and how bad they were in the past. The film also tries to look a head. It's a heady mix of topics that are going to make you think long and hard about how we treat "criminals".

At the same time the film is very unfocused. Yes, the film is experimental in it's construction, but at the same time it never pulls it all together. We jump from thing to thing and then back again. While we are pulled in in some glorious moments, there are other times when we end up on the outside looking in. By the time the film began to focus on the bulldozing of Rikers Island for a solar/battery farm I was too far on the outside to ever go back in.

This is worth a look for the arguments it makes, but not for how it presents them.

Brief thoughts on BODYGUARD OF LIES (2025) Tribeca 2025

 This is a look at how the chase to get Bin Laden was a complete and utter disaster.

This is a damning film that shows how the entire Afghanistan adventure was doomed from the start. It's a film that shows how the idea that we could just throw money at it and everything would be okay and we'd get the bad guys, was dead wrong. The film clearly shows that the current American idea of how everyone wants democracy and the American way was dead on wrong. 

I thought I knew how bad it was, but the truth is I had no idea how bad.  I'm guessing if you see this film you will realize you didn't know it either.

Half way into the film I wanted to throw up, and I suspect you will too.  You will lose any respect that you had for the American government.

This is is a vital and important film, you need to see.

Recommended

AMERICAN CATS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE CUDDLY (2024) On VOD June 17


Comedian Amy Haggart (Full Frontal With Samantha Bee) looks at the cats in America, focusing on the drive to declaw the cats.

A funny and amusing film with a very serious under current AMERICAN CATS has some really great things in it. The trouble with the film is going to be how you react to Haggart and he acerbic snark. As much as I was enjoying the images and the discussion I  found I didn’t much care for Haggart’s personality. She simply rubbed me the wrong way.

My reservations aside this film is worth a look.

Yanuni (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at Juma Xipaia the first woman elected as chief of an indigenous group from the Amazon.  The film follows Xipia over several years as she works to get a minstry set up in the Brazilian government which will protect the people living there and the jungle itself.

Okay, full disclosure, my reaction to this film was affected by the fact that I have seen five similar documentaries on the indigenious groups attempting to protect themselves and the jungles. I mention this because the in watching YANUNI I was comparing it to the other films.  I was very aware I was not seeing this in a vacuum.

While the film is largely about Juma Xipaia and the poltical fight, there are sections that cover other films like WE ARE GUARDIANS and FALLING SKY. As a result for me the interesting parts were those just on Xipaia. This was something I hadn't seen in similar films, or even in othe political bios, what it is like to be just a person.

As good as much of this film is, the film has a couple of problems that keep it from being great. The first is that the film frequently seems to be more interested in giving us great images. Everything, even when protests go wrong, look picture perfect. Its so perfect you have to wonder if this is a documentary or a narrative.

That's something that raises it's head with too many sequences, particularly the ones with Xipaia and her husband, and that is the sequences seem to be staged. Even if the moments are genuine you can feel the fimmakers positioning everyone so the shot is perfect.  As a result the film feels less than a true documentary but a hagiographic puff piece. This film shouldn't be this perfect.

My quibbles do not mean that the film is bad. It's not it's just not great.

Worth a look.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

SURVIVING OHIO STATE (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a recounting of the crimes of Richard Strauss, the official doctor of the Ohio State sports teams. He molested every guy who came his way. It was a fact that was such an open secret that everyone joked about it.

This is a damning film about official misconduct and how an institution let thousands of men were abused. It's a film that clearly proves that current Congressman Jim Jordan, then an assistant coach, knew what was going on,and did nothing. (Jordan denies he knew). 

This is a very good and very sad film. It's a film that shows how no one wants to do anything that may prevent them from winning...or cause a scandal. Its a film that clearly shows how predators are allowed to operate for years. Most importantly it answers the question as to why the athletes (and ultimately orther victims) didn't punch Stauss in the face.

If you think you can deal with the frank discussion, you need to see this.

Recommended.

DOG OF GOD (2025) Tribeca 2025


Darkness falls over a small village when a maid is charged with witchcraft and werewolf turns up.

This film didn't work for me. It is a film more interested in blood, poop, urine and erections. While  there is nothing wrong with any of them in the right context, here they put on screen simply to poke us in the eye. Need proof? One of the first shots is a animal taking a dump and then a foot stepping in it. Later sequences have the important  discussions happening in the background while some thing provocative is happening up front, say taking a pee. There is no reason for it except to get us to react.

With the film more interested in provoking then in telling the story there is nothing to hang on to other than the sensations.  I lost interest rather quickly since the film seemed more like a teenager trying to annoy his parents.

If you want sensations of a purient nature give the film a try otherwise look else where.

Brief thoughts on SHE RUNS THE WORLD (2025) Tribeca 2025


Portrait of runner Allyson Felix who decided that the contracts being offered women were unfair since there was no provision for their having children. (Once they got pregnant most women were cut loose). 

This is a good look at both Felix and her fight. Its an eye opening film expose of how badly female athletes are treated. 

The trouble is the film never gets the balance of her life and her cause right. The film alternates from a hagiographic portrait of Felix and her career and a more serious battle. The result is a film that is intellectually interesting but not fully emotionally compelling.

Quibble aside it's worth a look for the social issues it raises..

Paradise Records (2025) Tribeca 2025


A young man struggles to keep his record store open.

This essentially an updating of Kevin Smith CLERKS set in a record store. It looks like and feels like a version of the earlier film. The reason is that Kevin Smith produced  and edited the film (as well as appearing as Silent Bob).  It's not a bad thing, but it makes this film awfully familiar.

Personally I liked this film a great deal. I laughed a lot.

At the same time I wish Logic hadn't copied Smith so closely. There is nothing wrong with it, and it could be argued that he has made a better film than Smith's, but the film shows so much talent that it's kind of sad that the film has to copy. If the film had been less of a copy people could see just how good a filmmaker Logic is.

But I'm quibbling. I was entertained which is more than enough.

Brief thoughts on Videoheaven (2025) Tribeca 2025


AlexRoss Perry navel gazes for three hours and talks about the age of video stores.

This is an over long self indulgent snooze fest. Its a clinical look at the history of video stores using endless film clips.  It's a film that literally repeats sections of narration over and over again.  There is nothing here that a 20 minute You Tube Video wouldn't have said more conciesely.

I think the reason that the film got picked up was the same reason that the people who liked it at Tribeca did, which was the clever use of film clips.  If you can see beyond that con this film is boring.

Avoid this unless you like to sleep

Ariela Rubin on TRAVEL COMPANION (2025) Tribeca 2025


The Travel Companion is about roommates and friends Simon and Bruce. Bruce works for an airline, and Simon gets free flights as his designated travel companion. Simon uses this perk to travel the world, at least, that’s the idea, as he works on filming a documentary.

One night after a movie screening, Bruce meets Beatrice, who is also a filmmaker. They start dating, and Simon quickly becomes anxious that he’s going to lose his free-flight privileges. He brings it up with Bruce at every opportunity, and even with Beatrice. His fixation on it starts to put their friendship at risk.

Ironically, for a movie centered around free flights, we never actually see Simon leave New York, where the film takes place. 

While I could empathize with Simon to some degree—he’s stuck in a dead-end job and struggling to figure out his path, I found his character pretty unlikable. Actually, I found all the characters to be quite unlikable. Bruce clearly begins to drift away from the friendship, but instead of addressing it, he just pulls back without explanation.

It’s a movie about self-discovery, and I think up-and-coming filmmakers might relate to it more. But for me, I found it pretty dull, and slow despite it only being 91 minutes. 

Deep Cover (2025) Tribeca 2025


Bryce Dallas Howard Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed are  an improv comedy teacher and two of her students who get in over their heads when they are recruited to go undercover by a police officer.

This is an amusing action comedy. The humor is largely situational and is very much tied to the trio getting deeper and deeper into trouble. They don't realize they are in danger while we do so we feel the tension.  

I was entertained.

I'm not going to lie and say this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I had a good time. This is the sort of film I would have loved to watch with my dad on a rainy Saturday night while curled up on the couch.

Worth a look.

Baby Tooth (2025) Tribeca 2025


A man shows up to answer an ad. The woman asks if its for the boat or the tooth.

Amusing, and brief, film that goes sideways in a funny sort of way. It's hard to say more because to do so will make seeing the film kind of pointless. Its a funny shaggy dog story.

Best seen as part of a shorts collection

Friday, June 13, 2025

The Hicks Happy Hour (2025) Tribeca 2025


The Hicks Happy Hour featuring the Hicks Family band is supposed to be taping their show. Unfortunately dad is nowhere to be found.

I am kind of mixed on this film.  Part of it is that the film feels like it's proof of concept film. There is a lot  going on, and this would probably play better with more back story. The other problem is that I grew up in the 1970's watching shows like  Hicks Happy Hour. Yea, the basic idea is good, but the truth is that the film feels like dress up. It doesn't feel real.

The film is okay. 

Kid Cudi'sNEVERLAND and other music videos TRIBECA 2025

 NEVERLAND is Kid Cudi's vampire tale is about a vampire taking his lady love on her first feeding. It's a great looking film that doesn't really work as a movie. It's very much an music video that wants to be more.

The other films in MUSIC VIDEOS: PLAYLIST are actually better because they don't try to gild the lilly and are just music videos. Then again Bonnie McKee's Forever 21 does what NEVERLAND wants to do, which is tell a complete story.

As for the rest I loved them all.  I just wish there was no seats so we could have danced around the theater.

I WANT TO FEEL FUN (2025) Tribeca 2025


Rambling film about various people circling around a Nicki Minaj concert.

This may end up as the big head scratcher of Tribeca. There are all these random bits that kind of fit together, but seem not to. The film feels like what the write up seems to indicate, a film that was randomly put together .

Its not bad but the film doesn’t seem to have a point. I’m not sure how this got into the festival.

Kerouac's Road: The Beat of a Nation (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at Jack Kerouac's On The Road and it's influence of the people who have read it.

Well it's trying to be.

What this really is is a mix of people talking about life on the road and people waxing poetic about what the novel means to them.. It's all decorated with some sunning images of people and places.

The problem is that none of it comes together. Its a series of great sequences that never tie to together. We know what people like about traveling, but how does it tie into the book? We know how the book influenced people but we never feel the wonder they do. Intellectually we do, but not emotionally.  I never felt why this book means something to anyone. 

Its not bad, but for a book that has changed the world and influenced generations it is never transcendant. 

Metallica Saved My Life (2025) Tribeca 2025


Fans of the band Metallica tell the story of the band and explain how great the guys are and how the band saved their lives, in some cases literally.

Let me cut to the chase- if you are a Metallica fan, particularly a hardcore, go to as many concerts as you can fan, then this film is going to be the best film you've ever seen. On the other hand if you are not well versed in their history and are not a big enough fan you are probably going to either not connect or run out of patience somewhere long before the end.

Don't get me wrong, this is a well made film but it has a very specific audience.  Yes, there are some incredibly moving stories here, but at the same time it does many of them a major disservice because it makes them seem sad since it seems many don't have anything other than the band, and all that matters is meeting them.

Ultimately the film is a hagiographic puff piece that celebrates the "official" story of the band.  Granted it's not the full story but one fashioned by how the band is seen by their biggest fans.  If you're not one of them, then odds are you are going to find this a very long two hours.

Ariela Rubin on OH, HI! (2025) Tribeca 2025

 


Oh, Hi starts with Iris telling someone off-screen that she’s done something bad. The film then flashes back about 30 hours to cute couple—Iris and Isaac (played by Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman), singing in a car on their way to a weekend getaway.

They stop to get strawberries, dance, fool around, and Isaac cooks Iris a nice dinner. They find handcuffs in a closet (they're at an Airbnb or something similar) and decide to use them for fun. Everything is going well and is fun, until Iris refers to them as a couple, and Isaac basically says, “Huh? We’re not a couple.” Unfortunately for him, he’s still in the handcuffs when this happens.

Iris is shattered, and while I know no woman likes being called crazy... she definitely becomes quite crazy, and Isaac essentially becomes a hostage. Things spiral and become ridiculous, even more so when Iris’s best friend and the friend’s boyfriend arrive at the house.

There were some laughs, but overall, it felt too over the top for me. I've seen people compare it to a modern-day 'Misey', which I can see but it doesn't get nearly as dark.

This movie just wasn’t for me. Iris and her friends were a bit too unhinged and annoying. I did like Isaac, though, I was rooting for him the whole time. I did wonder who the filmmakers were hoping people would side with.

If it ends up on a streaming platform, sure, give it a look, but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to see it.

So Far All Good (2025) Tribeca 2025

 


In 16 years of attending the Tribeca Festival I've never seen anything quite like SO FAR ALL GOOD and I pray never to do so again.

This is the story of a young man who just gets out of prison and then tries to get money and find his ex-girlfriend or something.

Told largely in jittery cam close ups of the main character's face- largely just his face- we listen to him prattle on about different things while the people on screen try to get him to go away or ramble on in their own WTF monologs. Other than no one really liking him (His mother won't take his calls, his ex ran off with another guy, clerks want him out of their stores) we don't know much. There is no details who anyone is or what is going on. There are a few conversations, mostly its just monologs. Things just happen with no explaination- for example he argues about a cellphone but doesn't have enough money, but suddenly he has a phone. He seems to be searching for drugs, but he steals some from somewhere unexplained and tries to sell them. Someone is looking for him, but why or who we are never told. Then 75 minutes in he stands on a subway platform and the film just ends.

How this was picked to screen anywhere is beyond me. 

I have never seen anything like this. Almost every other film I have ever seen has something to make it make sense in its own universe. Most other bad films were made with love and a sense they were trying. I don't know what this was made with. It feels like some one was challeneged to make a film more awful and nonsensical the THE ROOM and remove converstations and characters.

I was going to bail until Matt turned to me and said he would rather watch A FRAME, a film that he turned to me mid screening and asked him to kill him. It then became a game to try and out last the film and not bite off my tongue and choke myself with it.

I'm not kidding and my comments should not be taken as a challenge, rather as a warning. You can't riff this film because there is nowhere to put the jokes. 

No one should ever see SO FAR ALL GOOD and it should die a sad lonely death.

A Photographic Memory(2024) is on limited release via Kino Lorber


Photographer Rachel Elizabeth Seed never knew her mother, other than as an idea. Seed‘s mother passed away when she was only 18 months old. She knew her mom was a photographer  but she really didn’t know what that meant until she became one herself.  Deciding to try and find out who who her mom really was she started to dig into to her mother’s archives as well as reaching out to her friends, many of whom were some of the great photographers of the 20th century.

This wonderful portrait of a young woman and her mother is going to really hit home for most people. The quest to find out about a love one after they are gone is something many people have done and seeing someone go through the process and find wonderful gems is a real treat.   We should all be so lucky as to find out all these cool things.

One of the joys for me was getting to hear from the various photographers that Seed knew and interviewed. Having a brother who worked as photographer for years it was wonderful to get to put voices and faces together with names I’ve been  hearing for decades.

The bigger joy of the film, the real point of the film,  is seeing Seed connect with her mom.  This is a journey too many people never get to take. Watching Seed get to know her mom made me smile.

Recommended.

The End of Quiet (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at Green Bank West Virgina which is stuck in a pre-digital age. The reason there are no cellphones and othe modern conviences is that the town is home to huge listening stations and using modern phones will interfere. And then it shows what happens when the noise leaks in.

This is a slow medatative film about a world trapped thirty years back. You may make jokes about being in a backwater, but Green Bank is. How you react to the film will be determined by how you react to the silences and the pacing. 

For me the images are stunning, and I liked what the film was trying to do, but the film is a little too sedate for me and I had to fight to stay connected .

If you like slow and quiet meditations this film is for you.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Cocoon (2025) Tribeca 2025


For Luna New Year a mother has helped her daughter learn lines of welcoming for her grandmother, but when it comes time to speak them the young girl freezes up.

This is an excellent short film that will make you want to see more (I would love to see a feature).  This is a beautiful representation of a moment in time where the situation  bleeds off the screen in such away as we think we are seeing a fragment of lives.

This is a wonderful surprisen discovery that has me wondering what director Sujin Jung does next.

Recommended.

Gonzo Girl (2023) Tribeca 2025


Patricia Arquette makes her directorial debut with an adaption of Cheryl Della Pietra's novel inspired by her experience as Hunter S. Thomspon's assistant.

I'm scratching my head as to why this is a special screening at Tribeca for members only. It's a two year old film that isn't very good and doesn't deserve a special slot.

While I know this is supposed to be fiction, they also want you to know that Willem Dafoe is Hunter, at least physically. He has a hat and cigaretteholder and he is excessive but otherwise it's Dafoe chewing scenery. There is really no Hunter here. It ends up being neither fish nor fowl.

For me the problem ultimately became that I didn't know why I was being told this story. The point of the tale is that Dafoe is an aging lion living on his rep. His excesses have taken their toll and he really can't write. It's nothing we haven't seen before. The only thing is who is at the center. 

I'm not going to blame Arquette. She and her cast are fine. The problem here is the script which doesn't really do anything unique.

For me this is a major miss 

Animals in War (2025) Tribeca 2025


ANIMALS IN WAR is a multi-part film made up of short films focusing on animals in the Ukraine Russia war. All are nominally based on true stories. Each story is made my a different filmmaker.

This is an uneven affair. Some of these stories are better than others, with the film's desire to have each film make a point not always working, the opening film with Sean Penn mixing the sound on footage of an eagle when war breaks out is the most pointed and is there to simply provoke a reaction. Others, like the story of a cow wandering in the landscape, or another about a rabbit that gets lost  work better.

The animals represented in the film are an eagle, a cow, a rabbit,a dog (this is heart breaking tale), fish, a goat and cats.

While I don't think any of the pieces are bad (which is a rare thing in anthology films) I don't think the films being togethe  help them all to shine. There is an expectation that their being together represents and I'm not sure that that all work together as well as they would seperately. I don't mean that as a knock, but more that their being together doesn't let each tale breath the way it should.

Worth a look for those who are interested.

THE QUINTA’S GHOST(2025) Tribeca 2025


This is one of the most terrifying films you will see all year. The film is an animated telling of Goya painting the dark paintings known as the Black Paintings, which are full of beasties and terrible things, The tale is recounted by the house where Goya painted the iages.

I have no notes. This is just a chilling film about a decent into madness and return that scared the snot out of me. This is the story of a man lost in his head who has to paint to get the darkness out. I was chilled.

Told with shifting styles the images mirror Goya's art, with even the "real" world looking Goya-esque. Watching the f.ilm my jaw hung open, rarely have I ever seen a short, much less one that isn't nominally a horror one, be so scary

I fear for what would ever happen if director James Castillo ever  made a full length horror film, we may not survive.

One of the best films at Tribeca and detined to be on my year end lists, it is highly recommended.

Natchez (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at the city of Natchez in Mississippi which is reliant on the connection to the antebellum south, despite being one of the more progressive cities in the South (It was one of the first cities to have an openly gay mayor). As times have been changing the city's tourism as place with connections to the Confederacy has been dying off, as social change and the indifference of the younger generations to the past has left the city scrambling.

This is a really good film. I like how  it begins with a portrait of the city and its Garden Club in a way we expect. We think its going to show us a city in love of the fallen south, but that view quickly gives way to the battle to change the history being told. People are telling the story of life in the city beyond the rich white folks. We hear of the lives of the slaves.  And most interestingly we hear how the younger generations want nothing to do with the past. The city is not making money on tourism.

I was left pondering society, not just that of the American South but all of society.  There is a lot to unpack here, and I'm still working on doing that.

Recommended.

We Are Kings (2025) Tribeca 2025


In the early 2000's a young man has his life turned upside down when his crush walks into the Chinese restaurant and he goes off with her.

I really like this film a great deal. This is a solid little film with a great deal going on. It's got so much going on that I want this to be turned into a feature. I need more time with these characters.

I know I haven't said a lot about the film, and I'm sorry. I just loved this film so much that my desire to have more time with everyone is what I took away from the film.  I will say that if you loved DIDI from last year you are going to eat this up

Highly recommended.

Room To Move (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at dancer choreographer educator Jenn Freeman soon after she is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We watch as she explores how this changes her life and prepares a show based on the diagnosis.

This is most decidedly not a dance film. While the film is focused on a dancer, the film instead is a look at Freeman’s battle to deal with her autism. It’s a film that wants to put us into her head space and make us experience the world as she sees it.  The film is a lot of talk and discussion and sequences that make us experience her life.

Give this film points for not following a prescribed path, but take some away for not quite sticking the landing.  The problem  here is this film is incredibly personal. It’s a film that is so hyper focused that it’s hard to fully connect to the story we are being told. This is Freeman’s story being told in her way and it doesn’t really get out of the tunnel. Yes this is a great exploration of her story, but if you can’t stay with the hyper focus you are going to lose interest. I was good for a while , but there was a point where I began to lose interest and I stepped away for a bit.

The film isn’t bad but it feels too much like navel gazing and it isn't our navel.

A miss

THE DEGERNATE: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at filmmaker Andy Milligan, who was one the driving forces behind Off Off Broadway before he switched to making (bad) movies. His films were no budget exploitation films that stand alone in the patheon on cinema. I mean that in both a good way and a bad way. This film is full of clips and interviews with the people who knew and loved him.

Andy Milligan is a filmmaker who haunts me. I was scarred by his films right after high school when I was gifted with a VCR and I was watching every horror film I could get my hands on.  His images are burned into my head to such a degree that two months into Unseen Films run, I wrote an appreciation that was fueled by reading The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan by Jimmy McDonough.(McDonough is in the film. And if you love movies you need to read the book, it's one of the best films on cinema I've ever read). Milligan is a filmmaker I've recommended to people who want to see unique and one of a kind films.

Josh Johnson and Grayson Tyler Johnson's film is a love letter to Milligan, his achievements and his films. It's a really good look at the man and his movies.

The best part of the film are the nterviews with the people who worked with and knew Milligan. The afore mentioned Jimmy McDonough is in the film and he acts as the through line to the film connecting everything up. I would love to just listen to him talk for hours. Also here are Hope Stansbury, John Borske, Bob Liikala and Robert Berlin  who worked with Milligan behind and infront of the camera. Sam Sherman who helped promote Milligan's films. They are a glorious collection of people who not only tell us what was going on but make us fall in love wih Milligan.

The problem with the film, and it's nothing to do with the directors, is that Milligan's films do not work as clips. I've been watching the films for 43 years and unless you can see his films from start to finish, unless you can get into that Milligan headspace from the first frame his films come off as much worse than they are. Trust me, watching sequence play out of context does the films no justice. VAPORS probably Milligan's best from the 60's and 70's looks stilted when it's just pieces. Without the headspace it creates the film looks like bad porn despite being something else.

I should mention that I am not going to champion Milligan's films as conventionally good. They are not, however they are truly one of a kind and the work of a true artist. I say that without irony, Milligan was an artist.

If you love cinema in all it's forms you need to see this film.

Recommended.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Brief thoughts on Maintenance Artist (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a portrai of artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles—the firstArtist-in-Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation. Ukles uses garbage and left over materials to make her art.  As she looks toward "retirement" she looks back at her life.

This film didn't work for me. The problem is not the art or the filmmaking, rather the problem is Ukeles herself. Her mannered, almost formal way of speaking makes he sound like a bad lecturer. Watching her interact with the garbage guys in some of the archival footage had me laughing. There is no sense of her being natural and she comes off as bad actress.  In a weird way her presentation makes her seem almost like a human Marcel Duchamp/ Avant Garde work of art. She is the least natural person I've ever run across in a documentary.

There is some good material here and it is worth trying, but just be aware you may not connect to the film's subject.

Bird in Hand (2025) Tribeca 2025


A woman named Bird goes home to plan her up coming wedding along the way she tries to reconnect with her mom and deal with a neighbor who bought an old house next door.

BIRD IN THE HAND is an amusing film  but it isn’t likely  to hang with you. I saw the film some 24 hours before I sat down to write about it but I found that most of the film had vanished from my memory.  That’s not an absolute knock on the film, I did enjoy it when it was on, but it does mean that down the road I will probably be wondering if I saw it when it gets a release.

To be honest the one over riding thought  about the film is that it is one of a number recent films where mothers try to connect with their mothers who are distant and self-absorbed. It seems like a number of filmmakers are trying to sort out their own lives. What I find extremely interesting is that the woman at the center are handfuls them self. They are all not your typical female characters.  I like that we are getting women who are complex, even at the cost of them not being wholly likeable.

In the present film Bird is a handful, and not particularly a warm and fuzzy person. She does what she wants, to the extent of breaking into her mother’s house and insisting on staying there to plan the wedding.

As a result of filmmakers not following the same path we are getting films that break the mold, and even if they are not giving us completely likeable characters we are not getting films we’ve seen a dozen times before.

Rebirth (2025) Tribeca 2025


Set in a future where abortion is illegal, this is the story of a woman who is unable to to take a day off from work and decides to take a black market abortion bill jut before her shift as a waitress. The pill unfortunately has unexpected side effects.

The basic story is based on an actual story. The denouncement is not and it seems to infer a larger story waiting to be told.

This is a neat little film. For most of it's running time it's an uncomfortable thriller about a working woman having to deal with evil bosses and shitty customers while being sick. Its a film that hit. s the memories of anyone who has ever worked in a crappy job. The urgency about abortion and a woman's right to make her own descisions about her body add additional levels of tension and emotion.

I really liked this film, though I'm not certain about the denouncement. As I said above the film the film infers that this story is going to be expanded because it brings up a ton of questions in the final moments.

Questions or no, this is a solid little film and one you need to see. 

Recommended

Just Sing (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a look at the University of Southern California’s VoCals. They are an a ccapella group who perform musical number of the sort you see in the PITCH PERFECT FILMS.

This is a really good film. Full of wonderful people and infectious songs, JUST SING will make you feel good.  It's a delightful trip with a group singers as they share their lives and prepare for the collegitae championships.

Fifteen minutes into the film I was texting my brother to take my niece to see this film. She is currently in a high school level group that is dsoing the same thing and I know that she is going to eat this film up.

What an absolute delight.

I'm sorry I don't have much more to say than that. It's not because I don't have the words, but simply words aren't necessary because this film simply exists on an emotional level.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on HORSEGIRLS (2025) Tribeca 2025


As a mother  (Gretchen Mol) deals with a not very good medical diagnosis, she worries about what will happen to her autistic daughter (Lillian Carrier).  However there maybe hope as the young woman gets a job at a Halloween Store and joins competitive hobby horse dance team.

This is a nice little film. While the film hits many of the expected notes for a film like this the cast sells this. Both Mol and Carrier are delights and we will gladly follow them anywhere. The pair makes this a small gem of a film that is worth your time.

Recommended.

Re-Creation (2025) Tribeca 2025


In 1996 French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was murdered near  her home in West Cork. While journalist Ian Bailey was suspected by the police he was never charged in Ireland. He was tried in absentia in France and found guilty. RE-CREATION is speculation on what might have happened in the jury room if Irish authorities had taken it to trial.

There have been numerous documentaries investigating the case including a Netflix limited series that Bailey sued  over. I've seen several of them and I am intrigued by the case. I still am not certain as to what happened. This is another attempt to make sense of the murder.

While some of the promotional material suggests that this is an examination of the facts of the case that will allow the audience to decide, this is actually a polemic that is arguing that Bailey may not have been the killer. I don't have a problem with that but there are issues with some aspects of the film.

The first problem is that director/star Jim Sheridan is a friend or aquaintence of Ian Bailey. (I'm still not 100% certain how friendly they were/are). While that's fine unto itself, presenting this film as a wholly neutral film (we are supposed to make up our own minds) doesn't work. The problem wouldn't exist if Sheridan wasn't in the film, but the fact  is he acting as the foreman and is steering the discussion and he does so in a manner that isn't natural. This is more a dramatic lecture not a dramatic film.

The other problem is that a great deal of what we see and hear are things that would never go before the jury. The conceit of this being an actual jury discussion is never really followed as the jury discus evidence that would not have been presented to them (such as statements of one of the witnesses who changed her testimony). I wouldn't have cared but as a real trial film this film collapses. (Yes I know what goes in the US is not what would happen in Ireland, but some of the evidence was listed as questionable by some of the documentaries)

While I like the film, its an intriguing concept, I really wish that Sheridan had simply made a documentary. He could have said what he wanted with out wrapping it in material that forces the facts and the fiction to grate against each other (why do you have Colm Meaney silently play Bailey when Bailey appears in actual photos? And why use Vicky Krieps  when all she does is just ask questions?)

My resenvations aside the film is worth a look, especially if you like true crime tales.

Tatami (2023) opens Friday


Leila, an Iranian Judo champion, travels to Georgia with her team for a competition. When the possibility of her having to compete against an Israeli athlete arises (something forbidden by the government) she is ordered to fake an injury. When she refuses she and her family are threatened.

This solid political thriller is based on actual events. The Iranian government has been manipulating things for ther own ends for years and we can feel the real world tension bleeding off the screen. You can sense how this is going to go. What sets the film apart, though, is that there is a point where the film turns. The film doesn't take the expected route to the end, and we are better for it.  I say that because when the film turned the film lifted up a couple points in my eyes.

Shot in a moody black and white with a deliberate aspect ratio that creates a sense of claustraphobia TATAMI grabs us early and drags us along.

Recommended

Terror Night (2025) Tribeca 2025


Josefine puts the baddest bass box in her car and then goes on a date with her boyfriend. The trouble is someone has a problem with the loud music.

First I have to say stay through the credits.

After that I need to say that that this is a wicked little horror film with a humorous edge. I'm not going to say what happens, but it will make you say WHOA.

One the best horror shorts I've seen in a long time. While I hope that this doesn't go to feature (its a tightly wound short), I will be first in line of it does.

Recommended.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Brief thoughts on HOW I LEARNED TO DIE (2025) Tribeca 2025


A young girl with cancer discovers she has a 60% chance of dying from an upcoming surgery. She then decides to live it up in the time she has "left".

This is a solid little film. Its very funny and very charming and I want to see it again. And I suspect its a possibility since the film has the feel of a proof of concept film. If that is the case, sign me up.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on SISTER! (2025) Tribeca 2025


James a transfemme is stalked by Tessa who claims to be her half sister via sperm donor. James wants no part of it but Tessa insists they spend time together.

This is a loud comedy that seems to have been cut from the sitcom cloth. Sure the language is not for prime time TV, but the comedy is old school. It's very much of a type and whether you click with it or not is going to depend on if you like the humor.

This did make me laugh, but not enough to recommend.

Brief thoughts on TERROR MAKES YOU SLENDER (2025) Tribeca 2025


A guy gets hustled by a woman looking for money. When she gets caught, her mark gives her advice and she seeks pay back

 Odd rambling film has some good performances and a great sense of Harlem, but beyond that I'm not certain it adds up to much. Yes, you will have no idea where this is going, but at the same time I'm not certain there is anything in the ending.

A miss.

(And despite the title it is not a thriller or anything like it)

A pointer towards We Are Pat (2025) Tribeca 2025


Director Rowan Haber looks at the Its Pat sketches from Saturday Night Live and how it connected with some people.

Pat was a character whose gender was not specified and who made people uncomfortable. I never found Pat anything more than just okay. I know why Pat had a series of sketches, but  at the same time it seemed to be rather one note. Watching this film I hoped to find out what the wonder of Pat was.

I'm still hoping to find out.

No that's not right, intellectually I know why Pat resonates with people but at the same time, Pat's wonders elude me. Thats's not to say the film is bad, it's not it just didn't connect to me.

If you're interested in Pat, then give the film a try. Otherwise give it a pass.

The Square (2024) Tribeca 2025


THE SQUARE is an animated film from Korea. Its set in North Korea and it  follows a Swedish Diplomat who begins a clandestine romance/friendship with a woman who works as a late night traffic cop.

This is a small scale anime influenced romance of sorts. Because of the situation in the country there is a limit to how far the couple can take things. It is a kind of doomed romance that ends up taking on the mantle of a political thriller as the couple tries to remain out of harms way.

While this is good little film, it is rather slight. This is the cinematic equivalent to the Harlequin romances which entertain you for a couple hundred pages before being promptly forgotten when the film is done.

Worth a look if you’re curious but nothing you need rush out to.

Very Brief Thoughts on WIdow Champion (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a portrait of  Rodah Nafula Wekesa. She is a Kenyan widow who acts as an advocate for other widows who are in danger of losing the land they lived on. The laws in Kenya favor men and once the patriarch of a family dies other people start circling trying to steal the land for themselves.

This is a largely verite look at Wekesa doing what she does, talking to widows and then trying to get an agreement that favors the women. Its a low key film with a lot of talking, particularly by people just sitting around. It's interesting, but at the same time I drifted off. 

If the subject interests you give it a try. If it doesn't step away.

Meet Pol Pot (2024) opens Friday


Based on journalist Elizabeth Becker’s memoirs about her trip to Cambodia with two other journalists to interview Pol Pot, MEETING WITH POL POT is a fictionalized account of what happened and how it went sideways.

Director Rithy Panh continues his examination of what happened in his country a half century ago. Here we have a look at how efforts to see what was really going on the country was blocked by the leaders of the country. Panh uses what ever he needs, dolls and archival footage, in order to to make us feel and understand the madness that was running rampant.  At times it's a real kick in the pants.

Unfortunately Panh doesn't always blend the emotion and the intellectual sides together. Part of the problem is that other than what happens to the three journalists, there isn't anything really new here. We've been here before, particularly in Panh's own films so some of the pauses where nothing happens or we go on the well controlled trips through the country feel a bit like filler. It's not fatal but it it prevents the film from being as compelling as it should have been. 

I liked this film a great deal but I wanted to love it, particularly because I love the directors earlier films. This film felt like a revisit to the well. Perhaps if this was a bit closer to what actually happened I might have liked it more (there is real mystery involved).

My Reservations aside, this is still worth a look, especially if you don't know what happened in Cambodia when the whole country went mad.

Bleeding (2024) is on Screambox


I’m going to explain this badly because it’s the only way to explain it simply. In a world where vampires exist, their blood is used to make a drug called blood. It is highly addictive, and dangerous to produce. In the world a young man tries to help his blood addicted cousin get out of debt of a drug dealer by getting some blood. However the plans go sideways when they find a girl in an abandoned house.

One of a kind horror/social commentary film is an interesting ride with a unique feel. It doesn’t always feel like a horror film so the horror sneaks up on you and hits you over the head. I wasn’t certain early on if the film was going to work, but the film pulls it together to be something special. Ultimately it’s a more overt social commentary, in this case a look at addiction, wrapped in the robes of horror.

Worth a look.

Monday, June 9, 2025

How Dark My Love (2025) Tribeca 2025


This is a portrait of artist Joe Coleman as he paints his wife Whitney Ward over several years.

I have always been a fan of Joe Coleman. I have books and recordings of his works. I love his art and the dark sense. I love the details in the things he paints. They are works of art you can spend years looking at and still not see anything.  I have always liked to listen to Coleman talk. I find him talking about his art and his world facinating.

Or I did until I saw HOW DARK MY LOVE.  For the first time in decades I was kind of bored by all the talk. It's not that what was said was bad or un interesting, its more that Coleman speaks in such a low key manner I drifted off. 

I want to see it again, but at the same time I'm not certain how this is going play for non-fans.

Dead Language (2025) Tribeca 2025


Aya goes to the airport to pick up her husband. Because of the way things play out she picks up a stranger and becomes facinated by him.  The facination sends ripples through her life.

This is based on the directors 2015 Oscar nominated short AYA. I have not seen the short but I am curious about how they opened up the film.

DEAD LANGUAGE is one of the best films I've seen at Tribeca. While the film feels a little long in the middle, the film pulls it all together with a finale that rocked my world. This isn't to say that there is anything wrong with the middle section, more that the half hours that book end the film are so strong that I wished that the middle was as tight.

That the film works as well as it doesn is due to the cast. Both Sarah Adler as Aya and Ulrich Thomsen are note perfect. You understand why they end up dancing around each other. They are matched by everyone else on screen,  but since they are the focus of the film I'm mentioning them.

I fell into the film.  The airport opening pulled me in and made sure I was going to the end. Small things like Aya refusing to answer her mother's call and  her handing the phone off charmed me to my soul. I had been there with several people I know. It was the moment where i was reassured that the film was going to be real. The truth is beyond the performances, it's all the small moments that make the film. All through the moments are these little things that make the film feel real.

I had a blast and the ending had me misting up.

What a glorious discovery.

Go see it.

The Rose Come Back to Me (2025) Tribeca 2025


One of my favorite discoveries of this year's Tribeca is THE ROSE: COME BACK TO ME.  The film charts the rise of the Korean group The Rose from their formation on to the present day. We see how they came together, broke apart and then came together again. 

I was hooked from the opening moments where we see where the group perform the title song. There was something about it that hooked me and I just went along to the end.

While there is nothing special about how the film is presented, on the other hand the four guys at the center are wonderful. You can't help but like them and you completely understand why they are becoming a global sensation.

One of the must sees at Tribeca-its so good I had to go back and see it at the festival.