Prayers of a Saint (2019) La Femme Film Festival

Prayers of a Saint is a kind of a conundrum for me. I had gone into the film expecting one thing based upon a press release for the film and instead got something else. The film is supposed to be about a young woman who has run away from her abusive family and while some of that is in the film there, there is a lot more less defined stuff going on, things are not entirely spelled out and I was left wondering what I was supposed to think.

To be honest I was not going to review the film. I emailed the PR person handling the the film to say that I wasn’t sure what I thought of the film and despite liking portions of the film I was going to pass because my reaction to the over all film was going to have me say things that may make it sound like I hated the film, which I don’t.

I walked away and thought no more of it…except that I didn’t think no more of it and for the last few days the acting and the crafting of the film haunted me. While director Santho Goonewardene may have made a film that is narratively a little uncertain, it emotionally packs a punch. Thinking on the film I was kind of stunned to find that the film left me emotionally cracked. I can feel a wound where the film hit me. Additionally I find that the images have haunted me and are dancing around the edges of my psyche. Understand that they are appearing to my inner eye in between the other films I’m screening and writing on. Clearly Goonewardene has made a film of quiet power.

If I maybe so bold as to state that Prayers of a Saint is one hell of a calling card. It is a wonderful representation of a filmmaker who is one to watch. Goonewardene has made a film that quietly knocks on the door and then takes over. To be honest I am still mixed on the film dramatically, but I would love to see a longer version of the story. More importantly I really want to see what Goonewardene does next.

Prayers of a Saint plays October 19th at 2PM, 2019 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles at the La Femme Film Festival and is worth seeing for anyone who wants to see a interesting voice in film that needs to be allowed to sing in bigger projects.

Butterfly (2019) La Femme International Film Festival

Fashion model who is tired of her life and want change heads out into the desert and meets a loner living in the middle of nowhere after her car runs out of gas.

I am not going to lie, I loved this film up until the closing minutes. The interplay between Jade Lorna Sullivan as the model and Micah Fitzgerald as the loner is perfect. the discussions are heady and the emotions seem to be on target.  It's a beautifully acted and plotted film almost to the end.

The problem for me is not so much the ending, but how it comes about which is so sudden and out of left field. It kind of worked, but at the same time it seemed overly silly.

How the ending plays out in the finale minute aside BUTTERFLY is 22 minutes of kick ass discussion and amazing performances. It is absolutely worth tracking down at the La Femme Film Festival this weekend or where ever it is playing.

For more information and tickets go here.

Every Grain of The Sand (2019) La Femme Film Festival

Every Grain of sand contains two of the best performances you’ll see all year. Tarra Riggs and Regina Williams play sisters with a realness that is so good it is impossible to believe that they aren’t related.. The tension arcs and sparks between them and when they breakdown you want to cry for and with them. They are the powerhouse that drive this small little gem.

The film concerns a moment in the lives of two women living in a trailer in the desert. One has given up her life to move and take care of her dying sister. Tension rise.

As moving as this film is I want to see what went before. This is in it’s way the conclusion of a story- but I want to see the whole story. This is in no way a knock against Every Grain as it stands now, rather it’s simply to say that the film and it’s performances are so stellar that I want more time with these woman. I want to embrace them for two hours not ten minutes. I want to be wrecked by the ups and downs. I also want to see the two women battle it out for the Oscar their performances would bring in a feature.

This is a great little film.

See it this today at the La Femme Film Festival.

You Can Kiss Me (2019) La Femme International Film Festival

A woman's search for a new lover runs into complications from her marriage.

This is a lovely film about a woman trying to follow her heart but ending up having to deal with the complications of reality is a winner.Boasting a couple of killer performances by Brandi Nicole Wilson and Ylfa Edelstein, the film soars to the heavens purely on their charisma. Honestly the pair send sparks off the screen making you want an expansion of this short or at least a second screen pairing of the two where they can flex their muscles for a feature run time.

I really liked this film a great deal and it's discovery, and particularly the pairing of the ladies is one of the joys of the fall film season.

YOU CAN KISS ME plays Saturday at the La Femme Film Festival. For more information go here.

Ladies Most Deject (2019) LaFemme International Film Festival

LADIES MOST DEJECT is a good short film that should have been a feature. The story of a young girl who must take steps to keep her sisters safe from her addict mother and dealer uncle is much too short to do the subject justice. It's really good  but while the film is clearly willing to deal with such a complex subject such as addiction on a family, the fact that it runs only 15 minutes works against it. (which is probably the film's only flaw)

Don’t get me wrong this is a nicely acted film that looks good and which puts addiction into the neat little homes that look like there isn’t any dark secret hiding inside. It’s a moving tale that needs to be told. However at the same time had the film had more time to build the emotion this would have been a kick ass film.

I want to see director Martha Elcan go back and shoot this a feature. I have no idea whether this is proof or concept or not but if it’s not it should be. While there have been any number similar films there is something about LADIES that stands out and makes me want to see a longer version. Perhaps it’s simply that while the basic tale is similar to others what Elcan and her writers have done with it is not.

(Addendum- after I wrote the review I found out that the film was written in part by Conner Wharton who plays Charlie in the film. Ms Barton was teenager when she wrote the screenplay. Having been subjected to the publicity push for BURNING CANE an over praised first film that was written when the director as 15 and feels like it, I need to say that Ms Wharton is the better writer.  Having created a world of real characters and real situations that bleed off the screen Ms Wharton needs to keep writing. Please Ms Barton keep doing what you are doing and making films and  don't let anyone tell you no. And the same holds true to Ms Elcan whose crafting the film from the page is something special. We need to hear your voices)

As it stand LADIES MOST DEJECT is a good little film that’s worth your time when it plays at the La Femme International Film Festival but it will be worth even more if we ever get to see a longer version.

LADIES MOST DEJECT screens 2pm on Friday, October 18 at the Regal Theatre at LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. For more information and tickets go here.

In brief: Doubts (2019) La Femme International Film Festival

DOUBTS is poem by Julie Flanders with animation by Phoebe Cavise. It spells out a warning about the evil doubts that seek to take over our lives.

Lovely short film beautifully and humorously tells us how to handle our fears. Running under 4 minutes it acts as a wonderful balm for that which ails us.

It is a gem and recommended.