Here Be Dragons (2022) Cinequest Film Fest 2022

David Locke is a former UN Peacekeeper turned Crimes Against Humanity investigator gets a visit from his past. An old acquaintance shows up to say he has information that a Balkan war criminal and he wants Locke to hunt him down many decades after the fact. Wading into the hunt things become complicated as the hunt opens old wounds and makes him wonder what is the right way to handle horrors of the past.

This is a solid little thriller with some ideas on it’s mind that manages to do what seems to be nigh impossible these days, namely make a crackerjack thriller that also manages to make us think about the things we are seeing on screen. This is important today when memory is thirty seconds long and everyone wants to forget that bad latte never mind the atrocities of the past. In this case we are asked what do we get by digging up the past? And what of the criminals who say that they have changed over time?

At the same time as the film is asking questions in the shading of the film, front and center this is a solid thriller/drama that grabs us and drags us along. Sure there are a couple of bumps, but nothing is fatal since we always remain engaged and invested in the action and the characters.

I really liked this film a great deal. I liked that it wasn’t a big flashy thriller. The small scale nature of the film adds a great deal to the feel of the film. It feels real and not like a Tom Cruise thriller.

This is a gem of a film and exactly the sort of film I set up Unseen Films to highlight.

Recommended

DASH (2022) Cinequest 2022

 DASH is  a single take car ride where a ride share drive with lots of troubles has to navigate multiple customers,  many more lovers and some drugs he needs to sell.

I’m not going to say that DASH is the greatest thing since sliced bread but it’s a good little film that I’m glad I saw. I should probably apologize to the filmmakers with what may seem like a cavalier attitude but the truth is that’s what it is. It’s a neat little film.

Its also a film that’s kind of hard to really critique. The  reason is that the “one take” nature of the film makes the film that you either accept and go with or one that makes you crazy.  While I know some people will not like the entire film is shot looking into the car through the front window. There are other people, such as myself, who will be fascinated with  watching how it  all plays out. Wanting to know how they did it make me lean in and get hooked on everything that was transpiring before me.  While there is no doubt that some of it is contrived simply to allow for things to play out as they do and for plotlines to be resolved, I still got invested with the turns. I actually wished I had seen this in a theater where the huge screen would have improved the experience by making it close to sitting on the hood of a car.

While there are some bumps, particularly in that the performances can be uneven, this is still a film that’s worth a look.

Playing this weekend at Cinequest its worth a look.

Brief thoughts on Salma's Home (2022) Cinequest 2022

Salma was married to Bakri but they divorced. She strugles to get by and to help her daughter who is having troubles with her husband. When Bakri dies, things that complicated as his current wife shows up on Salma's door because the only money in the estate is the half of the Salma's house he owns.

This is a sweet little film. Its a lovely little film about three women trying to get by and end up finding a family. Yea, it is occasionally can be by the numbers, but at the same time it is  good time with good people.

Definitely worth a look.