A young Aboriginal man works with a former soldier to save his family and land from the newly arrived British while tracking down a dangerous criminal.
Tag Archives: Arthouse
Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie (2021)
Two best friends who love horror films and want to make their own are followed by one of their brothers to make a a documentary of their process. This is the documentary that follows these two friends who have more ideas than they can count and talent enough to make them happen. Just so happens they have Down Syndrome, but they’re not going to let that stop them.
Touch Me in the Morning (2006)
Giuseppe Andrews’ “Touch Me in the Morning” is comprised of mainly a man throwing a lot of camera errors towards the audience presenting it as arthouse chic. It watches like a pointless exercise towards the audiences’ attention span. The dialogue rambles endlessly (most times I had to turn up my volume to hear any dialogue), the narrative is almost non-existent, and there are a myriad odd and incredibly mind-numbing musical numbers that aren’t catchy or fun.
Fences (2016)
That’s the peculiar aspect about adapting a minimalist period piece for film. If you decide to stretch it to a bigger scope, you can ruin its integrity. But if you keep it small scale, its intended purpose seems redundant. For all things considered, Director Denzel Washington’s drama, adapted from the August Wilson stage play, is a great display of powerhouse performances from an ensemble cast. But it’s mainly that, and really not much else when all is said and done..
Tapei Suicide Story (2020) [Slamdance Film Festival 2021]
Director KEFF’s ‘Tapei Suicide Story” is one of the most somber dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s a film about life affirmation but also about the inevitability of death. Do we have control over our lives if we can control our own deaths? Are we merely embracing fate and are oblivious to it? “Tapei Suicide Story” is a very quiet and quaint drama that works on a very dark and inherently morbid premise.
Teenage Emotions (2020) [Slamdance Film Festival 2021]
Director Frederic Da has a knack for adding some appeal to the mumblecore sub-genre. While I normally don’t like the narrative format, “Teenage Emotions” is a great platform for it. A mix of John Hughes and Greta Gerwig, “Teenage Emotions” works hard not to be pigeonholed. It’s a teen drama, but also a candid look at the monotony of high school. It’s a romance but also lacks a clear cut resolution of the various sub-plots. It also wants to be taken as both a narrative and a semi-documentary all at the same time.
Malcolm & Marie (2021)
Sam Levinson is very good about reframing narratives we’ve seen a thousand times to feel new and unique (I love “Euphoria”). While “Malcolm & Marie” doesn’t re-invent the wheel, it’s a stellar two person drama that pits two painfully self absorbed people against each other one night. While Malcolm and Marie may not make it as a couple, they make great adversaries, which might just tie them together for the rest of their lives. And that’s the primary draw of the film.