There is something very compelling about Ron Dias’ Mariposa. At the heart of it are two young girls, still in their teens, who struggle every day in their stiflingly oppressive Cuban life. Based on a true story, the film derives its title from the protagonist, Mia ‘Mariposa’ (Yana Gold) named so by her mother, meaning… Continue reading Mariposa: Another Essential Look Into Why People Flee
Category: Reviews
Secret Men’s Business: Dirty Laundry Aired For All To See… And Enjoy?
Ignorance would have proved blissful in this instance. David Coussins’ Secret Men’s Business, a film that is basically an 8-minute long dick appendage measuring contest, is unfunny and claws at the senses with serrated, blunt knives. A man (Nick Erkelens) on a date with his girlfriend (Annapurna Sriram) serves as an uncomfortable witness to her… Continue reading Secret Men’s Business: Dirty Laundry Aired For All To See… And Enjoy?
Moon Melody: Understanding Displacement Through The Lens Of Loss
Displacement is a heavy word. As millions find themselves uprooted from the familiar and forced, by their circumstances, to find a home elsewhere, displacement, culture shock, and their ilk are not only not universal experiences, they do not always find empathy either. Amidst that, Cleto Acosta-McKillop made a queer decision with his short animation, Moon… Continue reading Moon Melody: Understanding Displacement Through The Lens Of Loss
Last Rites: The Question Of An Afterlife Discussed Tantalisingly
Ron Kanecke & Matt Johanning’s Last Rites comes with an intriguing plot: a priest — a disgraced one at that — on a quest to find a definitive answer on the existence of an afterlife. The priest, Jon, played by Joe Bearer is certain of where he’s headed in his quest, so much so that… Continue reading Last Rites: The Question Of An Afterlife Discussed Tantalisingly
Green Cobra: A Macabre Comedy So Funny That It Bends Its Genre
We hear his indignant protests first before we see him. Patrick Tamisiea, the hostage, is being dragged into a warehouse by two Russian thugs. As the thick green filter fills our screen we get the visuals and the hint – this is not going to be easy on the eyes. Director Sigurd Culhane Green Cobra… Continue reading Green Cobra: A Macabre Comedy So Funny That It Bends Its Genre
My Baby Is A Bike Helmet: A Comedy So Delightful That It Numbs Its Tragedy
My baby is a bike helmet is a surprising revelation on a topic seldom explored in films – that of pseudopregnancy, but done here, with a twist. The story of a shy, why, even a timid waitress as she attempts to escape her thorny reality by weaving a web of lies is tragic enough, but… Continue reading My Baby Is A Bike Helmet: A Comedy So Delightful That It Numbs Its Tragedy
Expend: No Second Unwisely Used In This Stop-Motion Tale Of Unholy Invention
There are no dialogues in Bismark Fernandes’ animated short Expend, and the runtime is only under four minutes and yet, or perhaps because of this, Fernandes packs in a richly built context and world, and a meaningful, affecting story which strikes with precision. The film introduces us to a bald, old man (the resemblance to… Continue reading Expend: No Second Unwisely Used In This Stop-Motion Tale Of Unholy Invention
Generations: Multi-Generational Wrongs Faced, When It’s No Longer Correctable
Here is a film that truly justifies a walk down memory lane. No sugar-coating the ugly, no glossing over, the film, like its protagonist, faces the ugliness of the past as it is, along with what was good about it. Kourosh Ahari’s Generations, written by Candice Holdorf, is honest without being brutal, an old man’s… Continue reading Generations: Multi-Generational Wrongs Faced, When It’s No Longer Correctable
Coaster: Insides Laid Out Across A Roller Coaster
If 2015’s Inside Out made literal characters to portray its protagonist’s emotions, Amos Sussigan and Dan Lund’s Coaster sees their protagonist taken for a literal ride by life. John Doe, recently graduated from college, navigates the ups and downs of his life, all while living in a house that is stationed on roller coaster tracks. … Continue reading Coaster: Insides Laid Out Across A Roller Coaster
A Worthy Man: The Destructive Powers Of Low Self-Worth
Self-worth. Kristian Håskjold’s Oscar-qualifying short A Worthy Man (written by Marianne Lentz) hinges itself on that one word that can damn a mind to crippling anxiety and/or depression with cruel ease. In the film, Erik, played by Troels Lyby, finds himself and his sense of self wobbling under the nagging feeling that perhaps he does… Continue reading A Worthy Man: The Destructive Powers Of Low Self-Worth