The romance novel industry is a multi-billion dollar business. The community is strong, tightly knit, and predominantly made up of women. Filmmaker Laurie Kahn was given complete access to this community for the past 3 years, and the films narrative follows along 6 published writers.
“Get Hard” opens with a very conscious montage of the have and the have-nots, the working class versus the 1%. The opening was an interesting decision by the filmmakers – 30 seconds after this montage, the hope this film might make use smart comedy to make a political statement goes right out the door.
I always look forward to Christopher Nolan’s films; his big-budget spectacles are thought-provoking, result in thorough discussion and analysis by viewers, such as the end of “Inception” and the tightly-woven web he created in “The Prestige.” From a review perspective, his films are also difficult to discuss without spoilers, but I’m always up for a …
I was a huge fan of Rupert Wyatt’s 2011 film, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” He successfully restarted a franchise that had been lying dormant since Burton’s laughably awful “reimagining” in 2001 of the original film franchise. Wyatt’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” explores the origins of the super-smart primates, the …
Note: This film was reviewed in 2013 at its premiere at IFFBoston. I’m not a fan of found footage movies. In fact, since “The Blair Witch Project,” the only other found footage film I’ve enjoyed was “Cloverfield.” Then along came “Willow Creek,” Bobcat Goldthwait’s latest film, which is certainly a successful departure from his past …
For many students entering film school, “The Filmmaker’s Handbook” is their first purchase at the bookstore. Essentially a bible for film students, this “The Filmmaker’s Handbook” was co-written by Ed Pincus, the main subject of the movie “One Cut, One Life.” An intimate and personal film, “One Cut, One Life” is filmmaker Lucia Small’s story …
I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a first feature from a filmmaker and been as impressed as I was with “Dear White People.” Justin Simien’s film has such a tight narrative, woven with deep social commentary and satire, and told by an amazing ensemble of characters.
IFFBoston alumn Alex Orr returns to the festival with his latest film, “A is for Alex.” The film, also starring Orr’s wife Katie, tells the story of a couple with a baby on the way.
“The Case Against 8” is a powerful documentary filmed over the course of five years that tells the story of the battle over the rights for gay couples to legally marry in the state of California. It’d be easy for a film like this to get lost in a maze of legalese and court room …
It’s always interesting when Documentary filmmakers shift to narrative film. The first example that comes to mind is Pontecorvo, known for his film “The Battle of Algiers.” There’s always something unique about the decisions they make as filmmakers. With “Algiers,” Pontecorvo used non-actors, individuals that were around or part of the uprising. With “Beneath the …