Category Archives: Drama
Drama
Flash Movie Review: The Beautiful Game
RECENTLY, I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE to find a particular box of cookies. This box of cookies was something special to me when I was a young boy. The cookies were simple, buttery, and just slightly more crisp than soft in texture. As I found the cookie and snack aisle at the store, I slowly made my way down to see if I could spot these cookies. I realized my memories could be of what would be now their old packaging, but I hoped I could still locate them. The first thing that took me by surprise was the number of different cookies on the shelves. And not only the amount of different cookie brands, but the amount of variety there was for specific cookies. One type of cookie was positioned on multiple shelves in a section. Besides the original type I remembered, there were ones in assorted flavors; some of them did not sound appealing to me. They also came in varied sizes now, where some were extra thick, and others were being called crispy thin. It made me wonder what was ever wrong with the original ones because I thought they were terrific. I continued down the aisle, amazed by all the different choices most brands offered. Sadly, after looking at every shelf, I never found the cookies I used to eat during my childhood. ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE store, I was remembering other foods I enjoyed as a kid. I do not know if other people feel the same way as I do about food, but there are certain foods that trigger a warm, happy memory for me. Besides the food, there is a place I associate with the food. I remember going to an older relative’s house when I was small, where she would always have on hand homemade fruit bars. The apartment was not air conditioned, the furniture was old and sagged whenever you sat in it, but it did not matter to me. Sitting at her kitchen table with a couple of fruit bars and a glass of chocolate milk, I felt like I was eating like a king. It was cozy, comfortable, and safe; time felt like it had slowed down so I could remain seated in the vinyl kitchen chair that would be a little sticky in summer. This is the feeling I was trying to recreate from my cookie shopping experience. There are times where I do not want any complicated, fancy, new and improved food item; I simply want to sit down and eat something that just feels good. I am the same way with movies; I am not always looking for the biggest spectaculars or greatest special effects. I want something that makes me feel warm and good, and gratefully this sports drama gave me those feelings. HOPING TO BRING A WINNING SOCCER TEAM to the championship games in Rome, the manager of the team brings in a new player just before the tournament. A player that does not want to be around his teammates. With Michael Ward (Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence) as Vinny, Daniel Attwell (Brothers of War, 1917) as Mark, Bill Nighy (Living, The First Omen) as Mal, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers franchise, The Infiltrator) as Kevin and Kit Young (The School of Good and Evil, Out of Darkness) as Cal; this movie inspired by true stories was a feel-good experience. Already a fan of Bill Nighy, I enjoyed watching this film that was about an event I had never heard of before. The acting was decent from the cast, and it was easy at times to figure out what was going to happen in the scenes, but it did not matter to me. The feelings of easy comfort and joy I was experiencing made up for any of this film’s flaws. It was good to sit back and watch a story being told simply and directly with no added frills. In other words, just a good old-fashioned story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Iron Claw
IF I HAD BEEN THE REFEREE and had seen the parent yelling at his son after the game, I would have banned him from all future games. I have been to enough sports games to watch the children of friends and family, and there is always at least one parent who is the aggressive one close to the action. This one father was yelling at his kid throughout the game but did throw out a couple of barbs at the umpires. For me, it simply makes the experience of watching the game uncomfortable. I do not know about you, but I do not want to hear parents reprimanding their children during a game. Even after the game, what could their child have done that warranted such ugly behavior. It is only a game and if the kid is trying their best then that is all that matters, at least to me. It is not like there are scouts in the audience or television deals waiting to bestow riches upon the young child. The dad was tugging at the boy’s jersey while telling him what he did wrong; I found it disgusting. I mean really, talk about an embarrassing moment in one’s life. That father should be ashamed of himself. As you would imagine, it looked like tears were rolling down the boy’s face. I USED TO WORK WITH A woman who pushed her daughter into theater, because it was something she started to do when she was young but could not sustain it. It always made me wonder if there are many parents who try to live their lives through their children. Was that father yelling at his child during and after the game, wanting his son to be just like him; or even better? The person I worked with was constantly driving her daughter to various auditions, photo shoots, and a multitude of stores to find unique items for her to wear so she would stand out. I can still remember the day she told me her daughter decided she did not want to act anymore; this woman was despondent. She walked around the office with such a sad face and as if she had nothing left to live for (my own observation). There was a time afterward where her daughter was in the neighborhood and wanted to take her mother out to lunch. I was hoping in a way that there would have been a moment I could ask the daughter if she had grown up wanting to be an actress, but I decided it was not my place to ask her. I am afraid I do not understand this desire or need for parents to live out their dreams/fantasies through their children. And this dramatic sports biography certainly proves my point. HAVING A SET OF SONS WAS all former wrestler Fritz Von Erich, played by Holt McCallany (Fight Club, Nightmare Alley), needed to finally reach his wish of building a legacy. His desires, unbeknownst to him, also set up a separate more emotional legacy. With Zac Efron (Ricky Stanicky, The Greatest Showman) as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White (Fingernails, The Bear-TV) as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats, Where the Crawdads Sing) as David Von Erich and Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy, ER-TV) as Doris Von Erich; this film based on a true story was riveting to me. I had never heard about this family until I saw this movie. I thought the acting was excellent and felt this was one of Zac’s best roles. I still do not know if his body was real, or CGI enhanced; it was so bulked up. The story was an emotional one; I, at times, could not believe some of the scenes I was watching because they had that same air of uncomfortableness I was talking about earlier in this review. After seeing this picture, I am curious to find clips of the actual wrestling family that made a name for themselves in the early 1980’s.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Suncoast
SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY THINK I HAVE an unusual take on death, but from where I have stood it makes sense to me. When someone suddenly dies, their death hits their loved ones harder. For example, when someone dies from a massive heart attack. When an individual suffers a prolonged process towards death, such as untreatable cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, by the time the person perishes the loved ones around them are relieved the suffering is over. I have experienced both methods of dying and despite the sudden death being such a shock, I felt it was an easier way to leave this world for the deceased. To see someone wilt or be eaten away towards their death is a painful process for all concerned. When I was younger, I remember visiting a relative who had to reside in a nursing home. Their mind was deteriorating, where they did not recognize family members or keep up with hygiene. It was sad and painful to watch how a little more of their life was being snuffed out each time I went to visit. It was during that time that I formulated my belief that there are times where it would be better if the person were dead than having to lose their quality of life and brain capacity. A relative of mine thought I was horrible for thinking such things, but after an extended period watching this individual lose everything that represented who they were, this other relative came up to me and said I was right about the option of dying. IN SCHOOL, WE WERE TAUGHT THE natural order of things meant grandparents would die before parents, who would die before children. I cannot remember what grade I was in when this was a topic for discussion. It made sense to me that the oldest individuals would die before the younger ones. I can see it for myself; when someone dies at the age of ninety-five or older, many people are sad but not heartbroken because that person lived a long, full life. When things go out of order and a parent loses a child, they are stricken with such a deep pain that can nearly incapacitate them. I have seen this for myself on more than one occasion. At a cemetery, I saw a couple whose 2-year-old child had died. The parents came to the cemetery every weekend to swap out the old flowers for new ones and sit down and have a picnic lunch with their deceased child. It was hard for me to see them suffer so. I also understand death is a topic that some people find hard to talk about. The same goes for seeing it on film; though I have to say, I thought the writers did an admirable job in this drama that was inspired by a true story. THE TIME HAD COME TO PLACE her brother in a specific healthcare facility. It happened to be the same place where a protest was taking place regarding one of the patients. With Nico Parker (Dumbo, Reminiscence) as Doris, Laura Linney (The Savages, The Miracle Club) as Kristine, Woody Harrelson (Champions, Triangle of Sadness) as Paul Warden, Daniela Taylor (Grown-ish-TV, Knight Squad-TV) as Laci and Ella Anderson (The Boss, The Glass Castle) as Brittany; I found this film to be a touching and moving experience. The performances from Nico, Laura and Woody were outstanding, with their emotions on full display. Overall, I appreciated what the script was doing, but I did feel a sense of disconnect with the characters because there was not much back story to them. The scenes with Doris and her new friends had a lesser impact on me, despite Nico’s performance standing out in them. The subject matter is a tough one to capture, but I felt the writers came close to what it feels like to experience such a situation. Because no one can escape death, it is up to us to enjoy every day of living.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Shirley
I WAS AWARE SHE WAS THE only girl in the class, but I thought nothing else about it. However, the boys in the class had a problem with it. I was signed up for day camp because I refused to go to an “away” camp during my elementary school’s summer vacation. There was a list of different activities I could sign up for that would then be spread across the weeks I was attending. The camp was at our community center; I could either ride my bicycle on good days or get a ride from a group of neighborhood parents that volunteered for carpooling duty. Some of the activities I attended, like swimming, only had boys in the class; others, like archery, had both boys and girls. I never thought anything about it. Any swimming lessons I attended always had boys participating, and campfire skills class always had a mix of boys and girls. This woodworking class was different because there was only one girl in it. Either the classes were filled with one gender or a mix; there never was only one or two in class that were of the opposite gender. I wondered if woodworking was supposed to be a boy’s activity. The boys in the class did not interact with her or help her out like they did with each other. I was stationed too far away, so had little contact with her myself; but I felt sad for her. LATER IN LIFE WHEN I STARTED working in the fitness industry, I discovered men were a minority. At one private club, they did not even have a locker for me to change outfits; I had to do it in the bathroom. I cannot honestly say if I experienced any prejudices because I was a man. If a female member did not want to be taught by a man, she simply would not come to class. After I went back to school for yoga, I was the only male instructor, sometimes the only instructor who was teaching yoga classes in the fitness centers where I worked. I did feel not only a sense of responsibility but a pressure because I was laying down the foundation for what members would be expecting out of a yoga class. It was an exciting and thrilling time for me as I saw how yoga was affecting the participants. Though the classes started out with females being the majority, as word spread, I started seeing more and more men trying it out. I do not want to say I was a trailblazer, but I can honestly say I changed many people’s perceptions of yoga. There is something about being the first and seeing how one’s actions can change the minds of many people, just like the main character did in this biographical historical drama. SHE WAS ALREADY THE FIRST BLACK woman to be elected to congress; and with her record and the things she had seen, why couldn’t she run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination? With Regina King (The Harder They Fall, Flag Day) as Shirley Chisholm, Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise, White House Down) as Wesley McDonald, Terrance Howard (Cardboard Boxer, Hustle & Flow) as Arthur Hardwick Jr., Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) as Robert Gottlieb and Michael Cherrie (She Paradise, Limbo) as Conrad Chisholm; Regina King gave it her all in creating a powerful character based on a true person. Soon into this film, I lost track of Regina and thought I was following Shirley. I understood the story focused on her presidential run, but I never really got a sense of the characters and what their relationships were to each other. A better script could have helped because several scenes felt like short video clips of Shirley’s life, instead of digging deeper into what was taking place inside of her and the people around. Because the story is so remarkable, I maintained interest all through the picture. In a case like this, I would enjoy seeing a prequel and sequel to what I had just seen.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
THE RULES WERE THERE FOR A REASON, and I was one who followed them “to a T.” This is how I acted through my youth, especially when it came to any type of games. Whenever I received a boardgame as a gift, I would have to first sit and read all the rules until I was familiar with them, before attempting to play the game. I was a huge fan of boardgames and could play them for hours. One of my fondest childhood memories was playing checkers with an elderly relative of mine. When I think about it, games played a prevalent part of my childhood and early adult life. To this day, I enjoy a good word game or even charades. I would play a game with anyone; however, I started to realize around the latter years of elementary school, not everyone cared to follow the rules of a game. The first time I witnessed this was during a boardgame, when a friend of mine decided, he was going to change the rules in the middle of us playing. I will add, he was losing at that point. We got into an argument, with the other players joining in and I ultimately won by us continuing to play by the rules. After that time, I was cautious whenever this friend joined a game. MY COMMITMENT TO PLAYING BY THE rules stayed with me until I entered the workforce. It was at a well-established company, where the first time in my life I altered the rules. Part of my job involved inventory and the procedures I was trained in was something they had been doing the same way for decades. There was nothing wrong with that method, but I saw there was a better way with less work to achieve the same results. I did not alert anyone to the change I was making, turning in my reports the same way; the only difference I was not spending the same amount of time creating the report. It was not until months later when my boss came over to my desk and saw what I was doing; he complimented me and said I was doing an excellent job. It was at this company where I came to realize, after having lived my life in a black or white world, that there was a gray area of possibilities that could easily work to produce the same results. It is a good thing others realized the same thing, otherwise the incredible undertaking that took place in this dramatic, action thriller may have never taken place, possibly causing us to live in a completely different world. AT A CRITICAL TIME DURING THE war, the British military must depend on a small group of highly skilled individuals who were so unconventional, that if they got caught, Great Britian would deny everything about them. With Henry Cavill (Enola Holmes franchise, Man of Steel) as Gus March-Phillips, Alan Richardson (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Reacher-TV) as Anders Lassen, Alex Pettyfer (Back Roads, In Time) as Geoffrey Appleyard, Eliza Gonzales (Baby Driver, Godzilla vs. Kong) as Marjorie Stewart and Babs Olusanmokun (Dune franchise, The Book of Clarence) as Heron; this Guy Ritchie directed film inspired by true events was entertaining. The fact that it was on circumstances that were recently revealed from declassified British documents, boosted the story for me. There were patches of humor mixed in with the various levels of action and suspense. I thought the script was weak, taking the easy way out with lame dialog and undeveloped characters. Honestly, it did not matter because I still enjoyed watching this little taste of history play out on the big screen. There were certainly elements of fun and cheekiness. After the film was over, I thought about how the outcome could have been so different if the band of soldiers had followed the rules.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Lost King
TO USE THE CLICHÉ “LIFE IMITATES ART” does not apply here; it would be life imitates life. I knew a close friend of mine had been digging and investigating through his family tree, using online tools as well as government agencies and local municipalities. The past several months I have heard about the successes and roadblocks he encountered as he tried to find connections between his deceased relatives. Recently, he was having a tough time trying to confirm the location of where his great, great grandparents were buried. His grandfather had a common name that was found in two different family trees from his. He had to research multiple listings on other non-related individuals’ family trees to confirm if these people shared DNA with his family. At one point, he got so frustrated he called different government record departments to request copies of death certificates, to see if there was a clue. It was the right call because of a middle name listed, he was able to eliminate some erroneous entries. With a little more work my friend was able to establish who were his great, great grandparents; he was beyond excited and devoted a solid block of time to figuring out where the two were buried. He was certain they had to have been buried in the city where his ancestors grew up. IT TURNS OUT THE BURIAL LOCATION of his great, great grandparents was a mystery, the further he dug into it. From items he gained from the internet, he called a cemetery to verify if they were there, but there was no record. He decided to look for any siblings to these individuals and miraculously he found an entry listing his great, great grandfather’s sister. With this clue and some deep detective work, he discovered where she was buried. I remember him talking to me about the chances had to be good if the sister was buried at this one cemetery, then maybe her brother as well. Going with that thought he called the cemetery. According to them they had the name of his great, great grandfather but a different spelling. My friend had seen that spelling on one of the other internet family trees. Again, with more detective work and copies of obituaries and death certificates, he drove down to the cemetery. After discussing the situation with the office help, an employee took him to the site of his great, great aunt. There was one headstone for her and her husband. Weirdly, behind them were two unmarked graves. Going back to the office and digging through their records, with the help of a longtime employee, my friend confirmed the unmarked graves were his great, great grandparents. He paid to have a headstone made for them. I was happy he solved the mystery and a week after seeing for myself the grave, I saw this comedic drama based on a true story. FEELING A KINDRED CONNECTION, AN AMATEUR historian was determined to find where King Richard III was buried, despite every expert disagreeing with her. If she wanted to prove them wrong, she would have to go back 500 years. With Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Blue Jasmine) as Philippa Langley, Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie, Philomena) as John Langley, Lewis Macleod (Love Monster-TV, Spitting Image-TV) as Tony, Helen Katamba (River City-TV, Wild Rose) as Awusi and Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything, The Iron Lady) as Richard III; this film was a charmer. Sally was perfect for the role, and she proudly portrayed the character. The story was incredible; I had no idea it was based on true events. I would have preferred less of the family unit story line because, for me, it took away from the excitement of Sally’s character being on the “hunt” so to speak. Plus, it diminished the believability factor at times. Despite this one thing, I enjoyed everything about this fascinating tale about history, determination, and respect.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Scoop
I DO NOT THINK I AM different from most people, wanting to stay current or in the know. Ever since I learned how to read, I have had a thing about periodicals and newspapers. Growing up we had the city newspaper delivered to us every single day, besides a few magazines coming weekly and monthly. When I was old enough to move out of the house into my own apartment, the first thing I did was subscribe to a handful of magazines. Part of my enjoyment is being able to share a new bit of information with friends and family, plus when someone asks me if I knew about something, I could say yes and tell them where I heard or read about it. Do not ask me why this brings me pleasure; maybe it is because I hated being called on in classes, having never been confident in having the right answers. Even when I travel to a new city, one of the things I always do is buy a copy of their local newspaper. I feel I learn a little more about the area I am visiting by reading their local news. There have been times when I return from vacation with little news articles or tidbits I had torn out of local newspapers or magazines. AS I HAVE MENTIONED IN THE past, I believe there are no accidents. So, it turned out my enjoyment with staying current helped me in my fitness classes. Sharing some of the news bits I learned became a fun distraction in my classes. Besides my enjoyment in mentioning both important and whimsical news items, I felt it was a good distraction for the members while they were being pushed by me with their fitness routines. Sometimes we would start a dialog of shared thoughts on a topic I mentioned while we worked out. And if there happened to be a newsworthy news event that contained interviews, most of us would share the same opinions. I always wanted to know more than what was spoken in the news. For example, why did one news source get their news out on a specific recent headlining event first before any of their competitors, or what had to take place to snag an interview with a famous or infamous player involved with the breaking story; these are things I am naturally curious about. Since I am inquisitive, it made perfect sense that I would want to see this dramatic biography based on true events. IT WOULD BE THE INTERVIEW OF a lifetime, but could the BBC really sway the thinking over at Buckingham Palace. The stakes were high for both sides; it was only a matter of convincing them it was the right thing to do. With Billie Piper (Catherine Called Birdy, Doctor Who-TV) as Sam McAlister, Gillian Anderson (White Bird, The Last King of Scotland) as Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell (Judy, A Knight’s Tale) as Prince Andrew, Connor Swindells (Barbie, Sex Education-TV) as Jae Donnelly and Kate Fleetwood (London Road, Beirut) as Annette Witheridge; I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The acting by Gillian and Rufus was wonderful, to the point I believed their characters. Of course, nothing could replace seeing the actual interview of Prince Andrew discussing his interactions with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; however, whether it was true or not, seeing the behind-the-scenes dealings to get the interview were fascinating to me. At times, scenes played out like a thriller, with tension and excitement. I thought the pacing was spot on, staying steady and focused on capturing the “truth” that viewers wanted to see for themselves. Due to the way the story was packaged, I could easily believe all of this took place to get Prince Andrew to open up about what part he played in Jeffrey’s world.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Bob Marley: One Love
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY EVENTS I have attended that had speakers/leaders I wanted to hear. I have been fortunate to have met state senators, mayors, authors, world champion athletes, musical artists, activists, and a variety of others. I have found each of them gives off a certain intensity unlike the levels of intensity I encounter in my daily life. When I shook the hand of the mayor, they felt like a tightly wound spring that was ready to explode; it was incredibly intense. On a previous trip, I was at an event where political speakers were giving talks. Not all of them were common household names, but one was a senior adviser to a president. Listening to them, I was struck by their compassion and commitment; it just came out of them like a steady breeze. What equally impressed me were some of the less familiar politicians because I could tell they had that same drive of compassion and care for what they were trying to do in government. I believe I became more sensitive to experiencing leaders/figureheads who were, for lack of a better adjective, false prophets. You might know the kind that only tells you what you want to hear, instead of telling you what is the better or right or effective way to do something. SADLY, IN THE FITNESS WORLD, I encountered many individuals who let their ego lead the way. At a fitness convention, the guest speaker at a workshop talked about themselves. They told us how they changed the culture at their fitness club and had the largest classes and how they flew cross-country giving talks and so on and so on. Their talk was all about me, me, me; I was bored out of my mind. The same thing happened, of all places, at a charity event where I was volunteering. The celebrity speaker was there to draw people into the event by purchasing tickets, besides buying tickets for the silent auction. The charity was for a worthy cause, and one would have thought the speaker would have acknowledged this during their speech. But no, they spoke about their new project in the works and how they got into the business; none of which helped sell the charity to get new donors. I found their behavior disgusting. Do not get me wrong; I am not trying to stop people from making a living. However, if a person is willing to be a speaker at an event, they should show the audience why there are people in the world who follow them. Offer advice, offer truth, offer your vision; just do not offer your ego. Not being familiar with the subject in this dramatic, music biography, I was hoping to find out who they were as a person and how did they achieve such a status in the world. GROWING UP IN A COUNTRY FILLED with conflict, a musician finds his way through the world using his revolutionary music. With Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami, Noelle) as Bob Marley, Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die, Captain Marvel) as Rita Marley, James Norton (Little Women, Mr. Jones) as Chris Blackwell, Tosin Cole (House Party, Doctor Who-TV) as Tyrone Downie and relative newcomer Umi Myers; I thought the acting was solid from Kingsley and Lashana, especially her. The musical soundtrack, as you would expect, was the main driver of this picture. Having little knowledge of his catalog of songs, I enjoyed the musical numbers. I thought the script did not do the subject justice because I really did not learn much about Bob Marley. At times, I felt I was watching a series of musical vignettes instead of getting an understanding of why and how Bob achieved his status in the musical world. The other thought I had running through my mind was the possibility I was watching a sanitized version of Bob and his family. Since his family was involved with this film, it certainly seemed feasible. By the end of the movie, I was glad I saw it, but not sure if indeed he was a man who led with his heart instead of his ego.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Anatomy of a Fall
I HEARD THEM TALKING LOW, LIKE they were sharing a secret, so I stayed just outside of the room, listening to them. We were at a relative’s house, where I had been playing in the basement with my cousins. Getting thirsty, I came up the stairs to get a glass of water from the kitchen. This is where they decided to come and talk among themselves. What made me hesitate from walking in on them was hearing someone say something about the land they had all purchased together. My ears perked up, but my mind sparked into excitement. Did they get enough land to have all our homes near each other? Or did they buy enough land to put up a rental apartment; these were a couple of things that first came to mind. I stayed by the doorway for a couple of more minutes, but curiosity finally pushed me into the kitchen. Everyone in the room turned to me and I excitedly asked if we were moving. When I was told no, I mentioned I heard something about land, not caring if they realized I was spying on them. The answer they told me was literally one I could not comprehend at first. The look on my face must have been enough for them to figure it out, so a relative motioned me over and pointed to a pamphlet she had in front of her on the kitchen table. It was from a cemetery. My relatives had pooled their money together and bought cemetery plots for that whole generation. I was mortified. I WAS A SMALL KID AND had never had the thought that my relatives would be dying. And that was the reason I asked if someone was sick. After several chuckles, I was told no one was sick; that they decided to buy these plots now, so they would have them paid off before they got too old. I was also told not to worry about it. After a few more questions and answers, I was satisfied enough to go back downstairs and of course, tell my cousins. There are certain things a child does not want to hear. The first one is death of a loved one. At that early age, a child thinks their parents will live forever. Another thing no child wants to hear or think about is their parents being intimate with each other. How many of you remember when you were taught where babies came from? There are certain things a child would rather not have to hear or think about, which is why seeing what the young boy had to endure in this dramatic, crime thriller was tough to watch. LIVING IN A SECLUDED AREA IN the French Alps, tragedy strikes a family when the father is found dead outside their home. With no tracks in the snow, the prime witness looked like it was his wife. With Sandra Huller (The Zone of Interest, Requiem) as Sandra Voyter, Swann Arlaud (By the Grace of God, Romantics Anonymous) as Maitre Vincent Renzi, Milo Machado-Graner (Stuck Together, Waiting for Bojangles) as Daniel, Antoine Reinartz (School Life, 120 BPM) as Avocat general and Samuel Theis (Party Girl, Softie) as Samuel Maleski; this was one of the best films I have seen this year. The acting by Sandra and Milo was wonderful; they were able to wring out so much emotion from the script without any effort. There were multiple courtroom scenes that seemed so real and authentic that I felt as if I were sitting in the galley. This movie was created with thought, emotions and heart that left the viewer open to make their own decisions as the story unfolded. If I had seen this Oscar nominated film before the Oscars telecast, it would have made my job harder to choose what I thought would be mine and the academy’s best picks.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 