The documentary is called “The Fight,” which could not be a more à propos title for a film about the ACLU’s ongoing quest to defend not only civil rights, but also the necessity for everyone to enjoy free speech, no matter how odious their views might be. But the civil rights organization’s mandate became even more demanding during the Trump administration, as the president and his cabinet have ... more >
Archives for July 2020
ARCHIVES
ON A CONFERENCE CALL with the filmmakers of “The Fight,” a new documentary about the many battles and the many lives of the ACLU
Film will be available Friday for streaming
In “Radioactive” Rosamund Pike, direct but pragmatic, imposes herself on both a profession and an era (REVIEW)
Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Yvette Feuer and Mirjam Novak
Directed by Marjane Satrapi
It’s inarguable that the pioneering work of Marie and Pierre Curie changed the world, for both good and ill. “Radioactive,” the new film starring Rosamund Pike and Sam Riley as the late-nineteenth century Parisians, gives us a brief on the life, and, yes, the deaths, largely due to radiation poisoning, of the couple that is part love story, part scientific procedural and, somewhat strangely, ... more >
“Most wanted” is one of the more interesting films this year (REVIEW)
Investigating a wrongful conviction at the end of the world
Amanda Crew, Josh Hartnett and Stephen McHattie
Directed by Daniel Roby
Films about investigative journalism exposing a dramatic event and/or cover-up have been popular for decades, from Billy Wilder’s “Ace in the Hole” and Sam Fuller’s “Park Row” to Alan Pakula’s “All the President’s Men” to 2015’s Oscar winning “Spotlight,” all have expertly captured what it means to be a dedicated journalist tirelessly searching for the truth. The best films about journalism ... more >
THREE DOCS REVIEWED: “Desert One,” “Red Penguins” and “Unsettled”
Coming soon to your streaming platform
With the multiplexes shuttered, and the so-called event films on hold for months yet, it’s a boomtime for documentaries, which continue their march onto streaming platforms. Here are a few choice non-fiction flicks to keep an eye out for. “Desert One” It’s been four decades since Iranian students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, beginning a hostage situation that would only end 444 ... more >
BRIEFLY – RZA-directed “Cut throat city” comes out July 31st
132 minutes | USA | English
"The ninth ward isn't covered," or so goes the voiceover in RZA's new film "Cut throat city," which comes out at the end of the month. It's the story of four boyhood friends in New Orleans's Lower Ninth ward who return after Hurricane Katrina to find their homes destroyed, no employment, and no assistance available from Uncle Sam. Out of options, they turn to a local hood who offers them a shot at ... more >
LIVE ON NETFLIX TODAY: “Father Soldier Son” (talking to the filmmakers about a decade-long documentary project around valor, family, society and one man’s post-combat travails)
An American family, up close
Directed by Leslye Davis and Catrin Einhorn
It’s rare that a documentary will film for a decade, but that’s precisely what New York Times reporters Catrin Einhorn and Leslye Davis accomplished with their new film “Father Soldier Son.” The documentary, which premieres Friday on Netflix, follows two generations of upstate New York’s Eisch family. The father, Master Sgt. Brian Eisch, is a veteran of the Afghanistan war, who near the ... more >
INTERVIEW: Dawn Porter, filmmaker (“John Lewis: Good Trouble”)
"He wanted to get back out and keep on marching "(Porter commenting on John Lewis's determination)
Could there possibly be a more apt time for a documentary about John Lewis, the civil rights pioneer and longtime Georgia congressman, than now? In this singular moment of protest and cultural shift, documentarian Dawn Porter is hoping that her new film “John Lewis: Good Trouble” will be a part of the conversation. “Despite some evidence to the contrary, I count myself as an optimistic person. ... more >