Currently Browsing: Reviews: E-G
Stunning sequel 'Frozen II' will close out banner month for Disney
Directors Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Animation's first and only female director on an animated film) and Chris Buck take Elsa and Anna back to the big screen with Frozen II, a bigger, sometimes better sequel to the 2013 blockbuster – one that became the highest grossing animated film of all time in worldwide box office. […]
'Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops' is heartbreaking yet feels unfinished
Jenifer McShane's documentary Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops follows San Antonio, Texas police officers Ernie Stevens and Joe Smarro, the leaders of a ten-person mental health unit of the San Antonio police force. Ernie & Joe recounts their efforts to place mental health safety at the forefront of officers minds when handling people in crisis, […]
Brian Cox anchors and illuminates 'The Etruscan Smile'
The Etruscan Smile (directed by Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun and written by Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan, and Sarah Bellwood) is a familial drama that swirls around burly Scotsman Rory (played excellently by Brian Cox) as he travels to San Francisco to visit a doctor. (DLH: 3/5) Review by FF2 Associate Dayna Hagewood The […]
'The Elephant Queen' leads her majestic family across the African savannah for survival
Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble direct The Elephant Queen—a documentary that closely observes an elephant herd and the delicate ecosystem they live in. As the dry season begins, the family has no choice but to journey across the African savannah and seek refuge. Academy award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor narrates this touching portrayal of the friendly majestic creatures. (KIZJ: 4/5)
'#Female Pleasure' should screen in classrooms worldwide
Featuring five remarkable women activists across four continents, #Female Pleasure continues the global conversations regarding women and sexuality. Director Barbara Miller's documentary gives an informative update on the contemporary view of female bodies and reminds a progressive and feminist audience that though we have come a long way, there is still a long way to […]
Old-time music is uncovered in 'Fiddlin"
In Julie Simone's new documentary Fiddlin', the history of a hidden genre of music, Old Time music, is discovered. From fiddles to banjos, to flat-foot dancing, the community of Old Time music comes alive when enjoying the tunes of the past. (SYJ: ⅗) Review written by FF2 Media Intern Sophia Y. Jin The […]
GIFT (2018): Review by FF2 Media
Chronicling gift-based cultures around the world and challenging the logic of global capitalism, the film inspires the question: is life about getting or giving? Gift opens 10/18. FF2 review coming soon!
In 'Greener Grass,' it isn't always better on the other side
Created by and starring Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, Greener Grass might be described mostly simply as an absurdist satire of upper middle class suburban parenthood, but it really defies categorization, displaying by turns sitcom playfulness, body horror, and kitschy nostalgia. The film is set in a neighborhood so colorful it's almost dystopian, and it […]
'The Game Changers' might just persuade you to go vegan
Any vegans in the audience are going to love co-writer Shannon Kornelson's documentary on the benefits of a plant-based diet. Kornelson, director Louie Psihoyos, and a cast of interviewees from the Miami Dolphins to Arnold Schwarznegger show us that veganism doesn't just benefit the average person, but even the highest level athletes as well. (GPG: […]
'Edie' bold proof that age is just a number
Edie (directed by Simon Hunter and screenplay written by Elizabeth O'Halloran) follows an 83-year-old woman as she treks off to climb Mount Suilven in Scotland and fulfill a life-long dream. While Edie is cliché and cheesy at times, it contains many heartfelt moments of personal triumph and well-developed character interactions. (DLH: 3/5) Review by FF2 […]
'Give Me Liberty' speeds into chaos and wonderful comedy
Give Me Liberty (directed by Kirill Mikhanovsky and written by Kirill Mikhanovsky and Alice Austen) is a story of beautiful human interaction and the comical mishaps surrounding medical driver Vic (played by non-professional actor Chris Galust) and his journey to get riders to where they need to go. (DLH: 4/5) Review by FF2 Associate Dayna […]
Valerie Pachner a stellar secret-keeping consultant in 'The Ground Beneath My Feet'
Austrian writer/director Marie Kreutzer tells the story of workaholic Lola and the familial and romantic relationships she keeps hidden. A blend of personal drama and psychological thriller (without many thrills), The Ground Beneath My Feet is a twisty take on a woman figuring out her work/life balance. (BKP: 3/5) Review by Vice President and Managing […]
'For Sama' an intimate conversation on the female experience of war
For Sama is a documentary, directed by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, focused on the female experience of war, a real-time narrative compiling Waad's horrifying experiences in Aleppo. Told as a nonlinear "love letter" from mother to daughter, Waad struggles with the struggle between her daughter's safety and fighting for the Syria she and her […]
'The Great Hack' examines Cambridge Analytica scandal
The Great Hack directors Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim uncover the disturbing truth of cyberspace, focusing primarily on the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal that affected the 2016 presidential bid. (BKP: 4/5) Review by Vice President and Managing Editor Brigid K. Presecky Social media: a phrase that, a decade ago, was not used in our […]
FIRECRACKERS (2018): Review by FF2 Media
From IMDb: A teenage girl and her friend run into problems when they plan to leave town. Firecrackers opens 7/12. FF2 review coming soon!
'Firecrackers' is a teenage wonderland masterpiece
Writer/director Jasmin Mozaffari's film stands out in an already-strong genre of new coming of age stories. With Firecrackers, set in a desolate, unnamed town on the outskirts of Ontario, Mozaffari manages to create a unique teenage friendship between Lou and Chantal, who ache to run away as soon as possible. Newcomers on the scene, Michaela […]
'The Farewell' is Lulu Wang's Oscar to lose
Writer/director Lulu Wang's autobiographical story centers on a Chinese grandmother with a terminal lung cancer diagnosis – only she is the only person in her family who doesn't know it. Starring Awkwafina in a dramatic leading role as Billi, the daughter of first-generation immigrants, The Farewell is a universal story that captures the true essence […]
'General Magic': Failure is just a stepping stone for success
General Magic, directed, produced and written by Sarah Kerruish (with Matt Maude), is a documentary about a company that worked on a device "15 years too innovative for its time". In the mid-90's, the predecessor to today's smartphone, Sony's Magic Link PDA, was invented but poorly received. A fruitful, riveting documentary starring some of today's […]
EUPHORIA (2017): Review by FF2 Media
Euphoria, written and directed by Lisa Langseth, is about two sisters escaping to a mysterious and seemingly idyllic retreat—which turns out to be a place for people to spend the last days of their lives because one of the sisters, Emilie, is soon to lose her battle with cancer. The concept and cinematography of the […]
'The Edge of Democracy' tiptoes line of memoir and documentary
The fight between democracy and militant government has plagued Brazil for decades. The country, originally run by an oligarchy, slowly found themselves fighting for a representative democracy. They filled the streets, rioted, and supported their chosen leader, Lula. But as the years passed, the people became blind to the destructive forces of their past hidden […]
Running from risk of zombie infection in 'Ever After'
In Endzeit, directed by Carolina Hellsgard and written by Olivia Vieweg, after a zombie apocalypse takes over the world, only two German cities remain— Weimar and Jena. In Weimar anyone who's even slightly infected is killed, while Jena desperately searches for a cure. Vivi, a struggling mental patient, is sent to Weimar to combat the […]
'Framing John DeLorean' a compelling docu-drama on famed con man
The man who invented the DeLorean is unable to go back in time to undo his mistakes: the irony. A car made famous by in the 1985 megahit Back to the Future, the DeLorean and its maker have been the subject of fascination for decades. In a unique hybrid of documentary and feature film, filmmakers […]
FUNAN (2018): Review by FF2 Media
From IMDb: The survival and the struggle of a young mother during the Khmer Rouge revolution, to find her 4-year-old son, torn from his family by the regime. Funan opens 6/7. FF2 review coming soon!
'Ghost Fleet' Documentary A Chilling Look Into The Lives Of Thailand's Trafficked Fisherman
Synopsis: Ghost Fleet, directed by Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron, follows a rescue operation across Southeast Asia performed by Patima Tungpuchayakul, co-founder of LPN (Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation), and her crew. Their mission is to find and bring home those that have escaped the modern-day slavery that often goes undetected on Thai fishing vessels, […]
GHOST FLEET (2018): Review by FF2 Media
From IMDb: A small group of activists risk their lives on remote Indonesian islands to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen who feed the world's insatiable appetite for seafood.Ghost Fleet opens 6/7. FF2 review coming soon!
FREE TRIP TO EGYPT (2019): Review by FF2 Media
From IMDb: A feature length documentary film following one man's search for random Americans concerned about an Islamic threat and offering them a free trip to Egypt. Free Trip to Egypt opens 5/31. FF2 review coming soon!
'Family' is hilarious and heartwarming
Written and directed by Laura Steinel, 'Family' is a charming comedy about a workaholic who learns to love when she has to take care of her quirky niece. The film is quick-witted, heartwarming and definitely worth watching. (JRL: 4.5/5)
'Fast Color' teaches us not to run away from who we are
In director and writer Julia Hart's new film Fast Color, Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as a lost young woman in search of safety and identity. But what if the place she always runs away from is her last chance at safety? (SYJ: 4.5/5) Review written by FF2 Media Intern Sophia Y. Jin The film […]
'Girls of the Sun' is the harrowing narrative of women tried by war
Inspired by the real female Yazidi warriors fighting ISIS, a female battalion fights for the liberation of their town from extremists in the name of a free Kurdistan. A french journalist dedicated to chronicling the truth stands witness to their story. Director Eva Husson's Girls of the Sun (in French, Les filles de soleil) sacrifices […]
FIVE FEET APART (2019): Review by FF2 Media
Saccharine, sappy, and sentimental, Five Feet Apart is a tale of love in the time of cystic fibrosis. While I am not the kind of person typically targeted by romantic comedies and therefore need to give both rom-coms and YA movies a certain benefit of the doubt in this review, I still have to say […]