It's really no wonder Ken Loach's magnificent I, Daniel Blake won the Palme D'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. I've been a longtime dedicated Loach fan since my teens, and this one really is a masterpiece. He's made some very strong films, though critics at times find him a little too didactic. I, Daniel Blake is the agonizing tale of navigating social services and welfare in the UK. It follows a widower trying to collect interim benefits while out of work following a heart attack. It also follows a single mother as she navigates the impossible system, the bond Daniel and her young family forge, and how they all love, help, and support each other. I, Daniel Blake is heartbreaking and profound. 5/5 |
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Unlocking the Cage is a new documentary that follows the group NonHuman Rights Project that has set about to save incarcerated Chimpanzees by filing a Writ under Habeas Corpus. The argument being that Chimps (and Elephants and Dolpins...) can indeed communicate, are self-determining and autonomous beings, and are capable of empathy therefore they should not be incarcerated for medical testing or in improper enclosures in which they are isolated and treated poorly. Obviously the problem is in legally assigning personhood to a nonhuman. The argument is that the personhood would be equivalent to that of a small child--no legal rights that go with adult personhood and none of the responsibilities that go along with that personhood. This doc is a bit hard to watch if you're sensitive to witnessing the poor treatment of animals. 4/5 Sonita is a very powerful documentary about a teenage girl living illegally as an Afghan refugee in Iran who is facing being sold into marriage. Instead, she breaks the law (women cannot sing) and she becomes a Hip Hop artist. Sonita's bravery is astonishing. I'm a big fan of Iranian cinema and this is no different. I'm a fan. This is an excellent documentary. Show your sons and daughters. 5/5 I was very fortunate to see the Premiere of He Named Me Malala introduced by Malala's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. The love, total awe, and admiration that he expressed that he has for his daughter was extremely moving. This is a documentary film about Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for speaking out for girls' and womens' right to education. After the failed murder attempt, Malala was not silenced. Rather, she became, and is now, a leading advocate for children's rights and she recently was named the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. This is an inspirational documentary. If you have kids, check it out with them. 5/5 |
LindseyHere is where I post new reviews as I see films throughout the year. Archives
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