Chloe Zhao's The Rider was my top pick for 2017. Werner Herzog said it restored his faith in cinema. I agree. The Rider is docu-fiction, which means that the people in the film play versions of themselves and acting out scenes that are true to their real lives. Set in the Heartland of South Dakota, The Rider follows a young Lakota horse trainer and rodeo rider as he reconciles his life and limitations after a traumatic head injury that prevents him from continuing as a rodeo rider. This film is so beautiful! Do It! 5/5 |
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Crescendo!: The Power of Music is an American documentary focused on a worldwide music education program, El Sistema, as it expands to the United States. The film focuses on three youth orchestras; one in Harlem New York and two in West Philadelphia. This is an excellent documentary about the power of music in the lives of inner city youth. 5/5 Life, Animated is a heartwarming documentary about Owen Suskind, a young autistic man who found language and meaningful human connections through his love for animated Disney films. The doc follows Owen as he transitions into independent living. This tugged at my heart stings; I laughed and I cried. This is a very relatable, feel good, plucky and wonderful film. Ultimately, its about the very human need for meaningful connections. Highly recommended! 5/5 Beware the Slenderman is a very intense new documentary from HBO. It was was shot over the course of 18 months after a 12 year old girl was stabbed 19 times by her two classmates who were trying to please Slenderman. This film is terrifying. Not because "Slenderman" is scary, he's really just your average modern day boogie man; he's basic folklore. He's the Pied Piper... This film is terrifying because 1- teenage girls are just about the scariest creatures out there and 2- mental illness. This film gets 'real' very quickly. Beware the Slenderman follows the year long court case in which in would be determined if the two accused 12 year olds would be tried as adults or children. So, watching this as the mother of a teen girl I was simultaneously reminded I'm already somewhat living in a horror movie and that I would hate to see anything bad happen to my daughter or worse, because of her. Terror, indeed. Secondly, as a person with mental illness this documentary terrified me because of how we treat and deal with mental illness and criminality. This film sorta punched me in the guts in a way I was not expecting...at all. 5/5 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 Dope is Dope. I very much enjoyed this clever little coming-of-age dramedy. It's a breath of fresh air. It's fun! Dope is about a self-proclaimed geek, Malcolm, and his two geeky friends who are high school seniors in Inglewood California. The trio ends up being tricked into moving a package of MDMA for a drug dealer. Hijinks ensue. 5/5 Crazy Moon is a mid-80s NFB/Canadian Teen Romantic Comedy starring a very young Kiefer Sutherland. This movie is pretty charming and I remember loving it as a kid when it first made its rounds on TV. Crazy Moon is about Brooks, an offbeat young guy from a rich family who has his eccentricities--such as dressing from the 1930s and only listening to big band jazz, riding his motorcycle with a mannequin in the side car, and photographing dog shit (read: he's manic depressive)--who meets and falls in love with a deaf girl Anne. Anne is played by a young Vanessa Vaugh who is actually deaf. Other than seeing Crazy Moon on Canadian TV it's been pretty hard to find, I was delighted to catch it on the Sundance channel. Copies are now readily via Amazon and through the NFB itself. I'm not saying this is an earth shattering film, but it is a very charming Harold-and-Maudesque coming-of-age romantic comedy. 3.5/5 |
LindseyHere is where I post new reviews as I see films throughout the year. Archives
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