Year: 2022

Reviews of “Till,” “Tár” and “Nothing Compares,” as well as a podcast preview and film festival recap, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

The 31st annual edition of the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films in theaters and online. Like the recently completed Chicago International Film Festival, the overall programming was a little less satisfying compared to past years, especially in its severe reduction of virtual offerings. Nevertheless, I managed to screen 8 films during the festival’s 11-day run, and what I saw was, thankfully, better than expected overall. So, with that said, here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought. “On the Bridge” (“Sur le pont”) (Switzerland) (5/5); Letterboxd (10/10) Web site Trailer What exactly happens at the end of life? As we transition from this world to whatever comes next, what can we realistically expect? And how long does the process take – if time even means anything at that point? That’s what this insightful and fascinating animated documentary seeks to capture, combining the insights and speculation of individuals at the end of life, recorded in their own words from their homes or while in palliative care centers. Their observations span the spectrum of topics, from what they remember most about life to ...

“Triangle of Sadness” (2022). Cast: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Burić, Carolina Gynning, Sunnyi Melles, Dolly De Leon, Vicki Berlin, Arvan Kananian, Alicia Eriksson, Oliver Fred Davies, Amanda Walker, Iris Berben, Ralph Schicha, Henrik Dorsin, Mia Benson, Jean-Christophe Folly. Director: Ruben Östlund. Screenplay: Ruben Östlund. Web site. Trailer. We like to think that we’re fundamentally all equal, and, in idealistic terms, it’s hard to take issue with that notion. However, from a practical, realistic standpoint, inequality is unfortunately alive and well in so many contexts. It’s undoubtedly unfair that such differences have been allowed to continue to hold sway and that there are those who must endure such inequities. But can the situation be rectified? And, if so, how? Those are among the questions raised in the new satirical dark comedy, “Triangle of Sadness.” Pity the poor 1%. They have it so rough. One indeed wonders how they get by. Consider the plight of male model Carl (Harris Dickinson) and his significant other, model and social media influencer Yaya (Charlbi Dean). They have such difficult dilemmas to resolve, like who pays for dinner at an upscale restaurant. It might seem like a minor point to most of us ...

“Tár” (2022). Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Mark Strong, Julian Glover, Adam Gopnik, Allan Corduner, Mila Bogojevic, Sylvia Flote, Fabian Dirr, Zethphan Smith-Gneist, Tilla Kratochwil. Director: Todd Field. Screenplay: Todd Field. Web site. Trailer. Understanding what drives us is crucial to our success in life’s endeavors. But, if we truly wish to attain the goals we seek for ourselves, we need to grasp what impels us and the beliefs that underlie our ambitions. Should we fail on this point, we could end up with a mixed bag of results, some satisfying, some not. The process of unscrambling those motivations thus becomes integral to assessing and appreciating how matters turn out for us, a concept explored in the new dramatic character study, “Tár.” Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) has made quite a name for herself. The internationally renowned conductor has taken the classical music world by storm, leading some of the globe’s most prestigious orchestras. She has also composed her own pieces, established initiatives to support world musicians and landed a position teaching aspiring conductors. In addition, Lydia has overseen the production of an extensive repertoire of recordings, most notably all but one of the symphonies of Gustav ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday November 8, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...

“Till” (2022). Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Patrick Thomas, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Tosin Cole, Jayme Lawson, John Douglas Thompson, Kevin Carroll, Keith Arthur Bolden, Roger Guenveur Smith, Marc Collins, Diallo Thompson, Tyrik Johnson, Sean Michael Weber, Eric Whitten, Darian Rolle, E. Roger Mitchell, Brendan Patrick Connor, Tim Ware, Carol J. Mckenith, Keisha Tillis. Director: Chinonye Chukwu. Screenplay: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu. Web site. Trailer. It takes a lot to recover from an unspeakable tragedy. Some of us, in fact, may never be able to rebound from the pain. However, one of the most effective and meaningful ways to recoup from such calamities is to turn those dire circumstances into impactful and lasting reform. That may not be easy to accomplish, and we could encounter countless obstacles along the way. But with faith, determination and conviction, we just might bring about the transformation we seek, an objective sought and achieved in the new fact-based historical drama, “Till.” In the summer of 1955, Black Chicago teenager Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) was looking forward to visiting his cousins (Marc Collins, Diallo Thompson, Tyrik Johnson) in the small town of Money, Mississippi. As a personable, gregarious young ...