Year: 2023

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday June 11, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...

“You Hurt My Feelings” (2023). Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Owen Teague, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Jeannie Berlin, Amber Tamblyn, David Cross, Zach Cherry, Doug Moe, Trey Santiago-Hudson, Erica Martin, Karolena Theresa, Lynnsey Lewis, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Claudia Robinson, Clara Wong, Josh Pais. Director: Nicole Holofcener. Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener. Web site. Trailer. Most of us would probably agree with the time-honored adage that “Honesty is the best policy.” But is that really true? Certainly we appreciate its value when it comes to sharing the truth about the circumstances that touch our lives and in expressing the feelings we hold for one another, particularly loved ones. However, is honesty truly worth everything it’s said to be when unadulterated candor cuts like a knife, hurtfully undermining one’s enthusiasm, emotions or expectations? To be sure, there are times when such a tough love approach may be necessary for someone’s well-being, but is it called for when it undercuts tact or encouragement? In situations like this, blanket endorsements of the aforementioned maxim might readily be called into question, as explored in the delightful new comedy-drama, “You Hurt My Feelings.” Like a number of other offerings from writer-director Nicole Holofcener, this latest feature outing examines ...

Reviews of “Everything Went Fine,” “Film, the Living Record of Our Memory” and “Fathers and Mothers” are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

“Everything Went Fine” (“Tout s’est bien passé”) (2021 production, 2023 release). Cast: Sophie Marceau, André Dussellier, Géraldine Pailhas, Charlotte Rampling, Éric Caravaca, Hanna Schygulla, Grégory Gadebois, Judith Magre, Jacques Nolot, Daniel Mesguich, Nathalie Richard, Annie Mercier, Catherine Chevallier, Quentin Redt-Zimmer, Alexia Chicot, Madeleine Nosal Romane, Karim Melayah, Aymen Saidi, Toudo Cissokho. Director: François Ozon. Screenplay: Eammanuèle Bernheim, François Ozon and Philippe Piazzo. Web site. Trailer. Questions related to assisted suicide and the right to die have been debated hotly for decades, and proponents on each side of these issues have made passionate arguments for their causes. Is it ethical to help someone take his or her own life, or must its sanctity be preserved at all costs? At the same time, is it proper to deny someone the right to bring their existence to an end if they so choose, especially if they are in extreme pain or if they feel that their continuation is anguishing or pointless? There are no easy answers in any of this, but one thing is for sure – it’s a highly personal decision, and it doesn’t seem appropriate that anyone should stand in an individual’s way. Such are the issues examined in the compelling ...

Join yours truly and show host Frankie Picasso for looks at five new films on this month’s second movie review edition of the Frankiesense & More video podcast! The show, to begin airing Thursday May 25 at 1 pm ET, will examine two new foreign offerings and three new compelling documentaries. Tune in on Facebook or YouTube for all the fun and lively discussion! ...

“Film, the Living Record of Our Memory” (2021 production, 2023 release). Cast: Interviews: Ken Loach, Costa-Gavras, Wim Wenders, Ridley Scott, Jonas Mekas, Patricio Guzmán, Margaret Bodde, Joseph Bohbat (narrator). Archive Footage: Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Sydney Pollack, George Romero, Ben Mankiewicz. Director: Inés Toharia Terán. Writer: Inés Toharia Terán. Web site. Trailer. Imagine if there were no “Casablanca” (1942). No “Jaws” (1975). No “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), no “Avatar” (2009), no “Wizard of Oz” (1939). The prospect is unthinkable, even to the most casual moviegoer (imagine what that would mean for an avid cinephile). That’s what we’d face if no concerted effort were made to preserve these films for posterity. Surprisingly enough, however, this is a practice that, until recently, received far too little attention – and with devastating consequences. Fortunately, this subject has been garnering wider consideration, but it’s one about which we need to remain vigilant. That’s the message to come out of an impressive new documentary about this topic, “Film, the Living Record of Our Memory.” Film has become so ubiquitous that we take it for granted. From big screen epics to intimate arthouse dramas to revealing documentaries to home movies, we see these ...