This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "The Fabelmans," "The Inspection," "Argentina, 1985" and "Leonor Will Never Die," along with a podcast preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network
‘The Fabelmans’ examines an artist’s roots
When we look upon the works of gifted artists – regardless of the medium involved – we’re often tempted to wonder where the abilities that gave rise to them came from. To be sure, much of the credit obviously belongs to these creative types themselves, but still there are other influences that help to nudge their talents to the surface, inspirations that bring out their innate skills and enable them to flourish.
This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "She Said," "Triangle of Sadness," "Bardo" and "Falling" are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network
‘Bardo’ takes a long, introspective look at life
How often do we seriously take the time to contemplate life’s bigger questions? We either preoccupy ourselves with everyday matters that unwittingly prompt us to put these issues on the back burner, or we may view these subjects as too daunting or scary, pushing them into the dark recesses of our consciousness for later handling (opportunities for which almost never surface). But how prepared do these approaches leave us for the time when we really will have to address them?
‘Falling’ wrestles with indecision, pain and moving forward
When life repeatedly beats us up and knocks us down, it can be difficult to get back up. We may be reluctant to continue putting ourselves out there in the wake of such results. Even potentially pleasant prospects may lead us to be suspicious; the apprehension of yet another disappointment could leave us weary and hesitant.
‘Tár’ seeks to unscramble one’s motivations
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.
‘Murina’ examines the quest for independence
There comes a time in life when we all believe we need to strike out on our own. It can be a challenging enough prospect in itself, but it can be far worse when our efforts are hampered by those unduly seeking to hold us back. Independence and personal power may become seemingly unattainable under those circumstances. But is that reason enough to give up?
Wrapping Up the 2022 Chicago Film Festival
If I had to sum up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival with one word, it would definitely be “underwhelming.” This year’s programming left much to be desired, especially in its virtual programming, which was scaled back considerably from previous years. This, in my opinion, is decidedly a step backwards.
This Week in Movies with Meaning
Reviews of "McEnroe," "The Good Boss" and "Olga," along with three film festival previews and first look at a podcast, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network
‘Emily the Criminal’ examines hard choices for hard times
Life is full of hard choices and, fittingly enough, they nearly always materialize during periods of hard times. Still, despite the uncannily synchronous nature and timing of such matters, that doesn’t make them any less challenging to address. And, as much as many of us would rather not deal with such issues, they must be handled, lest we be saddled with even bigger problems