drama

Tribeca Reviews: DUCK BUTTER, SEVEN STAGES & CARGO
Tribeca Reviews: DUCK BUTTER, SEVEN STAGES & CARGO

From the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, Kristy Strouse reviews Alia Shawkat’s new film Duck Butter, the film starring Taika Waititi as a cult leader, Seven Stages To Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through The Gateway Chosen By The Holy Storsh and the Martin Freeman zombie vehicle, Cargo.

REDOUTABLE (GODARD MON AMOUR): The Emperor with No Clothes
REDOUTABLE (GODARD MON AMOUR): The Emperor With No Clothes

Redoutable is an irreverent take on the biopic that gleefully flips the bird at its subject, and takes delight in making him conform to a conventional narrative of the type he grew to detest leading to some of the finest moments of cringe comedy in recent memory.

Tribeca Film Festival: Oppression, Fear & Freedom Dominate In DISOBEDIENCE, LEMONADE, THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE & NICE
Tribeca Film Festival: Oppression, Fear & Freedom Dominate In DISOBEDIENCE, LEMONADE, THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE & NICE

In this Tribeca Film Festival Round-up, Stephanie Archer looks at the films she saw that found that dominated their central focus and inspiration in oppression, fear and freedom.

GOLD (ORO): The Tedious Tale Of El Dorado

With undefined characters and a hesitation to commit to the violent realism of the story, Spanish historical epic Gold (Oro) proves to be something of a tedious slog.

Tribeca Review: THE PARTY'S JUST BEGINNING: Gillan Shines In Directorial Debut
Tribeca Review: THE PARTY’S JUST BEGINNING: Gillan Shines In Directorial Debut

The Party’s Just Beginning isn’t always fun, but it’s definitely a powerful vehicle for the very talented Karen Gillan.

120 BPM: Activists Come Alive
BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE): Activists Come Alive

It takes a lot to stand out among the numerous films about the AIDS crisis, but Campillo has managed to craft one that’s certain to stand the test of time. Distinctive characters and an astute understanding of what made ACT UP so memorable shines through in 120 BPM.

FUNNY COW: The most unpleasant British film in recent memory
FUNNY COW: The Most Unpleasant British Film in Recent Memory

Funny Cow is one of the most harmful depictions of the British working class in popular culture since Sacha Baron Cohen’s Grimsby, in addition to being one of the most mindbogglingly racist and homophobic films in recent memory.

IMITATION GIRL: A Sci-Fi Take On A Performance-Driven Character Study

Imitation Girl is an interesting character study focusing on women asking the questions: Who am I? and What do I have to show for my life? Lauren Ashley Carter gives strong performances as both Julianna and her imitation in this unique and captivating film about identity.

FOXTROT: A Potent Family Tragedy That Bustles With Life
FOXTROT: A Potent Family Tragedy That Bustles With Life

Samuel Maoz’s Foxtrot toys with our emotions, but that doesn’t mean it lacks any of its own. This is an energetic and structurally audacious jukebox of sensations, prioritising impulse over precision and thought over action.

CASTING: Fassbinder's Legacy Lives On In This Spirited German Film
CASTING: Fassbinder’s Legacy Lives On In This Spirited German Film

Casting, director Nicholas Wackerbarth’s meta tribute to Fassbinder’s 70’s masterpiece The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant, is a fantastically cringeworthy comedy in the same vein as Toni Erdmann.

THE MIRACLE SEASON: Feel-Good Biopic Hits Familiar Beats
THE MIRACLE SEASON: Feel-Good Biopic Hits Familiar Beats

With energetic sports play, a respect for its story and characters, and a slightly heavier final takeaway, The Miracle Season rises above the pitfalls that many feel-good biopics often fall into.

CLAIRE’S CAMERA: The Compelling Unfamiliarity Of Hong’s Honesty
CLAIRE’S CAMERA: The Compelling Unfamiliarity Of Hong’s Honesty

Watching Claire’s Camera feels like watching a film being made right in front of you with director Hong laying bare his cinematic style in that he doesn’t know where he’s taking us, but he’s just as interested to find out.

WESTERN: The Man With No Home
WESTERN: The Man With No Home

Western is Valeska Grisebach’s homage to the classic genre, focusing on a group of German construction workers in Bulgaria while playing with themes of overt masculinity and identity.

WHERE IS KYRA: Michelle Pfeiffer's First Lead Role in Nine Years Doesn't Disappoint
WHERE IS KYRA: Michelle Pfeiffer’s First Lead Role In Nine Years Doesn’t Disappoint

With an outstanding return performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, Where is Kyra? may have been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years, but the passage of time hasn’t diluted the sense of thematic urgency.

I KILL GIANTS: Low Budget Fantasy-Drama is Ambitious but Uneven
I KILL GIANTS: Low Budget Fantasy-Drama Is Ambitious But Uneven

Though grounded by a strong presence in the young Madison Wolfe, I Kill Giants is often too dreary to be truly engaging, and too under-realized to be an immersive escape into a fantastical world.