Month: June 2021
F9: Drive fast, make things go boom
by Matt Ward
It’s time to call a spade a spade. The Fast and the Furious series, now nine films and one spinoff deep in a 20-year period, isn’t in the action-adventure genre anymore. The Vin Diesel-led F9, which debuted in theaters Friday after sitting on the shelf due to the coronavirus pandemic for over a year, cements the legacy of the franchise as comic-book level superhero … Read More F9: Drive fast, make things go boom
12 Mighty Orphans: Feel-good fumble
by Matt Ward
Inspirational sports films have practically become a tradition on par with events like the World Series, Super Bowl or Kentucky Derby. Without fail, it’s expected – almost demanded – that there will be one every year. Texas director Ty Roberts has brought audiences an emotional drama based on a true story from his home state, putting viewers on the sidelines with an underdog football … Read More 12 Mighty Orphans: Feel-good fumble
All These Sons: Tribeca At Home review
by Matt Ward
Gun violence is senseless. Nowhere in the United States is it more prevalent than Chicago, where more people are shot and killed than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. For filmmakers Joshua Altman and Bing Liu’s latest documentary All These Sons, approaching the sensitive subject meant dealing with the trauma and emotional scars that linger long after bullet wounds have healed. Their … Read More All These Sons: Tribeca At Home review
In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
by Matt Ward
Much of great filmmaking comes down to proper world building, creating a community within the narrative to help bring the audience into an unfamiliar, unique place. Filmmakers often showcase the worlds in which they come from, which makes authentic portrayals of diverse communities rarer than they should be. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway smash hit took audiences into his community, a melting pot of Latino … Read More In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
The Courier: Unlikely assets, improbable odds
by Matt Ward
British period dramas often have a reserved, stuffy quality to them that keeps the audience at a distance. While viewers get to know the characters and feel for their plight, it’s hard to connect as an audience member to the genre. Director Dominic Cooke keeps his latest feature in this standoffish distance, but it becomes something more with compelling characters and intriguing spy-craft at … Read More The Courier: Unlikely assets, improbable odds
Cinematic Considerations 