Yes God Yes 2019 Film Poster

Film Review: Yes, God, Yes (2019)

Released at the end of July in virtual cinemas after having some limited screenings before COVID-19 struck, Karen Maine’s second screenplay is based on a short film of the same title produced by her several years prior, just like her other film Obvious Child. Yes, God, Yes is coming of age film that takes an intimate look at sexual awakening and Catholicism, and unlike Child, she’s also the director. The film challenges the hypocrisy and double standards while also offering a positive message in a film that’s both accurate and slightly satirical, perfectly capturing the Catholic school environment and all that comes with it.

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Never Sometimes Rarely Always 2020 Film Poster

Film Review: Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

There are ways I like to think of films: those that are already forgotten just as quickly as you watched it, those that you may think of from time to time as they’ve made a loose impression on you, and those that stay with you for a long time. Never Rarely Sometimes Always falls into that last category.

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The Vast of Night 2019 Film Poster

Film Review: The Vast of Night (2019)

Another film I missed out on at last year’s Philadelphia Film Festival, The Vast of Night made its way to Amazon Prime as an exclusive just over two months ago now. Similarly to what I did recently with signing up for HBO Max and Netflix trials to watch exclusives on their services, I also briefly signed up for a Prime subscription so I could check out this movie. In this debut film from Andrew Patterson, Vast easily draws comparisons to series such as The Twilight Zone, as the film’s setting is the 1950s and has a science fiction and mystery vibe to it.

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On a Magical Night 2019 Film Poster

Film Review: On a Magical Night (2019)

It’s not uncommon to dwell on the past, the would’ve could’ve should’ves. What is a tad more uncommon, however, is to think about past lovers and what things could’ve turned into with them while you’re married That’s exactly what we see with Maria (Chiara Mastroianni, who was in another film I reviewed recently, The Girl with a Bracelet). After her husband Richard (Benjamin Biolay) sees some texts on her phone from a man named ‘A’ about having enjoyed their sleeping together, he confronts her about her infidelity.

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Bungalow 2002 Film Poster

Film Review: Bungalow (2002)

Grasshopper Films has been on a roll lately with scooping up the rights to some excellent films, with this new 4K restoration of Bungalow being no exception. Up until now, I’ve never seen a German film, and after watching this, color me impressed with this directorial debut from Ulrich Köhler dating back to 2002.

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Fourteen 2019 Film Poster

Film Review: Fourteen (2019)

Slowly but surely, I’m catching up on films I wanted to see at last year’s Philadelphia Film Festival but was unable to. Last weekend I discovered one of those films, Fourteen, has been streaming online since May. Naturally, I pounced on the first opportunity I had to watch it.

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Shirley 2020 Film Poster

Film Review: Shirley (2020)

After watching a film, one thing I like to do is do a little research on it as typically there’s something I’ll learn. It could be something simple such as finding out it’s based on a novel, it could be that the film is an adaptation of another film, it could be information about what went into making the film, anything really. With Shirley, I learned in the credits that it’s adapted from a novel of the same name, but it gets even deeper than that: the novel is a homage to a real person. That person would be Shirley Jackson, who is known for her works of horror and mystery, consisting of several novels and many short stories. Admittedly, I’ve yet to read any of her works.

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Close Enough TV Show Poster HBO Max

TV Series Review: Close Enough

I can’t believe this September marks ten years since J.G. Quintel’s Regular Show series debuted on Cartoon Network. Eight seasons and a movie later, that show wrapped up a few years ago and now Quintel is back with a new show, this time aimed at older audiences. The series was first announced in 2017 and was originally going to be a part of an animated block on TBS. Those plans fell through when a show from Louis C.K. that was also going to be part of the block had its production shut down after his sexual misconduct allegations. Fans were left wondering if Close Enough was ever going to see the light of day, and it finally, debuting on HBO Max earlier this month.

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The Girl with a Bracelet 2019 Movie Poster

Film Review: The Girl with a Bracelet (2019)

A loose adaptation of the Argentine film ‘The Accused’, The Girl With a Bracelet (La fille au bracelet) from director Stéphane Demoustier is a film that teaches you to not make assumptions, even if the circumstances, evidence, and emotions (or lack thereof) paint someone in a certain light. Even beginning with the film’s title and the word bracelet, you make assumptions and think it’s about a bracelet around her wrist, but that’s incorrect — it’s referring to Lise’s ankle monitor, as she’s been accused of murdering her best friend.

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