https://independent-magazine.org/2021/04/02/shiva-baby-review/
Obsessed with Independent Film Since 1976
Obsessed with Independent Film Since 1976
In the holy season of Passover, what could make a moviegoer feel more connected to the spirit of the season and their family traditions than a film about Jewishness, sex, family expectations, bisexuality, body image obsessions, sugar daddies, career choices, and cheating? First-time writer/director, Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby brings us an intersection of all these… Read more »
Last April, the Human Rights Watch stated that the conditions in which El Salvador inmates live are inhumane. El Salvador’s prisons have a maximum capacity of just over 18,000 prisoners, but they are currently holding more than 38,000 individuals. Upon entering the penitentiary, you will notice thousands of individuals trickling out of cramped cells. Gang… Read more »
“It grows everywhere like weeds… rich or poor, anyone can enjoy it. Minari is wonderful,” says Soonja (Youn Yuh- Jung) to her grandson David (Alan Kim). They chant “Minari Minari, wonderful wonderful,” evoking a heartfelt sense of nostalgia that can resonate with anyone who has a specific comfort food tied to their family’s lineage.
Blow The Man Down, an Amazon original film written and directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy, was released on Amazon Prime on March 20, 2020. However, despite its critical success and 10 award nominations, which include a win for Best Screenplay at the Tribeca Film Festival , it never received the media attention… Read more »
An Ode to a Nuanced Existence The Sundance “Next” selection is always something to look forward to. As the name implies, these are the films that have been chosen due to their forward-thinking, boundary pushing, and are always refreshingly innovative. This selection often represents what I can look forward to as the blueprint for the… Read more »
Spring is busting out all over New York City, with cinemas scheduled to open March 5 (25% capacity, 50-seat maximum). Online, Film at Lincoln Center and UniFrance are showcasing 18 new vital and vibrant examples of contemporary French filmmaking. The 26th annual edition includes new work from returning filmmakers plus six debut dramas. All 18… Read more »
Before the viewing of We’re All Going to the World’s Fair starts, director Jane Schoenbrun instructs the audience attending the 2021 Sundance showing to get rid of our phones. Put them into the next room or throw them out the window; do anything to ensure that we aren’t tempted to pick them up during the… Read more »
I need to come clean. I don’t drive. The last time I was behind the steering wheel was in 2016, the day of my driving test. Needless to say, I don’t know anything about cars. I don’t care to know anything about cars and yet I just spent four straight hours glued to my screen… Read more »
Sure, it was sorely disappointing not to view the 24 narrative dramas, documentaries and shorts up on the big screens at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater. That’s where NYJFF, co-sponsored by The Jewish Museum and Film at Lincoln Center, shows its annual festivals. But the real loss for this viewer—an irreplaceable loss—came in not being… Read more »
Do you remember the last movie you saw in a real theater, up on a big screen? Our memories grow more remote by the day. For this viewer it was a screening of the sumptuous 150-minute Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. Directed by Gu Xiaogang, Dwelling is a multi-generational family saga that slowly unscrolls as… Read more »