-
DOC NYC 2021- “Come Back Anytime” is An Intimate, Soulful Feast: Film Capsule Review
At a nondescript intersection in Chiyoda City, Tokyo sits Bizentei, an unassuming ramen shop. Its owner, Masamoto Ueda serves an incredibly minimalistic menu in a restaurant that only seats six patrons. However, in that space, Masamoto has created a community of camaraderie and fellowship for over four decades. Much like Bizentei, Come Back Anytime is […]
-
AFI Fest 2021- “Simple As Water” and The Poignancy of Normalcy: Film Capsule Review
In an era of 24-hour news cycles, it’s easy to become numb to plights of those across the globe and compartmentalize these worldwide struggles into a single statistic. That’s why it is so essential for films like Simple As Water to continue to be produced. Rather than looking at the Syrian refuge crisis as a […]
-
DOC NYC 2021- “Cusp” Is A Window Into Teenage Womanhood: Film Capsule Review
A cross between The Last Picture Show and Eighth Grade, Cusp focuses on the the lives of three Texas high school sophomores as they venture into a world filled with drugs, alcohol, and toxic masculinity. The level of access directors Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt have to these young women is astounding and provides a […]
-
DOC NYC 2021 Festival Preview
The stage, both digital and virtual, is set for the 11th annual DOC NYC Film Festival being held from November 10th-28th. With over 200 films and screening events over the next two weeks, there is sure to be something for everyone at America’s largest documentary film festival. We at Silver Linings Reviews have provided an […]
-
LPFF 2021- “I’m Your Man” Is “When Harry Met Sally” For Nerds: Film Capsule Review
Can an anthropomorphic algorithm make the perfect romantic partner? That’s the hypothetical question that director Maria Schrader seeks to answer in light sci-fi rom-com I’m Your Man. A cross between Ex Machina and a Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally) film, I’m Your Man follows, Tom (Dan Stevens), an programmed android who wants to feel […]
-
LPFF 2021- The Power of Passionate Conversation in “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy”: Film Capsule Review
While its title may spark mental images of dragons or Vanna White, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is a simple and unassuming trio of momentary romances. There are no flashy shots or edits on display in this feature. Instead, Hamaguchi allows the conversations between the couples to shine, in what feels like an […]
-
LPFF 2021- “The Humans” Is A Post-9/11 Allegorical Bore: Film Capsule Review
With an all-star cast consisting of Steven Yeun, Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Jayne Houdyshell, and June Squibb navigating familial anxieties in a post-9/11 society, The Humans sounds like an independent home run. Sadly, Stephen Karam’s directorial debut is so concerned with creating an accurate New York City apartment environment, that it forgets about […]
-
CIFF 2021- “Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking” Doesn’t Save the Day: Film Capsule Review
Despite the eye-catching title that seems intended for the masses, Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking is as dry as documentaries come. Unlike Micheaux’s works, the film lacks passion, evoking memories of rote academic material found in a film studies classroom. There no doubting that Micheaux is the godfather of Black American cinema. His […]
-
CIFF 2021- “A Cop Movie” and The Problem With Narrative-Doc Hybrids: Film Capsule Review
A Cop Movie initially seems like a brilliant endeavor to explore the state of Mexico’s police system through the combination of narrative and documentary storytelling. It allows director Alonso Ruizpalacios to develop several fantastic sequences as Teresa and Montoya break the fourth wall while on the job to share their experiences. However as the two […]
-
LPFF 2021- “Golden Voices” Reminds Us of the Importance of Being Heard: Film Capsule Review
On Friday, October 22, 2021 at the 20th Annual Lake Placid Film Festival, the audience attending Golden Voices was pleasantly reminded what it means to listen to your own voice, even when surrounded by the pressures of societal norms and completely new surroundings. The film follows Raya (Mariya Belkina) and Victor (Vladimir Friedman) Frenkel, an […]
Silver Linings Reviews 