Friday, April 28, 2017

Tribeca Day 8 HELL ON EARTH, BOBBI JENE, FROM THE ASHES, SAMBA, THUMPER and MR LONG

Lots of movies, talking to the volunteers, making jokes with JB and Hubert and a mad dash home to write today:

HELL ON EARTH
Sebastian Junger's history of the Syrian civil war and the rise of Isis is a very good primer on the whole situation. Filled with video of the conflict you will feel as if you are there. I will need to see this again before I can do a full review.

BOBBI JENE
Fly on the wall look at the noted dancer as she leaves Israel to return to the US and begin a new phase of her career. How you react will depend on how much you care about or can connect with Jene. I never connected and after about twenty minutes my attention wandered. Your mileage may vary, but personally I never cared (And I'm left scratching my head how this won multiple awards at the festival when so many other films are soooo much better)

FROM THE ASHES
Extremely up to date (it mentions things than happened last month) look at the coal industry and how the use of coal is polluting the environment.

A confused and confusing film, FROM THE ASHES  suffers from coming on the heals of several other recent films on the coal industry. The problem is that the film is cut in such away that there are times where we really can't be sure where the film stands on coal. While its admirable that the film makes it clear that there are no easy answers I was left feeling I wasn't sure what the filmmakers wanted me to feel.

THUMPER
New girl in high school is an undercover cop and her relationship with the local drug kingpin becomes complicated. Good little crime film isn't anything we haven't seen before. Entertaining but unremarkable its worth a look in an undemanding mood.

SAMBA
Slow to get going boing film has an ex-con returning home after 17 years to find it's hard to get work. He has a shot at a payday thanks to an Italian boxing champ who notices his talent. Good but unremarkable film suffers from bouncing between the two main characters to the point where we never really get a handle on either man. I was half way into the film when I realized I still wan't sure who anyone really was as a character. Yea things moved along but I never connected.

MR LONG
A full review is coming- but this latest film is very often director Sabu at his most amazing- and deliberate. The plot has a Taiwanese hit man getting stranded in Japan after a hit goes wrong. Unable to get back home he takes refuge in a run home and makes friends of the locals who love his cooking. If you've seen any of Sabu's other films you know to expect the unexpected. A violent, charming and moving film this is a fil for anyone who wants something unexpected and wonderful.
I have much to say so as I said at the top expect a full review.

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