Texas filmmaker David Lowery’s latest film is an experiment. It’s an artistic endeavor, it’s risky, it requires everything from the viewer and only gives you something in return if you let it. A Ghost Story however doesn’t work as a cinematic feature, at least not in the traditional sense of a customer buying a ticket […]
SXSW2017 opened with Austin legend Terrence Malick’s latest “cinematic poetry”, or at least that’s the positive spin fans used to describe it. When asked about working with the complicated, misunderstood and elusive Texan director, Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) described the experience as “rough”. Fassbender (Steve Jobs) explained how difficult it was working with
I’ve been frustrated by two time Oscar winning director Ang Lee’s films before, but the disaster now known as Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk reaches new depths. Disclaimer, I saw the film in regular 2D presentation, not the 120 high frame rate that bothered so many critics at festivals. Lee would have been better off
Denis Villeneuve’s creative direction with “Sicario” last year was nothing short of masterful. His work, so good, that it nearly overshadowed the stellar script by actor turned screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. The sophomore script from Sheridan is the real main character in Hell or High Water and the most original writing I’ve seen this year. Similar
The second semi-mainstream western of 2016 offers a bit more excitement than Natalie Portman’s Jane Got a Gun. The Duel, comes to us from Kieran Darcy-Smith who is predominately a television director. The western reunites Hunger Game co-stars Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth, in a classic battle of good and evil. From the violent opening
In his first film since nearly nabbing best picture for Boyhood. Austin, Texas landmark Richard Linklater returns with unofficial sequel to Dazed & Confused. If Dazed & Confused was Linklater’s representation of guys trying to get laid in the 1970’s, Everybody Wants Some is that notion for the 80’s. Boyhood raised the bar a bit
Austin’s mega popular South By Southwest film festival is known for a lot of things, but their top prize winner each year typically isn’t one of their strengths. It’s been a year since Krisha won both the audience award and the jury prize. Unlike films from Sundance or Toronto who go on to be best
Similar to what we saw in Heaven is For Real (2014), Miracles From Heaven is another film, adapted from a book, following the true story of a sick child, visiting Heaven. These films certainly have good intentions, they are impossible to hate. It’s the studio influence that reinforces stereotypes (the father can’t go into his
The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) have announced their 2015 nominees.
