Film-Forward

American

Hide Your Smiling Faces

Edited, Written and Directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone Produced by Matthew Petock, Zach Shedd, Carbone, and Jordan Bailey-Hoover Released by Tribeca Film USA. 80 minutes. Not Rated With Ryan Jones, Nathan Varnson, Colm O’Leary, Ivan Tomic, Thomas Cruz, Christina Starbuck and Chris Kies Fresh coming-of-age tales are difficult to make for the simple reason that […]

A Birder’s Guide to Everything

Directed by Rob Meyer Produced by Kirsten Duncan Fuller, Lisa K. Jenkins, Dan Lindau and R. Paul Miller Written by Luke Matheny and Meyer Released by Screen Media Films. USA. 88 min. Not rated With Kodi Smit-McPhee, James Le Gros, Alex Wolff, Michael Chen, Katie Chang, and Ben Kingsley Rob Meyer’s feature directorial debut, A […]

Cheap Thrills

Directed by E. L. Katz Written by David Chirchirillo and Trent Haaga Released by Drafthouse Films USA. 88 min. Not rated With Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, David Koechner and Sara Paxton It’s possible there is someone somewhere who is unaware of the lengths to which man will go for a cash prize. Or there may […]

It Felt Like Love

Written and Directed by Eliza Hittman Produced by Eliza Hittman, Shirihari Sathe, Laura Wagner Released by Variance Films USA. 82 min. Not rated With Gina Piersanti, Giovanna Salimeni, Ronen Rubinstein & Jesse Cordasco General anxiety is often described as the constant fear that something tragic is about to happen. This dread underscores the entirety of […]

Bad Words

Directed by Jason Bateman Written by Andrew Dodge Produced by Mr. Bateman, Mason Novick, Sean McKittrick and Jeff Culotta Released by Focus Features USA. 89 min. Rated R With Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Ben Falcone, Philip Baker Hall & Allison Janney In a film filled to the tipping point with a whirlwind of […]

Better Living Through Chemistry

Written and Directed by Geoff Moore and David Posamentier Produced by Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films. USA. 91 min Not rated With Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan, Norbert Leo Butz, Ben Schwartz, Ken Howard, Ray Liotta, Harrison Holzer & Jane Fonda Better Living Through Chemistry has wonderful opening credits: […]

The Face of Love

Directed by Arie Posin Produced by Bonnie Curtis & Julie Lynn Written by Posin & Matthew McDuffie Released by IFC Films USA. 92 min. Rated PG-13 With Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Jess Weixler & Amy Brenneman Annette Bening and Ed Harris star in a romantic drama about grief and the inability to accept […]

Sundance Film Festival 2014

Sundance 2014, for me, was about the levels of experience of its many directors. For a festival that showcases the work of emerging filmmakers, there were notably a remarkable number of films by well-established filmmakers. And the quality showed. Watching an Ira Sachs film or a Zellner Brothers film (this year being their eighth trip […]

Love & Air Sex

Directed by Bryan Poyser Produced by Megan Gilbride & Trace Sheehan Written by Steven Walters, David DeGrow Shotwell & Poyser, based on a story by Walters Released by Tribeca Film USA. 91 min. Not rated With Michael Stahl-David, Ashley Bell, Sara Paxton & Zach Cregger Though its title implies 90 minutes of raunchy, ball-busting mayhem, […]