Film-Forward

American

Zero Charisma

Directed by Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews Produced by Thomas Fernandes, Ezra Venetos Written by Matthews Released by Tribeca Film USA. 86 min. Not rated With Sam Eidson, Anne Gee Byrd, Brock England, Garrett Graham, Cyndi William, Vincent James Prendergast, Dakin Matthews & Katie Folger Zero Charisma could be described as the geek version of Big Fan. […]

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Directed by George Tillman Jr. Produced by Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Mr. Tillman & Robert Teitel Written by Michael Starrbury Released by Codeblack Films/Lionsgate. USA. 108 min. Rated R With Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jordin Sparks, Jeffrey Wright, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Anthony Mackie & Jennifer Hudson It’s clear from the opening scenes that Mister (Skylan Brooks) […]

All Is Bright

Directed By Phil Morrison Produced by Touchy Feely Films, GreeneStreet Films & Sidney Kimmel Entertainment Written By Melissa James Gibson Released by Anchor Bay Films USA. 107 min, Rated R With Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Sally Hawkins, Amy Landecker & Tatyana Richaudf All Is Bright, director Phil Morrison’s second feature, is a long awaited follow […]

Don Jon

Written & Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt Produced by Ram Bergman Released by Relativity USA. 90 min. Rated R With Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson & Jeremy Luke If MTV’s The Jersey Shore was remade into a feature-length film and given a darkly humorous treatment, you’d have […]

Newlyweeds

Written & Directed by Shaka King Produced by Jim Wareck, Michael Matthews, King & Gbenga Akinnabge Released by Phase 4 Films. USA. 87 min. Not rated With Amari Cheatom, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Tonya Pinkins & Colman Domingo Newlyweeds isn’t much of a comedy, though there are a couple of good laughs, […]

A Single Shot

Directed by David M. Rosenthal Written by Matthew F. Jones, based on his novel Produced by Aaron L. Gilbert, Chris Coen & Keith Kjarval, Jeff Rice Released by Tribeca Film/Well/Go USA Entertainment With Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Jeffery Wright, Jason Isaacs, Kelly Reilly, Joe Anderson, Ophelia Lovibond, Ted Levine & Melissa Leo Don’t the […]

Mother of George

Directed by Andrew Dosunmu Produced by Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Matt Parker, Carly Hugo, Darci Picoult, Chris Maybach, Saemi Kim, Patrick Cunningham & Tony Okungbowa Written by Darci Picoult Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories USA. 107 min. Rated R With Danai Gurira, Isaach De Bankolé, Yaya Alafia, Tony Okungbowa, Bukky Ajayi & Angelique Kidjo Mother […]

A Teacher

Written & Directed by Hannah Fidell Produced by Kim Sherman & Fidell Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories USA. 77 min. Not rated With Lindsay Burdge & Will Brittain A high school teacher punctuates the banality of her daily routine—commuting to work, administering her classroom, jogging, etc.—by banging a student. We begin with the teacher, Diana (Lindsay […]

Drinking Buddies

Edited, Written & Directed by Joe Swanberg Produced by Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, Andrea Roa, Swanberg & Alicia Van Couvering Released by Magnolia Pictures USA. 90 min. Rated R With Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick & Ron Livingston Joe Swanberg, besides being one of the most prominent directors of the micro-budgeted independent films known […]