Alan Ng

As a film, Reagan is about as perfect a biopic as you will get. The story flows quickly and feels cinematic for a man whose life plays out like a movie.

Ultimately, Vanquish falls into the cliché of typical action films, where the focus is on the action, and the story is a way to string the action together

Whether you’re astonished or offended, Travolta gives a marvelous and unforgettable performance.

Erasing Eden’s story is not for everyone. Sometimes I wanted to quit in the same way I almost (and actually) gave up on my friends like Eden. But it pays off in the end if you open your heart and stick it out.

There are enough facts and inspiration to make Tiger worth watching. Mickey Rourke always gives a good performance, and he still fits in the boxing setting. The downside is the story’s structure is unoriginal insuring Tiger will never leap beyond being just a good film.

In Making Montgomery Clift, you see how brilliant an actor Clift was. You see his love of the art of storytelling, developing characters with depth and dimension, and his willingness to put the final product over his own ego. He loved living life just as much as portraying it on screen.

In Stay Human, Michael Franti examines the idea of staying human in these times when we’ve all embraced cynicism and fear over the optimism and potential of the human spirit.

The true star and the reason to watch Pig Hag is Anna Schlegel as Jodie. She puts it all out there—her anger, vulnerabilities, and sexuality are on full display.

Kulap’s life is on full display in Origin Story. I don’t think I could do it if I were in her shoes. The chamber of secrets has been opened, and she holds nothing back. Her story is fascinating, but also in a way, we become this voyeur into her life, like slowly passing a severe car accident on the freeway getting a good look at the damage.

The film is good and will appeal to fans of the genre, but doesn’t do enough to transcend it, which is what you hope when you watch dozens of Rom-Coms every year and when you want to broaden the appeal of your film altogether.

The Outsider puts a spin on the western drama but quickly falls back into the conventional tropes of the genre. It best to approach The Outsider knowing that its primary focus is on the story and not action.

Good story and strong acting are a killer combination in this independent film.

As unique as the story is, Becoming Burlesque succeeds in large part to Shiva Negar’s performance as Fatima. She’s engaging and charismatic, and she guides Fatima character arc flawlessly. Your eyes are on her, and you’re with her all the way from caterpillar to butterfly.

I found McColm’s film intriguing to watch and fascinated by her satirical take on her subject. If you open yourself to the movie just a little, you’ll find yourself identifying with them in times of great personal and emotional failure.

Up There succeeds where many dramas like this fail. It balances action beautifully with dialogue. Especially as dialogue-heavy movies tend to vomit exposition at a sickening rate. A hefty portion of character development and revelation comes from its performances.

Thrasher Road is a fantastic story of family and forgiveness.

Sequestrada is a beautiful film showing off the elegance of the Amazon river and the simplicity of the indigenous villages. The drama is shot with handheld cameras giving off a fly-on-the-wall documentary style of filmmaking. The acting isn’t that great but oddly feels authentic.

Hell On The Border tells a unique western-style story.

Anya is a less than perfect film, but attempts to answer a few intriguing questions, making it worth watching.

Queen of Paradis is a fun art documentary from the beautiful collection of Reine Paradis. She, at times, imperils herself for her art and has a sharp sense of humor about it.

Eating Up Easter is another documentary exploring the tension a society faces when confronted with potentially being left behind in a rapidly changing world. Documentaries such as this, always paint progress as the antagonist, and rightfully so. The struggle to hold onto one’s past is an underdog fight and, at times, an unwinnable one.

It’s hard to watch StarDog and TurboCat and not think that Disney and Pixar can do this better. The animation is pretty good with standard cartoon movement and character design. It only lacks the photorealistic details and textures associated with Pixar.

The heart of the film and the source of this thriller’s tension is the interplay between the two brothers, played beautifully by Derek Phillips and Josh Crotty.

There is a good amount of dialogue in Waterlily Jaguar, but the dialogue informs us about the character. Bob is not a chatty person, but Le Gros’ portrayal speaks volumes about Bob. Miro Sorvino continues to show she has range and can elevate any character she takes on.

Money Plane will be remembered as Adam Copeland’s first feature lead role with some heavy-hitters to back him up. The film is good, tame fun, but in desperate need of memorable, action moments for water-cooler talk.

Doin’ My Drugs is an informative and inspiring documentary about a man and his guitar trying the change an entire nation, one person at a time.

Udo Flohr’s Effigy – Poison and the City is a fantastic film to watch if you’re a fan of period dramas. The leads give terrific performances, and the setting is visually beautiful for history buffs.

The Reunited States is an essential documentary for anyone who’s frustrated with the state of politics today, not only in Washington but at home.