By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) Based on his real life experiences under the caring guidance of his late teacher Tim Moellering, Santiago Rizzo brings his inspiring and emotional true story to film. Rizzo grew up in an abusive living situation and often took to the streets to avoid the pain and… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2017 Review/Interview: QUEST
Category: Reviews
Review: NOVITIATE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) The Catholic Church has existed for many centuries and is, thus, one of the oldest religions in existence. During its extensive history, the Church has had its share of dark chapters and notable moments that its leaders would prefer to forget. Between 1962 and 1965, Pope… Continue reading Review: NOVITIATE
Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) At this year’s festival, I had the immense pleasure of watching what might be the best movie of 2017. As the year isn’t over just yet, that title still remains to be seen. For now, though, I do not know of any one film that has… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Review: WONDER
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) The Elephant Man and Mask are just a couple of several stories about disfigured people overcoming prejudice and struggling with their own self-consciousness about their condition. However, there aren’t too many kid/family friendly ones that offer the realistic perspective of a young child with a similar… Continue reading Review: WONDER
Review: REVOLT
By Renee’ C. Rating: 3.5 (Out of 5 Reels) The story of humankind’s last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion. In the war-ravaged African countryside, a U.S. soldier, Bo (Lee Pace) and a French foreign aid worker, Nadia (Berenice Marlohe) team up to survive the alien onslaught (IMDB). This film drops you down in the… Continue reading Review: REVOLT
Review: MUDBOUND
By Renee’ C. Rating: 4 (Out of 5 Reels) Two men, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war (IMDB). This film is gritty and not easy… Continue reading Review: MUDBOUND
Review: NOVITIATE
By Renee’ C. Rating: 3.5 (Out of 5 Reels) Set in the early 1960s and during the era of Vatican II, a young woman, Sister Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), in training to become a nun struggles with issues of faith, the changing church and sexuality (IMDB). This film instantly draws the viewer into the lives of… Continue reading Review: NOVITIATE
Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: WILD HONEY
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) My second film of AFF 2017 was the hilarious romantic comedy Wild Honey. Sweet, charming and a little bit risque, this movie aims for crowd-pleasing status and succeeds without being overly saccharine. Written and directed by Francis Stokes, the film realistically deals with the issues associated with… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: WILD HONEY
Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: DON’T TALK TO IRENE
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From writer/director Pat Mills comes this joyous, inventive and hysterical teen underdog movie which features a wonderful breakout performance by Michelle McLeod. There have been several great teen comedies dealing with similar protagonists, but not one quite like this, nor quite as entertaining as McLeod’s Irene. … Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: DON’T TALK TO IRENE
Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: AMANDA & JACK GO GLAMPING
By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Two years ago at AFF, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing a phenomenal documentary titled A Single Frame and enjoyed meeting and interviewing its Austin-based director Brandon Dickerson. An AFF regular, Dickerson has screened some of his films at the festival and brings his latest… Continue reading Austin Film Festival 2017 Review: AMANDA & JACK GO GLAMPING