All posts by Tarek Fayoumi…The Paterson of his Craft!

I am someone who strives to become a professional critic. I watch and review many movies. I view the eyes of movies as something as an art form. I have followed many critics over the years, but once I was thirteen I knew writing film reviews was going to be my passion. I learned from watching multiple episodes of Ebert And Roeper in my teen years, and then in middle school I began writing film reviews for a newspaper club. I am also an avid fan of the arts of Chicago including Theatre, Comedy, and music. Films, however, are my primary focus.
Film reviews

Road House Review

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Directed by Doug Liman and written by Anthony Bagarozzi, this remake of Road House begins its introduction with a promising setup. The film opens with the initiation of a fight scene. It takes place in a club with street fighting. Carter, played by singer/rapper Post Malone, is in the ring.  Dalton, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is his opponent.  Dalton is the new Patrick Swayze in this different type of remake of the 1989 version of Road House. Gyllenhaal and Malone are retro street fighting in Road House. Dalton may be a bouncer, but he has a past, an ego and a lot of attitude.

Dalton is the main character, and he is offered a job as a bouncer by Frankie (played by Jessica Williams). Franke is the owner of a bar called The Road House. Dalton is a former UFC Fighter, and accepting this job puts him in a place where he realizes his territory of risks are not as promising as they seem. The settingis in the Florida Keys, a place where paradise meets a questionable habitat. The luxury environment sets the stage forlaunching into uncharted territory…it is a lot for a new bouncer. Dalton begins to realize how his new situation leaves him opento all kinds of abuse from many strange characters.

The Road House is disorganized and unorthodox—a bar with frequent conflicts and a lack of positive energy. There is one who says, “It’s like the morgue in here,” and indeed it may be. That is because Dalton has got some vengeance with an attitude that is hidden. There is a conflict with gangsters where Dalton asks, “Before we start, do you have insurance?” That question is the voice of a man with a giant ego and a hardcore vision of destruction for a better cause…Gyllenhaal is superb. His other question after the first one is, “Is there a hospital nearby?” The hospital question leads to a climax where the audience will hope there is a hospital for its characters to get to. This outcome leads Dalton to meet Ellie (played by Daniela Melchior). She is fascinated by Dalton’s personality and traits of enthusiasm.

This version of Road House is one where there are always conflicts of dynamics…not only at the bar, but all around the Florida Keys. Soon, Dalton is the new talk of the town. His mainchallenge are the crime bosses, and they are Ben and Knox (played by Billy Magnussen and Connor McGregor). Dalton begins to realize how he encourages others around him to stand their ground more firmly with the odd characters throughout the town. This is a frustration for Ben and Knox, because they want to take over much of the property surrounding the bar.

The first arena of danger was in Missouri in 1989 where Swayze was the hero. The new territory is in the edgy paradise setting of the Keys with Gyllenhaal. Dalton says, “People seem a little aggressive around here,” and those words hold true throughout the film’s many moments of treachery. The storyline follows the good and bad times of this chosen lifestyle—a journey into both aspects that thrive vividly. To an extent, it is very blockbuster-like with its writing and continuity—it keeps going in the route of heroism, and that leads to much of the film feeling habitual. Gyllenhaal’s performance is eloquent—his role as a bouncer is mellow, soft-spoken, and he displays intensity. Magnussen’s performance is out of his league—he plays a criminal that thinks he has got power. However, it is not enough to take on someone like Gyllenhaal as the new bouncer and a popular newcomer to town. Knox though, is the most lethal enemy.

The gangster atmosphere is what sold me with Road House—no matter where Dalton goes, there is always a treacherous trap awaiting. Are Dalton’s hidden days of being a pro-fighter enough to protect the ones around him? I do give the film credit for its suspenseful dynamics, it just does not execute them withthe brilliance one might expect. Gyllenhaal played a boxer in Southpaw in 2015 and returns to a role of a former boxer turned bouncer…with a lot more vengeance to release. The criminalelement is a blur, with the use of overrated actors that do not fit the theme of harsh bad guys. However, Gyllenhaal in roles with a boxing background is where his dramatic characterizations give his performance the fulfilling impact of unfettered rage. Basically the story of a bouncer in a world of mayhem that continues to feel rhetorical. Two out four stars for Road House.

Film reviews, Girl-By-Girl Film Festival 2024 Chicago

Film-Girl-Film Festival…The Mother of All Lies Review

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It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival, the 28th Busan International Film Festival, and is now premiering at the Film Girl Film Festival in Chicago at the Music Box Theatre. It is a complex narration of an honest reality through the eyes of writer, director, and narrator Asmae El Moudir. The filmportrays the truth of Asmae’s life growing up in Morocco. The way this filmmaker deeply explores issues and delves into uncharted territory makes The Mother of All Lies simply unforgettable.

The plot of the film lies in the depths of Asmae’s family where they are trying to find light. Asmae’s grandmother is Zahra, and her father is Mohamed. Her family is coping with much mental turmoil due to the massacres during the 1981 Bread Riots. The films realism is portrayed through both lightness and darkness.  There are haunting truths which encourage empathy because of the dynamics the family is facing. The poetics of Asmae’s exploration of her family history is full of surrealistic grandeur. Asmae’s grandmother is against photographs, because she feels it captures moments that are too painful for her tolerate. Because Asmae  is the film’s director, she controls the setup from anartist’s perspective. As a result, she is able to get to the root of where the pain lies within her family and herself.

The foundational story comes through the fascination of Asmae’s father. He builds an atelier with clay figurines which serves the purpose of representing moments in from the family’s past. The setting of the clay figurines is the Sebata District of Casablanca during the 1981 Bread Riots. This perspective featured in the film enthralled me.  Asmae’s father puts a great deal of effort into his models and clay figurines. They all serve a purpose in the present by representing some of the hardest moments from the past. I found it spellbinding.

This film set in Morocco is based upon a story which is beautifully written and thoughtfully examined. Asmae’s voice tells the story of many events in her turmoil-filled life that stir up her family dynamics. The story may portray a celebration for some, but for Asmae, it is about portraying the truth about her life growing up in Morocco. I felt empathy for Asmae while also being enchanted by the film’s visually grand odyssey. The street models and clay figurines representing a specific era serve to create a form of acceptance and appreciation in The Mother of All Lies.

All the explorations through Asmae’s family history make thismovie experience special. It is a unique documentary which is on point because of the value created by this landscape of faithful curiosity. It is extremely intriguing to explore the various aspects of the events which Asmae examines with her family. The voyage into uncharted territory of the past hits anemotional chord where art comes to life in The Mother of All Lies. Four out of four stars.

Film reviews

Knox Goes Away

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A film written by Gregory Poirier is likely to be thorough and in-depth. A film directed by and starring Michael Keaton is likely to be subtly serious and realistic. Knox Goes Away begins with the sound of a ticking clock which indicates that time is of the essence. In the story, a man’s success with criminal activities is about to hit a breaking point. This provides the motive to figure out a solution quickly.

Keaton plays John Knox, a man who has made a career as a contract killer. He has always remained under the radar and accomplished many detrimental missions. This all changes when he visits a doctor who informs him that he has a form of dementia and “There is no treatment.”  His dementia causes him to have various thought patterns and mood shifts. He continues his dirty work with the intent of stopping. This all hits a plateauwhen John fails at a crime job where there are many accidental deaths. On top of that, his son Miles (played by James Marsden) comes into his life and begs for his help. Miles finds himself in a difficult situation after accidentally killing a man to protect his daughter.

John was ready to stop making messes, but then his son createsthe most mind-boggling and life- threatening mess which needs to be cleaned up. John tries to retrace any aspect of the crime that could put his son in jail. He visits the crime scene, does a clean sweep, and deletes data from the security hard drives. Is John able to dispose of the evidence? With a detective named Emily (played by Suzy Nakamura) putting the pieces together, time is limited. John finds himself reaching out to his friend Xavier (played by Al Pacino) for assistance.

There are many stressors caused by the persistent dangers in this thriller. Most criminals have a strict discipline of keeping materials organized, but discipline becomes a blur in Knox Goes Away. The dementia echoes in John’s mind which is an indicator that the disease is progressing. John’s inevitable decline makes for a daring race to find answers and make things right.

Poirier’s writing is high caliber in Knox Goes Away. John’s thinking hits plateaus as he tries to navigate his evolving dementia. The crime scenes are staged by John, but his memory is weakening. The plot is an inventive puzzle. The messes and the fatalities caused by the botched crimes add to the suspense. 

There is also a calm feeling in the film which is enhanced by the playing of smooth jazz. The audience is left wondering…Can Miles keep his behavior straight? How serious is John’s dementia? The trail involves things getting worse before they get better.

The scenes featuring the detective stir the pot. Emily is bothsurreal and yet realistic. She goes deep with the evidence, the facts, the dynamics, and anything crucial to the case. She traces the events in order which proves the chaos will not go away in Knox Goes Away. The film has thrilling components that lead to a slippery slope that is as treacherous as a black-diamond run. Knox Goes Away’s writing reveals answers to a risky puzzle caused by someone with dementia who also a killer.  The perseverance in this movie is riveting and spellbinding due to the performances of Keaton, Marsden, and Pacino. Knox Goes Away also contains a backstory that is relentless and clever. Four stars.