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

The Flash Review

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A long and anticipated wait is over—Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, also known as “The Flash”! After many halts in production and Miller’s erratic behavior, The Flash is finally here. But from my perspective, this long-awaited experience was mediocre at best.

The Flash provides little backstory, it jumps right to the main story, and its approach to the writing is poor. In fact, I found very few invigorating moments in this film. I continually asked myself just what direction this film is going to take. The DC universe has many superhero alumni. One is Michael Keaton returning in a role as Bruce Wayne as “Batman!” And there are other positives and surprises in the DC universe. The Flash is not one of them. It is fatally flawed.

In his role as Barry Allen and “The Flash!”, Miller of course has a super power that allows him to move from place to place in the blink of an eye. But Barry is a sensitive individual, and he has a dark past that he wishes he could turn around. A family tragedy puts him in a place where his chosen course is to go back in time to change the future and save his mom. The problem is that the world he enters does not have any heroes. Without the assistance of heroes, Barry may not be able to accomplish his self-assigned mission. Despite Ben Affleck also coming back as Bruce Wayne and “Batman”, Barry’s resources and teammates are limited.

As Barry continues to embark on his mission, Bruce Wayne and Batman do play a role in helping The Flash. At times it almost seemed like there is more of Batman than The Flash. I often felt like I wasn’t in the world of The Flash. I was in a different universe of previous superheroes.

It is no doubt a challenge to craft a strong storyline, and The Flash is proof of that. Instead of a strong storyline it has lots of random moments of poorly written adventures. So although I had faith in Ezra Miller’s performance and my excitement was high for this film, this one didn’t come close to meeting my expectations.

One of the glaring flaws of The Flash was the shifting of timelines. It was simply an utter mess. Barry’s time travel grasped my attention visually, but it kept feeling like being thrown into universes of clouds with no solutions. My view is that most of the cinema superhero universe seems to be in the clouds, and much of the blame may be on the studios rushing their projects. The Flash was delayed then rushed, and while the rushing speed of Barry and The Flash brought some thunderbolts of joy, the rest of the movie is a blur.

I’m trying to find something positive to say about The Flash, and it did have some surreal surprises, but most of the film is a mess. Again, I had faith in Miller, and I was hopeful that this would be a great experience. But it kept failing where there could have been brilliance. In fact, I would say that a better title for this film would have been The Flash and His Lame Adventures. Just two out of four stars for The Flash.

Chicago Critics Film Festival 2023, Film reviews

Theater Camp Review

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During my high school years, I loved being involved in theatre. I performed in seven productions including The Nitwits, Les Miserables, Flowers for Algernon, MacBeth Did It, Get Smart, Sense and Sensibility, and The Music Man. When I saw the film Theater Camp, it allowed me to relive my younger days when I was in a community of theatrical enthusiasts learning acting and other important stage skills. I was reminded of trials and errors during auditions, but more importantly the positive feelings which come from being connected to many friends working together on a production. Theater Camp is a one-of-a-kind sensation that features voices that span all ages. It is a real treat for those who are aspiring to have a voice.

Theater Camp focuses on camp counselors Amos Klobuchar (played by Ben Platt) and Rebecca Diane (played by Molly Gordon). They are best friends who live for the arts and the theatre. The duo run a theater camp in upstate New York which is bound to be closed due to financial conflicts. The risk of the camp shutting down prompts Amos and Rebecca Diane to influence their students to be as lively as they possibly can be. With Platt and Gordon playing camp counselors who have loads of acting experience, they are perfect in these roles. They are the voices of this inspiring film which will appeal to audiences of all ages.

There are moments of frustration in the rehearsals for their show. This story line does, however, find its light. It reminds viewers that actors can have their moments of struggle. The movie also reminds viewers that any form of acting is a process, but it is ultimately about enjoying the craft and each stage of the work itself. Theater Camp is a positive retrospective that reminds us how theatricals can create memories to cherish forever.

Emotions experienced during the rehearsal process is where Theater Camp finds its vital connection to the world of the arts. There are times when the camp hits plateaus. The film shows how these hardships are overcome and they serve to make the camp stronger with better voices, innovative minds, and creative ideas. The joy of Theater Camp reminds me of the saying, “There are no small roles, only small actors.” Konstantin Stanislavski is credited for this comment and this quote was mentioned every time I walked into an audition. This quote correlates to Theater Camp because everyone is a winner. No matter how big their role, their craft, or their thinking are, each person is going to be successful in their own unique way.

I hope that those who see Theater Camp embrace the appreciation they experience through the performances of Platt and Gordon. It reminds us that in acting or any performance art, the importance of the mentoring from the directors. Theater Camp illustrates for viewers that the ones who deserve the attention for an amazing performance are those who are in charge but are often behind the scenes. This film is about community and appreciation of the arts. It is also about being an advocate for those who are passionate about the arts. Four stars for Theater Camp.

Film reviews

The Machine Review

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The Machine is a film that links to Bert Kreischer’s comedy special that made the Internet soar with traffic in 2016. The Machine is a fictionalized comedy with Kreischer playing himself.  His personality and comedic attitude are present throughout the film, but The Machine is just an average comedy. Luckily, the laughable gems in the movie are mostly on par.

The film focuses on Bert, a comedian who finds himself in turmoil due to family problems at home. When Bert’s father Albert (played by Mark Hamill) arrives, life becomes even more difficult for him. After the unpleasant surprise arrival of his father, Bert’s past in Russia comes back to haunt him leading Albert and Bert to be abducted. Despite Bert and Albert having a mixed relationship, they must work together to protect themselves from the dangers they face in Russia.

With Kreischer and Hamill playing father and son, there is an intriguing algorithm to their characterizations. Since Kreischer is a comedian and Hamill is a Star Wars alumni, The Machine is set up like a father and son tale. Their representation is a bit like two absent-minded jedis. The force is not with them in terms of being able to protect themselves, but it is with them when it comes to having witty chemistry which makes the movie amusing.

The words exchanged between Kreischer and Hamill are where the satisfaction lies in the film’s quality and where the most entertainment is to be found in The Machine. Many fans know that Kreischer’s signature move is taking off his shirt in his comedy shows. The act of removing his character’s shirt in The Machine is frequently linked to inducing laughter and providing comic relief.

The Russia connection links to a previous period when Kreischer’s character participates in a college trip abroad. From the movie, he was not the best student. That is where the link is made to the kidnapping scenario in The Machine. There is a “karma” theme played out in many layers of twisted parody. Fortunately, the director throws in joyful tangents which play to this theme, and which make the movie more interesting.

Although there is some backstory that adds a serious element to the film, “seriousness” is not the focus. The film is a farce with a comedic tone and writing. However, the continuity of the film seems to be lacking and the direction rushes to find the comedic moments. This causes the characterizations and setup to suffer.

Kresicher and Hamill give exceptional comedic performances in The Machine, making it must-see. Their unique humor had me laughing out loud throughout the show, resulting in an incredibly enjoyable experience. While it may not be groundbreaking, the pure hilarity delivered by The Machine easily connects with audiences, especially with the addition of Jedi veteran Hamill. Kreischer and Hamill’s frequent comedic banter kept me captivated from start to finish, and their chemistry is undoubtedly the star of the show. In my opinion, The Machine deserves two stars.