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.
58th Chicago International Film Festival, Film reviews

58th Chicago International Film Festival: Raymond and Ray Review

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Films that gear on siblings and struggles appeal to me deeply. They typically involve elements that are either harsh or easy to dismiss. Raymond and Ray are focused on brotherhood. It is a touching and inviting comedy which does not shine a light too brightly on its dark subject matter. I found it to be a compassionate film about two brothers reconnecting.

Director Rodrigo Garcia knows how to challenge culture and family dynamics in Raymond and Ray. His authenticity in directing correlates with his HBO series In Treatment (2008-2021). Garcia directed many of the episodes of In Treatment back when Gabriel Byrne was the main psychologist. Garcia always knew how to capture what hurts people. The concept of challenging truths of family and their underlying issues is where Garcia pinpoints the central struggles with Raymond and Ray.

In the film, Ethan Hawke is Ray and Ewan McGregor is Raymond, and their father has died. The main characters are half-brothers. They come together to get the funeral for their father set-up. The funeral must be carried out according to their father’s wishes. With the difficult task of having to dig their father’s grave, the brothers find themselves struggling with frustration and hatred towards their father.

The performances of Hawke and McGregor are surreal and touching. Hawke’s character is about having his cultured musical side, but sadly he could not hold down a job. McGregor’s character is an individual with a DUI record and issues with his wife and kids although those issues do not enter the film very much. The film focuses primarily on the brothers and how they deal with the funeral. The way the movie portrays them coming together to deal with an issue that is sad, stressful, and emotional makes Raymond and Ray especially powerful. The fact that life is not fair is a fact that both brothers grapple with.

Raymond and Ray will make viewers laugh and cry. While there is some resolution in the film, the major flaws of both brothers are a difficult subject matter. The film is dramatic throughout and despite its sadness, it has meaning. Three and a half stars.

58th Chicago International Film Festival, Film reviews

58th Chicago International Film Festival: The Banshees of Inisherin Review

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Hatred and solitude are the two elements that stir the pot in The Banshees of Inisherin. Director and writer Martin McDonagh showcases the disturbingly tense relationship of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Farrell’s character has a distracted mindset that makes him curious about what he did wrong. Gleeson’s character has an introverted and annoyed attitude which makes him determined to be alone. The Banshees of Inisherin is pure McDonagh as he creates a situation as detrimental as he did with In Bruges (2008).

The Banshees of Inisherin takes place in the 1920s in Ireland. The film was shot in breathtaking locations including Inishmorewhich is one of the Aran Islands in County Galway as well as onAchill Island in County in County Mayo. The movie’s scenes display much of the Irish culture from that timeframe. There are pub settings, Irish traditions, and many rural areas throughout the film. The scenery makes The Banshees of Inisherin more vivid in terms of the personality clashes.

In the film, Farrell is Padraic, and Gleeson is Colm. They are good friends until Colm calls it quits to their friendship. Padraic finds himself shocked and upset. The more he tries to make peace with Colm, the heavier the consequences. When Padraic’s sister Siobhan (played by Kerry Condon) tries to help Padraic not make irreparable decisions, the problems escalate between Padraic and Colm and lead to unexpected surprises. Colm’s choices become bizarre. The irrational behaviorthroughout The Banshees of Inisherin goes into full McDonagh mode.

The consequences start to include cutting off fingers, house fires, and more catastrophes which lead Padraic to make silly and vindictive choices also. Padraic tells Colm, “You usedto be nice,” and then late tells him, “Now you’re not nice,” and he says it with annoyance, frustration, and despair. Colm informs Padraic by saying, “I just don’t like you no more,” and he does so in a cold and aggravating tone. The Banshees of Inisherin is like a verbal, Irish boxing match between Farrell and Gleeson. It is truly a film of suspense done extremely well.

The Banshees of Inisherin is a McDonagh masterpiece. Thetension is enticing, the plot is structured, and it is a fun ride thanks to the performances of Farrell and Gleeson. There are no boundaries to finding a resolution between Padraic and Colm, but lots of vindictive actions along the way. Four stars for The Banshees of Inisherin.

Film reviews

The Good Nurse Review

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Being employed in the medical field is serious business. There are a lot of rules and regulations surrounding confidentiality, not just for patients but for medical professionals as well. The Good Nurse is a true story that shows how wrong things can go when those rules and regulations allow someone who can’t be trusted to care for seriously ill patients. As someone who has family that works in the medical field, this film spoke to me. And it shows how hospitals have changed since the true events of The Good Nurse.

Although The Good Nurse is a feature length film, its cinematography is like watching a hospital TV show. Many scenarios are rushed and the dialogue is not really enthralling. The plot of the film introduces us to nurse Amy Loughren, played by Jessica Chastain. She is a workaholic nurse with two children, and works constantly to make ends meet. Amy has a good heart with her patients and has a good home life. A new nurse, Charlie Cullen, played by Eddie Redmayne, joins Amy’s ward. He appears to have positive and caring qualities that lift Amy’s spirits when she gets down at her job. But as their patients start to die one-by-one, Amy starts to believe that Charlie is the one causing the deaths. Detectives Danny and Tim (played by Nnamdi Asomugha and Noah Emmerich) are assigned to the case, but confidentiality at the different hospitals where Charlie previously worked makes it an ordeal to get proof to put an end to Charlie’s terrible acts.

Redmayne’s performance as Charlie is sinister with a charm. He rides his evil side. Hospital confidentiality has protected him over the years and has allowed him been able to just move to another hospital when he was fired. And that confidentiality has also allowed him to continue in his evil ways.

The Good Nurse is not exactly brilliant, but it is haunting. The many patients who died makes the film disturbing. We fear for the safety of the patients, and also the safety of Amy. Chastain’s performance as Amy is breathtaking and daring, but the film is depressing. It is certainly not a feel-good movie, although I will say it is faithful to its harrowing story. It was worth a watch but it may be hard to watch again. Two and a half stars for The Good Nurse.