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

East of Wall Review

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East of Wall is a debut film from up and coming director Kate Beecroft.  Her film is one that has a heavy heart, while jumping through many hurdles. It presents the real frustrations connected to being a widow, running a ranch, and also dealing with legalities and debts. The character is Tabatha Zimiga (her name in real-life and in the movie), and she is trying to be a responsible parent to her adopted daughter Porshia Zimiga (also using her real  name) and she is taking on the responsibility of other children that do not belong to her. Despite a complicated dynamic, doors are open in an enclosed environment. There is a chance for her to make a better income, if she is willing to change her lifestyle. East of Wall carries a heavy tolerance, because Tabatha keeps on working to be a caregiver for those she cares about. It is breathtaking in the amount of sacrifice displayed through the performance of Tabatha Zimiga. Zimiga  plays a mom that is devoted to having a heart and keeping what her gut tells her to. That is to keep her land, but also she must consider a way to pay off the debts she builds for herself. She does not have it in her to exclude those causing an impact in her life. On a vast land in South Dakota, the landscape of hardship and making ends meet makes East of Wall feel precious in its form of motherhood and parenthood.  

After the loss of her husband, Tabatha, a horse trainer, is forced to face  the family’s many debts in addition to her grief. Since she is the owner of a ranch, Tabatha extends her heart to take care of those that are close to her, even though it is difficult at times because Porshia is rebellious and precocious. With the many horses thriving on her land, a business man named Roy Waters offers to buy the land from Tabatha. Waters  is played by Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil, Blood for Dust) in a bold and egotistical performance. All around the crazy chaos and mayhem, there is a chance for Tabatha to make a steady income, but deep-down Tabatha’s thoughts are the driving force of the film. 

The film delivers that realistic sense of choices that are hard to make. Especially around frequent moments of teenagers doing illegal things, and Tabatha fighting legal battles for kids that are not her own. This feels like a lot, especially when compounded with the grief Tabatha feels after the death of her husband. East of Wall creates a beautiful sense of what a portrait of hardship is and what it mentally takes to keep fighting. The writing and continuity flows with Tabatha fighting to keep her heart strong, which requires a certain amount of discipline. That is even a struggle, but owning a ranch with many acres and debt on top of it is one that adds to the burdensome yet poetic story of East of Wall. 

While East of Wall  has its flaws,  its authenticity is stunning. There are times where protagonist Tabatha’s characterization may not make sense, making the impact of debut director Kate Beecroft all the more significant. The thematic drum beat of perseverance permeates Beecroft’s debut film, one that is worthy of note. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Review also available on MovieArcher! Link is below!

https://www.moviearcher.com/2025-reviews/east-of-wall

Film reviews

Night Always Comes Review

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One of the most thought-provoking films from Netflix, Night Always Comes explores the challenges and hardships of keeping a family together. While trying to maintain a home, bad choices are made and revisited. Directed by Benjamin Caron, the film reveals the pattern of sacrifice as the clock keeps ticking. Moments of precious time cause viewers to hearts to ache. This film is a realistic portrait of the anxiety created when awaiting consequences.

The film’s main character is Lynette, played by Vanessa Kirby. Her brother is Kenny, played by Zack Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome. The mother is Doreen, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Lynette has a past with drugs and working in escort services, but she has a desire to start a new life for her brother. With her mother not supportive of the idea, Lynette finds herself in a place where eviction is bound to happen. Her mom does not care what happens, but Lynette does. With a limited amount of time to secure a huge amount of money to avoid living on the streets, Lynette finds herself having to revisit her dark past to make ends meet.

The film becomes a gripping odyssey of layers of darkness that is anxiety-provoking. It is not a positive storyline, but the film is faithful to its portrait of consequences. The moving parts involving prior choices and efforts to climb back out of the darkness results in a subtle tone in Night Always Comes. Every choice or decision that Lynette makes comes with a corresponding consequence. This leads her to retrace her negative influences from back in the day. One of these former influences is Tom, played by Michael Kelly, who is a drug dealer who had Lynette doing tasks in trafficking scenarios. The life that Lynette wanted out of slowly comes back up to the surface. With her brother living in fear, and her desperation to save her house, the evening hours are filled with uncharted territory and a host of new choices with associated new beginnings. They are not light decisions, but audiences will feel immersed in the uncertainty of the outcomes.

What is so unique about Night Always Comes is how it has momentum but remains quiet while also suspenseful. The writing and scenarios feel approachable in part because Kirby’s role is very emotional. The fact that it is a sister doing what she feels is best for her brother is the highlight of this film. Night Always Comes keeps the question of what is going to happen next at the top of audiences’ minds. There is no clear end in sight.

This movie is a hard watch but worth it for those who can handle the nature of the events. The subject of a sister trying to help her brother who has disabilities played a huge role in my appreciation for Night Always Comes. The sacrifices Lynette is willing to make shine through in Kirby’s performance. The obliviousness of the mother is highlighted in Leigh’s performance. A caring sister and an absentee mother makes for adynamic duo that boggles the mind in this film. Three out of four stars for Night Always Comes.

Film reviews

Nobody 2 Review

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The first film was just an introduction, but Nobody 2 brings a new level of explosions and mayhem. Fuming with funniness is Bob Odenkirk as the center of attention. It is a sequel in which action and humor work together to please audiences. The party in Nobody 2 results from the problems of the first film being multiplied when the main character in this sequel goes on vacation with his family of four. What can go wrong? What more can explode? Nobody 2 is unique while remaining slightly silly because it is infused with an enthralling magic touch.

The plot of the sequel involves Hutch (Odenkirk) recovering from the events of the first film. The life of being a dad in the suburbs has not been an easy adjustment for him because his sense of mayhem still lingers. He tries to be in dad mode, but it does not come easily. Therefore, he decides to take his family on a vacation. He is accompanied by his wife Becca (played by Connie Nielsen) and his kids, Sammy (played by Paisley Cadorath) and Brady (played by Gage Munroe). They also bring Hutch’s father David (played by Christopher Lloyd). The vacation dynamic is dominated by Hutch trying to repeatedly dismiss his assassin side. In addition, they discover that his son may have the same type of personality as he does. The stages of getting overly angry and violent do not fly well when they’re trying to enjoy their family vacation in Nobody 2.

The film feels slightly redundant since many moments from the first film feel like they are repeated within the second. Because this is an action and comedy sequel, that is kind of expected. However, the approach used in the sequel is the main problem. During the second film, the nemesis characters are looped in as well. Hutch’s wife has a bad past of her own, and that addselements of bad karma. The result is that there are some bad people after Hutch, his wife, and the entire family. 

As Hutch navigates the challenge of keeping his assassin-side intact, the new enemies make his urges harder to resist. This is especially the case when it comes to a questionable police officer. That individual is Abel (played by Colin Hanks), and he follows Hutch and his family to unravel some of the hidden dangers that exist for this family. Additionally, there is the head criminal, Lendina (played by Sharon Stone). With this cast of characters, there is a rough, powerhouse dynamic where funny can be deadly, but which also struggles due to the redundancy in its writing.

With Odenkirk, Hanks, and Stone playing out the good guys versus bad guys dynamic, Nobody 2 felt a bit simplistic. These characters are right for the roles and are able to keep the generic yet silly tone that works for this film. Fortunately, the comedy vibe mixed with evil is faithful. In the end, Odenkirk still rises as a suburban dad with a bad attitude to take on all kinds of cinematic mayhem. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for Nobody 2.