Category Archives: Capsule Reviews

Silver Dollar Road Review


This documentary is realistic because it is based on a true story and remains faithful to real-life events. The film’s subject involves cultural and racial issues regarding property and land ownership. Silver Doller Road is a documentary filled with meaning. It is a film that makes you think about property rights and the implications of ownership as well as inheritance. I found the film to be especially moving due to the narrative track and story. The message concerns truth and the role of morals. The story also focuses on the importance of family and tradition, and how those critical factors are often interfered with.

The film is the true story of the Reels’ family. They have fought for years for their land in North Carolina which has been taken away from them due to land developers. The interviews with members of the family are interesting and revealing. The film follows the journey of how the different laws and various real estate developers have had a significant impact on the family. Over the years, the Reels family has had their rituals and traditions messed up which has led to a feeling of disconnect. Silver Doller Road is a film about how lies can lead to frustration, but also about a family who will not stop fighting for their land.

I like how the film ties in historic moments and the issue of racism into the mix. It explores the concept of equality and the struggles which involve both race and class. The story also proves that the Reels’ family has a voice that they’re willing to use to fight for their land. There is a vivid landscape of emotions for a documentary. It is visually brilliant and wonderful. There is light in the tunnels of the darkness in Silver Doller Road. The film is one where its audience can expect to shed tears. This movie can bring out some strong emotions that were sometimes hard to handle. This is a film which is ultimately about a family that wants their lives to have meaning, and they are challenged to achieve that due to the struggles they face with their land.

There is not a happy motive in Silver Doller Road, but there is a strong inspirational message of courage which shines through when the family refuses to give up. Their historical tie to the land goes way back for them. The director Raoul Peck is crystal clear in his effort to bring in the emotional factors involved in the process. There is no easy way to define Silver Doller Road.

Can the Reels’ family save their land? Can the purpose of family and connection survive these tough circumstances? Why is there such hatred around race? It is a poetic ride of difficult questions, and the answers are an amazing revelation. It is a realistic depiction of life waiting to be fulfilled in a faithful context. Overall, a unique documentary with real class. Three out of four stars for Silver Doller Road.

Departing Seniors Review


This is one those slasher films where the intention feels like it is to make viewers giggle, scream, and snicker. My experience with Departing Seniors involved watching the audience find the fun in terror and laugh their heads off. I did the same thing. Departing Seniors is a slasher film with imaginative irony. Itspremise is based on the life of high school seniors. Who expects a high school horror film to be funny? There are many notable moments in Departing Seniors. Claire Cooney knows how to be innovative and include many twists as a director and editor. Her directing in Departing Seniors is one-of-a-kind. Audiences should expect to be surprised, but also expect to shed some tears due to laughter.

Departing Seniors focuses on Javier (played by Ignacio-Diaz-Silverio). He is a high school senior who is dealing with an underlying issue, i.e., psychic abilities. Based on these abilities,he can figure out the many dangers that are going on in his school. For example, there is a serial killer going back and forth sporadically. Javier is not a popular student. However, his teacher, Mr. Arda (played by Yani Gellman), seems to be very interested in him, which sets off a red flag. Javier and his friends, Ginny (played by Maisie Merlock) and Bianca (played by Ireon Roach), are concerned about the tragic aftermath of the events occurring at their school. For everyone, the biggest concern is these things are happening right before they graduate high school. The title speaks for itself here. Ironically, the students find themselves more concerned about missing out on fun and having their graduation ruined than they are about the deaths caused by the serial killer.

The joyful part of Departing Seniors is the fact that it exposesthe obliviousness of students worrying about their final school days being impacted. While all the crazy and dangerous events are taking place throughout the school, Javier realizes when and where the killings might happen. Nevertheless, he is not brave enough to admit what he knows because of his concern that it might cause him to feel disconnected again. The humorous part of putting concerns about being disconnected over safety is where Departing Seniors is cleverly directed. When the kills do happen, it is out of the blue and the surprises are unexpected. I found myself laughing when the slashing would just happen on the spur of the moment. Sometimes in the film there are already situations filled with some humor or frustration, but then bang, a murder happens. Departing Seniors is well paced and giveshorror fans a wild ride with plenty of slashes and laughs.

Overall, it is an experience of dramatic irony and terror. The punchlines are a bit abstract and unexpected, but the outcomes are a revelation. Departing Seniors is a film where the chills build, the psychic abilities become detrimental, and it is a wonderous adventure for the Halloween season. The experience is memorable due to the scares and endless laughs. Three out of four stars for Departing Seniors.

We Grown Now


A film that takes place in Chicago in 1992 grabbed my attention because I was born a year later in the Chicago suburbs. We Grown Now has a special purpose as it is about a monumental achievement that takes place in Chicago. The film focuses on friendship in tough times and in uncharted territory. It is also about meaningful experiences based on class and racial struggles. In We Grown Now the depths of life’s challenges are intended to be overcome by friendship and inspiration. I found the movie to be exhilarating. The Chicago setting makes this film memorable because it is visually stunning and accompanies a strong storyline.

The film takes place at the Cabrini-Green public housing complex which is struggling with drugs and other criminal activity. The film features two brothers, Malik and Eric (played by Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez), who are close but live in different homes. Eric lives with his strict father, and Malik lives with his mother and his grandma. Both Eric and Malik strive for happiness in the City of Chicago which is their playground. They navigate the joys in their lives to tune out the negatives that occur unexpectedly. Their friendship provides a deep feeling of connection that goes on for years. We Grown Now is touching from the perspective of always having a friend by your side.

In addition, the Chicago backdrop had a major impact on me because I also thrive on life in this city. There are moments of wonderful inspiration in the film. For example, Eric and Malik decide to go on a city adventure. They roam the Art Institute, Union Station, and ride the CTA trains. Those three locations of the film spoke to me because they showcase the diversity of Chicago. Also, the gorgeous scenery adds to the realism found in the deep moments of joy for Eric and Malik. We Grown Now is a journey of the boys’ friendship and their quest to find truth and the meaning of happiness. In a world where they are surrounded by poverty, dangerous neighborhoods, and unexpected crimes, Eric and Malik are closest when they feel they are inseparable. The film is vivid with touching elements as the boys’ struggles continue to grow. Eric and Malik do not want to lose each other, but is there a better environment for them?

The dynamics of the different homes where Eric and Malik live create hardships but provide some positives. Malik’s mother Dolores (played by Jurnee Smollett) endeavors to give him the best life she can. Despite their living situation which requireshousing authority documents, she does not give up. Malik’s grandma Anita (played by S. Epatha Merkerson) is also loving and encouraging but worries about Malik and Dolores. Eric’s father Jason (played by Lil Rey Howery) is a domineering father with good intentions. He pressures Eric to do well in school, but the challenges in their life cause them to keep hitting plateaus. Jason only wants what is best for his son.

The hardships the boys are facing serve to bring Eric and Malik closer because they know they matter to each other. As Malik yells, “We exist,” the positives in life create leave viewers with a sense of triumph in We Grown Now. It is a story where love, friendship, and hardship combine for a better life. It is a one-of-a-kind film. Four out four stars.