Category Archives: Documentaries

Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival 2025, Documentaries, Film reviews

The Pantone Guy (BWIFF 2025) Review

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This is one of those documentaries where magnificence flies with appreciation. Craft and art thrive upon a foundation of a surreal nature in The Pantone Guy. A documentary where a true story unravels a lot of insightful factors that I did not even think about. The elements that kept coming to my mind were commercialism and different trends of colors. Throughout those two aspects, there is deeper insight that searches below the surfaces for a more thorough meaning. 

 

It is a documentary that feels like a time machine. The emphasis on color and early days of printing and advertising come together for a magnificent reunion. From the mind of director Patrick Creadon, his focus of going deep into a thought-provoking subject is glorified on a creative level in The Pantone Guy. This is a film of wonders that seeks to inspire. Its focus is the visionary, Larry Herbert, who is just over nine decades old. The Pantone Guy is an exploration of the life and mind of Larry Herbert himself and his revolutionizing of the business of color. This is a subject that many do not think about in this day and age with revolving technology. It seeks to amaze as it demonstrates his championship in climbing the ladder. Its artistic approach just blew me away. The core values of realism, art, and true colors vibe cohesively in The Pantone Guy.

 

The film continues with interviews with Larry’s children and old acquaintances. It takes every shot carefully to keep building a portrait of resilience and to tell his full story. The accuracy of the representation is one that is unique and clever, because each conversation felt magical in a sense. I kept thinking back to how colors played a role back in the day and continue to impact our perception. Herbert was the legend behind much of what earns marketing dollars with a universal system of colors. Hence why the film is called The Pantone Guy.

 

The early days of Herbert and his fascination with movies in cinemas sparked my mind because I too am such a movie lover. The correlation of film reels, printing, and special objectives all combine to grasp imagery at the finest level in this film. What is most inspiring is how the depths of honesty and truth keep finding a presence of amazement. The Pantone Guy does not stop in its tracks in telling the story of what Herbert did to change the world.

 

In seeing this feature in The Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, I felt the colors of the festival poster played a mesmerizing role with The Pantone Guy. The many colors of “pantone” shine vigorously in the film and throughout the fest also. Going back though, The Pantone Guy develops moving parts that take intentional steps for real imagery. Four out of four stars.

Documentaries, Film reviews

To Kill a Tiger Review

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This film is based on a true story with an honesty and thoroughness that will shake its audience to their core. The film’s disturbing subject matter had me thinking about how the world is not safe in many places. It is an experience that does not leave one with a feel-good vibe. To Kill a Tiger is a documentary that speaks to the heart and the truth of its actual events. A film where society in another country is not as structured as other countries or regions.

To Kill a Tiger focuses on a man named Ranjit, a father living in India who works as a farmer. His daughter, Kira has been sexually assaulted by three men. In a country where norms are blurred, Ranjit decides to take a stand. The documentary centers on his fight for justice for his daughter and at its heart involves the individuals, the descriptions, the political factors, and the outcomes. For Ranjit, this case does not get taken as seriously as it should. The rules are different in India, and the criminal laws do not go to the extent that they should to punish the crimes. That is why Ranjit fights for his daughter. He cannot let go of knowing that his daughter must live her whole life feeling traumatized after being assaulted.

To Kill a Tiger portrays the frustrations of dealing with the different foundations of the legal systems in India and heightens the anxiety and exasperation that play into the emotions the audience will feel with the film. When talking with activists, attorneys, and government officials (all who are real-life individuals) they all have been trained within the context of how the legal system works in India. The fact that high punishments are not delivered for such an unforgivable crime is commonplace and an affront to Ranjit and his daughter.

The truth of poverty is displayed throughout To Kill a Tiger. Ranjit details on how making ends meet to provide for his family takes a halt, as he needs to have the money to help his daughter. His daughter’s mental health and ability to have a future is extremely important to him. The importance of family and safety and willingness to do what needs to be done no matter what it takes is at the core of this film. There are so many obstacles that must be overcome for resolution in this case.

The faithfulness of a society is an approach that is hard to accept in this film. It is relentless—there are frequent excuses to try to cover the tracks of the perpetrators who were part of the assault.Ranjit is the only one taking the stand. He is the only one making the sacrifice. To Kill a Tiger boils with a father’s anger and sadness—his daughter is his life. He will not stop until he knows the ones who assaulted his daughter are going to pay for what they did.

I will say that this is one of the most harrowing and spellbinding documentaries I have seen. Realism and perception do not get any clearer than in To Kill a Tiger. There are hidden truths to the puzzle. The life of poverty and poor politics is a life that Ranjit has endured but does not want the norms of this society to prevent his daughter from have justice served. He goes deep by finding attorneys, learning the moving parts of the legal system, and what aspects of the courts that might side with his daughter.There is no clear direction as to why the laws are so misconstrued, but the frustration portrayed through the eyes of Ranjit and the case itself puts the exposes many aspects of a corrupt legal system.

This is an experience where I felt the reality of the circumstances as Ranjit awakens to all that he must battle against to find justice. With the film being a true story, I felt the pain he goes through for his daughter. To Kill a Tiger is a journey that is gut-wrenching and makes viewers pray for the truth to unfold. There is no clear way to define if this movie was a good or bad experience. It is simply an awakening to some hard truths. It made me think of how far people go to fight for those that matter to them as Ranjit fights for his daughter. The paths of justice find their way to be served. It just is in a setting of uncharted territory where it is hard to cross the lines. Three out of four stars.