Category Archives: Film reviews

59th Chicago International Film Festival, Capsule Reviews, Film reviews

We Grown Now

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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.

Film reviews

Killers of the Flower Moon Review

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Killers of the Flower Moon is yet another Martin Scorsese masterpiece. Unique and authentic, many years in the making, the murder-thriller brought mixed feelings and loads of suspense. It’s always great to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Scorsese working together and in this, their first film since Wolf of Wall Street back in 2013, there is truly a lot in store. Especially with Robert De Niro thrown in the mix.

Killers of the Flower Moon takes place in Oklahoma in the 1920s. Members of the Osage tribe are being murdered after oil is found on their land. The murders are grisly, the town is in shock, and the members of the tribe are scared for their life.

The film introduces its audience to Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) and William Hale (De Niro). Ernest is back in town after serving in the war and he starts working with William, who is his uncle. William is a big shot in the town, but he has some shady business practices, and maybe worse. He also resents sharing the land with the Osage tribe and this creates problems. Wealth and greed start to take center stage, and that is what William is all about. Ernest is married to a Native American, Mollie Burkhart (played by Lily Gladstone), and that adds to his problems. He’s also doing some of William’s dirty work, which puts he and Molly at risk. Law enforcement is lacking for a while, but nothing stays hidden for long in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Eventually the Bureau of Investigations (precursor to the FBI) begins to investigate the Osage murders. When Det. Tom White (played by Jesse Plemons) comes to town the tension grows for Ernest and William. The fear experienced by the Osage people is palpable and William’s desire for their land, and what he is willing to do to get it, is the cause of much of this fear. Ernest is mostly on the same page as William, but he doesn’t have the same personality as his uncle and their different personalities bring them down a road of conflict and deceit. The heightening anxiety that flows for the characters in Killers of the Flower Moon is also anxiety-provoking for the audience.

As a die-hard fan of the films of Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon made me think of The Departed, my favorite Scorsese film of all time. The chemistry that DiCaprio has with De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon is almost like the chemistry DiCaprio had with Jack Nicholson in The Departed. This one has a similar vibe, but the intensity is more mentally invigorating in this one than the extreme violence of The Departed. There is of course violence, that comes with territory, but Killers of the Flower Moon is relentless, thought-provoking, and truly dazzling on a psychological level. Some of the outcomes will also take its audiences by surprise. Three and a half out of four stars for Killers of the Flower Moon.

59th Chicago International Film Festival, Capsule Reviews, Film reviews

Eric LaRue Review

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This is a film experience in which the tension makes viewers uneasy . The issue of mental health and the associated acceptance of errors poses challenges. The story demonstrates that people we love can also make mistakes. Eric LaRue is one of the most dramatic, vivid, and powerful films I have seen directed by Michael Shannon. The film includes many strong and realistic elements which make it anxiety producing.

The film focuses on Janice LaRue (played by Judy Greer). She is the mother of a son who shot and killed three boys. Her son is Eric (played by Nation Sage Henrikson). Janice’s life is at an impasse due to her son’s actions. Her husband Ron (played by Alexander Skarsgard) tries to lean on religion to help him cope with their son’s tragedy. Ultimately, Janice struggles to adapt to a life filled with guilt and hatred after her son’s lethal mistake. The film is a poetic journey of life after a devastating tragedy. The story leaves a trail of difficult questions along the way.

Eric LaRue hit an emotional chord with me because it was so realistic. As someone who has faced struggles during various periods in my own life, the film raised my curiosity about how to be stronger after experiencing a traumatic event in life. The movie was full of humanistic elements which ranged from devastating to encouraging. Most parts of the film may leave audiences emotionally drained. However, some viewers may also hope for a revelation in the tragic aftermath at the center of the film.

From my vantage point, I believe the film portrays that there are ways in which parents can learn from their children. This can be true even if the choices their children make negatively impact others. Janice realizes that Eric has suffered with some mental issues and feelings of disconnect. She never imagined the worst-case scenario. Just because Eric did something terrible, it does not mean he is a terrible person. Still, he has to suffer the consequences for his behavior.

Janice’s life does not have to be ruined forever, and she does not have to hate herself forever. She needs to learn to navigate the harshness of her reality after the choices her son has made. There is still a world of different possibilities for Janice, for Eric, and for life moving forward for everyone in the film. Shannon’s is poetic in the way that it brings out natural human emotions. Eric LaRue changed my perspective on the realism displayed in movies. This experience made me realize how much one individual’s world can have a dramatic impact upon others while also allowing for light somewhere at the end of the tunnel.

Eric LaRue is not for everyone. Despite the sadness of the serious topic explored in the film, it does leave a positive message which I related to and appreciated. The film is an emotional roller coaster and a one-of-a-kind drama that will touch viewers in different ways. Three out of four stars.