Category: Reviews

AHFW’s Top 20 Films of 2023

Jeff Mitchell

2023 is a banner year for cinema, and, once again, the annual best-movies selection becomes a challenging but rewarding responsibility. I gladly experienced 220 new films in 2023 and proudly chronicled my 20 favorites.  Now, “20 Days in Mariupol”, “Air”, “Fancy Dance”, “Hey, Viktor!”, and “The Color Purple” just miss my list but don’t let these five impressive flicks pass you by, and I hope that you also explore the following motion pictures, Art House Film Wire’s Top 20 Films of 2023.  20. “Upon Open Sky” – Writer Guillermo Arriaga…

‘The Boys in the Boat’: This real-life sports story is an inspirational cinematic cruise

Jeff Mitchell

“The Boys in the Boat” (2023) – “The boys, that boat, it’s all I got.” – Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) It’s the height of The Great Depression.  Joe, a capable young man, cannot find work and frequently feels a bit useless, like the bottom of a shoe, and one of his soles suffers from a quarter-size hole.  If only he had two nickels to rub together. Joe is a University of Washington student, but the billing department informs him that the latest tuition installment due date will arrive faster than…

‘Poor Things’, Lanthimos’ most ambitious creation, bursts with bizarre opulence

Jeff Mitchell

“Poor Things” (2023) – “Who are you?  Who, who, who, who?” – “Who Are You” (1978) by “The Who” “What’s going on?  What’s going on?  What’s going on?  What’s going on?” – “What’s Going On” (1971) by Marvin Gaye Meet Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), an attractive 30-something.  She lives in a posh abode, about the size of a city block – in 19th-century London.  Bella is unmarried but lives with Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), presumably her father, but our heroine refers to him as “God,” an ironic moniker because…