Year: 2017

Taylor-Johnson and Cena cannot rest against ‘The Wall’

Jeff Mitchell

“The Wall” – What images immediately come to mind when you read the words, “war movie”?  Human history unfortunately can provide thousands of examples in which people become mired in mass conflict and attempt to kill one another, and the big screens sometimes masterfully recapture those horrific struggles. For me, three films immediately pop into my brain. Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) illustrates the murderous spectacle of war via the Allied invasion of Normandy.  Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory” (1957) depicts the brutality of war, when French soldiers scurry…

‘The Dinner’ serves up an intriguing, tense drama

Jeff Mitchell

“The Dinner” – Look up “dinner” in the dictionary, and it reads “the principal meal of the day” and “a formal feast or banquet”.  For most households, however, dinner has a larger meaning.  It is a time when families congregate to share their experiences and feelings while also – functionally – breaking bread.  Sometimes laugher fills these caucuses, but many times, family members toss issues on the table and either productively work through them or dive deeper into valleys of conflict. For decades, television shows have featured American experiences at…

‘Voice from the Stone’ speaks with its stunning visuals, mysterious performances

Jeff Mitchell

“Voice from the Stone” – Jakob (Edward Dring) is hurting.  Seven months and 16 days ago, his mother, Malvina (Caterina Murino), died in her home, and Jakob was by her bedside when she passed away. He is about 11 years old, and from the moment that she passed, he has not spoken a word to anyone, not even his grieving father, Klaus (Marton Csokas).  Klaus is beside himself because of the loss of his lovely, talented wife but also because of Jakob’s silence. He hired several nurses to hopefully find…