Category: Movies at Home

‘Herself’: You’ll stand with Dunne in this liberating drama

Jeff Mitchell

“Herself” – Sandra (Clare Dunne), a lovely 30-something mom with two little girls, has a happy family. In the opening minutes of director Phyllida Lloyd’s drama, Sandra’s kids – Emma (Ruby Rose O’Hara) and Molly (Molly McCann) – doll their mother up in makeup and immediately proceed to sing and dance in the kitchen.  Flourishing and carefree, this fun-loving triad share no worries, or so it would seem. Sandra’s husband Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) enters stage right. He politely sends his daughters out of the room and enacts a brutal,…

‘The Dissident’ sheds light on a pitch-black murder

Jeff Mitchell

“The Dissident” – “The Washington Post” journalist Jamal Khashoggi perished in a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and the details of his murder are brutal. Sick. So sick that this critic won’t delve into the ugly specifics.  Well, director Bryan Fogel’s documentary does explain the man’s end in frank, grisly terms, but he thankfully spares his audience from photos or audio recordings.  Fogel makes a similar choice as director Werner Herzog did in “Grizzly Man” (2005), a film about the late Timothy Treadwell and his demise…

Interview with “Sound of Metal” Riz Ahmed and director Darius Marder

Jeff Mitchell

“Sound of Metal”, a film about a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing, is one of the most affecting movies of 2020, and Riz Ahmed delivers an Oscar-worthy performance.  Well, Riz and director/co-writer Darius Marder graciously hosted a Zoom call, and our critic Jeff Mitchell (ArtHouseFilmWire and Phoenix Film Festival), along with other media outlets, joined them for an engaging, insightful discussion.  These talented men spoke about their experiences with the deaf community, audiences’ positive feedback, the meaning behind the film’s title, and more. “Sound of Metal” – starring…