America’s Film Legacy
America’s Film Legacy 2009-2010
Category Archives: New Releases
Review: Around the Sun plays with narrative
Two people who meet outside a Normandy chateau play out several versions of their encounter in this accomplished, involving miniature. Around the Sun unfolds like the answer to an exam question: Make a viable drama with a microbudget, one location … Continue reading
Posted in New Releases
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Review: Chess as a means of escape in Critical Thinking
Modest but effective drama with a worthy message from director and actor John Leguizamo. Set in Miami in 1998, Critical Thinking tells the true story of underprivileged high school students who beat the odds to win a national chess tournament. … Continue reading
Posted in Biopic, New Releases, Nonfiction
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Review: Inflamed passions in Draupadi Unleashed
An ambitious romance set in the waning years of the British Raj, Draupadi Unleashed screened at the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival before heading to Cannes. Distributor Hello Desi planned to open the film in six cities on March … Continue reading
Posted in India, New Releases, Streaming
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A hit-and-run accident has devastating consequences: Human Capital review
Bicycling home from work at a fundraising dinner, a waiter (Dominic Colón) is struck by a car on a dark stretch of road. That’s the springboard for an ambitious drama from Marc Meyers, director of This Is Dahmer. Based on … Continue reading
Posted in New Releases, Streaming
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Review: Searching for answers in Family Obligations
A sudden loss forces an outsider to rethink his priorities in Family Obligations, a well-meaning but flawed drama now streaming after festival screenings. Written and directed by Kenneth R. Frank, the movie doesn’t always overcome its bare-bones budget and technical … Continue reading
Posted in Film Festivals, New Releases
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Donnie Yen stars in Enter the Fat Dragon
Borrowing the title, if little else, from a 1987 Sammo Hung comedy, Enter the Fat Dragon coasts on the charm and skill of action star Donnie Yen. He plays Fallon Zhu, a Hong Kong cop on the outs after a … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian, New Releases
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Review: Blake Lively turns assassin in The Rhythm Section
Star of a series of novels by Mark Burnell, Stephanie Patrick is a drug-addicted prostitute in Britain who transforms herself into an international assassin to avenge her family, victims of a terrorist bomb. In The Rhythm Section, she’s forced to … Continue reading
Posted in Action, New Releases
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Ashfall review: Disaster in Korea
While Parasite racks up awards, at the other end of the Korean film industry is Ashfall, a disaster epic filled with stars, action and special effects. Aimed squarely at mainstream viewers, it’s a fun if not completely successful knockoff of … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian, New Releases, Special effects
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Review: The Wake of Light from writer/director Renji Philip
A quiet, contemplative drama of people lost in failed dreams, The Wake of Light lives up to some, if not all, of its ambitions. It’s a love story without a real romance, a faith-based drama where religion doesn’t seem to … Continue reading
Posted in Film Festivals, New Releases
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Review: Dominiquie Vandenberg in The Mercenary
Hitting streaming platforms January 7, The Mercenary is the latest action film from director Jesse V. Johnson. Johnson’s films are marked by familiar, revenge-based action formulas; strong action scenes; and solid, no-nonsense performances. If you like action that leans more … Continue reading
Posted in Action, New Releases
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