Review: Shedding Light on ‘Chloe and Theo’

Chloe and Theo posterIt all began with a dream. A dream that the world would receive a fatal kiss from the sun and the ice in the north would retreat. Director and screenwriter, Ezna Sands exhibits the concerns for our environmental well-being in his heartfelt cli-fi (climate change fiction), Chloe and Theo.

Theo (Theo Ikummaq), an Arctic Inuit man, was told about this dream from his elders, and if the “south” did not change their ways, destruction will overcome the earth. He was then sent to New York City to shed light on the world’s end, and he is immediately overwhelmed by the environment. The sun was blocked out by the skyscrapers, people constantly on the move; there was not a single moment of silence. This is where he meets Chloe (Dakota Johnson), a young runaway, and Bruce Lee devotee. “Together they will change the world.”

Dakota Johnson and first time actor Theo Ikummaq did a fantastic job with their roles as Chloe and Theo. The film brings a different side to storytelling, with both characters playing a sort of narrative role. Theo telling the story as it was occurring, and Chloe telling the story as though it already had happened. Mira Sorvino as Monica and Andre De Shields as Mr. Sweet, played crucial characters to Chloe and Theo’s story by showing how hard it is to get something globally recognized. Mr. Sweet, a man who Chloe is close friends with on the streets, opens Chloe and Theo’s eyes to the difficulty of getting people with power to listen. Although the sound mixing could have used more work, the shots and occasional use of animation were beautifully implemented throughout.

Overall, Chloe and Theo is a simple film, with a powerful message. Through a story of unlikely friendships, it brings light to our climate changes and their impact on our world. You can watch Chloe and Theo in select theaters and on VOD September 4th.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Arc Entertainment Acquires The Western Thriller ‘Echoes of War’

Screen Shot 2014-10-15 at 11.34.45 pmARC Entertainment has acquired all US rights to the western thriller Echoes of War. Directed by Kane Senes and co-written by Senes himself along with John Chriss, the film stars James Badge Dale  (The Walk, Spectral, 13 Hours), Ethan Embry (Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie,” Cheap Thrills, The Guest), William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire), Maika Monroe (The Guest, The Bling Ring, Labor Day) and Rhys Wakefield  (The Purge, Nobody Walks). ARC Entertainment will be releasing the film on VOD and in-theaters on May 15, 2015. The deal was announced today by ARC Entertainment’s Head of Acquisitions, Scott Moesta.

 “We are proud to release this powerful film and distribute Echoes of War across all platforms,” said Moesta. “The cast delivers a powerful performance shedding the truths and hardships of war.”

 In post-Civil War Texas, two neighboring families are grieving tragic losses while they struggle to survive in this rural drama. The cattle-ranching McCluskeys have lost both a son and their entire herd to the war. The Rileys, mourning the loss of wife and mother Mary to illness, eke out a living trapping animals and selling their pelts. When Wade Riley (James Badge Dale, The Lone Ranger, Iron Man 3) returns from fighting for the Confederacy, he discovers that Randolph McCluskey (William Forsythe, The Rock, Once Upon a Time in America) and family have been stealing animals from his family’s traps. He decides to take matters into his own hands, sparking yet another tragic and senseless war.

Echoes of War is executive produced by American Film Production’s George Voskericyan and produced by Dave Szamet (Hot Air), Provenance Pictures’ Steven J. Berger (The Pretty One, Spoonful), Kyle Fischer (Hot Air), American Film Production’s J.M.R. Luna (Tell, Helicopter Mom), Country Club’s John Chriss and Kane Senes. The deal was negotiated by ARC Entertainment’s Head of Acquisition, Scott Moesta and Highland Film Group brokered on behalf of the filmmakers. Highland Films served as the international sales agent.