SIERANEVADA
Sieranevada takes a peek inside a grieving family and the reality of being stuck in a small space with the people you love and hate. Days after the death of the family patriarch and the recent Charlie Hebdo attacks, we find our cast gathered together to honor their beloved father. While they wait for the priest to arrive, we discover, little by little, the chaos, the meddling, the selfish, emotionally unstable ways that only your own family can throw at you all at once. Director Cristi Puiu, makes us, the audience, a fly on the wall for 3 solid hrs. This might pose a challenge for some viewers. The camera, mostly stationary, pans back and forth in place for extended periods of time, catching whispers, shouts, and much chain smoking predominantly from a hallway position. While the actors try desperately not to step on each other or wake the baby while they wait to eat once the elusive priest finally arrives. The dialogue is a beautiful mix of over the top arguments, manic bereavement, and laughter at internet conspiracy theories. It’s undeniably relatable. Only a big family dynamic can get your blood boiling and creative juices flowing for that long. 
THE REHEARSAL
Having graduated drama school only blocks from the NYFF, I can relate to The Rehearsal on a very personal level. Based on the novel Eleanor Catton‘s debut novel of the same name. Director/writer Alison Maclean‘s film version is slightly different but the themes remain the same. Teachers taking advantage of their students. It was lovely to see the authenticity of a performing arts school portrayed on the big screen. It’s been a while since both the discipline and seemingly ridiculous have been combined to give the viewer a slice of life in a conservatory style education. No one is nice to you. everyone is competition. The teachers are their to teach you with hard life lessons. But this story is also about the emotional responsibility of not only the teachers, but the students as they grow into mature adults. Our main plot revolves around the lives and work of the kids. More specifically, their final project. The dialogue is evenhanded in humor and drama. The performances are extremely solid.The final scene is cinematic perfection. 
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Jeremy got the incredible oportunity to see Bluebird at the Indy Film Fest last year. In his review, he outlines the gutwrenching and effecting emotional hold the film has on it’s audience. I could not have said it better myself, so here are a few quotes from Jeremy’s review:
As a child, I saw my mother as a voracious reader. Danielle Steel covered our bookshelves end to end in hardcover glory. When we used to summer in Cape Cod I noticed my mother’s books were so much larger than all the other Mom’s smaller paperbacks with covers that used to make me scrunch up my nose and squeal, “Ewwwwww”, as the muscular men with open shirts swept ladies in period clothing off their feet in an overly passionate embrace. It wasn’t until I was a tad bit older that I understood the popularity that was romance novels, once boys weren’t “icky” any longer and reading became a passion of my own. Oftentimes brushed off as airport and grocery store shelf fillers, Romance is a massively successful and moreover, a moneymaking machine. Welcome to the inside scoop with a new documentary titled LOVE BETWEEN THE COVERS. With so many vibrators to choose from, how do you know which vibrator is right for you? Whether you are a beginner vibrator user or an advanced sex toy user, here is a guide to help you choose the best vibrator for you. Start with clitoral stimulation with either a bullet vibe, a finger vibe, or an external vibrator. Why? 50-70% of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm and are unable to have orgasms through sex alone. Therefore, a design with good clitoral stimulation is an excellent place to start. Keep in mind that although most vibrators can stimulate the clitoris, certain shapes are better than others. Smaller shapes like bullets and finger vibes focus directly on the clitoris. External vibratos are designed to conform to the curves of the body and make contact directly with the clitoris and vulva. Usually, they are more powerful and offer more speeds and/or patterns than a bullet vibrator. We are not human but energy and light. We all vibrate at different levels. We chose to come to earth to grow, learn, raise our vibration and evolve. Jesus is your brother. He vibrates at a higher level. Raising our vibration is our goal. You are your own creator. You create your world and collectively we create the world too. Everyone has always looked outside of themselves for help, for health, for world change, for money, relationships etc. not realizing that you are responsible for your own life. It’s time to break free from looking on the outside for your desires and blaming others for your problems. You can 
BBC recently produced a spectacular new adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel, where three young people experience life, love and loss against the epic backdrop of Russia’s wars with Napoleon. The 6 episode mini-series was filled to the brim with talented actors that included Lily James, Paul Dano, James Norton, Tuppence Middleton, and Jim Broadbent to name a few. With breathtaking period costumes and sweeping cinematography, Director Tom Harper has successfully created a magical adaptation that is as heart-rending and exhilarating as Tolstoy’s original work. Take a look at our exclusive clip of Harper and the cast at the very first read-through of WAR & PEACE.
On the heels of his beautiful script for Nebraska, writer/director Bob Nelson brings heart and levity to what might otherwise seem to be a mundane scenario. The estrangement of an alcoholic father and his young son is nothing new, but by adding a religious element to the mix, it makes for a funny and honest look into the innocence of a child’s mind. Clive Owen‘s portrayal of Walt is raw and real. You empathize with his struggle to do right by his son. Speaking of Anthony, St. Vincent prodigy Jaeden Lieberher is, once again, a star. His purity in presence and intention glow as a young boy thrust into religion by his Mother. Caught in between parents of opposite end spectrum, he is an old soul, yet is constantly discovering when it is okay to push social boundaries. Owen and Lieberher are a perfect pairing. Nelson’s script allows both actors to take the reins as the story progresses. Each character has the opportunity to emotionally care for the other in a truly lovely dynamic.
The subtlety of the film is what makes it so successful. In an era of overblown CGI fare, Bob Nelson gives us an honest to goodness family story. The Confirmation is a joy.
10,000 Saints follows three screwed up young people and their equally screwed up parents in the age of CBGB’s, yuppies and the tinderbox of gentrification that exploded into the Tompkins Square Park Riots in New York’s East Village in the 1980s. This film is essentially the story of how small life connections become the ties that bind a group of estranged friends and family. It’s quite extraordinary and a brilliant translation of Eleanor Henderson‘s New York Times best-selling novel. After the loss of his best friend Teddy, Jude is sent to live his absentee father, Les. Reconnecting with Les’ girlfriend’s daughter, Eliza and straight edge punk singer and brother of Teddy, Johnny, the three embark on a path that was thrust upon them. 
Books and films and a very successful television series, the enigma of the world’s greatest detective once again leaps off the pages and onto the big screen in a new and refreshing take on the master of mystery. Mr. Holmes gives us the story of Sherlock, post Watson, decades after his retirement, residing in the beautiful Welsh countryside. Frustrated with the public’s misconception of him, Holmes gathers his own pen and ink to illustrate his final case and the moments that lead him to his present.
Not a hair out of place, Bill Condon‘s directorial adaptation of the novel, “A Slight Trick of the Mind” is pure brilliance. The script is witty, openly poking fun at assumed literary cannon. Mr. Holmes is magically bright and haunting all at once. With a surrounding of everyone’s dreams in London and Wales, how can one go wrong alone visually. The music is a lovely addition and the costumes are exquisite. 
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