Change Your Image
ckaroun-201-447097
Reviews
Rounding (2022)
Profound, evocative and capitivating. I haven't felt like this about a film since seeing "Get Out"
My brother put it a good way, "if the new Thor movie is the junk food of cinema this is a wholesome delicious home cooked meal." This is a movie that entertains you, freaks you out and then makes you ponder life for the next few days. It made me feel and grow in ways I might never have otherwise.
I think part of the reason it had such a lasting impression was that it felt incredibly immersive and realistic from the perspective of a resident medical doctor based off of stories I have heard from friends and family who are doctors.
With as strange and over the top as the world of commercial film-making has become, "Rounding" was a reassuring reminder to me that entertaining movies are still being made that are also just incredible works of art in themselves. I can't wait to watch it again.
Planet of the Humans (2019)
A Darkened Lens: A Misguided Journey into Environmentalism
Warning - this film may be triggering for those experiencing emotional instability or suicidal tendencies
As an environmentalist who has lived without electricity for almost two years, I found this film disappointingly skewed in its portrayal of environmental leaders and their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.
The director omits crucial nuances, featuring low-profile interviewees and cherry-picking scientists who support their viewpoint. This is a tactic I've seen in climate change denial documentaries - it creates an illusion of scientific consensus where there isn't one.
Though I have a deep understanding of the topics covered due to my studies and work in the environmental field, I worry about the impact this film might have on less knowledgeable viewers. It seems to lead people down a harmful rabbit hole, fostering self-hatred and nihilism, and suggesting population control as the only solution.
The film's portrayal of Bill Mckibben, 350, and the Sierra Club is unfair. These organizations stress the importance of reducing energy use before replacing fossil fuels, but the documentary suggests otherwise.
Instead of leading viewers towards despair, we need hope and actionable solutions. I recommend The Condor and The Eagle and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer for more constructive insights on environmentalism and our relationship with the land.
In summary, this film is overly pessimistic and unbalanced in its portrayal of the environmental movement, and it may leave viewers feeling hopeless rather than empowered to make a difference.
The Condor & The Eagle (2019)
One of the best climate change documentaries since an Inconvenient Truth
This documentary brings to light why indigenous people are the rightful leaders of the climate movement. By bringing to the forefront several climate activists' stories across the Americas it depicts the interconnections of us all and why we must unite to overcome forces of great power, greed and destruction.
Saint Frances (2019)
Only an indie film could achieve this
Trust the rotten tomatoes score. This is a gem that has won countless festival awards and for good reason. It isn't action packed but it is real in a way few films are. The characters are so good that my wife who hates talking about movies was doing a deep dive into the main character and what she represents and how she was portrayed. Most of all this film has a lot of soul and it doesn't shy away from any of the taboos that so many big budget films avoid. Despite this it's a very healing movie, one that makes you question why our culture considers these things taboos at all. I think some of the press that it is getting has been that it is a political film but I dont think it is. And even though I have strong political views that some might prematurely conclude that the film bolsters I think the movie does the harder work of building a world that you never want to leave and letting the viewer interpret what it all means. Its the kind of film that seems to me to have layers, layers based off real experience and since it was one of my favorites in awhile I am excited to watch it again soon ( something I almost never do.) My wife gives it 8 stars out of ten. I give it 10