ReelGA
Joined Jan 2005
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges9
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews9
ReelGA's rating
A lot of visual contrast is prominent within "La Source." In Haiti, the white sands contrast with the seemingly ever-ominous skies; while in Princeton, we see the deep grays and browns of the brick and stone frosted with thick snow and ice. Then there is the cultural contrast between the affluent students of Princeton and an immigrated janitor, working hard and still having to double as a taxi driver. Even greater, we contrast these two places against each other. They are both home to Josue Lajeunesse, a Haitian national who moved to America in 1989 seeking better opportunities to provide for his family.
His hometown, La Source (pronounced La Soos), is a remote village on the outskirts of Port- au-Prince. Two sources of water exist in La Source; one is a polluted stream shared by man and animal, the other is a natural spring high atop a mountain. The treacherous hike up and back down the mountain forces many residents to resort to bathing and gathering water in the stream, typically resulting in skin infections and diarrhea. In the wake of the January 2010 earthquake, Lajeunesse renews efforts in the plan that he and his father before him had begun in order to pipe water down the mountain and into the heart of the village.
"La Source" is a real life fairytale, where a once hopeless romantic ideal catches fire and ultimately, the dream comes true. Every fairytale is marred by some tragedy, but the tragedy here is the kind of devastation that forever changes a landscape. When Lajeunesse arrives in Haiti for the first time in years, and the first time since the earthquake, your heart has nothing else to do but break. The devastation and rubble reflects off of Josue's formerly stoic face. Seeing pictures or footage is nothing compared to watching someone return to the ruins of their home.
The rallying around of Lajeunesse by different charities, ministries and the students of Princeton is stirring. The crafting of the picture does a great job of telling the story from every setting. Once again, filmmakers Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder ensure that contrast is an omnipresent and multilevel theme throughout the film. Don Cheadle lends his compassionate voice as the narrator, which should thankfully play well in marketing the film.
When the kids of La Source rush the faucet as water gushes out for the first time, I thought of kids rushing the buffet table at a church potluck before any of the adults. How impactful, though, the struggle and fulfillment over something as basic as water. I'm hardly ever moved to tears by film, but I find it appropriate that my tears would be propelled by a story about water. "La Source" is a meaningful film. While it has a ways to go to get the word out, I would not be surprised if the good will towards Haiti brought the film enough awareness to garner a worthy Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
4 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews by Cameron McAllister at Reel Georgia - www.ReelGA.com
His hometown, La Source (pronounced La Soos), is a remote village on the outskirts of Port- au-Prince. Two sources of water exist in La Source; one is a polluted stream shared by man and animal, the other is a natural spring high atop a mountain. The treacherous hike up and back down the mountain forces many residents to resort to bathing and gathering water in the stream, typically resulting in skin infections and diarrhea. In the wake of the January 2010 earthquake, Lajeunesse renews efforts in the plan that he and his father before him had begun in order to pipe water down the mountain and into the heart of the village.
"La Source" is a real life fairytale, where a once hopeless romantic ideal catches fire and ultimately, the dream comes true. Every fairytale is marred by some tragedy, but the tragedy here is the kind of devastation that forever changes a landscape. When Lajeunesse arrives in Haiti for the first time in years, and the first time since the earthquake, your heart has nothing else to do but break. The devastation and rubble reflects off of Josue's formerly stoic face. Seeing pictures or footage is nothing compared to watching someone return to the ruins of their home.
The rallying around of Lajeunesse by different charities, ministries and the students of Princeton is stirring. The crafting of the picture does a great job of telling the story from every setting. Once again, filmmakers Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder ensure that contrast is an omnipresent and multilevel theme throughout the film. Don Cheadle lends his compassionate voice as the narrator, which should thankfully play well in marketing the film.
When the kids of La Source rush the faucet as water gushes out for the first time, I thought of kids rushing the buffet table at a church potluck before any of the adults. How impactful, though, the struggle and fulfillment over something as basic as water. I'm hardly ever moved to tears by film, but I find it appropriate that my tears would be propelled by a story about water. "La Source" is a meaningful film. While it has a ways to go to get the word out, I would not be surprised if the good will towards Haiti brought the film enough awareness to garner a worthy Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
4 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews by Cameron McAllister at Reel Georgia - www.ReelGA.com
Considering Greenland's first feature film production was 2009's "Nummioq," I was likely not alone when I confessed to never having seen a Greenlandic movie before. (I must admit that I had to look up whether the correct demonym was 'Greenlandish' or 'Greenlandic.') That changed recently after watching "Inuk." Director Mike Magidson created an energetic look at both a boy and a culture in modern Greenland as they each undergo dynamic changes.
I was reminded a little of Danny Boyle's Oscar champ "Slumdog Millionaire," thanks to the frantic soundtrack and the youthful energy provided by a young cast of non-professional actors. While the story is neither as complex nor as contrived as Boyle's film, it maintains a simplistic charm which allows you to grow a bit closer to the both of the film's leads, Gaba Peterson (Inuk) and Ole Jørgen Hammeken (Ikuma).
Greenland's icy landscape is both chilling and mesmerizing. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult filming must have been for any crew members that were not from the area. Nonetheless, the film is shot and edited exceptionally; a fact that enough people agreed on to award it Best Narrative Feature, Best Director and Best Editing at the 2011 Savannah Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to see both Magidson and Hammeken say a few words about the film after it screened.
4 out of 5 stars.
I was reminded a little of Danny Boyle's Oscar champ "Slumdog Millionaire," thanks to the frantic soundtrack and the youthful energy provided by a young cast of non-professional actors. While the story is neither as complex nor as contrived as Boyle's film, it maintains a simplistic charm which allows you to grow a bit closer to the both of the film's leads, Gaba Peterson (Inuk) and Ole Jørgen Hammeken (Ikuma).
Greenland's icy landscape is both chilling and mesmerizing. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult filming must have been for any crew members that were not from the area. Nonetheless, the film is shot and edited exceptionally; a fact that enough people agreed on to award it Best Narrative Feature, Best Director and Best Editing at the 2011 Savannah Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to see both Magidson and Hammeken say a few words about the film after it screened.
4 out of 5 stars.
"Hombre y tierra" stood out at the 2012 Rome International Film Festival as both the only Spanish language narrative feature and as a film completely comprised of 'found footage.' Writer/director Christian Cisneros' film, co-written by Richard L. Watson, centers around a wilderness survival show host as he struggles to maintain composure and ultimately make it out of the Belizean forest alive. Maurice Ripke stars as our host, Mauro Bosque, and gives one RIFF's best performances.
Although many movies that feature simulated self-shot handycam footage instantly feel forced, "Hombre y tierra" begins with a very authentic atmosphere. Most films of this nature require the audience to adjust their perspective, eliminating any natural feeling the film could have possessed. After a small introduction that features Chucho, Mauro's friend and producer, the largest chunk of the film features our lead shooting footage for his television show without incident. Even for filming a television show, the script seems a little exegetic. Being fed too many basic survival facts and hearing the same cues too many times would only support the fact that Mauro is filming the show's pilot episode, when we already know otherwise. This doesn't make the monologue unrealistic (many reality shows are repetitive), however, our interest starts to wane. Soon enough, though, mysterious events and Ripke's unflinching charisma transform a modest heart-tapping tension into a forceful heart- pounding suspense.
Once the ball is rolling, the audience is kept riveted until the credits roll. After being taunted by a enigmatic force for days, Mauro is forced through a spectrum of emotions. As the story reaches an expected and terrifying zenith, Mauro becomes fearless and demanding of the audience's breathless attention. Ripke shows tremendous talent in this role and has hopefully caught the eye of many filmmakers as "Hombre y tierra" tours the festival circuit.
"Hombre y tierra" was filmed in both Spanish and English, with each scene being filmed in both languages before moving along to the next. After the film screened at RIFF, Cisneros said that the English version would be released to festivals next, although I question if it will possess the same spark that Ripke brings to the film in his native tongue. Nonetheless, "Hombre y tierra" easily wins the title of the most thrilling film out of RIFF.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews by Cameron McAllister at Reel Georgia - www.ReelGA.com
Although many movies that feature simulated self-shot handycam footage instantly feel forced, "Hombre y tierra" begins with a very authentic atmosphere. Most films of this nature require the audience to adjust their perspective, eliminating any natural feeling the film could have possessed. After a small introduction that features Chucho, Mauro's friend and producer, the largest chunk of the film features our lead shooting footage for his television show without incident. Even for filming a television show, the script seems a little exegetic. Being fed too many basic survival facts and hearing the same cues too many times would only support the fact that Mauro is filming the show's pilot episode, when we already know otherwise. This doesn't make the monologue unrealistic (many reality shows are repetitive), however, our interest starts to wane. Soon enough, though, mysterious events and Ripke's unflinching charisma transform a modest heart-tapping tension into a forceful heart- pounding suspense.
Once the ball is rolling, the audience is kept riveted until the credits roll. After being taunted by a enigmatic force for days, Mauro is forced through a spectrum of emotions. As the story reaches an expected and terrifying zenith, Mauro becomes fearless and demanding of the audience's breathless attention. Ripke shows tremendous talent in this role and has hopefully caught the eye of many filmmakers as "Hombre y tierra" tours the festival circuit.
"Hombre y tierra" was filmed in both Spanish and English, with each scene being filmed in both languages before moving along to the next. After the film screened at RIFF, Cisneros said that the English version would be released to festivals next, although I question if it will possess the same spark that Ripke brings to the film in his native tongue. Nonetheless, "Hombre y tierra" easily wins the title of the most thrilling film out of RIFF.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews by Cameron McAllister at Reel Georgia - www.ReelGA.com