keithedbuhler
Joined Mar 2015
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keithedbuhler's rating
Blood On Her Name is a fresh film with something to say. The characters are real and complex and imperfect; the story is a fresh take on the type of genre film you may not have seen before unless you're familiar with Southern neo-noir/Gothic.
As the movie opens, Leigh has blood on her hands and a body on the floor. We are not sure who is responsible. We assume Leigh is the killer, as she does not call the cops and seems intent on a coverup. But as the story unfolds, we learn that the situation is more complicated. She may be worse than she seems, or better. It is up to the audience, and each character, to decide whether she is being moral, stupid, immoral, or a mixture of all three.
My least favorite thing about the movie is the child actor and some of the other side characters.
A solid B+ goes to the music, special effects, cinematography, etc.
The acting of the main characters, the scripting, the story, and the themes are all solidly A material.
My two favorite things about this film are (a) the judicious and minimal use of flashbacks. We start in media res and get to discover the truth along with the characters. The only flashback used is effective exposition of the character's motivations, instead of cheaply withholding then revealing "gotcha" information.) And (b) Leigh's interactions with her "foil" (the victim's wife). Gut-wrenching stuff.
This is a tightly drawn, 85 minute thriller with enough action, family drama, and philosophical conundra to satisfy a wide range of audiences.
(Full disclosure: I was privileged to read the script and see a pre-release version of the film due to personal acquaintance with the film makers. Even knowing the twist, the suspense was still effective.)
As the movie opens, Leigh has blood on her hands and a body on the floor. We are not sure who is responsible. We assume Leigh is the killer, as she does not call the cops and seems intent on a coverup. But as the story unfolds, we learn that the situation is more complicated. She may be worse than she seems, or better. It is up to the audience, and each character, to decide whether she is being moral, stupid, immoral, or a mixture of all three.
My least favorite thing about the movie is the child actor and some of the other side characters.
A solid B+ goes to the music, special effects, cinematography, etc.
The acting of the main characters, the scripting, the story, and the themes are all solidly A material.
My two favorite things about this film are (a) the judicious and minimal use of flashbacks. We start in media res and get to discover the truth along with the characters. The only flashback used is effective exposition of the character's motivations, instead of cheaply withholding then revealing "gotcha" information.) And (b) Leigh's interactions with her "foil" (the victim's wife). Gut-wrenching stuff.
This is a tightly drawn, 85 minute thriller with enough action, family drama, and philosophical conundra to satisfy a wide range of audiences.
(Full disclosure: I was privileged to read the script and see a pre-release version of the film due to personal acquaintance with the film makers. Even knowing the twist, the suspense was still effective.)
Killing Poe is the debut film of writer/director Nathan Jacobs. Though begins in the hilarious and irreverent style of a college comedy, it evolves into a character piece that is at once mind-bending and heartfelt.
Poe follows the story of five diverse college students (Matt Bush, Osric Chau, Cyrina Fialllo, Juliana Guill, and Sunkrish Bala) brought together by one literature class from hell. The course is ostensibly about Edgar Allen Poe, but it is taught by a world-class jerk (Rick Plastina) who cares only for flirting with students, smoking in class, and stroking his own ego.
The unlikely crew team up to teach him a lesson, with laughable and horrifying results. Effective jokes abound, but the accidental mushroom high scene is side-splitting.
The best scene by far involves the goth girl of the group (Fiallo) confronting her own jerk of a father before going to face her grim fate.
From its breathless beginning to its increasingly serious and unpredictable conclusion, this comedy teaches the students -- and audience -- about guilt, redemption, and taking risks for love.
Poe follows the story of five diverse college students (Matt Bush, Osric Chau, Cyrina Fialllo, Juliana Guill, and Sunkrish Bala) brought together by one literature class from hell. The course is ostensibly about Edgar Allen Poe, but it is taught by a world-class jerk (Rick Plastina) who cares only for flirting with students, smoking in class, and stroking his own ego.
The unlikely crew team up to teach him a lesson, with laughable and horrifying results. Effective jokes abound, but the accidental mushroom high scene is side-splitting.
The best scene by far involves the goth girl of the group (Fiallo) confronting her own jerk of a father before going to face her grim fate.
From its breathless beginning to its increasingly serious and unpredictable conclusion, this comedy teaches the students -- and audience -- about guilt, redemption, and taking risks for love.