Celebrating the craft of writing and the art of storytelling.
Top 5 Films of March 2016
by Daniel Dercksen·Comments Off on Top 5 Films of March 2016
Storymakers shine a hopeful light on humanity!
KNIGHT OF CUPS With Knight of Cups, Terrence Malick is very much a storymaker in search of meaning, and through his journey of finding and answer to the essence of live, love and art, he allows us to reconnect with our own our own personal journey into ourselves and our place in this world. Malick explores the excess of nothingness and the extreme of everything, where complete silence and feverish chaos form an incongruous symphony of emotions in this story of a lonely a comedy writer Rick (Christian Bale) living in present-day Santa Monica who longs for something other, something beyond the life he knows, without knowing quite what it is, or how to go about finding it. After watching Knight of Cups you feel cleansed of commercialism, as Malick purges the conventions and notions of how film should be told and in a way, continue to reinvent himself as a creative being. The artist and artisan enter a new realm of exploration, experimenting with endless new inspired possibilities, just like the cavemen carved out their dreams on a rock to preserve their imaginings. Film is ultimately an art that communicates thoughts and ideas through created imagery and sound. It is this definitive freedom that allows a film like Knight of Cups to breathe its own life, and allows it to be without rhyme or reason, but filled with a significant truth that gives meaning to our existence and our reason for wanting to celebrate life to its fullest extreme. Read the review
SINK An outstanding human drama that exposes the frail disposition of the humanness of our humanity, and shines a hopeful light on the power of ultimate forgiveness. Directed with insight and sensitivity by Brett Michael Innes, who also adapted the potent screenplay from his bestseller, the film also explores themes of entrapment, loss and forgiveness against the backdrop of the current South African class structure and the experience of foreign nationals in the country.The narrative shows three people trying to deal with a tragic situation. The first, Rachel (Shoki Mokgapa), a mother trying to come to terms with the loss of her child and the bitterness that she feels towards the people responsible.The second, Michelle (Anel Alexander), a woman trying to deal with the arrival of her own child and the guilt that she feels towards her involvement in the death of another’s. The third, Chris (Jacques Bessenger), a man trying to juggle both of the above as well as a relationship with a co-worker that threatens his marriage. Written and directed by Brett Michael Innes, based on the novel by best-selling local author Brett Michael Innes. Interview: Writer-Director Brett Michael Innes
FREEHELD The power of love empowers women from two different generations to change the world in this heart-breaking love story based on the 2007 documentary short film of the same name about police officer Laurel Hester’s fight against the Ocean County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to allow her pension benefits to be transferred to her domestic partner after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film is based on the true story of Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a police officer in Ocean County, New Jersey. The story narrates the difficulties faced by a lesbian police detective and her domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). Following her diagnosis with terminal lung cancer in 2005, Hester repeatedly appealed to the county’s board of chosen freeholders in an attempt to ensure her pension benefits could be passed on to her domestic partner. Directed by Peter Sollett and written by Ron Nyswaner. The film also stars Steve Carell, Luke Grimes, and Michael Shannon. Feature: Celebrating The Power Of Love and Equality
RISEN A poignant film that will change your world. It’s not simply an epic historically fictional drama, but a meaningful journey into what it takes to be human and embrace the weaknesses that enslave us. Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Reynolds, Paul Aiello and Karen Janszen, it features a sublime performance by Joseph Fiennes as Clavius, a powerful Roman Centurion, who is charged by Pontius Pilate to investigate the rumors of a risen Jewish messiah and to locate the missing body of Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) in order to quell an imminent uprising in Jerusalem during the first 40 days following Christ’s resurrection. The film stars Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, and Cliff Curtis. Feature: Faith In Film: Risen, The Epic Biblical Story Of The Resurrection
ZOOTROPOLIS Total magic in every moment! The modern mammal metropolis of Zootropolis is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Feature Disney Returns To The Wild
KNIGHT OF CUPS With Knight of Cups, Terrence Malick is very much a storymaker in search of meaning, and through his journey of finding and answer to the essence of live, love and art, he allows us to reconnect with our own our own personal journey into ourselves and our place in this world. Malick explores the excess of nothingness and the extreme of everything, where complete silence and feverish chaos form an incongruous symphony of emotions in this story of a lonely a comedy writer Rick (Christian Bale) living in present-day Santa Monica who longs for something other, something beyond the life he knows, without knowing quite what it is, or how to go about finding it. After watching Knight of Cups you feel cleansed of commercialism, as Malick purges the conventions and notions of how film should be told and in a way, continue to reinvent himself as a creative being. The artist and artisan enter a new realm of exploration, experimenting with endless new inspired possibilities, just like the cavemen carved out their dreams on a rock to preserve their imaginings. Film is ultimately an art that communicates thoughts and ideas through created imagery and sound. It is this definitive freedom that allows a film like Knight of Cups to breathe its own life, and allows it to be without rhyme or reason, but filled with a significant truth that gives meaning to our existence and our reason for wanting to celebrate life to its fullest extreme. Read the review
SINK An outstanding human drama that exposes the frail disposition of the humanness of our humanity, and shines a hopeful light on the power of ultimate forgiveness. Directed with insight and sensitivity by Brett Michael Innes, who also adapted the potent screenplay from his bestseller, the film also explores themes of entrapment, loss and forgiveness against the backdrop of the current South African class structure and the experience of foreign nationals in the country.The narrative shows three people trying to deal with a tragic situation. The first, Rachel (Shoki Mokgapa), a mother trying to come to terms with the loss of her child and the bitterness that she feels towards the people responsible.The second, Michelle (Anel Alexander), a woman trying to deal with the arrival of her own child and the guilt that she feels towards her involvement in the death of another’s. The third, Chris (Jacques Bessenger), a man trying to juggle both of the above as well as a relationship with a co-worker that threatens his marriage. Written and directed by Brett Michael Innes, based on the novel by best-selling local author Brett Michael Innes. Interview: Writer-Director Brett Michael Innes
FREEHELD The power of love empowers women from two different generations to change the world in this heart-breaking love story based on the 2007 documentary short film of the same name about police officer Laurel Hester’s fight against the Ocean County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to allow her pension benefits to be transferred to her domestic partner after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The film is based on the true story of Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a police officer in Ocean County, New Jersey. The story narrates the difficulties faced by a lesbian police detective and her domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). Following her diagnosis with terminal lung cancer in 2005, Hester repeatedly appealed to the county’s board of chosen freeholders in an attempt to ensure her pension benefits could be passed on to her domestic partner. Directed by Peter Sollett and written by Ron Nyswaner. The film also stars Steve Carell, Luke Grimes, and Michael Shannon. Feature: Celebrating The Power Of Love and Equality
RISEN A poignant film that will change your world. It’s not simply an epic historically fictional drama, but a meaningful journey into what it takes to be human and embrace the weaknesses that enslave us. Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Reynolds, Paul Aiello and Karen Janszen, it features a sublime performance by Joseph Fiennes as Clavius, a powerful Roman Centurion, who is charged by Pontius Pilate to investigate the rumors of a risen Jewish messiah and to locate the missing body of Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) in order to quell an imminent uprising in Jerusalem during the first 40 days following Christ’s resurrection. The film stars Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, and Cliff Curtis. Feature: Faith In Film: Risen, The Epic Biblical Story Of The Resurrection
ZOOTROPOLIS Total magic in every moment! The modern mammal metropolis of Zootropolis is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Feature Disney Returns To The Wild 
