After the death of his father, a sea captain, Ilka got even closer to his mother and older sister. Increasingly, he consults with them and reads his poems, laughing while closing his eyes. Zoya, who was in love with Yura Borikovsky, a student of the nautical school, gave him, with the consent of her brother, a cherished notebook with poems to look at. But the very next day, Ilka is forced to take her back, from Yura, who turned out to be a scoundrel.
Stand and Deliver is an inspirational classic from 1988 starring Edward James Olmos as Jaime Escalante, and his class of rag tag students in East Los Angeles. It’s the story of how a new teacher shows a motley group of students in the inner city with backgrounds as gang members, dishwashers, and mechanics — the power of self-determination. He teaches the teenagers to believe in themselves through algebra and calculus.
'Legally Blonde' remains a standard of feminist filmmaking over two decades after its release, although its poor treatment of racial and sexual minorities make it a product of its time.
Crossroads follows a young guitarist on a journey through the American South in search of blues history and his own voice.
"A Drowning Man" (2017) explores the unseen aspects of the Refugee Crisis. In, 15 far-too-short minutes, viewers are given a detailed snapshot of what it's like for a refugee to drown in the waters of poverty and otherness while trying to navigate a land whose promise has worn off, and only 'strange' remains.
Him is visually stunning—all concrete cathedrals and bone-rattling impact shots that look like a nightmare highlight reel. Marlon Wayans is magnetic as this legendary quarterback who's basically selling salvation with a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. But the story keeps running in circles: more tests, more cryptic pep talks, more ritualistic drills. The sports-as-religion metaphor beats you over the head when subtlety would've been more effective. The middle drags, and that finale chooses spectacle over substance. It's undeniably stylish, but left me cold. Also worth noting: despite the Monkeypaw connection, this isn't actually a Jordan Peele film—he didn't write or direct.
