The film tells about the fate of a little boy Pylypko. In the hungry winter of 1932-1933, his mother died. The boy is taken away by his uncle, but Pylypko runs away from his house in search of his mother. He got lost in the woods and almost froze. The child is saved from death by two monks and taken to a monastery. There he learned to paint icons and proved to be a very capable artist. Later a Frenchman came to the monastery. His young daughter is very ill, and the boy sincerely wishes her recovery. Learning that this requires praying to St. Panteleimon, Philip decides to draw his icon and help the girl.
Ben Affleck leads The Way Back, a seemingly cathartic film for him after the actor’s recent bouts with alcoholism and rehab. He plays Jack, a man fighting his own battles who happens upon coaching a boys’ basketball team, the same team he once played for back in high school.
‘Better Than Chocolate’ isn’t perfect, but it sure has charm! The characters are great. Some took longer to grow on me than others, but ultimately they’re all compelling! I appreciate how a select few help those around them to grow.
This is not a slavery story, it is a freedom story. The viewers only see Harriet as a slave for the first few minutes of the film. To me, it felt like watching the origin story of a superhero…which is both good and bad.
Films staring black transgender actresses/actors are few and far between, it’s refreshing to see a demographic represented in film that hardly gets any attention. This is especially important as the Black trans community has been shown in studies to face the highest level of discrimination amongst general trans and non-binary groups. That is why it’s so crucial that we amplify their voices through any way we can, storytelling being a great medium to do so.
A brief look at two Barry Jenkins films that have established him as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.
Magnolia focuses on how one’s childhood and trauma relate to their confidence and self.
