'Honor Roll Boys' (MiamisFF Review): A Bit of Harmless Fun
Initially feeling like a passionate group having a bit of harmless fun with filmmaking, it leads to something sinister enough to leave a mark.

Rami's 13-year-old daughter is killed in Jerusalem by a suicide bomber. When the grieving father meets Palestinian Bassam, an unlikely friendship develops between the two fathers. They do not yet know what tragic twist of fate will bring them even closer together.
Initially feeling like a passionate group having a bit of harmless fun with filmmaking, it leads to something sinister enough to leave a mark.
Throughout Brendan Fraser’s career, he has played a plethora of unique, layered characters who explore the importance of not being afraid to display your emotions, something that is often seen to not be a masculine trait. This idea of regulating emotion and what traits men are able to possess creates a toxic atmosphere for men who are often told they should not cry or represent their emotions in any physical way. These characters represent that men can be joyful, emotionally conscious, and sensitive, while also representing their masculine identity instead of painting those qualities as fighting against their masculinity.
Audition should be on everyone's list of Greatest Horror Film. So I urge you to give it a watch. Maybe watch the last twenty minutes with your hands in front of your eyes.
In the film adaptation, director Jon M. Chu turns each musical number into a massive show stopper, with grand set pieces and a wealth of diverse dancers. Yet, in this attempt to show reverence for the people of the Washington Heights barrio, Chu, or maybe more specifically those in charge of casting, left out a crucial part of the community, Afro-Latinos.