Los Angeles 1991: a common humanity emphasised in an almighty shootout
Miguel de Olaso, Macgregor, Bruno Zacarias, “Los Angeles 1991” (2015) The tale seems contrived and some suspension of disbelief may be required but essentially this taut…
nausika
Latin American Films (Spanish language), North American Films
La Carnada: one boy’s road to Hell paved with love and concern in a spider web of exploitation
Josh Soskin, “La Carnada” (2014) In a poverty-stricken town in Mexico not far from the border with the United States, 13-year-old Manny (Angel Soto Jr) is…
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Disappearance of Willie Bingham: portrait of a society exploiting emotions and desire for vengeance
Matt Richards, “The Disappearance of Willie Bingham” (2015) A truly unsettling short realist film about a bureaucracy gone insanely inhuman, pandering to the lowest common denominator…
Retouch: a character study about struggle and sudden unexpected freedom
Kaveh Mazaheri, “Retouch” (2017) A stunning character study of a married woman, submissive to her bullying husband, who is unexpectedly given a new lease of life…
Check Please: awkward romantic situation comedy with unattractive characters
Daniel Sorochkin, “Check Please” (2015) A man, Ben (Bryan Manley Davis), takes his girlfriend Laura (Amelia Brain) to evening dinner at a swish restaurant, planning to…
Fill Your Heart with French Fries: dark comedy about grief, social media celebrity and exploitation
Tamar Glezerman, “Fill Your Heart with French Fries” (2016) Based on an actual incident in China, in which a woman jilted by her boyfriend ended up…
Trunk Space: familiar and predictable story and plot elements redeemed by good performances
Max Silver, “Trunk Space” (2016) As surely as the sun rises in the east, birds fly in the sky and fish swim in the oceans, so…
Last Requests: quiet naturalistic character study gives insight into US prison culture and the people it exploits
Courtenay Johnson, “Last Requests” (2017) A sombre character study of a prison worker on her last day in a program that supplies last-request meals to death…
The Incident at Benghazi: a good summary of an ambitious diplomat’s career bites off more than it can chew
Carlton Meyer, “The Incident at Benghazi” (31 July 2020) As short reports go, this one on the lynching death of US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens…
The American Annexation of Okinawa: an overview of the post-1945 history of the Ryukyu Islands under the US military
Carlton Meyer, “The American Annexation of Okinawa” (Tales of the American Empire, 24 July 2020) In a little over ten minutes, this documentary presents a good…