2017 Sundance Film Festival Archives - Hammer to Nail

DINA

Christopher Reed — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:57:20 +0000

Dina, herself, is a model of resilience, casually referring to the worst parts of her biography with an insouciance that belies the wounds left behind.

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BENDING THE ARC

Christopher Reed — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 17:26:12 +0000

Beautifully shot and edited, the movie does justice to its subjects. Still, it has that promo-video quality, at times – approaching hagiography – that detracts from its perfection.

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STRONG ISLAND

Christopher Reed — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 17:23:54 +0000

With assurance and skill, Yance Ford walks us through her family's history, starting in the Jim Crow South up to the present

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DAYVEON

Christopher Reed — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 18:46:03 +0000

Devin Blackmon, as Dayveon, making his first appearance on camera, brings reservoirs of pain, anger and vulnerability to his role.

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PATTI CAKE$

Christopher Reed — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 17:16:17 +0000

Though conventional in its dramatic arc, Patti Cake$ more than makes up for the predictability of its approach with fully realized lead characters and a toe-tapping

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A Conversation with Joshua Z. Weinstein & Menashe Lustig (MENASHE)

Christopher Reed — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 20:32:36 +0000

I spoke by phone with filmmaker Joshua Z. Weinstein, on Monday, May 22, 2017, about the making of his narrative feature debut, Menashe (which I reviewed, as well, at the Washington Jewish Film Festival). A thoughtful meditation on love, grief […]

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MENASHE

Christopher Reed — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 21:16:30 +0000

Heavyset and physically awkward, and usually dressed in rolled-up sleeves, with only a yarmulke on his head, he stands out amongst the mostly trim men who dress more formally in coats and hats.

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BAMcinemafest Wrap-Up

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 16:36:59 +0000

(Landline and Ingrid Goes West both world premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Landline was acquired by Amazon Studios and it opens theatrically on July 21, 2017. Ingrid Goes West was acquired by Neon and it opens theatrically on August 11, 2017.) My critical faculties […]

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A Conversation with Ramona Diaz (MOTHERLAND)

Christopher Reed — Wed, 24 May 2017 21:44:00 +0000

I met with documentary director Ramona Diaz on Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Maryland Film Festival, to discuss her most recent film, Motherland (reviewed here), which premiered at Sundance. It tells the story of the “world’s busiest maternity ward“: […]

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A Conversation with Stanley Nelson (TELL THEM WE ARE RISING)

Christopher Reed — Thu, 18 May 2017 18:38:56 +0000

I met with director Stanley Nelson on Sunday, May 7, 2017, at the Maryland Film Festival, to discuss his latest documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, which premiered at Sundance (when I reviewed […]

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