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kylemahaney
Reviews
Good Ol' Boy (2015)
The most fun family-friendly ride of the year.
Despite some incredible films made last year, Growing Up Smith remains one of the most fun films I saw a screening of. It's lighthearted, family-friendly, and just a great ride that puts a smile on your face throughout. It's smart and doesn't pander to its audience. It's been a long time since I've seen a coming of age comedy that hits all the right notes so fluently, it's heartfelt and intelligent. The music cuts fit the film really well, and the pop culture awareness for its period is spot on without feeling contrived. The child actors are particularly good, complimenting Jason Lee and Anjul Nigam well. A must see when it releases in theaters next month.
Arctic Alchemy (2015)
It never quite gets there.
Just got out of seeing this film at Southside Film Festival, and for the first third of it I was waiting for them to actually concisely show what they're doing. The problem is this film is so verite that it struggles to stay focused, and really has a hard time making me feel any connection or desire to care about its subjects. It was an interesting subject, but it wasn't focused enough and I feel like the editing didn't serve it well. It fell into the genre of "roadtrip documentaries" making me feel like it was more meant to be a personal memento than an actual compelling film. Also the orange and desaturated blue color grading was downright distracting throughout the entire piece and did not serve the film.