Film | MendoWerks

‘The Novice’ is a Tightly Wound Tale of Obsession (Review)

5Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

‘The Novice’ is a Tightly Wound Tale of Obsession (Review)

Sometimes you watch a directorial debut and you find it hard to believe it was created by a first time filmmaker. Lauren Hadaway's thrilling debut feature is a shining example of this. It probably helps to craft a story that is inspired by your own life. Hadaway was a competitive collegiate rower and "The Novice" tells the story of Alex ("Orphan" star Isabelle Fuhrman), a college freshman who joins the rowing team and becomes obsessed with rising up the ranks. It's highly unusual for a freshman to be anywhere near the varsity team, but Alex's determination and laser-sharp focus finds her sidelining friends, classes, and romantic relationships in order to succeed against upperclassman competition. Fuhrman's performance is striking and borderline terrifying. We've all known somebo...

‘The Lost Daughter’ is a Harrowing Debut from Maggie Gyllenhaal (Review)

18Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

‘The Lost Daughter’ is a Harrowing Debut from Maggie Gyllenhaal (Review)

There are countless films about happy families and the joys of motherhood. The debut feature from award-winning actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is not one of them. Adapted from the novel by Elena Ferrante, it tells the story of Leda (Olivia Colman), a college professor who has gone off to Greece on holiday by herself. Italian literature is her forte and she has decided to hit the beach for some relaxation while working on some translations. The island choice appears idyllic, at least momentarily, but is soon invaded by a large vacationing family who take away all of her peace and quiet. Leda becomes drawn to a young mother named Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter, who suddenly disappears one afternoon and sends every person in the vicinity off into the outskirts of the beach to search...

Academy’s Documentary Branch Whittling Down Shortlist for 2022

1Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

Academy’s Documentary Branch Whittling Down Shortlist for 2022

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists (AMPAS) announced the full list of feature films eligible for consideration as Best Documentary at the upcoming 94th Academy Awards. There are a total of 138 titles eligible for the category this year and members of the Documentary Branch begin voting today to whittle that list down to a shortlist of 15 films that will advance into the new year. The shortlist should be announced on Tuesday, December 21 and those 15 films will screen on their way towards a second round of balloting which will reveal the final 5 nominees in the category. One of the films you can likely expect to get nominated this year is "Flee" - the Danish film about a queer refugee from Afghanistan is the first to ever qualify in the Document...

‘Don’t Look Up’ is a Star-studded Apocalyptic Satire (Review)

5Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

‘Don’t Look Up’ is a Star-studded Apocalyptic Satire (Review)

Movies that take place during the end of the world are nothing new, but the COVID-19 pandemic feels like it accelerated their frequency. Over the last two years, we've seen "Greenland," "How It Ends," "The Mitchells vs. The Machines," "Songbird," and many more tread this territory in different ways With his latest effort, director Adam McKay ("The Big Short") teams up with journalist David Sirota to craft a stupidly hysterical screenplay about what might happen if the planet was facing an extinction level event. On the surface, it doesn't seem like that would bring about a lot of laughter, but for me, it definitely did. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Kate Dibiasky. She is an astronomy grad student who, while on a standard observation of the night sky, discovers a massive comet that appe...

3Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

How To Stream 2021’s Best Movies

December is here which means that we're rapidly approaching my favorite time of the year: awards season! This week alone has already seen the Gotham Awards, the National Board of Review, and the New York Film Critics Circle give away their top honors. There are plenty more kudos to follow, heading towards the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022. While there are buzzed-about titles that will be getting theatrical-only releases over the next month or two, many of the year's best films are already streaming or available to rent on VOD. This post will help point you in the right direction so you can get caught up over the holidays and be ready for your office or friend Oscar pools! The list below includes titles available now and some that will be dropping in the weeks ahead. Whene...

The Life and Tragic Death of Adrienne Shelly Examined in New HBO Documentary (Review)

1Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

The Life and Tragic Death of Adrienne Shelly Examined in New HBO Documentary (Review)

There was a moment in the early 90s when it looked like actress Adrienne Shelly would become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She burst onto the scene with extraordinary leading roles in two independent films by Hal Hartley. 1989's "The Unbelievable Truth" and 1990's "Trust" were wildly unique and quirky comedies that became minor hits on the arthouse circuit and ended up finding larger audiences thanks to home video. As an actor, she was struggling by the late 90s to be cast in the kinds of movies she was really passionate, so she started to make her own. A 1997 feature called "Sudden Manhattan" is nearly impossible to track down these days, but she made a much bigger splash with what turned out to be her final film. Shelly wrote and directed the 2007 feature "Waitres...

The Life and Career of Julia Child is Chronicled in Tasty New Documentary (Review)

26Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

The Life and Career of Julia Child is Chronicled in Tasty New Documentary (Review)

It's surprising that it has taken so long for a documentary about legendary chef Julia Child to surface. I live in a household where the 2009 film "Julie & Julia" is pure and frequent comfort viewing, so checking this out was a requirement. Filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen earned an Oscar nomination for their film "RBG" and their latest look at a pioneering woman was snapped up quickly by CNN Films and Sony Pictures Classics. Unlike it's subject, this film certainly doesn't break any new ground, but it's a loving and enthusiastic chronicle of a woman who changed the conversation around home cooking in America for decades. Her husband Paul worked for the State Department and was assigned to live in Paris. After having a meal at La Couronne, Child's life was forever chang...