Category Archives: film

RKS 2024 Film: “In Flight”: A Turbulent Journey with an Unexpected Landing

I was asked to review the American film “In Flight” indirectly by one of its executive producers. Usually, a request to review emanates from a distributor of the film or its retained public relations firm with detailed information on its cast and a brief plot description. In this case I was provided with a trailerContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “In Flight”: A Turbulent Journey with an Unexpected Landing”

RKS 2024 Film: “All The Lost Ones”: A Civil War Spreads Upwards North Bay Way!

A massive water contamination incident kills thousands on North America’s northeast coast. Climate activists go wonkers in a Greta Thunberg fury sparking a backlash from a paramilitary-political group the United Conservancy comprised of neo Nazis, racists, white supremacists and assorted right wing deviants. Law and order people or so they say marching northward seeping intoContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “All The Lost Ones”: A Civil War Spreads Upwards North Bay Way!”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Acheron” (Short)

Acheron is that mythical river in northwestern Greece where legend would have it Charon the ferryman transported souls of the damned to Hades.  Coins were given to Charon in return for transportation. Yet there is a school of thought describing the Acheron River as a place of healing, cleansing and the purging of sin fromContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Acheron” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Driving Me Crazy” (Short)

Parthena dives her Papu to his doctor’s appointment in town. Parthena is filling in for his regular driver so they are forced to talk to each other for once. Papu speaks his mind and like her Papu, Parthena does as well. Off the bat we surmise Papu must be a traditionalist refusing to call Parthena,Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Driving Me Crazy” (Short)”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival:” What Mary Didn’t Know”

“What Mary Didn’t Know” is a lighthearted Greek, French and Swedish co-production. Mary is cruising with her Swedish family in one of those floating hotels. The ship is the NEOROMANTICA with more seniors than you can shake a stick at. Mary’s father complains in the ship’s dining room there is salami in his Spaghetti CarbonaraContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival:” What Mary Didn’t Know””

RKS 2024 Film (Short): The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Halycon Days”

A farm girl and an auto mechanic from a small Greek village are driving to the mayor’s office for their marriage ceremony but the officiant leaves the building before the ceremony joins the two as man and wife. They must return the following day. The camera work is brilliant in capturing facial expressions of theContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film (Short): The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Halycon Days””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Maldives”

I read the writer and director’s statement (Daniel Bolda) about his film “Maldives” and had a chuckle as the film is, in my opinion, an open book capable of multiple interpretations. With all due respect and affection, I say Bolda is entitled to his interpretation as you and I are as well! Not that IContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Maldives””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Wishbone”

Sorry for jumping ahead here. Do you like “happy endings” and by that I don’t mean that term as used in that “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode with Larry David and his Korean masseuse I watched on my KLM flight from Thessaloniki to Toronto this week. There is no clear-cut ending here. Director Penny Panayotopoulou hasContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Wishbone””

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Riviera”

Alkisti (Eva Samioti) lives with her mother Anna (Maria Apostlakea) in a house on the Athenian Riviera letting out rooms to Greek and foreign tourists. Failed writer Petros and an elder couple the Hatzivasiliou’s are guests. Alkisti often expresses herself poetically. Alkisti describes the end of the world in literary terms asking her devil toContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Riviera””

RKS 2024 Film: “The Sweet Hereafter”

One of the most honoured Canadian films of all time, Atom Egoyan’s “The Sweet Hereafter” (1997) was nominated for 16 Genie Awards and won eight, including best picture, director and actor. It also won three major awards at the Cannes Film Festival and received Academy Award nominations for adapted screenplay and director. Widely regarded asContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “The Sweet Hereafter””