Mud

What I liked:

• This is Matthew McConaughey's best performance since A Time to Kill.  I can't imagine anyone else being Mud.
• Tye Sheridan is fantastic as Ellis.  I can't wait to see what he does next.
• It's a coming of age story about a boy who is in love with love.
• The supporting cast is wonderful: Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks, Jacob Lofland and Bonnie Sturdivant.
• The cinematography was great.
• The use of natural light was beautiful.
• That's not Mickey Doyle's real voice?!
• The Beach Boys!

G-Dog

Who is G-Dog? from Freida Mock on Vimeo.

What I liked:

• Father Gregory Boyle (G-Dog) is inspiring.  What he has done to help people find an alternative to gang life is amazing.  Watch this documentary.  Read is book.  Get something to eat at Homegirl Cafe.  Volunteer.  Do something!

The To Do List

What I liked:

• Fabulous cast: Aubrey Plaza, Rachel Bilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alia Shakat, Connie Britton, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Clark Gregg, Scott Porter, Donald Glover, Johnny Simmons, Sarah Steele, Adam Pally, and Nolan Gould.
• Plaza seems fearless in everything that she does.
• It takes place during the summer of 1993!
• Trapper Keepers, Caboodles, posters of Beverly Hills 90210!
• It's funny.
• There are some good morals to be learned at the end.

The Big Wedding

What I liked:

• There are a few funny parts.
• I enjoy Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace & Ben Barnes.

Pain & Gain

 What I liked:

• Mark Wahlberg shows off his Calvin Klein's again.
• Anthony Mackie.
• Dwayne Johnson was very entertaining.
• An eclectic group of supporting cast mates: Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, and Bar Paly.
• Fanny packs!
• There are some funny moments.

Disconnect

What I liked:

• It's an interesting look at the dangers of technology: use of webcams, identity theft, sexting, texting, emailing photos, chat rooms, message boards, fake identities and online gaming.
• It gives you something to think about and talk about - hopefully face to face with someone.  
• It's a great example of why you should put down your technology at the dinner table and interact with people in person (ie. Disconnect).
• The acting was well done by everyone involved: Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Michael Nygvist, Paula Patton,  Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgard, Max Thieriot, Colin Ford Jonah Bobo, Haley Ramm, Aviad Berstein, and Norbert Leo Butz.
• Marc Jacobs!

Starbuck

What I liked:

• Patrick Huard plays the role of Starbuck really well.
• It also stars Julie LeBreton, Antoine Bertrand, and 150+ other people.
• The story is interesting...a guy finds out that he fathered hundreds of kids via his sperm donation.  The kids want to meet him.  Now what?
• It's funny, interesting, and heart warming.
• David wears a lot of cool t shirts.
• There are a lot of really good looking kids with really good hair.

Unfinished Song

What I liked:

• Terence Stamp plays a lovable grouchy old man.
• It also stars Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arterton, and Christopher Eccleston.
• It's Glee club for senior citizens.
• The music is entertaining.

Magic Camp

What I liked:

• It is an intriguing look at a one week Magic Camp for kids.
• Each featured kid has an interesting story and magic act to share.
• It has great graphics in the opening credits.

Casting By

What I liked:

• A fantastic history of the role of the Casting director.
• Fabulous footage of Hollywood Stars before they made it big.
• Great interviews from people in the Casting world as well as Hollywood.

Detroit Unleaded

What I liked:

• EJ Assi and Nada Shouhayib are not only nice eye candy but can act too.
• It also stars Mike Batayeh, Akram El-Ahmar, Mary Assel, Steven Soro, Henri Watkins, and Scott Norman.
• It gives you a brief look at life in Detroit, life as a Lebanese-American, and life as part of the middle class.

Good Ol' Freda

What I liked:

• Freda Kelly is lovely.  I admire her spirit, her respectfulness, and her work ethic.
• As the secretary for The Beatles,  Kelly shares her amazing stories here for the first time.
• Incredible pictures and film of The Beatles during their 10 year run.
• Fantastic soundtrack.
• Wonderful graphics.

The Place Beyond The Pines

What I liked:

• Fantastic Cast: Ryan Gosling, Eva Mednes, Bradley Cooper, Olga Merediz, Mahershala Ali, Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, Harris Yulin, Robert Clohessy, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta, Emory Cohen, and Dane DeHaan.
• Well acted.
• Lovely score.

Dear Mr. Watterson

What I liked:

• It is a delightful look at the classic comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes.
• The film serves as a love letter, of sorts, to the C&H creator, Bill Watterson.
• I respect Mr. Watterson's choice to stay out of the spotlight and to not commercialize Calvin and  Hobbes.  
• Chagrin Falls, Ohio!
• Did you know that The Ohio State University has a cartoon Library?
• Great interviews from other cartoonist and fans.
• Beautiful animation.

Running from Crazy

What I liked:

• Mariel Hemingway is very courageous for examining her family in this way and for shedding light on mental illness.
• Hemingway and her boyfriend, Bobby Williams have started a foundation, The Willing Way, to help others live better.

The Last White Knight

What I liked:

• It is a stirring documentary about a second meeting between Delay de la Beckwith (KKK member) and Paul Saltzman (a civil rights activist).
• It has memorable interviews with Jimmie Travis, Joe Harris, Harry Belafonte, Charles Evers, and Morgan Freeman.
• It is a reminder that racism is alive and well.

Pablo

What I liked:

• It is an interesting look at an under appreciated art: the opening title of a film.
• It tells the life story of Pablo Ferro, one of the pioneers in title creation.
• It has great animation. 

He's Way More Famous Than You

What I liked:

• Michael Urie and Jesse Eisenberg are great.
• There are appearances by Ben Stiller,Mamie Gummer,  Natasha Lyonne,  Michael Ausiello and Ralph Macchio, 
• The soundtrack is very interesting.

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines

WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines from Vaquera Films on Vimeo.

What I liked:

• It's an interesting look at the importance of strong female super heroes.
• It tells the history of Wonder Woman.
• Linda Carter still looks fantastic.

42

What I liked:

• It's a great story about love, equality, dedication, loyalty, and baseball.
• Harrison Ford is the biggest name on this film.  The best part, you don't see Ford on screen.  You see Branch Rickey.
• Chadwick Boseman plays a great Jackie Robinson.  I am glad that they hired a relative unknown for the role.  If it was a big name, Robinson would have been lost.
• Nicole Behaire has great chemistry with Boseman and plays Rachel Robinson well.
• Superb supporting cast: Christopher Meloni, Ryan Merriman, Lucas Black, Andre Holland, Alan Tudyk, Hamish Linklater, T.R. Knight, John C. McGinley, Max Gail, Brad Beyer, James Pickens Jr., and Derek Phillips. 

Cleveland International Film Festival

Do you like Wonder Woman, Calvin & Hobbes, The Beatles, honey, magic, or the ocean?  There is a film for you!

Do you like action, suspense, romance, drama, comedy or documentaries?  There is a film for you!

Do you speak English, Spanish, French or German?  There is a film for you!

The 37th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival runs April 3rd-14th.  This event is very well organized and extremely fun.  Check out the video below from last year and then check out www.clevelandfilm.org to plan your schedule for this year.

Hope to see you down there!