Episode 138 of Find Your Film contains four featured movies (The Justice of Bunny King, The Enforcer, Hold Me Tight, Young Plato), two of which I absolutely loved. Bruce Purkey also reviews Pearl and Eric Holmes gives his take on The Woman King and Barbarian. Finally, Bruce and Eric discuss if cult classic Bad Boy Bubby, streaming on Tubi, is worth your time.
Young Plato is a big part of this week’s Find Your Film since Eric Holmes interviewed teacher/headmaster Kevin McArevey and director Neasa Nà Chianáin (Declan McGrath is the co-director).
The documentary is set at the Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. School principal/instructor Kevin McArevey is a Stoic who loves Elvis Presley and is dedicated to teaching Philosophy to his students. Winner of the Irish Film & Television Academy AWard for Best Feature, Young Plato was selected in nearly 40 festivals worldwide. Young Plato hits the Angelika Film Center on Friday, September 23 with a wider release on September 30 in Washington DC, Dallas, San Diego, Sacramento, Fairface (VA), and Plano (TX). McArevey’s absolute love and care for the boys shines through, and following their journey through the school year makes for an arresting and insightful watch. Both Eric and I gave it 4.5 stars and Bruce rated it 4 stars.
Eric and I also agreed with The Justice of Bunny King, a film that contains a powerhouse performance by Essie Davis as a mother determined to gain custody of her two children. Thomasin McKenzie co-stars as her niece Tonya. Directed by Gaysorn Thavat, The Justice of Bunny King feels like a pointed social drama from the outset, but it also has some interesting genre touches throughout the rest of the narrative. Sidney Lumet’sDog Day Afternoon has been aptly compared to this viscerally charged tale. Davis delivers one of this year’s best performances, and Eric and I gave the movie 4 stars. Bruce also recommends the movie with a 3.5 rating. The Justice of Bunny King hits theaters September 23 and it reaches On Demand September 30. Definitely worth a look!!
In theaters and On Demand September 23, The Enforcer features Antonio Banderas as a mob enforcer who ultimately goes against his boss’ (Kate Bosworth) wishes after she places a runaway’s life in danger. Running at 90 minutes, the feature co-stars Mojean Aria, Zolee Griggs, Alexis Ren and 2 Chainz. Bruce and Eric recommend The Enforcer (they gave it 3.5 stars), and I also plan to watch this genre flick before week’s end.
Hold Me Tight stars Vicky Krieps (Bergman Island, Old) as a mother who leaves behind her husband and two children. Directed by Mathieu Amalric and based on a stage play by Claudine Galea, the non-linear narrative is a compelling and frustrating watch. By placing the big reveal at the middle of the tale, Amalric stifles the movie’s dramatic momentum as viewers are left waiting for the inevitable. That said, I appreciated Hold Me Tight’s approach in exploring the mother’s grief, and the music selections (featuring works from Ravel, Debussy, and Beethoven) are top notch. My guess is I will appreciate the movie a bit more upon a second watch. Bruce and I gave the feature 3 stars; Eric does not recommend the feature, as he gave it a 1.5 rating.
Other movies covered in our podcast included The Woman King, Barbarian,Pearl, and Bad Boy Bubby. Leave a comment below, email us at [email protected] for questions, and for daily movie talk join ourCinemAddicts Facebook Group!!