“Wish You Well” by Darnell Martin (2013)

Tribute to Darnell Martin (1/4)

Weak music and poor direction
Top minority presence

A sketchy story that doesn’t get anywhere
Most children in this story have lost their parents, and you would think that’s a theme important enough to get deeper into it, but midway in the movie comes a new theme – an evil mining company wants to buy all the beautiful mountain land…
Boring music, infuriating editing, but the landscapes are nice 🙂

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,6
IMDB 6,6
TMDB 6,9
Average critics —
Average public 7,0

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Mackenzie Foy, Josh Lucas
Director: Darnell Martin
Writers: David Baldacci
Music by Paul Cantelon
Cinematography by Frank Prinzi
Film Editing by Eric Wais

“Capernaum” (Capharnaüm) by Nadine Labaki (2018)

A year’s favorites review

Extremely touching and powerful movie, anchored in a revolting reality!
SPOILERS coming
Nadine Labaki opposes two families, both dysfunctional, both living on the fringe of society. On the one hand, a Lebanese family with many (many) children – Zain, a 12-year old boy, is one of them – living in the slums of Beirut. On the other hand, an Ethiopian woman with her baby living in a refugee camp. Although this single mother has nothing and struggles to keep her baby alive, it’s by her and her baby that Zain will find the love and care that were absent in his own family.

Cast: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kamel Youssef, Nour el Husseini, Cedra Izam
Director: Nadine Labaki
Writer: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Georges Khabbaz, Michelle Keserwany
Music by Khaled Mouzanar
Cinematography by Christopher Aoun
Film Editing by Konstantin Bock, Laure Gardette

“Capernaum” (Capharnaüm) by Nadine Labaki (2018)

Extremely touching and powerful movie, anchored in a revolting reality!
SPOILERS coming
Nadine Labaki opposes two families, both dysfunctional, both living on the fringe of society. On the one hand, a Lebanese family with many (many) children – Zain, a 12-year old boy, is one of them – living in the slums of Beirut. On the other hand, an Ethiopian woman with her baby living in a refugee camp. Although this single mother has nothing and struggles to keep her baby alive, it’s by her and her baby that Zain will find the love and care that were absent in his own family.

Cast: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kamel Youssef, Nour el Husseini, Cedra Izam
Director: Nadine Labaki
Writer: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Georges Khabbaz, Michelle Keserwany
Music by Khaled Mouzanar
Cinematography by Christopher Aoun
Film Editing by Konstantin Bock, Laure Gardette