LION

I don’t know about you, but one of my greatest fears growing up is that I would somehow become separated from my parents and never see them again.

As a little girl in Hawaiit, on a typical grocery day, my Mom let go of my hand to grab something off a shelf.  By the time she turned around to put it in the cart I was gone.  As my parents frantically searched throughout the store, my Dad saw a woman in the parking lot with me in tow heading toward her car.

I don’t have to tell you,  My Daddy lost his mind.  He proceeded to verbally go off on this woman, snatched me away from her and headed back inside the store.  Needless to say, my parents were mortified that at the blink  of an eye I was almost never to be seen or heard from again.

Little did I know on the other side of the world, Saroo (Dev Patel), out on a night excursion with his brother Guduu (Abhishek Bharate), becomes separated and spends more than 22 years away from his family before reconnecting.

In Lion, five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) gets lost on a train traveling away from his home and family ending up thousands of miles away, in chaotic Kolkata, India. Somehow he survives living on the streets before ending up in an orphanage that’s not exactly a safe haven. Adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham), Saroo finds love and security growing up in Hobart. As an adult,  his emotional need and hope of ever finding his lost mother and brother are becoming nearly flashback memories. But, a chance meeting with some fellow Indians reawakens his buried yearning. Armed with only a handful of memories and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, Saroo sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home in India.

As if I weren’t already a fan of Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, his performance in “Lion” has made me a “superfan”.  It’s always a thin line when one  portray’s a character based on a real person that is still living and breathing!  I can tell you that Patel is crushing his performance so hard you forget he’s sharing a screen with Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman.  We will most certainly be hearing alot from him this awards season.

Kudos to Garth Davis for keeping the Indian culture authentic by using actors from this country to communicate this amazing story. At the Q&A following the AFI Film Festival Screening, a few little known facts were revealed by Saroo and Nicole Kidman. First, the actor that plays Young Saroo doesn’t speak English…at all, which is unbelievable.  This kid (Sunny Pawar) is adorable and absolutely astonishing.  The depths of emotion and vulnerability he displays hasn’t been seen since such child actors like Dakota Fanning and Haley Joel Osment.

Saroo was misprouncing the name of his town, which resulted in his not being found for nearly two years after being separated from his brother, Guduu.  Guduu, by the way, didn’t abadon Saroo, but got hit by a train on his way back to scoop him up.

Watiting in the lobby, I ran into Saroo.  He is such a charming, put-together young man with manners and respect for others that sorely lack in today’s digital age society.

Lion is the type of film that proves one truly has to pay attention to those “gut feelings”  we so often ignore and that as Lin Manuel Miranda says “Love is Love Is Love”.  It will make your heart swell and give you faith back in humanity.

Lion can be seen nationwide by The Weinstein Company TODAY.

MOANA→

Disney is on a roll for 2016!!  Disney Animated Studios has bragging rights to Frozen (the highest grossest animated film of all time),  Zootopia in the #2 spot and Moana is well on its way to melting Frozens's record.

Moana (Auli‘i Cravalho) tells the story of a young Hawaiian girl who is searching for a demigod (Maui played by Dwayne Johnson), who once he is found, the two embark upon a journey to save her island and her people from impending destruction. Auli'l's voice is absolutely amazing and "The Rock" surprised me with his vocal prowess on "Your Welcome".

It was so nice to see Disney add another ethnic Princess to their stable twice in one year (Elena from Avalor was introduced to the Disney Channel earlier).  The photography is absolutely stunning and so life-like that one forgets that you are watching an animated feature.

The diverse and dynamic team behind the film’s inspired music includes Tony®- and Grammy®-winning lyricist/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who’s behind Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning “Hamilton” and the Tony-winning “In the Heights,” and is a 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient. Three-time Grammy®-winning composer Mark Mancina created memorable scores for films like “Speed,” “Tarzan” and the Oscar®-winning “Training Day,” and also co-wrote songs, produced and arranged the score for Broadway’s musical production of “The Lion King.” Opetaia Foa‘i, the founder and lead singer of Te Vaka, is a winner of numerous world music awards, including the Senior Pacific Artist award for his contribution to Pacific music. Miranda is well on his way to becoming an EGOT  (Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony) member before the end of 2017!!!

Click HERE for how the cast and crew felt about working with WATER

Kudos Disney  and directors Ron Clements & John Musker for really working it out on the diversity front for 2016!  Of course, this shouldn't be a surprise since this same team brought us Princess & The Frog and Aladdin.  We won't have to guess who all the little girls will want to be for Halloween 2017...lol.

Of course, No Disney film would be complete wthout villains (the Coconuts) and the loyal best friend (The Rooster and the Baby Pig).  Of course, my favorite was Grandma Tala (Rachel House).  She is sugar and spice with everything naughty and nice:).

Moana is a great film for the adults and the kiddies and an even greater flick to check out during the holiday season!!!

If you are not convinced...maybe these clips will convince you to run to the theatre NOW!

Click HERE for MOANA Trailer

DON'T LOOK DOWN

I have to admit, didn't know much about Richard Branson other than the fact he owned Virgin America Airlines or how he came to acquire that except for an interview I saw on The Oprah Show some years back.  Neither did I recognize he was  the dude who signed major rock stars ranging from the Sex Pistols to the Rolling Stones, making Virgin Records the biggest independent labels in the world.  To date, there are more than 100 Virgin companies worldwide, employing approximately 60,000 people in over 50 countries.  Can you say over-acheiver...lol??

After screening Don't Look Down, I surmised Richard Branson is fascinating.  He's a ridiculously rich man, who wants nothing more than to be an explorer and get credit for those accomplishments.  To say that he is a daredevil or one who takes great risks is an understatement.

Were his thrilling desires really work the risks?  Branson has challenged himself with many record-breaking adventures, including the fastest ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, series of hot air balloon adventures and kite surfing across the English Channel.

Daniel Gordon’s documentary Don’t Look Down, which screened at Tribeca,  centered on Branson’s daredevil balloon flights across the Atlantic and the Pacific.  In regards to the Atlantic trip, Branson says, “Six tried before us. Five had died,” and what “could go wrong, went wrong on that flight.”

Don't Look Down will give you a bird's-eye view of this dramatic untold story straight from his collaborators, family, never seen archival footage from inside the hot air balloon capsule and the most intimate thoughts on all of this from Branson himself.

The capsule footage is fascinating, as you learn that although being in a hot air balloon may look like a beautiful and etherial it made me personally never want to attempt that adventure ever in life!

What is even more fascinating is the fact that his collaborators on this adventure Don Cameron has a heart of gold and nerves of steel, which made him the perfect dude to be thousands of feet in the air with Richard Branson.

“We shouldn’t be here to tell the tale, but it tells for a gripping film,” says Branson. Submarine Entertainment is handling both U.S. and foreign sales for Don’t Look Down.

13th

The 13th Amendment.  What do we really know about it other than it was part of the constitution that kicked slavery to the curb.  It declared that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime  whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Leave it to director Ava Duvernay to break it all the way down to make a case out of the fact that slavery hasn't really been abolished.  In fact, it's actually evolved into our current system of mass incarceration.  A system,  in which many prisons are run by major corporations (Walmart and Victoria's Secret)  for profit.  Prisoners  are paid a pittance for their labor. Twelve cents an hours to be exact.

In a year that has seen a black life murdered or jailed at a rapid rate, a movement incited by people of all races speaking out on the injustices called #BlackLivesMatter and year in film that began with the hashtag #oscarssowhite, 13th brings to the forefront a much need conversation about mass incarceration of people of color.

From Jim Crow laws to Nixon's "war on drugs" to Bill Clinton's "three strikes" legislation, mass incarceration is a real issue and one that sorely needs investigating and discussing.  In 1970, there were 200,000 prisoners and today the numbers are staggering toward more than 2 million.  Did you know that while the America has more than just 5% of the world's population, we have more than 25% of the world's population in prisoners?  It is a proven fact that one in three prisoners are black men and more than 60% of the people in the prison system are people of color.

Interviewing scholars and activists ranging from Angela Davis to rapper/Oscar winner Common, the film trots out images of lynchings, cellphone videos of police abuse and footage from the  1815 D.W. Griffith film "The Birth of a Nation".  That film alone glorified the Klu Klux Klan and was screened with pride at the White House for then President Woodrow Wilson. I know ...right??!!

13th couldn't  be more timely in an election year where we have candidates speaking of building walls, politicians pushing for criminal justice reform and reducing the prison population - particularly of non-violent offenders.  As if Hillary Clinton doesn't have enough on her plate with those damn emails, the film openly criticizes Bill and Hillary for supporting the 1990's crime bill that has led to a massive increase of the prison population today.  A bill in which those both now realize was a fatally flawed mistake for our country.

A pivotal, yet chilling moment for me was some footage of a recent Trump rally - where angry white people with black protestors are shown against archival clips of civil rights protestors.  All the while listening to Donald Trump say, "In the good old days...they would be carried out on stretchers."

I'm not gonna lie.  Watching these types of projects makes me feel some kind of way. Mostly angry, hurt and left with a massive desire to make difference.  Obviously, there is strength in numbers.  Each one teach and tell one.  So, today I have taught you more than you probably wanted to know about the 13th amendment through the lens of brilliant director Ava Duvernay.  The rest is literally up to you to keep the conversation going until a change is made.

13th can be streamed NOW via Netflix.

Click HERE for 13th Trailer

LOVING

Three  years ago,  a Cheerios commercial featuring a mixed race couple and their daughter aired nationwide.  What the ad agency, the actors nor Proctor & Gamble could have never predicted was the outlandish response.

Thousands of consumers flooded P&G with complaints over the spot. It single-handedly generated such a strong racist backlash on YouTube that the comments section had to be closed.  The ad had received more than 1,600 likes and more than 500 dislikes.

On the Cheerio's Facebook page many commented that they found the commercial “disgusting” and that it made them “want to vomit.” Other hateful comment expressed shock that a black father would stay with his family.  However, on the flip side, many took to Facebook to express their appreciation for Cheerios’ decision to feature a mixed-race family.

Shocking?  Not really given the current climate in our country.

In 1958, however, it was unlawful to be married and of mixed race.  A fact that Mildred and Richard Loving knew all too well.  It was their Supreme Court case "Loving v. Virginia" that changed the trajectory of mixed race couples forever making it perfectly legal to love and marry anyone of any race you prefer.  Clearly, it took the State of Virginia nearly 10 years to actually live up to its moniker, "Virginia is for Lovers".

Mildred and Richard showed America that love has no color line and that they would do whatever it took to keep their family together.  In spite of being jailed.  In spite of being betrayed.  In spite of fear.  In spite of  hate.  These two "human beings" fought to live the life they wanted on the own terms using the law to make that dream a reality.

Every performance in this film is absolutely extraordinary.  However, Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are giving performances that are simply powerful and heart-wrenching.  They both giving meaning to the phrase "quiet fire" and their chemistry is undeniable.  It takes a lot of technical strength as an actor to effectively convey an emotion or thought with little to no dialogue.  Negga and Edgerton are masterful at it and both deserve to have their work recognized this awards season.

Adam Stone's photography of the Virginian countryside is absolutely breathtaking. Knowing that Martin Scorsese was originally attached peaked my curiosity, as I am a huge fan of  his work with The Age of Innocence.  Though, I must say Jeff Nichols turned out to be a perfect match for this story and its execution.

Based in part on the 2011 Nancy Buirski documentary, "The Loving Story", LOVING is a very moving story that will make you look at life and the human race just a little bit differently. At the end of the day, we all bleed red no matter what our ethnicity is.  LOVING opens in select theatres  on November 4th.

MOONLIGHT

Have you ever seen a coming of age story that emulates Brokeback Mountain in the hood?  Well, that is exactly what the film MOONLIGHT is giving us.

MOONLIGHT absolutely glows while sharing the dysfunctional home life of "Little" in the Miami "War on Drugs" era and his struggle to figure out who he is and what his place is to be as adult in this conflicted world he exists in.

Alex R. Hibbert is exceptionally complex as Little and physically is very reminiscent of a young 50 cent.  However, the other actors that portray "Little" are all so riveting that no matter what scene you are watching, one is riveted by their performances.

Mahershala Ali is having one hell of a year!  Right off of his Recurring role in the Netflix hit, House of Cards, Ali has several features that have been released this year including Free State of Jones with Matthew McConaughey, the indie darling Kicks and now as crack dealer Juan. Ali has truly cornered the market on the bad guy, but in Moonlight he shows that even bad guys have a heart.  His scenes teaching "Little" to swim will warm and break your heart all at once.

mahershala ali in moonlight

In her film debut,  recording artist turned actress Janelle Monae appears very comfortable in front of the lens.  If this performance is any indication of what we are in store for when Hidden Figures is released (along with Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer), she may very well see herself on numerous red carpet leading to some well-deserved Oscar buzz.

janelle-monae in moonlight

Andre' Holland as Little's best friend from childhood, Kevin is sexy,..period.  Holland gives Kevin just the right amount of vulnerability to match Hibbert in some very  touching scenes.  We learn that even the men who pretend to be the hardest dudes out there need love and a gentle touch every once in a while.

Andre holland in moonlight

The one person who your mind can't forget after leaving the theatre is Naomi Harris.  As Little's crack-addicted Mom, Paula, you just want to reach up to the screen and shake some sense into her.  What mother loves that rock more than her own flesh and blood?  One of her most prolific scenes is while she is in rehab expressing her remorse for his upbringing while begging him to get off the streets.  Absolutely...heartbreaking.

naomie harris in moonlight

Moonlight can be seen in a theatre near you as of October 21st.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION

bi

The Birth of a Nation has been the center of controversy from the start.  First there was the confusion with the title for a remake of D.W. Griffiths racist travesty - The Birth of a Nation. I was relieved to discover that absolutely was not the case.

Secondly, there was the historical acquisition from Fox Searchlight at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year for 17.5 million dollars.  Oh yeah, and after  12 Years a Slave, a ROOTS reboot on the History channel and the John Legend produced series Underground numerous people from all walks of life and nationalities were feeling a little "slave fatigue".  Last, but not least, were the released transcripts online from a rape trial involving Director/Producer/Screenwriter and Star of The Birth of a Nation - Nate Parker.

Let's be clear, Parker was tried and acquitted of all charges.  Yet, despite all of the criticism, the studio supported Parker and moved forward with their October 2016 release date.

I'm not gonna lie.  Being a rape survivor and reading the transcripts, I felt some kind of way about the whole situation.  Having said that,  I made a conscious decision to separate the art from the artist.  By his own admission, Parker was "young and dumb" making a mistake that has infinitely colored the lanes of his life and career.

While there are many filmmakers who have been accused of such indiscretions, the most famous ones,  Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin been accused of everything ranging from underage sex to murder.  What I won't do is focus on the artist and HIS indiscretions and focus on his art.  Once again, let me be clear.  I am not saying I am ok with Parker's past actions, but this column is about the film, my thoughts and whether or not I think you should check it out.

Based on a true story, The Birth of a Nation tells the story of the abolitionist slave Nat Turner.  Raised like a slave, but treated nearly equal to the his plantation owners, Turner was taught how to read.  The first book he learned to read was the Bible, which ultimately led to his traveling all over the state of Virginia preaching the gospel.

Like any human being whose patience has been tested and tried time and time again, Turner is fed up and planned a revolt against those who have treated slaves less than human, like property or worse than their most reviled farm animal.

I can tell you now, this film will be the talk of awards season for the reasons I mentioned above, but mostly because this film couldn't be more timely.  During a time in which Americans are dealing with rampant racism, injustice and a clown show for a political race of President of the United States...The Birth of a Nation will make you angry, make you think and make you feel.  It will also make you respect history and prove once again that the more things change the more they stay the same.

There is not one false note or performance and when they start handing out nominations Aja Naomi King should be at the top of the list.  Her simple, heartfelt performance as Cherry will make you grin, cry and have empathy all at once.  If you love her on ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, trust me you have no idea what this doll is capable of and you will very pleasantly surprised.

Armie Hammer is nearly unrecognizable as Sam Turner.  He's definitely conquered much since his days in The Social Network and his performance here is quite a revelation.

Of course, I would be remiss in not mentioning the performance of my friend and former Hart of Dixie castmate Esther Scott as Nana.  Nana is layered with lovely complexity thanks to Esther, who's been around the industry for a minute.  Here's hoping that this film give her the shine she deserves.

The same can be said for my former Huntress castmate Jason Stuart is deliciously despicable as slave master Joseph Randall.

Penelope Ann Miller is absolutely brilliant...that is all!!!  Aunjanue Ellis is an anomaly!  That doll literally can inhabit ANY role and make it spectacular.

It was very interesting to me that a clip I saw of Gabrielle Union at the Los Angeles Film Festival was missing from the final cut.  As matter of fact, her role is basically nonexistent.  No doubt due to all the controversy regarding the rape issue, there were basically no sex scenes seen at all.

The Birth of a Nation is, however, extremely bloody and violent.  After all, it is a slave revolt.  It suffices to say that I spend a good portion of my time with those scenes...eyes closed.

Last, but certainly not least, let's address the filmmaker, director, actor and writer of The Birth of a Nation...Nate Parker.

As a first time director taking on all hats, he does an exceptional and admirable job.  My favorite things were the composition choices used and the choice to execute the passage of time.  Artistically, it was absolutely outstanding.  Parker's acting chops were fantabulously displayed in a scene in which he verbally spars with a clergy member and when he watches a slave who refuses to eat have his teeth excavated with a hammer.  The emotion without dialogue was really so incredible moving.

The Birth of a Nation will make you feel raw emotions and evoke compassion, empathy and sympathy for all of its characters.  Most of all, it will  make you want to do something.  Anything, to ensure that this chapter of history is never, ever again to be repeated.  Here's hoping the millennial 'birth of a nation' includes more love, understanding and communication amongst all individuals around the world.

Fox Searchlight will release The Birth of a Nation nationwide on October 7th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i18z1EQCoyg

SNOWDEN

Spy. Genius. Hacker. Traitor are just a few of the names associated with former NSA computer specialist Edward Snowden.

At 29 years old, Snowden released NSA and FISA files stolen from their database and caused a global panic.  The judgements against him were harsh at best and even worse for his girlfriend Lindsay Mills.

So unless you have been under a rock, let me break this down for you.  Edward Snowden was a young soldier when a debilitating leg injury forced him into a medical discharge.  Enter the CIA.  Snowden was sought out, trained and eventually placed in Quantico  as a recruit.  Ultimately, not being pleased with the method in which our government was violating rights spelled out in our Constitution to  justify "spying" via  cell phones, computers and virtually anything containing a digital footprint, he blew the whistle setting off one of the biggest scandals in US history regarding a simple thing called privacy.

According to Snowden, who was streamed in live from Moscow a few nights ago, "Privacy is about something to protect...Privacy is the right of self...Privacy is the fountainhead of ALL other rights.  Without privacy you don't have anything for yourself.  Saying you don't care about privacy is like saying you don't care about freedom of speech."

Directed by Oliver Stone, who seems to be attracted to political, historical and controversial subject matter, Snowden is approached from a humanistic point of view.  Often times in these types of situations, we forget that at the end of the day, the accused, the ridiculed and outcast are still human beings with relationships.  It is the adversity of these relationships, as well as, the cost of holding secrets that Stone spells out for the audience through the brilliant performances of Joseph Gordon Levitt and Shailene Woodley.

Levitt really put it all on the line for this one...literally.  He traveled to Moscow to visit and study Ed Snowden and it paid off.  Under the radar and often overlooked, this former television child actor is giving  a performance that is so nuanced that you forget he's acting and believe you are watching the real deal.  As I said many times when speaking about performances, it is the dialogue not spoken that is intriguing and interesting to watch.  Joseph Gordon Levitt is mesmerizing, believable and dead-on.  I thought he was great in "The Walk", but that performance pales in comparison to Snowden.

Seen as the star of "Divergent" film franchise, Shailene Woodley is really pulling it all the way down for Lindsay. Her subtle and passion filled performance is marvelous to behold.  She embraces Lindsay with every fiber of her being  making her empathetic, sympathetic and a free-spirited woman whose strength is beyond measure when it comes to loving and being loved.

The real Ed Snowden even dropped this little kernel about an app called Signal, which uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for EVERY message EVERY time.  It uses your existing phone number and address book.  There are no separate logins, usernames, passwords or PIN's to manage or lose.

Yes, Ed Snowden broke the law.  Yes, he is a fugitive. Yes, he is ridiculously brilliant and Yes, he believes that one's privacy is a right not a privilege.

My jaw dropped open more times than I care to remember during the course of this film.  Mostly due to major education received by the Ed Snowden portrayed onscreen and the real Snowden streaming live.

Trust me, this one is well worth the price...Snowden opens nationwide TODAY!

https://youtu.be/X41bfQa7xFQ

KICKS

The obsession over sneakers in a documentary Sneakheadz and getting the latest "kicks by any means necessary is real.  Many kids have been killed, beat up even harassed over the type of sneakers they are wearing. With a debut earlier this year at the Tribeca and LA Film Festivals, KICKS takes it to a whole new level, by putting this controversial subject to a narrative centered around three urban teens.  When one of them is jacked for his Jordans, he and his friends find themselves on a journey to recover the shoes, but not without consequences and repercussions.

Fifteen-year-old Brandon longs for a pair of the freshest sneakers that money can buy and assumes that having them on his feet will help him escape the reality of being poor, neglected by the opposite sex and picked on by everyone -- even his best friends.

Working hard to get them, he soon finds that these shoes have made him a target after they are snatched by local hood, Flaco.  Flaco has his own issues  that will are revealed when Brandon goes on a mission to retrieve his stolen sneakers with his two best friends in tow.

Produced by the same team that brought us Morris from America, boasting an amazing soundtrack of both hip-hop classics and Bay Area favorites, Kicks creates an authentic and original portrait of a young man drowning in the expectations of being grown and standing his ground for what he believes.

With an impressive screen debut, Jahking Guillory is perfection as Brandon.  Mahershala Ali is having a great year and his portrayal of Flaco is chilling, yet compassionate as a gang-banger Dad with a heart.

Kicks is  a modern-day Boyz in the Hood Air Jordans as the centerpiece.  I could have done without some of the more graphic scenes, but guess they seemed necessary in order to give this film authenticity around its storyline..

As a first time director/screenwriter, Justin Tipping does an admirable job in creating a magical urban tale about friendship, honor and life in Oakland.

Kicks rolls into a theatre near you on September 9th by Focus films.

The Hollars

There's always one family member who is the glue of the brood.  Without their presence, the family would fall apart.  For me that person was Mama Cleo.  She always brought the family together during the good, the bad and the ugly.  When she passed, the family would become distant and go on with their separate ways as if she were never here. Shot in Jackson, MS, in 22 days, The Hollars centers on a man returning to his hometown after his Mom is diagnosed with a brain tumor and scheduled for surgery. Originally screened earlier this year at the Sundance and Los Angeles Film Festivals, The Hollars will strike a chord for anyone that has a wacky, dysfunctional entertaining family.  I think that pretty much includes anyone reading this review.

Actor John Krasinski, puts on his director and producer hat and ensembles one of the best cast...ever.  Mostly known for comedy, the cast includes Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendricks and the irrepressible Margo Martingale are flipping the script and displaying their drama chops.  Every last one of them are bringing their A-game!!!

This is one of the best films I've seen in 2016! Although it is little reminiscent of Boyhood in terms of a family theme, it will make you all warm and fuzzy inside and break your heart all at the same time.

Margo Martingale will finally get that Oscar nomination that has eluded her for years.  Largely known for her stellar work on hundreds of television shows, Margo is giving the performance of a lifetime.  Her crafty recipe of comedy dashed with drama makes her role ring true from moment she appears on-screen.

Richard Jenkins is the best crier I have ever seen!  But seriously, Jenkins' arc of being dependent and then having to deal with the possibility of his wife's demise is just speechless.  He literally took my breath away.

John Krasinski is the anchor of the film in more ways than one and his scenes with Martindale are heartwarmingly delicious.  The heavy comedy lifting was left to Charlie Day and Sharlto Copley.  They are simply hi-larious!!!!  And who knew that Grammy winner Josh Groban was such natural on the silver screen?

If you have to see one film this year, The Hollars is definitely your best bet.  I guarantee you will be hearing more about it come awards season.

The Hollars will be in theatres on Friday, August 26th.

https://youtu.be/a1miyndmxAg

Abortion: Stories Women Tell

Review by Carla Renata for UBNRadio.com and The Curvy Critic.com

As the child of a military family, we traveled for most of my life.  However, in between moves, we always went back "home".  Home for me is St, Louis, Missouri.  Both of my parents were born and raised there.  My relatives on my maternal and paternal side still live there.  I went to the prom, fell in love for the first time, had my first date, learned to drive, got my first job, became a beauty queen and attended my first college...all in the state of Missouri.

My memories are vast and fond of my life there.  However, as magical and warm the memories are that I have growing up in Missouri, I also remember Missouri for being one of the most racist states in the union.  Some residents of the state can be so full of judgement that some of my friends growing up there who were gay knew that "outing" themselves was never an option.  To do so would result in isolation from friends and family and being labeled and attacked,  Being a young, gifted and black was not celebrated.  To the point, that in 2016,  we are still witnessing young men like Michael Brown being harassed, shot and murdered.

Needless to say, when I learned of the documentary Abortion:  Stories Women Tell screening at the Tribeca Film festival around Missouri becoming one of the many states to make abortion illegal, I was not surprised.  I was, however, extremely annoyed.

In 1973 the US Supreme court decision Roe Vs. Wade gave every woman the right to have an abortion. Since 2011, over half the states in the nation have significantly restricted access to abortions. In 2016, abortion remains one of the most divisive issues in America, especially in Missouri, where each year sees more restrictions.

Award winning director and Missouri native Tracy Droz Tragos sheds new light on this controversial  issue, with a focus not on the debate, but rather on the women themselves. Women who are struggling with unplanned pregnancies, the providers who show up at clinics to give medical care, as well as the activists on the sidewalks hoping to save one more child.

Abortion: Stories Women Tell portrays an intimate portrait into the lives of these women through their personal stories, which come to life brilliantly, through the gentle and respectful approach by director Tragos.   Some are heartbreaking and tender, some are bleak and frightening, while others simply inform us of the strength and capacity of young women to overcome and persevere through often-tragic circumstances.  Take a listen to a recent interview I did with Tracy about her doc...

[audio mp3="https://carlarenatascorner.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/tracydrozetragos_abortionstories.mp3"][/audio]

Abortion:  Stories Women Tell also shows us how organizations like Planned Parenthood are being targeted for abortion procedures and allegedly accused  of selling fecal organs for medical testing.  My newly divorced mother (who is also a Registered Nurse) took me to Planned Parenthood as a teen to be educated on birth control and the services provided to young girls like me.  That Planned Parenthood location on Lindell Avenue in St. Louis has been shut down and the nearest location  is two hours away in Columbia, Missouri.

With young girls being sexually active as early as 10 years old, where will those mothers who don't take their daughters to be educated?  Especially now, that sex education has been slowly forced out of the public school system.

I employ each and every one of you reading this to think of all these concerns and facts as your state contemplates making a decision that affects thousands if not millions of American women.

Watch for this powerful doc to show up on HBO, but if you can't wait until then it had its theatrical release August 12th..  You will angered, educated,  but most of all moved to make a difference.

Abortion: Stories Women Tell trailer