David Cross was off coffee because of a stomach ailment when I talked to him on February 5, 2015 just before his film, HITS, kicked of SFIndieFest. Opting for tea, and overcoming his distaste for the bergamot in his Earl Gray, he was a lively conversationalist as we discussed his maiden effort writing and directing a feature film.… Read More »
GARDEN STATE
Only rarely does a film as profound, as rich, and as deeply affecting as GARDEN STATE come along. Even more rarely is it the handiwork of a first-time filmmaker. That would be Zack Braff, known for his role as the philosophically harried intern on the subversively wicked comedy, Scrubs. Braff is Andrew Largeman, a struggling… Read More »
Larysa Kondracki Reveals THE WHISTLEBLOWER
For her first film, Laryisa Kondracki went with her gut and chose a topic that she felt passionately about. THE WHISTLEBLOWER is based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a police officer taking a lucrative contract to be a peacekeeper in Bosnia who discovered unsettling corruption and refused to be scared into silence. The… Read More »
Andrew Jarecki on CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
For a debut film, Andrew Jarecki couldn’t have picked a more controversial or attention-grabbing subject that child sexual abuse. Yet his film dealing with the emotional impact on the family of the accused father and son transcends sensationalism and becomes a consideration on the nature of truth and universality of family life. When I spoke to… Read More »
Zach Braff Visits GARDEN STATE
GARDEN STATE was that most welcome of surprises, an accomplished film whose quirkiness delivered a thoughtful look at modern alienation without glorifying it. Its writer/director/star, Zach Braff, proved to be as thoughtful as his film. Our conversation on July 1, 2004, covered the importance of visual images in conveying a story, the lessons of working with… Read More »
Charles Ferguson, Charles Sees NO END IN SIGHT
Charles Ferguson brought an acadamicians sensibility to NO END IN SIGHT, his film debut, which won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance this year. This is hardly a surprise and neither is his bookish demeanor, considering his degree in political science from MIT, the three books on techonology to his credit, and his time with the… Read More »