am2star

"Rice" is an immersive story told in an almost magical way. It starts out with a soldier in the Falkland Islands War performing a merciful act, and the resulting punishment he receives. He meets a young woman who starts to help him heal from the wounds that he suffered. You will not see a movie like this anytime soon. Writer-Director Alex Vargas has crafted a movie so visually distinct and exact, that watching it is fascinating even if it didn't have a story. As the movie progresses, both lead characters move toward their ultimate conclusion, with a resolution that is as real and grounded as the imagery is poetic. This is an art film that really earns the term art.

This movie was screened at the Kansas International Film Festival (KIFF-2018). It is the story of a young medical student that is assigned to care for the Syrian ambassador who was badly beaten while on assignment. There is a mystery as to why the ambassador starts refusing treatment. As the student tries to help motivate the ambassador to accept treatment, he starts finding questionable details with all that are involved. This is a very good mystery-thriller. All of the actors are cast perfectly for their roles. While Vivica A. Fox is probably the best known of the cast, Missi Pyle and Natalia Nogulich both show why they keep showing up in movies and television. While all three are pitch perfect, Nogulich has one of the best roles that she delivers on. Writer-Director George Loomis (Jones) has written a movie that presents "professional people being professional," which gives a realism to the situation that is believable and only aids the story. These are the people that you see in real hospitals, in a story that makes sense.

This played at the Kansas International Film Festival (KIFF-2018). While on the surface it looks like "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series, it is completely separate. The story involves a young woman who starts seeking answers from the partner of he cop father, who was killed years ago. As she seeks answers, they both start bringing out emotions about the crime in each other. This movie looks good and the characters are believable and not a cliche or stereotype. What happens always makes sense, without telegraphing the next scene. It is well acted and equally well written.