Movie
Review of Movie-Christmas at the Catnip Cafe Starring Erin Cahill and Paul Campbell
The Plot Olivia is a hot shot marketing executive in California. She has her eye on a swanky condo in the city that she can’t quite afford. After touring the home, she gets a letter declaring she is now half owner of a cat cafe in upstate New York.
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
When History Is Exchanged for Hero Worship
There are few subjects that demand greater care from the artist than history. A fictional tale may invent kingdoms, heroes, villains, and calamities without committing any offense beyond the ordinary hazards of poor storytelling. History affords no such liberty. It concerns itself with men and women who lived, suffered, erred, achieved, and whose decisions still cast long shadows across the present day. When a filmmaker undertakes the life of such a figure, he does not merely entertain an audience for two hours. He enters into an unwritten covenant with the public: that invention may serve drama, but it must not bury the essential reality of the subject. That obligation becomes especially grave when the subject is that of George Washington.
By Jacob Herr3 months ago in Critique
Review of Movie- Christmas Above the Clouds Starring Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes
The Plot You could call Ella (Erin Krakow) a bad boss…Even a Scrooge, because that is what she is! The opening scene finds this travel company owner admonishing her staff on Christmas Eve. Ella insists that her entire staff should work through the festivities, simply because she is. No party or bonus this year!
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
Review of Movie-A Season to Blossom Starring Emily Tennant and Carlo Marks
The Plot You might call Elise (Emily Tennant) a drifter. She can’t seem to stay in one place. The opening scene has her working a temp job at a finance company in Chicago. The manager is so smitten, when it is time to leave, he offers her a permanent position.
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
Why I Hate Being A Critic, or Why "Dark City" Sucks
One of the major problems with being a critic of any medium is the “cool yet problematic” piece. That is, that piece of art that has a lot of things going for it, but also has some pretty serious flaws. This can be a novel that has too much filler, a comic that ignores its own continuity, or even a painting where too much orange was used. The key is that the piece was otherwise a pretty awesome piece, but one or more elements ruin the whole thing.
By Jamais Jochim3 months ago in Critique
Review of Movie-A Castle of Our Own Starring Erica Cerra and Brennan Elliott
The Plot This movie was actually filmed in Victoria, British Columbia, but the fictional town is called Cannon Cove. Single mom Marley (Erica Cerra), an architect, arrived at her beach rental to spend quality time with daughter Lily (Sarah Sheehan.)
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
Inside Michael: When Artistic Vision Becomes Leadership
Recently, I went to see the film Michael with my girlfriend as a surprise — she has always been a devoted admirer of Michael Jackson. What I expected to be a simple cinema outing turned into something more reflective. To me, the film is not just a portrait of a global icon, it is an attempt to understand how artistic vision, when pushed to its limits, becomes a form of leadership. From the beginning, it reframes Jackson not only as a performer, but as a creative force driven by discipline, imagination and absolute control over detail. Fame is present but secondary. What matters is the architecture behind it. Imagination as foundation One of the most revealing aspects of the film is how it traces Jackson’s artistic identity through his influences. We see his fascination with Peter Pan, a symbol of eternal childhood and creative freedom. We also see his admiration for Charlie Chaplin, whose silent performances proved that emotion can exist without language. To me, these references are not decorative. They function like a blueprint for his artistic universe. The film suggests that Jackson’s creativity was never confined to music alone, it was built across disciplines: cinema, dance, theatre and visual storytelling. Leadership without hierarchy The film offers a different definition of leadership — one that has little to do with management or authority. Jackson leads through intensity, giving him a strong presence and an uncompromising demand for precision. During rehearsals, nothing is casual — everything is refined, repeated and reshaped until it reaches a very specific emotional and physical standard. This method produces excellence that reveals a world where “good enough” does not exist. The film also dismantles a common illusion — that genius is effortless. What we see instead is repetition, discipline, exhaustion, and constant self-correction. The discipline behind perfection Behind the spectacle, the film exposes what the audience never sees. Every movement, every transition and every sound is the result of countless adjustments. What appears spontaneous on stage is, in reality, the product of extreme preparation. This is where Jackson’s leadership becomes cultural rather than organizational. He does not simply guide a team — he raises the standard of an entire creative ecosystem around him. But the film does not ignore the cost. There is pressure in always being the reference point. There is weight in never being allowed to fall below your own legend. A fragile force What lingers most is the contrast between control and sensitivity. Jackson is portrayed as deeply emotional, sometimes vulnerable. Yet this fragility is not presented as weakness — it feels like the source of his artistic intensity. The film suggests that his creativity emerges precisely from this sensitivity: the ability to feel too much and to translate that excess into structured expression. This leaves us as the audience with an understanding at the center of his identity. — His discipline is shaped by emotion and shows his control born from vulnerability. In the end, Michael does more than revisit the legacy of Michael Jackson. It reframes him as a study in artistic leadership — one defined not by authority but by vision, obsession and the relentless pursuit of perfection. And it raises a quiet question: how far can creative leadership go before it becomes a burden as much as a gift?
By Baptiste Monnet3 months ago in Critique
Review of the Movie-A Little Park Music Starring Laci Mailey and Beau Mirchoff
The Plot City manager Allie (Laci Mailey) is all business. She is dead set on getting a fountain installed where a gazebo now sits. In the opening scene you see her walking breezily by all the town merchants and greeting them with both warmth and a no-nonsense attitude.
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
Review of Movie-Texas Two Step Starring Heather Hemmens and Brendan Penny
The Plot Olivia (Heather Hemmens) is taking a break from her job as a photography assistant when she decides to visit her aunt Ruby (BJ Harrison) who owns a country western bar in Texas. Aunt Ruby won’t admit she is having trouble maintaining the bar…Both physically and financially.
By Marie Dubuque3 months ago in Critique
