Category: Reviews

‘Concrete Utopia’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Concrete Utopia is a thrilling dystopian drama that observes the complexities of class warfare and those who aim to manipulate it.

Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

8/10

South Korea is a country whose cinema has been steadily delivering some of the best films of the last couple of years. Who can forget the iconic moment hearing Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite announced as the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards? Last year we saw the release of Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave which made my best of 2023 list. As always I make it a mission to watch as many submissions for the Best International Feature Film category at next year’s Oscars Ceremony. Well, that’s where Concrete Utopia stumbled upon my radar and instantly its premise reeled my curiosity in. The film is a well crafted dystopian drama that examines the relationship between social classes as they are put against each other after a devastating earthquake destroys their city.

Concrete Utopia is directed by Tae-hwa Eom (Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned) and written by Tae-hwa and Lee Shin-ji. The film stars Park Seo-joon (Parasite), Lee Byung-hun (Joint Security Area, I Saw the Devil, Squid Game), Park Bo-young (The Silenced), Kim Sun-young (Broker), and Park Ji-hu (House of Hummingbird). The film is being distributed worldwide by Lotte Entertainment and is currently undergoing a theatrical release in the United States. The film made its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and made its premiere in the US at the Chicago International Film Festival.

I will admit that Concrete Utopia starts off slow and with its 130 minute runtime it feels a lot longer than it should. Yet, I found myself completely engaged in the film as we navigate this dystopia our characters are bound to. We primarily follow Min-sung (Park Seo-joon) and Myung-hwa (Park Bo-young), a couple who live in an apartment complex where after a devastating earthquake is the hotspot for shelter. When the people of the complex select Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun) to be their delegate they begin to keep “outsiders” out of the complex. Yeong-tak is not the person he seems at first and thus begins this journey of manipulation, classism, and loyalty in the midst of a harsh winter claiming innocent lives without anywhere to sleep or eat.

The cast and crew of Concrete Utopia are the strongest aspects of the film. The film’s visual effects are not perfect but are polished enough to create the necessary atmosphere of this dystopia. Tae-hwa Eom and Lee Shin-ji’s writing is so cleverly crafted with some intense scenes. I couldn’t help but feel that what holds this film from being great is its pacing and if the film was edited down a bit there would be a great film in here. That’s not to say that what we have isn’t good. I thought that the second half of the film is riveting and takes you through so many twists and turns that you’re anxiously awaiting the conclusion of Concrete Utopia. The film’s ending leaves you with a look into what the other side of this conflict thinks of those in the complex. It’s a reminder that we’re not different at all. We are fed information about others but it is up to us to help each other. We are humans after all and we need each other to survive. Though I am not completely in love with this film, I still recommend you all watch it at your local cinema if it’s playing. I hope to see this get some love in the category at next year’s Oscars or at least make the shortlist.

HCAF23: ‘The Herricanes’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Festival Coverage, Reviews

Olivia Kuan’s The Herricanes is a brilliant documentary on the first Houston full tackle women’s football league.

Courtesy of FunMeter

8/10

There’s nothing that’s more loved in the state of Texas than American football. You see some of the stadiums that these high schools and would think that they are playing in the NFL. I mean American football is huge, it’s almost a religion that Texans follow to their coffin. I have committed one of the deadliest acts in this state and choose not to root for any of the Texas teams in the NFL (though I hope the Houston Texans always have a great season because I live in H Town). I’m a New York Giants fan which means I’ve been depressed since our last Super Bowl win in 2012. Yet, I have my team I root for but I don’t really follow the sport religiously like everyone else in this state does. Nonetheless, this documentary caught my eye because it may be about football but this is about the first Houston tackle football women’s team known as the Houston Herricanes. I didn’t know anything about this team but after watching this documentary I found a new love for the resiliency of these ladies. It’s hard to not admire the awe-inspiring spirit of these women on and off the football field.

Before the Houston Energy, the Houston Herricanes were the first tackle football league in the city of Houston, Texas. The documentary does a great job of detailing the beginning of the team’s journey. The film’s director Olivia Kuan uses a lot of archival footage to her advantage by displaying past games and pictures of the team. She is also the daughter of one of the past players of the team. Now, the film isn’t a straight up recounting of the history of this legendary team. The documentary intertwines the fight for Title IX as a way of showcasing just how big of a deal an all tackle football team/league was.

Olivia Kuan’s documentary works well and it helped a lot that I was surrounded by passionate Houston Herricanes’ fans. The film has a way of blending the past with the present that feels so seamless. You never really feel a hindrance on the runtime that makes the pace feel too slow or too fast. Some aspects of the film can feel a bit redundant, but what always brings you back is the team of the Houston Herricanes. Each person who was involved in the team shines brightly with their own charm. Throughout the film, their tenacity and dedication not just to the team but each other is shown through their words. I loved the reunion scene, you could tell that each and every one of them was so happy to see each other. You may not know it at the time, but at that reunion it solidifies that these ladies were part of something larger than themselves.

Even though the Houston Herricanes didn’t last long enough their legacy is felt in the world of sports. Olivia Kuan’s film is a highlight of sports documentaries and aims the spotlight at this very important part of not just the world of sports but the fight for gender equality. Make sure to watch The Herricanes when it eventually makes its way out to a cinema or screen near you.

HCAF23: ‘Family Portrait’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Festival Coverage, Reviews

Lucy Kerr’s Family Portrait is a meditative and imaginative look at the cracks within the foundation of a family gathering to take a family picture.

Courtesy of Conjuring Productions

9/10

I’ve had a lot of films that have resonated deeply with me this year. Films like Killers of the Flower Moon shook me to my core, Oppenheimer’s grand display of the troubles inside our protagonist’s head surprised me, but none of them as much as the feeling I got from Lucy Kerr’s Family Portrait. I walked out of this film with a sense of familiarity with the story of the picture. I could not shake off the feeling that I was shown something too intimate that I did not have the right to view. It almost felt like spying on the home of a family as it starts to crumble apart and you don’t have any choice but to keep looking. Movies like this are hard to come by and when they do it’s a delight to be able to witness their magic before it reaches the whole world. This was one of the last films I watched at the festival, and after having a conversation with the director I knew that this would be one of my favorite films of the year.

Family Portrait is directed by Lucy Kerr and written by Kerr and Karlis Bergs. The film stars Deragh Campbell (Possessor) who plays Katy whose boyfriend Olek played by Chris Galust (Give Me Liberty) is supposed to take a family picture at their lake house. That’s a pretty simple premise, right? Well, as the family is trying to get this picture situated the family’s matriarch goes missing. While everyone seems to be off in their own world, Katy sets off on a surrealistic journey to find her mother. The film was shot by Lidia Nikonova and edited by Karlis Bergs. I also have to shout out the sound team composed of Nikolay Antonov and Andrew Siedenburgh.

I could talk for ages about the beautiful cinematography of Family Portrait, its invasive sound design that shakes you to the depths of your skin, and the pensive body language from our lead Deragh Campbell. Yet, none of that comes close to the feeling of watching this movie progress and fly by its almost 80-minute runtime. The film’s meditative pace reminded me of the patience found within Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (a film that changed my life after watching it and the director echoed this same statement) but with the technical language of Ingmar Bergman. Lucy Kerr took a lot of inspiration from Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel’s La Cienaga along with Hungarian director Bella Tarr’s Sátántangó. Kerr loves her long takes and continuously shifts the viewer’s focus as opposed to the camera’s focus on the multiple members of the family. Some aren’t as concerned as Katy and that begins to stress her out. I sat there just dumbfounded that no one cared enough to search for their mother/aunt/wife with Katy. Yet, is that not the point of this film?


I wonder if Lucy Kerr’s answer to her thematic question is that we must venture outside of what we know to fix what’s broken inside? Are we only spectators to the dysfunctional nature of our family especially as the pandemic raged on and a lot of us were forced to stay home pondering these very questions. This is one of those occasions where I think it’s fine that the film doesn’t answer everything. Lucy Kerr wants the audience to continue to feel her narrative and the conversation surrounding this surrealist dreamscape. Make it a mission to watch Family Portrait whenever it’s playing at a cinema near you.

HCAF23: ‘Going Varsity in Mariachi’ Review

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Festival Coverage, Reviews

Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn’s Going Varsity in Mariachi is a masterful look into the world of UIL Mariachi competitions.

Courtesy of Osmosis Films

9/10

As I’ve stated before, I was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas on the border by the sea located in The Valley. No, I do not mean those in California but the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas where the humidity is a method of torture, you can find the best Mexican food that’s not in Mexico, and where ranchero music is a staple of our culture. When I heard about Going Varsity in Mariachi I was very aware of its subject matter. My high school did not have this program since it was a charter school but all the schools in BISD had their own estudiantina program. When I was in elementary school some of those schools actually came to perform for us. It’s a big part of the culture back home so to see it highlighted in this documentary easily shot it up on my list of most anticipated titles at the 15th annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

Going Varsity in Mariachi is directed by the duo behind Folk Frontera, Sam Osborn and Alejandra Vasquez. I had the pleasure of watching their short film Folk Frontera at last year’s Houston Cinema Arts Festival as part of the Borders No Borders short film program. The film is shot by Michael Crommet and edited by Daniela I. Quiroz. The film follows the students in the “Mariachi Oro” (Mariachi Gold) from Edinburg North High School. Some of the students are there because of their passion for the music and some are there for the hell of it. By the end of the film you’ve followed their journey to the top of these competitions and as these students grow a deep appreciation for musica ranchera.

It’s almost impossible for me to gather enough words to describe what I love so much about Going Varsity in Mariachi. Its visual language sets it apart from other documentaries I’ve seen. The frames are always well-composed and colored to bring out the bright colors of the Rio Grande Valley. There are many heartfelt moments within the film from students failing to follow rules, watching students as they get ready for their proms, and of course, the grand moment of watching Mariachi Oro reach second place. The journey is rough for these students but throughout the documentary, they never lose sight of what they want. It’s all powered by their coach, Abel Acuña. Mr. Acuña’s guidance sometimes feels like tough love but it’s always for the best of his students. He reiterates time and time again that there isn’t a “plan b” for them as they’re not a well-funded program. These students need to make the best out of what they have and the film shows that they do.

Going Varsity in Mariachi will go down as one of the best films of the year and as of right now my favorite documentary of the year. I felt all of its warmth as it reminded me of home. At times, I also felt the devastation these students felt knowing they failed. It all makes up for a marvelous third act where it all culminates for them. Make sure to watch Going Varsity in Mariachi when it is released in a cinema near you.

Slamdance 2023 Short Films Reviews

Posted on by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Festival Coverage, Reviews

One of the best parts of film festivals is the short films selected! These are five reviews of several short films I was able to catch at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival.

Mela, directed by Kristian Mercado

7/10

Mela is the first film I watched at this year’s edition of the Slamdance Film Festival. I was honored to interview the film’s director Kristian Mercado for The Nerd Corps’ YouTube channel. Mela is an enticing short film from Mercado that gauges your attention as it works around its gripping story. In Mela, we follow a single mother who has aspirations to become a famous reggaeton dancer but must navigate her responsibilities of being a mother in the process. The film includes the insanely talented Mela Murder (The Florida Project). I fell in love with the thematic discussion of the difficulties of raising a human being and chasing your dreams. Kristian Mercado’s visual language within Mela is also easy to drool over as the neon paradise provides an enigmatic dreamscape. The film moves a bit too fast at times and I wish we had the time to slow down. I feel as if slowing down would help consume the situation at hand better. Yet, even with these minor flaws the short film still manages to captivate the audience. You will be able to find something to love from the music, cinematography, performances or the overall story of Mela.

Safe as Houses, directed by Mia Mullarkey

6/10

Mia Mullarkey’s Safe as Houses is a solid film filled with heart and heartbreak. The film is centered around a woman with down syndrome who befriends a little girl who has been having trouble as of late at home. As a troubled home starts to get revealed the friendship grows between Aggie and Lucy. Sadly, the neighborhood isn’t as open and accepting as Aggie, so things go south and the true colors of Aggie’s neighbors are shown. I found myself enjoying Safe as Houses but I could not get behind the pacing of the film. As much as the story is exciting and sticks, the flow of the story holds it back from being great. Mullarkey also chooses a great location to film as it really creates the atmosphere of a small tight-knit community. It’s essential to have that feeling especially when we reach our conclusion as it is juxtaposed with the lack of respect for their fellow neighbor, Aggie. You don’t see a lot of films with disabled actors in the mainstream. That is why Safe as Houses, even if it has its flaws is far more critical than what is holding it back. I loved the underlying themes of not being judgmental and providing a safe environment for everyone.  I definitely cannot wait to see what else Mia Mullarkey has to offer.

Lollygag, directed by Tij D’oyen

7/10

If you know me you know that the erotic is something that interests me a lot. Now, Tij D’oyen’s short film Lollygag is not a complete work of the erotic. The story does revolve around a voyeur who stares out the window at her next-door neighbor during a summer in her childhood. For a ten-minute short film, Lollygag wastes no time captivating its audience with various aspects. The pastel cinematography by Matthew Roveto was the first thing that grabbed my attention. You don’t move past this one location of a backyard but that’s not a limitation for Tij D’oyen’s storytelling as it provides an enticing backdrop for the movie’s events to unfold. The soft yet disturbing narration by Alex Sarrigeorgiou manages to keep you afloat while also getting under your skin. A mix of tight shots and natural lighting creates an atmosphere that is difficult to look away from. Tij D’oyen uses all of this to explore queer identity and voyeurism. The pace is really slow, especially for a ten-minute film, but that’s only a minor gripe about such a delightful watch. I never found myself looking away or losing interest in the narrative. I would love to see what else this promising director has to offer.

Mahogany Drive, directed by Jerah Milligan

7/10

Jerah Milligan’s Mahogany Drive is an expertly written short with topical discussions on race and the patriarchy. Milligan manages to include some genuinely humorous bits that remind me a lot of last year’s Sundance hit, Emergency. Jonathan Braylock, James III, and Jerah Milligan have some marvelous chemistry together as they try to uncover why the house they are staying in is killing white women. The tension is high in the film and Milligan manages to direct this swiftly and with ease. The film’s practical effects elevate the horror approach and never feel distracting from the overt comedic approach to the film. I genuinely enjoyed the film and felt that it was a unique approach to discussing the difficult conversations surrounding race relations. While it’s not the most stylized film since its cinematography is a very naturalistic approach it still has its attention-grabbing moments. Mahogany Drive makes the most of its thirteen-minute runtime as it never feels like it drags on or is rushing to its end. By the end of the film, I was laughing and enjoying my time with our characters. If you get the chance to watch this eventually I can promise that Jerah Milligan’s Mahogany Drive will not disappoint. Who knows maybe this can be made into a feature-length film. I know that I would love to see this idea be expanded upon!

The Sidewalk Artist, directed by Brandon Rivera and David Velez

7.5/10

Art will always be subjective and as much as it continues to be gatekeeper by those at the top of the art world, you’d be surprised at the amount of art found in your everyday life. The Sidewalk Artist is a testament to that statement. We’ve all seen cement before, and for those who have it in their properties, you know that it is pretty much well known to dip your hands in and leave your prints in it. David Velez and Brandon Rivera’s mockumentary slice of life is a tender exploration of genuine happiness. Manuel Portillo finds a way into the heart of the audience through the such beautifully patient direction. It’s always assumed that children are the ones who create such designs on sidewalks. Yet, Velez and Rivera remind us that art like this is therapeutic and is used to remember key moments in life. I appreciated the approach and fell in love with the film until it wrapped up. I hope these two continue to find success in their careers as storytellers. Congratulations to them are in order as The Sidewalk Artist won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance for the film.