FILMS from AFAR

This is a devastating documentary that offers intimate portraits of families in distress and under-resourced, at-risk children. Viewers might wish Sentenced , which promotes individuals getting involved in a literacy program to help children read, offered more by way of solutions at the policy or societal level. That's because the film provides significant statistics to bolster its presentation of the lifelong negative impacts of illiteracy, and the many root causes of kids falling behind in reading at early ages. It will tear your heart out to hear their stories and see how illiteracy, and its accompanying disadvantages, becomes intergenerational. Can't we do more as a society to tackle this injustice? The statistics aren't woven into the narrative in an especially artful or cinematic way, but they are brought to vivid life through the individual portrayals. We see firsthand how childhood trauma, absent parents, and missed school days have led the diverse selection of profiled adults to more difficult lives, from health problems to addiction issues to persistent poverty and unemployment. Even though they themselves are loving parents, their children are already at a disadvantage, like one who must miss school to take his mother to daily methadone treatments. All of the people profiled deserve better, and their stories will stay with you. Full review at Common Sense Media . Image courtesy of Peacock.

The spiritual and life lessons at this film’s heart are not especially nuanced, but The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – director Hettie Macdonald’s ( Normal People ) second feature, based on Rachel Joyce’s script from her own novel – is still a rewarding watch. Keep the Kleenex handy. Veteran actors Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton play aging British couple Harold and Maureen Fry, who have very little left to say to each other and even less to do each day. When Harold receives a note in the mail from an old colleague, Queenie, saying goodbye since she has been moved to hospice, something inside him shifts. Next thing we know, Harold is embarking on an unplanned walk across the British countryside to Queenie’s bedside, some 500 miles away. He’s convinced he might save her life with this walk. When a journalist hears about his story, Harold becomes front-page news and his determination inspires others, who begin following him like acolytes. Continue reading review at AWFJ.org .

Co-directors Lovato and Nicola Marsh bring a surprising amount of depth to their documentary on child actors. Using Lovato's own life story as a narrative thread, Child Star analyzes the potential impact of fame and success on children's lives, including aspects personal, mental, physical, interrelational, professional, legal, and more. It places the 1990s generation of Nickelodeon and Disney stars into the historical context of a century of child actors. Lovato has a deft touch as an interviewer, someone who can empathize with other former child stars and share stories but who also asks good questions of lawmakers and experts. It's fascinating to hear on-the-set and behind-the-scenes insights from actors, parents, and directors, and to consider the implications of kids being branded and monetized. Singer JoJo Siwa's account of being blackballed after coming out as gay is particularly memorable, as is Alyson Stoner's citation of stats suggesting famous people live shorter lives. Siwa represents a younger generation who share their entire lives online, even despite understanding the pitfalls. Still, this film isn't for viewers looking for salacious gossip; that's already out there, in spades ( another recent docu alleges sexual abuse at Nickelodeon, not a topic in this film). Instead, it functions as a cautionary tale for others—kids or adults—who are looking to get kids into show business. Full review at Common Sense Media Images courtesy of Hulu

This character study of three alienated sisters waiting for their ailing father to pass away is an ambitious concept upheld by admirable acting. With limited settings, a dialogue-heavy, action-sparse script, ambient noise, and many moments of quiet reflection, His Three Daughters could easily be staged for theater. You can trace its New York-centric heritage from Cassavetes and Allen to Baumbach and more. Although the daughters are the focus, their connection revolves around their father, as the title alludes. Yet the director astutely keeps Dad absent for most of the film, a subject hidden from view, with only the sounds of his heart monitor haunting the apartment, the gloomy updates of his hospice caregivers, and the memories of those closest to him as guides. Maybe that's why the father's late-film appearance comes across as a bit too engineered after more than an hour setting up his absence and the sisters' seemingly irreconcilable differences. In this and other ways, the characters and some of their dialogues feel overly scripted, based around archetypal figures whose lives are defined by their relationships with others. What brings these women to fuller life is the actors embodying them, especially Lyonne. The sisters' fear at the pending prospect of losing their father, and potentially their connections to each other and the home they once shared, are palpable and realistic. By the end, you believe in their characters and where the story might go next. Full review at Common Sense Media Images courtesy of Netflix

The Last of the Sea Women is a beautifully intimate portrayal of haenyeos , all-female South Korean deep-sea divers. It is also the first feature production from Malala Yousafzai’s Extracurricular Productions. Using only their own breath, the haenyeos dive to the ocean floor for hours at a time in the waters off the peninsula, especially around Jeju Island, to harvest seafood. They make a living at this, but they are also carrying on an ancient tradition. And, according to this affecting documentary from Korean American filmmaker Sue Kim, they are a dying breed. Despite recognition from UNESCO and a school set up to train younger generations, there are only 4,000 haenyeos remaining today, mostly in their 60s to 80s, down from 30,000 in their 1960s heyday. Calling themselves the “warriors of the sea” as well as the “guardians of the sea,” the haenyeos do a dangerous and difficult job few can do. Women die and their bodies are found underwater. A haenyeo historian describes the pressure on the head the women experience the deeper they dive. Continue reading review at AWFJ .

Two new, high-profile streaming releases are offering up very different representations of Latinas in starring roles played by Jennifer Lopez and Adria Arjona. In the new sci-fi action film, Atlas, Jennifer Lopez saves the world. As the titular character, she fights off robots intent on destroying humanity, battling them from inside an AI mech suit and outwitting both them and her male colleagues. She’s buff and smart but also vulnerable, grappling with trust issues leftover from childhood trauma. Compare this portrayal to the role scripted for Adria Arjona in the new Richard Linklater-Glen Powell comedy Hit Man. As Madison, Arjona plays a woman who considers hiring a hit man to kill off her abusive husband, but the man, “Ron” – actually Gary, an undercover police contractor played by Powell – convinces her not to. Instead, Madison leaves her husband and embarks on a steamy affair with Ron. Most of what we learn about Madison’s past, her personality, jobs and interests is briefly summarized in a scene before we meet her where Gary scrolls through her Instagram. For the rest of the film, her character’s actions and reactions revolve entirely around the men in her life – the abusive ex and the hot, mysterious new beau. She is purposefully fulfilling a fantasy for Gary, not unlike his own fantasy creation of the slick Ron (male and female colleagues alike fantasize about “Ron”). The problem is that the fantasy Arjona is asked to fulfil as Madison fits squarely into a traditional and long-disputed stereotype of Latinas on screen. Continue reading at AWFJ.org Images courtesy of Netflix

This tense mystery with a salient setting has a stellar cast and plenty of action but is weighed down by an overly long run time. The pacing can also feel a little sluggish in Rebel Ridge. That might be because Netflix has marketed the film around the action, when in fact it's more of a slow-burning mystery. It could be a Western in a different setting. Instead, the lush Southern location swelters with symbolism—there's something lurking in the trees and muddy rivers. Marketing also highlights Johnson, though he doesn't have as much screen time as you might expect. That's fine, because Pierre has an intense presence, and his character is much more complex than Johnson's corrupt sheriff. It was also a smart move to cast seemingly vulnerable Robb against Pierre. They hold your attention for the plot's many twists and turns. Full review at Common Sense Media Images courtesy of Netflix

The pressing of robes and decorating of caps can mean only one thing: It’s graduation season. This life achievement, with all its pomp and circumstance, makes great story fodder for the movies. From Dustin Hoffman floating aimlessly in his parents’ pool in 1967’s “The Graduate,” to 1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” students on the precipice of “the real world” have always captured our imagination. They also share some common themes onscreen, like a blowout grad night party and jitters about the future. So, give the graduates in your life a little extra grace and a lot of additional support this season. You can start before diplomas are handed out by watching one of these grad-focused films together. Read the full story at the San Francisco Chronicle. Images courtesy of A24, UA, 20th C Fox and Paramount Pictures .

You always hear people say that mistakes and failures represent opportunities for growth. For Ricardo Jiménez, that has absolutely proved true, and on a grand scale. In fact, he’s written a book called “Crash Course,” coming out June 18, detailing the creation and collapse of his startup business, and more importantly, what he learned from the experience.   The subtitle of his book, “A Founder’s Journey to Saving Your Startup and Sanity,” hints at what makes Jiménez’s take unique. He talks at length about self-awareness and the mental health component of being an entrepreneur. “I think we need to get deeper into the human side of the person building a startup,” he says. Jiménez calls “understanding our inner states” a huge component to evaluating motives before launching a business, following instincts while leading and, crucially, knowing when to let go if necessary. “The more you understand where you're coming from, the more you're going to understand what's happening to you, and why you are leading or making the kind of decisions you're making,” Jiménez says.   “As humans, we like to think that we can do anything – we're going to build companies, we're going to build empires, we're going to change the world. But the most likely scenario is that things will not work out as you thought, and that will create confusion, and you need to be ready to understand that that's also part of the game.”   Citing Apple Founder Steve Jobs’ famous 2005 Stanford commencement speech, Jiménez talks about “connecting the dots looking back” on one’s life. Here, he connects the dots on his own path to arrive where he is today, launching his first book and enjoying the kind of “freedom” he most values. It’s a story he describes as his “emotional journey,” and it’s one that holds lessons for others. Continue reading at SUCCESS.com

This fourth film in the popular '80s franchise, which fizzled out 30 years ago, brings memorable characters and elements into the present while attempting to iron out some now-obsolete attitudes. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F does what a sequel should do, incorporating what worked in the originals (and what fans of a certain age will be looking for) and updating aspects to better, though not perfectly, fit the times. This combo potentially sets the franchise on a course for a future. You see it in the renewal of older characters and the addition of new, younger ones, like Gordon-Levitt's Abbott and Paige's Jane. You hear it in the soundtrack, which runs from the Glenn Frey-Bob Seger sounds of the originals to Mary J. Blige and a Lil Nas X remix of the theme song. And, most essentially, you see the old-new blend in ideas, dialogues, and storylines. It's not the '80s anymore, and even macho cops now can't let their manhood feel easily threatened. They try to respect women and recognize when therapy, an apology, or some tenderness might help their relationships. The fish-out-of-water concept of plopping Black Detroit cop Murphy into majority-White, upscale Beverly Hills still works, although even Beverly Hills has diversified some in the last 30 years. Be prepared for old-guy humor, unavoidable when you've got 60-plus-year-olds playing the leads of an action film, including some grumpy responses to changing social norms. The storyline gives the older characters, like Reiser's retiring Friedman and Ashton's ailing Taggart, reprised roles but also a believable out on potential future entries. The film also revisits the originals' mix of cameos, humor, and suspense (still requiring suspension of disbelief), though these aspects would earn bigger responses on the big screen. Read the full review at Common Sense Media . Images courtesy of Netflix.

Following The Idea of You , there seems to be a growing market for films about middle-aged women dating significantly younger men. A Family Affair will face inevitable comparisons to that film. In both, the man is a celebrity, and the woman, divorced or widowed and looking at least ten years younger than her age, is on the verge of giving up on love for good. In both films, the woman's love affair is complicated by her role as a mother. Affair is less focused on the sexual attraction (only one real sex scene) and, smartly, more on the interesting emotional triangle between Efron, Kidman, and Kidman's late-bloomer daughter, played by Joey King. King is the film's highlight. She's a natural comedian, and she and Efron have more chemistry as boss and beleaguered employee than Efron and Kidman do as a couple. Efron is also eminently believable as the entitled celebrity who thinks #metoo indicates agreement and frets over his Tibetan-cloth t-shirts. Kidman's best scenes come in her authentic dialogues about life, love, and parenthood with Bates, playing her mother-in-law. It may be that Kidman is too mature an actress for a devil-may-care-fling film. Not too old for an affair, just too wise for the character she's meant to be playing here. Here's a twist: Why not have Kidman and Hathaway fall for men who are already their equals? Read the full review at Common Sense Media . Images courtesy of Netflix.

The number of high-profile interviewees alone makes this documentary a feat in production and editing, but its difficult subject matter makes it a necessary film as well. Black Barbie pulls together commentary from a wide range of sources, potentially broadening the film's interest out across a spectrum of professional fields. The fact that the commentaries become so personal, and in many cases quite emotional, raises the documentary up a level. Its use of a timeline and "chapters" gives it a didactic feel, and surely this film could be employed for educational purposes. For those same reasons, the content can feel a little overwhelming. Even if spectators only consume individual sections of the documentary at a time, which might be recommendable, they will walk away with a lot to think about. Read the full review at Common Sense Media . Images courtesy of Netflix.