“The Mafia doesn’t exist.” – The Traitor Review

Marco Bellocchio’s latest film, The Traitor, brings the story of mafioso turned informant Tommaso Buscetta (Pierfrancesco Favino) to the big screen in 2019’s best mafia movie (I’m looking at you The Irishman). In 2 hours and 15 minutes of intense dramatic scenes and thrilling montages, the 80-year-old director stitches together a mafia movie, courtroom drama, and biopic about the first person to confirm the existence of the mafia in Italy and to break Cosa Nostra’s oath of silence. Bellocchio refuses to shy away from any techniques that might enhance his story. The result is a sometimes messy but effective film that leaves you wanting to know more about this period in Italian history.

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What to Watch at the Miami Film Festival 2020

The 37th annual Miami Film Festival starts this weekend, and runs from March 6 to March 15. More than 125 short films, documentaries and features from over 30 different countries will be showcased as part of the festival program. Screenings will be held at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, Olympia Theater, Tower Theater, and Silverspot Cinema, along with a host of other participating venues located in the Miami area.

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‘Birds of Prey’: A Fun and Frenetic Action Film

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is a breath of fresh air in DC’s otherwise notorious lineup of superhero movies. Taking place after the events of Suicide Squad and a recent breakup with the Joker, the film follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as she finds herself teamed up with do-gooders Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who unite to save a young girl from Gotham’s newest evil crime lord. Brilliant performances and a fantastic script result in an imperfect but delightfully irreverent look at supervillainy and more importantly, the bonds between women.

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The Gentlemen – A Comedic Witty Action Film… That’s It

The opening of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen feels like a Lincoln commercial, thanks in part to a suit-clad Matthew McConaughey droning on about a lion’s duties in the jungle. You can’t help but think that Ritchie will pan the camera over to the sleek glass curtain walls of a Lincoln dealership. Instead, the audience is met with a casual London pub, where protagonist Mickey orders himself a pint. Continue reading The Gentlemen – A Comedic Witty Action Film… That’s It

Interview With Former Film Studies Student Lucia Plaza

Lucia Plaza’s short film “Sal & Vinny” centers around two mobsters engaged in a relationship who are forced to consider their identities and their priorities when they’re punished by their ruthless boss. A former FIU Film Studies student, Plaza was awarded the CinemaSlam Works-In-Progress Grant by the Miami Film Festival to fund her work. We caught up with Lucia to find out how she landed this opportunity and how the FIU Film Studies program helped.

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