disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

Miami Film Festival 2022: Cinematic Cerebrations

3/13/2022

0 Comments

 
By Sean Boelman
Picture
Every year, the Miami Film Festival showcases some of the most exciting films from around the world, with a particular focus on Ibero-American films and stories. Truly representative of the multiculturalism of the South Florida community, the festival’s lineup always features fantastic films from Latin American countries that audiences may not have gotten the opportunity to discover elsewhere.

For the second year in a row, the Miami Film Festival is offering a hybrid edition, with boh in-person and virtual offerings. We at disappointment media will be covering the festival to tell you about some of the best films in the lineup, many of which can be screened across the Sunshine State. Here are some of our brief thoughts on some of the films we have been able to see.


Amparo

Picture
Simón Mesa Soto’s Amparo is the type of film that is more interested with the issue at its core than anything else. This story of a mother trying to help keep her son from being forcibly conscripted into the military in a war that will surely lead to his death is nothing short of heartbreaking, even if it is a bit one-dimensional in its approach. In terms of being a character study about the mother, it’s quite moving, but one can’t help but feel like the perspective of the son would have rounded this out nicely.

Lo Invisible

Picture
Some films are quietly restrained in a way that causes them to creep under your skin and leave quite a lingering impact. That is the case with Javier Andrade’s Lo Invisible, a subtle exploration of postpartum depression. As the title suggests, this is a very introspective film, with very little in the way of external conflict. The result is a film that will understandably be a bit too restrained and melancholy for some viewers, but will resonate deeply with those who are able to peel back the layers of the film and see the invisible forces at play.

Anaïs in Love

Picture
There’s a certain level of charm to Anaïs in Love, but even so, the film cannot escape an overwhelming feeling of familiarity. A love triangle the likes of which we have seen dozens of times before, there’s nothing about the film that is outright bad, but also nothing particularly impressive about it, either. It’s not especially funny, nor does it offer anything insightful about love and romance. Anaïs Demoustier is very charismatic, and elevates the lead role beyond its very generic trappings, but other than that, there is little that makes this romantic comedy memorable.

A Film About Couples

Picture
Metafiction is a plot device that, when used correctly, can work out really well, but it is also very easy to screw up. Natalia Cantal and Oriol Estrada’s A Film About Couples incorporates it in a way that is mostly effective, even if it is lacking in focus at times. With a very funny opening that is effectively a tongue-in-cheek slap in the face to an audience that will certainly overanalyze the rest of the film. And the way in which it uses certain romantic comedy beats is quite interesting. ​

Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way

Picture
In discussions about the AIDS epidemic, the disease and the people who had it are often held at an arm’s distance, but there are activists who helped bring this topic to the public eye. Pedro Zamora, one of the participants on The Real World, was one of the most instrumental individuals in making the American public understand the disease better. The documentary Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way isn’t the most groundbreaking in its presentation, but the extraordinary message of empathy that it and its subject teaches is what makes it worth watching.

Omara

Picture
Hugo Perez takes a very traditional music documentary approach to telling the story of Afro-Cuban legend Omara Portuondo in his documentary Omara, but his subject is so illustrious and stories that her story is more than enough to keep the audience invested. Although the short runtime does prevent the film from going as in-depth into the significance that she has beyond her musical contributions, her accomplishments are so impressive that they speak for themselves. This documentary will be a wonderful way of introducing new generations to the incredible nonagenarian, and will remind others why she’s so amazing.

​The 2022 Miami Film Festival runs from March 4-12.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The Snake Hole

    Retrospectives, opinion pieces, awards commentary, personal essays, and any other type of article that isn't a traditional review or interview.

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019

    Categories

    All
    Adam Donato
    Camden Ferrell
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Sandy Robinson
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Staff
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About