Preston Barta // Editor
SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU (★★★★) – Say what you will about the Obama’s politics and views, but their love story was meant for the big screen. Southside With You takes us back to the first date Michelle (Tika Sumpter) and Barack (Parker Sawyers) ever went on, in an engrossing walk-and-talk biodrama that tips its hat to Richard Linklater’s BEFORE trilogy while also breathing humanity into two iconic figures. At Angelika Dallas and AMC Grapevine. Rated PG-13, 84 minutes.
Interview with stars Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers coming soon!
LITTLE MEN (★★★½) – This gem of an indie drama focuses on two buddies (Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri) whose friendship is tested when the feud between their respective parents (including Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle and Paulina Garcia) intensifies. Ironically, LITTLE MEN says so much, yet so little. It’s about authentic representation, a task at which it succeeds marvelously. At Angelika Dallas. Rated PG, 85 minutes.
Check out our interview with director Ira Sachs here.
LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD (★★★★) – Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN) is not your average filmmaker. He shows you both sides of every coin. In this case, with his latest endeavor, LO AND BEHOLD, Herzog exhibits the wonders and horrors of the connected world. This riveting documentary not only touches on the fundamentals and history of the Internet, but it also provides a much deeper understanding of its past, present and future. It’s scary stuff. At Texas Theatre. Rated PG-13, 98 minutes.
MECHANIC: RESURRECTION – It’s hard to keep up with all of what comes out of the Jason Statham cannon. He’s got franchises such as THE MECHANIC, THE TRANSPORTER and CRANK, which all blend together like sugar and cream. They’re hardly distinguishable, despite the co-stars they each contain (Jessica Alba and a soul patch equipped Tommy Lee Jones in MECHANIC: RESURRECTION). So forgive me if my interests aren’t there to see some bald headed dude jump out of buildings, explode stuff and shoot baddies with deadly precision. I’d rather see Statham take on more comedies like SPY. Rated R, 99 minutes.
Preston BartaI have been working as a film journalist since 2010, dividing the first four years between radio broadcasting and entertainment writing in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In 2014, I entered Fresh Fiction (FreshFiction.tv) as the features editor. The following year, I stepped into the film critic position at the Denton Record-Chronicle, a daily North Texas print publication. My time is dedicated to writing theatrical film reviews, at-home entertainment columns, and conducting interviews with on-screen talent and filmmakers, as well as hosting a podcast devoted to genre filmmaking (called My Bloody Podcast). I've been married for ten happy years, and I have one son who is all about dinosaurs just like his dad.