Tribeca Review: Under a Microscope in “The Knife”

By Abe Friedtanzer 

It’s always intriguing to see what projects actors choose when they step behind the camera to direct for the first time. Nnamdi Asomugha has been working behind-the-scenes as an executive producer and producer since Beasts of No Nation, helping bring to life films he’s starring in like Crown Heights and Sylvie’s Love, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding TV Movie in 2021. For his debut venture as director, Asomugha has chosen a tense story of crime and policing in America, written by him in conjunction with Mark Duplass…

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Tribeca Review: Parallel Stories in “The Freshly Cut Grass”

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Most films tend to focus on one or several protagonists or feature a true ensemble where there’s no lead. It’s rare to find a film with two main characters who have absolutely nothing to do with each other, or at least don’t appear within the same narrative. Yet The Freshly Cut Grass does just that, following two intellectuals who are both not overly satisfied with their lives and begin to see the allure of something that feels distinctly fresh and unlike what they’ve felt in a long time…

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Tribeca Review: Medical Malaise in “A Mistake”

by Abe Friedtanzer 

No one really wants to think about the idea of medical malpractice since anyone could end up on an operating table following an accident or other unexpected scenario. But things do go wrong, for a variety of reasons, and those stories can be worth telling. Prospective audiences of A Mistake should be well aware that the film features a great deal of graphic surgery within its opening minutes, setting up an uncomfortable and deeply unsettling chain of events that seek to assign blame for a wrongful death…

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Tribeca Review: Lost at Sea in “Beacon”

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Sailing around the world is a bold adventure that few are equipped to undertake and even fewer would even seriously contemplate. The likelihood of survival given unpredictable factors isn’t high, and that’s especially true for someone choosing to do it alone. Beacon presents one scenario where a young and driven woman tries to accomplish the feat only to find herself stranded somewhere with a man who seems nice enough but who she really isn’t sure she can trust…

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Tribeca Review: Kitchen Chaos in “La Cocina”

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Most people probably don’t want to see behind the curtain of the fancy restaurants they go to, since things are surely not as glamorous – or appetizing – as they might seem. Cinematic antics aren’t likely in as full supply in reality as they might be in movies and television, but the presentation of a dish still doesn’t come without all the messy preparation behind-the-scenes that goes into it. There can, however, be fascinating stories to go with the food, and La Cocina proves that with a mesmerizing tale of the kitchen of a Times Square restaurant brimming with drama, tension, and lots of flavor…

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