28th Philadelphia Film Festival Overview

Philadelphia a beautiful and most hospitable city!

Months ago, my kind beautiful friend Larry Korman invited me to be his guest to attend the 28th Philadelphia Film Festival http://filmadelphia.org/festival/. He is the President of the AKA Hotels and he is the Chairman of the Board of the Philadelphia Film Society. He has so generously sponsored my film critic website www.moviecritic.today. Larry's belief in me has been the spark of kindness that will always hold a piece of my heart in his hands. Through Larry's generosity, my mom and I hold VIP passes allowing us to see any of the 100+ films being featured at this year’s PFS event.

Larry Korman, you are a beautiful special, sacred human being. I am so lucky to have you as such a big part of my life and to call you my friend. During my time here in beautiful Philadelphia, I have felt the genuinely warm feelings of community. The PFF has brought many people together through their love of cinema. I’m delighted to share my thoughts on the cinema my eyes consumed through your generous invitation. The invitation that has resulted in one of my life’s most special unforgettable experiences.

Some of the films don’t have release dates, others have already been released and some will surely be nominated for Oscars. For all these reasons, I’ll keep my thoughts on the films I saw to a minimum. I hope to entice you to see some of these outstanding and riveting films when you can. In the last week I have seen the most exhilarating and spell bounding Parasite; tragic and beautiful Just Mercy; the shocking and intense Queen of Hearts; the courageous while most maddening By the Grace of God; the eloquently tranquil portrait of a Lady on Fire; the psychological rabbit hole of Nina Wu; the uncomfortable tension provoking Swallow; the timeless perfection of Beanpole (my favorite thus far); the blood boiling The Report; the profound mystery of Oh Mercy!; and Marriage Story, the modern-day version of Kramer vs Kramer. I am busy at work writing my reviews and cannot wait to share them with all of you once I return from Philadelphia. Max