JUST 6.5 – ★★★☆

Iranian drama about police trying to fight a drug syndicate. Wasn’t terrible, but a little bit over-long and maybe a little overstated. The first part was interesting as it took on from the user level up the chain of dealers, but kind of plateaued after that.

BOYS STATE – ★★★★

Pretty incredible documentary about a week long event where young men create a pretend government by dividing between two parties and working to build into a government that matches that of Texas. Obviously, given it’s Texas, there’s a fair degree of right wing expressions, and with hundreds of 17 year old boys, testosterone and bro-ship seems rife. Many interesting moments where you see politics and a desire to win exceed personal ethics or morals. An extra mention for René Otero, a young man who stole the show, and who I can only hope has a bright future ahead, whatever he chooses to do.

SHIVA BABY – ★★★☆

A short (1hr 16m) American comedy about a young woman going to a wake, where she has to contend with family, friends of family, as well as her ex-girlfriend and a sugar daddy. If you like awkward and uncomfortable comedy, this will be right up your alley.

SERVANTS – ★★★

The black and white cinematography of this film is beautiful, but to be honest, the plot was a little hard for me to follow, possibly being the fourth film I saw today. It’s about two young priests entering a seminary and the conflict between the ideologies of the Catholic Church and the Czech government. Worth watching for the artful shots alone.