Friends, the Chicago International Film Festival has wrapped up and we were engulfed in movies for two amazing weeks. During the festival, we could not see all of the movies we wanted to see but did see a good amount of movies and shorts. Here is a breakdown of what we saw and our initial thoughts. We have added Just Watch information for all titles to show you where to see them online.

An Almost Christmas Story

Animation that looks like cardboard paper, produced by Alfonso Cuarón, and tells a great story about belonging, sign me up! An Almost Christmas Story is a beautifully animated story set during Christmas in New York City. Its short runtime tells a heartwarming story and makes you look at owls in a whole new way. Watch this on Disney Plus later this year.

Cloud

Yoshii is a young man who sells “goods” online to make a better life for himself. While the items he sells seem like a steal to the buyers and they find out it is, Yoshii is already on to selling the next item. Cloud tells a cautionary tale of what happens when buyers find out the identity of the person who sold them a dream and run off with their money. The tension builds in the movie and the final act is intense and eye-opening.

Color Book

One of the biggest fears any parent has is losing their child in a public place. The Color Book presents that fear to us as dad, William Catlett, is trying to take his son with Downs Syndrome, to their first baseball game. Film gorgeously in black and white, Color Book displays to us everything a father would do to give his child one great day and all the obstacles that try to prevent it from happening. This one will pull the heartstrings and begin discussions about what you would do for your child. 

Eephus

As adults, we always become connected to certain locations in our lives. There is that one restaurant or a park where we all hang out. As time goes by those locations are either closed down or revamped. Eephus is a great story about holding on to that location that means a lot to you. In this case, it is a baseball diamond at a park that has meant a lot to the players. Throughout the final baseball game, we see through the players what this park means to them and how things might change with it gone.

La Cocina

There will be comparisons made between La Cocina and The Bear, the only thing they have in common is being set in a restaurant. The story of Pedro and the allegations regarding missing money builds the tension in this drama. In La Cocina, we see the struggle to try to achieve the American Dream by following the staff in this busy restaurant. We also see how employers wag their help of naturalizing their employees to only get them to do what needs to be done.

Memoir of a Snail

The thing about stop-motion animation is that people mainly equate it with children’s movies. This sort of thinking needs to be stopped. Memoir of a Snail is a heartbreaking look into the life of Grace. Grace lives a rough life and recounts the story of it with her pet snails. This is not only a story of belonging but also about living your life. I would not recommend this for younger kids due to some mature elements in the movie.

Slice of Life: The American Dream, In Former Pizza Huts

Growing up, Pizza Hut was where we would go on Friday or Saturday nights for dinner. I remember playing the tabletop Pac-Man game while waiting for our food to arrive at the table. As we got older, the Pizza Hut locations would start closing around us and sooner or later the location would be demolished and something new was built there. These locations were closed and converted into other businesses in other parts of the country. Slice of Life shows us what these locations have become and it is pretty interesting to see how they have been reused while the aesthetic of the restaurants have not been changed. 

The Last Republican

Adam Kinzinger is one of a handful of Republicans who spoke out against Donald Trump during the insurrection on January 6th. In The Last Republican, we see the repercussions of standing up for what you believe in. Through the lens of Steve Pink, we see how someone who was touted by the GOP was quickly banished. This documentary is an interesting look at how political parties treat their own who do not agree with them. 

The Peacock

The Peacock is a hilarious dark comedy about Matthias, who rents himself for whatever you need in your life. If you need a son for an event, a father for show and tell, or someone to practice your arguing techniques, you hire Matthias. His life starts taking a turn and blending with his false personalities after meeting a young girl at a wedding and breaking up with his girlfriend.

Toxic

Toxic is one of those movies that parents need to see. Think of a foreign version of Mean Girls but with more meanness all due to standards of beauty that some may feel are impossible. The two leads are amazing and show how friendships can be broken due to popularity in a modeling school. Toxic grabs you from the beginning and keeps you watching to see what happens next.

Transplant

To be the best you have to learn from the best and that is what Jonah, played by Eric Nam, does in Transplant. The one question is do you also accept their flaws and bad habits? This is one of the dilemmas that Jonah faces when under the tutelage of Dr. Harmon, played terrifically by Bill Camp. Transplant is a fantastic look into pursuing your dreams while trying to keep your humanity intact.

Turning Tables

Imagine befriending someone and little by little questioning if you really know this person. Turning Tables masterfully gives us a look into the lives of a politician, her aide, and a refuge, as they weave their way through questioning their allegiance and political stance. The movie is filled with tense moments and shines a window on a topic that is important in our society.

Unstoppable

Unstoppable is one of those movies that you already know the end to it. We can google Anthony Robles and see all of his accolades and accomplishments but the one thing we don’t see is the drive that led him. In Unstoppable we see the dark moments in Anthony’s life and the tough decisions he made to pursue his dream of being an NCAA wrestling champion.