Author: Miv Evans

By Miv Evans

A Double Life has everything. True crime. Treachery. Tragic victim. Self-sacrificing hero. Omnipotent villain. International subterfuge. A thriller could want no more but this, in fact, is a compelling documentary.

Stephen Bingham was born into the Connecticut elite. He attended Yale and, after participating in a Freedom Summer civil rights project, he decided to pursue a career in law. On graduating, he became a legal aid lawyer, believing his destiny was to help those in need. By the age of 29, he had earned a reputation as being one of the most radical lawyers of his time.

George Jackson grew up in the ghettos of Los Angeles. He was incarcerated in San Quentin when he was 19. It was here that he served the longest prison sentence in California history for stealing $71. During his protracted imprisonment, his activism was given birth. By the age of 29, he had become the best selling author of ‘Soledad Brother’ and the founder of the Black Panther Family.

By the age of 29, J. Edgar Hoover was the director of the FBI. He was nervous about the growing presence of activism, in particular the Black Panthers, and ordered his counter intelligence to target them. The National Lawyers Guild of America was also in his sights, who he described as “more dangerous than the people throwing bombs.” And with that utterance, he ushered in an era that sought to stifle lawyers who riled against racism.

In 1971, the Black Panthers asked Stephen Bingham, in his legal capacity, to escort one of George Jackson’s visitors into San Quentin. She was denied access and Stephen met with George alone. Just hours after he left, a bloodbath ensued and amongst the six dead was George. He was felled by a sniper’s bullet in an exercise yard, surrounded by 40 foot walls. The FBI claimed Stephen Bingham had smuggled in a gun that caused the carnage. He was indicted on five counts of first degree murder and overnight became an international fugitive.

This politically charged film is a lot more relevant in 2025 America than it should be. Assaults on public media and democracy are being made daily. But even though a dramatization of this story has a guaranteed audience, Hollywood studios have no desire to rattle their capitalist stronghold by amplifying any activist voices.

Fortunately, however, American stories don’t just get made in America. And with the current administration’s global enemies stacking up, the timing of this documentary might just be perfect.

Watch the trailer

Directed by Catherine Masud

Streaming on Amazon, Google Play and YouTube Movies

Distributed by Indie Rights

By Miv Evans

The film’s title is original and promises humor but, unfortunately, delivers neither. It’s formulaic to an extreme and feels old fashioned. The latter particularly jars as les Francois generally have an avant-garde attitude. It’s beautifully shot and every frame is worthy of a place in the Louvre, but that’s not why we go to the moves.

Agathe is delighted when she gets accepted but leaves the familiarity of home with great trepidation. The film begins with Agathe and Felix at work. The two have a contrived conversation that details all their flaws, bad habits and lifestyle. It’s a lazy way to introduce characters and stops the audience from making up their own minds. Meet-and-greet scenes are there to invite viewers to step inside and take a look around. If they keep watching from the outside in, disengagement has begun.

When Agathe arrives in England (which looks suspiciously like France), she’s met by a Hugh Grant clone (Charlie Anson). He isn’t carrying an ‘I’m the one’ sign but, there again, he doesn’t need to. It really is that obvious. The two love interests plod through the obligatory misunderstanding and alienation stages but, astonishingly, the ‘getting together and falling in love’ milestone is skipped over. In retrospect, it must have been a series of quick shots of the ‘deux amours’ having a drunken night at a bar. This emotionless tryst takes lazy writing to a catastrophic level. As Jane Austen and every movie fan will tell you; you can’t montage love.

The idea for this film, which is the same as its title, becomes weakened during the telling of its tale. Agathe dreams about a life in a Jane Austen novel but she also has developed a neurosis from the trauma of a car accident. The neurosis is dismissed when convenient but it does do a great job of muddying the waters. With confusion reigning, it’s questionable whether being a wannabe novelist, who’s hoping Mr Darcy will show up, is wrecking anything.

Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C7eJgzqIUo

Written and Directed by Laura Piani

Produced by Gabrielle Dumon

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics

Limited theatrical release May 23, 2025

By Miv Evans

This is a psycho-dramatic character study that takes place during a single cab ride.  It hits some high notes and sidesteps others but, by the skin of its teeth, it keeps the ball in play until the meter runs out.  For that accomplishment alone, it’s worth a watch. 

THE STORY

A pretty young woman (Girlie, played by Dakota Johnson) arrives at JFK airport and takes a taxi home to her Manhattan apartment.  The  driver (Clark, played by Sean Penn) is a New Yorker who’s spent most of his adult life behind the wheel of a cab.  He’s a people-watcher and likes to share his insights with the subjects he finds so fascinating.

Clark deftly surprises his lady passenger with his take on her behavior since she stepped into his cab.  His delivery is thespian and the minutiae worthy of an FBI profiler.  Girlie is intrigued and their relationship is launched.

Broad strokes of their lives are exchanged and, when challenged, Girlie admits that her lover is married.  Clark dives into a passionate diatribe that spells out exactly what she’s let herself in for. It’s priceless, but not just for its lampooning of the world’s most romantic car crash.  

The real reason Clark is venting is because the lady in his cab is letting herself be used.   He’s angry at the choice she made and, without even knowing it himself, needs to show his disapproval.  It’s assumed that the title of the film relates to Girlie’s older, married lover,  but it could equally relate to one of life’s protectors.  My money’s on the guy who’s taking someone else’s dilemma personally. 

The duologue continues but never changes pace or invites conflict.  The pair claim to be competitive, but this doesn’t ring true.  Their sparring is gentle, but it’s the dirty fighters that get us out of our seats.  Confusingly, the story does a U-turn when Girlie describes how her sister used to tie her up.  Clark sexualizes the moment by asking if she liked it.  The air of expectancy evaporates when Girlie barely reacts; so why go there?  And apart from that, it takes Clark out of character.  He doesn’t do sleazy. 

When the cab ride finally ends, the story is allowed to come to its natural conclusion.  Like two passing ships that decided to tread water for a while before going on their way  The intent may have been to tell Girlie’s story, but it’s Clark who turns out to be the smartest guy in the room.  

It’s so unfortunate that the people with all the answers haven’t got time to run the country, because they’re too busy driving cabs around and cutting hair.  

OPENS JUNE 28, 2024

Written & Directed by Christy Hall

Produced by Creative Artists Agency

Distributed by Sony Picture Classics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJrr2amlFyc

 By Miv Evans

This documentary isn’t the gripping spy thriller the filmmakers claim. Reenactments replace history and the narrator is the giggly 90-year-old widow of the film’s subject. It all seems pretty mundane until, unexpectedly, the little old lady’s facade is stripped away. Then it gets fascinating.

Ted Hall was an 18-year-old Harvard graduate when he was recruited to work on what was to become the world’s first atomic bomb. A year later, the fruits of US science were dropped onto Japan’s homeland and Hall did not approve. He claimed he secretly believed that a U.S. post-war monopoly of such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe. Two months later, he started passing key information about the bomb to the Soviet Union. In other words, a rich kid decided to save the world.

At the time, the president of the Soviet Union was Stalin. Hall had a world of rulers to choose from but decided to get into bed with a dictator who had famously executed a million of his own people. Why didn’t he head for a democratic country, such as the UK? They had just led the charge to eradicate that other well-known psychopath and their total execution of nationals was zero.

Not satisfied with having established himself as a traitor, Hall then went on to claim, in an old video recording, that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were innocent of the crime they were executed for. He and a friend acted alone. His excuse for not coming forward was that his wife talked him out of it. She told him that it wouldn’t help the Rosenbergs and would make their own lives ‘difficult.’ Perhaps that’s something she’d like to repeat to the Rosenberg’s sons who were orphaned when those switches got flicked. Having established herself and her husband as reprehensible, she then goes on to voice her disgust at the American people for celebrating the executions. She thought it was in very poor taste.

Joan Hall assassinates what’s left of her character by admitting she didn’t ever take her membership of the Communist Party seriously. The only thing she enjoyed was the social side. Apparently, the happy couple drove past the Rosenberg’s prison on their way to one of their parties on the night of the execution. That might seem bizarre but, as the self-proclaimed ‘compassionate spy’ said, it would have been tricky to explain their absence. Spoken like a true hero.

A Compassionate Spy – Official Trailer (2023) – YouTube

Directed by Steve James
Produced by Steve James, David Lindorff, Mark Mitten

By Miv Evans

In this thriller, subterfuge is played out against an ancient backdrop of political struggle.  Every aspect is compelling but, at times, the narrative gets bogged down and lacks clarity.  But even at its foggiest, the story whispers, ‘It’s the truth.’  The writing may not be the best but Death of a Whistleblower isn’t just a film.  It’s a whistleblower in and of itself. 

Luyanda Masinda’s (Noxolo Dlamini’s) is a South African investigative journalist.  One night she ends up in a Johannesberg bar with a fellow wordsmith, Stanley Galloway (Rob van Vuuren). Galloway is the editor of a high-profile political outlet and attractive enough for Luyanda to accept his invitation to go home with him.  The following morning, just after they leave Galloway’s apartment, their car is rammed, The two are surrounded and Galloway is  assassinated.  Luyanda escapes relatively unscathed but becomes consumed with her quest to track down the people who orchestrated her lover’s death.

The deeper Luyanda digs, the more dangerous her quest becomes.  Within days, she discovers that South Africa may be a victim of state capture.  Evidence points to a corrupt group of politicians who are covertly hiring out government troops, military equipment and chemical weapons to rogue African countries.  There is a moment of story clarity when the intrepid Luyanda confronts a military elite about what she has discovered.  It’s a long journey to get to this point, but perhaps the filmmaker wanted to make sure no one gets left out when the lid is finally blown open.

There is more than one person to whom the title of this film could be referring.  The obvious choice is Stanley Galloway who was planning to whistleblow on a global scale.  Then there is Albert Loots (Irshaad Allywho), a military employee who dices with death by smuggling  top secret data on a daily basis.  The third contender is Luyanda herself, who pokes the bear with no thought for personal safety.  Sadly, these three are not alone.  The remaining contenders are listed at the end of the film.  They’re amongst the many who, like Galloway, paid the ultimate price for loving their country.

Perhaps this film explains South African’s perpetual absence on the global stage.  Israel, with a population of nine million, is never out of the news.  South Africa, with a population of 60 million, is never in it.  It could be that that’s how the government has engineered it, or it  could be that the the world isn’t yet ready to let go of the Mandela Fairy Tale.  Surely Apartheid didn’t get replaced by something that can’t even pass the smell test?

Death Of A Whistleblower TRAILER – YouTube

RELEASE DETAILS 

Toronto International Film Festival

World Premiere:
*Saturday, September 9^th at 2:45pm EST
TIFF Bell Lightbox (Cinema 1)

Additional Public Screenings:
*Sunday, September 10^th at 9:40pm EST
ScotiaBank (Cinema 7)

*Sunday, September 17^th at 10pm EST
ScotiaBank (Cinema 10)

By Miv Evans

This emotionally charged documentary tells a tale that started 800 years ago.  At this time, the citizens of 500 Indian nations were the only ones who called the US home.  When their sovereignty was stolen, so their fight began.  And they have been fighting ever since.     

One of the many organizations doing battle is The Fight Against American Mascoting Their goal is to stop sports clubs using the names and mascots of tribes to which they have no affiliation.  Not only is this exploitation, but their derisory presentations cast a slur on indigenous culture.  But when wealthy organizations were informed that they were insulting their countrymen, they made it clear they didn’t care.  

An appalling example of this is when, in 2000, the Cleveland baseball team was asked to cease use of their cartoonish ‘chief’ logo.  Despite widespread racial justice protests, they kept it until 2018.  An even more contentious battle was fought with the Washington ‘Redskins.’  They would undoubtedly still be using the ‘R’ word had Fedex not threatened to remove their sponsorship if they didn’t comply.     

There are a lot more confounding stories like this, many with less successful endings.  And as disappointing as these disclosures are, is it really a surprise?  With America so unashamedly entrenched in capitalism, an extra kick at morality’s soul is par for the course.  But what is truly shocking is that thousands of schools swim in the same pool as Big Sport.  Like the clubs, they’re fully aware they’re causing offense, but they carry on regardless.  Are these really the kind of people who should be guiding  young Americans  into adulthood?     

Fortunately, however, not all hope is lost.  There’s a heartwarming interview with a young schoolgirl who didn’t find out until she was a teenager that the name of her school was ‘politically incorrect.’   And when she discovered it was causing distress to millions, she was horrified.  She lobbied her school board and succeeded where some very expensive lawyers failed.  She got the name of her school changed.  Perhaps this budding activist should spend less time in the classroom and more time on the road, explaining to unenlightened educators that all lives matter.    

The fact that so many people have been fighting their cause for so long opens the door to a very big question.  Why hasn’t the ‘greatest nation in the world’ made the abuse of Indigenous Culture a form of hate crime?   It’s a dramatic step but if millions of Americans really think the name of their sports team is more important than the dignity of an entire race, the law has to explain that it’s not. 

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE  

RELEASE INFORMATION AND MEDIA:
Adam J. Segal • The 2050 Group – Publicity
212-642-4317 (Office) • 202-422-4673 (Cell)
adam@the2050group.com • www.the2050group.com

By Miv Evans

Our fascination with the criminal world has prompted filmmakers to keep churning out anything that shines a spotlight on the bottomless underworld. So there is plenty of room for a tale about a Canadian criminal who claims new lands as his own, and preferably those that are laced with landmines.  The Canadian is called Gerald Blanchard and he narrates a most fascinating tale.

Gerald was adopted as a baby.  His parents divorced when he was young and his mother uprooted him from a city he loved and took him to Omaha, Nebraska.   He was skinny and wore spectacles and his ‘nerdiness’ got him the wrong kind of attention.  Bullied and friendlesa, he buried himself in the art of electronics but, after a while, he became restless.  His life was boring and meaningless and he started thinking of ways to make it more interesting.  And just like that, his pre-teen criminal career was launched. 

Instead of following in the footsteps of everyday shoplifters, Gerald creates something a lot more sophisticated.  He becomes a thief, of course, but around the thieving he builds a sophisticated system that enables him to achieve full retail price for everything he steals  And he steals a lot.  But when he gets stopped by the police with a car full of stolen goods, he gets clean away with it. Emboldened by his success, he progresses from car loads to trucks.   Within weeks of launching his new career, he is, without doubt, the highest earning schoolboy in the entire Americas.

There is much in this documentary that seems far-fetched, but facts are backed by the many witnesses who share first-hand accounts of Gerald’s daring.  These include the two boys he enlists to accompany him on his shoplifting sprees.  Their young lives are forever changed by the skinny kid who is fearless, ingenious and who treats his interactions with the police as some kind of game.  He just doesn’t take the law seriously.  And when he eventually gets arrested and deported to Canada, instead of regretting the folly of his ways, his activities escalate.  But this renewed boldness attracts the attention of two Winnipeg detectives who spend the rest of their working lives in pursuit of the unfathomable criminal who’s causing global mayhem.

There are many intriguing aspects to this story, but the most fascinating of all is Gerald’s pervasive desire to dance with fate.  There are times when, even though he can easily escape, he puts himself in harm’s way.  And instead of enjoying his new jet-set life, he goads the very people who want to take away his freedom.  Gerald has a lot to say about his escapades, but makes no comment on his compulsion to stare down the barrel of a gun.  Perhaps that’s because it’s a flaw he doesn’t celebrate, or perhaps even the mastermind himself doesn’t know what keeps dragging him to the edge of the precipice.      

RELEASE

By Miv Evans

The stories of the teenagers featured in this documentary are all compelling but, unfortunately, the power of their material is never fully ignited. What could have been a ‘docbuster’ is instead an interesting ride, but interesting enough to pique audience curiosity to make them want more. As this is more than most films achieve, it makes HUDSON, AMERICA a movie to watch.

The filmmakers follow six first-generation Gen-Z Bangladeshi immigrant students over a six-year period. The first interviews take place in 2016, just after the teenagers have graduated from high school and before they leave the safety of their insular Muslim community.

The filmmakers continue interviewing the students until 2022, but it seems however far these youngsters travel, they can never escape from the constraints of their heritage.

One of the first people we meet is a teenager who’s in a serious relationship with an all- American girl. In his 2016 interview, he has no doubts as to where his life is heading, so it’s possibly as much of a surprise to him as it is to us that he U-turned of his own volition.

It’s an intriguing switch but, unfortunately, the details of his metamorphosis are never shared. This is not only a loss for the film, but also a lost opportunity for this charismatic young man to open a million pairs of eyes.

Another fascinating character is a self-appointed mentor who presents herself as mundane but, behind that silky hijab, loiters America’s very own Joan of Arc. We meet her briefly and then the story fast forwards to a societal tsunami of this young lady’s making.

Unfortunately, the audience never learns how this quiet revolutionary caused the furor that turned her into a persona non grata. If she’d been encouraged to share her story, a layer of her mysterious culture would have undoubted been laid bare.

A lot of themes are covered in this film. Religion and family pressures have clear connections to the subjects’ ethnicity, but when the story strays into #MeToo territory, politics and even 9/11, it becomes confusing.

Perhaps if Joan of Arc had been our narrator, she could have stitched all those threads together and given us a tantalizing look into a world to which she is inextricably bound.

Fortunately, the subjects of this film are on the cusp of their lives, so there’s time for more interviews that will hopefully include the fallout from Hudson, America – Part 1.

Watch the trailer here –

Produced by 18 Street Productions

Directors

Geoffrey Hug | Zuzka Kurtz

Producer

Geoffrey Hug

Composers

Geoffrey Hug | Ramisa Tasnim

Cinematographer

Geoffrey Hug