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jamie-887
Reviews
Svetlana (2010)
You CAN Do That On Television
Once upon a time, there were un-PC, intelligently-written, utterly raunchy shows for adults.
That time has come again with Svetlana.
Comedienne Iris Bahr (a favorite from her NPR sketches as Fiona Chutney and Svetlana) pushes the envelope with every episode, often to screamingly funny effect. Fans of Curb Your Enthusiam--on which Bahr has appeared--will enjoy plentiful "do I cringe or do I laugh" moments. Seeing Bahr have her "poonani" waxed into a fanciful design, try to hire a driver ("You look like you are the breenk"), make a yoga teacher cry ("Can we do the anal breathing?") and accept unlikely prostitution clients ("Shh-it's Ahmadinejad!") is hilarious.
The music is beyond funny, ranging from upbeat accordion to fake Russian club music, and would make a great CD.
American Dream (2007)
Beautifully written piece
This is a moving and well-written short about the struggles two young immigrants encounter as they attempt to make a life in the U.S.
These are "white collar wetbacks," as I heard the writer explain during a showing: upwardly mobile, educated people who have slipped into the country. For anyone who is concerned with immigration issues in the U.S.--whether or not you believe borders should be closed--this should be of interest.
I was very impressed by how much emotion could be included in a short amount of film. The buildup is tight, and the reveal is powerful.
In the end, the star of the show may be the little boy, who was absolutely stirring and believable. I expect to see more from him.