sandwichjohnfilms

MONOS , Alejandro Landes’ awe-inspiring third feature, is a breathtaking survivalist saga set on a remote mountain in Latin America. The film tracks a young group of soldiers and rebels -- bearing names like Rambo, Smurf, Bigfoot, Wolf and Boom-Boom -- who keep watch over an American hostage, Doctora ( Julianne Nicholson ). With a rapturous score by Mica Levi (only her third, after UNDER THE SKIN and JACKIE), director Alejandro Landes examines the chaos and absurdity of war from the unique perspective of adolescence, recalling LORD OF THE FLIES and BEAU TRAVAIL in a way that feels wholly original. Landes brings together a diverse young cast of both seasoned professionals (including Hannah Montana's Moisés Arias) and untrained neophytes and thrusts them into an unforgiving, irrational and often surreal environment where anything can happen — even peace. Discuss this with fellow SJF fans on Facebook . On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms Please Leave A Comment-

Is the slow-burn gangster flick Black Mass worthy of recent Oscar talk? Read on to find out! Review by Matt Cummings For all the hype that 2015 has promised in terms of box office performance, we've experienced very little in the way of Oscar contenders. Usually, that arrives in October and barrels through Christmas with all the elegance of a load hauler. In a year that's seen more Oscar bait than catch, Black Mass arrives with a bat, a gun, and a terrific performance by Depp who feels like he's about to use both on us. James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp) is everything that encompasses a good Boston gangster: a receding hairline and sharp steely eyes that give nothing away as to how vicious a leader he really is. Starting in 1975, Bulger begins his rise as leader of the Winter Hill Gang, a troupe of hard-hitting Italians and Irish boys looking to carve out their place in the difficult but loyal South Boston streets. Enter the rising FBI star John Connolly (Joe