The concept behind The Method Fest, now in its ninth year, has always been a curious one. The fest bills itself as the only major U.S. festival that “pays homage to the actor,” but highlighting a part of the whole in such a collaborative medium as the movies only underscores how dependent one piece of the puzzle is on all the others. Movie performances come enmeshed in a network of craft efforts completely beyond the actor’s control, especially now when the presence of actual people onscreen recedes in significance before a digital onslaught of fast-cut, CGI, blue-screen manipulation. Which is also why the concept behind The Method Fest seems more vital now than ever. Too bad that more of this year’s films don’t match their intentions with solid execution, despite the best efforts of their casts. The likable leads of writer-director Jim Loftus’... More >>>