Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th
    • Herman’s Hermits: Peter Noone Talks Early Career And Texas Tour – In Dallas Feb 3rd and Houston Feb 4th and 5th
    • Actor, Director and Musician C.M. TALKINGTON Releases “Two Steps” Single Featuring Renee Zellweger
    • Hayley McFarland, Adam Hampton and Director Kyle Kauwika Harris Are OUT OF EXILE
    • Skeet Ulrich on Horror/Thriller BLOOD
    • Tramell Tillman talks Apple+ TV’s Psychological Thriller SEVERANCE
    • AMPAGE’S Mark Mason On Documentary FALLING HIGHER: 40 Years Of Rock And Roll
    • London Artist Natalie Shay Debuts Video Premiere of ‘THE EDGE’
    AMFM Magazine.tv
    • Features
    • Movies
      1. Movies – Indies
      2. Movie Reviews
      3. Movies- Wide Release
      Featured
      December 20, 20220

      Daniel Craig On GLASS ONION – Exclusive

      Read More
      Recent
      February 4, 2023

      Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th

      February 3, 2023

      Hayley McFarland, Adam Hampton and Director Kyle Kauwika Harris Are OUT OF EXILE

      February 3, 2023

      Skeet Ulrich on Horror/Thriller BLOOD

    • Photography
      1. Event Photos
      Featured
      December 7, 20210

      Nat Geo Photographer Joel Sartore Founds Photo Ark Project To Document All The World’s Species – Before They Disappear

      Read More
      Recent
      February 11, 2022

      NAT GEO EXPLORER Gabby Salazar Documents Conservation Around The Globe

      December 15, 2021

      Nat Geo’s Photographer Gordy Medroz On Ski And Snowboard Illustrated Guide ‘100 Slopes Of A Lifetime’

      December 7, 2021

      Nat Geo Photographer Joel Sartore Founds Photo Ark Project To Document All The World’s Species – Before They Disappear

    • ABOUT US
    • Music
      1. Indies
      2. Majors
      3. Reviews
      Featured
      January 30, 20230

      Foreigner’s Lou Gramm Inducted Into Metal Hall Of Fame (Exclusive Interview)

      Read More
      Recent
      February 3, 2023

      Herman’s Hermits: Peter Noone Talks Early Career And Texas Tour – In Dallas Feb 3rd and Houston Feb 4th and 5th

      February 3, 2023

      Actor, Director and Musician C.M. TALKINGTON Releases “Two Steps” Single Featuring Renee Zellweger

      February 2, 2023

      AMPAGE’S Mark Mason On Documentary FALLING HIGHER: 40 Years Of Rock And Roll

    • THE WIRE
    • Literarians
    AMFM Magazine.tv
    You are at:Home»World News»Movies»Movie Reviews»Fantasia 2018 Review: PLAYING HARD Hardly Plays As A Doc

    Fantasia 2018 Review: PLAYING HARD Hardly Plays As A Doc

    0
    By amfmstudios on August 7, 2018 Movie Reviews, Movies, Movies - Indies, Movies - Reviews

    By Bears Rebecca Fonte

    There’s an argument to be made that video games and not filmmaking are the true zenith of visual storytelling. With that in mind, I dove into the new documentary PLAYING HARD which follows the production of the video game For Honor through a four-year process from pitch to launch. Giving unprecedented access inside the offices of Ubisoft, as well as the mind of For Honor creative director Jason Vandenberghe, Jean-Simon Chartier’s film has the setup of a truly eye-opening experience.

    Over the course of for years we watch designers fight, possibly backstab, but mostly struggle against the ticking clock of release. We get to know a few of the major players but none as well as Jason, the man who would probably describe himself as a visionary. This is where the documentary goes wrong. Jason is a bit of a megalomaniac narcissist who never quite deals with the fact that he has to work on a team. The film spends far too much time listening to him whine about how he feels sidelined without ever really holding him accountable for his behavior. At one point in time it feels like a documentary crew has been hired by Jason himself to save his reputation so he can find employment at another company. There is very little time actually spent on the game and how it works and why it might be revolutionary despite the fact that Jason keeps saying it is. There is very little time spent with the public and their reaction or anticipation of the game. Few of the Ubisoft employees get much extended screen time so we never really feel like we know any of them. The lone exception is the producer Stephane Cardin, but even he feels like we are witnessing him through the eyes of someone who is in Jason’s Court. Is Jean-Simon Jason’s roommate?

    For the general public, people who are not gamers, there’s not much to recommend in PLAYING HARD. It’s not a particularly Illuminating film about the industry, nor are the characters and their trials and tribulations transcendent of their jobs. I can’t speak for gamers. My guess is if you play this game, For Honor, you’re probably going to love this film, in much the way fans of a great movie love listening to the director’s commentary. Unfortunately, I just don’t think there’s enough here that is cinematic to draw in the viewer’s attention otherwise.

    Related

    Bears Rebecca Fonte Fantasia Festival 2018 Playing Hard Review
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleFantasia 2018 Review: NEOMANILLA Goes Ground Floor On Duterte’s War on Drugs
    Next Article Fantasia 2018 Review: RONDO Appeals To The Baser Instincts (And I’m Done With That)
    amfmstudios

    Related Posts

    Majors

    Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th

    Read More
    Movie Reviews

    Hayley McFarland, Adam Hampton and Director Kyle Kauwika Harris Are OUT OF EXILE

    Read More
    Movie Reviews

    Skeet Ulrich on Horror/Thriller BLOOD

    Read More

    Comments are closed.

    SEARCH BY CATEGORY
    • MOVIES
    • Music ICON
    • AUTHORS
    February 4, 2023

    Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th

    January 27, 2023

    Harry Hamlin Talks Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda In His Role For 80 FOR BRADY

    January 15, 2023

    “Naatu Naatu” Composer M.M. Keeravani On Winning Golden Globe For Best Song In Global Blockbuster Film RRR

    February 1, 2023

    Veteran Music Journalist Steve Rosen On Eddie Van Halen And Book “Tonechaser”

    November 25, 2022

    Pinky Cole Promotes New Book “Eat Plants, B*tch,” in Dallas Nov. 28th

    November 9, 2022

    Author Rosie Brown Talks Ghanian Folklore Influence In SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING

    Hulu

    [instagram-feed]

    Recent Posts
    • Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th
    • Herman’s Hermits: Peter Noone Talks Early Career And Texas Tour – In Dallas Feb 3rd and Houston Feb 4th and 5th
    • Actor, Director and Musician C.M. TALKINGTON Releases “Two Steps” Single Featuring Renee Zellweger
    • Hayley McFarland, Adam Hampton and Director Kyle Kauwika Harris Are OUT OF EXILE
    • Skeet Ulrich on Horror/Thriller BLOOD
    Archives
    Majors
    February 4, 20230

    Jerry Mathers Talks About Being THE BEAVER, Next Appearance At Hollywood Show Los Angeles Feb. 3rd-4th

    Interview by Paul Salfen Next Appearance Los Angeles Feb 3rd and 4th Jerry Mathers is best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, in which he played Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the younger son of the suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and
    Read More
    Featured Music
    February 3, 20230

    Herman’s Hermits: Peter Noone Talks Early Career And Texas Tour – In Dallas Feb 3rd and Houston Feb 4th and 5th

    Interview by Paul Salfen Concert Dates and Details At the age of fifteen, Peter achieved international fame as “Herman’s Hermits”, lead singer of the legendary Sixties pop band Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits included: “I’m Into Something Good” “Mrs. Brown, you’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”, “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”, “Silhouettes”, “Can’t You Hear My
    Read More
    Featured Music
    February 3, 20230

    Actor, Director and Musician C.M. TALKINGTON Releases “Two Steps” Single Featuring Renee Zellweger

    Interview by Paul Salfen Paul talks to C M Talkington about his latest work, an LP entitled Texas Radio, due March 17, 2023 via Birs Recordings. To kick off the record cycle, he has shared the record's first single, "Two Steps," produced by The Butthole Surfer's Paul Leary and featuring vocals from Renée Zellweger.  CM
    Read More
    Movie Reviews
    February 3, 20230

    Hayley McFarland, Adam Hampton and Director Kyle Kauwika Harris Are OUT OF EXILE

    Interview by Paul Salfen SYNOPSIS: Recently paroled thief Gabe Russell is back at it again. After a botched armored car robbery turns up the heat from the FBI, he'll have one last shot if he hopes to escape and provide a new life for himself and his estranged daughter. FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT-
    Read More
    Copyright AMFMSTUDIOS LLC
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (US)
    Copyright AMFMSTUDIOS LLC
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (US)

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.