Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘My Neighbor Totoro’
“An astonishing achievement of handcrafted animation, Miyazaki’s third Ghibli film solidified the studio’s presence, and has become an enduring symbol of its excellence.”
Jordan Brooks
Jordan Brooks is the sole contributor/editor of AViewtoaQueue.com and is also a contributor to EntertainmentFuse.com
Vague Visages on Agnès Varda’s 88th: ‘Jane B. par Agnès V.’
“An uncompromising visionary, Agnès Varda seems unable to acknowledge precedent or standard practice when becoming involved with creative works.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky’
“It is a film for little humans (and big humans) that places hopefulness, imagination and kindness above all else.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation and ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’
“An adventure that lives in a place outside of time, ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ offers a haggard reflection of humanity’s dark side before proclaiming hopefulness and love the ultimate victor.”
Review: Jean-Marc Vallée’s ‘Demolition’
“Neatly tied resolutions and dime-a-dozen aphorisms feel as fleeting and immaterial as a television drama, while any lasting impression must be hard-fought and pried from between the lines of the script.”
Review: László Nemes’ ‘Son of Saul’
“Grappling with themes of self-preservation and mental stability amongst abject barbarity, ‘Son of Saul’ packs an emotional punch all its own, while seeking to convey the essence of an individual living in abhorrent chaos.”
Review: Don Cheadle’s ‘Miles Ahead’
“In keeping with the tempo and improvisational flair of his subject, Don Cheadle has succeeded in breaking through the standard tediums of biographical film.”
Review: Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’
“The Jungle Book is a fun, brisk and absolutely gorgeous achievement that honors the past while looking unflinchingly into the future.”
Dudley’s World: The Painstaking Anxiety of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s ‘The Wages of Fear’
A Column by Jordan Brooks
Dudley’s World: ‘Victoria’ and the Surprising Comforts of a One-Take Thriller
A Column by Jordan Brooks
Review: Alice Winocour’s ‘Disorder’
“It is rare for a film to look objectively at war’s after effects and the violence it instills on its participants, and yet Alice Winocour’s Disorder is not concerned with pity or ferocity.”
The Exquisite Surreality of Luis Buñuel’s ‘The Exterminating Angel’
“A comically surreal masterpiece, Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel proves an enduring and lighthearted experience, time after time, each viewing influenced by the last, and each new symbolic theory dashed moment by moment.”
Review: Zoe Cassavetes’ ‘Day Out of Days’
“An unquestionably personal work, Day Out of Days exposes the inequity of Hollywood’s interior while highlighting just how important female voices are in telling the story of human existence.”
Review: Kent Jones’ ‘Hitchcock/Truffaut’
“Although it contains very little new material, Hitchcock/Truffaut will undoubtedly find a home within the film education community and could become an important tool in introducing Hitchcock’s immense body of work to hoards of “uninitiated” cinema devotees.”
Review: Luca Guadagnino’s ‘A Bigger Splash’
“A vivid and lavish feast for the eyes, A Bigger Splash takes an assemblage of indescribably talented actors and puts them in a pressure cooker of sex and vice.”
Berlinale 2016 Review: Sara Jordenö’s ‘Kiki’
“Kiki is not the documentary that will prompt mass change or acceptance of fringe LGBTQ culture, but it doesn’t have to be.”
Berlinale 2016 Review: Robert Greene’s ‘Kate Plays Christine’
“Kate Plays Christine finds itself at the at intersection of reality and performance art, but no matter how fabricated the precursor, the emotional core remains intact and exceptionally powerful.”
Berlinale 2016 Review: The Terrifying Future of War – Alex Gibney’s ‘Zero Days’
“Like a drunken boxer shoving people outside of a nightclub, Gibney’s loud mouth is supported by his ability to knock you out.”
Berlinale 2016: With ‘Chi-Raq’, Spike Lee Pushes the Power of Sexuality to New Heights
“Profoundly funny, shocking, sad and ultimately inspiring, Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq is the rude awakening that America needs to get its shit together.”
Berlinale 2016 Review: Rama Thiaw’s ‘The Revolution Won’t Be Televised’
“Thiaw’s control of frenetic, vibrant energy dictates every frame of The Revolution Won’t Be Televised.”