“The Northman’s carefully choreographed, single-shot takes and startlingly lit close-ups blow the spatially disorienting and over-edited style of so many contemporary action films completely out of the fjord.”
“‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ nearly wears out its welcome, but as far as hot dog-fingered audacity goes, the Daniels will make plenty of new eyeballs go googly.”
“‘Cow’ strikes just the right balance between the filmmaker’s self-awareness, which punctuates the movie’s soundtrack selections, and Arnold’s long-game feminist commentary.”
“The side trips in ‘A Forbidden Orange’ are more tantalizing than the sights on the main highway.”
“Alice’s imaginative genre-mashup works in fits and starts, but there is no question about the quality of lead Keke Palmer’s smooth Pam Grier-inspired performance, even if she inhabits a universe that never fully comes together for viewers.”
Mylissa Fitzsimmons Interview: Greg Carlson and the filmmaker discuss movie collecting and ‘Everything in the End.’
“‘Vinyl Nation’ accentuates the positive, but the documentary can also be commended for at least raising questions about industry downsides to the record boom.”
“Throughout ‘Fresh,’ Cave shows a sophisticated command of the screw-turning suspense in the material and the milieu.”
“Bell is as masterful a listener as he is an interviewer, fully honoring the presence of those whose lives were changed after crossing paths with Cosby.”
Nicole Rodenburg Interview: A conversation about movie collecting with Vague Visages contributor Greg Carlson.
“Stigter’s direction transforms ‘Three Minutes: A Lengthening’ into so much more than a historical lesson on atrocity and genocide.”
“Cruz has forged a lasting partnership with Pedro Almodóvar, and ‘Parallel Mothers’ — their seventh movie together — is arguably the most satisfying collaboration.”
“Dosa, like Wes Anderson in ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,’ seizes on the stylish allure of entrepreneurship in ‘Fire of Love.'”
“Baker’s appreciation for even the smallest roles is a chief delight of ‘Red Rocket.'”
“Sciamma’s handling of the interactions between the kids is as confident and as beautifully realized as the depiction of relationships in ‘Water Lilies,’ ‘Tomboy’ and ‘Girlhood.'”
“‘The Worst Person in the World’ shows off the filmmaker’s command of rhythm and his affinity for the perfectly placed pop song.”
“For all the viewers who give themselves over to Hamaguchi’s meticulous attention to detail and powerful expression of character, the entire movie flies.”
“Reading ‘Memoria’ as metanarrative unlocks only one layer of joy — Weerasethakul treats Jessica’s quest with complete respect. The source of the sound is eventually revealed. And with that revelation, the filmmaker just GOES FOR IT.”
“Both ‘Licorice Pizza’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ nail the anything-is-possible look and feel of Southern California dreaming.”
“It is surely a disservice to reduce Campion’s filmography to a study in gender, despite the longstanding focus of so much scholarship.”