“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.”
“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.”
“‘Vinyl Nation’ accentuates the positive, but the documentary can also be commended for at least raising questions about industry downsides to the record boom.”
“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.”
“Cruz has forged a lasting partnership with Pedro Almodóvar, and ‘Parallel Mothers’ — their seventh movie together — is arguably the most satisfying collaboration.”
“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.'”
“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.”