CIFF Review: Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’
“In a film that’s otherwise so devoted to giving these women the opportunity to create a new identity, ‘The Handmaiden’ can’t help but peek into their new lives.”
Michael Snydel
Michael Snydel (@snydel) is a writer based in Chicago who has been obsessed with film and film criticism since he could read. For the first decade of his life, he could bizarrely tell you the rating of nearly every film that came out without looking. He now tries to devote his time to slightly less pointless pursuits. He writes regularly for The Film Stage, and has had by-lines at Paste Magazine, The AV Club and The Dissolve (RIP).
CIFF Review: Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’
“Farhadi’s films have sometimes been tricky for me as a Western viewer, as it’s difficult to know what’s considered conventional social perception and what’s considered political commentary. “
The Insular Visions of ‘Krisha’
“It’s too late to force her way back to a seat at the table. She should have never tried to get closer.”
Review: Gavin Hood’s ‘Eye in the Sky’
“Eventually, Hood can’t avoid the chance to step up to the pulpit and offer a stance. But even as the film orchestrates its grandly emotional and proudly manipulative climax, it means nothing and everything.”
Review: Dan Trachtenberg’s ’10 Cloverfield Lane’
“True to form, the narrative beats of 10 Cloverfield Lane do unspool more than progress, but the difference is that they’re always based in character.”