The Crashing of the Wave: ‘Six in Paris’
“Despite being an uneven grouping hardly representative of the best these filmmakers had to offer, ‘Six in Paris’ is an interesting capsule of moments in time and space.”
Review: Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘Another Round’
“‘Another Round’ is a high-concept character piece that dips its toes into national themes, but never long enough to put off the international market it’s clearly geared towards.”
Celebrating Small Moments in ‘Chungking Express’
“The small character gestures in ‘Chungking Express’ give the film its soul, but the spark comes from the act of being seen at all.”
Review: Christopher Landon’s ‘Freaky’
“‘Freaky’ is uneven, but it has moments of magic.”
David Fincher Pays Tribute to His Father and Old Hollywood in ‘Mank’
“‘Mank’ probably spends more time than necessary defining the protagonist’s own crisis of conscience within a corrupt and decaying dream factory.”
Review: David Fincher’s ‘Mank’
“‘Mank’ is just the latest installment in Netflix’s self-concious branding strategy.”
Review: Clea DuVall’s ‘Happiest Season’
“‘Happiest Season’ may not be the cozy, easy and festive rom-com that many were expecting, but for those looking for something more challenging, it’s a vital, moving and essential watch any time of year.”
Review: Keith Bearden’s ‘Antarctica’
“The cold numbness of ‘Antarctica’ perfectly encapsulates the constant physical and emotional hardship faced not just by the current teen generation, but girls in particular.”
Review: Sofia Coppola’s ‘On the Rocks’
“Coppola has always shown an affinity for mixing laughter and introspection, and ‘On the Rocks’ successfully deploys the strategy.”
An Interview with ‘Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars’ Filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars’ Filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava
Review: Robert Zemeckis’ ‘The Witches’
“Whatever ‘The Witches’ gains from its desire to provide computer-polished eye candy is hampered by the impersonal corporate feeling which results from this approach.”
Review: Jason Woliner’s ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’
“A finely calibrated blend of lowbrow vulgarity and sharp social satire, ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ is a document — or mockument — of and for the moment.”
Austin Film Festival Review: Michael Lovan’s ‘Murder Bury Win’
“‘Murder Bury Win’ never runs out of steam, remaining consistently witty, unpredictable and super fun throughout.”
Don Hertzfeldt Expands the Universe Again in ‘World of Tomorrow’ Episode Three
“If Hertzfeldt’s ability to successfully expand on the emotional terrain and metaphysical considerations of previous chapters is a recipe, then he is an impeccable cinematic chef de cuisine.”
In Praise of 90s Gwyneth Paltrow
“It’s easy to feel a sense of loss for the great actress and movie star that Paltrow could have become, had she not lost interest in the profession and shifted her attention to her questionable business empire.”
Miranda July Mints ‘Kajillionaire’
“Never weird for the sake of weird, July’s movies are perfectly prismatic, refracting facets of recognizable life experiences through the singularity and peculiarity of her vision.”
The Cinematic Lineage of Quentin Dupieux’s ‘Deerskin’
“Deerskin’s methodology might be new, but the central tenets of its 77 minutes are part of the same cinematic heritage that created Jim McBride’s indie darling ‘David Holzman’s Diary’ (1967) and Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘Camera Buff’ (1979).”
Review: Arthur Jones’ ‘Feels Good Man’
“The manipulation of popular characters outside the control of original creators has existed for hundreds of years, but what makes ‘Feels Good Man’ especially significant is the entanglement with ‘fake news’ during the era of Trump…”
Fantasia 2020 Review: Brea Grant’s ’12 Hour Shift’
“As the debate rages on about whether strong female characters in movies should evoke admiration through heroism or just be flawed, human and sometimes downright unlikeable, it’s nice to see that Brea Grant created a film that’s full of different women.”
Fantasia 2020 Review: Adam Rehmeier’s ‘Dinner in America’
“‘Dinner in America’ is a special movie with a genuinely punk rock feel and a charmingly odd couple at its heart. There are enough laughs and swoon-worthy moments to mark it out as the best, and weirdest, rom-com in years.”