Have None, Will Travel: The Villainy of Economics in ‘Blood on the Moon’
“There’s a dark warning at the heart of ‘Blood on the Moon’ that still rings true today.”
The Modern Netherworld of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘The Bad Sleep Well’
“Kurosawa was rarely more bitter and dejected than he is here, crafting a sprawling noir tragedy from Shakespeare’s text, grappling desperately with identity in the nightmare of faceless modernity.”
Romantic Horror in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Movie Adaptations
“The six major theatrical adaptations of Phantom’s story cover a wide realm of romantic horror, fully exploiting the themes and concepts within the character.”
‘Santa Sangre’: A Graveyard for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Memories
“Santa Sangre’s themes of empathy and hope are uniquely personal for Jodorowsky, and they help bring the film’s horrors and bloodshed into perspective…”
An Interview with ‘Class of ’83’ Director Atul Sabharwal
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Class of ’83’ Director Atul Sabharwal
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.”
London Film Festival Review: Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock’
“‘Lovers Rock’ becomes something truly special whenever all sense of plot and character falls away entirely.”
London Film Festival Review: Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo’s ‘Bad Tales’
“Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo’s second feature, ‘Bad Tales,’ is morbidly curious and content to simmer in its own pessimism.”
London Film Festival Review: Francis Lee’s ‘Ammonite’
“Lee has, over his two films so far, proven a dab hand at teasing out unexpressed, furtive desires, depicting both the visceral emotions and gritty physicality of same-sex romance with empathy and an understated artistic flair.”
London Film Festival Review: Michel Franco’s ‘New Order’
“By the time Franco joins together strands that the audience will most likely have seen coming, ‘New Order’ grinds to a halt.”
London Film Festival Review: Harry Macqueen’s ‘Supernova’
“‘Supernova’ is a film that many will cherish if audiences can be absorbed by the overt metaphors and can look beyond the Rich White Male vantage point.”
London Film Festival Review: Jennifer Sheridan’s ‘Rose’
“Many British micro-productions focus on Britain’s mud. ‘Rose’ shows us the frost.”
Encounters Film Festival: ‘Betty’ and the Failed Romance Movie
“‘Betty,’ through the simplest of guises — bare-bones animation, a bit of music and a wry, haphazard director’s commentary — is an impressive feat of doing a lot with extremely little.”
Interview With ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ Screenwriter Smita Singh
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ Screenwriter Smita Singh
The Gothic Splendour of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rebecca’
“Rebecca’s greatness stems from its faithful approach to the Gothic roots of du Maurier’s novel, foregrounding all of the most important themes like repression of the past and marriages full of conflict.”
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.”
Review: Kirsten Johnson’s ‘Dick Johnson Is Dead’
“Johnson brilliantly arranges and organizes the vignettes that account for her unique ‘living obituary.'”
Encounters Film Festival: The Importance of Geopolitics, Poverty and Donkeys in ‘The Heavy Burden’
“Whether it is economic, ethnic or geopolitical, ‘The Heavy Burden’ keeps finding new ways to frame the marginal life of its protagonists.”
Review: Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’
“Zhao’s style is evocative but accepting.”
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.”