“Cisterne poses important questions about adolescent identity and touches on the blossoming of artistic expression in ‘Vandal,’ but the concealed fury of each character ultimately remains an enigma (along with their understanding of the real world).”
“‘Miss and the Doctors’ reminds of François Truffaut with a shade of Demy; ‘Jules et Jim’ holding ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.'”
“‘Breathe’ works on various levels thanks to Arnaud Potier’s cinematography, Laurent’s polished direction and the magnetic charisma of the leads.”
“Bencherif exudes that rare type of charisma one can’t teach.”
“‘The World Made Straight’ is essentially a poor man’s ‘Out of the Furnace’… Still, it’s a memorable spotlight for the always-mesmerizing Minka Kelly.”
“A Hendrix biopic can be tackled in a variety of ways, but a director should either commit to gonzo audio/visual techniques or simply let the performances take over.”
“Joaquin Phoenix delivers yet another iconic performance in ‘Inherent Vice’ and has now become one the most charismatic actors of the last 20 years.”
“‘Big Eyes’ could have become an Oscar contender with more focus on Adams in the final act, rather than a shift towards the public bravado of Waltz’s Walter Keane.”
“The frat house formula doesn’t quite work well enough for ‘The Interview’ to become a modern comedic classic.”
“Jolie didn’t make a bad movie, and ‘Unbroken’ might have even won Best Picture 20 years ago, but you can’t throw the star under the bus — especially in a biopic — and let the antagonist destroy one of the most powerful scenes.”
“Witherspoon delivers a powerhouse performance in ‘Wild.'”
“Angus MacLachlan’s ‘Goodbye to All That’ is a witty romance with real-life consequences for millennials to consider.”
“‘Copenhagen’ surprised me like no other film in 2014…”
“An additional 30 minutes would have benefitted ‘Hellaware,’ as Bilandic’s characters unfortunately lack substance, much like his weak portrayal of rural America.”
“With ‘Comet,’ Sam Esmail offers a fresh take on romance and allows his stars to shine with ingenuous performances.”
“The more outlandish the dialogue becomes, the more Kishi highlights his tight screenwriting with co-scribe Sofía Gómez-Córdova.”
“Matti shows no fear by destroying genre cliches in ‘On the Job,’ and his wandering camera opens up the world of Metro Manila while expressing how utterly disposable humans can be under corrupt leadership.”
“Lawrence is simply marvelous again and delivers a surprisingly beautiful vocal performance that demonstrates her well-rounded talent as a performer.”
“With such a powerful concoction of unconventional narrative techniques, ‘Thou Wast Mild and Lovely’ dares the viewer to touch the flame; a 95 minute summer poem of suppressed emotions and blistering paranoia.”
“Asunción Balaguer carries ‘Luisa Is Not Home’ with her gentle performance…”