‘Better Call Saul’ and Mechanisms of Obsessional Neurosis
“‘Better Call Saul’ is ultimately an interesting case study of adjacency that points to a more sustainable prequel model that television in general might wish to use in future.”
Review: Josephine Decker’s ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’
“Decker is committed to immersiveness and immediacy. Her bold and passionate choices value and validate the subjective experiences of female artists/creators toiling to figure it all out.”
The Redemption of Sexual Reality
“‘A Sexplanation’ is both timely and hilarious, a big brain event.”
Kate Dolan Debuts with Effective ‘You Are Not My Mother’
“‘You Are Not My Mother’ lives at the fringes of folk horror, but the underlying family melodrama drives a story more interested in generational trauma than a supernatural fairytale.”
Visions of the Future from 1995: The World Is Screwed
“‘Waterworld,’ ’12 Monkeys’ and ‘Tank Girl’ posit that when a civilization collapses, many of its customs will be upheld through authoritarian means…”
Femme Fatales in ‘Batman Returns’ and ‘Batman & Robin’
“With ‘Batman Returns’ and ‘Batman & Robin,’ Burton and Schumacher apply their collaborative and authorial sensibilities to iconic female villains.”
The Only Thing Real: Meaning and Maturity in Post-9/11 Cinema
“9/11 was a psychic wound that fostered a new relation to the world, and those who grew up in its aftermath struggled to digest its lessons; some fell back onto intransigence, while others internalized the damage.”
Alexandre O. Philippe Follows the Yellow Brick Road in Fascinating ‘Lynch/Oz’
“Come for Lynch and stay for the feverish celluloid love lessons that reach far beyond DKL’s oeuvre. ‘Lynch/Oz’ weaves together dozens of movies in an intertextual kaleidoscope.”
Talia Osteen’s Feature Debut ‘Sex Appeal’ Sends Positive Message
“‘Sex Appeal’ may lack the kind of nuance that powers ‘Booksmart,’ but the film deserves credit for sticking the landing.”
‘Stealing Rodin’ and Systems of Vulnerability
“‘Stealing Rodin’ is one of the most complex and narratively rich documentaries of its time.”
Review: Emily Branham’s ‘Being BeBe’
“‘Being BeBe’ is full of heart, soul and wit — much like the subject herself — and provides a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain for fans and curious newcomers alike; a joy-filled, life-affirming must-watch.”
A Sharp Scalpel: David Cronenberg Cuts ‘Crimes of the Future’
“‘Crimes of the Future’ doesn’t offer the same opportunities of mid-2000s highlights like ‘A History of Violence’ and ‘Eastern Promises,’ but Mortensen balances the ridiculous and the sublime like few others.”
Death Is Not the End: Self-Destruction in the Films of David Cronenberg
“Perhaps David Cronenberg is owed another kind of reputation: that of a humanist filmmaker who observes and questions, who understands our pain and sorrow as well as our ambitions both intellectual and libidinous.”
Blonde Ambition: ‘Showgirls’ and ‘Mulholland Dr.’ as Two Sides of the Same Coin
“Nomi of ‘Showgirls’ and Betty of ‘Mulholland Dr.’ seem to be communicating with each other across space and time, from entirely different films yet resolutely from within the same universe.”
Review: Chloe Okuno’s ‘Watcher’
“Okuno makes excellent use of text and subtext to explore a range of ideas that unmistakably double as commentary on the commonplace experiences of women everywhere.”
Gloves-On Storytelling in ’64 Day Hero’
“Despite its storytelling flaws and omissions, ’64 Day Hero’ is a must-watch for the boxing documentary completist.”
The Volume: The Final Stage
“The old silver screens have reached their limit, and even 4K will become passé. Perhaps it’s time for Hollywood and theater chains to up the ante by investing in venues and screens similar to the Volume.”
Review: Alex Garland’s ‘Men’
“‘Men,’ Garland’s latest, will draw the filmmaker’s faithful, but the modest environs, esoteric posture and open text most likely won’t translate to massive financial success.”
Review: Karim Aïnouz’s ‘Mariner of the Mountains’
“A sense of unfulfilled longing characterizes ‘Mariner of the Mountains,’ and results in a film in which everything is tantalizingly incomplete, the way many lives are.”
Review: Adrian Shergold’s ‘Cordelia’
“‘Cordelia’ is generally easier to appreciate for what it’s trying to do rather than what the film actually achieves.”