More Serious Than Love: Éric Rohmer’s ‘A Summer’s Tale’
“The film identifies the dark heart of summer, the humid stagnation and sense of dread that is the season’s essence.”
Review: Werner Herzog’s ‘Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World’
“It is Herzog’s simultaneous exhibition of curiosity, awe, and irreverence in the face of the digitally connected world that makes ‘Lo and Behold’ a unique treatment of its subject that is not to be missed.”
Mood and Character in Brady Corbet’s ‘The Childhood of a Leader’
“‘The Childhood of a Leader’ may not behold a traditional narrative, yet Corbet’s auterist style creates a memorable visceral effect.”
Why Criticism: Richard Dyer’s ‘White’ and Writing About Race
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Amazon Pilot Reviews
Jacob Oller on ‘The Tick,’ ‘I Love Dick’ and ‘Jean-Claude Van Johnson’
Blindspots: The Night Of ‘The Call of the Wild’ (Recap)
“For supposed ‘prestige TV,’ ‘The Night Of’ is simply lazy.”
At the Cinémathèque: L’ange et la femme (Gilles Carle, 1977)
“A deeply affecting and personal vision, it’s an essential entry in the history of eroticism in Canadian cinema.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘The Devil Is a Woman’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1935)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Thom Andersen and the Critic as a Worker
A Weekly Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Review: Ira Sachs’ ‘Little Men’
“At its best, ‘Little Men’ swings the viewer from the small, important signs of young friendship to the uncomfortable and conflicting economic interests of adults.”
Two Drink Minimum: Humor and the Influences of ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
“As reference humor and pop song needle drops become ironic jokes in and of themselves, stories like Kubo will outlive them all by having just a bit of substance behind the gags.”
Extraneous Evidence: The Night Of ‘Ordinary Death’ (Recap)
“Chandra goes from being a charming ingénue to a woeful bastion of ignorance even more secluded from society than the eczema-plagued Jack.”
Girls, Boys and Technology
“‘The Social Network’ is a history lesson, but ‘Easy A’ remains coldly ensconced in the here and now.”
At the Cinémathèque: ‘The Pillow Book’ (Peter Greenaway, 1996)
“As formally challenging as ‘The Pillow Book’ may be, it romantically creates a love affair unbound by its physical limits, connecting it to past and present through art and literature.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Blonde Venus’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1932)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Joel Potrykus and Slacker Cinema
“Joel Potrykus has emerged as one of Michigan’s brightest sons.”
Why Criticism: We Need to Talk About Short Films
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon’s ‘Sausage Party’
“In many ways, it’s like watching the Olympics. You may not understand every event or even grasp the differences between the best in the world or last place, but you respect the talent behind it.”
Red Herrings and Strange Bedfellows: The Night Of ‘Samson and Delilah’ (Recap)
“Zaillian and Price find themselves with quite a bit of ground to cover in the series’ final two episodes.”
‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’: In Celebration of Dramatic Women
“Through all of these corny musical numbers, the rom-com scenarios, and the outrageous ‘I Love Lucy’ levels of scheming, I find myself relating to Rebecca against the odds.”