The Redemption of Sexual Reality
“‘A Sexplanation’ is both timely and hilarious, a big brain event.”
“‘A Sexplanation’ is both timely and hilarious, a big brain event.”
“‘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.”
“‘Waterworld,’ ’12 Monkeys’ and ‘Tank Girl’ posit that when a civilization collapses, many of its customs will be upheld through authoritarian means…”
“With ‘Batman Returns’ and ‘Batman & Robin,’ Burton and Schumacher apply their collaborative and authorial sensibilities to iconic female villains.”
“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.”
“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.”
“‘Sex Appeal’ may lack the kind of nuance that powers ‘Booksmart,’ but the film deserves credit for sticking the landing.”
“‘Stealing Rodin’ is one of the most complex and narratively rich documentaries of its time.”
“‘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.”
“‘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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Despite its storytelling flaws and omissions, ’64 Day Hero’ is a must-watch for the boxing documentary completist.”
“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.”
“‘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.”
“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.”
“‘Cordelia’ is generally easier to appreciate for what it’s trying to do rather than what the film actually achieves.”
“‘Once Upon a Time in Calcutta’ speaks to West Bengal’s eroding cultural and artistic history in the face of modernization, due to greed and a capitalist attitude of advancement at all costs.”
“‘Master’ certainly won’t be collecting an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, let alone a nomination. Even so, the film is worth a look.”