IFFR Review: Harshad Nalawade’s ‘Follower’
“‘Follower’ is a significant film that allows audiences to mull over the reality of how easily we react and get triggered by contrarian dispositions.”
Video Sleuths Press Rewind in ‘Kim’s Video’
“‘Kim’s Video’ reminds viewers that there was something very special about browsing the shelves of shops both large and small.”
‘Millenium Mambo’ and the Four Elements of Mise-en-Scène
“Hou’s mise-en-scène in ‘Millenium Mambo’ is the mark of a true auteur.”
IFFR Review: Don Palathara’s ‘Family’
“Palathara once again proves that his voice is clearly one to be reckoned with.”
Book Review: Chris Palmer’s ‘The Fresh Prince Project: How the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Remixed America’
“Older readers will appreciate Palmer’s deep dive into the history of Black television sitcoms, while younger folks just might find the most value in the author’s cultural breakdowns.”
Review: Beth de Araújo’s Gripping ‘Soft & Quiet’
“The combination of real time chronology with the nauseating escalation toward violence makes ‘Soft & Quiet’ as powerful as it is difficult to watch.”
An Interview with ‘Niharika (In the Mist)’ Filmmaker Indrasis Acharya
‘Niharika’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2022 movie with filmmaker Indrasis Acharya.
The Howling Winds of Reykjavík: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s ‘Beautiful Beings’
“Guðmundsson’s attention to detail in ‘Beautiful Beings,’ both with the direction and script, suggests that he will become one of Iceland’s most exciting filmmakers.”
‘Corsage’: Marie Kreutzer and Vicky Krieps Revise History
“It becomes evident that the director’s preoccupation with Elisabeth ‘coming apart’ at the age of 40 is the key component of ‘Corsage’ that transcends time to become a commentary on any era.”
Robert Frank and Free Intuition
“‘Leaving Home, Coming Home’ is a sharp snapshot of a photography titan. All the ingredients! Chaos and clarity, freedom and free intuition.”
The Pervasive Injustices of ‘I May Destroy You’
“Problems do not vanish forever, so ‘I May Destroy You’ is about the constant fight. Repetition becomes revision. Paralysis becomes progress.”
‘Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché’ Considers the Punk Legend from Her Daughter’s Perspective
“‘Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché’ is not a critical deconstruction of X-Ray Spex’s music, but enough time is spent and enough awesome performance footage is included to send newcomers in search of ‘Germfree Adolescents’ (1978) and more.”
An Interview with ‘Urf’ Director Geetika Narang Abbasi
‘Urf’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2022 documentary with director Geetika Narang Abbasi.
‘Copenhagen Cowboy’: Something Is Rotten in Denmark
“The Danish emperor of cool has lost his clothes.”
‘The Eternal Daughter’: Another Fantastic Joanna Hogg/Tilda Swinton Collaboration
“‘The Eternal Daughter’ can be viewed independently from the pair of stories starring Swinton’s own daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, but the in-world connections provide an extra layer of enjoyment.”
Drop Around When You Need a Friend: ‘Ronnie’s’
“‘Ronnie’s’ takes me back to my early days in Hollywood, before I had Facebook and an iPhone, before I began forcing experiences and friendships rather than just letting them happen. What a feeling to transcend above what brings you down… to feel at home.”
‘Aftersun’: Charlotte Wells’ Debut Feature Is Among the Best of 2022
“Shimmering like a mirage that retreats and dematerializes the closer one gets, ‘Aftersun’ may just be the best movie of 2022.”
An Interview with ‘Dostojee’ Filmmaker Prasun Chatterjee
‘Dostojee’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2021 movie with filmmaker Prasun Chatterjee.
Choose Death: Gregg Araki’s Apocalyptic 90s
“Gregg Araki’s 90s films feel like prophecies of a cataclysm that never happened.”
Singin’ in the Hurricane: Damien Chazelle Takes Us to Wild, Old Hollywood in ‘Babylon’
“‘Babylon’ goes big and refuses to be ignored, even if a much better, much shorter movie exists somewhere inside the messy sprawl.”