Review: Lena Dunham’s ‘Catherine Called Birdy’
“Dunham delivers the most polished and confident feature of the four she has made so far…”
An Interview with ‘I’m Not the River Jhelum’ Filmmaker Prabhash Chandra
‘I’m Not the River Jhelum’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2022 movie with filmmaker Prabhash Chandra.
Marc Shaffer Explores the Legend of Helios in ‘Exposing Muybridge’
“At just under 90 minutes, ‘Exposing Muybridge’ doesn’t wear out its welcome, but there are a few aspects of the subject’s colorful legacy that could have used more detail and consideration.”
Tearing ‘Hellraiser’ Apart to Its Artistic Core
“Hellraiser’s creators channel the works of Francis Bacon, Walter Sickert, Allen Jones and Zdzisław Beksiński. These impressionist and surrealist craftsmen, like Barker and Randel, expose the horrors of their lifetime to the populace at large.”
A Reductive Montage of Love: ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’
“‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ succeeds when viewed as a celebratory snapshot of the Big Apple’s pre-9/11 rock youth. Still, the overall approach feels off and somewhat uninspired.”
An Interview with ‘Powai’ Filmmaker Kuldip Patel
‘Powai’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2022 movie with filmmaker Kuldip Patel.
London Film Festival Review: Alice Diop’s ‘Saint Omer’
“‘Saint Omer’ isn’t a film that looks at gendered and racial dynamics in the courtroom; it’s a film that looks at the ideological puppet strings that define those gendered and racial dynamics beyond immediate visibility.”
‘Both Sides of the Blade’: Claire Denis and Juliette Binoche Team Again in Silver Bear Winner
“Be it film, novel, poem or song, the triangle is one of the most frequent tropes in storytelling. Denis is such a gifted moviemaker, though, that cliche is absent from the precise and specific moments inside her intelligently constructed universe.”
London Film Festival Review: Noah Baumbach’s ‘White Noise’
“At its best, Noah Baumbach’s impressive and thoroughly decent adaptation of ‘White Noise’ interestingly discusses people’s relatable ownership of secrets yet complete inability to internalize them.”
Back and Forth and All Around Through Hell and Rain: Nicolette Krebitz’s ‘Wild’
“‘Wild’ is a strong showcase for Stangenberg, an actress who embodies a specific kind of sorrow.”
London Film Festival Review: Laura Poitras’ ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’
“Poitras avoids melodrama, catharsis and sensationalism in ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.’ The result is acutely devastating.”
London Film Festival Review: Maria Schrader’s ‘She Said’
“It is hard to partake in the self-congratulatory tone of She Said’s conclusion.”
Review: David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween Ends’
“‘Halloween Ends’ succeeds or fails on the strength of Campbell’s performance, and the young, relatively new performer is a revelation.”
Brett Morgen Keeps His ‘Lectric Eye on the Iconic David Bowie in ‘Moonage Daydream’
“‘Moonage Daydream’ is committed to art and artist. With few exceptions, like the acknowledgement of Bowie’s love for Iman, private life stays private.”
London Film Festival Review: Mia Hansen-Løve’s ‘One Fine Morning’
“‘One Fine Morning’ is an exercise in comparatively calm, delicate cinema. It balances serenity with pathos and never strays from realism, in contradistinction to Hansen-Løve’s previous film — the highly metafictional, altogether more playful ‘Bergman Island.'”
How to Cannonball an Aquarium
“‘Tales from the Gimli Hospital’ is an accessible and logical entry point for Maddin-curious cinephiles.”
An Interview with ‘The Road to Kuthriyar’ Filmmaker Bharat Mirle
‘The Road to Kuthriyar’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2021 drama movie with filmmaker Bharat Mirle.
‘Nothing Compares’: Kathryn Ferguson Covers Sinéad O’Connor in Strong Music Doc
“Ferguson applies remarkable editorial skill to make judicious choices regarding what to keep in ‘Nothing Compares’ and what to omit.”
London Film Festival Review: Georgia Oakley’s ‘Blue Jean’
“Oakley constructs a landscape in ‘Blue Jean’ that responds to the cruelty of real society with a stark generosity. As a result, the audience is invited to sympathize with as many characters as possible.”
On ‘The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes,’ ‘Blonde’ and Fatalist Netflix Filmmaking
“A fatalist flick like ‘Blonde’ — which, importantly, is not a biopic — and serial killer documentaries like ‘The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes’ can at once be exploitative and insightful. Both things can be true.”