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.”
‘Once Upon a Time in Calcutta’: A Melancholy Tribute to a Disappearing City
“‘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.”
Mariama Diallo’s ‘Master’ Calls Out the Horrors of Racism
“‘Master’ certainly won’t be collecting an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, let alone a nomination. Even so, the film is worth a look.”
The Spirit of Su
“‘Big Crow’ doesn’t dwell on the past, but rather educates viewers about SuAnne’s spirit and worldview through home videos and archival footage from South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.”
An Interview with ‘Pada’ Filmmaker Kamal K.M.
‘Pada’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2022 movie with filmmaker Kamal K.M.
Amy Poehler’s ‘Lucy and Desi’ Looks at the Love and Work of Hollywood Icons
“Poehler makes certain to strike a steady and careful balance between Ball and Arnaz in ‘Lucy and Desi,’ allowing them to share the spotlight in a meaningful way far more satisfying than any loose-with-the-facts biopic fictionalization.”
Good Faith and Simple Favors in ‘A Peloton of One’
“‘A Peloton of One’ celebrates the good faith of people who support/believe sexual assault survivors and give them space to find peace on their own terms.”
Recovery, Survival and Extinction: Abel Ferrara’s Exile Cycle
“Few artists have dreamt more boldly and defiantly in their exile than Ferrara; he has faced up to the dark towers of commerce and coercion, the systemic violence that is rationalized and sanctioned to peak efficiency by the prevailing conditions.”
Rory Kennedy’s Lacerating ‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’ Speaks Truth to Power and Profit
“‘Downfall’ accomplishes Kennedy’s principal goal: it shines a bright light into a dark place.”
Review: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos’ ‘Stanleyville’
“An ambitious failure is often more interesting than a safe success, and what ‘Stanleyville’ lacks in narrative propulsion it makes up for with sheer audacity.”
‘Hatching’: Hanna Bergholm’s Fledgling Feature Takes Flight
“Hanna Bergholm’s feature debut ‘Hatching’ is a satisfying creature-feature delight.”
The World Is Cold: Fallen Idols and False Prophets in Post-Crash America
“The year 2012 was the first in which cinema could adequately assess the material and psychological toll of the crash. The box office tells its own story: audiences were looking for saviors…”
He’s Not Even from ‘Round Here: ‘Hot Fuzz’ at 15
“‘Hot Fuzz’ has remained a key part of the zeitgeist thanks to its specificity, but also because the movie celebrates doing the right thing, working together and being a good person above all else.”
Robert Eggers Goes Berserk with Viking Tale ‘The Northman’
“The Northman’s carefully choreographed, single-shot takes and startlingly lit close-ups blow the spatially disorienting and over-edited style of so many contemporary action films completely out of the fjord.”
An Interview with ‘Ladies Only’ Filmmaker Rebana Liz John
‘Ladies Only’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2021 documentary with filmmaker Rebana Liz John.
‘Coach to Vienna’ and the Muddied Waters of History
“The power of ‘Coach to Vienna’ today rests in its mythic quality. The crux of the story may well be placed in the ‘real,’ but the affect of the mise-en-scène is that of a murderous fable.”