‘Promare’ Perfects the Escapist Movie Experience
“‘Promare’ offers an electrifying amount of fun, and it’s perhaps one of the finest examples of escapist cinema during the COVID-19 era.”
TIFF Review: Luàna Bajrami’s ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’
“At just 20 years old, Luàna Bajrami has an assured artistic vision that makes ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’ a stunning debut feature.”
OVID Shines a Light on Chilean Documentarian Ignacio Agüero
Ignacio Agüero Essay: Vague Visages’ Q.V. Hough on OVID’s streaming celebration of the Chilean documentarian.
TIFF Review: Rob Savage’s ‘Dashcam’
“‘Dashcam’ unintentionally reinforces the idea that protagonists must be likable in some fashion, even if depiction obviously doesn’t equal endorsement.”
Review: Paul Schrader’s ‘The Card Counter’
“‘The Card Counter’ is a dark and moody work that successfully entertains and engages, reaching new heights for the experienced director.”
Review: Scott B. Hansen and Desiree Connell’s ‘Bad Candy’
“At 100 minutes, ‘Bad Candy’ should be the ideal length for an anthology, but it feels equally overlong and rushed. The tone is also disconcertingly serious for such lowbrow material.”
Interview with ‘Aahuti’ Filmmaker Lubdhak Chatterjee
Aahuti Interview: A conversation between Vague Visages’ Dipankar Sarkar and Indian filmmaker Lubdhak Chatterjee.
Review: Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan’s ‘The Interpreters’
“The Interpreters’ most powerful moments emerge when the subjects speak about achieving their goals. Their eyes light up, they exude pure joy. It’s a unique type of happiness that bursts through the screen.”
Review: Heather Ross’ ‘For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close’
“‘For Madmen Only’ is essential viewing for comedy and improvisation hounds, but Ross must be praised for her ability to appeal to general audiences as well as hardcore scholars.”
Review: Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin’s ‘Together’
“‘Together’ is a monotonous affair with little to add to either the pandemic or relationship genre.”
EIFF 2021 Documentary Reviews
EIFF 2021: Vague Visages’ Marc Nelson on the documentaries Bosco, The Gig Is Up, Faceless and Radiograph of a Family.
Interview with ‘Paka (River of Blood)’ Filmmaker Nithin Lukose
Paka (River of Blood) Interview: Vague Visages’ Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2021 movie with filmmaker Nithin Lukose.
Review: Natalie Morales’ ‘Plan B’
“‘Plan B’ is a rare bird in that it gets better as it goes along. So many movies in the teensploitation tradition start strong and quickly run out of gas.”
Review: Kaouther Ben Hania’s ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’
“‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’ gets a little too didactic with its final act messaging, but the strong central performances make the overall experience worthwhile.”
Memory and Style: The Threads of a Collective Experience in Marcel Ophuls’ ‘The Sorrow and the Pity’
“‘The Sorrow and the Pity’ is surgical and functional, yet unquestionably a reflection of the imagination of an artist.”
Sarajevo Film Festival Review: Marija Zidar’s ‘Reconciliation’
“‘Reconciliation’ exists in a curious middle ground, stuck between the effectiveness of its craft and touching, humanist storytelling and the wider narrative desires that pull both artists and audiences to these stories.”
Review: Jessie Barr’s ‘Sophie Jones’
“Those who have faced tremendous or even overwhelming emotional hurricanes following the death of a close friend or family member will appreciate the movement of time in ‘Sophie Jones.'”
Review: Eddie Arya’s ‘Risen’
“‘Risen’ won’t fare well with impatient streamers. Writer-director Eddie Arya should be applauded for his creative ambition, but even the most forward-thinking filmmakers need strong performances to sell their product.”
The Two Most Dangerous Men in America: ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ at 20
“‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’ is joyful and silly, colorful and wacky, with a surprisingly sweet core — broken down to its basest form, this is a film about friendship and, at a push, the importance of owning your IP.”
Photo Essay: Artists and Indigenous Leaders Band Together to Stop Line 3
Water Is Life Festival 2021: A Photo Essay by Andy Witchger