Making ‘The Killing’: An Auteur and His Writer
“Kubrick was in many ways the embodiment of a new Hollywood — brilliant, creative and perhaps a bit ruthless, words that could also be used to describe his first great film, ‘The Killing.'”
The Art of Hardly Trying: Dean Martin’s 60s Swing
“As the 70s dawned, survival for Dean Martin became a matter of staying on the horse and waiting for the culture to loop back in his favor, to mature into the venerated relic who had come direct from the bar.”
‘Creed III’: Michael B. Jordan Comes Out Swinging in Directorial Debut
“Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with a sturdy piece of franchise storytelling.”
Crime Scene: ‘Pickup on South Street’ and New York Networks
“‘Pickup on South Street’ is perhaps the quintessential New York noir.”
Anna Hints Receives Sundance Directing Award for ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’
“Like so many of the best movies, ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ captures the universal in the specific.”
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.”
‘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 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.”
‘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.”
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.”
Sequels Don’t Suck: 25 Years Later, ‘Scream 2’ Is More Potent Than Ever
“‘Scream 2’ hints at our future obsession with true crime and the spectacle of pushing victims to relive their trauma over and over (a full two decades before these ideas would become mainstream).”
Shifting Landscapes: Jerzy Skolimowski’s ‘Deep End’ and ‘The Shout’
“Skolimowski imbues his films with his signature iconographic sense of obscurity and mystique; both ‘Deep End’ and ‘The Shout’ grapple with the tensions brought about by characters suddenly entering (and quickly coming to terms with) new environments.”
Conspicuous Consumption: Noah Baumbach Takes on ‘White Noise’
“Admirers of Baumbach will smile at the ways in which ‘White Noise’ embodies his longtime preoccupations and simultaneously points toward bold new possibilities.”
A Portrait of the Portrait Artist: Laura Poitras and Nan Goldin Get Together for ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’
“Goldin’s openness and forthrightness extends to her advocacy on behalf of so many others who, like herself, struggled or continue to struggle with opioid addiction.”
Maria Schrader Dramatizes a Contemporary Reckoning in ‘She Said’
“Condensing, combining and streamlining are expected elements of movie storytelling, but ‘She Said’ works toward a composite that validates as many facts and details as possible within the limitations of the feature film format.”
Mystical Ennui: Peter Cook at a Distance
“Peter Cook was never able to bridge the distance between his personal world and his many creations, and one gets the impression that he derived a certain satisfaction from keeping people guessing.”
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.”