The Redemption of Sexual Reality
“‘A Sexplanation’ is both timely and hilarious, a big brain event.”
“‘A Sexplanation’ is both timely and hilarious, a big brain event.”
“‘You Are Not My Mother’ lives at the fringes of folk horror, but the underlying family melodrama drives a story more interested in generational trauma than a supernatural fairytale.”
“‘Waterworld,’ ’12 Monkeys’ and ‘Tank Girl’ posit that when a civilization collapses, many of its customs will be upheld through authoritarian means…”
“With ‘Batman Returns’ and ‘Batman & Robin,’ Burton and Schumacher apply their collaborative and authorial sensibilities to iconic female villains.”
“9/11 was a psychic wound that fostered a new relation to the world, and those who grew up in its aftermath struggled to digest its lessons; some fell back onto intransigence, while others internalized the damage.”
“Come for Lynch and stay for the feverish celluloid love lessons that reach far beyond DKL’s oeuvre. ‘Lynch/Oz’ weaves together dozens of movies in an intertextual kaleidoscope.”
“‘Sex Appeal’ may lack the kind of nuance that powers ‘Booksmart,’ but the film deserves credit for sticking the landing.”
“‘Stealing Rodin’ is one of the most complex and narratively rich documentaries of its time.”
“‘Crimes of the Future’ doesn’t offer the same opportunities of mid-2000s highlights like ‘A History of Violence’ and ‘Eastern Promises,’ but Mortensen balances the ridiculous and the sublime like few others.”
“Perhaps David Cronenberg is owed another kind of reputation: that of a humanist filmmaker who observes and questions, who understands our pain and sorrow as well as our ambitions both intellectual and libidinous.”
“Nomi of ‘Showgirls’ and Betty of ‘Mulholland Dr.’ seem to be communicating with each other across space and time, from entirely different films yet resolutely from within the same universe.”
“Despite its storytelling flaws and omissions, ’64 Day Hero’ is a must-watch for the boxing documentary completist.”
“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.”
“‘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.”
“‘Master’ certainly won’t be collecting an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, let alone a nomination. Even so, the film is worth a look.”
“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.”
“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.”
“‘Downfall’ accomplishes Kennedy’s principal goal: it shines a bright light into a dark place.”
“Hanna Bergholm’s feature debut ‘Hatching’ is a satisfying creature-feature delight.”
“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…”