Review: Ben Sharrock’s ‘Limbo’
“Ben Sharrock’s entracing new film ‘Limbo’ is a perceptive and earnest work.”
“Ben Sharrock’s entracing new film ‘Limbo’ is a perceptive and earnest work.”
“Rob Garver’s ‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’ is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating life led with purpose and conviction.”
“‘Monster’ seems like it doesn’t trust itself to connect with viewers without over-explanation.”
“‘Queen Marie’ may not be a modern historical classic, but its wink-of-the-eye moments subtly inform the audience about the filmmakers’ intent. That, I can appreciate.”
“Taking its cues from the later Chucky movies, ‘Benny Loves You’ embraces the inherent insanity of the premise, setting it free in a similar manner to how the titular toy runs riot.”
“Yimou Zhang’s ‘Cliff Walkers’ looks amazing but suffers from poorly-written characters and stiff performances.”
“Together Together’s rumination on difficult work, new friendships and social bonding captures a pandemic mood, and works as a welcome addition to the niche genre of surrogacy cinema.”
“Don’t be surprised if ‘Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street’ leaves you wanting more — that’s often the mark of something special.”
“‘Dope Is Death’ could’ve benefitted from more cultural context and a broader examination of the Shakur family legacy, but the 78-minute film succeeds with its specific focus on holistic healing.”
“Without being judgmental, ‘The Disciple’ succeeds in questioning the age-old notion of sacrifice as a means to attaining higher goals.”
“Hozie nails the greener-grass metaphor in ‘PVT Chat’ with a clarity that reminded me of the last lines of James Joyce’s ‘Araby.'”
“‘Boys from County Hell’ isn’t really about vampires so much as it’s about being proud of where you come from, and of the bonds forged there.”
“‘Clapboard Jungle’ could not only benefit up-and-coming filmmakers, but also young writers who are serious about pursuing a career in film criticism. Passion isn’t enough. You need to understand the business side of it all…”
“Plenty of double-themed movies have been made over the years, but ‘Ride or Die’ seems like an ideal companion piece to ‘Persona.’ Both films are sexually provocative, and both require multiple viewings to better understand the perspectives of each female protagonist.”
“Aside from being a furiously feminist film, ‘Jakob’s Wife’ is mordantly funny, gruesomely gory and gloriously unpredictable.”
“Though somewhat imperfect, Pereira dos Santos’ first feature shows promise and is a testament to his ability to portray queer characters with granular subtlety and political meaning.”
“‘Night in Paradise’ isn’t the ideal movie for locked-down streamers, but it’s one that challenges audiences to find silver linings in dark life experiences.”
“‘Kubrick by Kubrick’ has the effect of placing the notoriously particular and media-shy subject in the room with the eager listener/viewer.”
“End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock’ belongs to a tradition of activist filmmaking that draws from investigative journalism as well as from artistic principles and techniques.”
“‘Shoplifters of the World’ seems more affectionate to 2000s conceptions of 1980s nostalgia than to the thing itself.”