At the Cinémathèque: ‘In the Realm of the Senses’ (Nagisa Ôshima, 1976)
“In the forbidden, Oshima reveals the fear of our own meaninglessness and our inability to face death as a certainty.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Hardcore’ (Paul Schrader, 1979)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
The Style, Sins and Sympathies of Robert Bresson’s ‘Au hasard Balthazar’
“Much of Au hasard Balthazar’s transcendental value derives from its explicit openness to theological interpretation, particularly given Bresson’s oft-commented upon Catholicism and some of the film’s more overt symbolism.”
More Serious Than Love: Éric Rohmer’s ‘A Summer’s Tale’
“The film identifies the dark heart of summer, the humid stagnation and sense of dread that is the season’s essence.”
Mood and Character in Brady Corbet’s ‘The Childhood of a Leader’
“‘The Childhood of a Leader’ may not behold a traditional narrative, yet Corbet’s auterist style creates a memorable visceral effect.”
Why Criticism: Richard Dyer’s ‘White’ and Writing About Race
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
At the Cinémathèque: L’ange et la femme (Gilles Carle, 1977)
“A deeply affecting and personal vision, it’s an essential entry in the history of eroticism in Canadian cinema.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘The Devil Is a Woman’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1935)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Thom Andersen and the Critic as a Worker
A Weekly Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Humor and the Influences of ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
“As reference humor and pop song needle drops become ironic jokes in and of themselves, stories like Kubo will outlive them all by having just a bit of substance behind the gags.”
Girls, Boys and Technology
“‘The Social Network’ is a history lesson, but ‘Easy A’ remains coldly ensconced in the here and now.”
At the Cinémathèque: ‘The Pillow Book’ (Peter Greenaway, 1996)
“As formally challenging as ‘The Pillow Book’ may be, it romantically creates a love affair unbound by its physical limits, connecting it to past and present through art and literature.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Blonde Venus’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1932)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Joel Potrykus and Slacker Cinema
“Joel Potrykus has emerged as one of Michigan’s brightest sons.”
Why Criticism: We Need to Talk About Short Films
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon’s ‘Sausage Party’
“In many ways, it’s like watching the Olympics. You may not understand every event or even grasp the differences between the best in the world or last place, but you respect the talent behind it.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Underworld’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1927)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: So, You’re Covering a Film Festival?
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’
“As in many Studio Ghibli films before it, the male director is speaking directly to his male audience, pleading with them to treat the women in their lives with the respect and equality they deserve.”
A Trip to the Sensory Deprivation Tank: Comparing ‘Fringe’ and ‘Stranger Things’
“Perhaps, in an alternate-parallel-upside-down universe somewhere, Fringe was a massive sensation on Netflix or Amazon Prime.”