Lust, Caution: Paul Morrissey’s ‘Women in Revolt’
“‘Women in Revolt’ stands in defiance of the majority of transgender-specific cinema…”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘The One I Love’ (Charlie McDowell, 2014)
“A fever dream of marital discontent, Charlie McDowellโs ‘The One I Love’ tackles a failing marriage with sci-fi panache.”
Commanding Leads and Creative Insults in Colin Thompson’s ‘It’s Us’
“Energized by two charismatic leads, It’s Us beautifully explores the process of early 30s decision-making and how one deals with the consequences of questionable actions.”
The Dueling Cavalier: On (Re)-Reading Raymond Chandler for the First Time
“It was my first time reading Chandler, and yet it didnโt feel like it: Iโd devoured so many of his influences that the writing seemed familiar, even if there was nothing quite like getting it from the original source.”
‘Whisper of the Heart’ and the Tragedy of Yoshifumi Kondล
“What would the world of animation be like if Yoshifumi Kondล had lived to make another film?”
We Failed This Film: Joe Wright’s ‘Hanna’
“Atonement may always be widely regarded as Wrightโs best work, but Hanna is his bravest and most authentic (and should be remembered as such).”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Return of the Jedi’ and the Sexy Bikini
“Why canโt Leia be into gold bikinis or even that fantasy of submission?”
The Weight of Ratio: Xavier Dolan’s ‘Mommy’ (2015)
“As a filmmaker struggling with her own ideas, it’s a little upsetting to see a man (of the same age) come out with a fully formed idea of his own kind of cinema.”
‘Joy’ Sells You When It Becomes More Streamlined
“In comparing the new film with American Hustle and The Fighter, Russellโs frenetic style succeeds in the previous two through a shifting focus that feels at bit more at home in the context of a sprawling ensemble piece.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘The Rose Tattoo’ (Daniel Mann, 1955)
“An incredible failure,ย ‘The Rose Tattoo’ย has value in understanding the confines of the production code and the importance of good direction.”
Eye on Iรฑรกrritu: The Misguided Maximalism of ‘Birdman’
“The problem of Birdman isnโt its maximalism, but the direction in which itโs aimed.”
Eye on Iรฑรกrritu: ‘Biutiful’ – The Existential Dissonance of a Life in Turmoil
“While Iรฑรกrritu’s tactics can become tiresome over multiple views, he is perhaps one of the greatest, single-experience filmmakers working today.”
Eye on Iรฑรกrritu: ‘Babel’ or (‘Crash’ with Delusions of Global Grandeur)
“Babel is Crash with delusions of global grandeur; a film that masquerades as a sweeping, humanistic epic, but is instead an ultimately hammy, superficial and miserablist game of connect-the-dots.”
Eye on Iรฑรกrritu: With ‘Amores perros,’ Alejandro Gonzรกlez Iรฑรกrritu Kicked Off a Masterful Career
“Amores Perros clocks in at 150 minutes, yet not a single frame feels unnecessary.”
It’s Time to Retire ‘Overrated’
“It’s understandable for viewers to call something ‘overrated’ when they feel let down, however, critics should strike the word from their vocabularies.”
Eye on Iรฑรกrritu: ’21 Grams’ Mistakes Suffering for Meaning
“A tiresome example of early 2000s prestige filmmaking, 21 Grams holds the impressions of grand gestures without any of the substance.”
We Failed This Film: Scott Frank’s ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’
“A Walk Among the Tombstones beholds one of the most understated and unique performances from action hero-era Liam Neeson.”
Of Love and Other Demons: Michael Rowe’s ‘Early Winter’ (2015)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
‘The Profound Desires of the Gods’ Is a Great Example of Film Excess
“Throughout much of his 60s work, Imamura often examined the balance between ordinary and unordinary people, and in The Profound Desire of the Gods, he finds an exceptional way of highlighting the extremity of this concept.”
Some Great Directorial Debuts You May Have Missed in 2015
Here’s Josh Slater-Williams on four underrated gems of the past year.