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.”
Review: Angela Tucker’s ‘A New Orleans Noel’
“‘A New Orleans Noel’ is one of the year’s best holiday movies.”
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.”
Review: Noah Segan’s ‘Blood Relatives’
“‘Blood Relatives’ is constantly in conversation with past vampire works without feeling the need to signpost its references. Segan is confident in the material, both onscreen and off.”
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.”
Review: Jon Michael Simpson’s ‘Hi I’m Blake’
“‘Hi I’m Blake’ has a profound, encouraging lifeforce, especially when Jeff McQuitty and Hanan Townshend’s hard-hitting crescendos complement the subject’s perseverance.”
Review: Scott Friend’s ‘To the Moon’
“‘To the Moon’ is the rare low-budget indie that delivers the goods across the board.”
Review: Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel’s ‘The Pez Outlaw’
“In ‘The Pez Outlaw,’ the Storkels include enough material centered on the durable and enchanting romance between Glew and wife Kathy to keep viewers firmly on his side.”
Review: Ryan Coogler’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
“‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is a superhero movie with a lot to say and do, paced well for a film over 160 minutes long, but it still dumbs itself down at times because either the director or studio simply doesn’t trust the audience.”
Review: Matt Sauter’s ‘Dylan & Zoey’
“Acting coaches should take a look at Dylan & Zoey’s bathroom monologue scene… this is the type of cinema that I’m always looking for.”
Review: Lena Dunham’s ‘Catherine Called Birdy’
“Dunham delivers the most polished and confident feature of the four she has made so far…”
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.”
A Reductive Montage of Love: ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’
“‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ succeeds when viewed as a celebratory snapshot of the Big Apple’s pre-9/11 rock youth. Still, the overall approach feels off and somewhat uninspired.”
London Film Festival Review: Alice Diop’s ‘Saint Omer’
“‘Saint Omer’ isn’t a film that looks at gendered and racial dynamics in the courtroom; it’s a film that looks at the ideological puppet strings that define those gendered and racial dynamics beyond immediate visibility.”
‘Both Sides of the Blade’: Claire Denis and Juliette Binoche Team Again in Silver Bear Winner
“Be it film, novel, poem or song, the triangle is one of the most frequent tropes in storytelling. Denis is such a gifted moviemaker, though, that cliche is absent from the precise and specific moments inside her intelligently constructed universe.”
London Film Festival Review: Noah Baumbach’s ‘White Noise’
“At its best, Noah Baumbach’s impressive and thoroughly decent adaptation of ‘White Noise’ interestingly discusses people’s relatable ownership of secrets yet complete inability to internalize them.”
London Film Festival Review: Laura Poitras’ ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’
“Poitras avoids melodrama, catharsis and sensationalism in ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.’ The result is acutely devastating.”
London Film Festival Review: Maria Schrader’s ‘She Said’
“It is hard to partake in the self-congratulatory tone of She Said’s conclusion.”
Review: David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween Ends’
“‘Halloween Ends’ succeeds or fails on the strength of Campbell’s performance, and the young, relatively new performer is a revelation.”
Brett Morgen Keeps His ‘Lectric Eye on the Iconic David Bowie in ‘Moonage Daydream’
“‘Moonage Daydream’ is committed to art and artist. With few exceptions, like the acknowledgement of Bowie’s love for Iman, private life stays private.”