London Film Festival Review: Sean Baker’s ‘Red Rocket’
“‘Red Rocket’ is Baker’s strongest work to date, a film much smarter (and far funnier) than its provocative synopsis would suggest.”
London Film Festival Review: Pablo Larraín’s ‘Spencer’
“There is a general sense of otherworldliness that feels enrapturing in ‘Spencer,’ even if Larraín stumbles while addressing the heavier themes.”
Review: Alan Taylor’s ‘The Many Saints of Newark’
“Despite a variety of shortcomings that encompass eye-rolling fan-service lollipops and unresolved narrative threads, there is much to savor in ‘The Many Saints of Newark.'”
Review: ‘V/H/S/94’
“‘V/H/S/94’ is a thoroughly decent installment despite its relatively slight nature. It’s a film which invites the audience to have a lot of fun but keeps an air of spooky credibility intact…”
Review: Ting Poo and Leo Scott’s ‘Val’
“Kilmer’s personal observations and insights are always engaging in ‘Val’ and occasionally yield details and particulars that allow viewers to peek behind the curtain of fame.”
Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Cry Macho’
“While ‘Cry Macho’ succeeds with the set-up character scenes, it fails with its overall execution.”
TIFF Review: Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s ‘Earwig’
“The magic of Hadzihalilovic’s ‘Earwig’ comes in the form of its suggestion that viewers abandon their expectations and preconceptions about what cinema should be and what a story can be.”
Review: Soleil Moon Frye’s ‘Kid 90’
“‘Kid 90’ is a story that could have used more unguarded introspection.”
TIFF Review: Michel Franco’s ‘Sundown’
“‘Sundown’ is in the curious position of being a step backwards, while at least not plumbing to the ideological depths of ‘New Order’ to quite the same extent.”
TIFF Review: Anita Rocha da Silveira’s ‘Medusa’
“‘Medusa’ is so overstuffed that it can’t find a way to tie its myriad conflicting tones together…”
TIFF Review: Luàna Bajrami’s ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’
“At just 20 years old, Luàna Bajrami has an assured artistic vision that makes ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’ a stunning debut feature.”
TIFF Review: Rob Savage’s ‘Dashcam’
“‘Dashcam’ unintentionally reinforces the idea that protagonists must be likable in some fashion, even if depiction obviously doesn’t equal endorsement.”
Review: Paul Schrader’s ‘The Card Counter’
“‘The Card Counter’ is a dark and moody work that successfully entertains and engages, reaching new heights for the experienced director.”
TIFF Review: Mélanie Laurent’s ‘The Mad Women’s Ball’
“‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ is a squandered opportunity when considering the richness of both the source material and the many stories encapsulated within the asylum walls.”
Review: Scott B. Hansen and Desiree Connell’s ‘Bad Candy’
“At 100 minutes, ‘Bad Candy’ should be the ideal length for an anthology, but it feels equally overlong and rushed. The tone is also disconcertingly serious for such lowbrow material.”
Review: Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan’s ‘The Interpreters’
“The Interpreters’ most powerful moments emerge when the subjects speak about achieving their goals. Their eyes light up, they exude pure joy. It’s a unique type of happiness that bursts through the screen.”
Review: Heather Ross’ ‘For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close’
“‘For Madmen Only’ is essential viewing for comedy and improvisation hounds, but Ross must be praised for her ability to appeal to general audiences as well as hardcore scholars.”
Review: Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin’s ‘Together’
“‘Together’ is a monotonous affair with little to add to either the pandemic or relationship genre.”
EIFF 2021 Documentary Reviews
EIFF 2021: Vague Visages’ Marc Nelson on the documentaries Bosco, The Gig Is Up, Faceless and Radiograph of a Family.
EIFF Review: Chloé Mazlo’s ‘Skies of Lebanon’
“‘Skies of Lebanon’ asks slightly too much of its actors; the switch-up from animation and deliberate artificiality to fine-grained historical drama demands a change in style that results in the performers having to pull in two directions at once…”