‘The Old Man & the Gun’: David Lowery Directs a Robert Redford Victory Lap
“For my money, David Lowery has been as much fun to watch as any filmmaker of his generation.”
Review: Paul Hyett’s ‘Peripheral’
“Even when too much stuff is being thrown at the screen, it’s hard not to admire ‘Peripheral’ for trying.”
Review: Patrick Wang’s ‘A Bread Factory’
“If there’s a risk involved with watching ‘A Bread Factory’ — an honest and untarnished ode to the arts — it’s in thinking that its length could be a bad thing.”
Cinemania Film Festival Review: Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’
“As in ‘Ida,’ Pawlikowski offers little exposition, which leaves the audience to gather any and all clues.”
Jonah Hill Looks Back at the ‘Mid90s’
“‘Mid90s’ has drawn some comparisons to Harmony Korine (who makes a cameo in Hill’s film) and Larry Clark’s ‘Kids,’ but Hill’s worldview is far less toxic and dangerous than the grimmest territory explored in the 1995 movie.”
In Kubrick’s Shadow: Tony Zierra’s ‘Filmworker’
“‘Filmworker’ will be sought by Kubrick completists, but the movie also appeals to anyone who has been seduced by the process of motion picture making.”
London Film Festival 2018 Review: Carlos Vermut’s ‘Quién te cantará’
“‘Quién te cantará’ is a cold, mournful study of mothers and daughters living despite each other, filtered through a mystery with a popstar shaped hole at its centre.”
London Film Festival 2018 Review: Ben Wheatley’s ‘Happy New Year, Colin Burstead’
“This film will undoubtedly become a key text for critical essays and university studies on post-referendum British cinema…”
Review: Bradley Cooper’s ‘A Star Is Born’
“Gaga’s mere presence in ‘A Star Is Born’ allows Cooper a wide berth to go big with scenes and moments that play with and embrace camp.”
Review: David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween’
“‘Halloween’ might be funny, but it’s also the nastiest, most violent entry in the series yet.”
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Review: Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei’s ‘Cam’
“‘Cam’ is an uncomfortable watch, despite its absolutely dazzling visuals and outstanding production design.”
Keep On Keepin’ On: Review — David Lowery’s ‘The Old Man & the Gun’
“Few actors are truly cross-generational in the manner media outlets make them out to be. Robert Redford, however, has earned this distinction.”
‘First Man’: Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling Take a Moonwalk
“‘First Man’ expresses no interest in probing the complexities of space race mythologizing…”
NYFF 2018 Review: Claire Denis’ ‘High Life’
“Denis’ approach resembles that of Pattinson’s performance: pointedly pared down to the bare minimum without fully untethering from recognizable humanity.”
Empathy Through Voyeurism: ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ Review
“Goddard delineates his film from its influences by focusing almost exclusively on character. Rather than a story filled with twists and turns and manipulation of the audience, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ presents each character’s story as a solo vignette, before tying it into the overarching drama.”
NYFF 2018 Review: Paul Dano’s ‘Wildlife’
“The overcorrection for sentimentality does give ‘Wildlife’ a bit of a sterile feel, but the deliberate dissatisfaction that Dano allows to permeate through his debut feature provides a fitting complement to the private misery of the film’s characters.”
Review: Josh Appignanesi’s ‘Female Human Animal’
“It’s a confusing enterprise all around, but — at the very least — ‘Female Human Animal’ is unlike anything else out there, for better or worse.”
TIFF 2018 Review: Peter Farrelly’s ‘Green Book’
“‘Green Book’ becomes more than a comforting story of a friendship that today would actually be perfectly likely when its baseline intersectionality shows its limits.”
TIFF 2018 Review: Felix Van Groeningen’s ‘Beautiful Boy’
“‘Beautiful Boy’ occasionally veers into prevention video territory, but the despair and forced acceptance that David goes through show a side of fatherhood that cinema rarely confronts. Sometimes, your child has to help himself.”
TIFF 2018: Like the Hope of Rain After a Long Summer – A Review of John Butler’s ‘Papi Chulo’
“Apart from fantastic performances from its cast, especially Bomer and Patiño, Papi Chulo’s biggest strength is the subtlety and grace with which it deals with the wide cross-section of issues it touches upon.”