Review: Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’
“If time has the power to render every structure and memory as null, then here are the moments that define humanity; here are the moments that we hope to remember.”
London Film Festival Review: Todd Haynes’ ‘Wonderstruck’
“This kind of world recreation doesn’t come cheap, and it’s a delight to see a filmmaker of Haynes’ caliber given such a worthy budget.”
London Film Festival Review: Andrew Haigh‘s ‘Lean on Pete’
“‘Lean on Pete’ hits the mark emotionally and reveals itself to be a poised, moving film.”
New York Film Festival Review: Serge Bozon’s ‘Madame Hyde’
“‘Madame Hyde’ crystallizes its views about the absurd limitations in trying to communicate the abstract gift of knowledge.”
Review: Darren Aronofsky’s ‘mother!’
“If ‘mother!’ lacks the refinement of a manifesto for a new breed of movie theater flick, it makes up for it in the audacity to be unique.”
TIFF 2017 Review: Lucrecia Martel’s ‘Zama’
“‘Zama’ is the kind of historical film that refuses to concede even the smallest positivity to the history in question.”
TIFF 2017 Review: Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’
“Guillermo del Toro may very well be cinema’s reigning master of monster mythology.”
TIFF 2017 Review (Wavelengths): Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel’s ‘Caniba’
“Have they never heard of negative space?”
TIFF 2017 Review: Govinda Van Maele’s ‘Gutland’
“The brooding ominousness Van Maele plays with throughout seems to run through many of this year’s European offerings.”
Andy Muschietti’s ‘It’ Struggles with Adaptation
“As an adaptation of a great 20th century novel, ‘It’ completely misses the mark.”
TIFF 2017 Review: Alexander Payne’s ‘Downsizing’
“‘Downsizing’ thinks it has big ideas, but artistically and intellectually, it’s as small as its protagonists.”
TIFF 2017 Review: Michael Haneke’s ‘Happy End’
“In ‘Happy End,’ writer/director Michael Haneke coalesces several of his recurring fixations.”
TIFF 2017 Review (Wavelengths): Denis Côté’s ‘A Skin So Soft’
“There’s an odd fraternity in their grease rubdowns and muscle worship.”
Review: Matt Spicer’s ‘Ingrid Goes West’
“Unexplored potential aside, there is a deeper issue which casts ‘Ingrid Goes West,’ for me at least, in a pale rather than neon light.”
Review: Eliza Hittman’s ‘Beach Rats’
“Hittman has created a powerful, sensual film about identity, loss and the complicated space that often lies between desire and expectation.”
Review: Fabrice Du Welz’s ‘Message from the King’ (Netflix Original)
“For the most part, ‘Message from the King’ doesn’t mess around.”
Fantasia Film Festival 2017 Review: Federica Di Giacomo’s ‘Libera Nos’
“It’s an unconventional perspective, making ‘Libera Nos’ a riveting new lens on a familiar topic.”
Review: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’
“As a portrait of differing wartime experiences, ‘Dunkirk’ is too plot-oriented to be successful.”
Review: Esteban Crespo’s ‘Amar’
“‘Amar’ is passionate without being pretentious.”
Review: David Lowery’s ‘A Ghost Story’
“For Lowery, cosmic-historic memory is the supernatural, and this is his translation of the myth. And it is woeful.”