CIFF Review: Terence Davies’ ‘A Quiet Passion’
“‘A Quiet Passion’ is at its best when its silence is broken by images, not words.”
NYFF Review: Mia Hansen-Lรธveโs ‘Things to Comeโ
“There is no right way to negotiate these expectations, and no way to outrun them: they simply exist as a part of life.”
Review: Ang Lee’s ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’
“Ultimately, Ang Lee delivers a smart war film that offers a great deal of empathy to its social actors while still remaining critical of imperialist impulses in American culture.”
CIFF Review: Andrzej Wajda’s ‘Afterimage’
“This portrait of an aging artist engages with and refuses the idea that artistic and social isolation is anything but selfish.”
‘Different from the Others’: The Oldest Gay Movie in Restored 35mm
“History, in the form of motion picture entertainment, continues to surprise.”
Krzysztof Kieลlowskiโs โDekalogโ: Putting Faith in the Everyday
“Identity, like meaning in ‘Dekalog,’ is delivered piecemeal. Do immediate deeds define a person, or are these characters more than what they do in any given episode?”
The Importance of Babak Anvari’s ‘Under the Shadow’
“Anvari proves himself capable of creating a film with style, substance and importance.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Christine’ (John Carpenter, 1983)
โIn many ways, โChristineโ reflects a skepticism of the โI take what I want, when I want itโ system that emergesย when consumerism becomes the dominant ideological force ofย society.โ
Why Criticism: Defining New Cinema at FNC 2016
“In search of new worlds and experiences, this yearโs FNC has been a journey from the physical world to the metaphysical.”
Two Drink Minimum: Christopher Guest’s ‘Mascots’
“Jamming its artistic support into the final few moments, ‘Mascots’ just checks off boxes.”
London Film Festival Review: Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Paterson’
“‘Paterson’ is about that circularity of life that simultaneously brings about sparks of creativity and moments of reassuring stability.”
CIFF Review: Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’
“In a film thatโs otherwise so devoted to giving these women the opportunity to create a new identity, ‘The Handmaiden’ canโt help but peek into their new lives.”
NYFF Review: Mike Mills’ ’20th Century Women’
“With Mills so free and acrobatic in his constructions and portrayal of the characters, coupled with excellent acting, itโs difficult not find them endearing given the wit and depth of ’20th Century Women.'”
Neaux Reel Idea: Randy Mack’s ‘Laundry Day’
Neaux Reel Idea is a Vague Visages column by Bill Arceneaux, in which he explores the cinema of his native New Orleans.
CIFF Review: Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’
“Farhadiโs films have sometimes been tricky for me as a Western viewer, as itโs difficult to know whatโs considered conventional social perception and whatโs considered political commentary. “
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Prince of Darkness’ (John Carpenter, 1987)
“At the heart of ‘Prince of Darkness,’ the failures of religion and science reflect the limits of the human mind to grasp the immensity of the universe and our menial position within it.”
London Film Festival Review: Bavo Defurne’s ‘Souvenir’
“The plot of ‘Souvenir’ can certainly raise eyebrows, but it is this very absurd quality that adds to the film’s tongue-in-cheek charm.”
London Film Festival Review: Olivier Assayas’ ‘Personal Shopper’
“To say that ‘Personal Shopper’ unveils Stewart giving the best performance so far in her career is scarcely a hyperbolic claim.”
Why Criticism: The Tale of the Festival Film
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
NYFF Review: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s ‘The Unknown Girl’
New York Film Festival 2016