Review: Jean-Marc Vallée’s ‘Demolition’
“Neatly tied resolutions and dime-a-dozen aphorisms feel as fleeting and immaterial as a television drama, while any lasting impression must be hard-fought and pried from between the lines of the script.”
Is Michael Mann’s Horror ‘The Keep’ a Hidden Gem? Well…
“Really, the main worth of The Keep is as a curiosity; to see a significantly different career path that Mann could have taken had this film had any sort of positive impact on pop culture.”
Review: Jason Bateman’s ‘The Family Fang’
“Bateman brings the full force of his directorial ability to the film, finding beauty in every camera placement and character movement.”
Why Criticism: The Deception of Plain Style
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
We Failed This Film: Pete Travis and Alex Garland’s ‘Dredd’ (2012)
A Series by Dylan Moses Griffin
IndieLisboa 2016 Review: José Barahona’s ‘I Was in Lisbon and Remembered You’
“Sometimes the most difficult kind of review to write is one for a film that’s full of good intentions; a film that’s never outright hateful or anything like that, but lacking or floundering when it comes to certain decisions at a script or direction level.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Love Streams’ (John Cassavetes, 1984)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Review: László Nemes’ ‘Son of Saul’
“Grappling with themes of self-preservation and mental stability amongst abject barbarity, ‘Son of Saul’ packs an emotional punch all its own, while seeking to convey the essence of an individual living in abhorrent chaos.”
Why Criticism: Andrew Sarris vs. Pauline Kael
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Capitolo 20: Mi Fido Di Te / Ermanno Olmi’s ‘I fidanzati’
A Series on Italian Cinema by Q.V. Hough
His Blazing Automatics: Can Jason Bourne Change the Action Genre Again?
A Column on Action Films by Dylan Moses Griffin
Stranger With My Face Festival 2016: ‘Evolution’ and ‘The Love Witch’
“Horror and femininity run hand in hand.”
Review: Don Cheadle’s ‘Miles Ahead’
“In keeping with the tempo and improvisational flair of his subject, Don Cheadle has succeeded in breaking through the standard tediums of biographical film.”
Review: Ben Wheatley’s ‘High-Rise’
“‘High-Rise’ gazes without flinching at a cavalcade of violence without ever feeling like it’s truly stepped into the muck.”
Why Criticism: In Defence of the Personal
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Review: Mike Flanagan’s ‘Hush’
“‘Hush’ has some very interesting moving parts in what amounts to an average film.”
The Feminine Grotesque #9: Learning How to Live – On ‘Eve’s Bayou’
“‘Eve’s Bayou’ is like a living poem, deftly exploring the way memory can both comfort and haunt us, long after the actual wounds of our tragedies heal.”
Capitolo 20: Intro / Ermanno Olmi’s ‘Il Posto’ / Cosa Sei Disposto a Perdere
A Series on Italian Cinema by Q.V. Hough
Tribeca Viewpoints: José Villalobos’ ‘The Charro of Toluquilla’
“‘The Charro of Toluquilla’ is definitely worth seeing, as Jaime is a character that you will not soon forget.”
We Failed This Film: David Lowery’s ‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’ (2013)
A Series by Dylan Moses Griffin