Review: Kris Swanberg’s ‘Unexpected’
“Throughout Unexpected, little is ever gained or lost, ultimately raising the question (albeit a rather absurd one when considering film): for whom was this made, and what is its intended purpose?”
Rogue Sequel: In Defence of John Woo’s ‘Mission: Impossible II’
“Fully asserting the series reboot mantra, M:I II eschews the original’s ethos in favour of half a Hitchcock riff (a lot of Notorious, with a pinch of To Catch a Thief) and half traditional, near self-parodic Woo bombast.”
Back to the Beginning: John Cassavetes’ ‘Shadows’ (1959)
The Fifth and Final Installment of “Tightrope Cinema: John Cassavetes’ Highwire World” by Phuong Le
We Failed This Film: Lana and Andy Wachowski’s ‘Speed Racer’
A Series by Dylan Moses Griffin
His Blazing Automatics: The Cinematic Connection of Chan-wook Park’s ‘Oldboy’ and Kihachi Okamoto’s ‘The Sword of Doom’
A Column by Dylan Moses Griffin
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Mamma Roma’ (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1962)
“Pasolini suggests in ‘Mamma Roma’ that the spiritual beauty of humanity often emerges from vulgarity and contradiction.”
Gaslighting and Moral Blindness in Christian Petzold’s ‘Phoenix’
“Phoenix’s devastating final scene pretty much erases a need for the specifics of the moral blindness.”
Review: Jason Banker’s ‘Felt’
“In choosing to cover so much breadth of ground, Felt falls well short of any meaningful examination of the gender issues plaguing American and world culture.”
His Blazing Automatics: What’s Going on at Blumhouse?
A Column by Dylan Moses Griffin
Film Beat: Cafe Scene from Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Vivre sa vie’
“After my first viewing of ‘Vivre sa vie,’ I closed my laptop, went out and chopped my waist-length mane to a bob. Movies have always had that mysterious power of making me feel as if I have lived all the lives I see on-screen.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Tabu’ (Miguel Gomes, 2012)
“The strength of ‘Tabu’ lies in how powerfully sex is captured, offering aural and visual textures that inspire sensorial memories.”
Review: Bill Condon’s ‘Mr. Holmes’
“The tender performance of McKellen, as might be expected, is a reliable anchor keeping things afloat; the actor seemingly relishing a major turn free of mutants and wizardry — a fantasy icon on fine form as a man not fond of the fantastic.”
The Dueling Cavalier: ‘Magic Mike XXL’ is the Most Progressive Hollywood Movie in Ages (and It’s a Total Blast!)
A Column by Max Bledstein
Review: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s ‘What We Did on Our Holiday’
“A BBC Films production from the minds of Outnumbered, What We Did on Our Holiday often looks and feels like an extended sitcom episode rather than a film.”
Laughter in the Dark: John Cassavetes’ Comedies
Part 4 of “Tightrope Cinema: John Cassavetes’ Highwire World” by Phuong Le
VOD Review: Patrick Brice’s ‘Creep’
“An interesting, indie-minded horror, Creep’s simplicity adds to its effectiveness as a taught, jarring film.”
We Failed This Film: David Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’
Part Two of a Series by Dylan Moses Griffin
Review: Charlie Manton’s ‘Beneath Water’ (Short Film)
“Charlie Manton (The Imitation Game) shows incredible promise as a filmmaker with Beneath Water, as the visual techniques and character staging project someone in command of their own personal style.”
Review: Josh Lawson’s ‘The Little Death’
“Billed as a comedy about sex, Josh Lawson’s The Little Death only manages to explore a small margin of the current sexual landscape.”
Review: Kenny Riches’ ‘The Strongest Man’
“A subdued comedy with some truly inventive gags, The Strongest Man is the culmination of an original voice on the rise more than the triumph of a writer-director already on top.”