Review: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky’s ‘The Tribe’
“The film is nothing if not an audacious directorial debut; a grand, horrifying cinematic mission statement that might particularly appeal to the likes of Michael Haneke and, especially, Gaspar Noé.”
This House Is Not a Home: On John Cassavetes’ Troubled Families
An Essay by Phuong Le
Summer of Darkness: Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ (1931)
“It’s going to be a #NoirSummer, and hopefully some of the world’s filmmakers are paying attention to the simple yet effective methods of their predecessors.”
We Failed This Film: Andrew Dominik’s ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’
We Failed This Film is a series about various films that simply didn’t get the love that they deserved upon initial release.
Review: Sylvia Borges’ ‘Rendezvous’
“Through a series of seemingly sensual vignettes, the director hides the passion that her protagonist so desperately wants, and its this absence of feeling that unveils a misguided and disillusioned woman.”
The Theater of Fear: John Cassavetes’ ‘Opening Night’
“Throughout ‘Opening Night,’ reality and make-believe are interwoven into a mass of chaos.”
Review: Stéphane Lafleur’s ‘Tu dors Nicole’
“Change doesn’t always have to be monumental, and small films like Tu dors Nicole can still be great without high stakes.”
Review: Anne Fontaine’s ‘Gemma Bovery’
“The shell of Gemma Bovery makes it seem like there might be something weighty within, but it’s too empty an affair.”
Love in the Time of Cabiria
An Essay by Kyle Turner
Review: Adam Carolla and Nate Adams’ ‘Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman’
“A plethora of heart-pounding footage (race and off-track) is at the heart and soul of Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman.”
Review: Gil Kenan’s ‘Poltergeist’
“This Poltergeist is an efficient, amiably entertaining riff on an established thrill ride, but the film does little to spook long-term.”
Review: Collin Schiffli’s ‘Animals’
“Crossing the boundaries of reality, Animals tackles drug abuse from an insider’s perspective by inviting the audience to share in an experience so uniquely alienating, it is impossible to fully comprehend.”
Review: Thomas Cailley’s ‘Love at First Fight’
“A multiple award winner at the Director’s Fortnight sidebar of Cannes last year, Les combattants, the charming feature debut of director Thomas Cailley, finally arrives in North America under the name Love at First Fight, an unfortunate pun that does a disservice to a romantic comedy that’s much more interesting than its new title may suggest.”
Review: Bradley King’s ‘Time Lapse’
“Apprehensively approaching its subject from a fresh, interesting angle, Time Lapse never quite fulfills the lofty goals it has for itself.”
Review: John Maclean’s ‘Slow West’
A fresh, vibrant Western revival, Slow “West uses the tropes of the genre to its advantage, delivering a unique tale about searching for love in all the wrong places.”
Review: George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
“Surpassing expectations and delivering a heaping dose of electrifying visuals, Mad Max: Fury Road is what all blockbuster action movies should strive to be.”
Review: Henry Hobson’s ‘Maggie’
“A film that deals more with heady emotional concepts than surviving a viral apocalypse, Maggie is the perfect actor’s showcase for a man long thought to have given up drama.”
VOD Review: ‘I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story’
“From his humble beginnings, to the years he spent in awe of the great Jim Henson, every noteworthy aspect of the performer’s life is meticulously documented to paint the portrait of a great man with an even greater legacy.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’
“An emotionally existential journey through the cycle of love, Fassbinder’s film conveys an incredible power for empathy, and a profound understanding of deeply human characters.”
Magical Mojo: Lee Toland Krieger’s ‘The Age of Adaline’
“Filled with sappy moments but fueled by Lively’s classical mojo, The Age of Adaline holds back just enough to capitalize on its magical realism.”