‘Anonymous Club’: A Gift from the Rock Gods
“Cohen poignantly investigates the anxieties of an untraditional rocker who is expected to fulfill traditional industry duties.”
TIFF Review: Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’
“Fraser keeps Charlie’s fully formed humanity at the forefront of ‘The Whale,’ despite various filmmaking decisions that could flatten his character into a saccharine pity case.”
Making Sense of the Bullocks: Examining the Punk Unpleasantries of ‘Pistol’ and ‘Sid and Nancy’
“FX’s ‘Pistol’ stays true to the chaotic nature of the Sex Pistols and manages to sprinkle in some of that Boyle pop energy.”
Review: Agnieszka Smoczynska’s ‘The Silent Twins’
“‘The Silent Twins’ plugs away without the urgency or rising stakes that would invite viewers to identify with the special world inhabited by the female protagonists.”
Make Your Own Kind of Music (Even If Nobody Else Sings Along)
“‘Do Revenge’ may not appeal to 40-somethings who grew up with ‘Reality Bites’ or ‘American Pie,’ but the character dynamics will indeed resonate with younger moviegoers who care more about individualism and transparency than reductive identity politics.”
Dissecting Toxic Masculinity in Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Cinema
“With contemporary independent filmmakers like Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and his lot who stay true to their singular vision and distinctive voice, the rising new wave of Indian cinema looks set to grow bigger and stronger in the near future.”
Review: Christian Tafdrup’s ‘Speak No Evil’
“‘Speak No Evil’ is a horror-comedy of manners, and the performances are solid throughout, particularly from the children, but the movie’s cynical, meaningless and utterly contrived conclusion feels like a cheat after everything that’s come before.”
‘Neptune Frost’: Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams Project the Future
“‘Neptune Frost’ challenges and frustrates, and often leaves one wishing for more clarity. But it is filled with poetry, and it understands the importance of projecting an alternative to our reality.”
Review: Eva Vitija’s ‘Loving Highsmith’
“‘Loving Highsmith’ is like a carefully curated Instagram account — it tells part of the story and avoids the messy stuff.”
Rich Man, Poor Man: Keith Maitland’s ‘Dear Mr. Brody’
“Maitland’s sense of graphic design and visual organization are chief pleasures of ‘Dear Mr. Brody.'”
Review: Bertrand Mandico’s ‘After Blue’
“‘After Blue’ isn’t completely impenetrable, and it is lovely to look at, but if there’s a strong feminist statement being made — underneath the flagrant nudity and sexual escapades — it’s buried pretty deep.”
Review: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s ‘Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America’
“Directors Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler blend creative visual storytelling with keen legal and historical acumen to transform Jeffery Robinson’s potent stage lecture into one of the most vital documentaries of the year.”
Review: Philipp Virus’ ‘Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.’
“Director Philipp Reichenheim (who also uses the handle Philipp Virus) compiles a serviceable primer on the wall of sound produced by one of the seminal power trios of 1980s independent/DIY music.”
I Love You, Man: Celebrating ‘Superbad’ and Its Embrace of Male Friendship
“‘Superbad’ has stood the test of time, and will continue to do so, because there are so few movies that tackle male friendships in such a brutally honest manner, with care and attention, and without falling back on sarcasm once all is said and done.”
Review: Audrey Diwan’s ‘Happening’
“‘Happening’ will remind viewers of Eliza Hittman’s ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ for the way in which both films present the practical challenges faced by women seeking abortion care.”
Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’: Redefining the Superstar Through the Impersonator
“‘Elvis’ isn’t a biopic — it’s a testament to the power of fandom, stardom and art.”
In a State of Exile: ‘The Last of England’ in 1987
“If ‘The Angelic Conversation’ portrays a time where loving affection could be found amongst the rubble of industrialization, then ‘The Last of England’ shows how affection, love and hope are lost qualities of a paradisal past.”
A Film Arising from the Sea and the Sand: ‘Araya’ at Cinema Rediscovered
“Given Araya’s small-scale origins in a country without a major film industry, it remains a fascinating testament to both the lives of the peninsula’s inhabitants and the film’s own creation.”
Collecting Movies with Raymond Rea
Raymond Rea Interview: Greg Carlson and the filmmaker/educator discuss movie collecting.
Visions of the Future from 1995: Touching with Synthetic Hands
Visions of the Future from 1995: Touching with Synthetic Hands by D.M. Palmer: “These films posited that to dream in public, to build new worlds on this freshly privatized terrain, was to risk new and previously inconceivable forms of personal ruin.”