‘The House Is Black’ and The Radical Spirit of Forugh Farrokhzad
“Much like Farrokhzad’s poems, ‘The House Is Black’ pushes the viewer and its subjects to strive for some kind of freedom, whether emotional, spiritual or political.”
‘Cotton Comes to Harlem’ – The Neo-Noir That Black America Needed
“At first blush, ‘Cotton Comes to Harlem’ may not seem like a traditional noir production. But over time, the 1970 film has become one of the most vivid examples of the genre being inclusive.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: C.B Yi’s ‘Moneyboys’
“‘Moneyboys’ is the first of a planned thematic trilogy from Yi, which is good news — this is the kind of promising debut that will make audiences eager to see what he does next.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: Kira Kovalenko’s ‘Unclenching the Fists’
“‘Unclenching the Fists’ is a haunting watch, but a substantial one; a movie that will move Kovalenko up to the next tier of filmmakers in the arthouse and festival circuit.”
Review: Joe Raffa’s ‘Downeast’
“Even though ‘Downeast’ suffers from thinly-written supporting characters, the lead performances keep the film above water.”
Review: François Ozon’s ‘Summer of 85’
“‘Summer of 85’ is a well-designed coming-of-age work that makes for a sentimental and sensual drama, even if it fails to meet its potential.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: Teodora Mihai’s ‘La Civil’
“‘La Civil’ excels as a character study of a woman putting herself in considerable danger to find her daughter — but when viewed as a crime procedural, the necessity of relying on various tropes does the film a disservice.”
Review: Cate Shortland’s ‘Black Widow’
“Shortland brings her keen feature filmmaking chops to ‘Black Widow’ as a welcome addition to the talented pool of storytellers who can match the Kevin Feige house style without any significant artistic compromise.”
In Memoriam: The Verisimilitude of Richard Donner
“It’s fitting that Donner leaves behind a body of work that champions open-mindedness, films that illustrate how everyone is deserving of understanding. With understanding, even the impossible has the potential to become possible.”
Mannhunting: Exploring Masculinity in the Films of Michael Mann – Part Four
“Masculinity in Mann’s world is its own prison, a conundrum of duality, a question of what someone will stand for and the masks they may wear while striving for an identity.”
Review: Janicza Bravo’s ‘Zola’
“‘Zola’ is riveting, and the film’s rich array of cinematic techniques and performances upend convention, even if its narrative and story tend to falter.”
Janicza Bravo Takes ‘Zola’ on the Road
“‘Zola’ is a star-making opportunity that Paige owns with every raised eyebrow and skeptical look.”
Review: Caleb Michael Johnson’s ‘The Carnivores’
“Johnson doesn’t create a specific sense of place in ‘The Carnivores,’ nor does he develop the characters into anything more than cyphers for American angst that a million Sundance films have delivered before.”
Review: Michael Caton-Jones’ ‘Our Ladies’
“‘Our Ladies’ may resonate with those appreciative of the 90s, but the film’s lack of critical insight on the gender politics of negotiating sex undermines its purported feminism…”
Review: Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’
“Questlove assembles the wide range of elements with the skill of a seasoned scholar and practitioner, blending songs with memories in a master mix made especially challenging given the staggering amount of talent and the desire to tell the accompanying story.”
Review: Óskar Páll Sveinsson’s ‘Against the Current’
“With unparalleled imagery from the air of Iceland’s stunning coast, ‘Against the Current’ is, quite simply, a pleasure to watch.”
Review: Powell Robinson and Patrick Robert Young’s ‘Threshold’
“For all its islands of promise, ‘Threshold’ is really just a passable family addiction drama with horror elements that are never fully realized.”
Review: Josh Ruben’s ‘Werewolves Within’
“‘Werewolves Within’ has a puckish charm that’s difficult to resist. In spite of everything working against it, Ruben’s movie is eminently watchable thanks in large part to the brilliant cast, led confidently by Richardson.”
Review: Joe Denardo and Paul Felten’s ‘Slow Machine’
“The conspiratorial is everywhere in ‘Slow Machine’ but doesn’t come into focus.”
Smoke ‘Em: ‘The Fast and the Furious’ at 20
Joey Keogh on the 20th Anniversary of ‘The Fast and the Furious’