Tribeca Film Festival Review: Tom Harper’s ‘Wild Rose’
“‘Wild Rose’ has the makings of a movie deathly afraid of validating a ‘bad mother,’ even if it comes at the expense of the protagonist’s internal consistency.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Mary Harron’s ‘Charlie Says’
“If ‘Charlie Says’ marks the official kickoff of Manson-50-years-later discourse, we’re lucky that it prioritizes the insidiousness of his ideology.”
Review: Jenny Gage’s ‘After’
“‘After’ plays it too safe start to finish. And aside from whatever discussions might emerge concerning the representation of toxicity, masculinity and toxic masculinity, the lack of originality is the film’s Achilles heel.”
Once Upon a Time in Tarantinoland: ‘Pulp Fiction’ Is a Rule-Breaking, Pop Culture-Obsessed Good Time
“As a whole, ‘Pulp Fiction’ hinges on the audience’s awareness of tropes, and it offers something new by subverting expectations.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Tanya Wexler’s ‘Buffaloed’
“No one in ‘Buffaloed’ shines brighter than Deutch, who gives a performance that will completely redefine her as an actress.”
Backlash: A Decade of John G. Avildsen
“Some of Avildsen’s men turn to violence. Some of them turn to crime. Some of them turn inward. All of them know that somehow, some way, they must turn. They cannot survive, let alone win, without surrendering some part of themselves.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Christoph Waltz’s ‘Georgetown’
“‘Georgetown’ is far from an egregious festival bomb, but Waltz’s directorial craftsmanship lacks the flair of his performance work.”
Review: Justin Kelly’s ‘JT LeRoy’
“‘JT LeRoy’ is a movie suiting those who, at minimum, can entertain the idea that we might not get what we desperately want.”
An Interview with ‘All These Small Moments’ Director Melissa Miller Costanzo
Pablo Staricco Cadenazzi Interviews Writer-Director Melissa Miller Costanzo
In Her Feature Directorial Debut, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre Tames ‘The Mustang’
“Not all of Clermont-Tonnerre’s story moves hold up under logical scrutiny, but ‘The Mustang’ succeeds despite its familiarity.”
The Sharp Pang of Growing Up: Rima Das’ ‘Bulbul Can Sing’
“Das’ direction examines one’s reluctance to imagine the future in any detail during childhood. She highlights the transformative power of nature, the way it allows one’s true self to shine through and thus inspires the pursuit of hidden passions.”
Review: Alex Ross Perry’s ‘Her Smell’
“Perry has written an anti-heroine who is wholly clued into her own mythology metaphor, referring to herself and the band’s circumstances using the self-aggrandizing language of conquests, lore and legacy.”
Artist Rashid Johnson Makes Feature Debut with ‘Native Son’
“Whether or not Johnson overcomes the arguments made by James Baldwin in essays contained within ‘Notes of a Native Son’ rests largely with the viewer’s sympathies with the objectives and sensibilities of Wright (and Johnson).”
A Romanticized Tale of Time: Jia Zhangke’s ‘Ash Is Purest White’
“‘Ash Is Purest White,’ Zhangke’s latest film, is another masterful chapter of the director’s artistic journey, one that works wonderfully as a point of entry into his oeuvre.”
In an Excellent Debut, Writer-Director Nia DaCosta Explores ‘Little Woods’
“Sexism and toxic masculinity are not unusual in this genre, but DaCosta’s emphasis on sisterhood and the presentation of a female point of view turn ‘Little Woods’ into a fresh, must-see cinematic experience.”
‘And Breathe Normally’: An Incredibly Human Icelandic Story
“Uggadottir’s ‘And Breathe Normally’ evokes a whole new style of Icelandic cinema, one which is inseparable from the country’s physical existence.”
Fargo Proud: Northern Lights Films Debuts ‘To the Stars’ at Sundance
“The director handles all the confused attraction with enough sophistication that the plot’s actual direction sneaks up in a manner that smartly defies cliche, as well as the audience’s first likely guess.”
Clermont-Ferrand 2019 Short Film Review: Chien-Yu Lin’s ‘The Sound of Falling’
“‘The Sound of Falling’ is beguiling and a handsome work by a promising filmmaker. Whether Chien-Yu Lin’s future work lands on either writing, directing or production design, she’s one to keep an eye on.”
Clermont-Ferrand 2019 Short Film Review: Carlos Abascal Peiro’s ‘Jupiter!’
“Oftentimes, shorts will hammer home their endings, but Peiro executes his conclusion quickly, and with full confidence.”
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Naomi Kawase’s ‘Vision’
“It’s commendable that Kawase tries to bridge the gap between the West and the East by writing a story that attempts to transcend both time and any kind of racial differences.”