Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Princess Mononoke’
“‘Princess Mononoke’ explores this gaping chasm between nature’s gentle acceptance of circumstance and humanity’s steadfast refusal to quietly accept death.”
“‘Princess Mononoke’ explores this gaping chasm between nature’s gentle acceptance of circumstance and humanity’s steadfast refusal to quietly accept death.”
“It may sound like an odd compliment to praise a film for coming across like an ambien trip.”
“We don’t who Helmut Berger is. Neither does he. Once a star, he will always be a star.”
“It’s not a dumb movie pretending to be smart, it’s a dumb movie worried about (yet still embracing) its own base stupidity.”
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
“It looks like a ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ episode was produced about manzai after they lost Bill, their writers and about ninety percent of their budget.”
“‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia’ exposes the intersection between the powerful forms of marginalization which shape the O.J. trial, as well as, more broadly, contemporary American life.”
A Series by Dylan Moses Griffin
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
“An enchanting film that surreally embraces the child within, ‘Only Yesterday’ feels like the first Studio Ghibli film to be firmly aimed at an adult crowd.”
“‘Little Sister’ has a uniformly strong cast, but Addison Timlin gives one of those star-making turns that, if the universe is at all just, will be but the first prominent stepping stone for an extraordinary career.”
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
“One of many elements ‘the fits’ represent is this notion of burgeoning sexuality and how young women respond to the loss of virginity.”
“Where ‘Battle of the Bastards’ stumbled by offering simplistic resolutions to complicated problems, ‘The Winds of Winter’ soars by reveling in the dark ambiguities of Westeros’ violent brutality.”
“With ‘A Married Woman,’ Godard appears fully devoted to topical bullet points through an essayistic structure, forgoing conventional narrative, character development or expedient pacing.”
“To missteps when ‘Three’ hews too close to action clichés.”
“The episode provides plenty of darkness, but what it also provides is a sense of understanding.”
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
“Hoping not to hinder the inevitable forward progress of society, this Studio Ghibli gem only asks of us that with each step forward, we reflect on the past, and only take that step with the confidence and hope it deserves.”
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith