Man with the Camera: Brian De Palma’s ‘The Black Dahlia’
“‘The Black Dahlia’ shows De Palma in a reflective mood, considering the impact cinema, especially his own, has had on the lives and suffering of women on screen.”
Exploring ‘Double Indemnity’ and the Problematic Feminism of Film Noir
“The representation of women in Film Noir is murky territory — in some ways progressive, in other ways deeply misogynistic — certainly when assessing Phyllis in ‘Double Indemnity.'”
Review: Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s ‘The Meaning of Hitler’
“Some of the movie’s most intriguing scenes veer from their intended goal.”
Review: Ruthy Pribar’s ‘Asia’
“A strong and ambitious debut from Pribar, ‘Asia’ leaves a lasting and profound impression.”
Review: Darius Marder’s ‘Sound of Metal’
“Watching Ahmed flourish without words, typically an actor’s lifeline, is a joy. It’s a massive challenge, and he rises to it with aplomb in ‘Sound of Metal.'”
The Tension of Space and Time: Béla Tarr’s ‘Sátántangó’
“‘Sátántangó’ becomes an almost transcendental experience, illustrating fissures in a civilization constructed by an inimitable, sublime design.”
Review: Channing Godfrey Peoples’ ‘Miss Juneteenth’
“One of the most rewarding dimensions of ‘Miss Juneteenth’ is the insightful manner with which Peoples guides the viewer through the world of the pageant itself.”
Review: Sean Durkin’s ‘The Nest’
“Nothing presented in ‘The Nest’ will radically alter the viewer’s perception of the family unit, marriage or even greed, but Durkin’s film suggests that is indeed the point.”
Review: Kornél Mundruczó’s ‘Pieces of a Woman’
“There’s a lot to admire about ‘Pieces of a Woman,’ but Mundruczó’s film loses its way as it continues to untether itself from the opening’s grounded realism.”
Review: Yoon Een-Kyoung’s ‘Lingering’
“Even if ‘Lingering’ is ultimately a disappointing experience, it promises much in the future from Yoon and the crew.”
Review: Rama Rau’s ‘Honey Bee’
“Stone, who’s barely in her twenties, is truly exceptional in the lead role. Her naturalistic ‘Honey Bee’ performance is as raw as an exposed nerve.”
Ben Wheatley’s ‘Rebecca’: There’s Nothing Behind the Wallpaper
“‘Rebecca’ feels sanded out, erased of all imperfection, identity and mystery.”
Review: Sofia Coppola’s ‘On the Rocks’
“Coppola has always shown an affinity for mixing laughter and introspection, and ‘On the Rocks’ successfully deploys the strategy.”
An Interview with ‘Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars’ Filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Dolly Kitty & Those Twinkling Stars’ Filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava
The Erosion of Family in the ‘Poltergeist’ Films
“The ‘Poltergeist’ films will remain eternally relevant as long as America and other countries keep making the same tragic mistakes over and over again, building their own haunted houses for spirits to eventually consume from within.”
Beat Cops: Police Brutality and Film Noir
“Otto Preminger’s ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ and Nicholas Ray’s ‘On Dangerous Ground’ gesture towards the difficult conditions under which police labor while turning a critical eye on the brutally violent detectives who abuse their power.”
Have None, Will Travel: The Villainy of Economics in ‘Blood on the Moon’
“There’s a dark warning at the heart of ‘Blood on the Moon’ that still rings true today.”
Review: Robert Zemeckis’ ‘The Witches’
“Whatever ‘The Witches’ gains from its desire to provide computer-polished eye candy is hampered by the impersonal corporate feeling which results from this approach.”
The Modern Netherworld of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘The Bad Sleep Well’
“Kurosawa was rarely more bitter and dejected than he is here, crafting a sprawling noir tragedy from Shakespeare’s text, grappling desperately with identity in the nightmare of faceless modernity.”
Spike Lee Visits David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’
“The 68-year-old Byrne of today is less livewire, exposed-nerve, performance-art provocateur and more professorial elder statesman…”