IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Ivan Salatić’s ‘You Have the Night’
“Waves are dark in Salatić’s sea, and the sound of a constant, unavoidable motor seems to be heard within every character.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Simona Kostova’s ‘Dreissig’
“By suggesting that this 24-hour period is a milestone, or page, of an ongoing story, Kostova creates an insightful portrait crafted from carefully-observed scraps and shards. The result is strangely dazzling, like a mosaic.”
Horns Up for Penny Lane’s ‘Hail Satan?’
“As a movie experience, ‘Hail Satan?’ often lives deliciously.”
Man on Fire: ‘White Heat’ and the Dynamic James Cagney
“Cagney’s sadistic lead in ‘White Heat,’ a searing 1949 crime drama from director Raoul Walsh, is something well past the norms of a conventional male protagonist — or antagonist, for that matter.”
Photo Essay by Andy Witchger: Kacey Musgraves at St. Paul’s Palace Theatre
Just days before winning Album of the Year at the 2019 Grammy Awards, Kacey Musgraves performed ‘Golden Hour’ songs at a sold-out Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. Check out Andy Witchger’s photo essay.
A Divine Madness: Gregory La Cava’s ‘Gabriel Over the White House’
“There is little doubt that ‘Gabriel Over the White House’ was a test balloon of sorts, priming the audience for a discussion on the merits of the strongman leader, asking them what they would be willing to sacrifice in order to ameliorate the national plight.”
Review: Jihane Chouaib’s ‘Go Home’
“‘Go Home’ is quite a modest film in its wider intentions and cultural implications, and that often works to its advantage from a technical perspective.”
Review: Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Lords of Chaos’
“‘Lords of Chaos’ is a nasty little treat: involving, fascinating and often shocking.”
A Man with No Country: A Conversation with ‘Burning’ Star Steven Yeun
Iana Murray on Her London Film Festival Conversation with ‘Burning’ Star Steven Yeun
‘Finding Dory,’ Restoring Relationships and Finding a Way to View Mental Illness
“Sometimes, there’s a moment in your life when you’re experiencing something that perfectly intersects with a character on screen.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Asako I & II’
“With surprising poignancy, ‘Asako I and II’ channels the humbling smallness of life’s journey, and the human tendency to resist this banal, often disappointing reality with self-delusion.”
Review: Morgan Neville’s ‘They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead’
“Its vibrating self-awareness, unwieldy traveling circus vibe and mind-bending movie-within-a-movie duality allow Welles to simultaneously mock and indulge in the critically celebrated, sexually-charged, Antonioni-style, European art film.”
Dan Gilroy’s ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ Doesn’t Work as a Thriller or Satire
“‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is nicer to look at than a urinal signed ‘R. Mutt,’ but like Duchamp’s ‘Fountain,’ I won’t be rushing to see it again anytime soon.”
Album Review: Boy Harsher ‘Careful’
“There’s no solace in the music of Boy Harsher, only a feeling that we are all facing the same fears and uncertainties. Yet, sometimes, that is solace enough.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Philippe Lesage’s ‘Genèse’
“Lesage has once more proven himself to be an astute chronicler of personal growth in those turbulent and anxiety-ridden years where the mind and the body are as mysterious as they are vulnerable.”
Sandi Tan’s ‘Shirkers’ Is an Indie Filmmaking Dream Deferred
“How many movies have been lost or nearly lost to circumstances before a public release can provide closure for the anxious and expectant filmmaker?”
Out Among the Stars: Warren Beatty Reflects on Revolution in ‘Reds’
“Just as Reed’s real-life contemporaries reflect on the revolutionary ideals of their era in ‘Reds,’ Beatty bears witness to his own, staring down a massive canvas of his contemporaries’ successes and failures, the romance of their innovations and the exclusionary nature of their excess.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Jane Schoenbrun’s ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’
“A thorough, engaging thesis that bridges physical and digital gaps both affirming and sinister, ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’ is a witty, gripping compilation of collaborative creativity and sterile self-interest.”
Fight Like a Man: The ‘Rocky’ Series and Masculinity
“The ‘Rocky’ films have given us great heroes. Their protagonists are sweet and kind, courageous and indominable. They have given us so much to cheer for. But they’ve also grown out of an idea of masculinity that is deeply, meaningfully flawed.”
Hell Hath No Fury: How Women Dominated Horror in 2018
“The future of horror isn’t female, it’s the present. And it’s about bloody time.”