Review: Henry Hobson’s ‘Maggie’
“A film that deals more with heady emotional concepts than surviving a viral apocalypse, Maggie is the perfect actor’s showcase for a man long thought to have given up drama.”
‘Grace and Frankie’ is a Fun Comedy with Fascinating Characters and Some Storytelling Problems
“Netflix’s latest original program, Grace and Frankie, has the makings of a great comedy series, but it falls a little short in Season 1.”
Recap: Louie ‘Untitled’
“In “Untitled,” C.K. uses surreal imagery to depict truths about his character’s fears which more realistic storytelling methods never could.”
VOD Review: ‘I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story’
“From his humble beginnings, to the years he spent in awe of the great Jim Henson, every noteworthy aspect of the performer’s life is meticulously documented to paint the portrait of a great man with an even greater legacy.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘Sons of the Harpy’
“Maybe our great mistake is believing that Game of Thrones obeys mythological standards rather than refuting them — or believing that just one man will stand, if it will be a man at all.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’
“An emotionally existential journey through the cycle of love, Fassbinder’s film conveys an incredible power for empathy, and a profound understanding of deeply human characters.”
Recap: Mad Men ‘Lost Horizon’
“Don Draper is clearly experiencing some type of reawakening, and he can’t jump from a New York City skyscraper if he doesn’t go back. Next week’s episode of Mad Men is titled ‘The Milk and Honey Route’ — a reference to life as a hobo.”
Magical Mojo: Lee Toland Krieger’s ‘The Age of Adaline’
“Filled with sappy moments but fueled by Lively’s classical mojo, The Age of Adaline holds back just enough to capitalize on its magical realism.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘Beware of a Holy Whore’
“While Beware of a Holy Whore symbolizes a voice for Fassbinder’s many criticisms of the filmmaking process, he uses aspects of the film to parody his own life and dispositions.”
Review: Olivier Assayas’ ‘Clouds of Sils Maria’
“An Olivier Assayas film in which an artist reflects on their own creative past in a new light — there must be something in the air at Sils Maria.”
Review: Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’
“Far from the Madding Crowd is a uniquely intimate adaptation in its focus on accumulating small moments and emotions to provide spark to its characters.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘High Sparrow’
“Unlike fairy tales where the prince and princess get married and live ‘happily ever after,’ for many (particularly women), a Game of Thrones union marks the beginning of tragedy.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘The American Soldier’
“A surrealist bookend to his unofficial gangster trilogy, The American Soldier finds R.W. Fassbinder not only at peace with his version of cinematic grace but more cynically-minded than ever.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘Gods of the Plague’
“A complex study of character and mood, Gods of the Plague relies heavily on subtly-crafted and detached scenes to amass larger thematic ideas of isolation, jealousy and love.”
New German Cinema: Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘Love is Colder Than Death’
“Basking in drawn-out pauses and uninterrupted tracking shots, Fassbinder strives to make his audience feel a profound discomfort and delights in presenting an errant challenge to his viewers’ integrity.”
Review: Alex Garland’s ‘Ex Machina’
“A commanding first directorial effort from Alex Garland, Ex Machina is the product of a perfectly-tuned collaborative endeavor, much like the mind of its artificial centerpiece.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘The House of Black and White’
“The House of Black and White contains natural beauty and rich compositions that rival the best of cinema.”
Channeling Chekhov and Cassavetes: Chris Messina’s ‘Alex of Venice’
“From the fluid cinematography of Doug Emmett to Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s obvious transition into an undeniable star, the directorial debut of Chris Messina, Alex of Venice, contains a natural honesty that simply feels right.”
Review: Daniel Espinosa’s ‘Child 44’
“A Kafka-esque condemnation of Stalin’s government ham-handedly plopped into a John le Carré spy thriller, Child 44 is ambiguous cinematic fluff.”
The Act of Clicking: Levan Gabriadze’s ‘Unfriended’
“Unfriended intelligently explores the act of clicking and how those split-second decisions can change everything.”