Review: Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘Youth’
“Akin to a melody that resonates in your mind in a continual loop of madness and pleasure, Youth is a not-so-easily eradicable experience.”
The Weight of Ratio: Xavier Dolan’s ‘Mommy’ (2015)
“As a filmmaker struggling with her own ideas, it’s a little upsetting to see a man (of the same age) come out with a fully formed idea of his own kind of cinema.”
‘Joy’ Sells You When It Becomes More Streamlined
“In comparing the new film with American Hustle and The Fighter, Russell’s frenetic style succeeds in the previous two through a shifting focus that feels at bit more at home in the context of a sprawling ensemble piece.”
Q.V. Hough’s Top 10 Films of 2015
Q.V. Hough (@qvhough) is a freelance writer and founder/editor of Vague Visages. He graduated from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) in 2004 with bachelor degrees in Communication-Mass Media and History, and from 2006 to 2012, Q.V. (Quinn) lived in Hollywood, California. He now resides in Fargo, North Dakota.
Max Bledstein’s Top 10 Films of 2015
Max Bledstein (@mbled210) is a Montreal-based writer, musician and world-renowned curmudgeon. He writes on all things culture for a variety of fine North American publications. His highly anticipated debut novel will write itself one of these days, he assumes.
Justine Peres Smith’s Top 10 Films of 2015
Justine Smith (@redroomrantings) lives and writes in Montreal, Quebec. She has a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies and a passionate hunger for all kinds of cinema. Along with writing for Vague Visages, she has written for Vice Canada, Cleo: A Feminist Journal and Little White Lies Magazine.
Josh Slater-Williams’ Top 10 Films of 2015
Josh Slater-Williams (@jslaterwilliams) is a freelance writer based in England. Alongside writing for Vague Visages, he is a regular contributor to independent British magazine The Skinny and has written for Little White Lies magazine, VODzilla.co, The Film Stage, and PopOptiq.
Jordan Brooks’ Top 10 Feature Films and Top 5 Documentaries of 2015
Jordan Brooks (@viewtoaqueue) is an increasingly-snobby cinefile based out of London, England. As a contributor to several online publications, including his own blog, he has succeeded in fulfilling his life long dream of imposing strong opinions on others.
Closer to Fine: ‘Transparent’ 2.6-2.10 (Recap)
“The show is moving without being sappy, fast-paced without feeling like it runs at anything other than the speed of life, and insightful without being driven by political messages.”
Dylan Moses Griffin’s Top 10 Films of 2015
Dylan Moses Griffin has been a cinephile for as long as he can remember. His favorite film is Taxi Driver, and he reads the works of Roger Ebert like it’s scripture. If you want, he will talk to you for 30 minutes about the chronologically weird/amazing Fast and […]
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘The Rose Tattoo’ (Daniel Mann, 1955)
“An incredible failure, ‘The Rose Tattoo’ has value in understanding the confines of the production code and the importance of good direction.”
Eye on Iñárritu: The Misguided Maximalism of ‘Birdman’
“The problem of Birdman isn’t its maximalism, but the direction in which it’s aimed.”
An Intimate Family Portrait: ‘Transparent’ Episode Recaps 2.1-2.5
“Building on the impressive groundwork laid by Season One, the first half of the new season provides a closer look at the trials and tribulations of the Pfefferman clan and also zooms out, giving Transparent both an emotional claustrophobia and a wide canvas.”
Eye on Iñárritu: ‘Biutiful’ – The Existential Dissonance of a Life in Turmoil
“While Iñárritu’s tactics can become tiresome over multiple views, he is perhaps one of the greatest, single-experience filmmakers working today.”
Eye on Iñárritu: ‘Babel’ or (‘Crash’ with Delusions of Global Grandeur)
“Babel is Crash with delusions of global grandeur; a film that masquerades as a sweeping, humanistic epic, but is instead an ultimately hammy, superficial and miserablist game of connect-the-dots.”
Eye on Iñárritu: With ‘Amores perros,’ Alejandro González Iñárritu Kicked Off a Masterful Career
“Amores Perros clocks in at 150 minutes, yet not a single frame feels unnecessary.”
It’s Time to Retire ‘Overrated’
“It’s understandable for viewers to call something ‘overrated’ when they feel let down, however, critics should strike the word from their vocabularies.”
Eye on Iñárritu: ’21 Grams’ Mistakes Suffering for Meaning
“A tiresome example of early 2000s prestige filmmaking, 21 Grams holds the impressions of grand gestures without any of the substance.”
We Failed This Film: Scott Frank’s ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’
“A Walk Among the Tombstones beholds one of the most understated and unique performances from action hero-era Liam Neeson.”
Of Love and Other Demons: Michael Rowe’s ‘Early Winter’ (2015)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
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