Why Criticism: Thom Andersen and the Critic as a Worker
A Weekly Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Review: Ira Sachs’ ‘Little Men’
“At its best, ‘Little Men’ swings the viewer from the small, important signs of young friendship to the uncomfortable and conflicting economic interests of adults.”
Two Drink Minimum: Humor and the Influences of ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
“As reference humor and pop song needle drops become ironic jokes in and of themselves, stories like Kubo will outlive them all by having just a bit of substance behind the gags.”
Girls, Boys and Technology
“‘The Social Network’ is a history lesson, but ‘Easy A’ remains coldly ensconced in the here and now.”
At the Cinémathèque: ‘The Pillow Book’ (Peter Greenaway, 1996)
“As formally challenging as ‘The Pillow Book’ may be, it romantically creates a love affair unbound by its physical limits, connecting it to past and present through art and literature.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Blonde Venus’ (Josef von Sternberg, 1932)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith