Martin Scorsese and Bob Dylan Make Believe in ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’
“Not everyone, and not even every Dylan fan, will go along with the tall tales, but amidst the japes are several of the most riveting live performances of Dylan’s career.”
‘Tolkien’ Is a Competent Yet Clichéd Biopic About ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Creator
“Those seeking some deep-dive exploration into Tolkien and his process will likely get more out of a standard biography or documentary. As it stands, ‘Tolkien’ is a merely adequate celebration of the author and the power of art.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Mary Harron’s ‘Charlie Says’
“If ‘Charlie Says’ marks the official kickoff of Manson-50-years-later discourse, we’re lucky that it prioritizes the insidiousness of his ideology.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Christoph Waltz’s ‘Georgetown’
“‘Georgetown’ is far from an egregious festival bomb, but Waltz’s directorial craftsmanship lacks the flair of his performance work.”
Review: Justin Kelly’s ‘JT LeRoy’
“‘JT LeRoy’ is a movie suiting those who, at minimum, can entertain the idea that we might not get what we desperately want.”
Double Consciousness: Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’
“‘BlacKkKlansman,’ fairly or not, will be judged as Lee’s ‘comeback’ movie. He never really left, of course.”
Berlinale 2019 Review: Rob Garver’s ‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’
“Garver doesn’t really provide more than an overview, but perhaps that will indeed bring new eyes to some great American writing.”
Berlinale 2019 Review: Agnieszka Holland’s ‘Mr. Jones’
“A worthy tale of a pivotal figure, ‘Mr. Jones’ deserves consideration, even if it is to be met with confusion and scorn.”
Review: Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Lords of Chaos’
“‘Lords of Chaos’ is a nasty little treat: involving, fascinating and often shocking.”
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.”
‘On the Basis of Sex’: Mimi Leder Looks at Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Early Work
“The biopic-wary should applaud ‘On the Basis of Sex’ for its avoidance of the temptation to cover a longer chronology of Bader Ginsburg’s life and career.”
Review: Josie Rourke’s ‘Mary Queen of Scots’
“Dramatic license is so much a given that discussions of authenticity are as damned as they are damning.”
Review: Jennifer Fox’s ‘The Tale’
“With ‘The Tale,’ Jennifer Fox addresses a painful subject in a straightforward and clear-eyed manner.”
Ballad of Lee Israel: Marielle Heller’s Excellent ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’
“‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ is simultaneously suspenseful and laidback.”
The Harmony of ‘At Eternity’s Gate’ and ‘Loving Vincent’
“Both films are not only shaped by artists that understand van Gogh as an artist, they’re shaped by people that understand distinctly how van Gogh’s art made him human.”
‘Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood’: A Legendary Hustler Shares His Stories
“‘Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood’ presents Bowers as a credible authority, but the breadth and depth of the anecdotes leaves it all up to the viewer to accept or reject.”
‘The Old Man & the Gun’: David Lowery Directs a Robert Redford Victory Lap
“For my money, David Lowery has been as much fun to watch as any filmmaker of his generation.”
In Kubrick’s Shadow: Tony Zierra’s ‘Filmworker’
“‘Filmworker’ will be sought by Kubrick completists, but the movie also appeals to anyone who has been seduced by the process of motion picture making.”
‘First Man’: Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling Take a Moonwalk
“‘First Man’ expresses no interest in probing the complexities of space race mythologizing…”
The Moon and the Kitchen: An Interview with ‘First Man’ Editor Tom Cross
Marshall Shaffer Interviews Film Editor Tom Cross