Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: David Pountain on Howard Hawks’ ‘Bringing Up Baby’
“‘Bringing Up Baby’ delves joyfully beyond the stiff pretences of modern life to reveal the wild and lustful animal that still lies beneath the surface.”
‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’ Is Chock-Full of Studio Ghibli Fairy Dust
“While it doesn’t pop with philosophical resonance like Ghibli pictures, it has enough fairy dust in its sleeves to keep you transfixed and rooting for the heroine.”
An Interview with ‘Thelma’ Director Joachim Trier
Sean Patrick Interviews Norwegian Director Joachim Trier
Real, All Too Real: Rakhee Sandilya’s ‘Ribbon’
“Within the context of a cinema that is high-strung and often defined by its over-the-top, spectacle-driven family dramas, ‘Ribbon’ and its smallness (and everydayness) is not just a refreshing break but an extremely well-timed breaking of the mold.”
London Film Festival Review: Todd Haynes’ ‘Wonderstruck’
“This kind of world recreation doesn’t come cheap, and it’s a delight to see a filmmaker of Haynes’ caliber given such a worthy budget.”
Spectatorship and the Camera: Sophie Hyde’s ’52 Tuesdays’
“With a masterful sense of direction, ’52 Tuesdays’ triumphs by turning the camera around to create a self-reflexive and unique film.”
Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
Mike Postalakis on the 1978 Fiasco ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
The Princess’ New Clothes: Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
“The central relationship between Belle and the Beast has the unfortunate stench of Stockholm syndrome all over it.”
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.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Ponyo’
“Perhaps not the film for the adventurous young adult, Ponyo proves that remarkable visual inventiveness more-than makes up for candy-sweet morals and glass-fragile plot lines.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Spirited Away’
“A careful reframing of the typical coming-of-age narrative, ‘Spirited Away’ displays a fondness those infinitely awkward years, while showing us all how important they were in making us who we are today.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘The Secret Life of Pets’, Looney Tunes and Animated Logic
“A series of goofy images isn’t a comedy.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’
“‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ captures the imaginations of young viewers while imploring the older among them to let common sense go in order to enjoy the pop music and irrefutable heart.”
Review: Corbin Bernsen’s ‘Christian Mingle’
“Like a lot of reality television, ‘Christian Mingle’ is funny for hateful reasoning that displays damaging, scary facets of our culture.”
‘Whisper of the Heart’ and the Tragedy of Yoshifumi Kondō
“What would the world of animation be like if Yoshifumi Kondō had lived to make another film?”