Berlinale 2020 Review: Camilo Restrepo’s ‘Los conductos’
“‘Los conductos’ announces Camilo Restrepo as a visceral talent with the substance to back up his sublime imagery.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Jason Reitman’s ‘Tully’
“There’s a calculated precision to both Reitman’s direction and Cody’s screenplay. The film is perfectly paced and cut, and moves with a rat-a-tat rhythm; the writing is sharp and specific, with a zinger in every other line.”
When Hansel and Gretel Live in a Bus: Paakhi A. Tyrewala’s ‘Pahuna: The Little Visitors’
“In a country whose cinema is often just classified under the homogenous canopy of ‘Bollywood,’ a film in Sikkimese is not only a welcome change but also a political reversal of existing canons. It is a small but eventful beginning, a small step towards a more inclusive ‘Indian’ cinema.”
Fantasia Film Festival 2017 Wrap-Up: My Festival vs. Your Festival
“I can’t make any grand pronouncements or bold proclamations, except that I need to either learn to read program descriptions more critically or invest in a plane ticket to Montreal next July.”
Sheffield Doc/Fest Review: Josh Homme and Andreas Neumann’s ‘American Valhalla’
“There is a sense of bearing witness to history-in-the-making and of the unlikely melding of soulmates.”
True/False 2017 Review: Theo Anthony’s ‘Rat Film’
“‘Rat Film’ doesn’t spell out its conclusions, instead allowing the viewer to come to their own upon seeing the images and stories it presents.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Elene Naveriani’s ‘I am Truly a Drop of Sun on Earth’
“In this promising debut, there is something beautiful about the resignation that humanity can be found in surprising places.”
IFFR 2017 Review: Marcelo Caetano’s ‘Corpo Elétrico’
“The film is more of a mood piece than a purely narrative feature, one that prefers to focus on the nuances of being different.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Atsushi Funahashi’s ‘Raise Your Arms and Twist – Documentary of NMB48’
“Focusing on a group from Osaka rather than Tokyo unveils a more nuanced reality of the industry, offering a look from the outside.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Nele Wohlatz’s ‘El futuro perfecto’
“As we take for granted the ease of our own native tongue, we are perhaps ignoring its full potential.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Mehrdad Oskouei’s ‘Starless Dreams’
“In some ways, Oskouei’s involvement can be construed as invasive, but it feels integral.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Patric Chiha’s ‘Brothers of the Night’
“‘Brothers of the Night’ takes an unexpected approach and reveals hidden parts of life amongst Bulgarian male hustlers in Vienna.”
London Film Festival Review: Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Paterson’
“‘Paterson’ is about that circularity of life that simultaneously brings about sparks of creativity and moments of reassuring stability.”
CIFF Review: Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’
“In a film that’s otherwise so devoted to giving these women the opportunity to create a new identity, ‘The Handmaiden’ can’t help but peek into their new lives.”
CIFF Review: Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’
“Farhadi’s films have sometimes been tricky for me as a Western viewer, as it’s difficult to know what’s considered conventional social perception and what’s considered political commentary. “
London Film Festival Review: Bavo Defurne’s ‘Souvenir’
“The plot of ‘Souvenir’ can certainly raise eyebrows, but it is this very absurd quality that adds to the film’s tongue-in-cheek charm.”
NYFF Review: Pablo Larraín’s ‘Neruda’
“Neruda’s shining star is Luis Gnecco, who brings the poet back to life.”
Binge Moviegoing: An 18 Hour Day at Fantastic Fest 2016
Marshall Shaffer on Fantastic Fest 2016
Provincetown International Film Festival Review: Andrew Neel’s ‘Goat’
“‘Even if Neel makes a lousy ‘Final Girl,’ ‘Goat’ is an excellent monster movie, where the monster is toxic masculinity itself.”
Sheffield Doc/Fest Day Three: Grey Skies, Surprise Guests and Uncle Howard
“Legacy can be a tricky topic for any perspective documentarian to cover, but when that legacy belongs to a close family member, and one who was himself a documentarian, it feels almost necessary.”