Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Fanny and Alexander’
“It is a vigorous and violent film, epic and enchanting, probing and revelatory and voluminous in its ornate, cohesive and exhaustive production design…”
“It is a vigorous and violent film, epic and enchanting, probing and revelatory and voluminous in its ornate, cohesive and exhaustive production design…”
“El Topo’s twisted connotations maintain an enduring, mind-bending eminence, and its aesthetic allure persists because of the unrestrained possibility inherent in all that Jodorowsky does.”
“As it’s applied to ‘Strike,’ Eisenstein’s methodology is generally simplified, with an occasional leaning toward crude hyperbole.”
“I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘Summer Stock’ — it may not be the most innovative or exciting of Kelly’s films, but it’s an unpretentious movie that delights in the pure pleasure of musical entertainment, from the outright silly to the romantically sincere.”
“No matter the fantasy and clash of culture that swirls around ‘Black Narcissus,’ it is probably best that The Archers did not revisit Orientalist ideas, and that they stuck to what they knew best — the human interest and depths of United Kingdom and European issues.”
“The first word that comes to mind when describing ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ is escapism. Not only is it an escape for the audience, with Agnès Varda’s documentary style taking viewers on a tour of one of Paris’ many districts, but it explores the title character’s need to break free.”
“Some may decry Rosi’s sustained objectivity, failing to appreciate that depiction does not equal declaration or endorsement. But with that, there is in ‘Salvatore Giuliano’ a valuable sociopolitical insight…”
“Sayles’ wonderful gem might not receive the attention it deserves — even in the realm of LGBTQ cinema — but it contains a message that undoubtedly resonates today: no one needs to apologize for who they love.”
“Deitch’s trailblazing film demonstrates that representation will always be essential.”
“The movie isn’t just about the way it was, the prudish hypocrisy of an earlier time, or outdated sexual mores. For all its provincialism, ‘Splendor in the Grass’ is a story for the ages.”
“From its hypnotic style to its pessimistic plot and languid pacing, ‘Sonatine’ is a mesmerizing manifestation of the troubling logic of Murakawa’s final decision.”
Weekend Vibes is a Friday column about streaming recommendations, new release hype and entertainment events.
“Despite all its formal virtues, ‘Sweet Smell of Success’ seems to exist somewhere beyond auteurist canonization or even the traditional Hollywood studio stock.”
Michael J. Casey on Paul Schrader’s thematic links in ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters’ and ‘First Reformed’
Weekend Vibes is a Friday column about streaming recommendations, new release hype and entertainment events.
“Lending the story a rarefied patina is the cinematography.”
Michael J. Casey on the TCM Classic Film Festival 2018
“‘The Red Shoes’ dynamically crosses from reality to fantasy, befitting a film that is itself a grand fiction, simultaneously reflecting and critiquing a true reality. That’s the power of cinema — that’s the power of ‘The Red Shoes.’”
Marshall Shaffer’s Selections for Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (March 8-18, 2018)
The Conclusion of Marshall Shaffer’s #FilmStruckFebruary