‘Mulholland Dr.’ 4K Restoration: Another Look Behind Winkie’s Diner
“Just as with life, ‘Mulholland Dr.’ is unexplainable.”
Review: Pema Tseden’s ‘Tharlo’
“Pema Tseden’s all-Tibetan film is a confrontation of old and new, of solitude and togetherness, of dreams and reality.”
Review: Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum’s ‘The New Man’
“The director’s own forthrightness is, at once, both refreshing and perplexing.”
James Bond and Artifice
“No longer tasked with putting the missing pieces of action, intrigue and effects together in our heads, the artifice of Bond is gone forever — and with it, any room for playful interpretation.”
Review: Sang-ho Yeon’s ‘Train to Busan’
“‘Train to Busan’ becomes obsessed with how its characters will face the various obstacles thrown at them, but the film does not operate with a human desire for justice.
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Princess Mononoke’
“‘Princess Mononoke’ explores this gaping chasm between nature’s gentle acceptance of circumstance and humanity’s steadfast refusal to quietly accept death.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’
“Hoping not to hinder the inevitable forward progress of society, this Studio Ghibli gem only asks of us that with each step forward, we reflect on the past, and only take that step with the confidence and hope it deserves.”
Sheffield Doc/Fest Day Two: Politics and ‘Pickle’
“Nothing mixes quite like politics and a funny name.”
Sheffield Doc/Fest Day One: Remembering Chantal Akerman
“The 2016 iteration of the Sheffield Doc Fest boasts a film lineup consisting of 29 world, 20 European and 14 international premiers, alongside an international contingent of buyers and programmers hunting for the best of the best.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Grave of the Fireflies’
“A gripping drama whose defiant youths refuse to bow to war, hunger and indifference, Grave of the Fireflies is a film for children to learn the harsh realities of life so that they can do all in their power to prevent the cycle from continuing.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘My Neighbor Totoro’
“An astonishing achievement of handcrafted animation, Miyazaki’s third Ghibli film solidified the studio’s presence, and has become an enduring symbol of its excellence.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky’
“It is a film for little humans (and big humans) that places hopefulness, imagination and kindness above all else.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation and ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’
“An adventure that lives in a place outside of time, ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ offers a haggard reflection of humanity’s dark side before proclaiming hopefulness and love the ultimate victor.”
Review: Jean-Marc Vallée’s ‘Demolition’
“Neatly tied resolutions and dime-a-dozen aphorisms feel as fleeting and immaterial as a television drama, while any lasting impression must be hard-fought and pried from between the lines of the script.”
Review: László Nemes’ ‘Son of Saul’
“Grappling with themes of self-preservation and mental stability amongst abject barbarity, ‘Son of Saul’ packs an emotional punch all its own, while seeking to convey the essence of an individual living in abhorrent chaos.”
Review: Don Cheadle’s ‘Miles Ahead’
“In keeping with the tempo and improvisational flair of his subject, Don Cheadle has succeeded in breaking through the standard tediums of biographical film.”
Review: Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’
“The Jungle Book is a fun, brisk and absolutely gorgeous achievement that honors the past while looking unflinchingly into the future.”
Dudley’s World: The Painstaking Anxiety of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s ‘The Wages of Fear’
A Column by Jordan Brooks
Dudley’s World: ‘Victoria’ and the Surprising Comforts of a One-Take Thriller
A Column by Jordan Brooks
Review: Alice Winocour’s ‘Disorder’
“It is rare for a film to look objectively at war’s after effects and the violence it instills on its participants, and yet Alice Winocour’s Disorder is not concerned with pity or ferocity.”