Review: Jason Moore’s ‘Sisters’
“Sisters is a house party film told by and from the perspective of women, and that is precisely why it succeeds.”
Review: Terence Davies’ ‘Sunset Song’
“Featuring a standout performance from Agyness Dean and some of the best landscape photography since Mr. Turner, Sunset Song strikes a balance between toil and ecstasy that is at once overwhelming and completely uplifting.”
Review: Tom Browne’s ‘Radiator’
“Radiator never actually “deals” with any of the lofty existentialisms it digs up, firmly positing that they should remain the unknowable, unthinkable aspects of life.”
Short but Sweet: The UK Film Festival
“With its diverse range of attendees and entries, as well as the festival’s strong showing at the 64th and 65th Berlinale, The UK Film Festival seems to have a very strong future in the heart of London.”
Review: Francis Lawrence’s ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’
“A triumphant end for a series often mocked by critics for its narrative simplicity and “Young Adult” classification, Mockingjay – Part 2 is the finale that fans deserve. “
Review: Rick Alverson’s ‘Entertainment’
“Not merely a story about the loneliness of a career on the road, Entertainment is the struggle of a man singularly steadfast in his pursuit of his chosen art.”
Review: John Crowley’s ‘Brooklyn’
“A turn to the past in order to rationalize the present, Brooklyn is a standout example of the forceful, empathetic tempest that cinema is capable of delivering to an audience.”
Review: Davis Guggenheim’s ‘He Named Me Malala’
“Despite Guggenheim’s asymmetrical approach, Malala’s unquestionable bravery and youthful idealism shine through.”
Review: Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘The Lobster’
“A sharp, claustrophobic study of human relationships, The Lobster puts humanity’s obsession with coupling on full display before it is bloodily dissected and rendered horrifyingly unrecognizable.”
SPECTRE: Where Can James Bond Go From Here?
“Regardless of what comes next for our beloved spy, let us never again speak of (or be subjected to) that opening montage with the trashy, tentacle-porn horror show.”
Review: S. Craig Zahler’s ‘Bone Tomahawk’
“Meeting the specifications of both Western and Horror halfway, Bone Tomahawk gracefully undermines each in pursuit of lending credence to the other.”
Dudley’s World: My Summer with ‘Seinfeld’
Dudley’s World is a Vague Visages column by Jordan Brooks.
Review: Cary Joji Fukunaga’s ‘Beasts of No Nation’
“As an empathetic machine, Beasts of No Nation tries too hard to convey the unimaginable, leaving in its place a sense of cold insouciance towards a system that is shown to be irreparably broken.”
VOD Review: Todd Strauss-Schulson’s ‘The Final Girls’
“A surprisingly funny and sharp-witted caricature of mass-produced horror, The Final Girls is the product of cult film iconography and our culture’s obsession with the ironically good.”
VOD Review: Bryan Carberry and J. Clay Tweel’s ‘Finders Keepers’
“Plunging into the depths of love, loss, addiction, family and life aspirations, Finders Keepers is far more than the story of a smoked left foot.”
Review: Douglas Tirola’s ‘Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon’
“Expanding on the standard documentary outline, director Douglas Tirola strings a series of in-depth interviews together with original National Lampoon magazine artwork, album excerpts and stage show footage — providing enough tits, drugs and comedy to satiate fans young and old.”
Review: Andrew Haigh’s “45 Years”
“45 Years is unconcerned with the “cuteness” of love — Haigh wants to know what makes it tick.”
Review: David Chen’s ‘The Primary Instinct’
“A remarkably pervasive journey through one man’s search for meaning in his own life, The Primary Instinct captures an utterly captivating performance in a very standard way.”
Review: Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Everest’
“As impressive and excruciating as Hall and his team’s journey was, Everest fails to capture the specifics.”
Review: Brian Helgeland’s ‘Legend’
“Little more than an extravagant, blood-soaked and alcohol-fueled story, Legend fulfills its title; an overinflated piece of bar room folklore better told over a cold pint of Guinness (or several)”