“What is so strange about the New Hollywood renaissance of the 70s is that it took place at a time of acute crisis for the business. It was a signal of the industry’s weakness that these cracks in the veneer were not only permitted but encouraged…”
“‘The Card Counter’ is a dark and moody work that successfully entertains and engages, reaching new heights for the experienced director.”
“For Paul Schrader, First Reformed’s visual style realizes ideas of transcendental style that he first theorized at the beginning of his career. But that style only works because it serves the story and character he crafted so carefully.”
“The power of ‘First Reformed’ is rooted in Schrader’s ability to take a number of clear forbearers — Bresson, Dreyer, Pialat — and twist them into a style that feels wholly unique and rooted in a personal set of values and obsessions.”
“As in ‘Ida,’ Pawlikowski offers little exposition, which leaves the audience to gather any and all clues.”
Michael J. Casey on Paul Schrader’s thematic links in ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters’ and ‘First Reformed’
“The multi-hyphenate filmmaker’s latest seems to anticipate dissection: its formal austerity belies a haphazard, literary-minded indulgence.”
Devious Dialogues: A Horror-Themed Column by Mike Thorn and A.M. Novak
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
“I think that Schrader is just reaching out, trying to stretch his directorial arms, trying to show everything that he’s got.”
“‘American Gigolo’ doesn’t necessarily work as a neo-noir, but it still has enough romance and intrigue to be well worth watching.”
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
“Although it contains very little new material, Hitchcock/Truffaut will undoubtedly find a home within the film education community and could become an important tool in introducing Hitchcock’s immense body of work to hoards of “uninitiated” cinema devotees.”
“The interactions between Mitchum and Takakura offer a jolting look at man’s acceptance of grief, but the technical aspects of The Yakuza transform the film to a higher level.”