“It can’t help but seem like there was one film about a dog bringing people together in light of troubled times, if only briefly, but then it was decided that there would also be a film about a dog being a prop for stories that his detractors would label as ‘autopilot Solondz.'”
“Tatiana Huezo and cinematographer Ernesto Pardo have struck a balance between natural beauty and human squalor in a way that mirrors how Mexican citizens have had to live with the ever-present possibility of life-ending terror.”
“As an adult viewer with a wider range of experiences and reference points than my pubescent self (this is what I tell myself anyway), what engages me most about ‘Candyman’ now is the themes on the fringes of the urban legend focus.”
“In the end, the two films are essentially stories about connections with others, with life itself and ourselves.”
“It’s a film that doesn’t so much scare as it harrows, boring deep into the psyche.”
“For a feminist attempt to show two women leaning on each other, ‘Into the Forest’ barely sketches them out.”
“A solidly constructed sophomore feature from director Susanna White, ‘Our Kind of Traitor’ is a tight thriller that, while rarely excelling to any sort of transcendent heights, never really steps a foot wrong.”
“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.”
“Really, the main worth of The Keep is as a curiosity; to see a significantly different career path that Mann could have taken had this film had any sort of positive impact on pop culture.”
“Bateman brings the full force of his directorial ability to the film, finding beauty in every camera placement and character movement.”
“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.”
“Hitting the cerebrally relatable and the absurdly goofy, Buress provides an allegory for the American worker: even if your daily grind is performing stand-up, taking pleasure in your work is the only way to stay sane.”
“Horror and femininity run hand in hand.”
“In keeping with the tempo and improvisational flair of his subject, Don Cheadle has succeeded in breaking through the standard tediums of biographical film.”
“‘Hush’ has some very interesting moving parts in what amounts to an average film.”
“The Jungle Book is a fun, brisk and absolutely gorgeous achievement that honors the past while looking unflinchingly into the future.”
“Regretfully, ‘Criminal’ makes up for its lack of ideas with blood, guts and even more blood.”
“Humans and beasts share a primal bond as they occupy the land and the frame together. Mascaro thus internationalizes a strain of the French cinéma du corps as he weds it with the emerging art-house aesthetic of digital realism, crossing borders and species to create something extraordinary.”
“Abraham tells a tragic story but fails to shine a light on the genesis of Hank the man.”
A Column by Q.V. Hough