New York Indian Film Festival Review: Bornila Chatterjee’s ‘The Hungry’
“For a play that is so much about macho-ness and the male code of honor, it is refreshing to watch Chatterjee give it a somewhat feminist tweak.”
New York Indian Film Festival Review: Ravi Jadhav’s ‘Nude’
“‘Nude’ is a caveat to our times; a warning that we are driving arts education to a point of redundancy with our politics…”
Review: Anthony and Joe Russo’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
“‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is the apex of franchise movie-making, bringing together a plethora of heroes from a number of different franchises to form the blockbuster of blockbusters.”
Album Review: Iceage ‘Beyondless’
“At times, ‘Beyondless’ is overwhelming in the scope of its genius, but the chord progressions that Johan Surrballe Wieth has conjured are something divine.”
Review: Robert Smigel’s ‘The Week Of’
“Like an aging fighter that steps into the ring on short notice, Robert Smigel’s ‘The Week Of’ is overweight, unfocused and hungry for a paycheck.”
Review: Janus Metz’s ‘Borg vs McEnroe’
“‘Borg vs McEnroe’ loses momentum during its tennis sequences, but that’s just a minor complaint. Advantage LaBeouf.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Assia Boundaoui’s ‘The Feeling of Being Watched’
“Unlike many documentaries of its ilk, ‘The Feeling of Being Watched’ is not weighed down by doomsaying or sensationalism; instead, the picture it paints of community organization is genuinely hopeful.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Jason Reitman’s ‘Tully’
“There’s a calculated precision to both Reitman’s direction and Cody’s screenplay. The film is perfectly paced and cut, and moves with a rat-a-tat rhythm; the writing is sharp and specific, with a zinger in every other line.”
Album Review: Drinks ‘Hippo Lite’
“The music of Drinks is uncategorizable, yet addictive. For those who crave something that genuinely challenges the ears, ‘Hippo Lite’ is a real find.”
Review: Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s ‘Ghost Stories’
“Nyman and Dyson’s film is so full-bloodedly cinematic that it leaves one wondering how on earth they captured this on the stage.”
Escapism in Dark Places: How ‘Allure’ Accurately Captures Despair
“Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s ‘Allure’ might be one of the most beautifully distressing movies of the past year.”
Las Palmas Film Festival Review: Ya-chuan Hsiao’s ‘Father to Son’
“The father’s strength lies in knowing when to ‘protect the heart by pretending to have no heart,’ and the moment when he chooses to do so is devastating.”
Review: John Krasinski’s ‘A Quiet Place’
“‘A Quiet Place’ masterfully builds tension, pays it off in unexpectedly satisfying ways and provokes genuine emotional investment in its characters with precious few traditional tools at its disposal.”
Review: Max Winkler’s ‘Flower’
“The story feints towards transgressive ideas but lacks the commitment for maximum impact.”
Review: Paco Plaza’s ‘Verónica’
“The shrieking masses are right on the money for once. Plaza’s tale of teen possession is powerfully scary.”
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Missed the Stars but Aimed High
“‘A Wrinkle in Time’ is for kids, and I mean ‘made for kids’ in the supportive definition rather than the usual lazy and disparaging connotation that’s carelessly applied to more lukewarm family films.”
Review: Armando Iannucci’s ‘The Death of Stalin’
“In the end, the humor fades away in favor of political machinations, but the film’s killer gags are still numerable.”
DVD/Blu-ray Review: Two Films by Lois Weber
“Milestone’s two exciting releases are a part of a larger, necessary effort to bring visibility to Weber’s cinematic labor and influence, which can no longer be ignored.”
True/False 2018 Review: Khalik Allah’s ‘Black Mother’
“Even if you do not believe in the soul, the film makes it impossible to deny the soul of a country, that which births us, grooms us, and to which we add as we live and die inside it.”
True/False 2018 Review: Cristina Hanes’ ‘António and Catarina’
“In ‘António and Catarina,’ the potential of youth contrasts the accumulated regrets of age.”