Review: Claire Scanlon’s ‘Set It Up’
“As a showcase for two actors who more than deserve their moment to shine, ‘Set It Up’ is hugely satisfying. As a modern romantic comedy, it’s glorious.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Ciara Pitts on Abdellatif Kechiche’s ‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’
“‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ might be most well-known for its lengthy sex scenes, but the gripping romance, elaborate imagery and realistic demonstration of the human experience are what truly keeps the film’s legacy alive.”
Permanent Shadows: Rosalind Byrne in Buster Keaton’s ‘Seven Chances’
“Put simply, Rosalind Byrne changed how I think about cinema. Yes, film is largely about fiction, but in the recording of these fictions, there is an accidental reveal that says so much about who we are and what we think.”
Love as a Force in Francis Lee’s ‘God’s Own Country’
“What a beautiful gem of a film, one that’s carved so effectively by Francis Lee in his debut feature.”
The Journey of Evolution and Liberation in ‘Disobedience’
“Through its moving journey of evolution, truth and desire, ‘Disobedience’ displays that liberation makes life richer, and that it’s necessary to feel truly alive.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Stefen Styrsky on John Huston’s ‘Reflections in a Golden Eye’
“Lending the story a rarefied patina is the cinematography.”
Tribeca Film Festival Review: Sebastián Lelio’s ‘Disobedience’
“Given the meticulousness Lelio affords to form in ‘Disobedience,’ there’s something a bit schematic about his characters.”
Loneliness and the Romance of Death: On Alain Guiraudie’s ‘Stranger by the Lake’
“In us all lurks a potential Franck — desperate for intimacy, willing to risk oblivion for a moment’s embrace.”
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.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s ‘The Red Shoes’
“‘The Red Shoes’ dynamically crosses from reality to fantasy, befitting a film that is itself a grand fiction, simultaneously reflecting and critiquing a true reality. That’s the power of cinema — that’s the power of ‘The Red Shoes.’”
Every Fruit Has Its Secret: Ken Russell’s ‘Women in Love’
“‘Women in Love’ maintains, despite the passage of nearly 50 years, a thoroughly modern aura.”
Random Dating: ‘Where the Boys Are’ and the Evolution of Sex in Teenage Cinema
“Merritt establishes herself as more than simply the main character in a bubbly teen film. She presents a progressive face and viewpoint at a time when society was still struggling to evolve.”
On Coming Out and the Importance of Representation in ‘Love, Simon’
“Representation matters, and this film matters, even though it’s far from perfect. In times like these, ‘Love, Simon’ should be celebrated.”
On Growing Up, First Love and Learning in ‘An Education’ and ‘Call Me by Your Name’
A Comparative Essay by Ellie Steiner
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: David Pountain on Howard Hawks’ ‘Bringing Up Baby’
“‘Bringing Up Baby’ delves joyfully beyond the stiff pretences of modern life to reveal the wild and lustful animal that still lies beneath the surface.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: ‘Twentieth Century’
“Screwball comedies don’t get much funnier, or screwier, than Howard Hawks’ ‘Twentieth Century.'”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on Valentine’s Day and a FilmStruck Wedding
Love Is Love: Peter Putzel Marries FilmStruck
Review: Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Phantom Thread’
“If indeed this is Day-Lewis’ swan song, ‘Phantom Thread’ is the crowning achievement of a monumental career.”
‘Call Me by Your Name’: On Obsession, Growing Up and Falling in Love
An Essay by Ella Kemp
A Retreat into the Self: Introspection and Egoism in Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Wild Strawberries’
“Bergman’s penchant for giving physical form to the conscious and subconscious mind is rarely more apparent than in his 1957 masterpiece ‘Wild Strawberries.’”