“For a film revolving around an actor destroyed by a bad reputation, ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ remains frustratingly vague about the media’s indiscretions that bring John’s downfall.”
In the first part of a three-chapter conversation conducted over months via a large Google Doc, film critics Manuela Lazic and Adam Nayman discuss what makes a writer’s voice, colleagues that keep inspiring them and how, a generation apart, they became interested in movies and writing.
“The lucidity and frankness with which this new wave of filmmakers can dissect their own lives speaks volumes to their talents, boding well for their efforts to come.”
“Not only does it feel true to its origins, but it also speaks to viewers from different parts of the world.”
An Essay by Kyle Turner
“As a filmmaker struggling with her own ideas, it’s a little upsetting to see a man (of the same age) come out with a fully formed idea of his own kind of cinema.”
Justine A. Smith Interviews Philippe Falardeau
“Critics have labeled ‘Heartbeats’ as derivative and pretentious, flamboyant and bratty, but it’s exactly the kind of film where such criticism means that it’s doing its job.”
