Every now and then, a movie energizes me in unexpected ways. When I first saw Animal House, I immediately wanted to start a food fight in the cafeteria. Aliens excited me so much, it remains the only film where I turned around and saw the very next showing. Now, along comes Dolemite Is My Name,... Continue Reading →
I have two words for you: Cats. But that doesn’t make sense, you say? Exactly. Back in college, it seemed like every performing arts major had that Harvey Edwards “Leg Warmers” photo hanging on their wall. You know the one with the well-worn stockings and the tattered, duct-taped ballet slippers in plié? It signified a... Continue Reading →
Men have been looking at women in films since the very beginnings of mainstream moviemaking, but only in recent decades have we seen the opposite. Of course, queer cinema has very much flipped the script on this notion, making the looks given between the same sexes into a veritable trope of its own. Now with... Continue Reading →
Life can be a messy, loud, out of control experience, and sometimes that’s just what’s in your head. Add the honking, incessant cacophony of New York City and you’re not getting sleep anytime soon. The Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh, understand this all too well, gifting Robert Pattinson with a mesmerizing character in their 2017... Continue Reading →
Sometimes films achieve greatness with the simplest of storytelling techniques. With Sam Mendes’ 1917, which he co-wrote with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, he manages to make going from Point A to Point B into a visceral, almost insurmountable, agonizing, suspenseful, wrenching, watch through your fingers experience, and delivers one of the finest films of 2019. While not... Continue Reading →
I love films because they provide an opportunity to experience other cultures, other parts of the world, differing opinions, historical events, and more in a compact period of time. This year alone, I “traveled” to a South Korean suburb, to a 19th century New England coastline, into outer space with Brad Pitt, inside the mind... Continue Reading →
Fresh off her triumph with Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Marielle Heller switches gears from the edgy nihilism of that film to one of pure optimism with A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, it focuses on the very personal connection journalist Tom Junod had with Mr. Rogers while... Continue Reading →
Have you ever loved a movie you know deep in your gut has problematic elements? Well, welcome to Clint Eastwood’s latest film, Richard Jewell, a compelling, empathetic look at a hero who morphed into a suspected villain after the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games bombing. Because of the current times we live in, and Eastwood’s perceived... Continue Reading →
I’ve often wondered if Wes Anderson were to drop his dioramas and deadpan style, could he make a good, straight up drama? What does a Christopher Nolan musical look like? Does Quentin Tarantino have a Tiffany Haddish comedy in him? Can auteurs put their stamp on made-for-hire movies? These questions keep me up at night.... Continue Reading →
White middle class couples getting divorced haven’t really set the cinematic universe on fire for many many years. In its heyday, such films as Ordinary People, Kramer Vs. Kramer, and An Unmarried Woman garnered serious box office and Oscar attention. Nowadays, it’s a miracle if a small indie tackles the subject and gets a streaming... Continue Reading →
