It’s been almost 20 years since Adrian Lyne’s last feature film, Unfaithful, and a lot has changed in cinema. The hyper-successful 80s and 90s erotic thrillers virtually disappeared or were relegated to cheap, straight-to- [insert non-cinema format here]. Along with them went the romcoms and the wacky adventure blockbusters like When Harry Met Sally and... Continue Reading →
On paper, Finland’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar sounds like a claustrophobic, two people talking in a room bore. In the right hands, however, and co-writer-director Juho Kuosmanen has a very good pair of hands, this blend of bleak and heartwarming proved completely captivating. Imagine Before Sunrise without the sunrise, beautiful surroundings,... Continue Reading →
With more time than is healthy spent alone in 2021, I had the opportunity to see literally hundreds of films…way more than I could ever possibly review. One of the great perks of being a film critic are the free screenings, be they in person, on DVD, via links, or loaded onto my Apple TV.... Continue Reading →
As a young, Jewish boy growing up in small town Ohio, I was in awe of the B’nai B’rith girls such as Sue Malkoff, Jodi Raven and Sharon Marks. They had such supreme confidence, mercurial tempers, and smarts. I was always jealous of how put together they were with their Izod shirts, corduroys, and suede... Continue Reading →
Injecting homoeroticism into the Western genre is nothing new, with The Sisters Brothers and Brokeback Mountain being just a couple of somewhat recent examples, but the great Jane Campion’s long-awaited return to features, The Power Of The Dog, feels fresh due to its fascinating tone and examination of today’s hot button issue of toxic masculinity.... Continue Reading →
With so much attention paid to the late Diana Spencer in recent times, with the most current season of The Crown and the Broadway musical among the high profile endeavors, it may seem a film entry would not have anything new to say on the subject. Luckily, with Pablo Larraín (Jackie) directing Steven Knight’s (Locke,... Continue Reading →
I’ve always had a soft spot for immigration stories, especially considering both sets of my grandparents came to America from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century. By escaping the oppression they faced as Jews, my grandparents traveled to a new world rife with problems of its own. They struggled to fit in... Continue Reading →
For me, good art is pretty, but great art is confrontational, forcing the viewer to reflect upon the human condition and reveal truths, however inspiring or ugly. The 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Titane, writer-director Julia Ducournau’s sophomore effort, definitely veers towards the latter type of confrontation. With enough brutal violence to fill all of... Continue Reading →
As another Outfest draws to a close, I can honestly say this has been a pretty incredible program of films. I’ve seen such growth in filmmaking styles, narrative experimentation, and a great amount of diverse stories and voices on display. So many films featured characters who just happened to be LGBTQ+ without it being the... Continue Reading →
Queer cinema history is littered with enough coming out stories, hot shirtless guys, and campy comedies that they’ve been labeled “Bad Gay Films” as if that’s the norm. For sure, filmmakers have stepped up their game and have produced artistic, challenging, cinematic masterpieces, but often it’s been at the expense of dismissing, sometimes rightfully so,... Continue Reading →
