Archives

September 2019

September 08, 2019
For his latest documentary, Alex Gibney (“Going Clear,” “Mea Maxima Culpa”) delivers a fascinating, easily...
September 07, 2019
I’m back at the Toronto International Film Festival! The first two days brought three excellent...
September 01, 2019
A pair of winners from Sundance this year: both are essential viewing, one is an...

August 2019

August 25, 2019
Director Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to "The Babadook" is more brutal for its roots in real...
August 23, 2019
Ignore the Tomatometer: Cate Blanchett and director Richard Linklater have created a potent, relatable tale...
August 18, 2019
This shallow but fun comedy of three school-skipping tweens manages to balance the sweet with...
August 16, 2019
The best of the recent crop of films inspired by rock music of the 60s,...
August 11, 2019
Despite one major flaw, this film starring Olivia Colman and Walton Goggins offers a nuanced...
August 04, 2019
Writer/director Lulu Wang draws on personal history for this tale of returning to China and...
August 02, 2019
Olivia Wilde completely won me over with her funny, affirming, and (yes) smart feature directing...
August 01, 2019
Sword of Trust could not have landed at a more appropriate moment in time. There...

July 2019

July 28, 2019
Quentin Tarantino’s latest film is well-acted and stuffed with period detail, but lacks the characterization...
July 21, 2019
With stellar, complex performances, Jessie Buckley and Julie Walters anchor this archetypal tale.
July 15, 2019
Luke and Jo is a thoughtful and patient film which places two artists at different...
July 14, 2019
A feature directing debut and lead acting debut hopefully signal the start of lengthy film...
July 05, 2019
Danny Boyle’s premise of a Beatle-less world is playful and witty, but hamstrung by romcom...
July 04, 2019
Midsommar is as beautiful as it is horrific. Ari Aster has made only two feature-length films,...
July 04, 2019
With mediocre characterizations and oft-flat comedy, only timely commentary and an interesting villain rescue this...

June 2019

June 30, 2019
An eclectic, ecumenical group (myself included) has crafted a list of the best films on...
June 23, 2019
A vast improvement over the third film, this latest “Toy Story” installment will serve as...
June 16, 2019
Jim Jarmusch mixes his personal touch with homage in this delightful film.
June 09, 2019
Thirteen years after the superb TV series abruptly ended, we are privileged to return to...

May 2019

May 19, 2019
This comedic biography starring Molly Shannon draws on current scholarship and undoes the myths and...
May 14, 2019
I was pleasantly surprised by the dry humor and film noir nods in "Pokemon: Detective...
May 12, 2019
László Nemes’ follow-up to his Oscar-winning Holocaust drama “Son of Saul” is comparably unsettling, in...
May 05, 2019
This documentary, now on Netflix, follows the 2018 battle of AOC and 3 other progressive...

April 2019

April 28, 2019
Well-crafted visuals of an equine prison rehab program only partly compensate for a simplistic story.
April 21, 2019
Ethan Hawke’s biopic of singer-songwriter Blaze Foley goes for characterization and soft-spoken wisdom rather than...
April 14, 2019
Another well-curated set of docs from Durham gives us plenty of solid, provocative viewing options...
April 06, 2019
This enlightening and often hilarious doc on the Satanic Temple – the biggest crowd-pleaser of...
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