Review: Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Sends a Loud, Clear and Essential Message with Remarkable No Bears
The plight of Irani-born writer/director/producer Jafar Panahi (Taxi, The Circle, Three Faces) has become known around the globe: he has…
Review: Turn Every Page Chronicles the Lives, Work and Influence of a Legendary Author/Editor Partnership
Part biopic, part history lesson, part English class, the documentary Turn Every Page explores the 50-year professional relationship and friendship…
Review: Anna Kendrick Impresses as a Woman Confronting Her Toxic Relationship in Alice, Darling
At one point in Mary Nighy’s assured feature film directing debut Alice, Darling, Anna Kendrick’s distraught and defeated titular character…
Review: Missing Revisits a Clever Format and Delivers a Solid Detective Story
In 2018, writer Sev Ohanian and writer/director Aneesh Chaganty released a unique and tension-filled missing-person mystery calling Searching that features…
Review: Based on a Murder Trial that Gripped France, Saint Omer Elicits Empathy
In Saint Omer, filmmaker Alice Diop applies her documentary skills to her first narrative film, based on an actual event that gripped…
Review: Seven Filmmakers Create One Whole, Multi-Dimensional Character in The Seven Faces of Jane
From the opening titles of The Seven Faces of Jane: “In the summer of 2021, eight filmmakers were invited to…
Review: Gerard Butler Takes Overly Complicated Plane Seriously Enough, Even if Audiences Won’t
There’s a fine line between ridiculous and stupid, and many of Gerard Butler’s movies dance along that line, often tripping…
Review: Gentle and Moving, Broker Creates Something Beautiful from Broken Characters and Risky Subject Matter
The themes and subject matter covered in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest drama, a moving, gentle story of chosen family, desperate connection…
Review: Nicolas Cage Stars in Thinly Written, Slightly Charming Western The Old Way
Admittedly, I’m a sucker for a Western, even if it’s a half-assed attempt at one using all the tropes that…
Review: Though Hanks’ Best Performance in a Down Year for the Actor, A Man Called Otto Still Feels Phoned In
On paper, this film actually makes sense, even if it might not work out in the end. Actor Tom Hanks…
Review: Robot-Doll Thriller M3GAN is Also Surprisingly Smart and Funny
The only big gripe I have about the new evil-robot thriller M3GAN is that there isn’t a single second of…
Review: Women Talking Offers an Essential, Often Surprising Perspective on Gender and Power in Any Society
Shot by cinematographer Luc Montpellier in muted tones that almost make the film look like it was shot in black-and-white…
