Far too often, significant true-life stories can get ruined by attempting to dramatize them or make them more “cinematic.” The story of NFL player Brian Banks is certainly an important one to […]
Ten or more years ago, I used to babysit friends’ kids when they couldn’t find a teenager to help them out, and as a result, I saw my fair share of “Dora […]
In her first appearance since winning the Oscar for her starring role in The Favourite, where her memorable performance as Queen Anne was only elevated by co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weiss, […]
Particularly compelling documentaries are at their most captivating when they expose audiences to worlds, people, customs, traditions, issues and politics foreign from our own, expanding our understanding of the world (and sometimes […]
Like last year’s triumphant Roma, a film by Alfonso Cuarón set in Mexico City, Lila Avilés’s debut feature film, The Chambermaid, follows the life of a servant. In Roma, it was a live-in caretaker whose […]
Before you get completely bent out of shape about the fact that this latest horror offering from producer Guillermo del Toro (who is also given a “screen story” credit) is rated PG-13, […]
The generation obsessed with social media and information that’s instantly available may not even know who Mike Wallace was (and they’re the worse off for it). Though 60 Minutes, the show he helped […]
One of the first things you’ll notice about Luz, the debut feature film from writer/director Tilman Singer, is its grit, both literally and figuratively. Shot on 16mm film, there’s the signature tremble […]
Some of the strongest films at any year’s Black Harvest Film Festival, the annual month-long film series at the Gene Siskel Film Center now in its 25th year, are the documentaries. And […]
While watching the latest from director/co-writer Sameh Zoabi (Under the Same Sun), it’s sometimes difficult to tell if he has such a firm grasp on the current situation between Israel and Palestine […]
It’s no secret that the Fast & Furious films (there have been eight up to this point) get bigger and dumber as the numbers get higher. Now apparently, there are so many […]
Every year, the Oscars dole out top honors for three short films: one documentary, one animated and one narrative live-action. There’s a complicated qualifying process, a very large selection pool and not […]
