By Jacob Mertens. In the beginning of the poem “Dante’s Inferno,” Dante finds himself in a dark wood, disorientated, grasping for an understanding of his surroundings. Within this grim setting, the poet conjures a primordial chaos, in which Dante’s last impressions of life follow him into the death. In much […]
‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’ or The Devil is a Woman
By Christopher Sharrett. I find Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk about Kevin to be among the more vexing films I have recently seen. It is a notable contribution to the domestic melodrama, at a time when the genre is besieged by “dramedies” about families with problems that aren’t problems […]
What Separates Us from ‘A Separation’
By Celluloid Liberation Front. ‘Their universe of discourse is populated by self-validating hypotheses which, incessantly and monopolistically repeated, become hypnotic definitions or dictations.’ (Herbert Marcuse) The cinema of the Middle East is often stereotypically seen under the restrictive frame of ‘realism’. Euro-American audiences tend to associate formal experimentation with Western […]
The Iron Lady (2011)
By Salomon Rogberg. Margaret Thatcher’s reign over England may have ended over twenty-one years ago, but she’s still a sensitive topic that can generate both anger and admiration. When Phyllida Lloyd’s new film, The Iron Lady (2011), was released in Sweden and Britain, it led to heated discussion amongst critics in […]
Rampart: A Man Really Apart
By Matthew Sorrento. Passive victims of crime are rare in popular American cinema. In Crime Films, scholar Thomas Leitchobserves that a lead character, if violated, will move toward vengeance, either on his/her own or with assistance. A strong exception is the new abuse victim film (Mysterious Skin, Towelhead, Precious), which […]
Subjective to Eva, Subjected to Kevin
by Matthew Sorrento. This film desperately wants to be talked about. With great effort, We Need to Talk about Kevin presents itself as, in the words of 19th century critic Matthew Arnold, a work of high seriousness, to pitch a personal hard-sell as high art. This claim is more valid […]
Crumb (1994)
By Joseph Wright. Terry Zwigoff’s critically acclaimed documentary, Crumb, explores the life and career of controversial underground artist, Robert Crumb, as well as his reclusive and troubled family members. Beginning with Crumb’s career, the film thrusts the viewer into the artist’s success by displaying footage from an art show dedicated […]
Boogie (2008)
February 22, 2012
By Gary M. Kramer. Radu Muntean’s Boogie (aka Summer Holiday) made in 2008, is a slight, but compelling drama about the title character, Bogdan (Dragos Bucur), once nicknamed “Boogie.” The film opens with Bogdan playing with his son Adi (Vlad Muntean, the director’s own child) on the sparsely populated beach. […]
Liberal Arts (2012)
By Janine Gericke. Most people probably know Josh Radnor from his CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, but thanks to word of mouth and Netflix instant streaming, more people are getting to know Josh Radnor, feature film writer, director and actor through his first film Happythankyoumoreplease (2010). Happythankyoumoreplease was a solid debut filled with […]
The Grey (2012)
By Steven Harrison Gibbs. You are one of the few who survive a terrible accident that leaves you stranded in the midst of a vast tundra wilderness. You might be a few miles from civilization; you might be hundreds. Warmth is scarce; food even scarcer. To make your situation more […]