By James Slaymaker. Pacifiction paints a portrait of French Polynesia as a land suspended between indigenous agency and external mechanisms of control and dehumanisation, an area still overcoming the trauma of its brutal colonial past and looking towards an uncertain future….” The first shot of Albert Serra’s Pacifiction (2022) – […]
Barbie: Greta Gerwig’s Unboxing
By Elias Savada. Gerwig leaves a personal imprint on her film, as a boldly painted battle cry for womanhood and subversive social satire about misguided male perceptions.” In a refreshingly anarchistic, pink-pastel manner, Greta Gerwig, the actor (Frances Ha) turned writer (here with her partner – in business and in […]
I Wanna Hold Your Hand: Danny and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me (2022)
By Thomas M. Puhr. Talk to Me’s crisp runtime has its perks (there’s not an ounce of fat on this thing), but it also feels oddly truncated.” Like the most effective urban legends, Talk to Me (2022) revolves around a deliciously simple conceit – or, in this case, a deliciously simple object: […]
A Literal Battle of the Sexes: Neil LaBute’s Fear the Night (2023)
By Thomas M. Puhr. It’s fun to watch the former enfant terrible explore his obsessions through low stakes genre fare. Sign me up for more.” At first glance, Neil LaBute’s Fear the Night (2023) seems like a far cry from his early films, let alone from his theater work. You’d […]
The Paradox of Peace: The Miracle Club (2023)
By Jonathan Monovich. What makes The Miracle Club work is the film’s deliberate choice in including four very talented actresses from four different generations for its core cast. Each character brings a diverse perspective on life and a varying level of surliness that gradually increases with age.” The Miracle Club […]
Plenty of Enjoyable Crunch – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
By Elias Savada. Cruise and company battle an out-of-control sentient AI creation called ‘the Entity,’ which seems to have no weak points and quite a global advantage…. Preposterous? You bet. Fun? Of course!” All the movie magic and stunt work you’ve grown to admire in the Mission: Impossible series comes […]
Clocking Out after 42 Years: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
By Elias Savada. For the most part Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny captures the frantic life of its central character — whether he wants it or not — racing around the planet for pieces of its past. It’s a grand send off.” The tired, gruff archeology teacher is […]
Wickedly Funny Adventure Awaits: The Flash
By Elias Savada. The never-ending humor, miracle casting, excellent action sequences, bright script, and spot-on direction offer its audience a wonderful undertaking at the multi-plex.” The continuing rebirth of Warner Bros.’ DC Universe, and the “true beginning of the DCU” announced by James Gunn, the DC Studios co-CEO and mastermind […]
A Short, Sweet Dream: Theodore Schaefer’s Giving Birth to a Butterfly (2021)
By Thomas M. Puhr. Pleasantly rough around the edges and anchored by two strong female performances, the co-writer and director’s feature debut offers a bit more than homage but never quite escapes its influences.” David Lynch has become a convenient (and sometimes lazy) point of comparison for any film with […]
“When the Music’s Over” – Jim Morrison: The Genius of an Unsung Filmmaker
A Book Review by Jonathan Monovich. Author Fabrizio Federico argues that Morrison’s ultimate goal was to encourage self-discovery and help listeners think freely in an era defined by chaos.” Though best best known as the singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison’s tumultuous life could have ended up quite differently had […]