By Elias Savada. A lovely little crowd pleaser, devoid of drama but filled with captivating artistry.” Like a leisurely afternoon watching fun YouTube videos, Lily Topples the World collects a bunch of those, and more, as it puts a smile on your face as worlds (of tile) tumble. No matter […]
‘She’s not my partner – we’re feminists’: Nikole Beckwith’s Together, Together
By Charlotte Daraio. By parodying its viewers expectations, Together, Together proves that relationships, and films about them, don’t need to fit into a preconceived box to be legitimate nor need to be directly relatable to be poignant.” A film poster with a man and woman sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, since the dawn […]
Terror and Slow Reveals in a Gallery: Nia DaCosta’s Candyman
“Candyman Ain’t Real!” Nia DaCosta Begs to Differ
Deconstructing Uncertainty – Ambiguity and Film Criticism: Reasonable Doubt
Ten (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002) A Book Review by Thomas Puhr. Law’s selections are refreshingly diverse….Most importantly, his collection is a testament to the importance of active viewing, of entering a critical dialogue with a piece of art rather than taking it all in at face value.” “Ambiguity” is a go-to […]
Reminiscence: A SciFi-Noir Slog
By Elias Savada. A sad debut feature for Lisa Joy, the co-creator, often executive producer and producer, and sometimes writer of HBO’s highly regarded Westworld series. Her vision here totters between genres and usually just reminds you of better film….” With his Wolverine days behind him, his new role finds […]
High Concept, Low Bar: Neill Blomkamp’s Demonic
By Thomas Puhr. Different it is, though that’s just about where the praise will end. Outside of a promising first act and clever special effects, Demonic is an utter disaster.” I must admit I don’t understand the intense praise heaped on Neill Blomkamp’s feature debut, District 9 (2009). Its ham-fisted […]
A Worthy Rediscovery: Bill Duke’s Deep Cover (Criterion Collection)
Bill Duke’s 1991 neo-noir Deep Cover finding a home at the Criterion Collection gives the film the communal artistic reverence that it has always richly deserved. And there lies the bittersweet taste of acceptance.” By Johnnie Hobbs III. “So gather ’round as I run it down, and unravel my pedigree…” […]
Waiting for da Vinci, or Someone Like Him: The Lost Leonardo
By Elias Savada. Danish director Koefoed has created an absorbing gathering of principal players in the scams and schemes at play in the art world, gathering opinions, comments, and stories that could make your toes curl, and rob you blind.” When I say Leonardo, most of you will think either […]
Say Her Name: Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s Kandisha
By Thomas Puhr. One suspects that Bustillo and Maury are going through the motions until they can get to the next death set piece…. And it’s a shame, because they clearly have what it takes to make a great horror film. They already have done so, as a matter of […]
Agnes; or, The Divine Pleasures of Director Mickey Reece (Fantasia International Film Festival)
By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. Agnes shrewdly balances sincerity with the filmmaker’s signature style of camp once again to extraordinary effect.” I’m not even three minutes into the international premiere of Agnes at Montreal’s Fantasia Fest and I almost had to be physically restrained from hugging the screen. All the things I […]