By Rod Lott. Given how ahead of its time Fists in the Pocket is, I’m surprised Mario Bellocchio’s first feature isn’t more widely known, in the way that François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows and Ken Loach’s Kes serve as cinematic shorthand for “troubled youth.” Then again, Lord, is it ever […]
This is the End: 63 Up
Michael Sandlin
December 13, 2019
By Michael Sandlin. “Give me the child until he is seven, and I will give you the man,” is the bit of ancient philosophy that serves as the abiding impetus behind Michael Apted’s five-decades-long documentary series. The participants in this ongoing sociological experiment are both male and female, privileged and […]
Much to Remember: Chris Wade on Memories of Lindsay Anderson
Tony Williams
December 10, 2019
By Tony Williams. Leeds-born Chris Wade is one those unique talents thankfully outside the existing psychologically dysfunctional terrain of higher education. A highly creative and prolific artist, filmmaker and musician, he has distinguished himself in so many areas. His name came to my attention when reading one of my favorite […]
Real-Life Libertarian Nightmare: Luke Lorentzen’s Midnight Family
Michael Sandlin
December 7, 2019
By Michael Sandlin. From a strictly academic point of view, 26-year-old boy wonder documentarian Luke Lorentzen’s Midnight Family affecting ticks all the boxes of a classic “observational” mode of nonfiction film. No soundtrack, no incidental music, no voiceover — just simple unobtrusive camera work and a sharp eye for detail. It’s […]
Strange Metamorphosis: Jessica Hausner’s Little Joe
Thomas Puhr
December 7, 2019
By Thomas Puhr. “Who can prove the genuineness of feelings?” a scientist asks in Little Joe (2019). “Moreover, who cares?” These startling questions cut right to the heart of Jessica Hausner’s curious science-fiction film, which centers around a genetically-engineered flower that releases happiness-inducing chemicals. Are these feelings the plant elicits […]
John Waters’ Polyester: The Suburbs Arrive (Criterion Collection)
Christopher Sharrett
December 3, 2019
By Christopher Sharrett. Anyone viewing Polyester for the first time might be a little confused: hasn’t all this been done before? Satires or eviscerations of the suburbs have been standard fare for at least forty years. But if the viewer is watching this splendid new Criterion Blu-ray, s/he might turn […]
Crafting Place Through Film – The Cultural Practice of Immigrant Filmmaking: Minor Immigrant Cinemas in Sweden 1950-1990 by Lars Gustaf Andersson and John Sundholm
Thomas Puhr
December 2, 2019
A Book Review by Thomas Puhr. It’s easy to see a film as a cultural object, a product, but it is much harder to conceptualize the act of filmmaking as a cultural process in and of itself. But to paraphrase the old adage, the process of creating art is sometimes […]
A Hunt, Sans Suspense: After the Murder of Albert Lima
November 25, 2019
By Gary M. Kramer. The earnest documentary After the Murder of Albert Lima depicts the painstaking efforts of Paul Lima to get justice by sending the man who killed his father to prison. This film, directed by Aengus James, is basically a glorified version of a reality TV show, complete with […]
Transnational Identities in the Dramatically Tense Synonyms
Travis Merchant
November 21, 2019
By Travis Merchant. The power of language and assimilation runs rampant throughout Synonyms (2019), Nadav Lapid’s semi-autobiographical film about an Israeli immigrant in France. Throughout the film, Yoav (Tom Mercier) is challenged to become more acclimated to French life after he runs away from his home and position in the […]
Whose Decision?: To Kid or Not to Kid
Janine Gericke
November 20, 2019
By Janine Gericke. “When are you having kids?” on my wedding day people half joking (but not really) asked me. Most women ask themselves this very question, but the answer isn’t always clear. When my editor asked if I wanted to review Maxine Trump’s (absolutely no relation) documentary To Kid […]