What do Gilda Radner (Saturday Night Live), Gene Wilder (Young Frankenstein), and Sidney Poitier (Sneakers) have in common? Well, outside of arguably being three of the best to ever do it, Poitier directed the two aforementioned comedy legends (after directing… Read More ›
What happens when a reliable man decides to become unreliable? Should he be held to account? Who’s to say? The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) is finally getting its day in court, entering the Criterion Collection on February 24th, 2026…. Read More ›
Suspect is definitely a product of the 1980s and, in some ways, that’s part of its charm. The film boasts an impressive cast led by Cher (Moonstruck), Dennis Quaid (The Substance), and a very committed Liam Neeson (The Naked Gun),… Read More ›
Crime and comedy often go hand-in-hand due to the ridiculousness of a given situation. Watching two high-octane cars pull a massive safe through the streets of Rio? Hilarious. Betting as to whether Yen (Qin Shaobo) shorts it? Gold. Declaring that… Read More ›
It feels safe to say that capitalism had a solid run, but needs to step down. At this point, there’s nothing in this world that doesn’t feel commodified to the point that ethical consumption, let alone ethical existence, is an… Read More ›
After working on the script for roughly 20 years, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch-Drunk Love; Boogie Nights) finally cracked his vision to adapt author Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland and, if one’s been following the awards circuit, the resultant film,… Read More ›
A figure living a controlled life is interrupted, ripped even, from his organized lifestyle when the unexpected happens and the man is forced into action. This is the general premise that applies to countless action titles and thrillers (even with… Read More ›
Born in Paris, French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski initially planned to be a teacher and graduated from École Normale Supérieure before earning an Agrégation higher degree in literature. Then she joined the screenplay department of La Fémis and met several students… Read More ›
Director Derek Cianfrance is a filmmaker who is near and dear to my heart. His 2013 film The Place Beyond the Pines hit me on a deep emotional level with its themes of fatherhood and legacy. Even with its heavier… Read More ›
Whom among us hasn’t thought that it’s the effort that matters in a relationship — that if you work hard enough, want it bad enough, everything will be ok? This line of thinking often discounts the hard reality that “wanting”… Read More ›
There’s a common misconception that stories, by nature of being broadcast or shown in a theater, condone behavior, justifying choices, always, simply because they are the behaviors and choices of the main character. This is an egregious failure of media… Read More ›
The year was 2005, the summer was sweltering with sequels (Pirates of the Caribbean 3, X-Men 3, Mission: Impossible 3, Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift), new superhero movies (Superman Returns), family fair (Over the Hedge, The Devil Wears Prada, Monster… Read More ›
The only feeling better for a cinephile in learning that a film you dig or never got the chance to see is getting a physical release is learning that said film that’s out of print or region locked is getting… Read More ›
In the last nine years, actor Emma Stone and filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos have collaborated on five different projects — a short and four features — that have explored the ridiculousness of cruel friendship (The Favourite), of the human experience (Poor… Read More ›
What does one expect when a documentarian partners with a co-writer to write and direct his first feature? If you guessed a riveting, pulse-setting, sensational thriller about a heist and love and the chaos that unfolds, then you’d be right… Read More ›
If you’ve never heard of Adam Rehmeier, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. The indie gem Dinner in America (2020) is a completely underrated, under-the-radar gem that deserves to be seen by all audiences. Rehmeier’s newest, Carolina Caroline, has him… Read More ›
Mira Nair’s first narrative feature, the Indian Hindi-language drama Salaam Bombay!, is as much a documentary as it is a narrative of Bombay’s (now Mumbai’s) loud and chaotic street life. Even though its story and characters are crafted by Nair… Read More ›
If you didn’t know who director Kenji Tanigaki (Enter the Fat Dragon) was before, then after you see his explosive newest feature, The Furious, you’ll know he is one to look out for if you’re a fan of movies like… Read More ›
If you were to say there was a new movie from Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) about a real-life story of an armed kidnapping that is arguably justified with Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), an insane Al Pacino (Heat), and… Read More ›
“If you can’t bite, don’t show your teeth.” – Bubbe (Carol Kane) in Caught Stealing There are a number of ways to spin the “fish out of water” theme in stories. Sometimes it’s a tale where someone gets whisked away… Read More ›