All-star cast propels ‘Spotlight’ (Review)
Mark Ruffalo. Michael Keaton. Rachel McAdams. Liev Schreiber. John Slattery. Stanley Tucci. Together, in one movie? Yes. That would be Spotlight. And it’s a monster.…
Film Reviews
Film reviews covering indie, arthouse, and mainstream cinema.
Film Review: Toni Collette lends ‘Miss You Already’ star power
Director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) said that she wanted to ensure that Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette bonded before shooting began. As she has done so…
‘Son of Saul’ an astonishing, devastating experience not to be missed
At filmmaker Lázló Nemes’ request, Son of Saul screened at MVFF using a gorgeous, organic 35mm print. Interestingly, after opening promos, the screen and drapes re-sized…
There Will Be ‘Sacred Blood’
You don’t see horror films too often at mainstream film festivals. And you also don’t see new Coppola films all that often either. Sacred Blood,…
No suppressing creative spirit in ‘Taxi’
A preview of some of this year’s gems at the Mill Valley Film Festival begins with ‘Taxi’ (‘Taxi Tehran’), a banned film shot on the…
Plastic Surgery as Last Resort: ‘Desire for Beauty’
It’s a documentary, but it could be a horror film. Desire for Beauty begins with a young, attractive Polish woman getting drawn up by a surgeon…
‘It Follows’ in John Carpenter’s footsteps
Horror is a tricky genre. Just about everything has been done… to death. Found footage. Haunted houses. Ghost stories. Demons. The self-aware. Comedy-horror. Been there,…
Woody Allen’s ‘Irrational Man’ a dark, entertaining romp, the ending not so much (Review)
If you judge movies largely by the ending you may be slightly disappointed by Irrational Man. That would be unfortunate though, and perhaps even unfair…
Boulevard: Robin Williams’ final performance (Review)
“Are you happy?” It’s like a sucker punch. And the chills come fast. When Robin Williams’s character Nolan Mack, a quiet and reliable banker, is…
Is Polanski’s ‘Tenant’ classic or camp?
Re-visiting a Roman Polanski fever dream. Does 1976's 'The Tenant' still hold up today? Who is Simone Choule? And why did Trelkovsky slap that kid…