The Business of Film and Entertainment
Written by: Victoria Alexander
It builds to a sensational, illuminating scene between Johansson and Driver, then slips when Driver, who does have a strong singing voice, uses the film to audition for a Broadway musical. It’s tough to make a film about marriage. You … Continue reading
Written by: Victoria Alexander
All hail the triumphant return of Sarah Connor. They got it right. Let’s ignore the ridiculous previous – financial, rather than heroic, attempts to keep the franchise going – and just say here is the sequel to that money-making name … Continue reading
Written by: Victoria Alexander
Brilliant and astonishing. See Joker and there is no need to see any other movie in 2019. Joker is a brave and daring film. Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker creates a fully realized unique character. The screenplay by director Todd … Continue reading
Written by: Hannah Tran
Ximei (Andy Cohen/Gaylen Ross, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. Trauma comes in many forms. The Chinese Henan Province’s plasma economy that offered money in exchange for the plasma donations of mainly poor rural farmers was the catalyst for about … Continue reading
Written by: Hannah Tran
Synonyms (Nadav Lapid) 2 out of 4 stars. In Israeli director Nadav Lapid’s latest film, Synonyms, we follow the journey of a young Israeli man as he attempts to abandon his ingrained cultural identity in favor of a new one. … Continue reading
Written by: Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Associate Editor
Crown Vic (Joel Souza, 2019) 2 out of 4 stars. A police thriller with few police and fewer thrills, Crown Vic nevertheless offers a few rewards for the patient viewer, though these come wrapped in a derivative package that recalls Antoine … Continue reading
Written by: Rob Goald, Senior Editor
The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING By Dan Mirvish Routledge/Taylor & Francis A Focal Press Book New York 2017 Learning how to produce ultra-low-budget feature films is a demanding and complicated task. Even earning a bachelor’s degree in Film, … Continue reading
Written by: Christopher Llewellyn Reed
In Lower Manhattan, bordered on the west by the Hudson River, the east by Broadway, the north by Canal Street, and on the south by the World Trade Center site, lies the neighborhood known as Tribeca (formerly spelled “TriBeCa,” each … Continue reading
Written by: Stan Popovich
Many celebrities deal with the pressures of Hollywood on a regular basis. Here are some suggestions on how to manage the stresses and anxieties of dealing with peer pressure when working in Hollywood. 1. Know Where You Stand. Ask yourself … Continue reading
Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019) 3½ out of 4 stars. There are so many winning performances in Rian Johnson’s new film, an uproarious whodunnit, that to name them all and sing the praises of each would take up half the … Continue reading
The Two Popes (Fernando Meirelles, 2019) 3½ out of 4 stars. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was, well, never. Sure, I was raised Episcopalian (in a High Anglican church, no less, which means confession was … Continue reading
Queen & Slim (Melina Matsoukas, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. A rousing dramatic thriller about racial profiling and police violence in America, Queen & Slim is a sometimes imperfect vehicle for the issues it raises, yet an ultimately powerful cinematic … Continue reading
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. Last year’s beautiful documentary tribute to the late, great Fred Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, offered such a comprehensive and moving tribute to the man … Continue reading
21 Bridges (Brian Kirk, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. There’s nothing like a good crime thriller. In today’s world it seems we can’t get enough of them, with the hundreds of different “cop shows,” as my family would call … Continue reading
7 Days to Vegas (Eric Balfour, 2019) If you do a quick Google search on the question “can you walk to Las Vegas?” you’ll be met with results spanning from walking from the airport to the Strip, among other reasonable … Continue reading
White Snake (Amp Wong/Ji Zhao, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. I’m not one to typically watch Far Eastern animated films. I never got into anime, and I rarely catch animated films in the United States, to be frank. However, … Continue reading
Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops (Jenifer McShane, 2019) 4 out of 4 stars. Jenifer McShane’s new documentary Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops begins with the statistic that 1 in 5 Americans has a mental-health diagnosis. Then – bam! – we cut … Continue reading
Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach, 2019) 4 out of 4 stars. An alternately comedic and heartbreaking tale of divorce, Marriage Story begins with two passionate declarations of love, from each participant in the impending drama. Charlie (Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman) goes first, delivering … Continue reading
