‘Roqia’ Review: [B] Venice
Playing in competition at this year’s Venice Critics’ Week, Yanis Koussim’s Roqia is a rare Middle Eastern genre film that takes narrative risks that mostly... Read More
Film Reviews
‘In the Hand of Dante’ Review: Julian Schnabel’s Less Than Divine Comedy of Errors Belongs in the 9th Circle of Hell [D+] Venice
The opening music for Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante, an audacious but ruinously messy epic which takes place across seven centuries and has... Read More
‘Frankenstein’ Review: To the Victor Go the Spoils [B] Telluride
For close to one hundred years, Frankenstein has always been a complex, fascinating tale of the moral consequences from man’s decision to create something beyond... Read More
‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Review: Kaouther Ben Hania’s Harrowing Look at a Palestinian Genocide Flashpoint is the Most Indispensable Film of the Decade [A] Venice
In January of 2024, Hind Rajab was evacuating her home in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City, as ordered by Israeli forces, alongside six... Read More
‘Duse’ Review: The Chaos of a Legend is Captured in Pietro Marcello’s Endurance Test of a Costume Drama [C-] Venice
Eleonora Duse is a name that carries the weight of legend: Te actress who revolutionized theatrical performance in Italy, who captivated audiences across Europe, and... Read More
‘The Stranger’ Review: The Absurdity of Existence Captured in François Ozon’s Newest Film [B] Venice
‘The Stranger’ Review: The Absurdity of Existence Captured in François Ozon’s Newest Film [B] Venice
François Ozon’s cinematic adaptation of Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” is an ambitious, meticulously crafted endeavor, one that seeks to translate the existential rigor and enigmatic... Read More
Telluride Dispatch #4: ‘Cover-Up,’ ‘Tuner,’ and the Friends We Made Along the Way
The final day of the 52nd Telluride Film Festival, September 2, always hits with a bittersweet pang. The cinematic highs are tempered by the looming... Read More
‘A House of Dynamite’ Review: Kathryn Bigelow’s Politics Apocalypse is a Potent Potboiler [B+] Venice
In her first film in almost a decade, Kathryn Bigelow returns with A House of Dynamite, an incredibly timely film with an inventive narrative structure,... Read More
‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ Review: Jim Jarmusch’s Family Affair is an Uneven Triptych of Ties that Bind [C+] Venice
Jim Jarmusch is known for his often quiet, contemplative and meditative films that have a lot to say without actually saying much. The enigmatic beauty... Read More
‘The Smashing Machine’ Review: Benny Safdie’s Cautious Fighter Drama Pulls its Punches [C] Venice
Some films don’t know what they want to be – and that’s certainly the case with Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, a film that continuously... Read More
Producers Guild (PGA) and Screen Actors Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Predictions: More ‘One Battle’ vs ‘Sinners’ Provide the Final Showdowns Before Oscar 
‘Mint’ Review: Ambition Outpaces Impact in ‘Snapper’ Director Charlotte Regan’s Stylish BBC Crime Drama Series [C+] Berlinale 
‘17’ Review: Kosara Mitić’s Devastating Debut Exposes the Cost of Silence and Complicity [B] Berlinale 
Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Take Top Awards