The Tragedy of Macbeth (2022)

Did social distancing influence this Joel Coen production of the Scottish play? It has some great actors in it, but their performances seem strangely separate. And the film's striking images seem more like a gallery of evocative stills than immersive cinema.


1 Comment14 Minutes

The Weekender: Christmas Edition 2021

This week: Malick's rollercoaster ride through the eons of history. Mia Hansen-Løve's film Bergman Island. All hail U2's The Edge!


1 Comment24 Minutes

Twenty years ago this weekend, a fellowship formed in Rivendell…

Twenty years ago this weekend, I joined a fellowship at the local cineplex to witness an event that would change the art of movies — for better and for worse — for decades to come.


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Devi (1960)

During November's Barnes and Noble Criterion sale, I took a chance on a film I've never seen before. I am so glad that I did. It's one of the great films about the possibilities and the dangers of religious faith.


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Passing (2021)

In a season of sprawling epics and extravagant spectacle, Rebecca Hall's directorial debut is one of the year's finest exceptions: a quiet, focused film that knows exactly what it wants to be and efficiently achieves it.


0 Comments18 Minutes

The French Dispatch (2021) (Part One)

Wes Anderson's devoting every resource at his disposal to realizing grander visions. The results are more like museums than paintings, more like restaurants than mere meals.


1 Comment14 Minutes