Predators in academia: Shirley’s search for lost girls

Shirley, driven by great performances from Elizabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg, is dark, strange, and unnervingly wise.


1 Comment15 Minutes

Raised by 20th Century Women

I recently caught up with director Mike Mills's film 20th Century Women and wished I'd seen it earlier to include it in my 2016 Favorites list.


0 Comments13 Minutes

Onward’s Frivolous Fantasy

Looking for an escape from sheltering-at-home familiarity, I turned to America's most reliable animation studio. But Pixar's Onward remains stuck in uninspired tropes.


0 Comments21 Minutes

Catching Up With Cléo from 5 to 7

In which I begin posting thoughts on the movies I'm watching during the 2020 season of COVID-19 lockdown. First up? A beloved French New Wave masterpiece by Agnes Varda.


1 Comment18 Minutes

Before Mulan… we had Whale Rider.

Before you see Niki Caro's reinvention of Mulan, discover her 2003 film about another young female hero who subverts the expectations of her people and overturns restrictive patriarchal traditions.


0 Comments14 Minutes

Vagabond (1985)

My enthusiasm for Agnes Varda's documentaries has prompted many to recommend her narrative features. This week, I caught up with Vagabond.


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The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Joe Cornish's latest is something less than a chip off the ol' Attack the Block.


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Let the Corpses Tan (2019)

Dazzling and hyperviolent, Let the Corpses Tan is one of the most creative thrillers I've seen in years. But take a note of heavy caution: It's also upsettingly graphic.


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El Sur (1983)

In which I catch up with a 1983 masterpiece — a father-daughter dance for the ages.


0 Comments7 Minutes

Strange Negotiations (2019)

Brandon Vedder's portrait of David Bazan follows the rock star through harrowing experiences of fear, doubt, betrayal, and self-discovery.


0 Comments12 Minutes