Tag: top-stories
Our Little Sister | Review
Sisters Doing It For Themselves: Kore-eda’s Continued Examination of Polite Familial Discord
Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda returns with Our Little Sister (aka Umimachi Diary), another...
The Legend of Tarzan | Review
Monkey See, Monkey Do: Seditious Subtexts of the White Savior in Latest Tarzan Adaptation
Certain properties are best left alone, allowed to exist in the...
Private Property (1960) | Review
Piece of the Pie: Stevens’ Psychosexual Drama Gets Revamped
The poster tagline for Leslie Stevens’ 1960 directorial debut Private Property says it all, proclaiming the...
Carnage Park | Review
Carnage Knowledge: Keating’s Halfhearted Shot at Grindhouse not a Fine Vintage
For his fourth feature, indie genre director Mickey Keating attempts a vintage crime/horror mash-up...
Microbe and Gasoline | Review #2
Boys of Summer: Gondry Dials Down the Mayhem for Gentle Road Film
If Michel Gondry’s latest film Microbe and Gasoline can potentially be regarded as...
Microbe and Gasoline | Review #1
Whimsy with Measure: Gondry’s Reflection on Youth and Imagination
There are certain expectations that come with a Gondry film; his trademarks have helped to define such...
The Conversation: Top 10 Films Mid-Year Ranking
In an effort to dribble some new blood into conversations regarding the best cinematic bits to reach release in 2016, we’ve opened our top...
Free State of Jones | Review
The Newton Men: Ross Emancipates History Lesson from Obscurity
At a point in time, a dramatic reenactment of a provocative but overlooked American Civil War...
The Neon Demon | Review
Death Walks on High Heels: Refn Delves Daftly into the Los Angeles Fashion Demimonde
To reference John Waters’ definition of beauty, “a face should jolt,...
Right Now, Wrong Then | Review
Two in One: Sang-soo’s Latest Delight Examines Outcomes and Possibilities
Prolific South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo, who debuts annual films at various festivals every year,...
The Shallows | Review
The Shark Who Came in from the Deep: Collet-Serra’s Shark Attack Sticks to the Basics
There will likely never be a shark attack film as...
The Fundamentals of Caring | Review
Careworn Crucibles: Burnett’s Clichés Prove Reading is Fundamental
Writer and producer Rob Burnett, who has a healthy television resume with contributions such as “Ed” and...
The Conversation: Goodbye to Foreign Language
Nearing the second half of 2016, there’s much yet to be revealed in global cinema, with major platforms in Venice and TIFF likely to...
Finding Dory | Review
Sea Notes: Stanton Revisits Little Lost Fish in the Wide Blue Yonder
To many, 2003’s animated Pixar film Finding Nemo is considered an iconic title,...
Central Intelligence | Review
Little Big Man: Unlikely and Illogical Buddy Comedy Runs on Vestiges of Charm
The usual formula we’re used to seeing in the tireless buddy comedy...
Cosmos | Review
The Fault in Our Stars: Zulawski’s Uncompromised Return a Dark Hearted Farce
Throughout a filmography that’s spanned five decades, including two short films and now,...
The Department Q Trilogy | Review
The continued reverence for the pulpy wave of crime thrillers popularized as Nordic Noir continues with the imported The Department Q Trilogy, a series...
Criterion Collection: Le Amiche | Blu-ray Review
Many forget Michelangelo Antonioni had been directing films for over a decade by the time 1960’s L’avventura was booed at Cannes, eventually solidifying his...
The Conjuring 2 | Review
You Gotta Have Faith: Wan Advances another Franchise with Familiar Jolts
After leaving behind his Insidious franchise and lending his name to the Fast...
From Afar | Review
The Space Between Us: Vigas’ Debut a Somber, Compelling Character Portrait
Venezuelan director Lorenzo Vigas unveils a stellar debut with stark and subversive relationship drama...
Careful What You Wish For | Review
Imitation of Life: Rosenbaum Bastes Noir Tropes in YA Sheen
Director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum seems dangerously preoccupied with fashioning ill-suited screen personas for pop stars,...
The Fits | Review
Get in Where You Fit In: Holmer’s Impressive Allegory of Assimilation
Although it may feel a bit too allegorical or stylistically esoteric for its own...
Ma Ma | Review
Soap on a Rope: Medem Returns with Malignant Cancer Drama
It’s becoming harder and harder to remember the relevancy of Spanish filmmaker Julio Medem, a...
The Conversation: Cannes 2016 is the Year of the Cannibal
It was a markedly gruesome year on the Croisette in 2016 (including the perplexing awards recipients), with a notable slew of titles playing throughout...
Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann, Aquarius, Elle & Paterson Top our 2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel
Yesterday's George Miller led jury pronounced Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake as the best from the 2016 competition of twenty-one films, and they gave...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 12: Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann Leads Palme d’Or Predictions & Personal Palmes
The Cannes Film Festival is getting ready to bestow several awards, including the highest honor. Not surprisingly, the majority of the jury think that Maren Ade's...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 11: Paul Verhoeven Brings Loaded “Elle” to the Table
Elle not only sees Paul Verhoeven's long awaited return to the Croisette (his only ever Cannes showing being 1992's Basic Instinct) but it also counts as...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 10: Refn Takes Fashionable Approach to “The Neon Demon”
Prior to hitting the Cannes comp with his Best Director prize winning Drive (2011) and the much disliked Only God Forgives (2013), this Danish-American...
The Other Side | Review
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Minervini Continues Fascination with American Rural Dysfunction
One can’t help but recall the refreshing yet uncomfortably toxic memories of Harmony...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 10: Sean Penn’s Proposes Cinematic War Zone for “The Last Face”
A well liked actor and personality on the Croisette, he had his first outing as a filmmaker with The Indiana Runner land in the...
The Unknown Girl | 2016 Cannes Film Festival Review
The Guilt Trip: The Dardennes’ Add a Touch of Genre to Collective Guilt
For better or worse, we already know what kind of quiet poignancy...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 9: Dolan Comes Out with “It’s the Only the End of the World”
With the exception of what I consider his best film to date, the Venice preemed Tom at the Farm, Xavier Dolan's home away from home...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 9: Cristian Mungiu Teaches Masterclass with “Graduation”
Winner of the Palme d'Or in a heavily stacked 2007 field that included The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 8: Brillante Mendoza’s Slumdog Manila in “Ma’ Rosa”
Hovering just over the dozen feature film mark, Ma' Rosa is now the fourth Cannes Film Fest entry for Filipino director Brillante Mendoza. Serbis was his...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 8: Dardennes Get Clean Bill of Health for “The Unknown Girl”
Padding their already impressive filmography as filmmakers, the Dardennes are becoming a force in auteur-driven films as producers. Landing a little everywhere in Cannes...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 7: Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Asks What’s Your Sign with “Aquarius”
There's a new reason to be excited about Brazilian cinema and his name is Kleber Mendonça Filho. His undeniably seminal first feature film Neighboring...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 7: Olivier Assayas Scares & Boos with “Personal Shopper”
From one star rating to Irma Vep and Summer Hours five star perfection and everything in between, Olivier Assayas' latest will not have gone...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 7: Pedro Almodovar Soaks in Silence with “Julieta”
Hovering around the twenty film mark, you might have thought that this Madrilenian's entire filmography was displayed on the Croisette, when in fact, excluding...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 6: Jarmusch “Paterson” is Worth the Bus Fare
While many of us film folk who attend Cannes are reminded of Jim Jarmusch's presence on the Croisette every time we sit in on...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 6: Jeff Nichols Has No Fear with “Loving”
We've been in full admiration of this American indie filmmaker ever since he broke out with Shotgun Stories (Berlin Film Fest) in 2007, and confirmed his...
The Conversation: 2016 Cannes Film Fest Halfway Point Pulse
Eric Lavallee: Hello Nicholas. Yesterday we completed week one and we're close to the midway point. We've been anticipating Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann for...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 5: Arnold’s “American Honey” Features Two-Lane Bluetop
With the exception of Wuthering Heights, Andrea Arnold has stamped her presence all over the Croisette and has been heavily rewarded for her works:...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 5: Nicole Garcia Passionate About “From the Land of the Moon”
With her eighth feature film under her belt, veteran actress (Resnais' My American Uncle) turned filmmaker Nicole Garcia returns to the Cannes competition a...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 4: The Joke’s on You with Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann
While the Un Certain Regard section certainly has populated their section with some German items, there have remarkably been zilch film entries in the...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 4: Park Chan-wook Gets into Seduction Mode with “The Handmaiden”
Following 2004's Old Boy (Grand Prix) and 2009's Thirst (Jury Prize), this is Park Chan-wook's third trip to the Cannes comp and technically tenth...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 3: Ken Loach Cares About the Welfare of “I, Daniel Blake”
He has promoted, and as of late, defended the inclusion of this filmmaker, and with I, Daniel Blake - Thierry Frémaux proves that he has...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 3: Bruno Dumont’s “Slack Bay” Sinks & Swims
Day three and four films and so far it's been a sturdy festival line-up. Excluding his mini-series P’tit Quinquin which shored up at the...
Sieranevada | 2016 Cannes Film Festival Review
Death in the Family: Puiu’s Grueling, Rewarding Portrait of Familial Strife
People are never who they seem to be, at least until you get to...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 2: Puiu Thinks of You, The Living with “Sieranevada”
Fans of Romanian cinema are well compensated this year with not one, but two comp offerings from the Eastern european nation: Cristian Mungiu is...
2016 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 2: Guiraudie is Hungry Like the Wolf with “Staying Vertical”
The last time Alain Guiraudie was on the Croisette, it was pretty much unanimous that his Un Certain Regard selected and Best Director winning...
