Friday, April 13 2012
‘Damsels in Distress’ Seems Set In an Alternate Dimension
Damsels in Distress is, perhaps even more than Whit Stillman's previous work, a joyful film. There is a joy to the performances, to the careful wording of the jokes, and to the deadpan portrait of a bizarro campus.
Thursday, April 12 2012
‘Post Mortem’: History Out of Order in Chile 1979
Post Mortem concerns bodies and reports, the order that one might impose on the other.
Wednesday, April 11 2012
Independent Lens: You’re Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don’t
The gaps help you to think through what any documentary might do, raising questions about the art and possibility of representing anyone as image.
Tuesday, April 10 2012
‘We’re Not Broke’: Just in Time for Tax Day
We're Not Broke argues that the US tax code is designed to benefit corporations, at all costs.
Monday, April 9 2012
‘Surviving Progress’ Makes a Case for ‘Moral Progress’
The film makes a case for a "moral" progress, one that will curtail the machines. It's one of those "pretty to think so" arguments, but it's also pretty convincing.
Friday, April 6 2012
‘Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope’: Fans Galore
Chuck describes the relationship between fans and creators, between comic book buyers and sellers as a "mutually shared system of belief."
‘American Reunion’ Is As Bad As It Wants to Be
The franchise has never pretended to want anything more than to recapture pretty much exactly that first magical moment -- complete with pot jokes, poop jokes, booby jokes, and yet another foreign exchange student joke.
‘Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope’
Spurlock's new documentary is more entertaining and less of a commentary than his previous works.
Thursday, April 5 2012
‘Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey’ on ‘Independent Lens’
"Captain Kangaroo was a magical place," Kevin Clash explains, "As opposed to the type of place that I lived and the type of people that I saw."
Wednesday, April 4 2012
‘Tent City U.S.A.’ Follows a Homeless Community in Nashville
In showing homeless individuals as they forge a community, Tent City U.S.A. does necessary work. The homeless have names, they are visible, and they remain hopeful about what comes next.
Tuesday, April 3 2012
‘Goon’: Smart and Stupid
A minor league hockey team's superstar enforcer, Doug is an embodied contradiction, sensitive and ferocious, smart and stupid.
Monday, April 2 2012
‘Boy’: Michael Jackson and the Hulk
Boy's renditions of a vexed father-son dynamic veer from goofy to cute, never quite convincing, and not a little clichéd, complete with montages and wayward pets.
Friday, March 30 2012
‘Mirror Mirror’ Reflects a One Percenter
The evil queen's perspective is by definition self-interested, limited, and revisionist.
‘Bully’ Lectures But Who’s Listening?
Bullying may be widespread, but bullies and victims learn how to behave in the ways they do, they're born into circumstances and shaped by experiences.
‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’: Re-released in Theatres!
Holy Grail looks decidedly low-fi, and also as if the crew was scrambling to get their scenes done, the roaming, oft-unsteady camera affording a remarkably focused energy.
‘Wrath of the Titans’ Desperately Wants to Be Epic
Unlike Clash of the Titans, which stacked the deck with mindless action, Wrath of the Titans features more walking. A lot more of it.
Thursday, March 29 2012
‘Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York’: History and Legacy
This connection between photos and real-world effects shapes Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League's New York, Nina Rosenblum and Daniel Allentuck's terrific documentary about the League's history and legacy.
Monday, March 26 2012
‘Atomic Mom’: Mothers and Daughters Reflect on the Bomb
In looking at the effects of nuclear weapons on mothers and daughters, Atomic Mom makes clear not only the past and effects, but also a way forward. The film airs this week on the Documentary Channel.
Friday, March 23 2012
‘The Raid: Redemption’ Showcases Martial Arts Action and Hallways
Listening to the gunfire and explosions in other parts of the building, cops crouched in shadows begin to look around at one another.
‘The Deep Blue Sea’ Takes Its Time
The ambiguity about the affair is welcome initially, but the duet between Freddie's anger and Hester's desperation becomes repetitive.
