Piers Marchant

Piers Marchant is a film critic and writer based in Philly. Find more confounding amusements and diversions at his blog, Sweet Smell of Success (http://sweetsmellosuccess.tumblr.com), or read his further 142-character rants and ravings at @kafkaesque83.

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Reviews

'The Shallows' Takes Anthropomorphising Deeper

The camera hovers over the ocean's surface or dips below, forcing you, too, to scan apprehensively through the blue-green waters for this relentless stalker.

Film

In '45 Years' the Quiet Speaks Volumes

A film this quiet and understated needs every element to work in subtle harmony, and Haigh's work has 45 Years humming with dignified vitality.

Reviews

Tribeca Film Fest 2016: 'Fear, Inc.' + 'Always Shine'

Two movies at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, Fear, Inc. and Always Shine, want to explore audience expectations within the possibilities of the horror genre.

Reviews

'James White' Brings an Unwavering Gaze Into an Abyss

Christopher Abbott imbues James with both dynamic self-loathing and deep sense of affliction, so that he shifts between irritating and mesmerizing.

Film

'Brooklyn' Is a Story of Cultural Purgatory

Rarely do immigration dramas deal with the trouble of re-assimilating back to one's homeland.

Film

Sundance 2016: 'Manchester by the Sea' + 'Certain Women'

Two exceptional films at this year’s Sundance Festival resist the typical character arc, and instead follow individuals who either have no interest in changing or are powerless to do so.

Reviews

Sundance 2016: 'Wild' + 'Author: The JT LeRoy Story'

Two films at the Sundance Film Festival -- Wild and Author: The JT LeRoy Story -- challenge familiar categories.

Reviews

TIFF 2016: 'Dheepan' + 'Green Room'

Many movies feature climactic scenes of barbarity, but the best ones prepare viewers for what’s to come. We have two different examples in Toronto, Dheepan and Green Room

Reviews

TIFF 2015: 'Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)'

Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) offers another way to see teen sex and desire; not as deviant and deserving of punishment, but as a step toward maturity.

Reviews

'Diary of a Teenage Girl' Is Really About Adults in Need of Parenting

We follow the exploits of Minnie (Bel Powley), a 15-year-old aspiring cartoonist in 1976 San Francisco. The first thing she tells us -- “I just had sex. Holy shit!” -- sets the film's tone.

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