“On Joan Micklin Silver’s ‘A Fish in the Bathtub’ and Jerry Stiller’s Abiding Love”

A fish? A bathtub? That’s not where fish go. Continue reading →

Review: Spotlight, 2015, dir. Tom McCarthy

“Bostonians tend toward insularity that often comes off like rudeness. In truth, that stereotypical coarseness is a blend of honesty and austerity: They favor candor over sensitivity, and act like total introverts in the interest of honoring their neighbors’ privacy. Tom McCarthy’s latest film,Spotlight, appreciates that social shuttering better, perhaps, than it appreciates its subject … Continue reading →

Review: The Avengers, 2012, dir. Joss Whedon

The Avengers didn’t have to do much to impress me. Being as honest as possible, Joss Whedon’s attempt at making a respectable entrance into the 2012 summer season with the capstone picture of Marvel Studios’ long-gestating superhero bonanza just needed to be tolerable to get a pass from me. Put bluntly, C-level material alone would … Continue reading →

Avengers, Assemble For Take 86: Behind the Scenes Avengers Images

Well, we’re almost into April, and I can only imagine that in the coming thirty days we’ll see the campaign promoting the May 2nd release of The Avengers ramp up in a big way. Marvel’s unleashed some new screen caps here and there to follow up the truly horrible poster released at the end of February and … Continue reading →

Review: The Kids Are All Right, 2010, dir. Lisa Cholodenk

Walking away from Lisa Cholodenko’s latest effort, the curiously titled The Kids Are All Right, I felt myself being pulled in multiple directions by its varying incongruities and opaque intentions. This is a confused film, a film unsure of exactly whose story it wants to tell and greatly confused over the message it’s supposed to … Continue reading →

…And the Nominees Are: Oscar Follow-Up

What makes the efforts of one director superior to those of another? If one person wins Best Director, does it stand to reason that they should also win Best Picture? I had these two questions– and sub-questions pertaining to both, as well as variations on each of said questions– rolling around in my head after … Continue reading →

Review: Shutter Island, 2010, dir. Martin Scorsese

(Warning: The following review delves ever so slightly into spoiler territory, so you may wish to avoid reading this if you haven’t watched the movie yet.) And for his next trick, Martin Scorsese does his very best M. Night Shyamalan impression and tries his hand at the horror genre. Shutter Island, by all means, isn’t … Continue reading →

Review: The Brothers Bloom, 2009, dir. Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson‘s follow-up to 2005’s paean to noir, Brick, wants you to put your trust in its narrative. And in point of fact, The Brothers Bloom goes to great lengths to ensure it gains your confidence. Maybe in some cases, Johnson’s sophomore film tries too hard but the effort is undeniably genuine and as enthusiastic … Continue reading →