Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk begins an existential nightmare and ends as nihilistic commentary on time and fate. But really, what war film doesn’t? And what could Nolan’s Dunkirk stand to teach us that Patton didn’t? That Saving Private Ryan didn’t? Or The Longest Day? The Thin Red Line? Atonement? I’ve been a nut for World War … Continue reading Persistence of Time: A Review of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk
Film Reviews
Obsession and Madness: “Pawn Sacrifice” Review
Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a chess nerd. That might come as a shock considering how terrible of a chess player I am, but I can confidently say that the magnitude of my theoretical knowledge of the sport in comparison to my deficit of skill is quite large. (Although much of that is owed … Continue reading Obsession and Madness: “Pawn Sacrifice” Review
Requiem for Nightmares: “Black Mass” Review
Black Mass is not the typical glorified gangster film of mob bosses living lives of splendor and decadence while wielding exceptional power. Rather, it is a cold and distant examination of violence and manipulative cruelty. Based on the book of the same name, Black Mass transports us to the snow-strewn and crumbling streets of Boston’s … Continue reading Requiem for Nightmares: “Black Mass” Review
What We Talk About When We Talk About Theatre: “Birdman” Review
But how can we talk about Birdman? It, like Raymond Carver’s elusive love, cannot be talked about but only around. It can only be seen in contrast to what is not seen, its presence detected by way of what it moves, and creates, like wind in the trees or antibodies in the blood. In contrast to … Continue reading What We Talk About When We Talk About Theatre: “Birdman” Review
Answered Prayers: “Foxcatcher” Review
In the closing moments of Bennett Miller’s 2005 film Capote, director Bennett Miller tells us that “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” Foxcatcher tells a similar tale. It is cold in the same way that Miller’s Capote is cold, a pensive progression of events that will soon go awry in the pursuit of answering prayers. … Continue reading Answered Prayers: “Foxcatcher” Review
(Don’t!) Let the Beat Drop: “Whiplash” Review
Like the title suggests, Whiplash is a jarring and explosive event, striking with a force and power that stuns and reverberates for moments to come. Director Damien Chazelle doesn’t direct a film so much as he conducts an orchestra, leading with a barrage of percussion and brass then, deftly, employs gentle finely-tuned writing to create … Continue reading (Don’t!) Let the Beat Drop: “Whiplash” Review
Steady Hands. No Fast Pans. Don’t Use the Zoom. “Nightcrawler” Review
Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler wants to be noir in the same way that Lou Bloom wants to be a cinematic auteur, clinging with tight desperation to an idea that can never fully come to fruition. Instead it lurks in shadows and creates a quiet, pensive beauty grown from a horror that should deeply disturb us but … Continue reading Steady Hands. No Fast Pans. Don’t Use the Zoom. “Nightcrawler” Review
Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop.
Jaume Collet-Serra’s new film Non-stop unfolds with the elegance and suspense of a classic Hitchcock film in our modern era. Through clever storytelling and progression of events, Non-stop takes us aboard an exciting ride and refreshingly puts our paranoia on edge to keep us guessing until the end. We meet our unlucky hero at the … Continue reading Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop.
Fear and Gloating in Rhode Island
It starts with a doll. Wide glassy eyes, grinning eerily into the camera. We listen to the story of a mere child's play object, a symbol of displaced love, affection, and desire that becomes twisted and corrupted into an object of deceit, jealously and malice by dark spirits. In a nutshell, this is the story … Continue reading Fear and Gloating in Rhode Island
Sailing to “Elysium”
Elysium, the newest film from Neill Blomkamp, the creator of District 9 once again forces us into a world where the unspoken social undercurrents of our modern world are thrust into light. The post-apartheid era of District 9 gives way to a stark, segregationist landscape reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. On Earth, we experience Los … Continue reading Sailing to “Elysium”
