Inevitably, families fall apart. Not all of them out of malice or spite, but more because of time and growth. At the very core of raising a family is the idea that someday you will watch your children leave you, and this, of course, will upend the very thing you have been trying to holdContinue reading "‘Loveling’ Is A Tender Family Drama Of Great Highs & Awkward Lows [Sundance Review]"
‘This Is Home’ Is A Harrowing Take On Refugee Life In America [Sundance Review]
In the year since the cultural shift ignited by the 2016 election, there have already been a handful of films that have taken on the ongoing war in Syria and the refugee crisis it has sparked. (Two of them — “City of Ghosts” and “Last Men In Aleppo” — made our list of the best docsContinue reading "‘This Is Home’ Is A Harrowing Take On Refugee Life In America [Sundance Review]"
Enjoyable ‘The Newspaperman’ Toasts Journalism Legend Ben Bradlee [Review]
This year, more so than even the chaos that was 2016, has been the year of fact vs. fiction. A divided country has strayed away from agreeing upon facts and debating action, to being unable to even agree on what exactly constitutes a fact. An obvious proponent, of course, has been the push by manyContinue reading "Enjoyable ‘The Newspaperman’ Toasts Journalism Legend Ben Bradlee [Review]"
‘Unfractured’: An Underwhelming Portrait Of Protest & Sandra Steingraber [DOC NYC Review]
Advocacy documentaries are a huge risk — such blatantly opinionated content risks alienating viewers, playing to an already established audience, and, in the end, failing to educate anyone. Still, some manage to make a big splash, for better or worse (“An Inconvenient Truth,” “Super Size Me”), but others can truly be sickeningly partisan garbage (anythingContinue reading "‘Unfractured’: An Underwhelming Portrait Of Protest & Sandra Steingraber [DOC NYC Review]"
‘Maddman’ Succumbs To The Cult Of Personality Of Steve Madden [DOC NYC Review]
The name Steve Madden is an interesting one. For those who came of age in the ‘90s, Madden’s shoes, with their ridiculous, disproportionate advertisements, their high-fashion style, and their affordable cost were defining and, pretty quickly, ubiquitous. But, in the last two decades, the shoe mogul has been most associated with Wall Street and his notorious transgression:Continue reading "‘Maddman’ Succumbs To The Cult Of Personality Of Steve Madden [DOC NYC Review]"
‘Along For The Ride’ Needlessly Adorns Dennis Hopper’s Legacy With Saintliness [Review]
Dennis Hopper was a legend. His tumultuous career — replete with soaring highs and harrowing lows — was matched only by his turbulent and unruly personal life. The director behind the prototype for American independent cinema, the classic “Easy Rider,” Hopper’s career began alongside that of James Dean, whom he shared the screen with twice, before bottomingContinue reading "‘Along For The Ride’ Needlessly Adorns Dennis Hopper’s Legacy With Saintliness [Review]"
Card Mechanic Documentary ‘Dealt’ Plays A Winning Hand [Review]
The nature of the medium of documentary is built around an unknown. Filmmakers journey into a subject or a life without all the answers (the worst documentaries purport to hold all the cards), and what often makes a good documentary riveting is the narrative of exploration, the uncovering of a truth. But, what often definesContinue reading "Card Mechanic Documentary ‘Dealt’ Plays A Winning Hand [Review]"
‘Dina’ Is One Of The Most Surprising & Thoughtful Romantic Comedies Of The Year [Review]
Telling a good love story on the big screen is a challenge of originality in 2017. The trite and cliche rom-com narrative is over burdened with expectation and is running on empty, and the year’s best rom-coms have relied heavily on shattering the formula (even “The Big Sick,” the most typical of romantic comedy ofContinue reading "‘Dina’ Is One Of The Most Surprising & Thoughtful Romantic Comedies Of The Year [Review]"
New York Film Festival: 12 Must-See Films To Watch
Admittedly, we paused when we found out Todd Haynes (a Playlist favorite) was adapting a YA novel, but sometimes you just gotta have faith. Haynes, after all, has rarely let us down, and, more often, he has blown us away. While some consider him to be a provocative, subversive filmmaker, labeling him as such misses so muchContinue reading "New York Film Festival: 12 Must-See Films To Watch"
Essentials: The Films Of Jane Campion
It had been a long four years after “Bright Star” waiting for Campion to return, but when “Top Of The Lake” finally came, it was obviously worth the wait. The seven-episode first season, which premiered at Sundance in a single seven-hour showing (there was a lunch break), is exactly the slow-burn sort of mystery weContinue reading "Essentials: The Films Of Jane Campion"
Gary Joshua Garrison 