Based on Thomas Pynchon’s much celebrated novel, this is a wild, ridiculous, totally blazed piece of work that had “cult-classic” status written all over it the moment it was released in theaters a few years ago. Different and yet similar to obvious inspirations such as The Big Lebowski, The Big Sleep, and The Long Goodbye,…
Escape from Tomorrow is a work of cinematic madness. This willfully deranged little freak-out was written and directed by Randy Moore, and because this was his debut feature, the film feels even more radical than if a more seasoned filmmaker had attempted something similar. The narrative pivots on a recently unemployed father (Roy Abramsohn, totally…
Jim Jarmusch’s low-key and elegant film Paterson is another feather in the cap for this idiosyncratic auteur, starring an intensely committed Adam Driver as a New Jersey bus driver named Paterson, who happens to live in the city of Paterson. The film is part fantasy, part meditation, and all wonderful, with an observant eye for…
Released in 1960, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment stands as one of the filmmaker’s greatest works, a motion picture written with intelligence, directed with style, and preformed with vitality by its splendid cast, which included Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, David Lewis, Willard Waterman, David White, Edie Adams, Hope Holiday, and Jack Kruschen….
Grossing $23 million worldwide and receiving mixed reviews at the time of its release, this is the type of movie that just seemed to be born as an immediate cult classic, as it’s one of those idiosyncratic efforts that can’t really be compared to too much else. Though intentionally or not, it did seem to…
Cherry 2000 is a fantastic cinematic explosion of ideas, genres, tones, and possibilities. In other words – it’s a Steve De Jarnatt picture, ahead of its time during initial release, and so ready for rediscovery by modern audiences it’s almost a joke. Feeling like an acid-tinged riff on the post-apocalyptic action narrative with shades of…
I was a big fan of writer/director Rian Johnson’s debut film, Brick; his follow up, The Brothers Bloom, was a bit too precious but still demonstrated tons of style and cinematic quirk. But Looper is a heady and stylish mélange of science fiction and noir with some bloody shoot-outs, numerous narrative twists and turns, and…
Gus Van Sant’s “death trilogy” started in 2002 with the unique and intimate film, Gerry, kicking off a run of small, super low budget and very internalized pieces of work, which also included 2003’s Elephant and Last Days in 2005 (while similar, 2007’s Paranoid Park isn’t considered part of this unofficial grouping). Certainly not for…
Triple 9 is my kind of movie. But I expected that. This is a John Hillcoat film. Hillocat has only made movies that I have loved. The Proposition, The Road, Lawless, and now this nasty, 70’s-flavored cop film that has streaks of Lumet while possessing a stylish and modern aesthetic hand. Matt Cook’s hard boiled…
The End of the Tour focuses on a long weekend in the life of deceased author David Foster Wallace, whose 1996 novel, Infinite Jest, became a literary sensation and cultural touchstone for an entire generation. Bolstered by two terrific performances by Jason Segel (as Wallace) and Jesse Eisenberg (as then Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky),…
Collateral is a laser-precise action thriller, that as per usual for macho auteur Michael Mann, also stops to pause for the introspective moment from time to time, certainly more than your average studio shoot ‘em up. This was a theatrical five-timer for me, and it’s a movie I’ve revisited numerous times on DVD and Blu-ray;…
In 2008, eclectic filmmaker Gus Van Sant released two films: Paranoid Park, a challenging and formally adventurous indie, and the more classically structured but no less emotionally stirring biopic Milk. I’ve long been fascinated by Van Sant’s interesting and unpredictable career, and his film about San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly…
Amy is a film so filled with frustrations, about what might have been and about what could have been done differently, that it is difficult not to feel drained upon leaving it. If indeed one can leave it, as director Asif Kapadia has assembled his portrait so effectively that it will likely linger with you…
Director: Chris Rock Starring: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union Maybe it’s the influence of co-producers Kanye West and Jay-Z but Top Five feels resolutely hip-hop, despite lacking a rapping protagonist. Chris Rock’s new film channels the vibe of New York streets and modern urban culture, creating a heartfelt comedy that entertainingly slinks…
Director: Michael Cuesta Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie De Witt, Mary Elizabeth Winstead UK Release Date: 6th March 2015 The conspiracy that lies at the heart of Kill The Messenger could easily be written off as a farfetched impossibility. Wait, so you’re telling me that the CIA protected and facilitated drug smuggling into the USA on…
Focus – Review Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez UK Release Date: 27th February 2015 The greatest con featured in Focus is when the end credits roll and you realise that you were the “mark” all along. The deception wasn’t used to lift your watch, but instead to steal…
