Esme, My Love (Choy, 2022)
As I write this, there are four other reviews from Rotten Tomatoes certified critics of Esme, My Love. None of them (yes, I read all four) express confidence that they… Continue reading "Esme, My Love (Choy, 2022)"
As I write this, there are four other reviews from Rotten Tomatoes certified critics of Esme, My Love. None of them (yes, I read all four) express confidence that they… Continue reading "Esme, My Love (Choy, 2022)"
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania felt like a return to what Marvel does best. That is, I realize, the most backhanded compliment I’ve ever given a film on this blog… Continue reading "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"
Covid didn’t kill the movies, at least not for me. But as it did with most other non-work activities (especially sports viewing), it highlighted how much of that activity was… Continue reading "2022 Top 10"
Prison is a kind of boxing ring, Michal opines to Jan (Milan Ondrík). All life is a boxing ring. That sort of tell-don’t-show writing doesn’t necessarily disqualify a film from… Continue reading "Shadowplay (Bebjak, 2022)"
My film year was sandwiched by a pair of disappointments. It was marked on the front end by the release of The Batman, a reboot of a beloved character that… Continue reading "Living (Hermanus, 2022)"
Movies about strangers that insinuate themselves into domestic spaces are numerous and have been approached in many ways. The situation has been played for humor (The Man Who Came to… Continue reading "The Man in the Basement (Le Guay, 2021)"
There is a stage-setting scene at the beginning of Kitchen Brigade in which sous chef Cathy Marie (Audrey Lamy) clashes with her celebrity chef boss about what seasoning will elevate… Continue reading "Kitchen Brigade (Petit, 2023)"
When I first saw the promotional material for Voodoo Macbeth, I could not help but think of Me and Orson Welles, Richard Linklater’s emotionally complex treatment of Rober Kaplow’s novel.… Continue reading "Voodoo Macbeth (Abebe, 2021)"
Borrowed is one of those gay films that avoids using the word “gay” too frequently in its press materials but which announces its orientation pretty clearly in its opening scenes.… Continue reading "Borrowed (Betancourt and Ortega, 2022)"
Food and Romance tackles some weighty themes, and it is to be commended for sidestepping some of the most clichéd plot points of the genre. But it is ultimately too… Continue reading "Food and Romance (Appelin, 2022)"