The most obvious takeaway from the first beat of Sylvie’s Love—a lavishly directed new period romance from Eugene Ashe, who also wrote the screenplay—is that for his second feature, Ashe clearly has a profound passion for Douglas Sirk’s melodramas of the…
Minari Review: Steven Yeun balances family and the American Dream in A24’s latest, warmest drama | Sundance 2020
In the 1980s, my father put all his hopes and dreams into the American Dream. He convinced my mother and two older siblings (I wasn’t born yet) to come with him to Massachusetts, despite not knowing more than a few…
Kajillionaire Review: Life is what you steal for it in Miranda July’s newest indie wonderwork | Sundance 2020
Between Shoplifters and Parasite, new movies about “scamilies” (that’s my new term for “scam artist families,” don’t wear it out), continue to provoke fascinating ideas about class warfare and the lengths people will go to in order find a sliver of success in…
Downhill Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell face an uphill battle in saving this black comedy from itself | Sundance 2020
Downhill is one of the first movies ever to be released under the newly-branded Searchlight Pictures, and in some ways it might represent what Disney has in mind for many of its future films to come under the previously-named Fox Searchlight.…
Palm Springs Review: Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are a dream team in this summer dose of love, humor, and other surprises | Sundance 2020
These days, it’s not enough for a funny movie to be funny. To find mainstream success at the box office, a comedy has to either be an event movie, or so funny it becomes one. Which brings us to The…
Worth Movie Review: Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci debate human value in the wake of 9/11 | Sundance 2020
If you enjoyed the energetic procedural drama of Spotlight, as well as two of its central performers Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci, then Worth practically demands your attention. Directed by Sara Colangelo (The Kindergarten Teacher) and written by Max Borenstein (Godzilla: King of…
Never Rarely Sometimes Always Review: Director Eliza Hittman shows the kids aren’t all right, and that’s not really our problem. | Sundance 2020
In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Sundance directing alum Eliza Hittman (Beach Rats) engages with a subject quite frequently explored in films and television, but never quite to the same cold, graphic detail as it’s depicted here. That topic is abortion, and…
