In Emily the Criminal, first-time writer/director John Patton Ford makes simultaneously crafting a tense thriller and insightful social commentary look easy with just the simplest of ingredients. At first glance, the film may seem a bit spare or unassuming, laying…
‘Black Bear’ review: Aubrey Plaza marvels in dark comedy about creative people
Note: Light spoilers ahead. The first half of Black Bear is a horror premise waiting to happen. Allison (Aubrey Plaza), a filmmaker stuck in a creative rut, heads to a remote cabin to shake her writer’s block. It’s owned by…
‘Happiest Season’ review: A heartwarming LGBTQ romcom for straight people
Packed to the brim with wall-to-wall jokes and witty one-liners, a heartfelt premise and performances bursting with chemistry, the Clea Duvall directed Happiest Season is a welcome addition to the feel-good holiday, rom-com genre. A 90-minute escape, Happiest Season transports us into a…
Movie Review: Ingrid Goes West
In trying to keep up with trends and technology, I am forced to keep learning new terms and acronyms just to understand what people are saying. It started with AFKs (“Away From Keyboard” and LOLs (“Laugh Out Loud”) and has…
IFF Boston Review: Lemon
The brilliance of Janicza Bravo’s Lemon is clear juxtaposed against another IFF Boston pick – the Alison Brie-Aubrey Plaza vehicle The Little Hours. Both films play in an absurdist sandbox, boosted by stacked casts in the vein of Wet Hot American…
IFF Boston Review: The Little Hours
The Little Hours opens with a promising title sequence: medieval-era nun Aubrey Plaza leads a donkey through the woods as dramatic, orchestral music plays. The instinctive association one makes is to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a comparison that…
TV Review: Legion “Chapter Two”
I was really worried that Legion’s pilot was a fluke. For as fascinating as spending time inside David Haller’s mind was, the ending hinted at things taking a turn into more standard superhero territory and I’m still not thrilled with…