October 17, 2013
Shield of Straw My first film at Fantasia in 2013 was Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, one of the director’s contribution to the festival. Miike is a known workhorse, directing sometimes three films per year, in a myriad of genres and styles. Yet, there seems to be a connecting thread through his films, which feels harder to ascertain for me […]
April 19, 2010
In The Lookout, after a violent car accident, a promising young man, disabled by a memory condition, is persuaded into robbing the local bank he works in.
April 24, 2011
Black Swan is marked by Nathalie Portman's grandiose performance, but Aronofsky’s regresive aesthetic hinders the movie’s themes and narrative.
April 20, 2010
Funny People is funny, touching and rings true, even through all its comic exaggeration. Apatow's direction is poised and appropriate to the subject matter.
September 28, 2010
David Ehrenstein condemns melodramas like Coming Home for perpetuating the illusion that they can affect social change instead of creating real change.