“Uncut Gems” Directed by Benny and Josh Sefdie So, for me, the greatest New York character film ever made is “The Taking of Pelham 123” (the 1973 original with Walter Matthau). The writing, the wise-ass remarks, the sights and smells, … Continue reading “Uncut Gems”
“Little Women” Directed by Greta Gerwig I am a total outlier when it comes to the phenomenon of “Little Women”. I have never read it. I have never seen it on screen or on stage and I didn’t even know … Continue reading “Little Women”
“1917” Directed by Sam Mendes Let me start off by saying Sam Mendes’ “1917” is one of the great cinematic achievements, and certainly one of the best films, of this year…maybe more. It is an exhausting, claustrophobia-inducing, terrifying and ultimately, … Continue reading “1917”
Picking the best of a decade is, let’s face it, mostly an impossible task. This is made all the more ridiculous when choosing among all genres. So to make it somehwat manageable, I’ve decided to break it up in to … Continue reading Top Twenty Documentary Films of the Decade (2010-19)
Picking the best of a decade is, let’s face it, mostly an impossible task. This is made all the more ridiculous when choosing among all genres. So to make it somehwat manageable, I’ve decided to break it up in to … Continue reading Top Twenty Foreign Language Films of the Decade (2010-19)
“Sorry We missed You” (U.K.) Directed by Ken Loach I don’t know. Call me crazy, but I love Ken Loach films. Let’s be frank, they’re kind of a genre unto themselves. Technically “slice-of-life” films, to me they epitomize what it … Continue reading “Sorry We Missed You” (U.K.) – 55th Chicago Film Festival #5
“Les Misérables” (France) Directed by Ladj Ly I should point out right off the top that this film bears no resemblance to the period musical of the same name. I mention that not as a spoiler, but to avoid the … Continue reading “Les Misérables” (France) – 55th Chicago Film Festival #4
“Let There Be Light” (Slovakia) Directed by Mario Skop One of many official entries for the Oscars’ Best International Film Award (formerly Best Foreign Language FIlm) at this year’s Chicago Film Festival, “Let There Be Light” is an excellent slice … Continue reading “Let There Be Light” (Slovakia) – 55th Chicago Film Festival #3
“Picture.Perfect” (Hong Kong) Directed by Shengze Zhu What starts out as an incredibly interesting look in to the ways in which the internet has affected and illuminated Chinese culture in the strangest of ways, ends up becoming a tedious exercise … Continue reading “Picture.Perfect” (Hong Kong) – 55th Chicago Film Festival #2
“The Whistlers” (Romania) Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu Italian thrillers are an odd lot. Filled with humor, an interesting procedural, good (and occasionally exceptional) performances and beautiful locales. But when all is said and done, I always leave feeling more like … Continue reading “The Whistlers” (Romania) – 55th Chicago Film Festival #1
