Gus Van Sant is the textbook definition of a hit-or-miss director. He’s had award-winning hits like “Good Will Hunting” and forgettable snoozefests like “Gerry.” The one thing you can always count on with Van Sant is a challenging film. “Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” perhaps the most obnoxious title of the year, […]
How long can you listen to someone who uses the word “like” in every sentence before it becomes annoying? Bo Burnham’s new film opens with a scene that will give you your answer, the lead character uses “like” 50 times or more in under five minutes. “Eighth Grade” might be this year’s “The Florida Project,”
The struggle is real in “Leave No Trace.” It’s another indie film from a child’s perspective, facing uncertainty from parental and societal nurturing. “Leave No Trace” doesn’t exude that kind of crowd pleasing energy that it’s wilderness cousin “Captain Fantastic” captured and captivated audiences with. “Leave No Trace,” Debra Granik’s subtle drama doesn’t cover any new ground
It was the TIFF film that held the most interest for me, because the subject matter was unlike anything else I read about. Even director Susana White (Our Kind of Traitor) admitted that the timing of this project, written by Steven Knight (Locke, Eastern Promises) 14 years earlier, was immensely surprising given the recent pipeline
It doesn’t take much for actor Simon Baker’s directorial debut to sweep you off your feet. His vintage surf drama overwhelms the senses with sight and sound. Based on the novel of the same name, “Breath” is a coming of age story which uses the rugged Western Australian coast as a setting for bravery and
It’s been a good year for directorial debuts. Producer/writer turned director Drew Pearce creates an unusual futuristic world with Hotel Artemis. It’s a suspense thriller with cleverness and a superb cast. Jodie Foster is back on the screen for the first time since the disappointing Elysium (2013) and Pearce’s sense of humor and violence isn’t
In many ways director Paul Schrader’s new film First Reformed could work as a double feature with last year’s Novitiate. It’s a dark piece on the complicated modern life of a minister dealing with his own internal demons. First Reformed is a twisted tale, not unlike the morally conflicted films in Schrader’s repertoire such as
His first film in seven years, John Cameron Mitchell doesn’t do anything unless it’s shocking and provocative. In his second collaboration with Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Mitchell’s How to Talk to Girls at Parties is likely the most obtuse movie you will spot all year long. A 1977 punk rock coming of age story, set
This Japanese animated fantasy film from Masaaki Yuasa seems more oriented toward adults than children. The story is about a community’s lore about and apprehension toward a group of “Merfolk” who live under the sea. There are tales of how they have kidnapped people in Hinashi and are the cause of all sorts of mysterious events. A grandfather
“Tully” feels like a do-over for director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody’s 2011 film, “Young Adult”. Charlie Theron stars in both. “Young Adult” was a film made with good ingredients that never quite mixed together in a cohesive manner. “Tully” tackles similar subject matter, a woman struggling to cope with her current predicament and