Has decency become a sin?” Ibrahima Dieng cries. On his knees, Ibrahima holds out his empty hands in mock offering. The world has stripped him bare, and now, in an ending fitting of Kafka, Ibrahima offers up the scraps. So … Continue reading MANDABI
There’s reality, and then there’s everything else. Cinema exists firmly in the latter: Cameras don’t capture reality; they capture a perspective of it with a defined beginning, middle, and end. Add editing into the mix, and you’ve got something new … Continue reading SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE
Tall, skinny, blond, and lonely, Connie wants to meet someone and go somewhere. Where really doesn’t matter, and who she doesn’t know yet—maybe someone who looks like James Dean and sings like James Taylor. She’s only 15, so there’s a … Continue reading SMOOTH TALK
Great movies don’t require a signature shot, but it helps when they have one. What would Vertigo be without that dizzying dolly zoom? The Godfather without the door closing on Kay? The Graduate without Benjamin Braddock trapped in the crook of Mrs. Robinson’s leg? They are … Continue reading THE ASCENT
When Girlfriends opened in New York City on Aug. 11, 1978, a newspaper strike kept the movie’s release from a public announcement. So, director Claudia Weill and actors Melanie Mayron and Eli Wallach photocopied handbills and stood on street corners to get … Continue reading GIRLFRIENDS
It’s the story of boy meets girl, but it’s all mixed up. He’s Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a married man with kids. She is Marianne (Anna Karina), the babysitter. But they are not strangers; they’ve known each other for years: Four … Continue reading PIERROT LE FOU
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a soft spot for westerns. I can’t remember my first, but I’m sure it was at my grandfather’s insistence. Last year I found myself watching them more and more frequently, partly because … Continue reading THE GUNFIGHTER
In 2020, theatrical moviegoing was dead in the water. Thankfully, home video sets soared, and at the very top of the list (in case you were looking for a holiday gift for the movie lover in your life) was Criterion’s … Continue reading Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 3
As the great present buying holiday approaches, you might be wondering what to give the classic film lover in your life. Well, you can never go wrong when it comes to restorations from The Criterion Collection, and their 2020 slate … Continue reading THE LADY EVE
