Jesus (Héctor Medina) is a young hairdresser at a Havana nightclub that specializes in lip-syncing musical numbers in drag. It’s pure camp, but it’s beautiful, and Jesus dreams of commanding and captivating the audience. At home, his life is destitute. … Continue reading VIVA
Los Angeles food critic Jonathan Gold calls himself “the belly of Los Angeles,” and he is that and more. L.A. is a foodie haven, and its restaurants represent a vast array of cultures, with each dish a living history. Gold’s … Continue reading CITY OF GOLD
Rural Quebec, 1960s: a group of Catholic nuns faces the terrors of modernity. Vatican II has turned the altar around to face the congregation and stopped conducting mass in Latin, the State is slowly taking control over education and health, … Continue reading THE PASSION OF AUGUSTINE (LA PASSION D’AUGUSTINE)
Based on the true story of an unlikely Olympian, Eddie the Eagle is a paint-by-numbers crowd-pleaser about the British ski jumper, Michael Edwards—better known as Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards. It aims to please and nothing more, much like Edwards’ dream to participate … Continue reading EDDIE THE EAGLE
Set during the Afghanistan War, A War (Krigen) explores the haze and confusion of combat. Though it’s assumed from the beginning, the specificity of the war these soldiers are fighting isn’t named until the story returns to Danish soil. The idea here … Continue reading A WAR
I didn’t intend to bring my fifth grade self along with me on this trip, but clearly she was along for the ride.[Long pause]She was always around. That pause reveals more about the main character’s inner turmoil than a page … Continue reading ONLY YESTERDAY
As the American presidential race continues to heat up, more and more Americans divide themselves across party lines and political predilections. Yet, few see these divisions as dividing—they see them as unifying: this is my identity, and these are the … Continue reading ORIENTED
It was one of those moments. The kind where two historical figures crossed paths briefly and a simple exchange carries meaning greater than one could have perceived. He was Bob Dylan, already a major player in the rock ‘n’ roll … Continue reading JANIS, LITTLE GIRL BLUE
Marriage: two people come together, make a proclamation of lifelong devotion and fidelity and try their damnedest to carry it out. For some, it all works out. For others, it doesn’t. What makes the difference? Could it be the convenient … Continue reading 45 YEARS
Michael J. Cinema 
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