I want you to contextualize my sadness,” Philip says. “Put whatever you’re going through into perspective.” Philip delivers this line to his girlfriend, but he might as well address it directly to the camera. Or to the world. As far … Continue reading LISTEN UP PHILIP
There is nothing about Force Majeure that puts you at ease. From the opening shot to Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 2 in G minor to the seemingly endless explosions set off on the mountains to the unsettling long takes, to how writer/director Ruben … Continue reading FORCE MAJEURE
Why are there so many stories about teenage sexual awakening? Is it because the events, emotions, and desires connected to that fragile moment are so vivid that it lodges deep into our minds, staying with us for as long as … Continue reading WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD
It’s amazing how popularity can change perception. When Stephenie Meyer’s 2005 novel, Twilight, cracked the New York Times bestseller list, vampires were brought back into the mainstream in a big way. Beginning in 2008, Meyer’s series was adapted into five movies and followed closely … Continue reading ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
Men, Women & Children is the latest from Jason Reitman, who garnered his fame with well-made, well-plotted, well-paced movies like Thank You For Smoking (2005), Juno (2007), and Up in the Air (2009). Following that impressive run, Reitman’s value dropped considerably with Young Adult (2011) and Labor Day (2013)—which was dumped … Continue reading MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN
We have all lost someone dear to us, but we all deal with it in our own way. Lilting, the first film from writer/director Hong Khaou, explores how two very different people deal with the loss of the same person. The … Continue reading LILTING
From the late 1990s to the early years of the 21st century, some of the best cinema came out of Iran. Populated with directors like Asghar Farhadi, Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Jafar Panahi, Iran’s postmodern renaissance showed that nothing … Continue reading CLOSED CURTAIN (پرده)
If there is a lesson behind The One I Love, it is this, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth.” That’s it. Good night, folks. Enjoy the movie. You want more? What is it about? Well, that’s a little trickier. … Continue reading THE ONE I LOVE
2014 has seen a slew of post-apocalyptic/futuristic-themed movies, but out of all of them, Ari Folman’s half live-action, half 2-D animation seems the most likely. That doesn’t mean it is great or a particularly good movie, but its prediction seems … Continue reading THE CONGRESS
Michael J. Cinema 
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