A young Senegalese mother, Aisha (Anna Diop), lands a job as a nanny to a wealthy family in New York City. Mom’s a little overbearing—she doesn’t want her daughter to have anything spicy—and Dad is a little too casual. He … Continue reading NANNY
From the elaborate and overly complicated puzzle boxes that open the story—which the characters solve in a matter of minutes—to “world’s greatest detective” Benoit Blanc’s lengthy summation, Glass Onion feels kind of dumb. That seems largely by design, a reflection more on … Continue reading GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
A master among masters, the filmography of Martin Scorsese is nothing to sneeze at. Raging Bull, GoodFellas, The Irishman—you know the lineup. But what sometimes gets overlooked are the documentaries, a dozen of them, personal and nuanced works that play like B-sides … Continue reading THE LAST WALTZ
We think of this film as a love triangle between Maurice and Katia, the volcano and the spirit of the French New Wave,” Shane Boris tells me over the phone. The L-word comes up a lot in our chat about … Continue reading Shane Boris on FIRE OF LOVE
Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier is a sadist, and a proud one at that. He likes to put his characters (mostly women) through hell and back just to see if they’ll come out the other side. They do, and it’s … Continue reading DANCER IN THE DARK
On this week’s edition of After Image, I chat with Metro Arts’ producer Veronica Straight-Lingo about the new theatrical release, She Said, and El vampiro negro, available now on a handsome new Blu-ray/DVD set from Flicker Alley. Listen to After … Continue reading
It opens with a young woman walking her dog along the shore. There she stumbles upon a group of men in 18th-century British red coats unloading a clipper ship. It’s the 1990s: What in the world is going on here? … Continue reading SHE SAID
A driven perfectionist and a kitchen tyrant, Charlie Trotter was known for putting Chicago on the fine dining map in the 1990s and for never serving the same dish twice—and that’s over 25 years of service, 10 courses a night. … Continue reading LOVE, CHARLIE: THE RISE AND FALL OF CHEF CHARLIE TROTTER
It’s a familiar sight: skiers perched atop the mountain, staring down the crest, ready to launch into the abyss. What goes through their mind? Are they studying the mountain, addressing curves and paths, considering their descent? Do they foresee victory … Continue reading DAYS OF MY YOUTH
Michael J. Cinema 
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