Ad Astra, from filmmaker par excellence James Gray, opens with a shot of the cosmos, vast and terrifying. As the camera pans across the twinkling dots of a thousand suns, a lens flare catches the frame and briefly illuminates the … Continue reading AD ASTRA
1987, somewhere in Northern Italy, a young man is about to come of age. Like most 17-year-old boys, the boredom of day-in, day-out routine is about to be replaced by something new, something extraordinary. Sex, naturally. And like the multitudes … Continue reading CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
As the story goes, the Greek titan Prometheus so loved man that he stole fire from Mount Olympus and brought it to Earth for all to use. For that theft, the allfather Zeus chained Prometheus to the rock and commanded … Continue reading THE LIGHTHOUSE
Located in the Baltic Sea, just off the southeast coast of Sweden, the island of Fårö is about 44 square miles and is home to a few hundred residents. It’s a beautiful island, full of limestone rocks and deep green … Continue reading BERGMAN ISLAND
Roughly two-thirds into Mistress America, a series of characters criticize another’s short story. Mainly for being shallow plagiarism, but of all the harsh criticism hurled at the author, the line, “Just like the rest of your generation; everything a pastiche” lands … Continue reading MISTRESS AMERICA
Night Moves, from director and co-writer Kelly Reichardt, is about three activists coming together to pull off a stunt of eco-terrorism. Set in Ashland, Oregon, and the surrounding areas, Night Moves follows Josh (Jesse Eisenberg), an employee of an organic farm, as … Continue reading NIGHT MOVES
Frances (Greta Gerwig) is a bit of a mess. She is trying to make her way in the world, but she doesn’t have the first clue about how to do it. Owning not much more than a laptop, a stack … Continue reading FRANCES HA
Michael J. Cinema 