December 23, 2016 Lion Movie Review

Holding true to it’s name, Lion roars with fervent emotion and heart-tugging performances retelling the true story of a young man named Saroo Brierley and his relentless search for the home and family he was accidentally separated from as a child.

November 11, 2016 The Handmaiden Review

Director Park Chan-Wook delivers in his latest film The Handmaiden, a transfixing crime drama that holds true to the filmmaker’s visionary take on bold and often brutal themes, while delivered with dark comedic undertones amidst unique and aesthetically enriching settings.

October 25, 2016 Start Halloween early with the terrifying UNDER THE SHADOW

Much of the richness of Under the Shadow comes from its historical and Islamic inspiration – both a timeframe and culture I know very little about. My perspective (see ignorance) made the story even more compelling. I was deeply curious about all the characters, about their politics, about the War, and about their beliefs. Combining this with a threat whose motivation is tantalizingly unknowable made for a deeply satisfying scare-fest.

August 19, 2016 Florence Foster Jenkins Film Review

Full of heart, humor and horrible singing Florence Foster Jenkins never makes a mockery of the famous (or infamous) woman who sold out Carnegie Hall at the age of 76. The film delicately presents the untalented yet aspiring Opera singer who genuinely loved music and had the resources to pursue her dreams in spite of many challenges.

August 11, 2016 Pete's Dragon Film Review

David Lowery’s Pete’s Dragon is a warm, and sentimental palate cleanser that allowed me to laugh out loud, shed a tear, and carry on. With challenging, emotional, and weird films filling my brain lately (The Lobster, Free State of Jones, and Swiss Army Man) this re-imagining of the original 1977 live-action-animated-musical that I loved as a kid was gentle on my eyes, ears, and emotions.

August 3, 2016 Captain Fantastic Film Review: Meeting the World

Brimming with intelligence, tragedy, comedy, and social commentary, Captain Fantastic is a story of a family discovering the world and making their own sense of it- and so far I think it’s my favorite movie of the year.

June 20, 2016 The Power of Life, Love, & Farts: Swiss Army Man

Visceral, magical, broad, compassionate, corporeal, the work of directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert is inspired by mortality and human bodies in their every form and function: as expression, as vessel, as something to stick on and in another body.

In this rich subject, the Daniels have found a way to really surprise us, and to explore bodies and their mortality in fascinating, absurd, inspiring, and risible ways.

Swiss Army Man, The Daniels’ first full length feature film, is guided by a deceptively simple concept. A man, stranded and lost, finds a tool that helps him survive, find his way, and thrive. The tweak is that the tool is a magic corpse named Manny: a “swiss army man.” 

Read on to learn more about this fascinating film fable:

June 20, 2016 Film Review: DARK HORSE and the Power of Community

More than a movie about a thoroughbred, Dark Horse is a celebration of the underdog and speaks to the power of a shared, community vision.

June 13, 2016 MAGGIE'S PLAN FILM REVIEW: AN UNCONVENTIONAL ROMANCE

This comedic love triangle has all the twists and turns that you could ever hope for, but never truly expect.

June 3, 2016 The Lobster Review: Romance in the Absence of Emotion

Abounding with gags delivered in deadpan seriousness, thematically dark and surreal, and often hilariously uncomfortable, The Lobster excels in its mature comedic sensibilities and will leave audiences confused but still satisfied by its poetic questioning of modern Western romantic expectations.