★★★ I cannot stress enough how much I was really not a fan of director Amanda Kramer’s last film, Give Me Pity!, and its oddball mock-style television format. Color me surprised then that Kramer’s second movie, the fantastically bizarre Please Baby Please, is such an intriguing treat. With lead performances from Andrea Riseborough (2020’s The … Continue reading NewFest 2022: Please Baby Please
TIFF 2022: Will-o’-the-Wisp
★★★★ As unique and singular as it is explosively sexual yet weirdly heartwarming and playful, co-writer/director João Pedro Rodrigues’s Will-o’-the-Wisp is truly a delight. Having no familiarity with the works of Portuguese filmmaker Rodrigues, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Would this be one of those films that only mildly explores its queer content, … Continue reading TIFF 2022: Will-o’-the-Wisp
Film Review: 13: The Musical
★ I should have seen the writing on the wall with Netflix’s new musical, the aptly titled 13: The Musical. For one thing, the review embargo is the actual release date and time it drops; while not an infallible measure of quality, this is often a sign that films are not up to par. Secondly, … Continue reading Film Review: 13: The Musical
Tribeca 2022: My Love Affair With Marriage
★★★★★ Going into 2022’s iteration of the Tribeca Film Festival, I would never have guessed that an indie animated film would make its way into not only one of my favorites from the fest, but also become one of the best movies of the year. Seven years in the making, Signe Baumane’s sophomore effort, My … Continue reading Tribeca 2022: My Love Affair With Marriage
TV Review: Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known
Back in the summer of 2008 just before graduating high school, one of my closest friends suggested we go to an amazing Broadway show together from which she had heard rave reviews. Knowing little about said show before actually taking our seats at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Spring Awakening completely blew me away (and I … Continue reading TV Review: Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known
Oscar Roundup 2022
The 2022 Academy Awards are tomorrow; as per usual, a sizable divide exists between audience preference and critical acclaim. In fact, 2021's highest-grossing film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, garnered merely one nomination, for best visual effects. After the jump, check out links to our coverage for the nominated films, along with information about their nomination, … Continue reading Oscar Roundup 2022
Film Review: Aline
★★★ Aline deserves to go down in the history books as one of the most bizarre biopics ever made. Where else can one witness the same actress playing the lead character that charts her all the way back to infancy? In a way, the movie reminded me of the strange quality that came with seeing … Continue reading Film Review: Aline
Film Review: Cyrano
★★ Reprising their roles from the stage musical production, Cyrano unites leads Haley Bennett and Peter Dinklage, respectively, to retell an age-old Shakespeare story. Similar material has been adapted countless times—despite this, Cyrano is actually my first-ever exposure to the tale of unrequited love between Cyrano de Bergerac and his devoted, beautiful friend Roxanne. As … Continue reading Film Review: Cyrano
Film Review: Belle
★★★ Stunning animation couples with a story that clearly rips off Disney’s vision of Beauty and the Beast in GKIDS new feature, Belle. The movie seems strictly made for gamers, annoying inaccessible to those without at least a basic knowledge of the Internet’s endless functionality. Written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda (the acclaimed creator of … Continue reading Film Review: Belle
Our Favorite Films of 2021
As another year comes to a close, we shut the book on a year of surprising and often excellent movies. We reveal our choices for our favorite movies of year, along with some yearbook-style superlatives! Be sure to let us know which movies in 2021 connected with you! Movie Yearbook Superlatives! Best musical sequence JOSH: … Continue reading Our Favorite Films of 2021