Author Archive
Film Review – Clean
The title of Clean (2021) operates on several different levels. Not only is it the name of our lead character (played by Adrien Brody), but it acts as the central metaphor of his entire existence. “Clean” has lived a life of violence and tragedy – spending his days…
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Film Review – The Fallout
The Fallout (2022) begins with a horrific event. School shootings have risen at an alarming rate in this country, to the point that districts must implement training programs to help kids in case an attack happens. This would have been unfathomable when I was in high…
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Film Review – A Hero
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero (2021) is simply brilliant. It is an intricate examination of how decency, compassion, and honor can bend in the face of desperation. Just as he did in his Oscar-winning A Separation (2011), Farhadi paints his narrative so that there are no good guys or…
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Film Review – Shattered
Nothing good ever happens after midnight. At least that’s what the protagonist of the psychosexual thriller Shattered (2021) should have been thinking. You know you’re in trouble when you run into a beautiful woman at the grocery store soaked from rain asking – in too friendly a…
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Film Review – The House
The House (2022) is a truly unique and bizarre viewing experience. Featuring beautifully tactile stop motion animation, the film is an anthology of three separate stories all taking place at different points in time, starring different animal life forms, and all centered around one single house.…
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Film Review – The Tragedy of Macbeth
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” Equal parts dark, brooding, beautiful, and haunting, The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) retells William Shakespeare’s doomed tale with striking artistry. “The Scottish Play” has been remade many times before – such as the recent Michael Fassbender/Marion Cotillard vehicle from…
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Film Review – Belle
The Japanese film Belle (2021) exemplifies how animation can be utilized to transport us into fantasy worlds. Because we are fully aware that those are not real people or places shown on screen, we’re given more flexibility to accept what we see and immerse ourselves deeper into…
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Film Review – The 355
The title of The 355 (2022) represents an unidentified female spy who fought for the colonies during the American Revolution. The metaphor is not subtle, as this action thriller stars five female actors all hailing from different parts of the world. In terms of story and execution,…
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