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Man With a Movie Camera (1929): a Filmwell dialogue
[This dialogue was originally published at Filmwell by the site’s founders — myself and Michael Leary. We were working our way through discussing the Top Ten films from the recent Sight & Sound...
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Before you see the remake, be sure to see the Argentinian original. It’s fantastic. This review of it was originally published on May 7, 2010, at Filmwell. • Four pairs of eyes — or better, four gazes...
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Mistress America (2015)
Writer and director Noah Baumbach is often compared to Woody Allen, and it’s easy to see why, considering how often his comedies get cynical about adult relationships. But now he’s earning that...
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Stations of the Cross (2015)
“Do you think it would be a good idea if Michael Haneke made a film based on a concept by Lars von Trier?” So writes Michael Sicinski, one of my most reliable sources of discernment and insight on...
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The Partains’ Christmas Playlist
If you’re having the kind of year that I’m having, you need to take Christmas music with you or the season will pass you by in a hurry. So I’m grateful for the Christmas playlists that friends have...
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe (2005)
This review was originally published at Christianity Today in December 2005. And ten years later, it pains me to look back and see just how much promise there seemed to be in this adaptation. It was...
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Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015): a guest review
Many thanks to Joshua Wilson, who blogs over at F for Films, for sharing his impressions of Kent Jones’s new documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut — a film I’ll catch as soon as I have a good opportunity....
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Timbuktu (2015)
On Saturday night, I had the rare opportunity to do what I love to do. I invited a room full of Christian writers and special guests to travel with me to a village on the southern edge of the Sahara...
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Hail, Caesar! (2016)
A powerful man sitting behind a desk? Check. A suitcase full of money? Check. A night drive on a dark and winding road? Check. High-speed banter à la Preston Sturges? You betcha. Yes, indeed — Hail...
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Zoolander 2 (2016)
Yes, this is my review of Zoolander 2. Bear with me. This week, Kanye West invited fans to Madison Square Garden for an over-the-top party celebrating his new album, The Life of Pablo, and launch...
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The Big Short (2015)
[This review is made possible by the Looking Closer Specialists who support this blog. I’m grateful for you, Specs.] • Adam McKay, director of Anchorman and Step Brothers, has his first...
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Room (2015)
“I’ve heard it’s good, but there’s no way I’m going to see that movie.” I’ve heard that on several different occasions from several different people — and all of them were mothers. And who cam blame...
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The Revenant (2016)
The time has come in my survey of this year’s lineup for Best Picture at the Oscars for me to turn my attention to the movie that has been judged the front-runner. I’m tempted to pass over it, because...
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10 Cloverfield Lane: a wonderfully nerve-racking surprise
On Friday, my first free day after my MFA graduation, my friend Jordan and I celebrated by going to a concert in downtown Seattle. The show was advertised for 8 p.m., but when we arrived we learned...
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