Then Playing — Sorcerer; That Cold Day in the Park; Trouble Every Day
Reviews of films directed by William Friedkin, Robert Altman, and Claire Denis Continue reading Then Playing — Sorcerer; That Cold Day in the Park; Trouble Every Day
Tag: claire denis
Then Playing — Suddenly, Last Summer; Grosse Point Blank; White Material
Reviews of films directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, George Armitage, and Claire Denis Continue reading Then Playing — Suddenly, Last Summer; Grosse Point Blank; White Material
Then Playing — Born in Flames; Beau Travail; First Cow
Born in Flames (Lizzie Borden, 1983). Lizzie Borden’s riveting experimental film is set in a fuzzily defined near future following a revolution that presumably created a more equitable society. Instead, women are still regularly belittled, persecuted, and attacked, and different … Continue reading Then Playing — Born in Flames; Beau Travail; First Cow
Playing Catch-Up — High Life; The Long, Hot Summer; The Hate U Give
High Life (Claire Denis, 2019). For her English-language debut, French director Claire Denis doesn’t play it safe. High Life is a science fiction film about a small group on a shoebox-shaped spaceship that has an exterior vaguely resembling a wood … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up — High Life; The Long, Hot Summer; The Hate U Give
Acker, Cronenberg, Denis, Heckerling, Sturges
Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995). I’m prepared to concede that Heckerling’s gum-snap reworking of Jane Austen’s Emma is better than I would have said after seeing it upon its original release. It’s also, despite its reputation, not some glistening pop gem. It’s an agreeable bit of fluff with some charming moments, and a suitably bright performance from Alicia Silverstone, who’s more a beneficiary of shrewd casting than anything. Writer-director Amy Heckerling–here fresh from a couple dippy crowdpleasers about the inner monologues of babies, let’s not forget–is a sloppy, unfocused filmmaker. Just because her attention span may sync up with those of … Continue reading Acker, Cronenberg, Denis, Heckerling, Sturges
Coffee for Two 