Writing about Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter” two years back at the Venice Film Festival, I noted that Schrader referred to it as one of his “man at a table” pictures. A year later, again in Venice, I saw “Master Gardener,” his new picture, just now seeing US release. And here he leans into that … Read more
Harris’ film holds your attention scene-by-scene, even in a few moments in which the pacing gives way to just admiring the craftsmanship or the emotions are muted by symbolism that doesn’t feel airtight. It’s the type of project that warrants a second viewing, partly to catch its connections but also to savor the textures you … Read more
Ethan, the elder brother, is an actor who’s gotten work on local commercials and feels that he’s good enough to have a shot at a career if he can relocate to an entertainment industry hub and continue his training. Derek is an academic whiz who’s about to graduate high school and has been awarded a … Read more
It seems like a spontaneous pivot, fueled by a genuine power struggle. Then director Zachary Wigon cuts to a script on the suite’s dining room table, and we learn that “going off script” was in fact written into Hal’s script for the scene. This shot is the key to unlocking the entire film: If what … Read more
The premise, like the movie that follows, is simple enough. Golding stars as Morgan, an ex-Marine sniper turned hired killer who may look spry enough but is already considering retirement. Morgan dreams of starting a new life with his girlfriend Sophie (Daniela Melchior), but he must first complete one last high-paying job, and it’s obviously … Read more
Maybe it’s the leaden way in which director Louis Leterrier treats these beloved characters, but the opening scenes of “Fast X” are among the worst in all ten films, a cavalcade of conversations about family, legacy, and other FF tropes. It’s one thing for a character like Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) to preach the importance … Read more
Living in 2257, Caleb (Isaiah Russell-Bailey) is in mourning. His father (Kid Cudi) recently died on the job, leaving him an orphan in the lunar mining colony they call home. Because his parents are dead, he is granted the opportunity to travel to the paradisal planet Omega, a 75-year journey that’ll require him to be … Read more
Cruz plays Clara, a mother of three children in an upper-middle-class Italian milieu who clearly loves looking after her brood. In the opening scene, she makes setting the table with them into a singalong activity. Family life is not too often so simple or harmonious. The father—this is never a surprise in movies of this … Read more
Wide-angle photography also helps viewers to distinguish between “reality” as Rourke knows it and the “Inception”-style delirium that warps his (and our) perspective, often shot with spherical camera lenses. If you squint hard enough at “Hypnotic,” past the obvious twists and embarrassing dialogue, you might see flashes of a deeper story, though only if you’re … Read more
“The Mother” was screened for critics in theaters, where the immersive setup makes the paint-by-numbers portions of the plot really stick out. A handful of odd stylistic choices also attract attention in this format: A recurring visual motif of wide-angle shots with blurred edges; odd, jumpy edits seem to compensate for a lack of coverage … Read more