Written by Michael Clawson "The craft is uneven: goopy practical effects might satisfy a viewer’s hankering for some body horror, but the plainness of the camerawork undercuts scene after scene. And while the one big joke that the plot builds … Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "Kerr drops in on conversations between different family members as they languorously pass the time together. In crisp static shots that come to form a mosaic, husbands watch football together, wives chat in lawn chairs outside, … Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "“Mars Express” is a detective mystery that spirals into the seedy underside of a futuristic society. The setting is a human-colonized Mars, and the narrative trappings are familiar: humans and androids co-exist, tech corporations dominate..."… Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "Offbeat and frankly erotic, this character study from Georgia considers the complexity and contradictions of desire with an agreeably light touch. But it begins with near catastrophe. Etero (Eka Chavleishvili), an unmarried shopkeeper in her..."… Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "Splitting the difference between “Knocked Up” and an episode of “Broad City,” the gross-out comedy “Babes” has sporadic success in mining pregnancy, parenthood, and female friendship for laughs."… Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "A charming coming-of-age film with magical realist flourish, “The Major Tones” is the directorial debut of Ingrid Pokropek, whose sensibility is clearly informed by her background in production for El Pampero Cine..."… Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "Patriarchal oppression is a waking nightmare in Zarrar Kahn’s “In Flames.” It manifests as a sinister presence, haunting and terrorizing mother and daughter Fariha and Mariam as they navigate modern Pakistan as..."… Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "In a film that’s otherwise so precisely concerned with fundamentally human matters, the possibility of a ghostly presence feels out of place in the narrative at large. But the movie’s sincerity and serene visual elegance take … Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "A portrait of quiet resilience in the face of adversity, “Mambar Pierrette” follows an impoverished seamstress as she’s dealt a series of misfortunes. On the cusp of a new school year in the Cameroonian city of … Continue reading.
Written by Michael Clawson "...aside from its sought-after lead and some hot-button material, “Immaculate” is mostly standard-issue, an efficient and marginally entertaining riff on giallo, religious horror, and “Rosemary’s Baby,” without many scares and thrills of the movie’s own invention."… Continue reading.
