Written by Eric Zhu "Like many of the best films, “Dry Leaf” is endlessly thought-provoking, but gracious and easygoing on a moment-to-moment basis. Unencumbered by narrative, it’s motivated by the simple pleasures of pastoral vistas, rich humanity, and..."… Continue reading.
Tag: Feature Film
VIFF 2025: Christy
Written by Taylor Baker "With some decent fight choreography and dedicated turns by Merritt Weaver and Ethan Embry as Christy's mother and father, this would-be redemption story amounts to little by the time we see Sweeney walk out and bump … Continue reading.
VIFF 2025: Two Prosecutors (Zwei Staatsanwälte)
Written by Taylor Baker "Losznitsa, a director who primarily films documentaries, lets his cameras roll for extended sequences, allowing the spaces to come to life and the characters time to inhabit them. It is when Kornyev acts with kindness or … Continue reading.
NYFF 2025: The Currents (Las Corrientes)
Written by Eric Zhu "Although various metaphorical dimensions of water are explored, chief among them the feeling of being trapped in a vortex between Lina’s escapist desire and maternal love, “The Currents” is a film about keeping up appearances in … Continue reading.
The Threesome
Written by Anna Harrison "I’ll give “The Threesome” credit for this: I have never seen a rom-com—or any movie for that matter—set in Arkansas. This is not like “Annie Hall” or “La La Land,” where the glamorous cities on the … Continue reading.
One Battle After Another
Written by Taylor Baker "...a reinterpretation for a new generation, showing that while time turns things don’t change too much. As the film unfolds, its secret societies, larger-than-life characters, and cartoonish grandiosity give way to a fable steeped in realism … Continue reading.
The History of Sound
Written by Anna Harrison "In “The History of Sound,” silence is crucial. The moments where nothing is said far outweigh the ones filled with blathering, both in screentime and importance..."… Continue reading.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
Written by Anna Harrison "When I was twelve, I went to see “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on Broadway, and then again the next year. I was at the peak of my “Harry Potter” phase, somewhat obsessed … Continue reading.
NYFF 2025: Levers
Written by Eric Zhu "The disruption of daily routine that the darkness inspires, and the corresponding subversion of cinematic legibility, are what enable the film’s expansive sprawl. Perhaps the intimate nocturnal atmosphere is also..."… Continue reading.
NYAFF 2025: Transcending Dimensions
Written by Eric Zhu "Operating simultaneously as urban revenge thriller, space opera, and a Japanese version of a wuxia flick, Toyoda treats each genre vernacular as part of the same overarching prison. Attempting to liberate the film from narrative, he … Continue reading.
