Reviewing the Classics| Citizen Kane
Orson Welles’ mythic masterpiece about an American tycoon’s rise and fall feels remarkably relevant for America in 2016. Despite only winning one Oscar out of its nine nominations and being panned at the box office, Citizen Kane is arguably the…
Reviewing the Classics| Make Way for Tomorrow
When Leo McCarey won an Academy Award for directing The Awful Truth, he began his acceptance speech with the following: “I want to thank the Academy for this wonderful award, but you gave it to me for the wrong picture.”…
Reviewing the Classics | Casablanca
If you asked me about my top 10 favorite films of all-time, Casablanca would be on the list. It’s romantic, witty, adventurous. It is both ahead of its time and incredibly timely. The doomed romance between Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)…
Reviewing the Classics| The Trial of Joan of Arc
When you think of Joan of Arc and the movies, which film comes to mind? For many cinephiles, the quintessential Joan film is Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent masterpiece, The Passion of Joan of Arc (read Josh Crabb’s review for Dreyer’s…
Reviewing the Classics | The King of Kings
Cecil B. DeMille’s depiction of the life of Christ is “a reverent spectacle.” The silent film embodies both piety and theatrics, and features a tranquil Christ in the midst of a melodramatic world. DeMille’s nearly 3-hour epic features scenes and…
Review| Mission Impossible
The Mission: Impossible film franchise, with each sequel each promising bigger and more dangerous stunts for its star, Tom Cruise, to attempt, began less with a loud bang and more with a slow burn. Brian De Palma’s 1996 film is…
Review| Lost River
Ryan Gosling’s debut as a director is an ambitious mess. As an actor, he’s come a long way from early films and matured into a capable, brooding, interesting actor who tackles a diverse load of projects. Lost River certainly ain’t…