The Mere Breath of Winning in Uncut Gems
When director Martin Scorsese finally got a chance to see the first cut of Joshua and Benny Safdie’s 10-years-in-the-making Uncut Gems, he told them, “Don’t change a frame.” Having brought funding to the Safdie’s movie and raising the movie’s profile…
"Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1" – Star Trek: Picard S1E09
Look at them. They’ve never met anyone like you before, that granite face, wisdom and integrity etched into every line. The eloquence, the conviction…they don’t know what hit them. —Dr. Altan Inigo Soong Soong’s criticizadmiration of Picard might as well…
Make Happy: Bo Burnham Gets Real
The world is not funny. We are all dying. Thus opens Make Happy, Bo Burnham’s comedy special from 2016. Though it is four years old, and the world seems to have massively changed since then, some things stay the same.…
Charlie Pace: Lost Cause
It doesn’t take too long binging on the tv show Lost to realize the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 are as metaphorically lost as they are physically. A grieving alcoholic brain surgeon with a God complex. A former member of…
Parasite: A Tragedy Without Villains
As a depiction of ordinary people who fall into an unavoidable commotion, this film is: a comedy without clowns, a tragedy without villains, all leading to a violent tangle and a headlong plunge down the stairs. You are all invited…
The Monsters Have Arrived and We are Them: The Soska Sisters’ RABID
In the history of cinema, several filmmakers have stuck out as memorable, those who left a mark on the industry and have, in some way, influenced generations of filmmakers after them. In the world of horror cinema, in particular, one…
"Broken Pieces" – Star Trek: Picard S1E08
There’s a delightful (if not disconcerting) moment near the middle of “Broken Pieces,” where Agnes Jurati asks Jean-Luc Picard if he believes in hell. Picard’s breathy sigh and casually lifted eyebrow are a wonderful piece of subtle acting from Patrick…
Love Jones (1997) & The Photograph (2020): The Value of Words
Nearly 25 years ago, the producers of the independent gem Love Jones had a modest and honest goal with its romance. They sought to make a modern film about African-American life that did not use violence and/or recreational drugs as…
"Nepenthe" – Star Trek: Picard S1E07
There are certain things in this episode that cannot go unaddressed. To begin with, it sees the return of Will Riker and Deanna Troi. This provides us with a new vision of one of the most beloved and archetypal symbols…