Directed by Alex Ross Perry Queen of Earth opens and ends with an intense close up of Elizabeth Moss' face.  In the opening, she is distraught, on the verge of breaking down, and in the end she is laughing hysterically, having already broken down. Alex Ross Perry tells a painfully intimate, even claustrophobic story about … Continue reading Queen of Earth (2015)

Directed by Mike Newell Right up front, Donnie Brasco insists this is based on a true story, in big, bold text, but it's easy to forget all about that by the time the movie ends.  While it's an entertaining film, Donnie Brasco just feels like another mafia movie, not as good as The Godfather or Goodfellas, but probably no … Continue reading Donnie Brasco (1997)

Directed by Ruben Östlund Force Majeure opens with a family portrait taken of Tomas, Ebba and their two children.  When the photographer asks Tomas and Ebba to place their heads together for the photo, their ski helmets knock into each other, slightly tarnishing this image of the perfect, happy family.  This Swedish movie takes a … Continue reading Force Majeure (2014)

Directed by Rob Reiner Coming of age stories have been around long enough to be recycled.  Stranger Things (Netflix show) and the remake of It are lathered in nostalgic visions of a time when kids rode around on bikes, free to roam wherever they wanted.  In these more recent adaptations of such imagery, the kids run into … Continue reading Stand By Me (1986)

Directed by Edgar Wright Shaun of the Dead references George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), letting you know that this comedy is about zombie movies as much as it is about zombies.  There's also another meaning, referring to Shaun, very much alive, as one of the 'dead,' suggesting that we're all a little bit zombified, … Continue reading Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Directed by James Marsh Man on Wire is a documentary made to feel like a heist movie.  Through a series of interviews and dramatic re-enactments, combined with occasional jumping back and forth through time, the film tells the story of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. With … Continue reading Man on Wire (2008)

Directed by Lawrence Kasdan In The Big Chill, a funeral brings together a group of old college friends, now in their thirties.  They're at the point in their lives where they're no longer young adults, well on their way to becoming who they will be when they die but with enough time to turn things around … Continue reading The Big Chill (1983)

Directed by Elia Kazan There's a story behind On the Waterfront, that Terry Malloy's guilt (Marlon Brando) is Elia Kazan's guilt.  Kazan testified to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1952, giving them the names of eight people suspected of being communists, and though he adamantly defended his decision, many people were highly critical.  When Kazan … Continue reading On the Waterfront (1954)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery The Loveless is nothing like what I'd expect for a Kathryn Bigelow movie.  The director of popcorn action flicks like Point Break and serious, gritty oscar dramas like The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty and now Detroit starts her career off here with a Jim Jarmusch-ian arthouse film.  The Loveless reminded me most … Continue reading The Loveless (1981)

Directed by Rob Daniel Teen Wolf was released during what I have to assume was called the Summer of Michael J. Fox, right?  The August 23rd released date followed the early July release of Back to the Future, Fox's definitive role.  While the earlier film was a resounding hit, Teen Wolf may have been less so, but … Continue reading Teen Wolf (1985)