Directed by Sydney Pollack Okay, so Absence of Malice tackles a journalist's responsibility to ensure truth in reporting and the women's liberation movement. The latter is only mentioned a couple times in passing, but I think it's intrinsically tied to the way the former is presented here, and I think the message is a little muddied. … Continue reading Absence of Malice (1981)
All the President’s Men
The Martian (2015)
Directed by Ridley Scott A botanist (Matt Damon) finds himself shipwrecked and alone on Mars following an aborted mission and in an effort to survive makes science cool again. The Martian does for chemistry and ecology what All the President's Men did for journalism. These are films about single-minded characters who are good at the thing … Continue reading The Martian (2015)
Christine (2016)
Directed by Antonio Campos Okay, so Christine is a mix of Network (1976), Nightcrawler (2014), Blue Jasmine (2013) and Taxi Driver (1976). Set in 1974, the story of a local news reporter plays out in the shadow of the Woodward and Bernstein takedown of Richard Nixon which is chronicled in another 1976 film, All the President's Men. Christine Chubbuck, the … Continue reading Christine (2016)
The Post (2017)
Directed by Steven Spielberg Is it okay to call Steven Spielberg underrated? The Post was rushed into production and has mostly gone unnoticed with only the requisite attention because of the Oscar-bait quality of the film as well as the trifecta of Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. It's a period piece with occasionally heavy-handed messages … Continue reading The Post (2017)
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