Directed by Riley Stearns A man easily intimidated willfully transforms himself into the thing that intimidates him. It's following an assault at the hands of a motorcycle gang that Casey Davies (Jesse Eisenberg) enrolls in classes at a local dojo, in awe of the calm, cold confidence of its Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). His subsequent training … Continue reading The Art of Self-Defense (2019)
toxic masculinity
Triple Frontier (2019)
Directed by J.C. Chandor There's a lot of testosterone in Triple Frontier, a movie about five former Special Forces operatives who hatch a plan to steal millions of dollars from a drug lord. The plan seems foolproof, at least as much as they normally do within the context of a movie, taking place in a sparsely … Continue reading Triple Frontier (2019)
Big Fish (2003)
Directed by Tim Burton Whether simply because of the framing device or because he's a narcissist, Big Fish is a series of tales about a blowhard for whom everything goes his way, and yet it just yanks on the heartstrings every time I watch it. As an old man Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) struggles to maintain … Continue reading Big Fish (2003)