Archive | May, 2018

First Reformed Review

26 May

Slow and deliberate, but fervent in its interrogation of faith and in its portrayal of all-consuming mental anguish. Hawke is a force in the film, his internal conflict clearly bursting at the seams in each and every intimate frame. The setting is utilized to full effect as the church becomes positioned between past and present, between an ideal and a reality, between the central tenets of religion and the insidious hypocrisy of corporate greed. It all builds up to an absolutely stunning finale that seethes with anger, yet challenges you to grab ahold of something in a world that too often seems devoid of hope and meaning.

GRADE: B+

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The Tale Review

20 May

Decidedly not formalistic, but much too often to a fault. I have great respect for what Fox is going for here, especially as it relates to the messiness of trauma and the profound impact it has on victims’ memories. The contradictions inherent in dramatizing a story about a kind of existing dramatization are endlessly fascinating, but the documentarian in Fox too often results in a stiltedness that outweighs the authenticity accompanying the approach. Continue reading →

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Tully Review

18 May

An unglamorous and therefore honest portrayal of motherhood infused with the sardonic wit of Cody’s screenplay. A fantastic Theron is the epitome of exhaustion in every form, but her character also has an admirable, steely-eyed quality to her that makes you care about her love for her kids. Davis, so fantastic in Halt and Catch Fire, drifts in and out of the narrative in an exceedingly bizarre yet endearing fashion. Even though the film doesn’t really stick the landing, that central dynamic is the heart and soul of the story, positing that it’s okay to both let yourself need something or someone and let yourself change.

GRADE: B (so close to that B+)

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