The one thing that this film does not give its viewers is “joy”. I rarely want to walk out of a movie before it ends. It took every ounce of willpower I had to stay until the end of this one. From the beginning, the continuity editing was off. The film editing in general was… Continue Reading
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Foreign Language Oscar List Narrowed
The list of foreign language films in contention for next year’s Academy Awards has been further whittled down. Nine films have progressed to the next stage of voting in next year’s foreign language Oscar competition, selected from the 80 considered eligible. The list now includes The Brand New Testament (Belgium), Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia),… Continue Reading
Filmstock Resurgence for the Holidays
The debate of what medium to use for shooting films seems to be quietly reappearing with some top releases of 2015. In February major film studios, Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, NBC Universal and Warner Bros all pledgde to continue buying filmstock from Kodak. The company proceeded to make similar deals with independent film studios. Among… Continue Reading
From Chi Trib Film Critic Michael Phillips “For ‘Carol,’ director Todd Haynes dug deep.”
“I wish I could show you what director Todd Haynes showed me. It’ll never be published; it’d be a legal nightmare to secure the rights of its contents. “A few weeks ago, the director of “Safe,” “Far From Heaven,” “I’m Not There” and the widely acclaimed “Carol” came to Chicago for the film festival. Over… Continue Reading
Lorainne Ali’s interview and analysis of ‘Carol’ is right on. What does Haynes use of 16mm portend?
Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara faced ‘secrets … forbidden topics … taboos’ in the world of ‘Carol‘ A truly great column by Lorainne Ali provides meaningful insight and analysis into the upcoming film Carol. The one thing not discussed is director Todd Haynes insistence on using 16mm film. It provides a soft, creamy look with enough… Continue Reading
Finding home and self in Brooklyn
It would be simple to begin summarizing Brooklyn’s story here but that would rob future viewers of a special experience. Having worked on an extensive personal genealogy, I was often struck by the number of children, men and women, that emigrated alone, from their homeland, in order to find a better life than their family… Continue Reading
Loved but not lost: David Lean’s Brief Encounter and Dr Zhivago
Brief Encounter was laughed at by audiences when first released, and Dr Zhivago was scorned by critics. Now, argues Michael Newton, we can appreciate them as two of the greatest love stories committed to film. Check out The Guardian column. Continue Reading
Indiewire’s Walter Murch interview
Check out Indiewire‘s Emily Buder’s excellent interview with film editor and sound designer Walter Murch http://bit.ly/1NllCwr From “Apocalypse Now” and “The Godfather” to “The English Patient“, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and “Cold Mountain” Walter Murch has contributed to some of the most memorable films of our time. Listen to Murch’s comments on move from film… Continue Reading
Suffragette – Accents and handheld overwhelm
I would love to be able to provide a legitimate analysis of Suffragette. To the extent that I could make out what the actors were saying, I was left with no emotional attachment to the film. Since I wear hearing aids I asked several others around me at the theater for their reaction and all… Continue Reading
CIFF – In Jackson Heights – Offers lots of Whine
Frederick Wiseman’s documentary could easily be called schizophrenic. The camera vibrantly shows the diverse nature of a neighborhood that hosts people speaking 167 languages. There are beautiful shots of the streets, stores and homes. The dialogue, however, is over 3 hours of complaining by a number of factions from the transvestites to small business leaders,… Continue Reading