Movie Reviews
Seen a lot of movies, got a lot of opinions.
Let’s get Lily Gladstone her Oscar.
“Venom: The Last Dance”
Venom: The Last Dance isn’t as weird as it should have been, but it’s still sad that this gonzo friendship will no longer be seen on the big screen.
“Memoir of a Snail” - Film Review
Memoir of a Snail urges its audience to break out of their limits and leave a snail trail of their own.
“Dahomey” - Documentary Film Review
Dahomey infuses artistic panache into its timely story of the painful reclamation of one’s heritage.
“Anora” - Film Review
So easy to be swept up in and so easy to fall back down to earth, Anora is a slice-of-life humanist tale told in typical Baker fashion.
“Conclave” - Film Review
Conclave is, beneath its posturings of grandness, a quiet story about faith and confidence in the unknowingness that exists in our reality. It’s the sparring of progress and tradition in a world that is immensely desperate to have something that makes sense when it seems as though uncertainty reigns supreme.
“The Apprentice” - Film Review
As irate as The Apprentice made the real Donald Trump, it’s a little surprising that it doesn’t make a meaner punch.
“Dìdi (弟弟)” - Film Review
Dìdi extends a warmth and kindness to the lost, angry, and hopeful teen we all once were.
“Ghostlight” - Film Review
Ghostlight argues that it matters less if the art you make is good, and more that you go through the grueling process of making something from your own vulnerability.
“The Devil’s Bath” - Film Review
The Devil’s Bath is a punishing watch, one whose true horrors are only revealed as the credits begin to roll.
“Artifact War” - Documentary Film Review
Preservation is an act of rebellion, one that the team of Artifact War continues to fight, even after the camera stops rolling. Our collective histories are worth fighting for, preserving, and learning from.
“The Line” - Film Review
The film plays with the idea of blind faith, devotion, and the way violence is used as a tool to keep believers in line. The Line is not a movie that will quickly be forgotten, nor should it be.
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” - Documentary Review
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin shows the power of human connection, even when it’s digitized.
“Rumours” - Film Review
Rumours is a dark comedy that makes good on its high-brow premise, while poking fun at the pseudo-intellectualism that exists in the world of global politics.
“Smile 2” - Film Review
Smile 2 is far bloodier, nastier, and angrier than its predecessor, but it also unfolds itself in a way that could’ve provided some peace without losing the preceding viciousness.
“Shadowland” - Documentary Film Review
Shadowland allows the web to untangle itself and the reality to fully differentiate itself from the fantasy, while still being respectful to those whose lives have been upended by these “spiritual narcissists.”
“Boutique” - Film Review
Even beyond the cinephiles, Boutique reminds us that movies have a unifying quality to them. An ability to make our world wider without ever leaving the plush seats of our favorite multiplex.
“Jack Has a Plan” - Film Review
Jack Has a Plan argues that there are ways to die that can be good, that allow people to do so with dignity and on their own terms.
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” - Film Review
The Seed of the Sacred Fig is courageous and timely, proof that moviemaking is a political act with power that can be wielded to make meaningful change.
“Nightbitch” - Film Review
If you’re going to make a film about a mom who turns into a dog, you might as well go for it, no holds barred. Nightbitch ends with a whimper without ever finding its bark.
"Queer” - Film Review
What makes Queer as successful as it is comes from the performances of Craig and Starkey. It’s a genuine thrill to see Craig in a dramatic role now that his time as James Bond has come to an end.