Closer (2004)
“Closer” is one of the most brilliantly-written films I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a film where the characters’ lives revolve around using sex to hurt each other, but (aside from a rather humorous “conversation”…
March of the Penguins
Antarctica, with its vast ranges of white, cliffs of ice, and frozen, deep blue, is an awe-inspiring place. My gratitude goes to the film makers who were insanely ambitious enough to brave this weather so that I need not. The cinematography, directed by Laurent Chalet and Jerome Maison, is the most remarkable documentary footage I have seen. Perhaps…
Kôkaku kidôtai 2: Inosensu (2004)
Mamoru Oshii has transcended the boundary of strict narrative. The conventional westerner will pay attention to the laborious, and at times detached, dialogue that is typical of sci-fi and noir. One might hear a line about dog food, and mistakenly think the…
The Island
“Just because you eat the burger doesn’t mean you want to meet the cow,” says McCord (Steve Buscemi) when attempting to explain to the innocent Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) and Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) the world that benefits from their existence might not want to know…
Batman Begins
CHRISTIAN BALE stars as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “Batman Begins.” Rachel Dawes:…
The Evolution of Cinematic Violence
Of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, Pauline Kael wrote: The movie’s confusing — and, finally,…
American Psycho (2000)
Initially, I felt that the irony of Patrick Bateman’s existence made most sense if it were all in his head…
Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby appears to be, first, about a boxer overcoming the odds. Then, it appears to be about the relationships between the characters. Finally, it reveals itself as a film about how we, as human beings, choose to deal with adversityâ€â€and behind every victory…