2015 may seem like an off-year for cinema – many of the biggest American directors are still producing their next projects – but it was really one that had to be defined by discovery. With the exception of a certain space action franchise, a lot of discussion on cinema these past few months has been on mid, […]
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival blends big ticket premieres, festival favorites from 2015, and obscure international debuts from around the globe. I haven’t seen all of the 120+ films showing at the fest this year, not even close, but I’m excited to share a few of my favorites from what I have seen ahead […]
It’s like, they’re people I work with and our job is being popular and shit There are dozens of formative teen films, and each takes on the trappings of its individual generation not only to frame the story, but to more often be the essence of the story. Dazed and Confused’s ambling, unmoored approach echoed […]
Chicago indie film power couple Joe and Kris Swanberg reflect on parenthood in these two films about new parents and their struggle in taking on a new, adult identity. DIGGING FOR FIRE It’s difficult to talk about Joe Swanberg’s growth, because even his most recent films are humble, minimalistic affairs. But the progress is tremendous […]
The latest from New German Cinema director Wim Wenders, Every Thing Will Be Fine is a film which walks an unbelievably dangerous line between ‘outright bad’ and ‘self-consciously analytical.’ A dangerous line walked on a tightrope a hundred feet in the air, and in 3D, no less. After a string of documentaries, Wenders has finally returned to […]
In a genre dedicated to telling stories, communicating emotions, and enthralling an audience, documentaries ostensibly represent a chance to tell a truth to that audience. They give filmmakers a chance to show the world as it is and try to tell the story of that world in a true way.
An innovator of both form and message, Vera Chytilová's "Daisies" challenges its audience to dig for meaning, and question everything. A defining piece of the Czech New Wave, "Daisies" is a testament to film's power as a means of protest.
Author’s note: I have forgone the usual reviewing format to write a more personal piece. I saw it as simply the only way to come to terms with the experience I had with Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) when I watched it for the first time. Therefore, although there will be some critical […]
