16 Mar 2012

Natural Selection

Posted in Film Review, Forum

It’s been interesting to revisit last year’s SXSW big winner a year after its premiere. Natural Selection, director Robbie Pickering’s ostensible comedy, has what could be the platonic conception of a festival film premise (Christian woman goes on road trip to find husband’s sperm donor son!), but a second viewing only reinforces its dramatic core. read more →

14 Mar 2012

Gerhard Richter Painting

Posted in Film Review, Forum

Don’t be misled by the seemingly straightforward title of Gerhard Richter Painting. It’s true that German filmmaker Corinna Belz’s documentary does have many scenes of contemporary artist Gerhard Richter at work in his studio, but never has watching paint dry been so interesting. read more →

07 Mar 2012

Being Flynn

Posted in Film Review, Forum

The tense negotiation between imagination and reality (exigency, necessity, money, time) is what I find fascinating about film production. Adaptations show their seams more blatantly, and in some cases, the source material begs comparison. The case of Being Flynn is a twisted one: the film is based on Nick Flynn’s memoir Another Bullshit Night In Suck City, that title itself a phrase cribbed from his father Jonathan. read more →

13 Feb 2012

Rampart

Posted in Film Review, Forum

The new film Rampart once again teams director Oren Moverman with actor Woody Harrelson. They also collaborated on Moverman’s directorial debut, the terse and powerful The Messenger. As with Tommy Lee Jones in Paul Haggis’ In The Valley of Elah, The Messenger deftly explicated the fallout of the Iraq War by placing the weight of it on one man’s tense shoulders: Woody Harrelson’s Captain Tony Stone (both roles earned the actors Oscar nominations). read more →

27 Dec 2011

Pariah

Posted in Film Review, Forum

There is no way to miss where this debut film by writer/director Dee Rees is going. In case the title doesn’t tip you off, the dictionary definition of “pariah” is helpfully included in the film’s opening moments, as well as on the poster: “1. A person without status. 2. A rejected member of society. 3. An outcast.” read more →