The End exemplifies the audacious spirit necessary for original movie musicals to be recognized as serious art, while also offering depth and intentionality in its relationship to the musical form, beyond mere spectacle. While Joshua Oppenheimer’s somewhat abstract vision of apocalyptic complicity often feels more like a piece of fine art than a traditional narrative film, his underground salt mine bunker of delusion brims with thought-provoking philosophical ideas, which ultimately distill into a poignant exploration of repressed guilt disguised as…
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The Family Stone 2005
The “bring the significant other home for the holidays” premise is always an effective Trojan horse for a family drama disguised as a holiday movie. The Family Stone thrives on its dysfunction but often feels constrained by the need to ultimately deliver a feel-good Christmas movie experience. The moral ambiguity of story might have been better suited to a less emotionally charged holiday (such as Thanksgiving) to allow its naturalistic tone to persevere without the pressure to tie up its…
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Flow 2024
I’m sure I’ll lose some “likes” for this, but I’m thrilled to finally have a movie that portrays dogs as the dopey freeloaders they truly are, while the resourceful, self-reliant cat—whose independence often rubs non-cat people the wrong way—does all the heavy lifting.
Flow is the obvious 2024 winner of the “animation is a medium, not a genre” award. It takes a deceptively simple yet irresistibly endearing feline character design and places it in a hyperrealistic, often overstimulating survival narrative…
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Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point 2024
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point presents an intriguing mix of styles and tones that straddles the line between indie naturalism and a more heightened, editorialized vision of a small-town Christmas Eve. At its best, the film creates a meditative atmosphere that feels like piecing together a long-forgotten memory—one that ebbs and flows with the rhythms of conversation, silence, and understated visual poetry. The production design deserves particular praise, offering a richly textured sense of real space that feels lived-in and…
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That Christmas 2024
Richard Curtis takes another swing at the multi-plot holiday story he popularized with Love, Actually, this time infusing it with the kind of naturalistic character work that few mainstream animated studios dare to attempt anymore. While the structure occasionally muddles the film's overarching themes, the screenplay stands out among many recent family films for its emotional maturity. Much of it feels like a live-action drama, focused on interpersonal and family struggles instead of pandering to the over-stimulation and unnecessary action…
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A/Way 2024
Dances With Films
For its brief runtime, A/Way ambitiously attempts to weave together multiple plot threads in a non-linear format, each designed to prompt a pivotal moment of examination and recalibration for the protagonist, portrayed with captivating presence by Rosie McDonald. The sequences in Martinique, which adopt a travel documentary style and often feature stunning cinematography, are the most insightful, offering philosophical musings from "non-actors" with vibrant, creative perspectives. Ultimately, it feels as though there are two films here, and the editorial choices in combining them results in a fragmented structure that never fully resonates as intended.
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A Christmas Carol 1984
I often return to this adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” because George C. Scott captures the humanity of Scrooge in a way that feels intrinsic and effortless, unlike any other screen portrayal. His Scrooge isn’t overtly cruel or consumed by rage; rather, he’s pragmatic, cunning, and smug. His transformation unfolds gradually and tangibly, with an emotional climax so honest that it feels as though we’re witnessing the child within him reborn in the aging man.
The film as a…
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Blitz 2024
McQueen's formal filmmaking style struggles to capture the heightened, larger-than-life quality necessary to make this coming-of-age adventure feel significant or clearly defined in its stakes. Additionally, the historical war drama might have been more effective if the conflict had a clearer sense of progression or purpose. Saoirse brings emotional intensity to the story, which feels most urgent when delving into themes of race within this particular context. However, Zimmer’s score often clashes with the natural emotional tone of the scenes.…
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Out of My Mind 2024
My sister has cerebral palsy, and while her experience isn’t identical to the protagonist’s, there are some meaningful parallels—particularly around not being fully seen or understood for her unique perspective and intelligence.
The use of voiceover narration as a way to speak for someone who is not physically able to do so is a beautiful cinematic choice. It’s wisely used sparingly, coming and going as needed, but ultimately conveys that it’s not the sole or most effective means of bringing…
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Thanksgiving 2023
Thanksgiving thrives on its appeal as a holiday-themed slasher, drawing heavily from more polished entries in the genre. However, its tone often feels inconsistent, leaving the film uncertain of its identity and overly preoccupied with catering to an internet-savvy audience. The Black Friday madness sequence from the marketing stood out, and while the heightened tone works well in concept, the screenplay struggles to deliver the sharp satire needed to match it. That said, the film succeeds in offering creatively staged kills that cleverly incorporate its Thanksgiving motif, all while capturing the cozy yet increasingly bleak atmosphere of deep autumn.
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Wicked 2024
Overview:
News of a “Wicked” movie first surfaced in 2004, and somehow, twenty years ago, I was already discussing this adaptation at musical theatre camp, passionately debating who should (or shouldn’t) be cast. Now, more than two-thirds of my lifetime later, one of Broadway’s most monumental works finally reaches the big screen, arriving at a moment when humanity arguably needs its message the most. The main idea of Wicked—the radicalization of individuals against a fraudulent governing authority that wields fear as…