Damien Chazelle writes himself into 1920s Hollywood in his fifth feature, Babylon. A three hour drama fueled by fire, piss, shit, and the hysteria of Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva.
I believe that all directors are owed the opportunity to make at least one film that indulges the audience in their deepest desires and greatest fears. This type of film typically comes around in the latter part of a career after a director has long established themselves as…
To Live in the Womb of the World
“Our hearts beat in the womb of the world.”
The Earth’s surface is 71% water. 96.5% of that is the ocean. Despite the distance between seven continents, 195 countries, and the 7.8 billion people that inhabit them, the one commonality (besides language), is that we live on islands connected by water. Furthermore, life’s most precious resource is water and, as far as we know, Earth is home to 100% of it in…
We can talk about how mangled the politics of this is, but it’s so clear that Nolan is solely focused on the internal machinations of ideals as the driving force of character and story. I understand that many take tremendous issue with that type of form, especially in a film as highly revered as this one, but it kind of works way more than it should.
The external bubble of these very bizarre politics of surveillance, chaos, and order post-9/11…
Liza Minnelli is a showstopper. Fosse’s ability to make his characters become these beacons of emotional turmoil during a politically shifting time is utterly remarkable. The musical sequences are brief moments of “escape” until we realize they’re theatrical renditions of reality.
I didn’t connect with this as emotionally as I did with All That Jazz (few things do), but it is so technically great in ways that few films are. Especially when tackling as many dramatic beats as it does here. So much to unpack in the relatipnship between characters and world.
If Denis Villeneuve wasn't the best film-maker working today, Zack Snyder would have the best shot selection in all of Hollywood. This guy shot this movie on an iPhone and it looks better than most movies released on a budget 1,000 times the price of an iPhone X! Snow Steam Iron is a firm reminder that Snyder is one of the purest Hollywood visionaries working today.
In Snow Steam Iron we see a corrupt system in the snow laced streets of New…
Quite possibly the most ambitious film of 2014, Richard Linklater's, 'Boyhood' is a stunning work of art and one of cinema's finest achievements. This film is shot over 12 years of time from the years 2002-2014, following a boy by the name of Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) throughout this time span.
To be quite honest, I don't think I've ever resonated with a film more in my entire life. Following this boy growing up was absolutely incredible to watch,…
