“I’m something new: a Method loser.”
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllRecent reviews
More-
Go West 1940
In some of the Marx Brothers features, it’s surprising how engaged the filmmaking is when Harpo Marx does his harp number. For Chico Marx’s piano performances, it’s a little simpler: you want to show it’s actually him playing, and then you want to focus on the keys as he goes along with his theatrical flair. In Go West and others, they make moves to show that, as played by the fool, the harp is an instrument that can transcend the…
-
23 Paces to Baker Street 1956
A work falling in the realm of being Hitchcockian or not is a poor pivot for determining the success of a film. The treason this narrative strategies come to mind so often for me is because they work. If you wrap personal catharsis up in an engaging mystery, the two compliment each other. That’s the intention here. Van Johnson’s turned his blindness into a personal failing and can’t allow himself to accept a loving relationship with Vera Miles, even if…
Popular reviews
More-
Kimjongilia 2009
The worth and emotional impact of the interviews in this movie are unquestionable, and having them recorded is a great service. The rest of this movie is sloppy and lacking of insight. Making a documentary on North Korea, the most reclusive state in the world, is no small task, but an aimless structure and nonexistent visual style don't help this.
-
In the Heights 2021
I'm not alone in wanting to speak up for 2010's Step Up 3D, but it might be strange to do so here, when director Jon M. Chu's career has taken him to much loftier heights. In recent years, he experienced a groundswell success with Crazy Rich Asians and has a musical breakout in the making with his new film, In the Heights. Watching his latest, however, brought to mind a scene from his second entry in the 2000s dance battle series, where a pair of…
