John Fortson, Christie Lynn Smith and Abby Ryder Fortson on “Rated”
“I think we’re going to make a quarantine movie here pretty soon,” quipped actor/filmmaker John Fortson at the beginning of our Zoom chat a few days ago. Like all families […]
Category Archives: New Releases
Indie Outlook Picks the 2019 Nominees
With the unveiling of Oscar nominations just weeks away, I am offering my annual picks for what I would like to see nominated in each major category. There were so […]
Top 20 Films of 2019: Part II
Though my love of cinema still dwarfs my appetite for television, the increasing timidity of Hollywood studios combined with the creative risks undertaken by streaming platforms has caused 2019 to […]
Top 20 Films of 2019: Part I
It’s humbling to realize that out of the twenty films I’ve selected as the finest of the year, only a small handful have received a wide theatrical release. Such is […]
“The Garden Left Behind” to Screen at Film Girl Film Festival
When it comes to transgender representation on screens both large and small, 2019 has been a watershed year in many respects. It began with the groundbreaking fifth season of TLC’s […]
Lauren Greenfield and Andy Bautista on “The Kingmaker”
One of the best and most enraging documentaries I’ve seen all year is “The Kingmaker,” Lauren Greenfield’s explosive portrait of Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines. Though she […]
CIFF 2019: “Knives Out,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and Five More Contenders
Few modern filmmakers understand the essence of Frank Oz’s artistry as innately as Rian Johnson. The most euphoric sequence in Johnson’s sublime 2017 blockbuster, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” occurs […]
CIFF 2019: Thomasin McKenzie on “Jojo Rabbit”
I can honestly say that Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” is a film I’ve been eagerly awaiting for well over a year. It was last summer at the Karlovy Vary International […]
CIFF 2019: “By the Grace of God,” “The Kingmaker” and More Highlights
With Netflix and other streaming platforms offering more reasons than ever to stay home, the Chicago International Film Festival reminds us that no home entertainment enhancements can compete with the […]
“Joker,” “Judy” and Why They Make Me Moody
Self-importance is what defines Oscar season rather than any degree of quality. What makes these films any more deserving of awards consideration than what preceded them over the last several […]
