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 […]
Tag Archives: IFC Films
Top Twenty Films of 2014: Part I
These films mean so very much to me. The best thing an end-of-the-year list can do is entice readers to seek out movies they might have otherwise overlooked, and that […]
Seven Scenes by Joe Swanberg
In a recent interview with Moviemaker Magazine, Chicago’s trailblazing indie auteur Joe Swanberg was praised by writer Sean Hood for creating a “sustainable production model” based on creative tribalism. The […]
“Boyhood”: The Art of Winging It
Perched on the cusp of manhood, Mason (Ellar Coltrane) looks back on the narrative of his life and finds nothing but loose ends. “What’s the point?” he asks his father […]
“Blue Is the Warmest Color” Transcends Controversy, Achieves Greatness
If you prefer films that hold you at a comfortable distance from the action, never daring to impinge on your personal space, then the cinema of Abdellatif Kechiche may not […]
Jeremy Scahill on “Dirty Wars”
Jeremy Scahill is having a surreal day. He just got back from an impromptu radio interview while on a Chicago press junket for his Sundance prize-winner, “Dirty Wars.” He was […]
Indie Essentials: Greta Gerwig
There’s no one in modern cinema quite like Greta Gerwig. Not only is she one of our great screen beauties, she’s also one of the most uninhibited comedians since Lucille […]
Pat McDonald on Microbudget Tips
I’ve always looked to Pat McDonald not only as a friend and fellow critic for HollywoodChicago.com, but also as somewhat of a father figure. When we rehearsed our presentation at […]
The Summer of Duplass
I have always been fond of the “Duplass Brothers,” Mark and Jay Duplass. Their indie comedies fuse scruffy charm with raw insight so spot-on that it’s occasionally painful. Case in […]
Indie Outlook 