Top 20 Films of 2025
Let’s face it, 2025 was a cataclysmically awful year—certainly the worst in our nation’s history that I’ve been alive to witness. Since free expression is a clear threat to authoritarianism, […]
Tag Archives: Martin Scorsese
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 […]
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: “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 […]
Writing for RogerEbert.com: Vol. 5
While waiting for the Lyft that would take me to my cousin’s home in Brentwood, following my trip to pick up the tux I would wear in the press room […]
Schrader & Brüggemann: Masters of Slow Cinema
The most exciting film opening in Chicagoland theaters today has absolutely nothing to do with “Star Wars,” though it does harken back to another crucial work of the 1970s. Before […]
Top 100 Favorite Films: 2017 Edition
A few years ago, I was asked by a friend to rank my Top Five Favorite Films. It was so daunting to limit my list to only five titles that […]
Indie Outlook Picks the 2016 Nominees
With Oscar prognostications in full swing, I’m presenting my annual list at Indie Outlook of the five nominees I would personally select in nearly every category, including one that I […]
Indie Outlook 